10 Things Fungi Have Done for Us

Fungi (and yeast and thrush) gets a bad wrap on this blog. Thought it was time to redress the balance. ;)

BBC NEWS Magazine 10 things fungi have done for us

Recipe: Super quick and easy flat bread

Very flat bread! By Basheem

Perfect for breakfast emergencies!

Serves many, best freshly cooked and serve warm.

Super quick and easy flat bread

3 cups of rye flour

1 - 1 1/2 cups of warm water

salt

vegetable oil

Put flour and a good pinch of salt in mixing bowl. Make a well. Add a small amount of water and mix together. Continue to add the water to the flour until a soft dough forms.

Pull off a small piece of dough, roll into a round. Place on a floured board and press flat until around 1 cm thick.

Add a small amount of vegetable oil to a small frying or griddle pan. Add flat bread to pan and cook either side for a minute or so, until golden brown.

A perfect accompaniment to savoury dishes.

Recipe: Beef Goulash

Hungarian paprika by vi4kin

A delicious and comforting - and, most likely, completely inauthentic - casserole for a chilly autumn day:

Beef Goulash

Serves 2

400g quality stewing steak trimmed and cut into pieces
4 medium tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1tbs plain flour
1 tbs tomato puree
1 tbs paprika
1 yellow, red or green pepper
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
atural yogurt (optional)


Heat oil in a large frying pan, or casserole dish. Add pieces of beef, a few at a time, and seal. Remove from pan/casserole. Add onions and garlic. Sweat until translucent. Return beef to pan/dish and fry together for another couple of minutes. Place in a casserole dish if not already.


Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes (place in a bowl and pour on boiling water, leave for a few minutes before removing, skins should slide off easily). Carefully chop the skinned tomatoes, being careful not to lose too much juice. Add to the casserole dish, along with the tomato puree. Stir the beef, onions and tomatoes together. Add seasoning and flour. Stir well. Put lid on casserole and place in the middle of an oven at a medium heat for 1hr-1hr, 30 mins.


Towards the end of the cooking time, prepare and slice the pepper into medium strips. Add to the casserole. Stir everything together. Add a little water if it looks a little dry. Return to the oven for another 30mins-1 hr, until the meat is tender.


Serve from the casserole dish, with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable, or brown basmati rice. As an extra-special finishing touch, add a swirl of natural yogurt and a sprinkling of paprika.

Recipe: Carrot and Potato Rosti

Rude veg by Silversprite

A delicious, quick and easy recipe:

Carrot & Potato Rosti

Makes one large rosti, which will serve two as a side dish, or one as a main course.

3 medium carrots, washed and peeled

3 medium potatoes, washed and peeled

butter or olive oil spread

salt and pepper

grated goats cheese (optional)

Grate the carrots and potatoes. Place in a bowl. Season to taste and mix well with hands.

Heat a knob of butter/olive oil spread in a small non-stick frying pan. Squeeze excess water out of potato/carrot mixture with hands, or in a clean tea-towel.

When the butter/spread is nice and bubbly, add the carrot/potato mixture, pressing it into the pan. Cook on a moderate heat, turning every five mins or so (it helps to turn the rosti out onto a dinner plate, before sliding it back into the pan), until golden-brown and crispy on both sides (around twenty mins).

For an extra treat, add grated cheese to the top of the rosti and allow to melt in the pan.