Award-winning Chef Angelo Loria is pulling out his favorite healthy recipes so that we can spice up our cooking with in-season vegetables.

Today, it’s all about mushrooms, which are in season in the month of January.

These delicious, umami-packed fungi are healthy, low in sodium and calories and are cholesterol-free.  They’re also packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

To boot, they taste good in almost any dish and can be very easy to cook. Here are Chef Angelo’s favorite mushroom-packed recipes.

Enjoy!

The Blended Burger

Burger Patties:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb mixed portabella, shiitake, and crimini mushrooms cleaned and chopped
1⁄4 cup red wine
2/3 pound ground sirloin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Form patties and grill

Mushroom and Beef Tacos

1 tbsp vegetable oil
½  pound white button mushrooms, ground
½  pound ground beef, pork, turkey or chicken
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cups diced onions
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chile powder blend
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt

ground black pepper, to taste
lime juice, to taste about 2 tablespoons

12 fresh corn tortillas taco shells, warmed
1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup salsa of your choice
1 avocado cut into 12 slices
6 oz. grated cotjia cheese (or Monterey jack cheese)
Ground black pepper, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
12 cilantro sprigs for garnish

Directions: Heat a 10 inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan, then the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Sauté the onions over medium heat until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the mushroom-beef mixture and chile powder. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes until the flavors meld and warm through. Stir in the cilantro and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Keep warm.

To assemble: Place 1 tablespoon of shredded cabbage on a warm taco shell . Top with 2 tablespoons of mushroom and meat mixture. Top with a generous tablespoon of salsa, a slice of avocado, some cotija cheese, lime juice, and a sprig of cilantro.

Mushroom, Chicken and Quinoa

Yield: 6 servings

Serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cups quinoa
Cooking spray
½  pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
¼  cup olive oil (divided)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound shitake mushrooms, halved
½  red onions, cut into ½-inch dice
1 small red chili pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
1 large green bell peppers, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
1 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
¼  cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼  cup fresh scallions, chopped
¼  teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾  teaspoons sea salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cups fresh lemon juice
1 T  cup balsamic vinegar
¼  cups Cotija or skim milk mozzarella cheese, crumbled

Directions: Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Place in a large stockpot with 2 cups of water; simmer 15 – 20 minutes. Remove cooked quinoa to a 2-gallon bowl; partially cover and keep warm.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a hotel pan with nonstick spray; lay out chicken breasts and roast for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until cooled. Once cooled, cut into 1-inch pieces.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. In a large bowl toss together 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, onion, peppers, parsley, scallions and red pepper flakes. Place mix on sheet pan and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes.

Stir cooked vegetables into warm quinoa; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle mixture with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and remaining 1 cup olive oil. Toss until evenly mixed.

Stir in diced chicken and cheese; toss again. Serve warm.