Mushroom and Goat Cheese Toasts

Mushroom lovers will have all the good reasons to rejoice with the extraordinary recipe of mushroom and goat cheese toasts. This dish seasoned with the best herbs in Italy and goat cheese on a toast is simply irresistible. It is a perfect snack or dinner food that is packed with protein and minerals.

Don’t underestimate the appearance of a mushroom. While it is intriguing, mushrooms are beneficial to health buffs and food lovers. Laetiporus is the name of a wild mushroom that is edible. This mushroom tastes nearly identical to chicken.

Mushrooms are widely known as a superfood in terms of nutrients. A plateful of mushrooms provided an equal amount of nutritional advantages like vegetables, grains, meat, and beans. The B vitamins found in mushrooms are a good source of nutrients that will aid the functions of our nervous system. It also gives energy by breaking down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

In the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, fresh mushrooms are recommended as a healthy addition to your meal.

Mushrooms with herbs on toasts
Garlicky mushrooms with herbs on toasts

The nutrients and minerals you’ll get from eating mushrooms

B vitamins

Pantothenic acid

Selenium

Ergothioneine

Copper

Riboflavin

Beta-glucans

Vitamin D

Niacin

Potassium

Some of the fantastic benefits from consuming mushrooms

According to an article from the Mushroom Council, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reassures that mushrooms contain low saturated fat and sodium. Mushrooms are also fat-free. Its umami complements saltiness, allowing you to apply less salt in your mushroom recipes. Here are the benefits from eating mushrooms:

1. Mushrooms Give Immunity and Antioxidants

Selenium is an antioxidant nutrient found in mushrooms. This antioxidant helps protect our body cells from damage that may lead to severe disease. Selenium also strengthens our immune system.

2. Mushrooms Help in Weight Management

Mushrooms are also considered low-energy-density food. With their few calories, mushrooms can help in your diet plan. Unlike lean ground beef, consuming mushrooms is beneficial in managing your weight because it gives daily energy by minimizing fat intake yet leaving you full and satiated after eating your meal.

3. Mushrooms Help fight Cancer

In cell cultures and animals, the mushroom can lessen the growth of prostate and breast cancer cells. This pushed the scientists and researchers at City of Hope to do small clinical trials in prostate cancer patients.

On the other hand, goat cheese is often identified by its French name, Chèvre, meaning goat.

Goat cheese has plenty of textures and flavors. The textures of this delicious chees range from young to mature, mild to tangy, and creamy to crumbly to creamy. 

This cheese can be white, wrapped in grape leaves, and coated with herbs or ash. The unique and versatile characteristics of goat cheese derive from capric acid.

This fatty acid is full of flavor and can help in the development of good intestinal bacteria in humans. Because of its nutrients, goat cheese is always known as a healthy food product. 

It has low lactose content. Thus, eating cheeses from both goats and sheep is the best choice for people with lactose intolerance. The cheese from goats and sheep never develops a rind. However, the age variants have different types of coatings. 

The ripened various mostly show some white molds coated in a fluffy or soft jacket, like a Brie or Camembert. At the same time, the hardened types show waxed or natural rinds. Goat cheeses have flavors that are tart and recognized by their soft texture spread all around.

It is intense, tangy, and earthy when it is young. When you let it stay for a while, the cheese settles down and gives a chance for other pairings to stand out. As the cheese ages, the flavor and texture become firm, but not necessarily hardened. 

Instead, it will become crumbly creamy with traces of dried herbs and hazelnut. Goat cheese is lighter, giving a rich flavor. Despite its hint of bitterness in its tastes, goat cheese is always delicious to consume.

Grilled mushroom toast with parsley, lemon and cheese on wooden board
Grilled mushroom toast with parsley, lemon and parmesan cheese on wooden board. healthy vegan food.

Types of goat cheese

Goat cheese is exceptionally delightful and clean on the pallet. While it is rich in flavors, it also goes with different types of versatility. Below are the different kinds of goat cheese and their unique profiles.

1. Blue cheese

Blue cheese has a sharp but clean aroma. It displays new blue mold and tastes of earthy mushrooms. This type of goat cheese is creamy and smooth, giving a unique sensation once it hits your pallet.  

2. White mold goats’ cheeses

Like Castello White with goat’s milk or goat brie, white mold goats’ cheeses give a new impression on already known classics. As it matures, the tang of the milk slowly becomes soft, with a hint of richness, creaminess, and a taste of rural mushroom. 

3. Chèvre

Instead of being a specific cheese, Chèvre is a term used to identify the traditional French goat cheese. It is based on different ages, molds, and rinds. The young variants are vibrant and delectable and are always enjoyed within a few days of development and production.

As you savor each flavor and texture of the nutrients-filled mushrooms and goat cheese, you will enhance the experience once you partner it with a toast.

Now, let’s get ready for your Mushroom and Goat Cheese Toasts recipe!

Mix of forest mushrooms on cutting board over old wooden table
Mix of forest mushrooms on cutting board over old wooden table .

Recommended wine pairingLucente and Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

1 lb large bunch flat-leaf parsley, washed and stems removed

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 lb mixed fresh mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

6 oz goat cheese

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 threads saffron

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 baguette, diagonally cut into 1/4 slices

Steps in cooking:

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet, heat garlic until fragrant. Add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes over med-high heat. Add wine and pepper and cook until liquid is almost completely absorbed about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Whisk whipping cream until it thickens. Whip half of the goat cheese into the cream until well blended. Then whip the rest of the goat cheese into the cream.
  3. Blend olive oil and parsley with an immersion blender until emulsified. Set parsley sauce aside.
  4. In the meantime, brush both sides of each piece of bread with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Toast in broiler for 1 to 

2 minutes, until edges are golden.

  1. Top each toast with a tablespoon of salsa and a shrimp. Serve immediately.