The Culinary Institute of America

Introduction to Mushrooms in the Plant-Forward Kitchen

The Culinary Institute of America is proud to present “Mushrooms in the Plant-Forward Kitchen,” a video education series developed to inform chefs about the many ways to incorporate mushrooms into global plant-forward cooking. In this series, we’ll demonstrate recipes like Korean mushroom bibimbap, Mexican street food-inspired mushrooms al pastor, Japanese mushroom katsu, and spicy Indian mushroom and lamb meatballs. The tuition-free videos and recipes are available on the plantforwardkitchen.org website, thanks to the generous sponsorship and support of the Mushroom Council.

Cauliflower Risotto with Seared Scallops

Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, shows us how he makes this delicious and creamy Cauliflower Risotto with Seared Scallops. In place of traditional arborio rice, he uses cauliflower rice for a low carb twist on this classic dish. Adding LeGout® cream soup base brings a smooth, creamy texture and rich flavor to the risotto.
Get the Cauliflower Risotto with Seared Scallops recipe here!
 
 

Cauliflower and Eggplant Adobo

Adobo is a Filipino dish made with meat, seafood, or vegetables braised in soy sauce, vinegar, herbs, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, was inspired by this classic flavor profile to make a vegetarian twist on adobo with cauliflower and eggplant. The vegetables are braised in soy sauce, Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base and vinegar and aromatics. Savory, sweet, and tart, your guests will love this Cauliflower and Eggplant Adobo.
Get the Cauliflower and Eggplant Adobo recipe here!

One Filling — Three Dishes: Roasted Mushroom, Quinoa, and Walnut Filling in Stuffed Eggplant, Tacos and Empanadas

Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, shows us how to make three different dishes – Empanadas, Tacos, and Stuffed Eggplants– all using one versatile mushroom, quinoa, and walnut filling. For the base filling, the quinoa is cooked in Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base for extra flavor, then tossed together with chopped roasted mushrooms and sautéed chopped walnuts.
Get the Roasted Mushroom, Quinoa, and Walnut Filling recipe here!

Flatbread with Roasted Mushroom Sausage and Red Peppers

Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, shows us some plant-based techniques for building intense umami flavor for this delicious vegan Flatbread with Roasted Mushroom Sausage and Red Peppers. The vegan “sausage” is made with roasted mixed mushrooms, mixed with a dairy-free risotto made using Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base. It’s easiest to work with when the risotto is slightly overcooked and cooled. Meat lovers and vegans alike will love this flavor-packed pizza!
Get the Flatbread with Roasted Mushroom Sausage and Red Peppers recipe here!
 

Rice Noodle Bowl with Roasted Vegetables and Curried Quinoa

This Rice Noodle Bowl with Roasted Vegetables and Curried Quinoa is a delicious, colorful, healthy and hearty addition to any menu. Gluten-free rice noodles serve as the base of the bowl. They are sautéed with soy sauce and Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base. This instantly adds lots of flavor, color and aroma to the noodles. The noodles are topped with a scoop of curried quinoa made using Knorr® Professional Liquid Concentrated Vegetable Base, and tossed with Hellmann’s® Lemon Za’atar Vinaigrette and curry powder. Topped with a tossed arugula salad and assorted roasted seasonal vegetables, your customers will love this hearty, produce-packed bowl.
Get the Rice Noodle Bowl with Roasted Vegetables and Curried Quinoa recipe here!

Chef Heena Patel Make Patras at Besharam Restaurant in San Francisco

Heena Patel is the chef and co-owner of Besharam in San Francisco. Chef Patel shows us the secrets to making patras, fried hoja santa leaves, served with micro greens, peanut chutney, and crunchy masala peanuts. “Patras” means “palm leaf layers” and is an Indian dish of fried leaves stuffed with a spiced chickpea flour batter. Her mom used to make the dish using taro leaves, but at her restaurant Chef Heena Patel uses hoja santa leaves.
Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!

Chef Heena Patel Makes Ragda at Besharam Restaurant in San Francisco

Heena Patel is the Chef and co-owner of Besharam in San Francisco. Chef Patel talks about the inspiration she draws from her upbringing in Mumbai, and cooking vegetarian cuisine. She also talks about when to add spices so you don’t burn them, and how her version of culinary school was shadowing her mother, grandmother, aunts, and sisters in the kitchen. Her restaurant, Besharam, translates to “shameless” or “fearless.” This idea guides her everyday. The menu is filled with dishes that she loves and that represent her personal approach to cooking.
Chef Patel demonstrates how to make ragda, which is a white pea curry used in many Indian street foods. She tops the ragda with potato patties, mint and cilantro chutney, tart and spicy date and tamarind chutney, and crispy sev.
Watch the full documentary and find plant-forward recipes here!