For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced or ccrushed in a mortar and pestle
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (substitute some yogurt or buttermilk for some of the olive oil for a low-fat dressing)

For the salad:

• 6 large or 8 smaller fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (discard the stems or use for stock)
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• Salt to taste
• 170 - 200g baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1 celery stalk, preferably from the inner heart of the celery, sliced very thin
• 1 - 2 tablespoons pine nuts or broken walnut pieces, lightly toasted
• 30g crumbled goat cheese

1. Mix together the vinegar and lemon juice with the garlic, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard using a fork or a small whisk. Whisk in the olive oil and the yogurt or buttermilk if using. Set aside.
2. Combine the spinach, nuts, celery, and goat cheese in a salad bowl.
3. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil and when very hot, add the mushrooms. Shake the pan once, then let the mushrooms cook without moving them around until they begin to sweat and soften (watch closely). After about a minute or two, when they have begun to sear and release moisture, you can move them around in the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Add to the spinach mixture and toss with the dressing. Serve at once.

• 4 Servings
• 4 Large King Oyster / Eryngii Mushrooms
• Wheat flour
• Bread crumbs
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups vegetable oil

Slice lemon. Tear mushrooms in half lengthwise with fingers. Wrap each piece of mushroom in bacon. In three steps, flour, egg-dip and bread-crumb batter the mushroom pieces wrapped in bacon. Deep fry in a pan. Add lemon, mayonnaise or your favourite sauce/condiment to taste.

• 6 Servings
  1Kg mixed mushrooms
  1 onion, finely chopped
  200g parma ham, diced
  6tbsp olive oil
  2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  5 fresh bay leaves
  1 small sprig rosemary
  3tbsp chopped parsley
  500ml vegetable or chicken stock
  300g cooked butter beans
  6 slices toasted bruschetta bread
  freshly grated parmesan (optional)
  salt & pepper to taste

Fry the onion and diced ham in the oil until the ham has taken on some colour, then add the garlic and herbs. Add the cleaned mushrooms and the stock and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cooked beans. Bring to boil again and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary and season the soup. Put a toasted bruschetta in each soup bowl and pour the soup on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan (optional).

• Matured rump steak
  75 ml olive oil
  50 ml balsamic vinegar
  Salt and black pepper
  Chinese cabbage very finely sliced
  15 ml Terinyaki sauce
  1 Punnet Enoki’s

Mix the olive oil and balsamic in a flat dish. Marinate the steak for at least half an hour turning once.

Wilt the cabbage in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain.

Without adding any oil to the pan fry the steak (according to how well done you like it) While the steak is resting, heat 15 ml olive oil in a wok. Add the Terinyaki sauce to the cabbage. Flash fry the cabbage for 2 minutes.

Slice the steak very thinly and arrange on servings of cabbage. Decorate with the Enoki mushrooms.

Note: If you add oil to a steak pan it causes smoke.

• 4 Servings
  600g butterfish fillet in 4 pieces
  300g Shimeji mushrooms
  plain flour for dusting
  6tbsp olive oil
  2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  1 small fresh chilli, finely chopped
  55g butter
  juice of 1 lime
  2tbsp chopped coriander
  salt & pepper to taste

Dust the fish with flour and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms for 2 minutes,
then add the garlic and chilli and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring form time to time. Fry the fish in the butter for
a couple of minutes on each side. Season with some salt and pepper and the juice of the lime. Finish the mushrooms
by stirring in the coriander and some salt and pepper. Serve the fish and mushrooms together.

Ingredients

• 1 Very firm pawpaw
  2 Punnets Shimeji mushrooms
  Olive oil
  Salt & black pepper
  Dash of dry sherry

Dressing ingredients:

• Juice of one big lemon
  5 ml lemon zest (grated)
  5 ml fresh ginger (grated)
  5 ml finely chopped chillies
  5 ml salt

Mix dressing ingredients together and refrigerate

Fry the shimeji’s in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes. Add 30 ml sherry, salt and black pepper. Cook until dry again. Cool completely.

Peel pawpaw and cut into bite size bits.
Arrange pawpaw and mushrooms on a flat plate.
Just before serving pour dressing over.

Note: If the dressing is poured over the pawpaw too long before serving, the lemon juice cooks the pawpaw.

Ingredients

• 4 Servings
  20 baby potatoes peeled if preferred
  1 punnet shimeji mushrooms
  45 ml olive oil
  Salt and coarsely grated black pepper
  15 ml truffle oil
  
  Mix the oil, salt and pepper in an ovenproof dish.
  Add the potatoes and mix well.
  Bake at 180 C for an hour stirring every 20 minutes.
  

Ingredients

• 1 Kg chicken strips
  2 Cups flour
  5 ml salt
  5 ml mustard powder
  50 ml olive oil
  
  625 ml boiling water
  30 ml chicken stock powder
  1 ml cloves
  2.5 ml coarsely ground black pepper
  5 ml salt
  
  300 grams Shiitake mushrooms chopped
  2.5 ml chopped garlic
  1 small onion chopped
  30 ml olive oil
  
  50 ml butter
  50 ml flour
  200 ml cream
  15 ml Dijon mustard

Mix together the flour, salt and mustard powder. Dust the chicken strips with this mixture. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the strips until golden brown. Strain on paper towels.
Wipe pan clean.
Heat the 30 ml oil over medium heat and fry the mushrooms and onion for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Remove from pan. Wipe pan clean. Mix the stock powder with the water. Add the cloves, pepper and salt. Melt the butter; add the flour to make a paste. Slowly start adding the water mix until a smooth sauce is formed. Add the mushrooms. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the cream. Add the chicken and heat through.