AUSTRALIAN Mushrooms has banked on vibrant celebrity chef, Miguel Maestre, to help inspire more mushroom use in Aussie kitchens.
Maestre has teamed up with Australian Mushrooms to promote the edible fungus through helping "mums find the joy in meal times".
The campaign includes a series of chef secrets for making meals healthier and tastier.
Galaxy research commissioned by Horticulture Innovation for Australian Mushrooms earlier this year, showed lack of inspiration, motivation and time are the biggest barriers for mothers when it comes to feeding a family.
The research found almost two thirds of Australian mothers (64 per cent) lack the time or are fed up with meal preparation, with a third of mums (35pc) admitting they would rather clean, do the laundry, vacuum or iron than cook for their families.
Mums also complained of having to cook multiple meals each night to satisfy a range of family preferences (42pc), and of having to cook on their own, with more than a third (38pc) saying they get no help when it comes to putting a meal on the table each night.
The study was conducted online among a national sample of parents 1250 respondents 18 years and older who have a child, two to 17 years old in the household.
Chef Maestre said the examples set on television food shows did not always translate into home kitchens.
“We all want to be better cooks and create meals like those we see on TV or in our social media feeds but that’s not the reality for most Australian parents,” he said.
“At the end of the day, after working, picking the kids up from school or soccer practice, and doing the shopping, often the last thing you feel like is spending hours in the kitchen, trying to cook dishes that the whole family will eat.
"We get stuck making the same old dishes on rotation but it doesn’t have to be this way."
The survey results showed 74pc of families say mushrooms are a staple in the fridge. Other staples include chicken, cheese, carrots, potatoes and onions.
In recent years, Australian Mushrooms has partnered with chef Ed "Fast Ed" Halmagyi to help promote its products.
Old favourites
ACCORDING to the Australian Mushrooms research, roast dinners and spaghetti bolognese are two of the most common meals on Australian dinner tables and are included in most family repertoires, which half (49pc) of all Australian parents admit is limited to five or less dishes.
“A roast chicken is a family classic that requires minimal effort for big reward but people often overcook and dry out the chicken,” Maestre said.
“But if you add finely chopped mushrooms under the chicken skin, along with some butter, they will help retain moisture and add another level of flavour, making your dried out roast chicken a thing of the past.
“Or you could try adding minced or finely chopped mushrooms to your spaghetti bolognese – they will take on the flavours and make it taste like it’s been simmering for hours when in reality, it’s just half an hour.”
“Mushrooms are incredibly versatile and not only are they that secret ingredient that makes dishes taste better, they also add a heap of nutrients into each dish.”
The Australian Mushrooms campaign also includes out cooking tips such as:
- Mushrooms are a natural seasoning, which means you don’t need to add lots of salt when you cook.
- When mushrooms are sautéed for several minutes beyond the point at which their liquid has been released, they develop a meaty, umami-rich quality that makes the dish taste like it has been simmering for hours.
- Boost your mincemeat with extra flavour and nutrition by adding some blended mushrooms.