Mushroom recipes

Keep a paper bag of mushrooms in the fridge and you will always have  the right ingredients to throw on the barbecue to wow the hungry  hordes.

Flat mushrooms are big and easy to barbecue and can be served as a starter while the meat is cooking or used as a delicious meal by themselves.

Button mushrooms can be used in lots of different ways and are perfect with a mix of food on skewers.

Mushrooms are also very forgiving on the barbecue. No matter how
long you cook them, they will always taste great.

Here are six fast mushroom recipes for your next barbecue.

• Marinate 20 button mushrooms in 1 tsp grated ginger, 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and 1 tbs honey for 15 minutes. Thread mushrooms onto 4  skewers. Barbecue turning frequently for 4-5 minutes.
• Combine 2 tbs tamari soy, 1 tbs caster sugar, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 4 crushed garlic cloves and 2 tbs lime juice in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then  cool. Place 6 sliced jumbo flat mushrooms in a shallow bowl. Pour over marinade. Stand for 15 minutes then cook on the barbecue plate.
• Combine 2 tbs olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tbs chopped basil and grated rind and juice of 1 lemon. Spoon over 300g Swiss brown mushrooms and stand for 5 minutes, before cooking on the barbecue.
• Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Place 8 small flat mushrooms, stems trimmed in a shallow dish. Drizzle marinate over mushrooms and stand for 15 minutes before barbecuing.
• Spray small flat mushrooms with olive oil and cook on a hot barbecue for 2-3 minutes each side until just tender. Spread toasted walnut bread with hummus, top with mushroom. Crumble over marinated feta or ricotta and top with dressed baby rocket leaves.
• Place 6 Portobello mushrooms in a shallow dish. Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tbs brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tbs lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over mushrooms and toss well. Stand for 5 minutes then barbecue for 3 minutes.

Use a bunch of rosemary to baste food on the barbecue. The bristles on a pastry brush will singe and burn if they come in contact with the hot barbecue.

To clean your barbecue, pre-heat it on high until hot. Rub the surface of a cut lemon over the plate or grill and it will clean it to perfection.

Don’t grease the barbecue plate until after its been cleaned and pre-heated. Adding the oil too early will cause the oil to burn before the plate is hot enough to start cooking. The burnt oil will also taint the flavour of the food.