I’ve been introduced to a whole new world where my supplements are my food. Much in thanks to my friend Nathan whom introduced me to Ray Peat cult following (more later). Mushrooms contain a wealth of nutrients and when cooked correctly taste amazing. They also give a near instant boost to your metabolism.
Disclosure I’m a mere mortal engineer not a biochemist nor molecular biologist. People far smarter than me can describe how these mushrooms work with the correct lingo. Feel free to correct me if you’re one of those super smart people.
Mushroom Sauce Recipe
I only use the best quality water to cook with and drink. My current setup is a Zero Water system. Reverse osmosis works even better while a carbon filter (aka fridge filter) is better than nothing. However, avoid tap (city or even well) water, you’ll taste it in your food! If you need to buy a gallon of filtered drinking water to cook with.
Ingredients:
- Filtered drinking water
- Diced / sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
- Freshly minced garlic cloves
- Diced onion
- Salt
- Black Pepper (optional)
Your nose if the best tool for cooking! Sorry I don’t have amounts. I smell food as I cook and add accordantly. Otherwise, if you must taste as you cook. FYI ~ salt is a vital nutrient despite what people say so don’t be shy with it.
Step 1: sauté the garlic and onion with some salt and black pepper on a frying pan until softened.
Step 2: place sauté & mushrooms into large pot on low heat constantly turning with a spatula.
Step 3: Fill pot with water until water level is above the contents and bring to boil.
Continue adding water, some salt (to taste/smell), as you maintain a slow boil for a whole evening (like 8 hours). The water will turn to a brackish consistency and brown color. Boil it all the way down at that point till you’re left with a light sauce.
You can even let it boil ALL the water off and lightly sauté the mixture a second time. Then rehydrate with a very small amount of water (like 1 tbsp.). I really like this the best but sometimes I’m lazy and stop at the boiled down mushroom concentrate.
How to use mushroom sauce
I take this sauce and store it in my freezer or use it right away. I’ve put it in hamburgers, spaghetti, mac & cheese, baked potatoes, etc. Recently the hamburger patties have worked well per below:
Add egg, Worcester sauce, raw honey, grated gouda (and or freshly grated parmesan) cheese. Mix these into your ground beef. Cook as hamburger patties or use as additive to your marinara sauce for spaghetti.
Food Quality is Vitally IMPORTANT SUPER DUPER critical!!
You have to be EXTREMELY vigilant in your choice of foods. Use raw / fresh ingredients. If you can get locally grown even better (farmers market, food coop, your garden, etc). Food that doesn’t taste fulfilling is likely because the ingredients are of low quality!
The food you eat should feel and TASTE amazing. TASTE is critical because it’s your body telling you this is what you NEED. A diet that leaves you feeling like you are sacrificing isn’t a DIET at all in my opinion. You need to search quality that tastes great and leaves you feeling great. Discover the food your body ultimately CRAVES.
Learn to read labels and discern the “desired food” from industrial ingredients. Modern food industry has found ways to dispose of industrial waste (titanium dioxide, linseed oil / vegetable oil / PUFAs, guar gums, Soy derivatives, etc. etc. etc) in our food. They’ve convinced most of us including our “experts” that these industrial additives are somehow good for us. They is a bold faced LIE, they are creating a world of chronically ill and nutritionally deprived people.
Cheese from Animal Rennet ONLY!
Enzymes are required to make cheese. Since the inception of cheese as a food animal rennet has been used solidify the milk. They’ve since replaced that natural enzyme with what they call “vegetarian rennet” among others artificial enzymes. You need to make sure your cheeses are made with “animal rennet”. You’ll not only TASTE the difference you’ll feel it! Unfortunately, entire super market chains have completely rid their shelves of any real cheese from animal rennet. I can find some at Trader Joes and occasionally in super markets in their high in cheese assortments.
Baby (small) mushrooms ONLY!
Do NOT buy monstrously huge mushrooms! Mushrooms are nature’s filters! They are a fungus, complete with plethora of toxins. Some are even used as psychedelics to get high. The intention is not to get a gut ate, sick, or have a mushroom trip! Buy small mushrooms which haven’t absorbed as many toxins from the environment. Also ALWAYS boil your mushrooms to cook off the toxins!
After becoming even more vigilant these last couple years I can FEEL a difference from the quality of the food I choose! This has unfortunately limited me to at home cooking from raw ingredients as most of our food supply is tainted with these industrial chemicals.
Who is Ray Peat
He was a professor and lifelong biologist. Much of his study was devoted to metabolic health at a cellular level. He has inspired thousands of people to take a personal interest in their diet and health. I’ve enjoyed listening to his interviews over the past couple years and taking some inspiration from them, mainly in the form of my diet such as this mushroom sauce.
His fan following took the time to create a website archiving his interviews linked below from which I got a lot of my ideas. My friend Nathan put me onto a lot of these ideas as he’s been following Ray for over a decade and optimizing his bloodwork (health) through diet.
In closing
Mushrooms are one of a handful of changes I’ve recently made to my diet. They’ve really helped improve my health. These small health tweaks have helped me cut my eye glass prescription by 30%, fix loose teeth, as well as mitigate thinning & gray hair. It’s amazing what some tweaks to your diet can do!
I’ve also incorporated more fresh juice, fruits, coffee, dairy, and am working hard to eat more shell fish. Shellfish are nature’s multivitamin. My goal is to eat one tin of Oysters per week. I hate seafood but I can FEEL a difference when I eat quality oysters (packed in olive oil).
Another interesting side note, my week spent at 10,000ft in the high Alpine of Wyoming. I returned with a 0.25 diopter improvement in my vision! I’ve since made it a point to spend several days a month minimum in the high Alpine as close to 10,000ft as possible. There’s a good reason for this but a topic for another article.
All this stuff is incredibly fascinating. I’d love to hear about your results. Mushrooms are more than tasty food. When prepared like this they will help your health. Tell me how they work out for you!
