Mushrooms and Tea Fight Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and if you love mushrooms and tea, this is the recipe for you! Separately, tea and mushrooms work well to prevent cancer. Drinking tea on a daily basis reduces the risk by about 40%, while eating fresh mushrooms- results in an almost 60% risk reduction. When taken together, they are like the power couple of anti-carcinogens. According to a study done by the Journal of Cancer, when enjoyed together, tea and mushrooms reduce the chance of breast cancer by almost 90%.

Mushrooms are not only healthy for your boobies, but they also help you maintain your weight. Here are some other really cool facts:

- Mushrooms contain 80 to 90 percent water, and are very low in calories (only 100 cal/oz). They have very little sodium and fat, and 8 to 10 percent of the dry weight is fiber. They are an ideal food for a weight management program or a hypertensive diet.

- Mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower elevated blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. One medium portabella mushroom has more potassium than a banana, or a glass of orange juice. One serving of mushrooms provides 20 to 40 percent of the daily value of copper, a mineral that has heart health properties.

- Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Men who consumed twice the recommended daily intake of selenium cut their risk of prostate cancer by 65 percent. In the Baltimore study on Aging, men with the lowest blood selenium levels were 4 to 5 times more likely to have prostate cancer.

The most commonly consumed mushroom in the United States is the white button mushroom, which is what I used in this crab stuffed mushroom recipe. This is perfectly paired with a cup of Koni Slim it Sencha Green Tea. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

3 Tablespoons butter, melted (I like to use soy butter or a vegan butter.)

1/2 Cup panko crumbs (You can also use italian bread crumbs but I like panko because it has a lighter texture.)

2 Tablespoons minced onions

1 Teaspoon lemon juice

1 Cup diced cooked crab meat

2 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 Cup of dry white wine

1 Egg beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

28 Large white mushrooms, stemmed

Optional: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle a 9×13 inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Set aside caps. Finely chop stems.
3. In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the lemon juice, crabmeat, panko crumbs, egg, salt and pepper, parsley and 1/4 cup of cheese (optional). Set aside.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
5. Stir in the chopped stems, minced garlic and onions, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.
6. Add the crabmeat mixture. Thoroughly blend.
7. With a small brush, coat each mushroom cap with some melted butter. Arrange caps cavity side up, and stuff cavities generously with the crabmeat mixture.
8. Pour wine into the pan around the mushrooms.
9. Bake uncovered until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top (about 15-20 minutes). Serve warm.

A professionally trained chef and the world’s greatest tea master, Phuong has traveled to the far reaches of our planet in search of a healthier lifestyle. Phuong is the CEO and founder of Koni Tea (http://www.KoniTea.com), the largest women owned loose leaf tea company in the market today.

Through her incredible journey she has touched the lives of millions and influenced them to ‘rethink their drink’. Phuong has won countless awards, has been featured on the Food Network, and takes an active role with local charities to help her community grow and prosper.

For a glimpse into her life you can read Phuong’s critically acclaimed blog, The Tea Chick at http://www.theteachick.com.