More ways with mushrooms

Stuffed portobello mushrooms

(below) Take as many portobello mushrooms as you have diners and, once clean, remove the stalks and brush them all over with olive oil. Fry the stalks, a few chopped spring onions and a handful of breadcrumbs with butter, then crush in cloves of garlic, add parsley and spoon the mixture onto the feathery side of the mushrooms, before topping with mozzarella and baking for 20 minutes. For a perfect starter, place a small mound of dressed salad leaves on the centre of each mushroom and serve immediately.

Warm autumn salad

Roast slices of butternut squash in the oven until tender, then allow to cool a little before adding clean spinach leaves to a large bowl along with chopped avocado, a scattering of pumpkin seeds, finely sliced red onions and the squash. Fry chopped mushrooms in garlic butter and add those to the salad, too. Finally, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve with focaccia.

Smart mushrooms on toast

Take a handful of mushrooms and a chopped rasher of bacon per person and fry them in butter until lightly browned. Add seasoning (go easy on the salt because of all that bacon), a few cloves crushed garlic and a handful parsley, then pour in enough single cream to just cover the mixture and heat through. Finally, pour the creamy mushrooms onto individual toasted slices of brioche (one per person) and serve immediately.