With summer officially over (cry) and a second lockdown looking likely, it’s time to get creative when it comes to getting our fill of vitamin D. So we asked nutritional therapist Madeleine Shaw for her go-to vitamin D rich recipes. Thank us later…

‘1 in 5 of us are deficient in vitamin D. This might not seem all that shocking, but considering how vital vitamin D is in keeping our bones and teeth healthy, as well as supporting the immune system and preventing colds, we should be doing everything we can to get our daily hit.

So how can we get more vitamin D into our lives? The best way (I think we can all agree) is by getting out into the sunshine. But as we enter the winter months, it’s important to consider alternative ways to get our recommended daily dose of 10 micrograms. Supplements, for example, are a fantastic way to get vitamin D into the body. But what are the best food sources for it? One of my favourites is one you might have expected – mushrooms.

As well as being delicious, mushrooms are a brilliant source of vitamin D. In fact, many of the mushrooms available in your local supermarket will have been exposed to high levels of UV light, which is soaked in vitamin D – and eating just eight of these will provide you with your daily dose of vitamin D. If you’ve scoured far and wide and can’t find the specific vitamin D enriched mushrooms (check the label at the back of each packet), then simply pop a pack of regular mushrooms on your kitchen window sill – this will allow them to absorb the sunlight and become vitamin D enriched.

Mushrooms are extremely versatile, so they’re really fun to cook with. If you’re not super confident in the kitchen or maybe just need a bit of inspo as to what you can conjure up, then you’re in luck. Here are my top four vitamin D enriched recipes…’

Madeleine Shaw’s top vitamin D rich recipes:

Mushroom Shakshuka

Recipe:

Serves 2

• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 200g Asda’s Vitamin D Enriched Grower’s Selection Chestnut Mushrooms
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of harissa paste
• 1 tsp of cumin paste
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 4 eggs
• 100g of olives
• 20g of pine nuts
• salt and pepper
• Coriander

Method:

1. Fry the onion for 5 minutes in the olive oil in a large pan.
2. Finely chop half the mushrooms and slice the rest. fry with the onion, add the garlic, harissa, smoked paprika, cumin and salt.
3. Add the pepper and fry for another 2 minutes then pour over the cans of chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins.
4. Place 4 well in the pan and crack in an egg per well. Cook for 7-10 mins until the whites are cooked through.

Madeleine says: ‘This is such a fantastic brunch dish – great for when you’re having people over and also healthy enough to eat on your own’

Mushroom and salmon breakfast muffins

Recipe:

Makes 8 muffins

• 6 eggs
• 4tbsp of plant milk
• 3 vitamin d enhanced mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 broccolini stalks, cut into small pieces
• 50g of smoked salmon, cut into chunks
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp of chopped chives, plus extra for serving

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grease your muffin tray with the olive oil then pour in the mixture to make 8 muffins. They will rise so don’t fill them to the top.
4. Bake for 12 minutes until cooked through. serve warm with extra chives, these can be kept in the fridge for 3 days.

Madeleine says: ‘I love making mushroom egg muffins when I’m on the go. Simply pop whisked eggs, mushrooms and any other beg into a muffin tray and bake them in the oven for 15 minutes. They’re packed full of protein, veggies, vit D so are perfect for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.’

BBQ Pulled Mushroom Burger

Recipe:

Serves 2

• 3 Tesco Vitamin D Enriched Portobello Flat Mushrooms
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 4 tbsp of tomato puree
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of cayenne
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp of maple
• 2 tbsp of balsamic
• salt and pepper

To serve:
1 avocado
lettuce
2 burger buns

Method:

1. Remove the mushroom stalks and turn upside down so the top is facing down on a chopping board and shred the mushrooms using 2 forks.
2. Fry the onion in olive oil for 5 mins followed by the spices and shredded mushrooms. Season and fry for a further 5 minutes. Next add the tomato, maple syrup and vinegar, simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Mash 1/2 the avocado and season then assemble the burger with the mushrooms, mashed avocado and lettuce.

Mushroom Tofu Stir Fry

Recipe:

• 2 tbsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of honey or maple
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 thumb of ginger
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tbsp of tamari or soy
• 4 vitamin d enhanced mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced
• 4 broccoli stalks, sliced
• 1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1/2 black of firm tofu, cubed
• 350g rice, cooked
• sesame seeds
• lime

Method:

1. Whisk the sauce together in a bowl. Add half of it to a frying pan and fry the veg and tofu for 10 minutes until golden then stir in the rest of the dressing and serve on top of the rice with sesame seeds and fresh lime juice.

Madeleine says: ‘Mushrooms go really well with Asian style food, so I’d recommend frying them up with some tofu, along with tamari, ginger and garlic.’

*For more recipes and nutrition tips, head to madeleineshaw.com

The post How to get your vitamin D hit with nutritional therapist Madeleine Shaw appeared first on Marie Claire.