By Titus Serunjogi

WE all love mushrooms. They do not only look good but also taste fabulous and they are absolutely easy to cook. In Buganda, mushroom-hunting remains a cherished hobby and the delicacies are served in luwombo.

Mushroom dishes are also valued as much for their health properties.
Since wild mushrooms are not easy to come by, produce or food markets have the preserved delicacies. You can then cook these at home, and give yourself a worthwhile weekend treat.

Hotels and restaurants also offer mushroom dishes. Mushrooms are used to make soups or teas and lately, sandwiches.

Chef Winnie Daka of the Sheraton Hotel and Chef Moses Lukwago of Hotel Africana take us through a couple of mushroom recipes that are easy to prepare at home.

Africana’s Mushroom and toast sandwich
Ingredients
Whole mushrooms (1 cup)
Margarine (1 tablespoonful)
Onions
Milk (1 cup)
Toasted slice of bread
Grated Parmesen Cheese
Salt
White pepper (1 teaspoon)
Chicken cubes
Preparation
Chop the onion into minute pieces. Put the frying pan over a low fire and add the margarine. Immediately add the onions and stir till they are golden brown. Add baking flour and stir till it has mixed well with the other ingredients.

Add chicken cubes and then slowly pour in the milk. Keep stirring until you have smooth white sauce and remove from the fire.

Get this white sauce and dab it over the toast. Then place the mushrooms in an even layer over the sauce and over these dab another layer of white sauce. Lastly, make a layer of grated parmesan cheese on top.

Put the sandwich into an oven for five minutes. Remove, garnish and serve.
Sheraton serves tomato and mushroom sauce with fish fillet

Sheraton serves tomato and mushroom sauce with fish fillet
Ingredients
Vegetable oil (1 teaspoon)
Chopped red onion (100gms)
Chopped garlic (two cloves)
Chopped red pepper (100gms)
Chilli powder (5gms)
Brown sugar (1 tablespoon)
Dry red wine (60mls) 
Skinned and chopped red tomatoes
Sliced oyster mushrooms (150gms)
Salt
Heat oil in pan and add onion and garlic, stir until onions are soft.
Add pepper, chilli, sugar, wine and tomatoes.

Simmer, uncovered, until sauce is thick. Add mushrooms, simmer while uncovered for five minutes. Add salt. Serve with grilled fish fillet.