Tomato mushroom stew
On the Athos peninsula 600 different types of mushrooms have been reported, which is due to the rich forest vegetation of this sacred place. The mushrooms are an integral part of the monks diet due to their high nutritional value and the monastic recipes with them are innumerable. See bellow the recipe for braised mushrooms stew, in which you can use whatever mushroom you have, fresh or dried, for example oyster or portobello. A fasting dish that can be used as a sauce for your rice or pasta. Of course, it can also eaten as a main course as long as you accompany it with some fresh sourdough bread or a fragrant veggie roast.
We cut the mushrooms into medium-sized pieces.
We peel the tomatoes, remove their seeds and chop them.
We pour the oil into a pot and saute the onion for 3-4 minutes.
We add the mushrooms and saute them very well, until they lose their unnecessary moisture.
Then we add the tomatoes, ketchup and season with salt and pepper.
We simmer the mushrooms for about 20 minutes. If necessary we add a little water in between.
Just before turning off the food, we flavor it with oregano and parsley.
We never wash mushrooms because they absorb moisture and "water" the food. If we want, we clean them slightly with a wet paper towel.
