You could blame Olympic fever or the pursuit of mushroom excellence but the Mushroom Council is having a lot of fun with contests these days and our latest from the Big 10 is no exception.

This contest pitted executive chefs and foodservice directors from the 11-school conference against each other in a friendly competition to create mushroom recipes for three categories of university-favored cuisine: Pizza, Sandwich, and Entrée. Most entries were vegetarian, with mushrooms at the heart of the dish, which reflects the increased interest in vegetarianism among college students – a 2006 Aramark survey found that 30% of college students want vegetarian options when dining out.

“Based on the caliber of recipes we’ve seen through this contest, universities are redefining the concept of what students will eat, taking them in a very positive and healthful direction” said Bart Minor, president of the Mushroom Council. “More and more students who have embraced a vegetarian or flexitarian diet have found mushrooms add a satiating “meaty” mouth-feel to their favorite dishes. Now, universities across the nation are catering to their preferences. ”

In the final round of judging, students at Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts in Chicago prepared tasting portions of five top-scoring recipes in each category for a judging panel that included Minor, along with Liz Grossman of Plate magazine and Frank Chlumsky from Kendall. Recipes were judged based on creativity, flavor and visual appeal.

Purdue earned Big Ten bragging rights by winning two of the three recipe categories, including best overall recipe, landing them the grand prize package that includes a trip for four to the NCAA men’s national basketball championship in Indianapolis this April. The University of Iowa’s recipe for Chorizo Breakfast Sandwich with Mushroom Gravy scored best in the sandwich category. As category winners, both schools will receive scholarships to attend the 2010 National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) annual conference in July.

The top entries from the Big Ten “Best Mushroom Recipe Goes to Indianapolis” contest are featured on MushroomInfo.com.

Check out Purdue’s Grand Prize Winning recipe for Vegetarian Mushroom Stir Fry below. Never did I think I would wistfully daydream on returning to my dorm days for the food but here we are, that day is upon us.

Vegetarian Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves 24

Sauce

• 1 ½ cups vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 4 ½ quarts water
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup vegetarian soup base

Stir fry

• 5 pounds firm tofu, drained, cut into triangles (½ x 1 ½ inches)
• 3 pounds dry rice stick noodles
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• ½ cup minced peeled ginger
• 6 pounds cleaned, sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ½ pounds sliced carrots, blanched and drained
• 5 pounds Chinese broccoli, cleaned and cut into 4-inch pieces, blanched and drained

To make the sauce: Whisk together the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer. Whisk together the water, cornstarch, and soup base. Combine with the oyster sauce mixture and heat until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Makes about 6 ½ quarts.

Heat a deep fryer until 375 to 400°F. Deep-fry the tofu triangles in batches until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

For each serving, to order: In a deep fryer, cook 1 ½ ounces rice stick noodles until puffed but not browned. Drain on paper towels. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Stir-fry ½ teaspoon garlic and 1 teaspoon ginger until fragrant. Add 4 ounces mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 ounce carrots, 2 ½ ounces broccoli, and about 2 ounces fried tofu. Stir-fry to heat through, 1 minute. Add about 1 cup sauce mixture and simmer until heated through. Put the rice sticks in a bowl and ladle the vegetables and sauce on top. Serve immediately.