Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms

Authentic Chinese cuisine is healthy, especially the vegetable dishes. We often combine different ingredients with veggies to create more favors. Bok choy and mushroom are one of my favorite ingredients. This dish is light and refreshing. It is vegetarian-friendly and very healthy.




Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms
2-3 servings
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins


Ingredients
- 1/2 of baby bok choy, stems separated and washed. (If you can only find large bok choy, wash and chop them into 1-inch long pieces.)
- 4 dry Shiitake mushrooms (They can be found in Asian grocery store. You can also use other mushrooms instead. Dry Shiitake mushrooms have a strong flavor. So if you use fresh mushrooms, please use more to balance the flavor.)
- 1 tbsp potato starch or corn starch
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped


Steps
- Hydrate the dry Shiitake mushrooms. Soak them in warm water in a bowl till they are soft. This can take a few minutes. Remove the stems. (Skip this step if you are using fresh mushrooms)
- In a skillet, heat up 2 tbsp of canola oil or olive oil. Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the cleaned bok choy. Saute for about 2 mins, season with salt and pepper. Plate bok choy and set them aside for now.
- Add the mushrooms in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and even a little bit of light soy sauce. If the mushrooms are getting dry, add water while cooking them. 
- Place mushrooms in the center of the plate. 
- Dissolve potato starch in 1/4 cup of cold water. Cook the mixture in the same skillet till starting to form small bubbles. Pour the sauce over the plated bok choy and mushrooms.

Cauliflower with Water Chestnut and Black Olive

This cauliflower dish is very simple and mild in taste.  It is inspired by Momofuku Ko's skate dish. They used this cauliflower/olive/water chestnut combination as the side dish. I was blown away - the crispy texture of water chestnut works perfectly with the soft and earthy taste of the cauliflower.




Cauliflower with Water Chestnut and Black Olive
Prep time 5 mins
Cooking time 10 mins

Ingredients
- 1/2 cauliflower
- 1 small can of sliced black olives (3 oz)
- 1 can of sliced water chestnut (8 oz)
- 1 glove garlic, minced


Directions
- Cut the cauliflower into big chunks. Boil water in a medium pot, add 1 tsp of salt. Boil cauliflower for 2 mins then wash with cold water.
- Cut the cooked cauliflower into bite-size chunks.
- In a large skillet, drizzle some olive oil. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Cook cauliflower on high heat for 1 min. Add in olives and water chestnuts.
- Add 1/2 cup of broth or water. Cook on high heat until the liquid vaporizes.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Agedashi Tofu with Mushroom Medley 揚げ出し豆腐

Agedashi tofu is a traditional Japanese tofu dish - lightly fried silken tofu in tentsuyu sauce.

I was really amazed when I had this dish for the first time. It is light and flavorful. The texture of the tofu is very interesting- firm on the outside, silky and fluffy on the inside. This dish is healthy and vegetarian-friendly.

Agedashi Tofu with Mushroom Medley

Serves 2

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

- 1 block of silken tofu (about 10 oz)

- 2 oz daikon (white radish)

- 2 oz baby carrots 

- 1 scallion

- 1 pack of chef's selection gourmet mushroom (10 oz)

  (The one I got has Velvet Pioppini, Brown and Alba Clamshell mushrooms. You can also use Maitake or oyster mushrooms.)

- Oil

- Salt

- Potato starch or corn starch

- 1/2 cup dashi broth

- 2 tbsp purpose soy sauce

- 2 tbsp sake

- 1 1/2 tbsp mirin

- 1/2 tbsp sugar

- 1/2 tsp Yuzu Kosho (optional, this condiment is made from yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit)

Steps

1) Prep

- Grate the daikon and carrots for about 2 tbsp each.

- Finely slice the green part of the scallion, about 2 tbsp

- Remove the stem of the mushrooms

2) Fry tofu

- Cut the tofu into 1x1x2 inch squares

- Dry the tofu carefully with paper towel

- On a plate, lightly cover the tofu with starch

- On a heated oil pan, fry the tofu squares on both sides for about 2-3 mins each side or until golden

- Place the fried tofu on paper towel to remove the excess oil

3) Cook mushroom

- On a lightly oiled pan, stir fry the mushrooms for about 2 mins. Add 1 tsp of salt.

- Plate the mushrooms

4) Make tentsuyu sauce

- In a sauce pot, mix 1/2 cup dashi with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake. Cook till boil

- In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of starch with 2 tbsp of dashi broth. Mix well and slowly pour into the sauce pot.

- Stir the sauce on high heat till boil

5) Plating

- Place the fried tofu on the mushrooms. Scoop daikon, carrot and scallion on top of the tofu. Add 1 pinch of yuzu kosho on each piece of tofu if desired. Drizzle tentsuyu sauce over all the ingredients.

[Daishi Recipe -

- 1 kombu sheet (5"x5") (dried kelp)

- 2 tbsp bonito flakes

- Place kombu in 4 cups of cold water, boil on high heat. Before the water start to boil, take out the kombu. Heat till the water boil, add in bonito flakes and turn off the heat immediately. Let the flakes sit in the broth for about 5 mins. Strain and store the broth.]

Quadruple Mushroom Soup

This recipe was inspired by the mushroom soup i had at Upstairs at Bouley. (It was disappointing to hear that the restaurant was closed. I really enjoyed the food and loved watching chefs cooking in the open kitchen.)  I tried to recreate the soup on my own. After experimenting a few times, I have developed my own version. This soup has become a regular on my dinner table. 
Mushroom lovers - you must give it a try.

Quadruple Mushroom Soup
Serves 5-8 people
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour


Ingredients
- 1/3 lb cremini mushroom (baby bella)
- 1/3 lb white mushroom
- 1/3 lb oyster mushroom
- 1 large Portobello mushroom cap
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 6 cups of Chicken or Pork stock (optional)
- Truffle oil (optional)
- Salt


Steps
 - Slice all the mushrooms. (Thinly slice Portobello mushroom, because its texture is firmer than the other mushrooms.)
- In a large soup pot, heat up all the mushrooms on high heat for 2 mins or till the mushrooms start to soften.
- Pour 6 cups of water or stock over mushrooms. Cook on high heat till boil, then simmer on low heat for 1 hour.
- Add salt to taste (about 2 tsp).
- In a small bowl, add 2 tbsp of cold water in the corn starch. Mix well. Slowly pour in the starch mix, and stir the soup at the same time. The soup should start to thicken.
-Turn off the heat, mixing in 1-2 drops of truffle oil.

Mixing in corn starch.

[**Pork stock recipe:

- 2 lb pork neck bones

- 2 scallions, cut in 1-inch long

- 1 piece of ginger (about 1 tbsp)

- 2 tbsp of cooking wine

- In a large stock pot, brown the bones and add water. Cook till boil, add in cooking wine and simmer for 2-3 hours.

-  Chill the soup in the fridge, remove the oil on top.]

** You can make a delicious soup even if you only have white and baby bella mushrooms.

Italian Sausage with Root Vegetables Stew

Italian Sausage with Root Vegetables Stew
Serves 3 people
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients
- 2 Italian hot sausages (about 2/3 lb), cut into 1/2 inch length
- 1 turnip rutabaga
- 3 carrots
- 2 red potatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp of cooking wine (Shaoxing rice wine or sherry wine)
- 1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp fennel seeds


Steps
- Peel all the root veggies and cut them into rough chunks
- In a medium size pot, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil
- Add in the sausage, cook on high heat for about 2 mins, or until sausage is lightly browned
- Add garlic, turnip rutabaga and the cooking wine, cook for another 2 mins
- Mix in potatoes and carrots. Add in parsley, bay leaf and fennel seeds. Stir on high heat for 2 mins.
- Pour in the tomato sauce. Then add 1 cup of water or broth.
- Cook on high heat until boil. Simmer on low heat for 20 mins.
- The veggies should be tender now. Add 2 tsp of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Cook on high heat for 1 min to reduce the broth.

Lettuce with Oyster Sauce

Lettuce with Oyster Sauce is a very traditional Chinese dish. It is one of the most common ways to cook lettuce in Chinese cuisine.



Lettuce with Oyster Sauce
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins



Ingredients
- 2 heads of lettuce, cut into 1-inch width
- 1/2 cup of sliced oyster mushroom or white mushroom
- 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp salt


Steps
- Use a large pan or wok, drizzle 1 tbsp of canola oil. 
- Add in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds on high heat.
- Add in the chopped lettuce. 
- Stir fry for about 2 mins on high heat. After the lettuce wilts, add salt and 1 cup of hot water.
- Continue to cook on high heat for about 2 mins. Add oyster sauce, stir and ready to serve.