Our Veggie Kitchen

I participate in a sort of Iron Chef Competition on one of the cooking forums I visit. Last week's ingredient was mushrooms. So I went shopping with mushrooms on my mind and found a pound of Shiitake mushrooms for five bucks. They were thick and meaty and there was no way I could pass them up.

So this fried rice is the result of that discovery. Fried rice can be as simple as rice, frozen veggies and soy sauce, but I usually try to add a little extra flavor to the sauce. I usually add some combination of minced garlic, ginger and shallots, doused in sesame oil, then stir in some soy sauce, sherry and, sometimes, a little broth. I added bok choy for some crispiness and color.



Shiitake Fried Rice
1 1/2 cups white rice (5-6 cups cooked)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & sliced (or see note)
1 purple onion, chopped
4 ribs bok choy, chopped (leaves sliced into ribbons)
1 can baby corn, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tbs sherry
1/2 tbs sugar

For the rice, cook according to package directions and cool in the fridge, or use leftover rice. I frequently avoid this step and just used freshly cooked rice, but leftovers are better.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute just until it begins to glisten. Add the mushrooms and chopped bok choy ribs (not the leaves) and saute until the bok choy is cooked, but still crisp. Remove any thick veins from the bok choy leaves and slice into ribbons. Add the leaves and corn and stir together.

Push the veggies to the side. Add the minced garlic and ginger to the center of the pan and pour in the sesame oil. Stir in the center of pan until fragrant, then stir into the veggies. Add the rice and stir-fry for a couple minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients, then add to the rice. Remove from heat and serve.

Mushroom Note: Shiitake mushrooms are usually very expensive ($10+/lb). You can cut the cost by buying dried shiitakes and rehydrating them or by using a mixture of shiitake and button mushrooms. Try to use some, though. Shiitake mushrooms have a texture that is quite different from other mushrooms. Asian grocers are often much less expensive than other stores.

4 Servings: 451 cal (9g fat, 76g carbs, 15g protein)

This was originally meant to be stuffed peppers, but it was a lot of work and the pepper flavor didn't penetrate the stuffing well. It became a pilaf. I like to make this on Sunday and have it for lunches during the week. Sometimes I heat it, but it's good cold too.



Quinoa Pilaf with Roasted Poblanos
2 fresh poblano peppers
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed
2 cups quinoa, rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbs fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
4 cups water

Peppers: Set the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil and put the peppers under the broiler (top rack), turning with tongs as the skin begins to scorch. Turn every 3-5 minutes. This should take about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the quinoa is cooking peel away the skins, scoop the seeds out and roughly chop the flesh. Set aside.

Mushrooms: Remove and discard the stems and slice the caps very thinly. Once sliced, roughly chop the mushrooms and set aside. Note: shitake mushrooms DO taste better, but they are pricey too. You can substitute the shitakes with cremini mushrooms with good results.

Pilaf: Add 1 tbs oil to a 2 quart sauce pan. Saute the onion over medium-high heat,until it starts to soften. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and cook until the onion and mushrooms are cooked through. Add the quinoa, stirring often until the quinoa has toasted a bit. Add the water, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until the moisture is absorbed. Stir in the chopped peppers and serve. Makes about 6 cups.

6 Servings: 270 cal (6g fat, 49g carbs, 9g protein)