Fresh, tasty and super easy dinner entree
This braised fresh shitake mushrooms with green Chinese Bok-Choy is perhaps one of my favorite dishes to share with you. The reason is it tastes deliciously fresh, easy to make, and looks gorgeous at the dinner table!
Tips to cook fresh shitake mushrooms
What is better than a beautiful plate of perfectly cooked green Chinese vegetables topped with soft black shitake mushrooms and glazed with the sheen of a light oyster sauce?
I admit that fresh shitake mushrooms are not always easy to come by in smaller towns in US. If you cannot find fresh shitake mushrooms, you can use dried shitake mushrooms. Soak the dried mushrooms for 6-8 hours or overnight. Trim off the stems and squeeze the extra water off with your hands. Dried shitake mushrooms have a more assertive taste than the fresh mushrooms. So use less oyster sauce if you use dried mushrooms.
Fresh shitake mushrooms are delicate. Keep in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days of purchase. Clean the shitake mushrooms just like you would with regular white mushrooms. Wipe gently with a moist paper towel. Trim off the stems. Fresh shitake mushrooms cook very quickly. If you avoid overcooking it, you will be rewarded with the perfectly soft texture with a declicious flavor.
Nutritious with Essential Vitamins
Shitake mushrooms are nutritious foods high in healthful fiber, which promotes digestive health and reduces the risk of many chronic diseases. They are an excellent source of essential minerals such as selenium, which is also an anti-oxidant protective of heart health, and copper. The mushrooms are also a good source of plenty of other nutrients including zinc, which strengthens our immunity, and B vitamins. The leafy green Bok Choy adds additional fiber, vitamin A, C and K.
How to Prepare Chinese Bok-Choy
I like to use medium-firm vegetables such as the Chinese Bok-Choy. These are sometimes called Taiwanese Bok-Choy or Shanghai Bok-Choy. The stems are greener than the regular Chinese Bok-Choy, which stems are white. You can also use broccoli, cabbage, or regular Chinese Bok-Choy. Spinach would be too soft for this dish. Pull off one stem at a time and rinse well under running water to rid of the soil caught in between the layers of stems. After peeling off the garlic cloves, smash the garlic with the flat side of the knife to release the aroma when cooking.
Ingredients
Servings: 4
- 4 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed, cleaned and cut in half
- 10 oz Chinese Bok-Choy
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, or water
- 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
- 1/8 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp diced green onion for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a medium-hot wok or 12″ skillet, add 1 tbsp oil and the ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the washed Bok-Choy to the wok. Stir-fry for 3 minutes until the green stems turn semi-transparent. Salt to taste. Set aside.
- Add another 1 tbsp oil to the medium-hot wok, add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, stir-fry for 2 minutes until soft.
- Add the oyster sauce, quickly stir to mix, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock. Deglaze the wok with the cornstarch solution. Once the liquid in the wok bubbles, turn off the heat. Transfer to the plated Bok-Choy.
- Garnish with the green onions. Serve hot. Perfect with brown rice.
Go ahead, give it a try. Do you like it? I would love to hear from you down below!
