Paradox Blog

I loved Shiitake mushrooms when they were found mostly dry on the shelves of Asian food specialty store. You can image my delight to find them fresh in the farmer's market. They used to cost 10 dollars per pound but this year, I found them only half the price they used to cost and in abundance in the farmer's market. I cook them in almost every kind of dish, soup, stir fry, fry rice and noodles. The fresh ones exude even lovelier aroma than their dry counterpart and they keep pretty well in a brown bag in the drawers of the refrigerator. If you haven't discover them. Try the following recipes and you'll be hooked too.

Stewed Chicken Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms

1 Cornish game hen
10 ears of fresh Shiitake mushrooms
2 slices of ginger
10 cups of water
2 teasps of salt

Clean chicken, remove excessive fat if so desired. Put all ingredients together in a big pot. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. You will know when it is done when the aroma of the Shiitake mushrooms permeates into the air from your kitchen stove top and beckons you to fill up a bowl of good old chicken soup.

Stir-fry Udon with Veggies and Shiitake

1 tblsp of cooking oil
1/2 cup onion strips
1 egg
1/2 cup of fresh Shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup of bok choy cut into strips
1/4 cup of carrot strips
1 cup of water
2 cups of udon
1 tblsp of cooking wine
1 tblsp of soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Heat cooking oil and brown onion strips, add egg and stir till egg mixture nicely scrambled. Add vegetables, wine and soy sauce, stir till veggies are tender. Add water and bring to boil, add udon, reduce heat and simmer till liquid is mostly absorbed by udon. Serve warm.

Sauté Shiitake and Snow Peas

1 cup of fresh Shiitake mushrooms strips
1 cup of snow peas
2 cloves of garlic
1 tblsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and, lightly sauté mushrooms, add snow peas and stir for another 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold.

Tofu, Shiitake, Green Peas and Carrots Thick Soup

1/2 cup of tofu cubes
1/2 cup of fresh Shiitake strips
1 cup of peas and carrots
1/4 cup of chopped scallions
3 cups of water
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup corn starch water
salt and pepper to taste

Bring water, broth, tofu and mushrooms to boil, simmer for ten minutes, Add carrots and peas, simmer for another ten minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add corn starch water. Stir till soup thickens. Turn off heat, sprinkle on scallions and serve.

Stir-fry Sticky Rice

3 cups of cooked sticky rice
2 tblsp of soy sauce
2 tblsp of cooking oil
1/2 cup of chopped shallots
1/2 cup of fresh Shiitake strips
1/4 cup of lean pork strips

Heat oil, brown shallot bits. Add pork strips, stir till pork is done. Add Shiitake, stir till tender. Add rice and soy sauce, stir till rice is well mixed with other ingredients and coated with soy sauce. Serve warm or cold.