Veggie Explosion in your mouth – Meatless Monday

Having just caught up via 4oD with ‘The Taste‘ the brand new show with the Goddess of cooking, Nigella, I thought I would try and sum up what would be on my spoon if I was presenting to the food princess.

This is my first recipe that I’m actually putting on paper via my blog, so let me know what you think, if you need me to explain quantities in more details etc. I cook for myself and my OH and a lot of how I cook doesn’t come down to a recipe or precise quantities. I firmly believe in tasting, and just enjoying cooking. From not knowing how to slice an onion, I can now pan fry scallops expertly and make tofu not taste like a sponge. RE-SULT!

Shiitake mushrooms are big in Asia as it is grown in Japan, China and Korea to name just a few S.E Asian countries. It’s got great nutritious value like most mushrooms and is supposedly very commonly used for strengthening the immune system. It’s often found in miso soups and plenty of Chinese dishes use the dried variety to add another dimension of flavour into a dish.

Here’s my use for one of my favourite mushrooms:

Tofusion and Shiitake with a chilli remix

You will need:

1 packet of tofu, as firm as you can find

120g Shiitake mushrooms (Rough slices)

Two fresh red chillies or one green if you want more heat (Don’t be scared, if you really want to you can remove the seeds)

A splash of sesame oil

Beansprouts 200 – 300g depending on how much you like beansprouts

1-2 Garlic cloves – roughly chopped (If you like garlic go for two cloves)

A splash of soy sauce (two tablespoons)

A small squeeze of lime juice

Drain your tofu thoroughly and place on a plate with another plate on top and a heavy weight pan, to squeeze out all the extra water. Leave this for around twenty minutes. Then cut up into cubes, or slices. Put your wok on high and once hot, add your splash of sesame oil. Then throw in your sliced mushrooms and let this cook through. (Tip: Dry out your mushrooms once sliced, so that the water that seeps into the pan isn’t too excessive) Then add your garlic and tofu slices to the wok. Once the tofu begins to take on some colour, chop up your chillies and add to the mix. Then as the tofu begins to brown a little more, add in your beansprouts and the soy sauce. Cook through for another minute or two, using a fork and spoon to incorporate the beansprouts with the other ingredients.

Dish up and squeeze that lime juice. If you’re like me, you would have some extra chillies to sprinkle on top.

Twist: If you want yours to look exactly like mine, then chop up 1 or two stalks of spring onions and sprinkle to serve, this creates a stronger flavour which some may find overpowering ( I like my flavours bold and punchy!)

That’s it, the veggie explosion in your mouth. I’m off to eat.

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