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Cauliflower and Maitake Mushroom Stir-fry

Serves 4, as a main course

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
1 small head cauliflower
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 head maitake mushrooms,
or 2 cups shiitake mushrooms caps
¼ cup of vegetarian oyster sauce
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
50-50 white and brown rice for serving
1 tablespoon finely sliced chives, for garnish

©2010 Ming Tsai - from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals used with permission from Kyle Books

Directions:

Prepare the maitake by removing the stem, trimming, and cutting into ¼ inch thick slices.  If using shiitake, quarter if large and halve if medium.  Prepare the cauliflower:  separate into florets, square the stems and slice. 

Fill a large bowl with water and ice cubes. Bring abundant salted water to a boil in a wok. Add the cauliflower and blanch for 30 seconds, drain, and transfer it to the ice water. When the cauliflower is cold, drain it, transfer it to a plate, and set aside.

Dry the wok, add the butter, and heat it over high heat. When the butter has melted, add the panko and stir-fry gently until the panko is golden brown, about 1 minute. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Transfer the panko to a medium bowl.

Wipe out the wok, and heat over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger and maitake and stir-fry until soften, about 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower, oyster sauce and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Make a bed of the rice on a platter, or transfer to four individual serving bowls, and top with the stir-fry. Sprinkle with the panko, garnish with the chives and serve.

Did you know?

Cauliflower, is unique among the cruciferous brassica plants, in that itCal, unlike other mustard and cabbages. Rather, the edible white head of cauliflower are aborted floral meristems (plant stem cells) – thus, the name cauliflower, derived from Latin "caulis" (cabbage) and "flower". The bioactive sulphorophane molecules in cauliflower degrades with exposure to air and room temperature so cauliflower is best cooked promptly after prepping.

Maitake (pronounced my-tah-key) mushrooms, also called "Hen of the Woods", are prized in the culinary world. Native to Japan, they can now be foraged seasonally in the U.S. and available in farmer's markets during autumn. Their name refers to the fruiting bodies' resemblance to a coat of hen feathers. Research has focused on a polysaccharide called beta-glucan contained in the mushroom. A water-soluble extract of maitake has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis.

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