RECIPE: Garlic Chinese Broccoli, Soba and Shitake Mushrooms Stir-fry
Chinese broccoli or Kai-lan (Gai-lan) is a fantastic tasting and healthy vegetable that can be found at bargain prices at any good asian supermarket/fresh produce shop.
It basically covers the flavours and textures of bok choi, broccoli and spinach all in one. So there is no better way to treat such a delicious and versatile vegetable other than simply – with a bit of garlic, ginger and soy sauce. You will only be left wanting more of this fresh, crunchy and flavour packed vegetable!
To pair with such an extravagant star and compete with the ginger/garlic combination no less we have some rich, earthy and meaty shitake mushrooms (which again can be found at asian supermarkets or any supermarket for that matter in dried form – just go for the whole ones, as the texture is better).
Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat and is synonymous with the thin noodles that are made out of the grain. They are dark and delicious and a perfect match for the rich flavours of the shitake and chinese broccoli.
Garlic Chinese Broccoli, Soba and Shitake Mushrooms Stirfry
Ingredients (serves 1):
- 1 bunch chinese broccoli (Kai-lan)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 thumb ginger
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp ROAR virgin oconut oil
- 1 bunch soba noodles
- 4 dried (or fresh if available) shitake mushrooms
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- 700ml boiling water
- salt and pepper
Method:
If you need to toast your sesame seeds do this first in a dry frying pan on low heat for about 3 minutes. Stur them regularly to stop them burning. Set them aside for later.
Boil some water and pour into a pot with the dried shitake mushroom to re-hydrate (skip this step if you are using fresh shitake mushrooms) for 10 minutes.
Take out the shitake mushrooms from the water and slice them in half. Bring the water to the boil again and add the soba noodles. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until they are soft. Take them out of the water once they are done and give them a quick rinse under cold water.
In the same frying pan as the steak was cooked in, add the rest of the oil (1 tbsp) along with finely chopped garlic and ginger. Turn the heat on the pan down to medium. Cook the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds – 1 minute until you start smelling the beautiful aroma of them cooking
Then add in the Chinese broccoli. Cook for another 2 minutes until the leaves have wilted. Make sure you have trimmed off the very end of the Chinese broccoli which won’t be tender.
At the very end add in the soy sauce along with the shitake mushrooms and a few tbsp of the shitake mushroom (and noodles) water to deglaze the frying pan.
Serve with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and the juices from the frying pan.