Fresh, Healthy, and Oh So Flavorful
Ginger-Glazed Mushroom Melange with Tofu and Haricots Verts
Adapted from Brooke Williamson's Sun-Kissed Cooking — a wonderful book showcasing the beauty of vegetables — I opted for a mixed bag of mushrooms of what I could find in the store, and added jasmine rice and crispy tofu to the lot to round out the meal. I highly recommend this cookbook. Her flavor combinations are vibrant, unique, and completely craveable.
Ingredients
For the mushrooms:
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger root grated
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms cleaned, stems removed and sliced horizontally in half
- 1 cup white beech mushrooms cleaned, separated into clumps
- 1 cup king oyster mushrooms cleaned, separated into clumps with large ones cut in half
- 1 cup haricots verts French green beans
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil like canola, safflower, sunflower
- freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
For the dressing:
- 10 cooked haricots verts thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 lime zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger root grated
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed Calabrian chilis
For the tofu:
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil like canola, safflower, sunflower
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the rice and scallion garnish:
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 1 scallion sliced thinly on the diagonal
Instructions
For the mushrooms:
- Whisk the miso paste til smooth and keep whisking as you gradually add the honey or maple syrup, then the mirin, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Blend well, and set aside.
- Brush off the mushrooms and/or rinse and pat dry, and cut them so they're prepped to be cooked. Set aside.
- Trim the beans and cook in salted boiling water for about 4 to 5 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the pan and set them in an ice bath, swirling them around a bit to halt their cooking. Strain and set aside reserving 10 for the dressing.
For the dressing:
- Thinly slice 10 beans and add them to a small bowl. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, add the honey or maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, lime zest and juice, extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and Calabrian chilis. Set aside.
For the tofu:
- Rinse and drain the tofu and slice the block into 4 planks. Pat each plank dry with a paper towel, and slice each into 4 rectangular chunks. Season each side with salt and pepper before cooking.
For the rice:
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions, yielding 2 cups cooked.
Putting it all together:
- For the mushrooms, heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat, and in batches, cook the mushrooms for about 3 minutes total, pressing them down into the pan to brown them, flipping and pressing again. Transfer them to another pan that is not over heat. Continue until all mushrooms are nicely browned. Add the haricots verts to the pan with them.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in the same pan you just used for the mushrooms. Cook the tofu rectangles for 4 minutes on each of the broader sides until crispy. Drain and set aside.
- Reheat the browned mushrooms and green beans over medium, and top with the glaze, stirring gently to coat, cooking until a nice glaze forms about 3 minutes or so then turn off the heat and let rest.
To serve:
- On a large platter, scatter your rice an inch or so away from the edge, and add the glazed mushroom and beans to the center of the dish, working out over the edge of the rice. Add the sliced green beans to the dressing and spoon it over the mushrooms. Top with a scattering of your crispy tofu and sliced scallions.
Looks delicious!
Thanks so much – let me know if you give it a try!