In addition, I’m very busy at this time and don’t have enough free time for cooking that’s so terrible. Today I think of the easy dish for my rush meal called noodles and I choose shiitake mushroom for improving the protein.


Photo: veganmom30

I’m interested in noodle for a long time because I can find the noodles in many countries with the variety menu especially for the wheat noodle which’s the Asian cuisine. Also, there are many different names of this noodle like Somen or Udon in Japan, Pasta in Italy and so on.

Kitchenware
- Large pot
- Skillet
- Knife

Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of cashews, chopped
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili paste with garlic
- 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon of dark roasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons of canola oil
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 medium bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 lb wheat noodles
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
- 8 oz sugar snap peas, cut in half

Preparation

1. Pour water into a large pot and bring it to boil.
2. Place the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
3. Add the chili paste with garlic and ginger. Cook 45 seconds and stir steadily.
4. Add the bell pepper and mushrooms in the skillet. Cook 4 minutes and stir occasionally.
5. Slow add the water. Then, turn to low heat.
6. Add the peas. Cook 4 minutes or until they are just slightly tender.
7. Add the soy sauce and vinegar slowly. Mix them well and remove from heat.
8. Cook the noodles in the boiling water for 7 minutes or until they are tender to your liking. Drain well and add to the skillet with the medium high heat.
9. Toss the noodles to coat well.
10. Add the sesame oil. Cook 1 minute and stir constantly.
11. Remove from heat.
12. Sprinkle with the cashews and serve.

Shiitake Mushroom

Shiitake are often dried and sold as preserved food in packages. These must be rehydrated by soaking in water before using. Many people prefer dried shiitake to fresh, considering that the sun-drying process draws out the umami flavour from the dried mushrooms by breaking down proteins into amino acids and transforms ergosterol to vitamin D. The stems of shiitake are rarely used in Japanese and other cuisines, primarily because the stems are harder and take longer to cook than the soft fleshy caps. The highest grade of shiitake are called donko in Japanese.


Photo: wikimedia.org

Today, Shiitake mushrooms have become popular in many other countries as well. Russia produces and also consumes large amounts of them, mostly sold pickled; and the shiitake is slowly making its way into western cuisine as well. There is a global industry in shiitake production, with local farms in most western countries in addition to large scale importation from China, Japan, Korea and elsewhere.

The antiviral effects are believed to be caused by Shiitake's ability to produce interferon. Researchers have reported that consumption of Shiitake mushrooms lowers blood cholesterol levels by as much as 45 percent. The most dramatic results occurred when high-cholesterol foods were eaten simultaneously with Shiitake.

Because they can now be grown world wide, their availability is widespread and their price has decreased.

Sources: shiitakecenter.com, wikipedia.org