Stir-fried shiitake mushrooms with Tofu

My friend is one of the founders of a social enterprise called ‘Green Monday’ in Hong Kong.  The project has been run since 2012.  When I met him in Hong Kong in a restaurant a few years ago, he firstly introduced his concept to promote having a ‘green’ meal once a week in order to protect our environment.  The project is successful after running for a few years.  It is highly supported by the government and the catering industry. 

As I am getting old, I have started to think more about what I eat. I have begun having one ‘green’ meal once a week.  It is good to health and I feel happier after forming this habit.  I am used to having ‘green’ either at lunch or dinner every Monday because Monday is the first working day.  It is easy for me to plan my meals.  Hope you will be one of the fans of ‘Green Monday’.  I will post more recipes of making 'green' meals later.  Welcome all of you to make comments and share the photos of your dish.

Preparation time:

                            -         20 minutes (for using dried shiitake mushrooms) or

                            -         10 minutes (for using fresh shiitake mushrooms)

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serve: 2

Ingredients:

-         210g firm tofu (diced in cubes 2cmL x 2cmW x 1.5 cmH)

-         45g carrot (sliced)

-         50g fresh baby corn (sliced)

-         4 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and quartered)

-         90g button mushrooms (quartered)

-         ½ spring onions (finely chopped)

-         1 slice of ginger (sliced)                          

-         ¼ tsp table salt                             

-         1 tsp olive oil

-         ½ tsp sugar

-         1 tsp light soy sauce

-         1 tsp bean sauce

-        700g water

Thickening Sauce:

-         1½ tsp cold water

-         1 tsp corn flour

Method:

1.	Clean the dried shiitake mushrooms, trim and discard the stems. Add hot water and mushrooms in a bowl. Soak the mushrooms up for 20 minutes until they become soft.  Using dried shiitake mushrooms can give a more fragrant flavor.  Fresh shiitake mushrooms can be used instead of the dried shiitake mushrooms. For fresh shiitake mushrooms, just clean, trim and discard the stems; and quartered.
2.	Heat a non-stick wok over a medium heat and add oil. Add garlic and ginger, stir-fry about 30 seconds.  Then add the soaked shiitake mushrooms, salt, sugar and 150g water. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
3.	Toss the baby corn, carrot and add soy sauce in the wok and stir-fry for another 5 minutes.
4.	In the meantime, add button mushrooms, tofu, bean sauce and   50g water.  Stir-fry gently for a further 5 minutes.
5.	In a small mixing bowl, stir corn flour well with 1½ tsp cold water to prepare the thickening sauce.
6.	Add the spring onion and pour the sauce in the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute.
7.	Ready to serve with rice.

炆冬菇生菜 (Braised Shiitake Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce - Chinese style)

準備時間：2小時

烹調時間：45 分鐘
份量：2-3人

材料：

Ø  乾冬菇 10隻

Ø  乾瑤柱1粒

Ø  一片薑

Ø  冰糖 10克

Ø  生菜半個

Ø  生粉 1湯匙

Ø  橄欖油 ¼茶匙

Ø  水1700毫升

獻汁：

Ø  生抽1茶匙

Ø  蠔油 2湯匙

Ø  粟米粉 / 生粉 2茶匙

Ø  麻油少許

做法：

1.	把冬菇先冲水洗淨，切去冬菇蒂，用500毫升水浸約2小時至冬菇完全軟身。
2.	撈起冬菇，浸冬菇的水留用。瑤柱用100毫升水浸乾瑤柱1小時至軟身，用手撕乾瑤柱絲。
3.	用手將生粉搓勻冬菇，待十分鐘後，用水沖洗淨。
4.	把冬菇，浸冬菇的水、薑和冰糖放入鍋中，用中慢火炆約20分鐘。不可猛火注意乾水。如有需要可加少量水。
5.	用另一個煱加入生抽、乾瑤柱絲、蠔油和麻油再炆約20分鐘。用2湯匙水拌勻粟米粉後，慢慢加入鍋中，搞拌成獻汁。
6.	煲1000毫升水至滾，下橄欖油入滾水中，加入生菜灼2分鐘。灼熟即可排放在碟上。
7.	將炆好的冬菇放在生菜上。

Braised Shiitake Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce (Chinese style)

Preparation time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serve: 2 persons

Ingredients:

Ø  10 Dried Shiitake mushrooms

Ø  1 slice of ginger

Ø  1 dried scallop

Ø  10g Rock Sugar

Ø  1/2 Iceberg

Ø  2 tablespoon Corn flour

Ø  1/4 teaspoon Olive / vegetable oil

Ø  1700 ml water

Sauce:

Ø  1 teaspoon Soya sauce

Ø  2 tablespoon Oyster sauce

Ø  Sesame oil

Ø  2 teaspoon Corn flour

Ø  1 tablespoon Water

Method:

1.	Clean the dried shiitake mushrooms, trim and discard the stems. Add 600 ml water and mushrooms in a bowl. Soak the mushrooms up for 2 hours until they become soften.
2.	Take out the mushrooms and keep the soaked water for braising. Soak the dried scallop into the 100 ml water for 1 hour unit it becomes soften.  Tear it into slices.  Keep the soaked water for further use.
3.	Rub the corn flour on the whole mushrooms and rinse.
4.	Add the mushroom, the soaked water, rock sugar and ginger into a pot for braising.  Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.  Check regularly to make sure the water is not dried out.  Add a bit water if necessary.
5.	Add slices of scallop, soya sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil into the pot and braise for another 20 minutes. Mix corn flour and one tablespoon soaked scallop water in a bowl and stir them well.  Add the corn flour sauce into the pot and stir constantly until the sauce has thickened.
6.	Cook the lettuce in 1000 ml boiling water with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil for 2 minutes. Put them slice by slice on the plate.
7.	Put all the braised mushrooms and the sauce on top of the lettuce.