Who doesn't love Chinese takeout? The flavors simply sing on your plate. But sometimes what they serve at your favorite restaurant isn't the healthiest of fare. But it doesn't have to be that way says Maggie Zhu, who wrote the new cookbook Chinese Homestyle. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how Chinese takeout, number one, doesn't have to be taken out, and two how it can be healthy and plant-based. Take her Black Portobello Mushrooms recipe. It's colorful, it's savory and, she told Tonia, it's meaty. Big, beefy stripes of the mushroom covered in a savory sauce. It's something you can serve as a side dish, or even a main!
YIELD 4 servings PREP 15 minutes COOK 10 minutes
· 12 to 16 ounces (340 to 454 g) portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed and caps cut in half and then sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
· 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
· 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
· 2 teaspoons cornstarch
· 2 teaspoons sugar
· 11/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
· 1/8 teaspoon salt
· 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil), plus more if needed 1 teaspoon minced ginger
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1/2 white onion, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
· 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
· 1 green bell pepper, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
1. In a small bowl, combine 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) of water with the oyster sauce, wine,
2. light and dark soy sauces, cornstarch, sugar, black pepper, and salt for the sauce. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, stir a few times to coat with oil, and then spread the mushrooms into an
even layer. Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms are lightly browned, then flip over and cook until both sides are browned and any liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the mushrooms to a large plate.
4. The pan should still have a bit of oil in it. If not, drizzle in 1 teaspoon and turn the heat to medium. Add the ginger and garlic and cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the white onion and peppers and cook and stir for
20 seconds.
5. Stir the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour it into the skillet. Immediately stir with a spatula and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, a few seconds. Add the mushrooms back into the pan and quickly stir a few times to coat everything with the sauce. Remove from the heat.
6. Transfer the contents of the pan to a large serving plate and serve hot.
