Cook this simple but delicious pak choi, shiitake mushroom and tofu stir-fry on days when you’re short on time. Perfect with a bowl of whole wheat noodles or basmati rice.
Stir-fries are the easiest meals to cook! They’re a lifesaver when you’re in a hurry or when you have lots of vegetables that need using up. Toss the vegetables in a little olive oil, add a sauce and it’s ready to enjoy with either rice or noodles and a protein of your choice.
Today’s shiitake mushroom and tofu stir-fry includes:
- firm tofu providing protein and fat,
- edamame good source of protein and healthy fat,
- pak choi non-starchy vegetable and,
- shiitake mushrooms non-starchy vegetable.
Tofu is a good source of isoflavones, which can reduce inflammation and improve the elasticity of your blood vessels. Tofu also contains saponins that improve blood cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart disease.
Shiitake mushrooms are a rich source of anti-inflammatory compounds known as beta-glucans. Recent evidence from cell-culture studies shows that beta-glucans may be valuable in treating lung injury, particularly due to acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 infections.
Avoid eating shiitake mushrooms raw or undercooked as it may cause severe dermatitis.
Pak Choi, Shiitake Mushroom and Tofu Stir-Fry
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Cuisine: Chinese-inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Simple but delicisous pak choi, shiitake mushroom and tofu stir-fry. Perfect with noodles or basmati rice
Ingredients
- 200g firm tofu, diced
- 100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 100g pak choi
- Steamed rice, to serve
For the marinade
- 3 Tbsp Vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce
- 4 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp Maple syrup or honey
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tsp ground ginger (optional)
- 1 Tsp sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Put the tofu in a sealable bag then pour half of the marinade over the tofu. Toss to evenly coat then leave to marinade for 30 minutes.
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok. Add the pak choi and shiitake mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add the remaining marinade with 1 tablespoon of water and stir-fry for two minutes then set aside.
Put the tofu in the same non-stick pan. Stir fry until the tofu is browned on all sides then take the pan off the heat.
Serve the vegetables and tofu over rice.
References
- Murphy, E.J., Masterson, C., Rezoagli, E., O’Toole, D., Major, I., Stack, G.D., Lynch, M., Laffey, J.G., and Rowan, N. (2020) ß-Glucan extracts from the same edible shiitake mushroom Lentinus edodoes produce differential in-vitro immunomodulatory and pulmonary cytoprotective effects – Implications for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) immunotherapies. Science of the total environment, 25, 732:139330.
- Heer, R.S., Patel, N.B., Mandal, A.K.J., Lewis, F., Missouris, C.G. (2020) Not a fungi to be with: Shiitake mushroom flagellate dermatitis. American Journal Emergency Medicine, 38(2), 412.e1-412.e2.
- Messina, M. (2016) Soy and health update: Evaluation of the clinical and epidemiologic literature. Nutrients, 8(12), 754.
