Sesame crusted mushrooms

I guess it would be too long to call this recipe Sesame Crusted Mushrooms on Chayote noodle bed with shitake miso sauce but that's exactly what it is. Before I start on that I'll just rant for a bit. So I ordered my "Vegan cupcakes take over the world" cookbook along with two others and I was sooo close to getting it but then it got sent back to the warehouse. There was a problem with my address. This time I ordered it from Amazon and I hope there won't be a problem. I want to join in the vegan cupcake fun.

I'm also taking a blogging hyatus... but not a long one. Over the next 3 days I'll be doing "the apple diet". It's as exciting as it sounds. Pretty much just apples all day, lots of water and a few other tweaks as detailed in Dr Pagano's book.

Needless to say, I wanted my "last meal" before starting the apple diet tomorrow to be a good one! Danika picked me up a Chayote last week because she thought it was cute and lime green (my favorite color) and the ones they had at the store were a product of Costa Rica ( my favorite country ). I had no idea what it was and yea... this is what I came up with... I'm quite happy with the result. The fresh crispiness of the chayote is an amazing contrast to the woody flavors of the mushrooms. The Oyster mushrooms in this recipe are ORGASMIC.... hence the picture! :) I hope I don't get in trouble for that picture LOL.

I know a lot of my recipes look daunting but really... this took maybe 45 minutes to make.



Sesame Crusted Mushrooms on Chayote noodle bed with shitake miso sauce

2 chayotes, cut into 1" strips (japanese mandolins rock!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon grated ginger
juice of half a lemon

2 medium shitake mushrooms
3/4 cup soy milk + 1tsp apple cider vinegar (to sour the s'milk)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground dried sage
2 tablespoon soy milk
1 teaspoon arrowroot
1 teaspoon mugi miso (barley miso)

6 oyster mushrooms (whole)
8 cremini mushrooms (quartered)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoons tahini (sesame butter)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

In a wok, mix olive oil, agave nectar, ginger and lemon juice. Turn on high/medium heat and add chayote strips. Toss regularly until they're a bit softer. Hint: Start this first and check up on it every 1/2 minutes while you work on the sauce which is the next step.

In a small bowl, make a slurry with the 2 tablespoons of soy milk and the arrowroot. Cut the shitake mushrooms into strips. In a saucepan add olive oil, ginger and shitake mushrooms. Sprinkle sage and simmer on high/medium heat until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Add the sour soy milk tand mix regularly, pressing down on the mushrooms to release more juices until the soy milk mixture starts to simmer. Transfer the mixture to a blender and liquify for 30 to 60 seconds (mushrooms must be fully dissolved). Add miso and blend until well incorporated. Finally add the slurry to the mixture. Transfer the sauce back to the saucepan, mixing regularly until it starts to bubble. Remove from heat.

The Chayote should be ready by now. Place in a small seperate bowl. Rinse the wok and mix in sesame oil, agave nectar, white pepper, tamari and tahini. Place the oyster mushrooms face down onto the marinade. Wok should be on high/medium heat. Press down on the mushrooms and move them around regularly until a crust starts to form. Flip the mushrooms to the other side and wait until that side starts to get crispy. When they're ready, place them aside and add the cremini mushrooms into the wok (don't worry if there isn't any marinade left in your work by now; there's still traces and the cremini mushrooms will pick them up). Keep tossing the cremini mushrooms continuously until they are fully cooked; about 3 to 5 minutes.

To arrange: pool the sauce onto a plate and top with chayote "noodles". Create a hole in the nest of the 'noodles' so that the oyster mushrooms look as if they grew out of that nest. Add the cremini mushrooms along the sides.

Bon appetit!

PS: I'm working on a really kickass cake again... I will be posting it when I'm done my apple diet hell.
PPS: Okay so I couldn't leave you hanging without explaining the 'statue' in that picture. I got it in the Dominican republic. He normally is dressed with the barrel you see there... but when you take the barrel off... something SPRINGS up. Those cheeky Dominicans! :)