Chicken, Zucchini and Shiitake Mushroom

My new found love, fresh Shiitake mushrooms!!   We have been enjoying the dried Shiitake mushrooms for ages but recently I spotted some fresh Shiitake mushrooms and being one that never tasted a fresh Shiitake mushroom before, I was eager to give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised by the fragrant of this fresh mushroom as it had the same earthy, smoky flavor as the dried ones and oh so delicious!  It also more meaty in texture than the white button mushroom and has more potent antioxidant, L-ergothioneine that helps the body to fight off free radicals.  It also has a compound called lentinan that keep the immune system strong and resistant to infection and disease.  Lentinan can also protects against cancer as the studies shown that it has the anti-tumor effect by slowing or reversing the tumor growth.  Not to say it also a good source of protein, iron, vitamin C, dietary fiber and contains vitamins and minerals such as selenium and potassium just to name a few.  I am totally in love with this fresh Shiitake mushroom and hence it will be my mushroom of choice when I go shopping in the Asian market.  But since I am also one that voted for variety of food in my family diet, I would buy other variety of mushrooms too like oyster mushroom, enoki mushrooms, king oyster mushroom, crimini, portobello, beech mushrooms and etc.

I will be sharing this easy recipe with you in the next page which turned out to be surprisingly delicious!



~Serve 2-3.

Ingredients

1 skinless and boneless chicken breast, thinly slice and marinate it with sea salt, rice wine, white pepper, sesame oil, garlic powder and potato starch.
1 zucchini, wash and julienne as picture shown above.
About 5 oz. of fresh Shiitake mushrooms, rinse and slice, keep the stems.
Canola oil for cooking
1/4 cup of water
Season with fish sauce, a little sugar and white pepper.

Method:

1.  Heat up your wok.  When heated, pour in the canola oil.  When hot but not smoking, add in the marinated chicken breast slices.  Stir-fry until cooked or no longer pink.

2.  Add in the Shiitake mushroom, stir-fry a little.  Add in the zucchini, stir-fry well or until both have soften a little.

3.  Add in water and seasonings.  Season to taste.  Serve hot!