Maitaki Mushroom Stir-fry

Here is a great addition to the vegan diet - the Maitaki Mushroom, also known for its medicinal wonders. This mushroom has a nice texture and is good in stir-fries or gently roasted and served. In this recipe I have stir-fried it with a bit of fresh ginger and served it with rotini pasta. It is a keeper.

We first saw this mushroom in a Farmer's Market in Mont Tremblant, Quebec while we were vacationing. The Maitake is found in clusters at the bottom of trees - usually the oak tree.  While it is common in Japanese cooking it is relatively unknown here and I am only seeing it make an appearance more recently. The English name for this mushroom is hen-of-the-woods, ram's head and sheep's head ( Wikipedia). Funnily enough after my introduction to the Maitake mushroom in Quebec in early August I was pleasantly surprised to see it in my organic food basket 3 weeks later. It seems that it is also grown and harvested in Ontario. This mushroom is firm when cooked and is often likened to chicken.

It has a beautiful appearance and that is what attracted me to this beauty the first time I laid eyes on it.

Ingredients

2 medium sized Maitaki Mushrooms - washed, stem cut close to the base, and pulled apart gently by hand. ( about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger minced or chopped
1 teaspoon of  vegetable oil of choice
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method

Using a non stick pan heat the oil.  When the oil is hot add the ginger and stir till cooked gently about 2 minutes.  Do not let it brown or burn.

Now add the shredded Maitaki Mushroom, salt and pepper and cook till reduced in size and cooked through. Roughly for about 5 minutes.

Remove and serve warm over hot rice or pasta.

Nutritional values per serving (based on 2 servings)without rice or pasta


Calories 51.7
Total Fat 2.5 g
Potassium 208.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 7.2 g
(Dietary Fiber 2.7 g)
Sugars 2.1 g
Protein 1.9 g