Stir-Fried Mushrooms and Tofu with Bok Choy

Aren't stir-fry recipes the best?! I love them because you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready, and then you toss them into the pan for a few minutes, and bam! Dinner is done!

I wanted to go vegetarian for my weeknight stir-fry recipe this week. Knowing that mushrooms and tofu make for amazing meat substitutes, that are healthy to boot, I added them to the mix with all of my favorite ingredients from Chinese cuisine, including five-spice, mirin, and sesame oil. Served over a bed of rice, with bok choy, this is definitely a stir-fry recipe to hit the spot!

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Stir-Fried Mushrooms and Tofu with Bok Choy

Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsbp hoisin
2 tsbp sesame oil, divided
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp five-spice powder
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
12 oz cremini or shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
14 oz tofu, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch Chinese chives, roughly chopped
8 birdseye chilies (optional)
3/4 lb bok choy, stemmed
1 tbsp peanut oil
Steamed rice, to serve

Directions
In a large bowl, stir together light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, mirin, hoisin, 1 tbsp sesame oil, honey, five-spice powder, ginger, and garlic. Add mushrooms, tofu, chives, and birdseye chilies, and stir to combine. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

Add 4 cups water 1 tbsp sesame oil to a large wok or Dutch oven and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add bok choy and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until bok choy is still crisp, but tender. Transfer to a platter and toss with hoisin sauce. Keep warm.

Wipe out the wok and heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and tofu mixture and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. 

Serve stir-fry with bok choy over steamed rice. 

Indonesian-Style Shrimp Curry

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I love shrimp curry! It’s funny because whenever I sit down to eat shrimp curry, it’s usually at my dinner table. Whenever I eat out, I tend to go for chicken, pork, or vegetarian curries as a default. But whenever I decide to mix my proteins up, it’s at home, and I’m always so pleased with myself. I really should order seafood curries at restaurants more because they are just oh-so-good!

So what makes this curry Indonesian-style? A lot of curries around the world share similarities between the spices used, coconut milk, and chilies. But in Indonesia, curries often use ground candlenut, shrimp paste, and sambal.

If you’re not sure what candlenuts are, you can easily order them online at Indo Food Store if you’re curious to try them out. You can also use macadamia nuts instead, but the texture and flavor won’t make for a perfect match. Even so, at least sambal and shrimp paste are easy to find at Asian grocery stores! I used sambal bajak for this recipe, but sambal ulek would work perfectly as well. I just food-nerded out when I ordered sambal online recently and opted for bajak to try it for the first time. It’s delicious!

Not surprisingly, this curry was so good, it didn’t last long in our kitchen. I only had three pieces of shrimp left and a few tablespoons of curry by the time I took my picture of the food. It was so difficult to leave even that little amount of leftovers, but I succeeded so I could share this shrimp curry recipe with you! 

Indonesian-Style Shrimp Curry

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemongrass, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts, grated
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp shrimp paste
2 tsp sambal bajak or ulek
24 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
8 fresh or dried birdseye chilies (optional)
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)

To Serve
Steamed jasmine rice
Lime wedges
Fried shallots (optional)

Directions
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and lemongrass. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring until onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in turmeric, coriander, grated candlenuts, and cumin, and stir until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add shrimp paste, sambal, and shrimp and sauté for a minute to combine. Stir in coconut milk, birdseye chilies, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the curry has thickened to a desirable consistency. 

Serve curry on plates over steamed jasmine rice. Garnish with lime wedges and fried shallots if desired.

Mushroom Tacos with Fried Eggs

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Mushroom tacos are here to save my Friday and yours too!

It's been a hectic week. Between my cat Zoe visiting the veterinarian three times for pneumonia, including 6 hours at the emergency vet (let's not talk about that bill!), running tons of errands, going to work, and trying to squeeze in a bit of blogging, I'm beat!

I decided to make tacos because I'm always craving them (!), but wanted to make some that were light because I haven't been working out as much as I like. My goal of running 28 miles per week hasn't been met in a while and my love for al pastor tacos will have to wait until I get back into my routine. Well, maybe...

Luckily, mushroom tacos are extremely delicious! They're also chalk full of important nutrients like B vitamins and potassium, but serve as a lower calorie filling than meat. At 22 calories per 100g of raw mushrooms vs. 114 calories for uncooked chicken breast (skinless even!), mushrooms are the perfect filling for a light taco that is packed with flavor!

That's right! While meat often has to marinate or cook for long periods of time, mushrooms absorb flavor in no-time, which means that this recipe is one tasty piece of cake to make! Topped with fried eggs, these tacos are just what I needed to save my week and finish off Friday right. 

Mushroom Tacos with Fried Eggs

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4
Adapted from Rick Bayless’s Mushroom Tacos with Onions and Garlic

Ingredients
1 lb cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeds and pith removed, finely chopped
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil or bacon fat if available
3/4 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp epazote, roughly chopped (or 1 tbsp thyme leaves)

To Serve
Olive oil, for frying
8 large eggs
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cilantro, roughly chopped
Queso fresco, crumbled

Directions
In a large skillet, add oil, mushrooms, onion, jalapeño, chicken broth, and lime juice, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the broth is absorbed by the mushrooms. Stir in tomatoes and epazote and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated from the pan and the mushrooms are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Keep warm.

Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan and heat oil over medium-low heat. Crack about 4 eggs into the pan at a time, spooning oil over the whites. Fry until the whites are firm, but the yolks are still runny. Remove from heat. 

Warm tortillas in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel for 30 seconds, or until warmed through. Serve mushroom mixture over tortillas, and garnish with cilantro and queso fresco. Top with a fried egg! Enjoy!

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If you loved this recipe, you will also love my recipes for Chipotle Chicken Tacos, Chili Verde Tacos with Homemade Black Cornmeal Tortillas, and Steak with Cilantro Mayo and Tomatillo Salsa

One Pot German-Style Chicken with Sauerkraut and Braised Vegetables

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You're just going to love this recipe! The comfort of one-pot meals is incredible enough, but the flavors of this dish are outstanding. It's all thanks to our homemade sauerkraut, which along with the chicken broth, helps to provide a silky texture. You'd almost be certain that there is white wine in the recipe, but there isn't! 

I'd like to take credit for helping Adrian to make sauerkraut at home recently, but when I was busy on the phone one evening, he got busy in the kitchen and decided to make our first successful batch! The result was sooooo delicious. Here's the recipe for homemade sauerkraut he used.

So why was it our first successful batch? Years ago, we tried to make sauerkraut on our own and fermented the cabbage in a mason jar for a couple weeks. We didn't use an air lock like the recipe above suggests, so our sauerkraut turned into a nice culture you might show off at the Science Fair, but wasn't something you'd want to eat. I'm so thrilled that this batch was successful! I didn't even have to lift a finger.

The first dish I wanted to make with our sauerkraut was a German-style dish that we've been experimenting with for years. I think we've finally perfected it. We usually cut up boneless-skinless chicken thighs into pieces, and add them to a sauté pan with sauerkraut, beer, and roughly chopped vegetables. But to sex the chicken up a bit for the blog, we decided to pan-sear whole skin-on chicken thighs and then transfer them to the oven with the vegetables. The result was amazing!

So there you have it. A perfected Diet Assassinista recipe. And I can thank you for for inspiring me to make it!

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One Pot German-Style Chicken with Sauerkraut and Braised Vegetables

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium boneless chicken thighs, skin-on (about 2 lbs)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
10 small bunch carrots, sliced 1/2”-inch thick
1/2 lb baby red potatoes, quartered
1 medium bunch chives, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons thyme leaves, with thyme flowers if available
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
1.5 cups chicken broth

To Garnish
Chives, roughly chopped
Thyme leaves
Sour cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Set chicken on a platter and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 

In a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook until browned on the opposite side, about 4-6 minutes. Set chicken aside, keeping warm.

To the same skillet, scrape up any browned bits and stir in the onions, carrots, baby potatoes, chives, and thyme. Sauté for about 8 minutes until the vegetables have softened slightly. Stir in sauerkraut, add broth, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. 

Nestle reserved chicken in with the vegetables and transfer the skillet to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking chicken until the broth has reduced by 2/3 and the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of at least 160F.

Serve chicken on plates over braised vegetables. Top with additional chives, thyme, and dollops of sour cream. Great served with a side of crusty bread or over spiral-shaped pasta!

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If you enjoyed this recipe, you will love Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Orzo, Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast with Romanesco Broccoli and Potatoes, and One-Pot Citrus Chicken with Farro

Easy Beef Pho with Numo Bone Broth

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[Sponsored]

I’m so excited to announce a contest sponsored by the most delicious bone broth ever: Numo Bone Broth! Check out my Instagram post for more details and enter to win by Friday, June 2nd!

Not only is Numo's broth delicious and rich enough to serve as the base for many delicious soups like my beef pho recipe below, it’s super healthy! Bone broths separate themselves from your average meat broths because they are chalked full of collagen, amino acids, and minerals that a great at nourishing our skin, joints, and gut. 

I had a feeling that when I decided to make pho with my beef bone broth kit that the broth would stand up on its own as an amazing base for beef pho. And it was, which made this the easiest pho recipe I’ve ever made!

Simply cooking the broth overnight, I added some aromatics in the morning, prepared the noodles, steak, and herbs, and simply poured the broth over everything to create an amazing bowl of WOW!

You got it: Healthy, delicious beef bone broth in pho = amazing. Be sure to check out Numo’s Beef and Chicken Bone Broths at the the Numo Shop!

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Easy Beef Pho with Numo Bone Broth

Total Time: 12 Hours 20 Minutes
Hands on Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 kit Numo Broth
1-inch piece ginger
4 whole cloves
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
3 star anise
2 tbsp rock sugar, crushed with a mallet
2 tbsp fish sauce
Kosher salt
1 lb thin dried rice stick noodles (1/16-inch-wide)
3/4 lb flat iron or sirloin steak*, cut against the grain into 1/8-inch strips
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, cut into rounds
1 small bunch basil, stemmed, leaves torn
1 small bunch cilantro, stemmed
1 cup bean sprouts
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
Hoisin sauce, to taste
Sriracha, to taste

Directions
Open the Numo Beef Bone Broth kit. Place the entire cloth pouch into a 4-quart slow cooker. Add 10 cups of water to the slow cooker and simmer on high for 10 to 13 hours. Add ginger, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, rock sugar, fish sauce, and 1/2 salt, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Remove pouch and dilute with 3 cups of water. Season with additional sugar and fish sauce to taste. Continue to to keep on high heat to ensure broth is hot. 

Add rice noodles to a large mixing bowl. Bring a kettle or a boiling pot of at least 4 cups of hot water to boil. Remove from heat. Pour over boiling water and let sit, according to package directions and until noodles are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Drain.

Divide rice noodles between large bowls. Add noodles, steak, and serrano rounds. Pour over boiling Numo Bone Broth. Serve with basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and sriracha on the side.

* Note: steak is much easier to slice thin when you freeze it for 15 minutes first!
 

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If you liked this recipe, you will also love my recipes for Ramen with Rainbow Chard, Thai-Infused Chicken Noodle Soup, and Korean Beef & Daikon Radish Soup!

Roasted Broccoli Soup with Spiced Pepitas

It's that time of year in the San Francisco Bay Area where the Spring weather is done flirting with its warmth to remind us that we're still a couple months away from the middle of summer! 

When it's overcast, windy, and even a little nippy (okay really only at 5am in the morning), I don't want to do almost anything. But cooking soup is always something that I can motivate myself to do.

Because I wasn't motivated enough to come up with my own recipe (inspiring sunshine, where are you?), I decided not to reinvent the wheel and share with you a delicious roasted broccoli soup from Serious Eat' recipe arsenal. It's comforting, warm, and has all of those comforting roasted flavors that you need to keep you going on a gloomy day!

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Roasted Broccoli Soup with Spiced Pepitas

Adapted from Serious Eats

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 lbs broccoli, stalk trimmed and heads cut into florets
10 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander seeds, divided
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 quarts homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
Kosher salt
1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss broccoli with 2 tbsp olive oil and spread in an even layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Transfer to oven and roast until broccoli is tender and browned, about 25 minutes.

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add roasted broccoli, buttermilk, and just enough stock to barely cover vegetables. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Working in batches if necessary, transfer vegetables and liquid to a blender. Starting on the lowest speed and gradually increasing to the highest speed, blend broccoli until a smooth puree forms. Drizzle in 4 tbsp total olive oil while blender is running and return to a clean pot. Add as much of the remaining vegetable stock as necessary to thin to a creamy soup consistency. Season to taste with salt.

Meanwhile, lower oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, toss pepitas with 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, cumin, mustard seed, and turmeric. Season with salt. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Scrape toasted spiced pepitas into a mixing bowl and stir in parsley, lemon zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Warm the soup, then spoon it into bowls. Top with spiced pepitas and some of their oil. Serve immediately.

Kale Pasta with Kale Flowers in a Garlic-Infused Tomato Sauce

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I’ve been meaning to make pasta with kale flowers for a while now, but I finally did it! 

Kale is by far the most successful plant in our garden. It’s literally towering over everything right now and is at least 6 feet tall. But this year, our lovely Portuguese kale went to flower a little sooner than usual. I think it’s because we had so much rain that made the kale so healthy and happy that it decided to send off its seeds to our garden. That’s totally fine with me!

So instead of just yanking out the plants, we’re used them in pasta. The end result? Nutritious and delicious! Like other edible flowers, I imagine these would be great in a salad, soup, or even as a cocktail garnish.

I initially intended to use the flowers when they were first produced because they look a lot like broccoli raab early on. As they mature, there’s less raab and more flower. You can use raab-like kale flowers in this recipe if you prefer and use less kale leaves or none at all. But I really enjoyed taking advantage of the beautiful yellow flowers because they added a really nice texture to the dish.

I couldn’t find the specific nutrition facts of kale flowers online, but many other edible flowers are high in vitamin C and vitamin A. Plus, it makes sense that at least some of the benefits of kale, like its antioxidant content, would transfer to the flowers as well, right?

Kale Pasta with Kale Flowers in a Garlic-Infused Tomato Sauce

Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
12 oz dried casarecce pasta
1 medium bunch kale, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup garlic stuffed green olives, halved, garlic cloves chopped
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
4 anchovies, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup packed kale flowers, stemmed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

To Garnish
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/4 kale flowers

Directions
Bring a large pot of boiling salted water to a boil. Add pasta and boil for 5 minutes. Add kale and continue cooking until pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes longer. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet, add olive oil, fresh garlic, and cured garlic cloves over medium-high heat. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, green olives, and anchovies and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, about 3-4 minutes. Add kale flowers and cook gently stirring for 1 minute. 

Return pasta to the pot over medium high heat and add the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and add parsley and parmesan cheese. Cook until flavors meld, about 3 minutes. Serve on plates and garnish with parmesan cheese, parsley, and kale flowers. 
 

Indian-Spiced Vegetable Soup

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Happy Friday! Who else craves spicy Indian food at the end of a long week? If you do, you need to make this quick and spicy vegetable soup tonight! Full of vegetables, it’s insanely healthy. And while you wouldn’t notice, this one is vegan, which means it will serve as a nice break from animal products from the week, and it will lessen your footprint on the environment! A win-win for all.

In this soup, I used turnips, carrots, potatoes, and cauliflower as the main vegetables. But feel free to use some of your other favorites. I imagine that it would be great with green beans, peas, bell peppers, and zucchini as well. 

Adrian will often ask me jokingly when we make dinner with this much veg: “exactly how much nutrition do you think is in this?” and I just shake my head because it might as well be infinite! At 1/2 lb of vegetables per serving, I will happily trade this soup for a quarter pounder hamburger any day! It’s just too good and healthy to pass up!

Note: For a soupy consistency, I recommend using 4 cups of water. But for more of a masala consistency, which is how I like mine, just barely cover the vegetables with water, and cook the soup a little longer until it thickens up.

Indian-Spiced Vegetable Soup

Time: 40 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 carrots, sliced diagnonally
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 head small cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
4 Japanese turnips, peeled and quartered, about 1/2 lb
8-12 Thai chilies (optional)
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cardamom pods, cracked
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium vine ripe tomato, chopped

To Serve
Steamed rice or naan
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, add onion, carrots, potato, cauliflower, turnips, chilies, cumin, and cardamom pods. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add tomato and simmer for 10 minutes longer, until the soup reaches the desired consistency.

Serve soup in bowls with steamed rice or naan on the side. Garnish with green onions and cilantro and serve immediately!

Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Orzo

This pan-seared chicken breast with orzo will delight your weeknight senses! It's French-inspired enough that I've served it up with a red wine reduction sauce, but easy enough that you can put dinner on the table in as little as 35 minutes. Did I mention that it tastes fantastic?

While I love a lot of different proteins with orzo, and orzo on its own as a vegetarian option, I don't think anything pairs better with the pasta than chicken. Together and with just a bit of butter, they create a mouthfeel like no other. Yum!

I served my chicken breasts up with some sage flowers growing freshly in the garden and a quick side salad of butter lettuce, escarole, red onions, and parmesan cheese lightly dressed with olive oil. Serve it how you like, it doesn't matter! It'll be fantastic any way you like it.

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Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Orzo

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
8 oz orzo
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp Parmesan-Reggiano, grated
5 tbsp butter, divided
1.5 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp parsley leaves, chopped
1.5 lbs chicken breast halves
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add orzo with 1 tsp salt and boil until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 15 minutes. Stir in Parmesan-Reggiano, 2 tsbp butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley. Adjust seasonings to taste and remove from heat. Keep warm.

On a large cutting board, pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to an even 3/4-inch thickness. Debone chicken breast halves, leaving the skin intact, and separating tenderloins from the breast. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour to a large plate and lightly coat each cutlet by dredging in flour.

In a small bowl, add wine, chicken broth, and dijon mustard. Stir to combine and set aside. 

Heat 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and tenderloins skin-side up, and sear for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm. Add red wine mixture to the pan and reduce by half. Then tilt the skillet to whisk in 1 tbsp butter. Remove from heat.

Serve chicken on plates over orzo and drizzle with the red-wine reduction sauce and a side salad.

Spicy Korean-Style Chicken with Mushrooms

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Who needs their spicy Korean food fix this weekend? This Korean-style chicken with mushrooms will satiate your need for deep red chilis, no matter your comfort level with spicy food! 

This is because you can adjust the gochujang paste up or down from what I recommend below. I’d say 4 tablespoons would produce a dish that’s medium-spicy, but you could use 2-3 tablespoons for a milder dish. I personally used 6 tablespoons of gochujang and probably 15 birdseye chilis and loved every bite. If you know me as well as you think you do, my spicy additions shouldn’t be a surprise, because you know I’m obsessed with hot peppers!

If you’re shy to spice, feel free to challenge your palate turn your heat levels up just a notch! It’ll be good for you! Capsaicin increases your body temperature just enough to boost your metabolism slightly and help you burn more calories. Over time and with consistency, a spicy habit could mean good things for your waistline.

Other notes about the recipe: feel free to substitute green garlic with 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 4 thinly sliced scallions. I chose green garlic because it’s in season and it’s soooo delicious, but if you have to substitute, this dish will be just as delicious! 

Spicy Korean-Style Chicken with Mushrooms 

Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
4-6 tbsp gochujang chili paste (to taste)
4 tbsp sesame oil, divided
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp light brown sugar
4 green garlic bulbs and stems, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
12 oz crimini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
10 dried birdseye chilis, stemmed (optional)
1 small bunch chives, chopped
Steamed rice, to serve
Kimchi, to serve (optional)

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add chicken, gochujang, 2 tbsp sesame oil, soy sauce, light brown sugar, green garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Marinate for 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 10-15 minutes until browned and tender. Add chicken with marinade, 1/2 cup water, and birdseye chilis. Reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 

Serve over steamed rice with kimchi on the side. Garnish chicken with chives and serve immediately.
 

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If you liked this recipe, check out my recipes for Pork Belly Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Mixed Mushrooms, Wild Rice Bowl with Mushrooms, Bok Choy & Soft-Boiled Eggs, and Thai Stir-Fried Noodles with Kale and Chicken: Pad See Ew