Here’s the thing about food and cooking. It can be whatever you like it to be. Yes, that’s my justification statement for this recipe. I was in my kitchen one day and I wanted French lentils and shiitake mushrooms. Now of course I could have went much simpler and just sautéed the mushrooms, with some onions, garlic and carrots, threw in the lentils and called it a day, oh yes, and add some thyme, seasoned everything up well with some kosher salt and cracked black pepper, but who wants to do that? Well, if you do, that’s the rough recipe, and remember to cook the lentils based on the packaging instructions, but today, we are braising these lovelies.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small pack shiitake mushrooms
• 1 1/2  tablespoons grapeseed oil or non fragrant oil, you can use canola, if you like.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegan stir fry sauce, Kikkoman
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat a wok or medium deep saucepan, over medium high heat. Add the oil. Add the finely minced garlic and mushrooms, season with salt, and stir fry for 10 seconds. Stir in the rice wine.
• Add in the vegetable broth.
• While the liquid comes up to a simmer, add dark soy sauce, then the regular soy sauce, vegan stir fry sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Stir until combined, and turn the heat down to simmer for 5 minutes.
• Next, slowly add in the cornstarch mixture into the sauce while stirring constantly. After letting the mushrooms cook for an additional minute, taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings, taste to see if you need add more soy sauce or stir fry sauce. If the sauce is too thick add a bit more of vegetable broth. If it’s too thin add more the cornstarch and water mixture. You want the sauce to be able to coat the back of spoon.
• Add shiitake mushrooms on a plate of cooked cauliflower rice or like me, on the side of some delicious French lentils.