Stir-Fry Sesame Broccoli with Rice Noodles
Ingredients
  • 1 box rice noodles (you may substitute gluten-free soba noodles)
  • 1 pound or more broccoli
  • salt to taste
  • 8 dried shitake mushrooms, covered with near-boiling water
  • 2-3tablespoons light sesame or peanut oil
  • 1 ½ inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 4 green onions, both the green and white parts, sliced diagonally
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (choose organic and gluten-free or substitute the same amount of Bragg’s Amino Acids).
  • 2 tablespoons mirin (Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine). You can substitute 1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar for mirin.
  • ¼ cup raw organic sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup raw chopped cashews
Instructions
  1. Place two pots of water on the stove top and bring to a boil – one is for the broccoli, the other is for the rice noodles.
  2. While the water for the broccoli is heating, cut the broccoli into florets. Include the stems in this dish by cutting them into thin coins so that they cook easily.
  3. When the water comes to a boil, add a pinch of salt and toss in the broccoli. Cook for only one minute (just enough to make it the right texture for eating). Drain and rinse under cold water. You may also choose to steam the broccoli instead of cooking it in boiling water. Steaming will allow you to retain more nutrients in the broccoli.
  4. Take the shitake mushrooms out of their water with a slotted spoon and reserve their water. Discard the stems from the mushrooms. Chop the caps and set aside.
  5. Combine the soy sauce and mirin and set aside.
  6. Now cook the rice noodles. Place the rice noodles in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the rice noodles until they are completely submerged. Stir them to loosen them up. When they are limp, taste them to see if they are ready. Different rice noodles cook at different paces. Some cook in 2-3 minutes and thicker ones can take 10 minutes. The key is to pay attention and test the noodles because if you overcook them, they get mushy. Once the noodles are ready, drain them under cool water to stop the cooking process. You can toss them with a small amount of sesame oil to keep them from sticking if you are not ready to add them to the pan of broccoli and spices right away.
  7. Heat the light sesame oil (or peanut oil if using as a substitute) in a skillet. Add the ginger, garlic, and green onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Then add the mushrooms, along with their soaking water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the broccoli and cooked noodles. Pour the soy sauce/ mirin mixture over the vegetables and noodles and make sure everything is heated.
  8. Place the entire mixture into a large bowl (taste and add a tablespoon of sesame oil or less if you want extra flavor). Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped cashews and serve.