This vegetarian cold oyster mushroom and spinach recipe is a spicy and savory dish for your summer dining. When the hot summer comes, we Chinese usually don’t like to eat very hot food. If there is a steaming hot dish on your table, you will wait for it to cool down a little before eating it, which is a tormenting time for a hungry person.
So are you interested in cold dishes? The method of making cold dishes is usually to cut the ingredients, some ingredients need to be simply cooked, and some ingredients can be eaten raw, prepare a sauce, and mix it with the ingredients. In summer, my Chinese Home Kitchen will feature a lot of healthy, simple cold dishes because we know the demand for cool table dishes in summer. Cold dishes are also more convenient to make, since you don’t need to stay in the kitchen for too long.
Spinach is rich in iron. In fact, this low-carbohydrate oyster mushroom and spinach dish is high in potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and C, too. Eating spinach occasionally is good for our health. When eating spinach, I like to use boiling water to blanch the spinach first, because spinach contains oxalic acid. By blanching the spinach, most of the oxalic acid is dissolved in the boiling water, and the taste of the spinach is improved.
Oxalates and kidney health
Leafy green vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but if you are prone to kidney stones, blanching the spinach takes on added importance.
Leafy greens, legumes, and other foods high in oxalates are rich in beneficial nutrients. However, because oxalates bind to calcium as they leave the body, they can increase the risk of kidney stones in some people. If you’re prone to kidney stones or have kidney disease, your doctor may recommend you follow a low-oxalate diet. But for most people, the benefits of nutrient-dense, high-oxalate foods can outweigh their risks.
https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-oxalates
Cold Oyster Mushroom and Spinach Recipe
Equipment
- 1 wok optionally, use a medium saucepan to blanch the spinach and mushrooms
- 1 large bowl fill with cold water for cooling the blanched vegetables
- 1 heat proof dish for mixing the oil and chili powder
Ingredients
- 250 g spinach
- 200 g oyster mushrooms
- 3 fresh xiaomila chili peppers (substitute rehydrated peppers)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 30 ml caiziyou (roasted rapeseed oil) substitute your favorite cooking oil
- 10 ml Chinese chili powder
- 1 g white sesame seeds (just under ½ tsp)
- 10 ml light soy sauce
- 5 ml oyster sauce
- 5 ml Zhenjiang black vinegar
- 2 ml salt
- 3 ml white sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Remove the roots of the spinach and wash it clean.
- Chop the chili peppers and mince the garlic.
- Tear the oyster mushrooms into small pieces and rinse thoroughly to clean them.
- Prepare the sauce: Put minced garlic, chili pepper, chili powder and white sesame seeds in a bowl. Heat 30ml oil to 150° C (302° F), pour into the bowl, stir to combine while the chili powder sizzles.3 fresh xiaomila chili peppers, 3 cloves garlic, 10 ml Chinese chili powder, 1 g white sesame seeds, 30 ml caiziyou (roasted rapeseed oil)
- Then add seasoning (light soy sauce, oyster sauce, black vinegar, salt, sugar), mix well and set aside.10 ml light soy sauce, 5 ml oyster sauce, 5 ml Zhenjiang black vinegar, 2 ml salt, 3 ml white sugar
- Add enough water to cover the mushrooms to your wok, or a medium saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Next, add the oyster mushrooms and blanch over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, but don't drain the water. Place the mushrooms in cold water.200 g oyster mushrooms
- Return the water to boiling, then add the spinach and blanch over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove and drain the spinach, then plunge into cold water to cool.250 g spinach
- Remove the mushrooms and spinach from the cold water and gently squeeze out the water. Place in a large bowl, add sauce and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a plate and serve.
Notes
- You don’t need to wait long, the mushrooms and spinach will cool quickly in the cold water. When you pick them up, they are almost cold.
- This recipe uses fresh xiaomila peppers. If you can’t get fresh peppers, you can rehydrate dried peppers by soaking in hot water for 30 minutes.
- Gently squeeze the water from the mushrooms and spinach before adding the sauce, or you’ll have a runny, watery dish.
- If you have only one wok and it is seasoned for stir-frying, use a medium or large saucepan with just enough water to cover the mushrooms and spinach. Boiling water in a seasoned wok will strip the seasoning, and it will have to be re-seasoned before stir-frying or braising.
Nutrition
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Spicy, healthy. Makes a great side dish, or a light lunch.