Teriyaki Mushrooms and Cashews

Fresh or dried, in any and all varieties, mushrooms are undoubtedly a weakness of mine, and so it was with some disquiet to find recently that I had gone two whole weeks without eating them in any substantial quantity! No wonder the craving hit with a vengeance. A breakfast out with a good friend failed to satisfy the need, yielding a very disappointing amount of miniscule mushrooms in a vegetable and egg skillet. So with a light dinner of an Asian-style roasted broccoli with miso-tahini-tamari sauce already mapped out, I decided to quickly fix the craving with these fast and easy teriyaki mushrooms to go along with the broccoli.

Quickly pan-fried over high heat to keep the juices in, these mushrooms are plump and tender and glazed in a simple and zesty homemade teriyaki sauce with a little garlic, ginger and dried red chili flakes to give them a delightful little kick. I really don't quite understand why anyone would bother with a store-bought teriyaki sauce when it's almost the easiest possible sauce to make at home with the quality ingredients you may already have in your pantry or can easily obtain — just a little tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. No more than 10 minutes prep and 10 minutes cooking, and you have a delicious and attractive side dish for any Asian-themed meal and a quick fix for mushroom lovers at that — double or triple the recipe if you're going to be feeding a few people. I also fried up some cashews and tossed them with the mushrooms to give the dish a little extra texture and because, well, fried cashews are always a treat in their own right.

Teriyaki Mushrooms and Cashews

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Asian Published on September 25, 2013 Cashews and big plump pieces of fresh mushroom quickly pan-fried in a zesty and easy homemade teriyaki sauce — a great side dish for an Asian meal Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking time: 12 to 15 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 tablespoons sesame oil 1/4 cup raw cashews, halved or coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon brown or coconut sugar 1 tablespoon tamari (soy) sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes pinch of cayenne (optional) 1 green onion, green and white parts, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 8 oz (225 g) white, cremini or shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped Instructions: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, toss in the cashew pieces and fry, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and toss in the brown sugar, tamari sauce, vinegar, red chili flakes, cayenne if using, the white parts of the green onion, garlic and ginger. Stir for 1 or 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar, then turn up the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are heated through. Add the cashews and toss to combine. Serve hot with the slices of green onion. Makes 2 servings

More mushroom goodness from Lisa's Kitchen:
Mushrooms Paprika (Houby Paprikas)
Stuffed Mushrooms with Goat Cheese
Thai Mushroom Soup with Coconut
Walnut Mushroom Spread