Recipe: Watercress with Sauteed Ginger and Shiitake Mushrooms

Spring into the season with this zesty and healthy dish. Watercress is one of the beautiful greens you’ll see in the supermarket or farmer’s market. With its exotic leaves and zesty flavor, watercress is ideally suited for sauteing. Because the flavor is strong (unlike spinach, which is mild), it’s best to pair watercress with other strong flavors such as ginger, garlic, green onion and sesame oil, making it the perfect addition to a stir-fry recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 TB Sunflower Oil *see alternate option
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced into thick matchsticks
  • 1 bunch watercress, trimmed and chopped roughly
  • 1 TB toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

  1. Heat the oil over low-medium heat; cook garlic and ginger until fragrant.
  2. Increase the heat to medium, add the shiitake mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add the watercress and saute another 2-3 minutes.
  3. While the watercress is finishing, toast sesame seeds in the toaster oven on a foil lined pan for 1 minute. Sprinkle the seeds on the saute to finish.

Serve with brown rice and your favorite protein source.

Recipe Options
*Instead of 2 TB Sunflower Oil, you can use 1 TB Sunflower Oil + 1 TB Sesame Seed Oil

References