Alice Sun (@alicecsun) shares a unique view into her life through the ways she uses food to nurture wellness, cross cultural divides, and bring people together, all through the medium of storytelling.
Alice Sun•
January 10, 2024
Welcome to my new series where I highlight healthy dishes that incorporate ingredients recommended in traditional Chinese medicine! Hope you enjoy these recipes where functionality meets flavor 😌
We’re starting things off with wood ear mushroom, a super food for its high levels of iron and plant based collagen. There are so many ways to make wood ear, but if you’re looking for something that packs a punch, try this mapo tofu recipe. It’s spicy, salty, umami, with a hint of acidity from the black vinegar.
Soak the wood ear mushrooms (6–8) in water for 10 mins and you’ll see them expand 5X
Wash them by adding flour (1 Tbsp) into the water and massaging
Rinse them out at least 3Xs
Lastly chop into bite size pieces and don’t include the hard stem
In a smoking hot wok, drop in the garlic (3–4 cloves) and ginger (½ Tbsp) and cook until browned
Add in the spicy broad bean paste (1 ½ Tbsp) and sauté for a few seconds until it smells fragrant and spicy
Next add in the beech mushrooms (1 box) and wood ear mushrooms (6–8) and toss until everything is coated
Pour in the broth (1 ½ cups), bring to a boil, then add in the silken tofu (1 box) that has been cut into cubes
Season with soy sauce (2 Tbsp) and vinegar (1 tsp)
Let it boil for 2-3 mins to cook the tofu then taste to see if you need to add in salt or pepper
Lastly thoroughly mix the cornstarch (1 ½ Tbsp) with water (3 Tbsp), and add to the dish
Cook until the sauce thickens and add a little more if you want a thicker sauce
Garnish with cilantro and spring onion and enjoy with rice!
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