Four Favorite Asian Recipes with Mushrooms

Asian cooking traditionally uses very inexpensive and freely available ingredients, and in many dishes, mushrooms not only substitute for the taste and texture of meat, but are the star in their own right! It is the heavy utilization of mushrooms in Asian cooking that is thought to be part of the reason for the amazing disease resistance seen in Asian populations, including the Japanese, Mongolian and Tibetan people. Today we are looking at four different Asian-inspired ways to make mushrooms delicious. Fresh is best, so grab a mushroom growing kit and then pop on your chef's hat!

For all of the following recipes, use peanut oil rather than your standard vegetable oil for a more authentic flavor. Soy sauce and sweet chili will be staples, also.

Sweet Chili Mushroom and Pork Wontons

Wontons are a traditional starter item in so many Asian cuisines. These wontons use the amazing texture and freshness of mushrooms straight out of a mushroom growing kit in your pantry. Mix equal amounts of pork and cup mushrooms with 4 green onions. Chuck them all together with a couple of tablespoons of sweet chili sauce and soy sauce in a food processor, and then wrap them up with wonton wrappers according to the directions on the wrapper packet.

Wok Fried Mushrooms with Honey/Soy Seasoning

The honey-soy combination from Asian cooking has permeated so many favorite dishes in the Western diet! Here's another to add to the list. The keys to this recipe are the generous number of mushroom seasonings, including soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey and sesame seeds. Green onions and fresh chili help create a flavor explosion on white rice.

Mushroom, beef and bok choy stir fry

Made with all your favorite meal bases, and recognizable Asian seasonings, this makes it into standard rotation in many homes. The mushrooms in this recipe are marinated with oil, kecap manis, ginger and Chinese cooking wine to permeate them with amazing flavors.

Mushroom and fish laksa

With more South East Asian than northern Asian flavors, this laksa is rich and creamy. The recipe calls for Swiss brown mushrooms, but dried shiitake mushrooms or dried porcini mushrooms would be equally delicious. Using laksa paste rather than a host of herbs and spices makes the recipe easy to manage and delicious.