Shiitake is one of those fun words for me to say. Shhhh….ta…..KI. Yes, I am an odd one. Just like I love the word llama, the animal not the Spanish word for called/name. I love it when my daughter picks one of the Llama Llama books to read just so I get to say llama frequently. Again, I’m odd.
When it came time to make dinner the other day, I really had no plan or goal in mind. I knew the ingredients I wanted: chicken, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, and peas. How that dish was going to come about just unfolded as I went. I can’t say for certain if my wing-it dishes or my methodically planned out dishes come out better. I think I have an equal success/failure rate for both when they are compared. And yes, I do have dishes that fail.In my opinion, this is a humble dish. It is not fancy, except for possibly the shiitake mushrooms. Frozen peas, brown rice, and chicken, are all food staples in my house. But the flavor of these mushrooms was intense and made one of the best sauces I have ever concocted. That is what I love most about this dish, simple, yet, full of fantastic and bold flavor. Even the 4 year old loved it, although she wouldn’t touch the mushrooms. I opted to not tell her it was a sauce made with the mushroom juice. Yes, I am a mean mommy.
When it came time to make dinner the other day, I really had no plan or goal in mind. I knew the ingredients I wanted: chicken, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, and peas. How that dish was going to come about just unfolded as I went. I can’t say for certain if my wing-it dishes or my methodically planned out dishes come out better. I think I have an equal success/failure rate for both when they are compared. And yes, I do have dishes that fail.In my opinion, this is a humble dish. It is not fancy, except for possibly the shiitake mushrooms. Frozen peas, brown rice, and chicken, are all food staples in my house. But the flavor of these mushrooms was intense and made one of the best sauces I have ever concocted. That is what I love most about this dish, simple, yet, full of fantastic and bold flavor. Even the 4 year old loved it, although she wouldn’t touch the mushrooms. I opted to not tell her it was a sauce made with the mushroom juice. Yes, I am a mean mommy.
I grow my own sage and my leaves are mush smaller than the leaves of fresh sage I see available at the market. If you have large leaves, only use half of the amount of leaves as I have written, unless you love sage that much, then go bold.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1-2 lbs . chicken breast
- 1 tbsp . extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp . butter
- Salt/pepper/granulated garlic
- 10-15 fresh sage leaves
Rice
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1-15 oz . can broth
- 3-4 oz . water
- Salt/pepper to taste
- 10 sage leaves
Mushroom Sauce
- 1-1.76 oz . pkg dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1-15 oz . can broth (I used chicken)
- 1 tbsp . tomato paste
- 1 tbsp . cornstarch
- ? cup red onion; sliced
- 1 clove garlic; minced/grated
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- 1 coffee filter
Peas
- 2 cups frozen peas
- Salt to taste
- ½ tbsp . butter
Instructions
Rice
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Combine rice, liquid, sage, and S/P and cook according to packaged time directions or add to a rice cooker and cook.
To rehydrate the mushrooms
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Put the broth in a saucepan with the mushrooms.
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Turn the heat onto low and allow the broth to warm, softening them.
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It will take up to 30 minutes for the shiitake to soften, depending how large the pieces are.
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Once they are softened, pour the broth into a bowl through a coffee filter or paper towel.
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This is an important step, as the grit from the mushrooms will ruin the taste of the dish.
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Set the liquid aside.
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Rinse the shiitake to remove any clinging grit.
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Set them aside as well.
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In a large frying pan, add the oil and butter and heat over medium high heat.
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Add the sage leaves, then the chicken that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.
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Spoon the hot oil/butter over the top of the chicken while it is being seared.
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Once the chicken is half way cooked, flip it over.
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This time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken; 3-5 minutes.
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Finishing cooking the chicken and remove from pan, setting it aside.
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In the same pan as the chicken was cooked in, add the mushroom broth and any water needed to equal two cups of liquid.
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Add the onions and garlic.
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Mix well, pulling up all the stuck on bits from cooking the chicken and incorporating the sage leaves.
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As it begins to simmer, add the tomato paste.
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Whisk well. Add the cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
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Salt and pepper to taste.
Steam the peas and toss with the butter and the salt.
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Assembly the plate as desired with the cooked rice, peas, and chicken.
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Portion the mushrooms over rice and chicken and spoon the sauce over it.
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10 Comments
Ellen @ From Scratch
September 15, 2014 at 5:49 amLooks yummy! I totally enjoy saying “shitake” too! 😉
Michelle
September 15, 2014 at 10:27 amI’m so happy I’m not alone with having fun with words.
Sandra Shaffer
September 15, 2014 at 8:55 pmYum! What a delicious looking meal. I want to stick my finger in your mushroom sauce! 🙂
Michelle
September 16, 2014 at 12:01 pmGo ahead, Sandra, I won’t look, stick your finger in. 🙂
Jillian
September 16, 2014 at 1:14 amYum, I’m coming to your house for dinner! 😉
Michelle
September 16, 2014 at 12:03 pmJillian, come on by, I love company for dinner.
Wendy | Around My Family Table
September 19, 2014 at 9:56 pmThis sounds great…Hubbyman would love all those mushrooms. Thanks for linking up to Gluten Free & DIY Tuesdays. I hope to have you back again next week.
Michelle
September 22, 2014 at 1:14 amThank you Wendy. This dish is a must for any fan of mushrooms. Hope Hubbyman loves it. I’ll pop over again on Tuesday, thank you.
Sandi
September 22, 2014 at 5:50 pmCongrats!! Your recipe was featured at Gluten Free & DIY Tuesdays 🙂
Feel free to grab a badge
https://www.fearlessdining.com/2014/09/22/gluten-free-diy-tuesdays-2/
Michelle
September 25, 2014 at 12:04 amThank you Sandi!