The caps of the shiitake mushrooms have a soft tender texture, while the stems are tough and chewy.  I don’t like the stems, so I discard them before cooking.

Here’s the picture of whole shiitake mushrooms:

When I cut off the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, I put the mushroom caps in one bowl, and stems in another.

Here’s the bowl with shiitake mushroom caps:

Here’s the bowl with shiitake mushroom stems (before I throw those stems in a garbage):

Do you need to wash shiitake mushrooms?  I don’t wash them.  Washed mushrooms become kind of slimy when wet.  99% of the visible dirt is on the stems, and I throw those out.  If I see visible dirt on the caps, I just take it off.

Now I’ll be cooking the shiitake mushroom caps.   The next step is to chop the caps.

Here’s the picture of chopped shiitake mushrooms:

My favorite method of cooking shiitake mushrooms is frying them in a pan.  To cook the shiitake mushrooms, just heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan, then add chopped mushrooms.  Cook on medium heat, stirring periodically, for 10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Here’s a picture of cooked shiitake mushrooms:

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Ingredients:

1 lb pasta
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook according to package directions, until tender.  Drain into a colander.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms and asparagus and cook, stirring periodically, for about 15 minutes, or until tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove the mushroom and asparagus mixture from a frying pan into a bowl.

Heat another 1 tbsp of oil in that frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through (no longer pink in center, about 5 minutes).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the chicken and mushroom/asparagus mixture between 2 large frying pans (half goes in one frying pan, another half in the other).    This step is done because all that stuff wouldn’t fit into one pan (since you’ll later add the pasta!)

Heat each frying pan over medium heat.  Make space in the center of each pan (push the food to the sides).  Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil into the center of each frying pan.  Add garlic there and cook for 30 seconds.  Add pasta (half of the pasta in one pan, half in the other), and stir until everything is combined and the pasta is coasted with oil.

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Ingredients For Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes Recipe:

Sweet potatoes
Sliced mushrooms
Any green vegetables (for example, green peppers, asparagus, green beans, etc.)
Shredded cheese
Olive oil

Directions How To Make Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes:

Step 1: Bake The Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400F.  Prick the sweet potatoes with a knife in a couple of places (so they don’t burst).  Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil.  Line the baking sheet with foil and put potatoes on a baking sheet.  Put in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Note: you can do this step in advance.  Just throw the sweet potatoes in the oven, then take them out 1 1/2 hours later and refrigerate till you are ready to stuff them.

Note 2: don’t be tempted to “bake” the sweet potato in a microwave unless you really have to.  Microwaved version is a far cry for the real thing. 

Step 2: Cook the veggies

Slice the mushrooms and other vegetables.  Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Cook the veggies until tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Stuff the sweet potatoes

Put the potato on a large plate, and cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop the flesh out with the spoon and put it in a bowl (leave the potato skin on the plate).  Mash the sweet potato flesh with a fork or a potato masher.  Add the vegetables and combine using a spoon.  Put the potato mixture back into the potato skin.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Microwave or bake until the sweet potato is warm and cheese has melted.

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