Tofu With Bai-Ling Mushroom Slices

Eating light is good for me after all the heavy meals I had with friends the past few weeks.  I decided to open up a can of Bai-Ling mushrooms which I bought a few weeks ago and trying to replicate a tofu dish I had at the restaurant . The Bai-Ling mushroom has a rubbery texture like the abalone slices :p but only this is a mushroom.  I steamed the tofu for 5 mins. Make a oyster sauce gravy , put in the bai-ling mushroom slices and pour over the steamed tofu.  Garnish with garlic crisps.  Gosh , it tasted at good as those served in restaurants :p  A simple dish but yet packed with flavor.  The garlic crisps gave the dish a subtle garlicky flavor.  Ymmy! I will cook this dish again and not get bored with it.  I am glad that with this simple cooking, WB is happy helping out.  Thank God for a wonderful helper and life is much easier while my arms are healing :)

Bai-Ling mushroom aka  'mock abalone'

A little note of this Bai-Ling mushrooms -
excerpts from here

Bai-Ling Mushroom, a new star in the edible mushroom family, is so named because of its beautiful pure white body and its similarity in shape with Glossy Lanzi. "Bai" means white in Chinese and "Ling" refers to Lanzi, a valuable edible fungus. Bai-Ling Mushroom belongs to the faculty of Pleutotus Ferulse Lanzi and the genus of Pleurotus Ferulse. Its scientific name is "Bai-ling Pleurotus Ferulse Lanze". Bai-Ling Mushroom is a rare species of valuable edible mushroom originates from the desert of northwest China. It is now grown under controlled environment with guaranteed quality. During the cultivation process, only natural materials are used, free from insecticides and artificial fertilizers. According to the China State Food Supervising and Testing Center's analysis, Bai-Ling Mushroom is low in fat, rich in protein, vitamin, carbohydrate, fungal polysaccharide and coarse fiber. Bai-Ling Mushroom contains 10.6% of aminophenol of which 35% are essential amino acids for human. The high content of polysaccharide in Bai-Ling mushroom helps increase human immunity and adjusting physiological balance of human body. Compared with other types of mushrooms, Bai-Ling mushroom is remarkably large in size. It's average weight is over 100g (3.5 oz) and average diameter is 8-10 cm (3-4 inches). Bai-Ling Mushroom is quickly accepted by consumers since its first appearance in market in 1997 and earns the name of "Prince of Edible Mushrooms". 

Tofu With Bai-Ling Mushroom Slices

Ingredients:

1 block of silken tofu
1 can of Bai-Ling Mushroom  - use only one big one - cut into 1/4 " thick slices
2 cloves of garlic - cut into slices

for the gravy
2 tbsp of vegetarian oyster sauce
1/2 cup of vegetable stock ( vegetarian ) or chicken stock ( non-vegetarian)
1 tbsp of chinese cooking wine

 thickening
1 tsp of corn flour
2 tbsp of water

Method:

Pan fry the garlic slices till crispy and golden brown - dish up and keep aside

Steam the tofu for 5 mins , remove excess water from the tofu.  Heat one tsp of canola oil and saute the chopped garlic till fragrant, add in the vegetable stock, oyster sauce and chinese wine and simmer till it boils.  Add in the thickening ( mix 1 tsp of corn flour with 2 tbsp of water ) and pour in the Bai-Ling slices.  Add a dash of white pepper . Off heat. Arrange the slices of mushroom on top of the tofu and pour the gravy over the tofu.  Garnish the tofu with the garlic crisps.  Serve hot with rice.

*             *              *