Tag Archives: scallion

Chinese-style button mushroom soup from thewoksoflife.com

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8 ounces button mushrooms(the smaller the better)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
salt (to taste)
 2 tablespoons cornstarch (combined into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water, optional)
1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
1 scallion (chopped)

Wash the mushrooms clean of any dirt, and dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. Detach the stems (you will add them to the soup also).

Place a medium soup pot over medium high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the oil and mushrooms cup-side up in a single layer. (Add the stems in too to avoid waste.)

Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the mushroom caps are browned, and each cup fills with liquid (that’s the juices in the mushroom seeping out!). Also check the stems for browning. Avoid stirring during this pan-frying process as it’s the key step to developing flavor for this soup. (You also want to keep the mushroom juices in the caps.) 

When the mushrooms are nicely browned, add the water and light soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes over medium low heat.

Add salt to taste, and stir in the cornstarch slurry (if using). Simmer the soup for 30 seconds until thickened.
Just before serving, add the cilantro and scallions. If you like cilantro (like me) this soup can take a lot of cilantro! 



Cucumber-Rye Tea Sandwiches

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  • 1 large seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 36 slices of party rye or 18 slices of rye bread
  • 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped
  • 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Step 1    Using a box grater, coarsely grate the cucumber lengthwise, stopping when you get to the seedy center. Transfer the cucumber to a bowl and stir in the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Step 2    If using rye bread slices, use a 2-inch-round cookie cutter to cut out 36 rounds from the bread. Cover with a slightly damp towel.

Step 3    Transfer the grated cucumber to a colander to drain; squeeze out the excess liquid. Return it to the bowl and stir in the cream cheese and scallion. Spread the cucumber cream cheese on the bread rounds, top each with a Persian cucumber slice and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.