Toasty, umami, spicy, and sweet; this sauté takes about 30 minutes to prepare and make, and is a flavorful topping for rice or a grain of your choice.
Ingredients:
- 225 g fresh spinach, washed, drained, and sliced
- 150 g sliced mixed mushrooms
- 1 small red onion, cleaned, thinly sliced, and separated
- 4 scallions, diced
- 1/4 C sunflower seeds
- 1/4 C finely chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, or currants)
Spices:
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1-inch cube ginger root, peeled and grated or minced
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp canola oil or your favorite cooking oil
Equipment:
- A large frying pan
- A cutting board
- A colander
- A chef knife
- Measuring spoons
- Ingredient bowls
- A spatula
Preparation:
- Clean the vegetables and chop them. Keep each ingredient separate until it’s time to cook.
- Toast the sunflower seeds in the frying pan on medium-high heat until the seeds are a light, nutty brown. Remove from heat immediately and transfer the seeds to a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in the frying pan on low-medium heat and add the garlic and ginger. Cook until the garlic is starting to caramelize. Add the rest of the spices, and cook for another three minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for three minutes or until the mushrooms have started to sweat.*
- Add the onions. Cook for one to two minutes or until the onions are just translucent.
- Add the spinach. Cook for forty seconds or until the spinach is just wilted.
- Turn off the heat and add the scallions, the fruit, and the sunflower seeds.
- Serve over brown rice or your favorite grain.
Cooking Notes:
- *Though I use the term sweating the mushrooms, I do not cover the frying pan during the sauté.
- Using a spoon is a safe and effective way to skin ginger root.
- Makes 3-4 servings