Shiitake Pad Thai

So I know ... its almost the first day of March and most everyone has given up on their New Year Resolutions and my harping about mine is getting kinda tiring ;-) .... oh well!! So here on forward, I'm just going to call it my New Veggie Resolution instead of New Year Resolution #2!! So New Vegetable #13 - Shiitake Mushrooms!

Shiitake Pad Thai

Prep Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

1. 10-12 fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced.
2. 1/3 cup carrots
3. 1/3 cup broccoli florets
4. 1/4 cup vegetable broth
5. 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
6. 3 tbsp Annie Chun's Pad Thai Sauce*
7. 1/2 pack Annie Chun's Pad Thai White (or Brown) Rice Noodles, boiled.
8. 2-3 tbsp crushed peanuts 
9. salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

In a skillet on medium heat, add vegetable broth and ginger-garlic paste. Allow to cook for a few minutes and add carrots and broccoli. Allow to cook for a few minutes to allow the veggies to cook just slightly and then add mushrooms, Pad Thai sauce and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Uncover, add boiled noodles, toss well. Allow flavors to blend for a couple of minutes, the top off with crushed peanuts and freshly ground black pepper. 

My Assessment: LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE PAD THAI!!!! I've been craving this dish for a few days and it was totally worth it!!! I loved the meaty texture of the mushrooms and they blended really well with the Pad Thai sauce. I didn't realize before today how healthy Shiitake mushrooms really were. I sure will be using a lot more of them as compared to some of the less nutritious (white button) varieties. 

* Annie's Pad Thai Sauce has fish sauce (made with anchovies), so this recipe is not vegan! I found this out after the fact as well ..