Watercress Shiitake Tahini Noodles

Tastes even better!

Hungry and had only a few items in the fridge, I dreamed up this dish half an hour before I ate it. Gluten-free, green, and full of fibah.

Recently I figured out that eating carbs satisfied a part of me that fruit, protein, and greens just couldn’t. So the next best thing is to cram the carb plate with veggies. I love the Thai basil and Shiitake combination. Once you learn to make this, you can substitute or add vegetables/herbs in the recipe.

2 Tb roasted tahini (sesame) sauce

1 Tb gluten-free soy sauce or tamari

5-6  small ears dried Shiitake mushrooms*

finely chopped watercress (I used a whole head, it can be fairly pungent), about 3/4 to 1 cup, or to taste

finely chopped Thai basil leaves, about 1 tb, to taste

1 serving brow rice spaghetti

1 Tsp toasted sesame oil

small pinch of sea salt

A big bowl

*If dried Shiitake isn’t available, use fresh ones. Treat the fresh mushrooms like veggies and chop and mix with cooked noodles. (don’t boil them)

Follow steps on box to prepare rice noodles; cook dried Shiitake mushrooms with noodles.

While waiting for noodles to materialize:
Chop watercress and Thai basil. In big bowl, mix tahini and tamari sauce. Set aside.

When the noodles are done, drain but leave them in pot. Stir in chopped watercress and Thai basil. Return pot to burner for “left over” heat on burner. Stir noodles and greens rapidly. This way it lightly blanches the veggies.

When the greens seem semi-cooked, pour entire mixture from pot into big bowl.

Toss sauce, noodles, and veggies/herbs thoroughly. Season with salt to taste. Drizzle toasted sesame oil on top. For a spicy dish, add red pepper flakes or Thai hot sauce.

Many health benefits of watercress: anti-cancer, weight loss, nice skin, and more from Dr. Mercola.

Antibacterial properties of Thai basil. It is also one of my favorite herbs. Smells and taste wonderful. Great for an omelette or over an over-easy egg, or homemade salad dressings too.

Shiitake mushrooms, dried or fresh. I grew up with people who were discerning about shiitake mushroom -there are different grades, back in Asia. These shrooms are fragrant, textured, and incredibly nutritious.

Tahini or sesame sauce. Raw is better, but I grabbed the roasted kind by mistake and it tastes great too. You can experiment on this dish with raw tahini, definitely.