Mushroom Hot Pot

Talk about good soul-warming food. I was surprised at how easy this was. I threw some things in a pot, tossed a little something in the oven, they did their thing, and dinner was ready. You can't get better than that. Oh, yeah- about that list of ingredients- don't be intimated, this is a piece of cake.

Hot Pot:
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch (think organic, corn is the 2nd most common genetically modified crop)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (if you don't have it, don't worry- you can sub it with veg or olive oil for this recipe!)
1 Chinese eggplant, diced into bit sized cubes (Hot Pot add in, refer to note)
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk lemongrass  (just bruise it with the back of your knife, especially towards the root area- that is where there is the most flavor)
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 star anise
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (cut in half or in quarters, depending on how big they are)
2 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos (or soy sauce if you don't have)
1 tomato, diced
Fresh black pepper to taste
15 oz can lite coconut milk
1/2 lime, juiced
1/3 cup raw cashews (Hot Pot add in, refer to note)

Cilantro-Lime Rice: (Hot Pot add in, refer to note)
1 cup jasmine rice
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely copped

Note: For my add ins I chose eggplant, cashews, and rice because that's what I had in the house, but you honestly can't go wrong with a hot pot. Here are add-in suggestions if you aren't crazy about mine:

Cooked rice noodles vs rice
Fresh cilantro
Fresh basil (thai basil if you can find it)
Grilled tofu (seasoned simply with sesame oil, black pepper and salt)
Cooked aduki beans
Thinly sliced sauteed seitan
Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Finely sliced bok choy
Extra wedges of fresh lime

In a pot over medium heat whisk together the cornstarch and broth. In a saute pan add your oil and saute the onions and peppers until the onions are soft, about five minutes. Add in the garlic, bruised lemongrass, ginger, red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, roughly another minute. Add this mixture into your pot of broth along with the star anise, cinnamon, shiitakes, liquid aminos, tomatoes and black pepper to taste. Stir often for the first 10 minutes or so, then cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once the pot is boiling lower the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are completely softened.

Meanwhile, in a little bit of olive oil roast your eggplant on the convection setting of your oven at 350º until browned.

Cook your jasmine rice according to cooking instructions (usually 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then cover with lid and reduce to a simmer for 12 minutes). Once cooked, gently mix in the cilantro and juice from 1 1/2 limes, set aside.

In a small (dry) saute pan over medium high heat toss in the cashews to roast, keep a close eye on these as they can go from raw to burnt in a matter of seconds. Flip them in the pan a few times to make sure one side isn't getting too much heat, or use a wooden spoon and move the cashews around.

Once the mushrooms are softened add the roasted eggplant, coconut milk and lime juice; taste for salt. Heat through and serve over the cilantro-lime rice with a bunch of roasted cashews over top. Oh, and don't forget to fish out the lemongrass and star anise- or just be mindful when serving.

Recipe adapted from The PPK