Buddha's Delight

Name: Buddha's Delight
Prep time: 5 h
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 227 grams fresh or thawed frozen large bamboo shoots; 2 dried bean curd skins (2 oz total); 57 grams very thin bean thread noodles (2 small skeins; also known as cellophane, glass, or mung bean noodles); 59 milliliters Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing) or medium-dry Sherry; 1 clove (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced 2 garlic , chopped; 59 milliliters light soy sauce (preferably Pearl River Bridge brand); 85 grams 12 large dried black mushrooms; 118 milliliters peeled shelled fresh or frozen ginkgo nuts; 79 milliliters vegetarian oyster sauce; 2 romaine hearts, trimmed and quartered lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch pieces (6 cups); 113 grams cups fresh soybean sprouts; 1 teaspoons sugar; 227 grams firm fresh tofu cake, or 1/2 cake from a 14- to 16-oz package, rinsed and drained; 2 Tbsps peanut or vegetable oil; 1 liters boiling-hot water plus additional for soaking bean curd skins

Buddha's Delight might be just the side dish you are searching for. This recipe serves 8. One portion of this dish contains about 13g of protein, 12g of fat, and a total of 220 calories. If you have vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, boiling-hot water plus additional, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 5 hours. It is a good option if you're following a dairy free and pescatarian diet.

Instructions

Soak mushrooms in 5 cups boiling-hot water in a bowl, keeping them submerged with a small plate and turning mushrooms over occasionally, until softened and cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from caps back into bowl and reserve liquid, then cut out and discard stems from mushrooms.

Ingredients you will need

Mushrooms

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Cut caps into 1-inch wedges.

While mushrooms soak, carefully break bean curd skins in half crosswise, then halve each portion crosswise again.

Ingredients you will need

Tofu

Mushrooms

Transfer to a bowl, then add enough boiling-hot water to cover and soak, turning occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

If using fresh bamboo, trim bottoms of shoots, then halve shoots lengthwise with a sharp heavy knife. Pull off and discard leaves from shoots, then remove any blemishes with a sharp paring knife (don't worry about natural dotted pattern along base of shoots).

Ingredients you will need

Base

Equipment you will use

Knife

Cover fresh or frozen bamboo with cold water by 1 inch in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, then drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Repeat boiling and rinsing, then arrange bamboo halves, cut sides down, on a cutting board and cut bamboo lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Cutting Board

Colander

Sauce Pan

Soak noodles in cold water to cover until softened, about 5 minutes, then drain in colander and transfer to a bowl.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta

Water

Equipment you will use

Colander

Bowl

Drain bean curd skins in colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze dry and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Ingredients you will need

Tofu

Equipment you will use

Colander

Halve tofu lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Ingredients you will need

Tofu

Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.

Ingredients you will need

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Pot

Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Ginger

Add mushrooms, bean curd skins, bamboo, and ginkgo nuts and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar and simmer 1 minute.

Ingredients you will need

Oyster Sauce

Tofu

Mushrooms

Rice Wine

Soy Sauce

Sugar

Nuts

Add reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and bring to a boil. Gently stir in tofu and soybean sprouts, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Gently stir in noodles and simmer, covered, 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Mushrooms

Pasta

Sprouts

Tofu

Add romaine hearts (pot will be full) and turn to coat, then simmer, covered, until romaine is tender, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Romaine

Equipment you will use

Pot

· Mushrooms, bean curd skins, and noodles can be soaked (but not drained) 1 day ahead and chilled in their soaking liquid separately, covered.

Ingredients you will need

Tofu

Mushrooms

Pasta

Drain (reserve mushroom-soaking liquid) before using.· Bamboo shoots can be cooked 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then cut and chilled in cold water, covered.

Ingredients you will need

Bamboo Shoots

Mushrooms

Water

Drain before using.· Buddha's Delight, without romaine, can be made 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature, uncovered. Bring to a boil and proceed with recipe.

Ingredients you will need

Romaine