Shiitaki Mushrooms, Spinach and Halloumi

A few months ago when I was in London, I ate at a food truck called Wholefood Haven.  It's signature dish -- the Buddha Bowl.  Brown rice - massaman curry with pineapple, potatoes and soya chunks - steamed garden greens - carrot and kimchee pickle - omega seed mix - halloumi cheese - dash of sweet chili oil.  It was a blend of Asian, European, Mediterranean and whatever cuisine, mixed with a whole lot of creativity and goodness.  I was surprised at how well the ingredients blended together, and impressed by the seamless transitions between flavors.  Upon returning stateside, I thought about and craved for another Buddha Bowl for months, but there was none to be found.   Calling L.A., serve up a Buddha Bowl!

Today, lucky me in London, when lunch came around, I ran to buy myself a Buddha Bowl (Big Buddha, please!).  It definitely made for a silent meal since I didn't put down my fork or stop chewing.  Inspired by the fusing of cuisines (though this recipe does absolutely no justice to the actual Buddha Bowl), I created my own borderless vegetarian plate for dinner.  Shiitake mushrooms - spinach - halloumi cheese.

This dish is meant to be enjoyed "family style" or "tapas style" (whichever cuisine are you leaning towards).  Given that there's no real precise way to cook this dish, I've detailed it out only as need be.  Feel free to use up all the left over spinach in your fridge, however much that may be.  Go ahead and toss in an entire  box of shiitake mushrooms.  Love halloumi cheese?  Add a few more slices!

Shiitaki Mushrooms, Spinach and Halloumi

5 from 2 votes

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Serves: 2

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Total: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 bunch spinach - thoroughly washed
• few handfuls fresh shittake mushrooms (medium sized) - rinsed clean
• 1 small block halloumi cheese - sliced about ½-cm thick
• Sprinkle of sea salt
• Drops of olive oil

Instructions

• To cook the spinach and the shiitake mushrooms, heat the olive oil in a wok over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the shiitake mushrooms and gently sauté for about 4 minutes.
• Once the mushrooms have started to soften, add the spinach into the wok by handfuls.
• Add a sprinkle of sea salt to taste.
• Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Drain any liquid from the wok, and plate the spinach and shiittake mushrooms.
• To grill the halloumi cheese, heat a pan on medium heat until hot. I used a cast iron grill pan to get the crisp grill marks, but any pan will work. Once the pan is hot, place the cheese on the pan and grill on each side for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is soft on the inside and is lightly browned on the outside.
• Serve the halloumi on top of the spinach and shiitake mushroom.

Course: Salads and Vegetables

Author: The Worktop

Cal : 81kcal

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

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