Welcoming Spring: Watercress with roasted mushrooms and peas

This blog has been dormant for a long time. I tried to renew it last spring but couple of posts later things stalled. This is another attempt at revival.

This recipe is from Lucid Food by Louisa Shafia. It is full of inspiring recipes and this is the second recipe I tried from the book. The salad was delicious and I am in love with the miso- mirin dressing.

Ingredients:

Shelled green peas or use frozen sweet peas  2 cups

Soy sauce 1 tablespoon

Mirin 1 tbsp ( substitution: 1 tbsp honey with a drop of white wine)

Sweet white miso  2 tbsp

1/4 cup olive oil

7 ounces enoki mushrooms, roots trimmed ( I used maitake mushrooms)

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 bunch watercress coarsely chopped

2 scallions , green and white parts julienned into 1 inch length.

How to :

Preheat oven to 425.

Quickly blanch the peas in salted water and set aside.

Whisk together soy sauce, mirin, miso and olive oil.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread the mushrooms. Put the peas on top and drizzle 3 tablespoons of marinade on top of it. Roast for 6min (if using enoki) or 10mins (for maitake mushrooms) till the mushrooms are done. Remove and cool.

To the remaining marinade add the vinegar . Whisk well to make a salad dressing.

Toss in scallions and watercress to the salad dressing. Fold in mushrooms and peas. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.

Bring some of the spring color inside.