Bamboo Shoots

To make it a little more relevant, my recipe today is based on bamboo shoots, one of the giant panda's food of choice.

Bamboo shoots are lovely little things.
They are high in fiber and really good stuff for the digestive system(they help relief constipation to a degree) It is also said that they decrease the amount of fat absorbed in the intestines.

They work well for dieters because they are low-starch, low-sugar and low-fat. 100 grams of fresh bamboo shoots amounts to 40 calories with 0.1 grams fat.

(If you're wondering why there aren't many skinny pandas around, my guess is it's because their lives are pampered and because they don't move)


Braised Bamboo Shoots
2 pieces packaged bamboo shoots
1/2 a carrot
5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 spring onion, chopped into short sections
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon Szechuan hot pepper oil (optional)

1. Chop bamboo shoots and carrot into bite sized pieces. Marinade bamboo pieces with 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
2.Soak mushrooms in a bowl of warm water until softened. Reserve liquid.
3. In a pan, heat oil and fry ginger, onions and mushrooms over moderate heat.
Pour in 3/4 cup mushroom water. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar and pepper, bring liquid to a boil. Add carrots and bamboo shoots, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until most of the liquid has dried up. Drizzle some hot pepper oil if you want a little spice to it.

Notes: If you are using fresh bamboo shoots, you'll probably want to boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes before using them.