Sprouted Beans and Mushrooms

One day, my friend Sarah visited me with some yummy food from a health food store. One thing she had was sprouted beans, and I believe the original intent was to use them as a topping for a salad. They certainly added interesting texture and flavor to my salad, but I had a feeling they would taste much better when cooked lightly and decided to make quick stir-fry dish for my lunch with leftover beans... and I was right! (At least in my own opinion.) Quickly cooking them brought out more flavor and sweetness from the beans.

Here's what I did with them:

What goes in your body (1 vegan):

• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 packet of mixed bean sprouts
• 1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 tsp of curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

You are going to:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
2. Add mushroom to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add bean sprouts and curry powder to the pan and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Secrets from the chef:

• As you can see in the picture, the bean sprouts used here are very different from the mung bean sprout you typically see in oriental grocery stores. (You can find mixed bean sprouts in health food stores where you find items like alfalfa.)

Bon appétit! 

I've also learned from kelli's blog that you can sprout your own beans. I have not tried yet, it looks like an interesting project and I'm sure it's a much cheaper way. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there are gadgets out there for sprouting beans... Who knew!