Goodbye Winter…Hello Spring Onion

I officially want to say goodbye winter, so when I was at the market, I desperately looked for spring produce that I could use to cook with.  Unfortunately, the only spring produce available were spring onions….so I decided that I would make a "transition" meal.  One that incorporated winter veggies that I love, while incorporating some spring onions, to liven up the meal and give me hope that Spring would be here for good.

I literally had 30 minutes total to make this meal before I had to leave for work.  
This is what I came up with:

Pan seared Maitake Mushrooms
Sautéed Sunchokes with Spring Onions and Sunflower Seeds

So what are sunchokes? 
A sunchoke looks similar to ginger root, with its knobby like shape.  It has a sweet, nutty flavor, and has an interesting health benefit!Sunchokes are very rich in inulin, which is a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its prebiotic (bacteria promoting) properties. Sunchokes also contain vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium and are a very good source of iron.

Here are the recipes with some photos.  This is super easy!

Pan seared Maitake Mushrooms

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, separated 
1 clove garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6-8 pieces of Maitake mushrooms, cleaned (you want larger pieces..think about credit card sized)

1. Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, tamari and salt in a medium sized bowl and mix until incorporated. 
2. Toss the mushrooms in the mixture, until they are fully coated and slightly shiny.
   
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of each mushroom and cook with the cut side down, in a skillet, pressing to flatten once they begin to soften, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Sautéed Sunchokes with Spring Onions and Sunflower Seeds

Ingredients:

3/4 pound sunchokes, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 spring onion, sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted

 You can dry roast sunflower seeds in a skillet for about 3-5 minutes stirring frequently

1. Clean the sunchokes by rubbing the skins with a damp towel.
2. Sauté the spring onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until golden (about 5 minutes.) 
3. Add the sunchokes and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook until lightly browned and tender but still a bit crisp (about 10-15 minutes.)  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  
   
4. Add the sunflower seeds and toss well.