Mmmm... leftovers never tasted so good. Earlier this week I found a bag of Lemon Basil at my local health food store and decided to give it a shot. I used it for a client's weekly meals to make a simple dressing with rice vinegar and olive oil which I tossed with zucchini ribbons. The unexpected tang of lemon, which was reminiscent of lemon verbena, was a little sharp at first, but as the dressing sat and the flavors mingled, it really mellowed out nicely.
Today I used the lemon basil to perk up a simple stirfry with tofu, zucchini, and shiitake mushroom. I started by sauteeing some red onion in a little coconut oil. Then I added the half moons of zucchini and slices of shiitake. I wasn't quite sure how I would season everything, though I knew I wanted an Asian flair because of the mushrooms, so I added a bit of tamari.
Then I looked in my fridge and found a jar of Shredded Mango Chutney
, which I knew was slightly sweet and slightly spicy. This was the perfect balance to the savory flavors I already had developing in the pan. The slightly sour kick of the lemon basil really pulled it all together. Again, lunch in less than 15 minutes. Yum! 
3 comments:
I've never tried lemon basil but have seen it at farmer's markets. Your recipe will give me inspiration to try it. It looks delightful. Thanks.
“... leftovers never tasted so good.” – With a capable cook like you, leftovers can be a marvelous and sumptuous dish! And the dish turned out great! The mixture of tamari and mushroom definitely adds some oriental taste to the dish. :-)
Thanks, Mack. I'm glad to hear you were intrigued by the flavor profile!
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