Mushroom Rice

One of the things I miss most on my low sodium diet is Chinese food. It seems like a new takeout joint opens every other week in my neighborhood, and those wafting aromas linger in my mind like boxed treasure. Unfortunately, soy sauce and its ugly stepsister MSG are strictly off-limits – and rightly so. Fortunately, Dick Logue came up with a sodium FREE Soy Sauce Substitute!  If not exactly perfect, is at least satisfying, and my Faux Soy Sauce below is an adaption of his original, tweaked slightly to suit my own taste. This recipe is for a hearty one-dish meal, and pays homage to Chinese food thanks to the faux soy, but could easily be modified to reflect a variety of cuisines. Try new variations on the dish by adding additional vegetables and/or bits of cooked egg or meat.
Serves 4.

SODIUM CONTENT: 22.4 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS

FAUX SOY SAUCE:
1/4 c. Grandma’s original unsulphered molasses
3 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. water
1 t. very-low-sodium or sodium-free beef bouillon granules
1/4 t. ground white pepper

MUSHROOM RICE
1 10-oz. package Baby Bella or portobello mushrooms, diced
1 1/2 c. diced onion (about 1 med-lg onion)
2 1/2 T. minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
3 T. vegetable oil
6 c. cooked rice (aromatic rice such as jamine or basmati works well)
1/2 c. (1 recipe) faux soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the faux soy sauce. Heat over low while cooking the main dish.

Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and measure in the vegetable oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring, for another 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cooked rice and pour in the faux soy, then stir well to combine. Serve immediately.