Bitter Melon Stirfry

The longevity of the Okinawans is legendary and partially attributed to regular consumption of bitter melon. The traditional Okinawa recipe for bitter melon stir-fry includes pork and egg. This plant-based version substitutes umami shitake for the pork and Just Egg for the chicken eggs. Bitter melon is bitter and requires a pre-salting and rinse before stir-frying. Enjoy with a bowl of miso and rice!

• 1 bitter melon
• 5 large shitake
• 1/2 Just Egg
• 4 slices of aburaage, or fried tofu (easily found at Asian grocers)
• 2 tbp low-sodium soy sauce

1. Thaw the aburaage by rinsing under warm water. Slice into strips and set aside. If you don’t have the tofu, just add a little more shitake and Just Egg to make up for the omission.
2. Slice the melon lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, similar to seeding a cucumber. Slice into half moons about a 1/4 inch wide. Place in a bowl and salt well, massaging in the salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then rinse.
3. Begin by stir-frying on medium-high heat in a little olive or avocado oil for 5 minutes or so. Then add the aburaage and stir-fry a few more minutes. Then pour in the Just Egg and let it cook undisturbed. Add the soy sauce and turn everything over gently a few times until the Just Egg is cooked. Try to leave the Just Egg in larger pieces like the other ingredients. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed. Serve immediately.