Braised Napa Cabbage and Shiitakes

(recipe from Organic Style magazine)

12 small dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked, then halved
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
24 leaves napa cabbage, halved length-wise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, trimmed, cut into 1-inch-long pieces, then julienned
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put shiitakes in a bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside until soft, about 30 minutes.  (Cover bowl to keep water hot.)  Drain; remove and discard stems.

Heat oil in a large pan or a wok over medium heat.  Stir-fry garlic until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add shiitakes, cabbage, scallions, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and braise until cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

(I used fresh shiitakes, just sliced and added, so skipped the first step of the recipe.  I also didn't count out leaves of cabbage, just used one small head.  This is simple, but tasty!  The slow braising creates a slightly soupy dish, which tasted a bit like a bowl of ramen.  I've been cutting out grains, so, alas!, haven't eaten a noodle in a while - I may be exaggerating.  Anyway, a nice variation on cabbage.)