Mushroom Hot Pot

• 4 cups mushroom broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (regular vegetable oil will do, too)
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 big pinch salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 -2 ounce dried shiitake mushroom (or a mix)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari to make it gluten free)
• 1 roughly chopped tomato
• fresh black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk
• juice of half a lime
• Optional add ins
• cooked rice noodles or jasmine rice
• fresh cilantro
• fresh basil (thai basil if you can find it)
• grilled tofu (seasoned simply with sesame oil, black pepper and salt)
• roasted cashews
• cooked aduki beans
• thinly sliced sauteed seitan
• steamed broccoli or cauliflower
• finely sliced bok choy
• extra lime wedge

1. Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch into the broth and set aside (this is easiest if you just mix it into about a cup of broth, then pour the rest of the broth in). Saute onion and pepper in the oil with a big pinch of salt, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, lemongrass, ginger and red pepper flakes and mix inches Cook until fragrant, about a minute, then stream in the broth/cornstarch mixture and add most of the other ingredients: star anise, cinnamon, shiitakes, soy sauce, tomatoes and fresh black pepper. Stir often for the first 10 minutes or so, until the cornstarch has thickened the broth a bit. Now cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to simmer and cook covered for a good half hour, until mushrooms are completely softened.
3. Add coconut milk and lime, and taste for salt. Heat through and serve with fresh herbs and other accoutrement.

mushroom broth, cornstarch, sesame oil, red onion, red bell pepper, salt, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, red pepper, anise, ground cinnamon, shiitake mushroom, soy sauce, tomato, fresh black pepper, light coconut milk, lime, rice noodles, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, sesame oil, cashews, beans, seitan, broccoli, choy, extra lime

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/mushroom-hot-pot-511838 (may not work)