If you aren’t sure what to do with the greens on your beets this week, you can add them to this recipe but be sure to remove the stems. Unlike spinach stems, which are tender and succulent, beet stems are chewy and fibrous. You can easily make your own hot chili oil by soaking 1 T. red chile flakes in 1 C. sesame oil for a day or longer. It’s also usually available in the Asian Foods section of most stores.
Soak 1/2 lb of spinach in a large pot of water, then drain the spinach. Repeat until the drain water is clear. Spin the spinach dry (this is important because the spinach is going to release quite a bit of water as it cooks anyway). For best results, leave the spinach leaves whole and keep the stems on.
Carefully wash 8-12 fresh shitake mushrooms and trim the bases (you can also use soaked, dried shitakes).
Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 T. olive oil and 1 t. hot chili oil. Add the garlic, the shitakes, and 1 t. sesame seeds and saute on low heat until the shitakes are tender.
Raise the heat and add the spinach, then sprinkle with 1/2 t. salt. Cook just until the spinach is completely wilted. Taste and more salt if needed.