The Chinese Vegan Kitchen (19 page)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

12 ounces thin, egg-free Chinese noodles or other thin noodles, broken in half, cooked according to package directions until just al dente, drained, rinsed under cold running water until cooled

4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

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medium red bell pepper (about 3 ounces), julienned

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medium green bell pepper (about 3 ounces), julienned

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup snow peas, trimmed, cut diagonally in half

1 cup seedless mandarin orange segments (about 2 to 3 mandarin oranges, preferably Clementines)

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cup chopped fresh cilantro

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cup toasted cashews, broken into pieces

Place the tofu on a deep-sided plate or shallow bowl. Top with a second plate and weight with a heavy can. Let stand for a minimum of 15 minutes (preferably 1 hour). Drain off the excess water. Cut tofu into small dice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, chili paste, and pepper. Add the tofu to the bowl and let stand 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, stirring a few times. Add the noodles and toss well to combine. Let stand another 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. (At this point, mixture can be refrigerated, covered, up to 24 hours before continuing with the recipe.) Add the remaining ingredients, tossing gently yet thoroughly to combine. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours and serve chilled, or return to room temperature.

{PER SERVING} Calories 387 • Protein 13g • Total Fat 17g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 46g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 409mg

Cold Rice Noodles with Napa Cabbage in Sesame-Peanut Sauce

You can make this excellent buffet dish with any thin Asian noodle. Regular green cabbage can be substituted for the Napa variety, if desired.

MAKES 4 MAIN DISH OR 6 TO 8 SIDE DISH SERVINGS

8 ounces flat (stir-fry or linguine-style) rice noodles

4 cups shredded Napa cabbage (about
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pound) or green cabbage

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry, sake, or dry white wine

2 tablespoons toasted (dark) sesame oil

1
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tablespoons natural-style peanut butter

1
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tablespoons sesame paste, preferably the Asian variety

1 tablespoon plain rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

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teaspoon Chinese chili paste, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

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cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 to 2 tablespoons Fresh Chili Garlic Sauce (
page 14
), Pickled Chilies (
page 3
), or prepared chopped pickled red chili pepper, to taste (optional)

In a medium stockpot, cook the rice noodles according to package directions until al dente. Meanwhile, place the cabbage in a colander set in a sink; drain the cooked noodles over the cabbage to wilt it. Rinse under cold running water until cool; drain again.

In a small saucepan, heat the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, peanut butter, sesame paste, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, chili paste, salt, and pepper over medium-low heat until just warm, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool.

Transfer noodle-cabbage mixture to a large serving bowl and add the soy sauce mixture, scallions, half the cilantro, and fresh chili garlic sauce, if using, tossing well to thoroughly coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or up to 2 days and serve chilled, or return to room temperature.

{PER SERVING} Calories 371 • Protein 4g • Total Fat 13g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 61g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 51mg

Fern Root Noodle Salad with Red Cabbage and Cucumber

Fern root noodles, made from the starch of the common bracken fern, are purplish black in color and have a chewy texture when cooked; in packaged dried form, they resemble twigs. They are rarely available outside of China, though you may be able to find them in Asian markets located in predominately Asian communities. Black rice noodles, white rice noodles, cellophane noodles, or any noodles made from starch—sweet potato, tapioca, yam—can be substituted, as needed. Green cabbage can replace the red variety, if desired.

MAKES 3 TO 4 MAIN DISH OR 5 SIDE DISH SERVINGS

1 cup shredded red cabbage

3 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 tablespoon Chinese hot oil

2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (7-ounce) package fern root noodles, cooked according to package directions until al dente, drained, rinsed under cold running water until cooled, drained well

1 medium cucumber (about 8 ounces), julienned

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cup shredded carrots

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cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

In a medium saucepan, blanch the cabbage in boiling salted water 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cooled; drain well.

In a large bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, hot oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper until well blended. Add the noodles and toss well to thoroughly coat. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well to thoroughly combine. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or up to 1 day and serve chilled, or return to room temperature.

{PER SERVING} Calories 356 • Protein 2g • Total Fat 10g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 66g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 712mg

Cold Shredded Tofu Noodles with Sesame Sauce and Cucumbers

This creamy and refreshing salad is a lunch favorite of mine. Asian sesame paste is made purely from roasted sesame seeds—if necessary, equal parts sesame tahini, made from unroasted sesame seeds, and natural peanut butter creates a very close approximation. For a gluten-free dish, use wheat-free tamari sauce in lieu of the soy sauce, which contains wheat. Shredded tofu, or bean curd strands, can be found in the refrigerated section of most Asian markets, next to the regular tofu.

MAKES 3 MAIN DISH OR 4 TO 6 SIDE DISH SERVINGS

8 ounces shredded tofu

3 tablespoons Asian sesame paste

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1
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tablespoons toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons plain rice vinegar

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

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teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons hot water, or more, as needed

1 large cucumber (about 12 ounces), seeded, cut into thin 2-inch lengths

4 scallions, green parts only, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2-inch lengths

In a medium stockpot, cook the shredded tofu in boiling salted water until separated and al dente, 5 to 9 minutes, depending on freshness, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the sesame paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Thin with hot water, whisking until the consistency of heavy cream. Add the shredded tofu, cucumber, and scallions, tossing well to thoroughly combine. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature to allow the flavors to blend. Toss again and serve at room temperature. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour or up to 2 days and serve chilled or return to room temperature.

{PER SERVING} Calories 255 • Protein 11g • Total Fat 18g • Sat Fat 3g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 16g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 769mg

Warm Tofu and Chinese Spinach Salad

Make sure you select tender young Chinese spinach leaves for this superb salad. Regular baby spinach or other young salad greens can be substituted.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 (14-ounce package) firm or extra-firm tofu, drained

2
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tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons plain rice vinegar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

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tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

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teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 cups young Chinese spinach leaves

1 large cucumber (about 12 ounces), seeded and chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Sunflower seeds and/or golden raisins, for garnish (optional)

Place the tofu on a deep-sided plate or shallow bowl. Top with a second plate and weight with a heavy can. Let stand for a minimum of 15 minutes (preferably 1 hour). Drain off the excess water. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the canola oil, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, salt, and pepper until blended. Let stand a few minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve; whisk again.

Place 2 tablespoons of the dressing in a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, turning often, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add 1 more tablespoon of the dressing, stirring to coat.

Add the spinach, cucumber, and carrots to the remaining dressing in the bowl and toss well to coat. Divide the salad mixture equally among 4 salad plates or bowls. Top with equal portions of the warm tofu mixture and sprinkle evenly with the scallions and optional garnishes, if desired. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 243 • Protein 14g • Total Fat 16g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 16g • Dietary Fiber 6g • Sodium 477mg

Rice Dishes

The high status of rice in Chinese culture could hardly be overstated. A typical friendly greeting in China is “Have you had your rice today?” Lose a job, and you’ve had your rice bowl broken. Get an “iron rice bowl,” the Chinese nickname for a government job with guaranteed security and benefits, and no worries. But leave a grain behind in that bowl and you are not exactly the best-mannered guest at the table. Cultural context aside, it’s absolutely impossible to exaggerate the vital role of rice in sustaining life throughout much of the planet. In fact, rice is the single-most important cereal grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide. China is the largest producer of rice in the world; little wonder that rice, in steamed, fried, or noodle form, is a fixture at every meal. Long-grain white rice, which produces fluffier rice, is preferred. Short- to medium-grain white glutinous, or “sticky,” rice is used mainly for snacks and sweets. As the expanding Chinese middle class becomes more health-conscious, the healthier brown versions are becoming more readily available at major supermarkets. Black, or
“forbidden,” rice, once reserved exclusively for the imperial court, is a less well-known type that is used mainly in desserts; there is a growing interest, however, in its potential health benefits, particularly the purplish-black variety. Indeed, with the widening appreciation for the potential health benefits of gluten-free grains in general, there is a renewed enthusiasm for rice in the West—catch the wave with the following recipes and enjoy the ride.