The Chinese Vegan Kitchen (39 page)

Stir-Fried Lettuce

Here is a delicious Chinese New Year side dish, as lettuce is considered to be a lucky food.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

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teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry, sake, or dry white wine

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teaspoons toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon peanut oil

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tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

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teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)

1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, drained, leaves separated, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces

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teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine,
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teaspoon sesame oil, and sugar; set aside. In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, if using; cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the lettuce and salt and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until lettuce is beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add the reserved soy sauce mixture and pepper; cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until the lettuce is wilted and dark green but not shriveled, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil, tossing well to thoroughly combine. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 73 • Protein 2g • Total Fat 5g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 5g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 348mg

Chinese Long Beans in Scallion-Ginger Sauce

I love the nutty flavor of Chinese long beans, often called “snake” beans after the benign garden variety they closely resemble.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

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pound Chinese long beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths

1 tablespoon peanut oil

4 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

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teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)

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cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch long beans for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add scallions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, if using; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add long beans and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, brown sugar, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until liquid is reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sesame oil and sesame seeds, if using; toss well to combine. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 117 • Protein 4g • Total Fat 7g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 12g • Dietary Fiber 4g • Sodium 282mg

Stir-Fried Spinach with Garlic

Serve this classic Chinese spinach dish on a bed of brown rice sprinkled with chopped peanuts for a delicious meal.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon peanut oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

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to
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teaspoon coarse salt

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teaspoon Chinese chili paste, or to taste

1 (10-ounce) bag baby spinach

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teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

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teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

In a wok or large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, salt, and chili paste; cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Add the spinach and toss with a spatula until beginning to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil, sugar, and pepper and toss well to combine. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 55 • Protein 2g • Total Fat 4g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 3g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 307mg

Braised Stuffed Bitter Melon

In Chinese medicine, bitter melon actually sweetens health and promotes longevity. In the following recipe, stuffed with a savory shiitake mushroom and tofu stuffing, it’s simply delicious. Serve on a bed of brown rice for a complete meal.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 pound bitter melon (1 large or 2 small), cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces

3 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover 20 minutes, or until softened, rinsed and drained

6 ounces firm tofu, drained and mashed

2 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

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tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry, sake, or dry white wine

1 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

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teaspoon salt, plus additional, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 fresh red chili pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fermented (salted) black beans, rinsed and chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth

2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon water

In a large saucepan, cook the bitter melon in boiling salted water 2 minutes; drain and let cool.

Stem the mushrooms; finely chop 2 and thinly slice 1. Place chopped mushrooms in a small bowl and set the sliced one aside. Add the tofu, scallion greens, cilantro,
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tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, wine,
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teaspoon sesame oil, salt, and pepper to the bowl; mix well to thoroughly combine. Let stand 15 minutes to marinate at room temperature.

In a small skillet, heat
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tablespoon peanut oil over medium heat. Add the chili pepper, black beans, and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant and softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth, oyster sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce, sugar, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and set aside. In a small container, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with the water until well blended; set aside.

Using a small spoon, carve out the seeds and some soft flesh in the middle of each melon slice.

Stuff each melon slice with equal amounts of the tofu mixture, forming a small dome on top.

In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat the remaining 1
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tablespoons of peanut oil over medium heat. Add the stuffed melon and cook 3 minutes, without stirring or turning, or until lightly browned on the underside. Add the reserved broth mixture and sliced mushroom and bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until melon and mushroom slices are tender, stirring the melon slices gently in the sauce occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and remaining
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teaspoon of sesame oil; cook, uncovered, stirring gently, until mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon some sauce over the stuffed melon. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 175 • Protein 9g • Total Fat 10g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 14g • Dietary Fiber 4g • Sodium 806mg

Stir-Fried Chinese Okra with Chilies and Ginger

Chinese okra, also known as silk squash, is considerably longer than the Western-style variety. Serve over rice and garnish with chopped peanuts for a complete meal.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1
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tablespoons peanut oil

2 Chinese okras (about 10 ounces each), rough ridges peeled, cut into
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-inch-thick rounds

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 to 3 fresh green or red chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt, to taste

2 to 4 tablespoons water, as needed

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

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tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the okra and ginger and cook, stirring, 3 minutes, or until okra is softened. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chilies, garlic, and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until okra is tender, about 3 minutes, adding water as needed, to prevent sticking. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and cook, stirring, 1 minute, or until liquid is slightly reduced. Serve warm.

{PER SERVING} Calories 111 • Protein 3g • Total Fat 7g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 11g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 160mg

Stir-Fried Shiitake Mushrooms with Shallots in Garlic Sauce

Serve these juicy morsels on their own as an appetizer, or atop a bed of baby spinach as a warm salad. Oyster or cremini mushrooms can replace half of the shiitake variety, if desired.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, left whole if medium, halved or quartered if large

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cup chopped shallots or red onion

6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons water or broth, plus additional, if necessary

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 2 minutes, adding water, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat to medium and add the soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, or until liquid is slightly reduced. Serve warm.

{PER SERVING} Calories 87 • Protein 4g • Total Fat 4g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 12g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 308mg

Stir-Fried Fuzzy Melon with Mushrooms and Peas

Fuzzy melon, also known as hairy gourd, is a mild, refreshing squash covered with fuzz. Two medium zucchini, peeled or unpeeled, can stand in for the melon, if desired. Wood ear mushrooms have a unique jellylike texture that becomes slightly crunchy when cooked; cloud ear mushrooms, or black fungus, are interchangeable.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 large fuzzy melon (about 1 pound), peeled, center core of seeds removed, thinly sliced

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cup dried shredded wood ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover 20 minutes, or until softened, rinsed and drained

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cup frozen peas, thawed

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cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

In a wok or large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the melon and mushrooms and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the peas, broth, soy sauce, salt, and pepper and let come to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add the sesame oil, stirring well to combine. Serve warm.

{PER SERVING} Calories 79 • Protein 3g • Total Fat 5g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 7g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 206mg

Hunan-Style Sesame New Potatoes with Cumin and Chili Sauce