Tofu Banh Mi

Here is part two of my 2-part series on making Banh Mi for a holiday (or some other kind of) party.  Now that you have your baguettes fresh from the oven, it's time to top them and eat!  This recipe makes a lot, so if it is just for you, cut the tofu and marinade in half.  You can get away with marinading the tofu, and picking the carrot/daikon, for a few hours, but it all tastes better if you make it the day before.  You will have some tofu left over, so just save it for tomorrow. 

INGREDIENTS
- 2 pkgs of firm tofu, cut into 16 slices each

Marinade
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp Sriracha
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp mined fresh ginger

Carrot-Daikon Pickle
Double the recipe if you like lots of pickle
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 11oz grated carrot (about 1 1/3 cup)
- 11oz grated daikon (about 1 1/3 cup)
- 1 whole star anise

- sliced cucumber (I use a vegetable peeler to get long, thin slices)
- Vegenaise
- chopped cilantro (optional)

METHOD
Prep the Tofu
1. Whisk together the marinade ingredients.  You can mash the garlic and ginger together with a mortar and pestle if you desire.  Place sliced tofu in a large baking dish and pour marinade over.  It is OK to stack pieces of tofu on top of one another--just make sure there is marinade between the slices.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Make the Pickle
1. Bring vinegar, water, and sugar to boil in a saucepan.  Add ginger, carrot, and daikon, and bring back to boiling.  Remove from heat and add the star anise.  Pour into a large glass jar, and bring to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake the Tofu
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Adjust oven racks so you can bake two baking sheets at a time.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Place 16 pieces of tofu on each sheet.  Brush generously with the marinade.
3. Bake for 10 mins, then flip tofu and brush generously with marinade.  Switch the rack that the sheets are on, and bake for another 10-15 mins.  Tofu should be dry and slightly crisp on the edges.

Assemble the Sandwiches and Serve
1. Cut baguettes horizontally.  Spread Vegenaise liberally on the inside (not traditional, I know, but I like it).  Top with tofu (I like to overlap the tofu 1/2 on the piece underneath instead of side by side).  Top with sliced cucumber, and then with drained pickle.  Top with chopped cilantro, if desired.
2. Slice each baguette into 8-10 pieces each and serve.

Thai Fishless Sauce

It's been a long time since I've tasted fish sauce, but I think this simple recipe does a nice job rounding out a Thai curry with a salty taste o' the sea.  I'm guessing it's actually nothing like fish sauce but I think it works better than soy sauce or hoisin sauce.  You could use any mixture of seaweed, I think, but I went with nori because it is more readily available at grocery stores what with sushi's popularity.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 cup
- 2 sheets nori, crumbled
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 cup boiling water

METHOD
1. Place all ingredients in a blender (or in a container and use a hand blender).   Let sit for 5 mins, then blend until smooth.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve.  Store in the fridge.

Crispy Chinese Tofu Balls

After posting this recipe and asking for advice on how to make the batter crispier, many of you replied with very helpful advice. Basically, you advocated for 3 things: chickpea flour, rice flour, and/or some kind of starch. I did not have any rice flour, so I went with cornstarch and chickpea flour. Success! The batter crisped up nicely and did not tend to burn like the previous recipe. I also upped the vital wheat gluten to make sure the tofu was not too moist, and made smaller balls. I think the flax might be superfluous with the chickpea flour but I kept it anyway. So, there is some room to play with this recipe. Have fun!

INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp plain soy milk
- 1 tbsp finely ground flax seed
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, pressed for 20 mins
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp poultry spice (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- ground white pepper
- 1-2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
- oil for frying

METHOD
1. Heat your frying oil to 375 degrees.
2. While oil is heating, make the batter by whisking together flours, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk flax seed and water together until thick, and then whisk flax mixture into the soy milk. Whisk wet into dry ingredients. Add more liquid or flour as needed. The goal is a thick pancake batter consistency--not too thick, but not so thin that it drips right off the balls. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Make the tofu balls: mush the tofu in your hands until very fine and clumping together. Add spices and hoisin sauce and mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste. Sprinkle the wheat gluten over top and mix in. Form into about 30 balls, not too big.
4. To fry: dip a few balls into the batter, letting any excess drip off (I use 2 spoons to coat the balls and transfer to the oil). Fry for 1-2 mins, until very lightly golden. Drain. Repeat with remaining balls. Return first set of balls to the oil, letting fry until a deep golden brown. Drain and serve with your sauce of choice.

Chinese Tofu Balls

Every time I make tofu ricotta I think to myself that I should try to make a fried tofu ball not unlike the fried chicken balls I used to scarf down at Chinese buffets back in the day. I would like to get the batter a little crispier, so if anyone has some tips please pass them along. (UPDATE: see this recipe).

INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup plain soy milk
- 1 tbsp finely ground flax seed
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, pressed for 20 mins
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp poultry spice (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- ground white pepper
- 1-2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
- oil for frying

METHOD
1. Heat your frying oil to 375 degrees.
2. While oil is heating, make the batter by whisking together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk flax seed and water together until thick, and then whisk flax mixture into the soy milk. Whisk wet into dry ingredients. Add more liquid or flour as needed. The goal is a thick pancake batter consistency--not too thick, but not so thin that it drips right off the balls.
3. Make the tofu balls: mush the tofu in your hands until very fine and clumping together. Add spices and hoisin sauce and mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of wheat gluten over top and mix in. Check to see if you can form into balls, and add more gluten if needed. Form into about 16-20 balls, not too big.
4. To fry: dust a few balls with flour, then dip into the batter, letting any excess drip off. Fry for 1-2 mins, until very lightly golden. Drain. Repeat with remaining balls. Return first set of balls to the oil, letting fry until a deep golden brown. Drain and serve with your sauce of choice.

Bahn Mi

I love all kinds of street food because it is clean, simple, and unpretentious. Ethnic food is pretty hard to come by here in the North, but you can get by. Although you can't get a tomatillo anywhere in the city, canned or fresh, the selection of Asian groceries is not too bad. I have never dabbled in Vietnamese food at all, but this recipe in Vegetarian Times looked simple enough and I had the ingredients on hand (though I did not make it very spicy for the kids). I like the idea of a pickle or slaw to ratchet up a sandwich a couple of notches and will have to explore this concept more in the future.

Chow Noodles

One of my favourite blogs is Chow Vegan, a site with great recipes and beautiful pictures. The other night I really wanted to make the Cantonese Style Chow Mein but did not have all the ingredients. So, I tweaked here and there and dubbed the dish Chow Noodles. The thing that really makes this dish is Chow's baked and crispy noodles. Delicious. Actually, you're probably just better off making the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS
The amount of each ingredient is up to you, depending on how many you are serving
- chow mein noodles, baked as per this recipe
- dried shitake mushrooms
- boiling water
- oil
- crushed garlic and ginger
- water chestnuts
- edamame
- sliced romaine lettuce leave (or some other green)
- soy sauce
- splash of sesame oil

METHOD
1. While noodles are baking, soak mushrooms for about 20 mins, until soft. Drain and reserve water, then slice mushrooms.
2. Heat oil in a wok, the briefly fry ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add water chesnuts and edamame and fry for a few mins. Add greens and fry until soft but still vibrant.
3. Add noodles to the pan along with as much of the reserved mushroom soaking water as you want to make a sauce. Season to taste with soy sauce, then stir in the sesame oil. Serve.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Sunday is Chinese New Year, and since I know next to squat about good Chinese cooking, you need to head over the Chow Vegan for an amazing spread of nine dishes to make your own New Year's feast. I only wish I could find egg-free wonton wrappers and yuba sheets so I could make all of this stuff!

Thai Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber Relish

I am rediscovering my love of Thai food, now that I have more or less forgotten what fish sauce tastes like. I usually just end up chucking in a bunch of different sauces that I have in the fridge to get a more complex flavour: hoisin, vegetarian oyster, stir fry, soy, etc. This is a take on a fish cake--not so much a recreation of the texture and flavour, but more the spirit of the dish (whatever that means!). You can either fry or bake these. The baked version is a little dry, to be honest, by the relish moistens it right up.

INGREDIENTS
Cucumber Relish
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 cups diced cucumber

Chickpea Cakes
- 1 nori sheet
- 1 19oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp red curry paste, or to taste
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup frozen french cut beans, thawed

METHOD
Relish
1. Heat vinegar, sugar and water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add garlic, ginger, and shallots. When cool, add cucumber and mix well. Let marinate for as long as possible.

Chickpea Cakes (makes 12)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Rip up the nori sheet and place in a food processor with the blade attachment. Process on high speed until chopped into small pieces. Add chickpeas curry paste and pulse until chopped up but not like a paste (you're not making hummus here).
2. Dump chickpeas in a bowl, add sauces, oil, lime juice and mix well. Add cornstarch and mix well. Add beans and mix well.
3. Using wet hands, press mixture into a moistened 1/4 cup measure (don't fill it right up--more like 1/3 full. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining mixture.
4. Spray cakes lightly with oil and bake for 15 mins, or until golden--don't over bake or they will be dry. Serve with relish.
5. You can also fry them for about 3 mins per side in 350 degree vegetable oil.

Thai Stuffed Omelets

I hardly ever buy veggie ground round, but for some reason it called my name on this week's shopping trip. I also finally got around to making the omelets from Vegan Brunch, so it seemed to me that these two things could combine together to make a tasty dish. The result: Thai stuffed omelets. I revised Isa's recipe a bit to make the omelet a little more durable, but they are still delicate. The soft texture of the omelet contrasts nicely with the more chewy filling, and the combination of sweet and savoury makes for a delicious dish that can either be an entree or an appetizer.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 6-8
Omelets:
- 1/4 cup instant tapioca
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 pound silken tofu (not Mori-Nu)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp fine black salt
- 1/3 cup chickpea flour
- generous tbsp corn flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch

Filling:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pkg veggie ground round (I used Yves)
- 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

METHOD
Omelets:
1. Place tapioca in a food processor and sprinkle water over top. Let sit for a few mins. Add tofu, nooch, oil, tumeric, and salt. Blend until very smooth. Add chickpea and corn flour, and cornstarch and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat (you may have to play around with the heat a bit to find the right temp where the omelets can cook without burning). Lightly grease and pour a generous 1/2 cup of batter into the pan. Spread out into an 8" circle with a spatula, then cook until mostly dry on top (a few mins). Flip and cook for another few mins. Remove and let cool for a min or two. I find the omelets are a bit more durable when they sit for a bit.
3. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the middle of the omelet, then fold the opposite ends of omelet in to create a square. Place on a cookie sheet, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven while you cook the other omelets.

Filling:
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 5-7 mins, until soft. Add ground round, sauces, sugar, and tomato. Bring to bubbling and cook for 8-10 mins, until tomato cooks down into a thick sauce. Add cilantro and stir. Keep warm while you cook the omelets.

Oyster Mushroom Sushi

Back when I posted my recipe for Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms, Shohga suggested grilling the mushrooms brushed with ponzu and then using them in sushi. I thought that sounded like a great idea, so I filed it away in my brain to try later. The other day I went on the hunt for some ponzu, but couldn't find any without bonito (a type of fish). So, I decided to use some mirin instead. Since my grill was out of propane, I tossed the shrooms into a pan over medium heat and kept splashing them with mirin until cooked. I put them in the sushi roll with some chopped bok choy that I briefly pan fried in a little light soy sauce. The shrooms were slightly sweet and the bok choy added a light crunch. Dipped in some soy and wasabi, it was some mighty good sushi.

It's Almost Like Having an Asian Market

I have a habit of whining about the lack of ethnic food here in northern Ontario, but things just got a little better. For those of you who live in the Bay, TW Foods on Main Street has a respectable Asian food section. They must have expanded it recently because I remember going in there last year and not being too impressed. I thought I would share my finds with you all. Let's go right to left.

Kasoori Methi
Also known as sun dried fenugreek leaves. I could smell their pungent odour right through the packaging and found the claim that they were "hygienic, flavourful, and tasty" to be rather hilarious. I sprinkled some over some dal to boost the dish's flavour. Amazing.

Vegetable Ghee
I thought this was worth a try, but basically it is corn oil. It didn't add much to the dish I made, but the can did assure me it was fine to use for religious observances.

Sweet Soy Bean Paste
Less sweet that hoisin sauce and with a more complex flavour than soy sauce. A great way to thicken a stir fry sauce while adding some flavour.

Tamarind Concentrate
This takes all the work out of soaking dried tamarind (which you can see in the very front, left). Throw some into a Thai dish for a nice tangy flavour.

AROY-D Curry Pastes
These are actually pretty good for pre-fab pastes. I bought red, green and yellow and am happy with all three. The bonus is that they do not have and fish sauce in them. Besides chiles, they are made with galangal, garlic, shallots, kaffir lime peel, and lemongrass.

Black Glutinous Rice
I have yet to use this, but I do have a recipe for Thai rice pudding that I think would be easy to veganize.

Annatto Seeds
These are used in Caribbean dishes, I believe. I remember seeing them in a recipe somehwere, so I bought them on a whim.

Baked Thai Corn Fritters

This is a lower fat version of this recipe (there is a better pic here). They are not as crispy as the original, and are a little more like a corn cake, or corn bread, but they are tasty nonetheless. Serve with Thai dipping sauce as a great appetizer. The boys loved them and gobbled them right down. Next time I will have to make a double batch (and remember to have cilantro on hand so I can do the recipe right).

INGREDIENTS
Makes 8

- 2 cups frozen corn, thawed

- red curry paste, to taste

- 1/2 cup chickpea flour

- 1 Ener-G egg

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- salt to taste

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Put thawed corn in a bowl. Mix in curry paste. Add in flour, Ener-G egg, garlic, cilantro, oil, and cilantro sauce and mix well. Season to taste.
2. Dip a 1/4 cup measure in water, then scoop out a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for 12-15 mins, until golden brown on top.

Somen Noodles in Broth

I love noodles. I make a quick noodle dish at least once a week for lunch. It's a nice break from sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6
- 3 bundles somen noodles, cooked according to the directions, rinsed in cold water
- 1 recipe golden baked tofu
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 small onion, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 3 cups veggie broth
- 1 tsp coriander
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- salt, to taste
- 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
- bean sprouts

METHOD
1. Cook noodles and bake tofu.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large pot over medium-hi heat. Fry onions and garlic for 5 min, until soft. Add broccoli and carrots and fry 2 mins.
3. Add broth, coriander, and sauce and season to taste. Bring to bubbling, then simmer for about 15 mins, until veggies are cooked. Add in tofu stir through.
4. Put a handful of noodles in a bowl, then ladle broth and veggies/tofu over top. Add a few tomato wedges and a handful if sprouts. Enjoy!

Chili Tamarind Paste

I mentioned in my last post that I finally found some tamarind here in ye olde North. Huzzah! I decided that a good way to make of its unique flavour was to make a paste to add to Thai and other Asian dishes. A little work goes a long way here because you can keep this in a glass jar in the fridge for a few months and just add it as you see fit. You can make this as hot or as mild as you want--I kept it pretty mild for the kiddies.

INGREDIENTS
Makes about 2 cups
- generous 1/2 cup dried shitake mushroom pieces (i.e. break up the shrooms a bit to get more into the cup)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and sliced
- 3 shallots, sliced (about 1 cup)
- dried red chiles to taste, or red curry paste
- 3 tbsp of tamarind pulp
- 1/4 cup hot water (more if needed)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp mushroom soy sauce
- 1 cup veggie broth (more as needed)

METHOD
1. Put mushroom pieces in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak until soft (about 15 mins). Place tamarind in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of hot water. Set aside.
2. While the mushrooms are soaking, heat oil in a saucepan over medium/med-hi heat. Add garlic and fry for about 1 min, until golden but not brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon.
3. Add shallots to the oil and fry for 1 min. Add chiles and fry for another min (if using curry paste, then skip this step). Remove from oil with a slotted spoon. Remove pan from heat.
4. Mash tamarind pulp with a fork until a thick paste forms. Add more water, if needed. Press through a fine sieve with the back of a spoon. Discard fibres and seeds left behind.
5. Drain mushrooms. Place in a food processor along with garlic, shallots, chiles, tamarind paste, sugar, and sauces (and curry paste if you are using that). Begin to process. With motor running add the oil you fried the garlic in. Then slowly add veggie broth. If the mixture is too thick, or not smooth enough, add more broth.
6. Pour mixture back into saucepan and heat over medium heat until bubbling. Cook for 10 mins, sirring regularly, or until sauce darkens and thickens (should be like the consistency of pudding). The oil will separate out, but don't worry, you can stir it back in later.
7. Pour into a glass jar and let cool. Store in the fridge. When cold, stir to mix the oil back in.

Udon Noodles with Sesame Crusted Tofu

An actual recipe tonight! Our local Sobey's just started carrying udon noodles so I thought I would whip up a quick noodle dish. We all thought it was pretty good and the sesame seeds were a nice touch. If you are against the frying of the tofu, you could just toast the sesame seeds and add them to the dish along with the sauces. The rice vinegar caught my eye in the cupboard whilst I was assembling some ingredients and I am glad it did. I really need to use it more because it adds a nice brightness to the dish without being overpowering.

INGREDIENTS
- udon noodles (I used 3 175g pkgs (i.e. those small packages you seen in Asian grocery stores))
- 1 pkg tofu, cubed
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- oil for frying
- 1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small orange pepper, thinly sliced
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced

METHOD
1. Cook noodles according to the directions on the package.
2. Place tofu in a bowl and add sesame seeds. Toss until most of the seeds are stuck on the tofu (you don't need full coverage here). Add cornstarch and gently toss until tofu is coated. If you still have some seeds in the bottom of the bowl, dump the tofu out on a cookie sheet and roll the cubes in the excess seeds.
3. Fry tofu in some oil over medium heat until nicely golden. Turn regularly to brown all sides. You don't need a lot of oil here. Start with a relatively thin layer and add more as needed. Remove tofu from pan/wok and drain.
4. Add peppers, ginger and garlic to the pan (there should be just a bit of oil left) and stir fry for 3-4 mins, until softened and fragrant. Add noodles to the pan/wok and fry for a min.
5. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce and mix well. Add tofu and mix well. Cook until sauce thickens/soaks into the noodles. Adjust flavours/wetness to your liking by adding more of any of the three ingredients.
6. Remove from heat. Garnish with green onions. Serve.

CONTEST UPDATE
There is still time to win a copy of The Vegan Dad Cookbook! In one day a staggering 340 people have correctly identified the mystery utensil and been entered into the draw. One measly cookbook seems so small in light of all those entrants. Maybe I should offer copies of the e-book as well . . . .

AND . . .
Have I mentioned the shad flies before? Every year at this time shad flies descend on our fair city. They rely on fresh water for their reproductive cycle, and because we live by a big lake we have learned to coexist. When we woke up this morning they were coating the house. It's pretty crazy to walk downtown and see thousands and thousands of shad flies covering just about everything. They are very docile and don't munch on the greenery, and kids love playing with them (did I mention they were docile?).

Black Bean Noodles

So much going on here lately. The battle to keep our community school open continues . . . hard to say if we are making progress. I also broke my KitchenAid mixer, which means I had to close down the bakery. I was planning to stop when the baby came in June, so this just hastened the inevitable. There was no way to knead everything by hand and still make money. It's still sad, though, because I really enjoyed baking for the neighbourhood. But, there is still plenty of other things to do, which means quick and easy meals like this are always welcome.

INGREDIENTS

The amounts are up to you, depending on how many mouths you have to feed.

- noodles (I use an eggless chow mein noodle)

- broccoli, but into small florets

- minced garlic

- tofu, cut into cubes

- black beans, rinsed and drained

- black bean sauce

- hoisin sauce

- green onions, sliced

METHOD

1. Cook noodles as per the directions given.

2. While noodles are cooking, heat a wok over high heat. Add a few splashes of water along with the broccoli. Stir fry broccoli in the water for a few mins, until it gets tender but is still bright green (add more water when needed).

3. Add garlic and tofu and fry for a few mins, adding more water, if needed.

4. Add cooked noodles to the pan, along with the beans. Add enough sauce to your liking. Heat through. Add sliced green onions, stir well, and serve.

Sweet n' Hot Noodles

One great thing about having a blog is you get to pontificate from time to time. Tonight's topic: the reusable shopping bag. Now, as much as I love the reusable shopping bag, it exemplifies the band-aid solutions were are taking to environmental problems. Using the shopping bag gives people a false sense that they are making a difference without making much of a difference at all. Tell me: what's the point of using a reusable shopping bag only to fill it up heavily packaged, heavily processed crap, and animal products that are helping destroy the planet? The disconnect drives me mad. I am sure people are wondering why I squirm a lot in the checkout line. UPDATE: I should stop being a Pretentious Green Ass, according to this article.

OK, now that that's out of my system, on to the food. Kind of a cop-out recipe, to be honest. But it is simple, fast, and tasty for a busy weekday night. The sauce and the noodles just go so well together.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pkg tofu, cubed, prepared in whatever way suits your fancy (plain, crispy, etc.)

- double recipe of sweet chili sauce

- 130g rice vermicelli

- 2 tbsp oil

- 3 green onion, thinly sliced

METHOD

1. Prep tofu and make the sauce. Prep noodles according to directions on the box (I soak mine in boiling water). Drain noodles.

2. Heat oil in a wok over med-hi heat. Add noodles and fry for a few min, until they start to go translucent. Add sauce and tofu and mix well. Let bubble for a few mins, letting the sauce soak into the noodles a bit.

3. Stir in green onion, mix well, and serve.

Chinese Dumplings

If my kids aren't watching WALL-E these days, they are watching Kung Fu Panda. The upside of this is that they are more receptive to all sorts of Chinese food. If you have seen the movie, then you will understand why they were very keen to try some dumplings. The question was what to fill them with. The boys are not crazy about the tempeh filling in the Chinese Tempeh Buns I made last week, so I went with pulsed chickpeas. That was a good move. These are awesome! I based them on a recipe from an old Martin Yan cookbook which called for the dumplings to be boiled, but I am sure you could steam them as well.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 15 dumplings

Filling

- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

- 2 green onions, sliced

- 1/2 cup dried mushrooms, soaked and chopped

- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

- 1 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 1 tbsp sherry

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

- 1" piece of ginger, minced

- 1 tsp sesame oil

Dough

- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 cup boiling water

METHOD

1. Make the dough by mixing the boiling water into the flour with a fork. Knead on a floured surface, adding enough flour to make a soft dough that is not sticky. Shape into a 15" cylinder, cover with a damp towel, and let rest for 30 mins. Use the extra water from the kettle to soak the mushrooms.

2. While dough is resting, get 12 cups of water on its way to boiling in a large pot.

3. While dough is resting and water is heating, pulse the chickpeas in a food processor. Place in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

4. To make the dumplings, cut a 1" slice off the dough cylinder and flatten on a floured surface into a 3-4" circle. Place some filling in the middle, then fold the circle in half and seal the edges. Cover with a damp cloth, then repeat with remaining dough and filling.

5. To cook the dumplings, add as many dumplings to the pot as you can without crowding. Stir to keep them separated. When water returns to boiling, add 1/2 cup of cold water. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until dumplings float. Remove with a wire strainer and serve.

I made a peanut sauce that I wasn't to happy with, but you could try this peanut sauce I made before. Or, use a sauce of your choice.

Summer Rolls

Just a real quick post tonight because I have to prepare for tomorrow's 8:30 am lecture. Basically, I made this recipe, and filled the rice wrappers with tempeh, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, and steamed carrot sticks and sliced savoy cabbage tossed in soy sauce. Awesome. And, of course, I made the chili dipping sauce.

Chinese Tempeh Buns

These are a vegan take on pork buns. I really don't associate yeast dough with Chinese cooking, and given my love of all things leavened, I thought it would be fun to try. If you aren't a big fan of tempeh, some shaved seitan. crumbled tofu, or pulsed chickpeas would work as well (I think--I did not try all these variations, but I don't see why they would not work).

INGREDIENTS

Dough

- 4 tbsp sugar

- 1/2 cup warm plain soy milk

- 1/3 cup warm water

- 2 tsp active dry yeast

- 2 to 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

- 12 dried shitake mushrooms

- 1 tbsp each canola and sesame oil

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp minced ginger

- 1 pkg of tempeh, grated

- 3 tbsp orange juice

- 2 tbsp sherry

- 2 tbsp ketchup

- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

- 2 tbsp vegan oyster sauce

- 1 tsp Chinese five spice

- splash of water

- 1 green onion, thinly sliced

- soy milk, for brushing

METHOD

1. Make the dough: Whisk sugar into warm soy milk and water, then whisk in yeast to dissolve. Set aside to proof. Add in enough flour to make a slightly tacky dough. Knead for 3-5 mins, until smooth. Place in a bowl, cover with damp towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

2. While dough is rising, make the filling. Soak mushrooms in hot water until soft. Thinly slice.

3. Heat oils in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms, garlic, and ginger for 3 mins. Increase heat to med-hi, then add grated tempeh and fry 5 mins. Add orange juice and sherry and stir well. Add ketchup, sauces, and five spice and stir well, adding a splash of water if needed. Stir in green onion and remove from heat.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. Remove dough from bowl and roll into a log. Divide into 12 sections. Keep covered with a damp towel. Take one section and roll into a 4-5 inch circle (with a rolling pin) on a lightly floured surface. Place 1/12 of the filling in the centre, then gather the edges over the filling, pinching the seams together and giving them a twist. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover with damp towel and let rise for 30 mins.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush each bun with soy milk and bake for 18-10 mins, or until golden brown.