50 posts tagged “soy sauce”
October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge comes to us from Jaden of Steamy Kitchen, who has graciously offered a recipe from her new cookbook The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.
I was lucky to enough to find a window in my schedule to complete both challenges. The vegan Pho Ga was very interesting to make. I only had time to make the short version of the recipe. You can find the long version of the chicken pho recipe here, and beef pho recipe here on Jaden's Web site. I toasted the same spices but used vegan faux meat (chicken breast) and soy sauce and hoisin sauce. I also added lots of shiitake mushrooms to add more flavor. The pho came out really tasty and the rice noodles simply were glorious in this soup.
Now I must get back to my work again. These beautiful foods can at least keep me a little more content now.
For more delicious Vietnamese Pho, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.
We are moving early next week, so I don't think I will be able to keep up with the blogging. It is a shame but I will try my best. If we can survive October, we will be able to have a breather then.
Jen from use real butter is our host for the Daring Cooks June 2009 challenge. It's a basic concept: a filling inside a dough wrapper, sealed, and cooked. This delicious theme runs through many cultures and is among the more popular bites at Chinese restaurants - especially dim sum. The recipe she provided is based on her family recipe. There is a lot of room for exploration and creativity.
Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers
dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface
dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)
Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly by hand. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).
Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky. [Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water.]
Make the dough, Method 2 (Jen's mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch. [My note: I used a little more water than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe. The dough is not supposed to be soft, but not too stiff either. Use your own judgement and you might have to just trust your instinct and see what happens.]
Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in Jen's post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.
To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.
To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.
To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.
To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.
I made dumplings in the soup, deep-fried dumplings, and the traditional potstickers.
1 recipe Tofu Ricotta (PPK)
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and sliced across to 1/4-inch pieces
1 zucchini, sliced to 1/4-inch pieces
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced
15 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup freeze-dried chives
1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1 tsp. black bean chili sauce
A dash of Hungarian paprika
3 water-packed baby artichokes, well drained and squeezed dry, roughly chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
20 capers, drained and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Deep all vegetables from eggplant to tomatoes (one type of vegetable at one time). When done, dry on paper towel very well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash deep-fried vegetables, tofu ricotta, all spices, and everything else together until creamy and well-combined.
10 cups water
1 cup dried konbu
3 large cabbage leaves
1/2 cup fresh scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp. white miso
Salt and pepper to taste
Put everything in a large pot and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes before adding the boiled dumplings.
Verdict: Once you get the hang of making your own wrappers, you can make your dumplings in no time. It's a fun way of eating and certainly a one-pot-meal. Regarding the pleating part, I thoroughly had fun. It may seem difficult at first, but if you are patient enough to try a couple more times, you will get the hang of it pretty quickly. It's really not so hard.
For more dumpling/potsticker variations, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.
I have seen many people make these banana sour cream pancakes by Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa Family Style). One of them is Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake. Her pancake photo looks really gorgeous, so I tried her version of these pancakes today. A great recipe with great results. I simply skipped eggs and used agave nectar instead of the sugar. I had to add more milk to the batter but everything turned out fabulously delicious. Nothing beats a stack of pancakes with melting butter and pure maple syrup, at least when you really crave for some warm pancakes.
I also tried baking my chickpea cutlets in Veganomicon this time. I would have to admit that I liked the fried version a little more. But it was still worth one try.
I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I do not feel ready for the shift between day and night. There seems to be a constant shortage of time. When the night comes, I only get anxious and wish I could fast forward to the next day without having to actually lay down and close my eyes and let my mind go on a ridiculous trip. When the day emerges, I have invariably left behind my resolve, my revelations and my new goals. Maybe it is just the first month of the new year that has made my knees shake. I so want to hold on to each and every moment that I hold on to almost nothing at all. Thus the first 15 days went by and I have done absolutely nothing extraordinary.
Enough complaining. I have lost some of the enthusiasm for cooking lately, so I resort to risottos again. It will get better in time, I suppose.
Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Risotto
(Makes 4 servings)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar roasted red peppers in olive oil, or two large roasted red peppers, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups white jasmine rice or arborio rice
4 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups warm vegetable stock
1 jar water-packed artichokes (or roasted artichokes packed in oil), drained well * (see notes)
4 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Saute onions, garlic and roasted red peppers over medium heat for about 7 minutes until onions are slightly golden.
2. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes until the rice is completely coated with oil.
3.
Add parsley, paprika and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Keep stirring to make sure
the rice does not get burned or stuck on the bottom of the pot.
4. Pour in the wine and let cook until it is all absorbed.
5.
Ladle in the warm vegetable stock and stir well. Cook until the stock
is absorbed. (Keep stirring when the rice seems much drier to prevent
it from being burnt on the bottom.)
6. Ladle in hot water by batches. 1 1/2 cups each time. Cook until the water is completely absorbed. Stir frequently.
7.
When the water is all used up and the rice is completely cooked, remove
from heat. Add nutritional yeast and salt and pepper and mix well.
Serve warm.
* If you use marinated artichokes in a jar, it is OK too. But do not use any marinated artichokes with a very strong vinegary taste. Make sure you drain really well, and you can probably rinse a bit in a bowl of water and drain again.
Now onto some stuff I made in the last few days. A tempeh cassrole, recipe by Jessy of "happyveganface". I added half a fennel bulb simply because I had it laying around in my fridge for ever. I thought it was pretty good, but my hubby did not like it as it is. Too bland, he says. But he loved it after he fried it up a bit and added some curry sauce to it.
And a loaf of spelt white bread, recipe by Nicole of Baking Bites again. Great bread! The texture and consistency were really excellent.
We have been trying to entice more squirrels to come visit our yard more often by leaving mixed nuts on our lounge chairs and on the ground outside our lanai. So far, the first batch of nuts were consumed by one single squirrel a week ago; I watched the little fellow eat most of them and bury some in different holes. The second batch of nuts were mysteriously "stolen", on two consecutive nights, by some nocturnal animal. I haven't found any evidence of a raccoon living in the neighborhood, but I have seen a few cats wandering in our yard every day. Do cats eat nuts too? The mystery is that whatever animal ate the nuts, it also left a lot of white powder around the site. Since yesterday we had a lot of rain, unending. Now that the white powder is gone, the nuts gone, and it is super wet outside, I haven't seen any squirrel out in the yard yet. By the way, our nuts have a serious competition. My hubby told me that there is a lady living a street down who has some squirrel feeders that attract at least a dozen squirrels every day.
While waiting for the squirrels to come, I concocted a dish that combines my two favorite staples: scrambled tofu and tofu paprikash. So I named this Scrambled Tofu Paprikash. It is by far the best tofu dish we have ever tasted, since it combines the sweet paprika and tangy tomato taste and lots of fresh vegetables like cauliflower and yellow squash.
Scrambled Tofu Paprikash
(Makes 5-6 servings)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
7-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup sliced green onions
4 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite size
4 small to medium yellow squashes, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tomatoes, chopped and juice reserved
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 Tofurky Italian sausage, thinly sliced
5 tsp. sweet paprika
3 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1. Saute onions, garlic and carrots in olive oil over medium heat for about 7 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower, yellow squashes and tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Uncover. Add paprika, parsley, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute or two.
4. Add tofu and sausage pieces and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Mix in salt and pepper and nutritional yeast and adjust the spices if you want. Serve warm.
I have been completely absorbed in reading lately, which is the reason why I haven't had much time for cooking. I am currently reading the last volume of In Search of Lost Time (Marcel Proust) and To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf). I just finished Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf) 2 days ago. Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf are my two favorite authors, and I can't read enough of their books. So, I only have two food photos to share this time.
Marinated Italian Tofu (Veganomicon). This is still one of my favorite ways of eating tofu.
Maple Snack Cake (recipe by Gretchen Noelle of 'Canela & Comino'). This is a must-try recipe for anyone who loves maple syrup. And who doesn't love maple syrup? It is a very dense and moist cake perfect for afternoon tea.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We cooked a lot and ate a lot, like there is no tomorrow. I guess during Christmas it is virtually impossible not to overeat. We have decided that we are not going to make any New Year's Resolutions because we already know - because we know ourselves well enough in this aspect - that we will not honor our resolutions for more than two months. So we feel rather relieved for not making any attempt. :) And you know what, I feel rather good about this. For the first time, we just accept and respect ourselves for what we are, and go with the flow. 2009 will be a good year, because we will work more on complimenting ourselves from time to time and being with ourselves in a friendly and loving manner.
Now, back to the food we cooked up for Christmas. Nothing too fancy. I almost did an all-Veganomicon feast.
1. French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme (Veganomicon, page 141).
2. Mac Daddy (Veganomicon, page 195).
3. Seitan Vindaloo (Vegan Dad, recipe here).
4. Singapore-Style Yellow Curry Rice Noodles with Tofu (Vegan Express, page 118).
5. Pumpkin Coconut Cakey Bars (My own recipe).
I wish everyone a happy New Year's Day in advance, and God bless!
I have been cooking more food lately, probably because of the warm weather we are still enjoying, for which we are really grateful. Now I am actually contemplating what to cook again for tomorrow.
Polenta Casserole, recipe on page 138 of Eat, Drink & Be Vegan. I used nutritional yeast instead of soy cheese and It is the cheesiest thing we have tasted in five years.
Szechuan-Style Tofu with Eggplant, page 56 of Vegan Express. This is a great recipe. The dish is so flavorful. You can easily whip it up in 20 minutes and serve it over a bed of warm brown rice. I am discovering more good recipes in Vegan Express every week.
Chickpea Cutlets, from Veganomicon. I do not have this cookbook any more. This recipe was saved from more than 6 months ago. I guess by now I am the last person on this planet to have tried this recipe. These cutlets are literally everywhere in the blogsphere. I certainly do not need to praise them more.
