The Chinese Vegan Kitchen (22 page)

1 (10-ounce) package baked flavored five-spice tofu, cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch cubes

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon canola oil

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place rice in a medium heavy-bottomed, deep-sided skillet (about 9
¹
⁄
₂
inches in diameter) with a tight-fitting lid. Add enough cold water to cover and stir well; drain in a fine-meshed colander. Repeat rinsing and draining. Return rice to the pan. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water and salt; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to between low and medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Add remaining
¹
⁄
₂
cup water, tofu, and sesame oil, stirring well to combine. Cover and cook until rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until sizzling and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add half the scallion mixture, salt, and pepper to the rice and tofu mixture, tossing to combine. Set remaining scallion mixture briefly aside.

To serve, divide the rice and tofu mixture equally among 4 serving bowls or plates. Sprinkle equally with the remaining scallion mixture and serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 258 • Protein 9g • Total Fat 7g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 40g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 276mg

Fried Short-Grain Brown Rice with Walnuts and Fresh Soybeans

Fried rice doesn’t get much healthier—or more delicious—than this easy dish. By preparing the rice, walnuts, and soybeans in advance, it cooks up in minutes.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 cup short-grain brown rice

³
⁄
₄
pound green soybean pods (edamame) or 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions, drained

¹
⁄
₄
cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon peanut or canola oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large stockpot filled halfway with salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well.

If using fresh soybean pods, place a steamer basket in a medium stockpot filled with about 2 inches of water. Add the soybean pods and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to medium, cover, and steam 5 minutes, or until beans are tender yet crunchy (carefully remove a pod, pop open, and test a bean). Uncover and let cool a few minutes. Carefully remove steamer basket and place soybean pods in a colander; rinse under cold running water until cooled. Pop the beans out of the pods, discarding the pods and placing the beans in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium heat, place the walnuts and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and cook, stirring to thoroughly coat, about 45 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and let cool.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the rice and shelled cooked soybeans and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the walnuts, scallions, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 335 • Protein 13g • Total Fat 13 • Sat Fat 2 • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 44g • Dietary Fiber 4g • Sodium 304mg

Hong Kong–Style Tomato Fried Rice

I love this fried rice recipe for one essential reason—it contains ketchup, 6 whole tablespoons of it! While ketchup isn’t typically associated with Chinese food, tomatoes have been around in the Middle Kingdom since the late 16th century;
indeed, many etymologists believe that the word ketchup is derived from a Chinese word that means “tomato sauce.” Fortunately, this universally popular condiment is a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help prevent some forms of cancer. Moreover, a leading brand recently stopped making ketchup with high-fructose corn syrup—just another excuse to indulge in this delicious fried rice dish.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

6 tablespoons tomato ketchup

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 tablespoon peanut oil

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped onion

2 to 3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

3 cups cooked white rice, at room temperature, clumps removed

1 medium tomato (about 6 ounces), seeded and chopped

1 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, oyster sauce, and sesame oil; set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and white parts of the scallions and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomato, peas (if using), salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ketchup mixture; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the scallion greens, stirring well to combine. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 264 • Protein 5g • Total Fat 5g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 50g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 353mg

Rice and Peas with Soy-Ginger Sauce

Plain noodles are also delicious prepared this way.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

¹
⁄
₄
cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 cups hot cooked white or brown rice

1 cup fresh or frozen hot cooked peas

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, half the scallion greens, salt, and pepper until well combined. Let stand10 minutes at room temperature to allow the flavors to blend.

Place the rice and peas in a warmed serving bowl and add the soy sauce mixture and remaining scallion greens, tossing well to thoroughly combine. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 252 • Protein 7g • Total Fat 4g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 46g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 645mg

Savory Eight-Treasure Rice Cake

This is a savory Buddhist version of the popular Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Cake (
page 186
), enjoyed at Chinese New Year. As with the latter, feel free to experiment with your favorite vegetables, nuts, and seeds, so long as the total number equals 8. If you can’t locate dried lotus seeds, substitute with 2 tablespoons of pumpkin or sunflower seeds and omit the first step of the recipe.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

¹
⁄
₂
cup dried lotus seeds (about 2.5 ounces), soaked in cold water to cover 3 hours or overnight, drained

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon five-spice powder

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped onion

6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover 20 minutes, or until softened, rinsed, drained, stemmed, and chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped, rinsed, and drained canned water chestnuts

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

2
²
⁄
₃
cups freshly cooked glutinous rice, slightly warm or at room temperature (see
page 76
for method)

2
¹
⁄
₂
cups freshly cooked long-grain white rice, slightly warm or at room temperature (see
page 76
for method)

1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed

3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped, plus 1 scallion, green parts only, thinly sliced

In a small saucepan, bring drained lotus seeds and enough water to cover to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer briskly for 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and drain; rinse under cold running water and drain again. Using your fingers, break each seed apart into two symmetrical halves, removing any green germ. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper; set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add mushrooms, water chestnuts, lotus seeds, and almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and mushrooms begin to release their liquid, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add both types of rice, peas and carrots, and 3 chopped scallions and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Lightly oil a steam-proof 8-cup/2-quart bowl. Transfer the rice mixture to the oiled bowl, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon. (At this point, mixture can be brought to room temperature and refrigerated, covered, up to 24 hours before continuing with the recipe.)

Place a steamer basket in a tall stockpot filled with about 2 inches of water. Place the bowl of rice in the steamer basket and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to medium, cover, and steam 20 minutes (add 5 minutes if refrigerated). Uncover and let cool a few minutes.

Carefully remove rice bowl from the steamer basket. Let stand 10 minutes to allow rice grains to harden slightly. Pass the tip of a dinner
knife around the edge of the rice cake to loosen it. Invert onto a warmed, deep-welled serving platter. (The cake should slip out easily.) Garnish with the sliced scallion greens and serve at once, using a large spoon to divide into pie-like wedges among individual serving bowls.

{PER SERVING} Calories 227 • Protein 5g • Total Fat 5g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 40g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 435mg

Noodle Dishes

If noodles bring bliss, then China is noodle nirvana. Although noodles have been eaten in many parts of the world for at least 2,000 years, in 2002, archaeologists found an earthenware bowl containing the world’s oldest known noodles—4,000 years old!—along China’s Yellow River, ending the debate—at least for now—on who first invented these slippery delights. While those well-preserved noodles were made from millet, one of the five sacred grains of ancient China, today’s noodles are generally made from wheat flour, rice flour, or mung bean starch. Wheat noodles are more commonly produced and consumed in northern China, while rice noodles are more typical of southern China; cellophane noodles, usually made from mung bean starch and, sometimes, other starches such as yam, potato, and tapioca, are eaten throughout the various regions. In Chinese, miàn (often transliterated as “mien” or “mein”) refers to noodles made from wheat, while feˇn (often transliterated as “fun”) refers to noodles made from rice flour, mung bean starch, or any kind of starch. From Cellophane Noodles in Spicy Peanut Sauce, to Mixed Vegetable Lo Mein, to Rice Noodles with Chinese Broccoli and Shiitake Mushrooms, they’re all here, and they’re all heavenly!