The Chinese Vegan Kitchen (23 page)

Chao Fen with Mixed Vegetables and Black Bean Sauce

Known as chow fun on most Chinese restaurant menus across America, chao fen typically refers to a mix of cooked wide rice noodles that are stir-fried with vegetables or tofu. Try to use the widest flat noodles you can find—
¹
⁄
₈
to
¹
⁄
₄
inch is ideal. Fresh or dried rice sticks, usually a bit wider than the standard stir-fry or linguine-style variety, will suffice. Packaged fresh Asian stir-fry vegetables and packaged fried tofu, available in Asian markets, make quick work of this delicious dish. Packaged baked tofu can replace the fried variety, if desired; alternatively, omit the tofu entirely.

MAKES 4 TO 5 SERVINGS

2 tablespoons black bean sauce with garlic

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

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

3 teaspoons toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste, or to taste (optional)

1 tablespoon peanut oil

4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh Asian stir-fry vegetables (about 5
¹
⁄
₂
cups)

¹
⁄
₂
cup low-sodium vegetable broth

8 ounces fried tofu, cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch cubes

8 ounces fresh or dried wide flat rice noodles, preferably
¹
⁄
₈
to
¹
⁄
₄
inch in width, cooked according to package directions until just al dente, drained, and rinsed under cold running water until cool, well drained

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, combine the black bean sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and chili paste, if using; set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add half the scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the stir-fry vegetables and broth, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved black bean sauce mixture and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the tofu and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the noodles and cook, tossing and stirring often with a wide spatula, until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Add the remaining scallions, cilantro, and remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil; cook, tossing, 30 seconds. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 399 • Protein 10g • Total Fat 10g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 67g • Dietary Fiber 5g • Sodium 488mg

Quick Chao Fen with Scallions and Peanuts

Similar variations of these fried rice noodles, or chao fen (aka “chow fun”), are invariably slurped up on the streets of Changsha, especially during the wee weekend hours. After midnight, when you’re starving and all the restaurants and bars have closed, there is no street food more satisfying. If possible, try to use fresh, wide rice noodles, available in the refrigerated or frozen food section of Asian markets, for this dish. Fresh or dried rice sticks, usually a bit wider than the standard stir-fry or linguine-style variety, will suffice.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

8 ounces fresh or dried wide flat rice noodles, preferably
¹
⁄
₈
to
¹
⁄
₄
inch in width

1 tablespoon regular reduced-sodium soy sauce

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 to 1
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⁄
₂
teaspoons dark soy sauce

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons peanut oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₄
cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped roasted or whole fried peanuts (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions, stirring a few times, until just al dente (typically about 15 seconds for fresh noodles, 3 to 5 minutes for dried). Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well.

In a small bowl, combine the regular soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, salt, and pepper; stir in half of the scallions and set aside. In another small bowl, combine the broth and dark soy sauce and set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant. Add the noodles and toss to coat with the oil, using a pair of chopsticks or fork to separate any clumps. Add the soy sauce–scallion mixture and cook, stirring and tossing constantly with a wide spatula, until noodles are heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and dark soy sauce mixture, remaining scallions, and cilantro and cook, tossing constantly with the spatula, until most of the broth has been absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once, garnished with the peanuts, if using.

{PER SERVING} Calories 274 • Protein 2g • Total Fat 7g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 51g • Dietary Fiber 1g • Sodium 273mg

Hunan-Style Vegetable Chao Mian

You can tone down the heat of this tasty vegetable chao mian, literally “fried noodles,” known in American Asian restaurants as chow mein, by omitting the chili peppers and replacing with a few pinches of cayenne pepper, if desired. You can also omit the Crispy Noodle Pancake and chow mein noodles and serve over plainly cooked noodles or rice for an equally delicious meal.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon peanut oil

4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover 20 minutes, or until softened, rinsed, drained, stemmed, and thinly sliced

4 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 cup shredded carrot

¹
⁄
₄
cup drained and chopped canned bamboo shoots

1 to 2 fresh red chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

¹
⁄
₂
cup tomato sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with
¹
⁄
₄
cup water

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

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⁄
₂
tablespoon sugar

1 to 1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons Chinese chili paste

1 Crispy Noodle Pancake (
page 17
), divided into 4 wedges

1 cup crispy chow mein noodles

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, white parts of the scallions, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, bamboo shoots, chilies, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, cornstarch mixture, sesame oil, sugar, and chili paste and reduce the heat to medium; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes, adding the scallion greens toward the end.

To serve, place 1 fried noodle pancake wedge on each of 4 serving plates. Top with equal portions of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the fried chow mein noodles (
¹
⁄
₄
cup) and serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 362 • Protein 9g • Total Fat 15g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 52g • Dietary Fiber 5g • Sodium 664mg

Shanghai-Style Noodles with Green Onion Sauce

If you love scallion greens as much as I do, you will love these simple yet flavorful noodles enjoyed everywhere throughout Shanghai.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1
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⁄
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tablespoons peanut oil

1 bunch scallions (6 to 8), green parts only, thinly sliced lengthwise, cut crosswise into very thin 2-inch-long strips

3
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⁄
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tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus additional, to serve

8 ounces egg-free Chinese lo mein or other wide-cut Asian noodles, or linguine

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallion greens and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to wilt and bright green, about 30 seconds. Add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until scallions are wilted but not shriveled, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large stockpot filled with boiling salted water, cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well. Add noodles and remaining
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon soy sauce to the cooled scallion mixture, tossing well to thoroughly combine. Serve at room temperature, with additional soy sauce passed separately.

{PER SERVING} Calories 253 • Protein 10g • Total Fat 6g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 46g • Dietary Fiber 1g • Sodium 979mg

Cellophane Noodles in Spicy Peanut Sauce

Perfect for a buffet, this tasty noodle dish is delicious warm or at room temperature. Any Asian noodle can replace the cellophane variety, if desired.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

8 ounces cellophane noodles, cooked according to package directions until al dente, drained

Spicy Peanut Sauce, below

¹
⁄
₄
cup low-sodium vegetable broth

¹
⁄
₂
cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, place the warm noodles and add the peanut sauce, broth, and cilantro, tossing well to combine and cutting the noodles into shorter lengths with the edge of a spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.

{PER SERVING} Calories 328 • Protein 5g • Total Fat 11g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 54g • Dietary Fiber 4g • Sodium 267mg

SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

Use this versatile sauce as a dip for vegetables or topping for grilled tofu, as well.

MAKES ABOUT
³
⁄
₄
CUP

¹
⁄
₄
cup natural-style peanut butter

¹
⁄
₄
cup warm water

2 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped

1 to 2 small fresh red chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 teaspoon Chinese hot oil, or more, to taste

1 to 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and water until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Serve at room temperature. Sauce can be covered and refrigerated up to 5 days before returning to room temperature and using.

{PER SERVING} (per tablespoon, or
¹
⁄
₁₂
of recipe) Calories 49 • Protein 2g • Total Fat 4g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 2g • Dietary Fiber 1g • Sodium 77mg

Sichuan Hot-and-Sour Cellophane Noodles

A comfort food sought out on the streets of Sichuan Province, these spicy noodles are sophisticated enough to serve up at your next dinner party. Cellophane noodles made from sweet potato flour are available at most Asian markets—the standard mung bean variety, also known as bean threads, can be used as well.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

¹
⁄
₂
tablespoon peanut oil

2 tablespoons rinsed and drained chopped preserved vegetables, preferably mustard tubers or greens

1 tablespoon rinsed and drained fermented black beans, chopped

6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

¹
⁄
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tablespoon chopped fresh ginger