Moo shu tofu

• Author: Tonia | Feasting at Home
 
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
 
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
 
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings
 
• Category: vegan, main
 
• Method: Stir Fry
 
• Cuisine: Asian
 
• Diet: Vegan

• I made this on a snowy night, and so I used what I had in the fridge - no sprouts, spinach instead of bok choy, and served on a whole wheat tortilla .. and it was still delicious.  The sauce was authentic to what we've had in Asian restaurants ... if that's authentic.  Looking forward to using the leftover tofu with the sauce, and re-trying it with the proper ingredients! Also could try as an appetizer as little rollups and dip in sauce. 

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Description

This Moo Shu tofu is loaded with tender-crisp vegetables and crispy tofu all tucked into a tortilla or rice pancake for a delicious vegan meal.  Served with tangy hoisin sauce.

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Ingredients

The Stir Fry

• 1–2 tablespoons refined peanut oil or coconut oil
• 1 batch crispy tofu
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 5 large shiitakes, sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1 red pepper, sliced thin
• 4–5 scallions, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bok choy, cut lengthwise
• 1–2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed

The Sauce (see notes) 

• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

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Instructions

Make the crispy tofu recipe here (salt and pepper version)

Make the Sauce 

1. Mix together the hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and miso in a saucepan.  Heat to almost boiling.
2. Whisk together cornstarch and water.  Slowly add to the sauce, whisking all the while.  Once it comes to a boil turn off the heat.

Make the Stir Fry

1. Get your wok or pan smoking hot.  Add peanut oil or coconut oil.  Stirfry shiitake mushrooms for 2 minutes.  Push to the side of the wok.
2. Add bell pepper, half of the ginger and half of the garlic stir-fry 1 minute.  Push to the side.
3. Add scallions stir-fry a minute add the remaining ginger and garlic and Bok Choy.  Stir another minute until Bok Choy is just beginning to wilt.  Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

Assemble

1. Warm tortillas or rice pancakes on a pan.
2. Spoon sauce onto tortilla.
3. Fill with stir-fried mixture, fold and enjoy!

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Notes

Shortcut: Alternatively you can use straight store-bought hoisin sauce rather than make the sauce.

Find it online: https://www.feastingathome.com/moo-shu-tofu/ 

Gado-Gado - with peanut sauce

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen  1977

This is normally an Indonesian dish, with ingredients listed below. I had Asian eggplants and okra I needed to use, so I made this delicious sauce and used it to top the stir fry made with the veggies and onion.  Then I used the leftover sauce the next few days as a dip and to flavor lentils and other dishes.  Very versatile, and improves day by day.  The first night I thought the taste of vinegar was too strong, but by the next day and especially two days later, it was perfect.

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 cup chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 cup good, natural peanut butter

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 tsp cayenne, more to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger root

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

3 cups water

3/4 tsp salt

Dash of tamari

2 Tbsp canola oil

UNDERNEATH THE SAUCE:

An artful arrangement of combined cooked and raw vegetables on a bed of fresh spinach.  Here are some recommended veggies and garnishes from Moosewood Cookbook:

Shredded cabbage, carrot slices, celery slices, steamed or raw

Broccoli spears or fresh whole green beans, steamed

Fresh, raw mung bean sprouts, tofu chunks either raw or sautéed in oil with sesame seeds, or pieces of egg

GARNISH WITH:

A drizzle of sesame oil, apples, lemons, oranges, raisins, and/or toasted seeds and nuts

Veggie Sesame Noodles

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Veggie Sesame Noodles

• Author: Cookie and Kate
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Chinese-Inspired
• Diet: Vegan

★★★★★

4.7 from 21 reviews

This riff on sesame noodles features tons of colorful vegetables. This recipe is healthy and easy to prepare—perfect for bringing to get-togethers! It’s vegetarian/vegan and easily gluten free. Recipe yields 6 side servings.

SCALE

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces soba noodles or spaghetti noodles of choice*
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ⅓ cup reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce, just be sure it’s reduced sodium or it will taste too salty)
• ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (scale back or omit if sensitive to spice)
• 2 ½ cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about 10 ounces or ¼th medium cabbage)
• 3 whole carrots, peeled and then sliced into ribbons with vegetable peeler (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into very thin strips
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• Optional: 2 cups shelled edamame, steamed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Once they’re done cooking, drain them in a colander and rinse them well under cool water. Transfer the drained noodles to a large serving bowl and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often (keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly). Once they’re fragrant and turning golden, transfer them to a small bowl so they don’t burn. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine the tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Whisk until blended. Set aside.
4. To assemble, add the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro and optional edamame to your bowl with the noodles. Drizzle in the dressing. Add all of the sesame seeds, and use tongs to toss until the mixture is fully combined. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later. This salad is best consumed within a couple of days, but it will keep for up to 5 days.

NOTES

Recipe adapted from Last Minute Sesame Noodles on Aggie’s Kitchen, originally from Eatingwell.com 

Sesame noodles with cucumbers

From Vegan Everything  by Nadine Horn and Jorg Mayer

The sauce was too minimal for the noodles - Try doubling all the sauce ingredients.  When I put extra sauce on one spoonful of noodles, it seemed perfect.

Or can try adapting/ blending the other recipe noted below.

Ingredients:
1 pound noodles (used whole wheat)

1 Tbsp dark (roasted) sesame oil
1 garlic clove
1/2 medium cucumber
2 scallions
2 tsp black sesame seeds
3 Tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini
2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt


Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the noodles, stirring gently.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes, until barely tender (longer for whole wheat)

2) Drain the noodles and transfer to a bowl of cold water to remove excess starch.  Drain again and put the noodles in a medium bowl.  Dress with 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil and set aside.

3)  Mince the garlic, slice the cucumber into 3 inch strips and thinly slice the scallions.

4) Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly until golden brown (how do you know when black seeds are golden brown??).  Set aside to cool.

5) Combine the garlic, sesame paste, peanut butter, vinegar, the remaining 2.5 tsp sesame oil, and the soy sauce in a small bowl.  Mix well, seasoning with the salt.

6) Pour the dressing over the noodles and mix well.  Top with the scallions, cucumbers and sesame seeds.

Peter's 'Steve's Cold Sesame Noodle Sauce'  - for 1.5 pounds of spaghetti, dry weight.

Ingredients:
1.5 cup chunky PB
2 Tbsp sesame paste without added vinegar
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2-3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup dry sherry
5 Tbsp medium dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp peanut oil.

6 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tsp cider vinegar
10 drops jasmine essence (from a Thai food store)
Szechuan hot oil to taste

Directions: 

1) Mix the first 9 sauce ingredients well to form a thick sauce or paste, then slowly, with stirring, add 1 1/4 cup water for a medium thin sauce, which will thicken over time.

2) After the water, add the soy, cider vinegar, jasmine essence and hot oil.

Stir Fry Chicken

Here's a quick stir fry recipe, to which you can add any vegetables you choose:

Ingredients:
Canola oil for the pan
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces, trying to make them approximately equal in size
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, cut into chunks, separate to stir fry
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1" ginger grated
Toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
A few drops Sriracha or Peruvian yellow pepper sauce, to taste


Directions:
1) Coat pan with canola oil.  Stir fry onion, garlic and ginger for a few minutes until soft.  At this point, you could add bell peppers, broccoli, or other vegetables.  Remove from pan.

2) Coat pan again with canola oil, trying to scrape any remains off the bottom of the pain.  Stir fry chicken, turning every few minutes until all sides are cooked.  Cut into one of the larger pieces to make sure the middle is cooked.

3) While the chicken is cooking, combine the honey, soy, red wine vinegar and sesame oil, with hot sauce to taste.  Whisk together.  Pour onto chicken and continue to cook.  Sprinkle with a coating of sesame seeds.

Thai Cucumber Salad

This is a recipe from Spiral Path Farm that came with our CSA order.  It was a great mix of candy white onion - so mild and sweet you can eat it raw with salad - sweet potatoes, mixed lettuce greens, kale, lots of free and gold zucchini, cucumbers, a big greenhouse tomato and some black raspberries.

The rice vinegar and cilantro make this a refreshing Asian style side.  After making this recipe once, I treated myself to a clever mandolin-type device to make very thin cucumber slices in no time.  The second batch was a breeze.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup raw organic sugar or 1/3 cup agave (I used the latter and decreased the water and vinegar to 2/3 cup each)
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup SWEET onion, sliced thin
1+ Tbsp cilantro, minced

Directions:
1) Bring the 1st 4 ingredients to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool.
2) Pour over cucumbers, cilantro and onions.  Allow to sit for one hour or overnight.
3) Chopped tomatoes can also be added.

Chicken with Lemongrass

From The Complete Asian Cookbook  Thailand Vietnam Cambodia Laos & Burma
by Charmaine Solomon

We started using more Asian spices and recipes after returning from Vietnam and Cambodia in March, 2016.  I was having difficulty finding recipes online the way I usually do, so we searched on Amazon and there were remarkably few books there either.  Tonight was my first attempt at using one of the recipes from this book and it was simple and delicious.  Fresh lemongrass can be found at some general supermarkets, and certainly at the Asian markets.  It is grown in Florida and California, as well as Australia, Brazil, Mexico and West Africa.  If lemongrass is old and dried out, you are probably better off using grated lemon rind.

According to one of my go-to books, Jill Norman's Herbs & Spices, the cook's reference, the taste is, "tart, clean, and citrus like with peppery notes."  Only the lower part of the stalk, which is white with just a tinge of pale green should be used.  You should first pound or "bruise" the stalk with a mortar and pestle (or a flat part of a knife if needed) to release the oils that contain the flavor.  You can then either cook your dish with the stalk in chunks and remove it before serving, or slice VERY thinly and leave it in.  The stalks are used in curries and stews as well as for tea or for flavoring vinaigrettes.

Tonight, I chose a little of both, using some lemongrass as stalks and letting the rest incorporate into the dish as thin slices.  This part of the meal was simple but excellent.  I usually don't cook chicken stovetop, but this worked out well.  We were a bit tired of fish sauce, so I omitted that.

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb chicken - bone in pieces or boneless breasts
3-4 lemongrass stems, white part only, thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt (or a little less)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 fresh red chili deseeded and chopped (optional)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Cut chicken into serving pieces.

2) Gently bruise the lemongrass with a mortar and pestle (or other hard object).

3) Place the lemongrass in a bowl with the scallion, salt, pepper and chicken and toss well to combine.  Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

4) Heat the oil in a wok or large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.  Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 3 minutes.  Add the chili and stir-fry for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

5) Add the peanuts, season with the sugar and extra pepper and stir well.

6) Add the fish sauce (optional) and toss to distribute evenly then serve with rice, noodles, (or quinoa, the western version).

photos (3) - lemongrass with sliced scallions, chopped peanuts, chicken with lemongrass, 4/13/16.