lo mein

i've never really been a fan of take-out lo mein.  it always looks so oily and super soy saucy (which means way too salty for me).  i have no idea why, but i had a serious craving for it a couple of weeks ago.  have you ever had that - where you absolutely must have something and you can't think about anything else until you get it?  it was that kind of  lo mein craving.  so i promptly bought some noodles and set out to make some miss v lo mein.

• 10 oz. lo mein noodles
• 5 button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 bell pepper, julienned
• 1 cup chopped napa cabbage, or bok choy
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup veggie broth
• 2 tablespoons nama shoyu or lite soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

bring water to boil in a large pot and cook noodles for 3 minutes (or according to package directions). drain and rinse with cool water.  heat wok to 375°f  and sauté the garlic in the sesame oil.  once garlic is browned, add in sliced cabbage, veggie broth and nama shoyu.  stir fry the cabbage for 2-3 minutes, keeping the lid on the majority of the time.  next, add in red pepper flakes, red bell pepper, carrots and mushrooms.  continue to stir fry for 3-4 minutes. once veggies are tender, but still a little crisp, add lo mein noodles to the wok and toss with veggies for about 1 minute.  sprinkle a little extra low sodium soy and a dash of sesame oil at the very end.

makes approximately three generous servings.

vegan mofo: baby bok choy in oyster sauce

i like baby bok choy and i like (vegan) oyster sauce.  where did this go wrong?

status: somewhat fail.

why i'm including it: i saw a great recipe about baby bok choy in oyster sauce.  sounded awesome.  turned out...  just meh.   i'm not sure what could be done to improve it other than making it into a different dish.

would i make it again:  i might try some changes, but i'm not enthusiastic.

vegan mofo: seaweed and soba

next up: seaweed with soba noodles, with shittake and some sort of sauce (don't recall!)


status:  epic fail

why i'm including it: a few reasons.  i like seaweed, but not that much of it.  it became like eating seaweed.  the second reason is that what ever combination of sauce i created wasn't that great...  so it was just 'edible'.  plus, the pic wasn't great.

would i make it again:  nope. see the seaweed details above.

kimchi

if you follow my blog at all, you probably know i'm a cabbage junkie.  i eat the stuff by the bowlful.  last year i bought a airlock fermenter so i can make my own gallon jars of homemade kraut.  the best part - lots of extra cabbage (i always overestimate). so i put my overstock to good use, and decided to make up a batch of vegan kimchi (most recipes have some sort of fish sauce). let me preface this by saying i don't know how authentically korean this recipe is, but it makes the kimchi flavor i like, so i'm sticking with it.  the one thing i don't add is sugar, which a lot of recipes call for. but again, if you read my blog, you know that sugar and i are like oil and water - we just weren't meant to go together.  i've included pics at the bottom that document the process of making this deliciousness.

• 1 head of napa cabbage
• 2 baby bok choy
• 1 carrot, shredded
• other veggies: green peppers, daikon, scallions
• 1¼ tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 cups water

for the kimchi paste:

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon korean chili powder
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cloves ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons water

start by prepping the cabbage.  cut a small v into the thick part of the stem and remove.  then cut it crosswise (see picture below).  put cabbage in sterile bowl, and toss with about 1¼ tablespoons of kosher salt.  next, cut up the bok choy, and mix in with the cabbage. add the water and let sit at room temperature for about a hour or two. in the meantime, mince and slice the other veggies. after cabbage has tenderized in the brine, drain and rinse the cabbage off several times and taste a small piece.  if it's too salty, submerge cabbage in water without salt and let sit for 15 or 20 minutes to desalt and then drain.  it's sort of a balance that you will figure out after a couple times making it.

in a separate bowl, mix up all the paste ingredients except for the sesame seeds.  put all the veggies in the bowl with the cabbage and mix in paste.  you can do it by hand by using gloves, or i just use a large sterile plastic mixing spoon.  make sure all the cabbage is coated, and then toss in the sesame seeds and mix them in.  in a sterile quart jar, start packing the kimchi in, making sure to press down and push out any air.  once the kimchi is packed in, pour in the remaining kimchi brine that was generated by mixing the paste. make sure the cabbage completely covered with slurry.


at this point, you can eat it, pop it in the fridge or let it ferment (more traditional).  to ferment, make sure all cabbage is covered with slurry (but not completely to the top), cap it, and put in a cool dark place (slightly below room temperature) for a few days before moving to fridge.  if needed, you can fill a ziploc bag with water and set it on top to submerge the veggies before you cap it.  i've done both, but fermented foods certainly have some benefits.  eat with noodles, rice, dumplings, in soups, in nori rolls, as a side, etc.

get your ingredients together

prep your cabbage

mix with kimchi paste

tightly pack in a jar for consumption

warm sesame cabbage slaw

i love the bagged dole/generic slaw mixes you can buy at the grocery store - usually for 99 cents! i usually keep at least one or two in my fridge at all times for quick lunches or dinner additions. if you check my tags for cabbage, you'll see quite a few recipes because it can be used in so many genres of food. this recipe is just a nice warm sesame slaw that i make for small lunches or dinner sides.

• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 pkg. dole slaw mix (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons bragg liquid aminos
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (earth balance)
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

heat sesame oil on medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. add in the cabbage and sauté for 1-2 minutes on medium-high heat. mix in the rest of ingredients except sesame seeds (the margarine is optional, but gives it more savory flavor). continue sautéing for about 5 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. add in the sesame seeds and give it a couple more tosses before removing from heat.

serve warm. i really like to give it a light coat of the ginger-miso dressing from matthew kenney's everyday raw. the book is awesome, so you should definitely pick up a copy. in the meantime, you can find the dressing recipe here.

green bean & peanut stir fry

i tend to make solo meals more spicy than when i'm cooking for others. this particular evening i was craving a stir fry, and had some fresh green beans lying around. i decided to add in some peanuts and give it healthy dose of chili oil. the green bean and peanut combination was fantastic!

• 1 ½ tablespoon chili oil
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon veggie hoisin
• 1/4 cup party peanuts
• 1 large handful green beans (about 25)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 3/4 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water

add oils, peanuts and garlic into a wok or large non-stick skillet. sauté on high for 1 minute. then add in the fresh green beans and stir fry until oil has almost cooked off. it's likely that your green beans are probably not very tender, so at this point, add in the water and hoisin and turn down heat to medium. let the water steam/cook the beans for while, stirring often. as the water starts to cook off (about 5-7 minutes), you'll find a nice glaze from the oil and soy starts to coat the beans and peanuts. this glaze is what i find so tasty about this dish. remove from heat when glaze is at your desired consistency. i think a thick coating with very little liquid, so i cook the full 7 minutes. if you are serving over rice, you might want it a little bit more fluid.

the measurements above were for a single-serving meal, so double or triple as necessary.

simple spicy stir fry

i'm a spice maniac. seriously. my stomach must be made of steel because i love superhuman hot-ness in my foods. this dish will definitely clear the sinuses. i'd suggest modifying the chili paste based upon what you prefer. best of all, it's really low fat and low calorie if you stick to the oil measurements below.

• 7 oz. frozen broccoli
• 1 cup shredded cabbage and carrots
• 2 tablespoons chili paste
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons nama shoyu (or soy)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ground sichuan peppercorns

heat oils and chili paste in a wok on high (about 400°). add in the broccoli, shoyu, galic and ginger and stir fry until well heated (about 7 minutes with frozen broccoli). add the rice vinegar and cabbage mix (i used bag coleslaw mix) and cook for about 5 minutes. toss in the ground sichuan peppercorns about 30 seconds before you finish stir frying.

this recipe only makes one bowl- perfect for the solo spice lover.

general tao's tofu & veggies

the original recipe is one of vegan folklore on vegweb.com. i made some serious modifications to the recipe, partially because the original calls for so much sugar. i do realize that general tao's sauce is sorta sweet anyway, but i just couldn't bring myself to do it. so, although vegweb was the inspiration, below you will find miss v's own less sweet general tao's tofu & veggies.

• 1 container of extra firm tofu
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1½ tablespoons sesame or coconut oil

----------

• 1½ tablespoons ginger (minced)
• 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
  
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1-1½ tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth
  
• 1/4 cup vegan hoisin sauce
• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) vegetable stir fry medley (or more)

tofu prep:
gently squeeze tofu to drain initial water, and then press to rid it of excess moisture. to press: place two layers of papers towels on a plate, place tofu on towels, and another two layers of paper towels on top. put on another plate, an top with a can of veggies or something for a weight. so basically, you will have plate-towels-tofu-towel-plate-weight. let stand for about 15 minutes. after pressing tofu, cut tofu into 1-inch cubes, and freeze. this gives the tofu a firmer and 'meatier' texture. be sure and thaw for at least 4 or 5 hours prior to making recipe.

after thawing, place tofu on paper towels again to remove some moisture that will drain off. on a large plate, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. put tofu cubes on plate and press into cornstarch. sprinkle the other 2 tablespoon of cornstarch on top, and gently roll tofu around until it's lightly coated. heat sesame or coconut oil in wok on 350 (medium-high heat).
drop tofu in and let brown on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes. after about 20 minutes of browning (if needed), turn the heat up to 400 (high) and crisp up the tofu. pull out and place in bowl. if you follow the tofu prep instructions, you should have nice crispy cubes, *scarily* similar to chicken.


in wok on 350, heat ginger, garlic, chili oil, rice vinegar, agave nectar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce. after about 30 seconds, put in the vegetable medley (i use asparagus stir fry). then add in about 1 cup of a pepper strips medley. after stir frying veggies for about 5 minutes, add the vegetable broth and hoisin sauce. turn up heat to about 375 and cook for about 7-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. turn off wok, and immediately drop tofu in and stir up.

top with sesame seeds and serve with rice. i add additional siriacha sauce to my bowl because i like a lot of heat. so although it's not as sweet as traditional general tao's, this is soooo good and to me it tastes exactly like chinese take out. total kitchen time is about an hour, and i'd say it serves about 3-4, depending on the appetites involved.

kraut spring rolls

i have a confession. i have an unnatural obsession with sauerkraut. i didn't actually try it until about two years ago, and i've been scarfing it down in massive quantities ever since. maybe i'm making up for lost kraut time, but i could (and often do) put it on everything.

• 3/4 cup julienne carrots
• 3/4 cup julienne zucchini
• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms
  
• 1 cup sauerkraut
• 2 8½-inch spring roll wrappers

place one spring roll wrapper on a flat plate and run warm water for about 10 seconds over each side (until it feels flexible enough to roll). if it softens too much it will tear easily, so make sure it retains a little bit of its starchiness. on the same plate, place half of the ingredients near one side rice paper and make a small fold over them. fold in the sides, and then finish tightly rolling up the rest of the roll. it's sort of a burrito style roll, if you know what i mean (i always forget to take pictures of the process). repeat with the other wrapper and remaining ingredients.

for the sauce, i prefer 1 part rice vinegar to 1 part nama shoyu/soy.

sichuan green beans

this recipe was inspired by a spontaneous late night dinner at bolings, a fantastic chinese restaurant in kansas city. two days later i was at the asian super market buying sichuan peppercorns and chili oil.

• 1 pound of green beans
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons garlic chili paste
• 2 tablespoons vegetarian hoisin sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons ground sichuan pepper
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
  

steam green beans for 5-7 minutes - they should still reserve some of their crunchiness. heat peanut and chili oil along with garlic and ginger in a wok at about 350f° (medium-high). drop in green beans, and stir fry for about 5 minutes. add in the rest of the ingredients, and continue to stiry fry for about 10 minutes more. top with sesame seeds and serve (with rice if ya like).

zucchini & white bean bird's nest

my garden is on it's last legs as the summer comes to an end. i got to experiment with lots of zucchini recipes this year as they were one of the more plentiful crops in my back yard. while making this recipe, i noticed that when i mixed up the zucchini strips they tended to bind up in a nest-like pattern, hence the name.

• 1 half zucchini
  
• 2 cups cooked northern white beans
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/8 cup nama shoyu (or soy sauce)
  
• 1/8 cup asian sesame dressing

use the julienne blade on a mandolin to cut 1/2 zucchini into strips. mix up the rest of the ingredients and marinate the zucchini and white beans for at least 30 minutes in the mixture.
i made this once with newman's own low fat sesame ginger dressing, and once with kraft light asian toasted sesame. both were equally as good, so just just pick (or make) your own favourite asian dressing.

white bean and veggies in asian peanut sauce

i have been in love with PB2 - a healthier powdered peanut butter - for about the last 4 or 5 months. in the midwest, it can be found at most hy-vee stores with a nature section, but check out their website for other places to purchase it. it's about 53 calories per serving - compared to about 190 for regular peanut butter. it also has about 85% less fat. recently i came across a blog called megan's munchies where readers were challenged to come up with creative recipes using the powdery goodness.

thanks to megan who chose my recipe as one of the winners!

for the peanut sauce:

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons nama shoyu or braggs (less for braggs)
• 1/3 cup pb2
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1-2 teaspoons siriacha sauce (based on heat preference)

for the base:

• cook 10 oz northern white beans (according to package)
• marinate northern white beans overnight in peanut sauce
• steam your favourite stir-fry medley (i used birds eye - asparagus stir fry mix)
• marinate veggies with beans at least 4 hours

after marinating, heat up the bean and veggie mix (i microwaved mine for about a minute on medium heat - you could also gently heat on the stove). then serve with rice or over a bed of zucchini pasta (see the pics above).

asian cabbage salad

this is a really fresh salad that is easy to whip up for just one, or you can multiply the recipe and it makes a great pot luck dish as well.

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup sliced green peppers
• 1/4 cup shitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablesppons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or nama shoyu

all the ingredient amounts can be adjusted to whatever amount you prefer. i tend to just make it up as i go... i toss everything in a bowl and it has a great flavour with a little twang from the mustard. sometimes i even throw in a dash of rice vinegar.

you can get nama shoyu at most health food stores, or i have it listed in my vegan kitchen store.