Simple Soba Salad

You really can't get much more clean-out-the-fridge-before-vacation than this dish.

 

 

Man, you should have seen the inside of the fridge after this.  It was 99% empty!  Almost scary...

 

Adapted from Maple Spice

 

Sauce: blend

•  1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• a pinch of dried ginger
• stevia extract to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
 

Grill tofu slabs drizzled with sauce, broccoli, red onions, red bell peppers, and carrots.  Serve over soba noodles, topped with avocado and leftover sauce.

Soba Noodle Salad

Adapted from Leafy Greens and Me

This was pretty easy: cooked soba noodles, tossed with shredded carrots and cabbage
The sauce was:
lime juice
mirin
soy sauce
sesame oil (a weeee bitty bit)
stevia extract
It was topped with tofu, drizzled with the sauce, and grilled on the panini press.

And no one will blame you if you top it all off with cashews.  Totally slipped my mind...

Easy Vegan Ramen Soup

Yay ramen noodles!  So good for the hot summer days...
Although, you really have to be careful.  Both M and I H-A-T-E seaweed.  We checked the ingredients list on the ramen to make sure it didn't have seaweed, and it didn't.  But it did have "dried vegetables".  So, I dumped the packet in the soup.. and spent the next 20 minutes picking out seaweed from the soup.  Blech.  Oh well, it was still pretty good.  I've made this soup sooo many times, and it's always tasty!

** update: I didn't use the seasoning packet with the next round.  No duh.  Instead, I added dried ginger, white sugar, chili bean paste, veggie bouillon, garlic powder, and vegetarian mushroom/fish sauce.  It was super yum - probably better than with the seasoning packet!  And I felt a BIT better eating it... no weird chemicals.

It pretty simple: saute carrots, onions, and cabbage.  Add in 2 cups veggie broth (to give the soup body), and then enough water to make soup.  Add in 2 packages ramen and their seasoning packets (not the oil packets), vegge bullion, dried ginger, and a little spicy stuff.  Cook until the noodles are done, and serve with fake meat.

Because Everyone Needs Another Stir Fry

Veggies: Bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, onion.
Base: Soba noodles
Sauce: mirin, honey, corn starch, tarragon (lots, dried), rice vinegar, a little lemon juice
Tofu: leftover from here
Top with pine nuts (or other random nut, I just have old pine nuts I need to use up)

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Coconut Udon Tofu Stir Fry

This stir fry is amazing.  I wasn't feeling all that great today- my stomach had been hurting and I have this aweful taste in my mouth.  So I didn't eat very much for my lunch, and by dinner I was so hungry that I didn't really care how much my stomach hurt, I was eating a lot.  So I made this stir fry, which turned out to be just the thing that I have been craving for a long time.  It's been ages since I have made udon noodles, and these seemed to turn out really well.  I thought it was just slightly sauce heavy, and M agreed, so go a bit heavier on the veggies if you want.  And I always love the tofu, as usual...

A Noodle Dish

Adapted from Eat Air

Serves 4

12 oz fried tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 heat broccoli, cut into florets
5-7 green onions, white parts thinly sliced, green parts chopped into 1 inch pieces

4 small carrots, cut on the diagonal

1 red bell pepper

2/3 cup edammame
1 tsp ginger, grated
2/3 cup reduced fat coconut milk
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp basil

1 tsp curry paste

1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
2 tbsp corn starch
Udon noodles, cooked, to serve

Peanuts, to serve

Mix together the coconut milk through the corn starch in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a wok over medium high heat with a bit of water. Add the carrot and sauté for a couple minutes and then add the broccoli and ginger. Cook for 3 more minutes and add in the bell pepper and green onion. After another minute add the edammame, and then stir fry another couple seconds. Add in the sauce and cook for another minute. Add in the tofu, heat through, and serve over udon noodles topped with peanuts.

Multi-Nut Stir Fry (Pine Nuts!)

Here's something really pretty, really tastey, and really easy.  In other words, I could eat this every week and still be happy.  I got some pine nuts for Christmas, (I know, I'm weird), and this is how I broke the pakcage open.   Oh my gosh, this was so good.  The pine nuts and sun flower seeds, neither of  which I had eaten in a stir fyr before, were absolutely fabulous.  Although the ration of noodles to veggies was higher than I would normally do, this has got ot be one of my favourite stir fries that I have made in a long time.  The leftovers were good, too, which was a huge plus.

Triple Nut Stir Fry

Serves 4

Adapted from 101 Vegetarian Cookbooks

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mirin
½ cup tamarind juice
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Chili sauce, to taste

Fine-grain sea salt

2 bundles soba noodles, cooked
12 ounces fried tofu

1 onion, sliced

4 carrots, sliced into thin strips

2 baby bok choy, sliced

Sesame seeds, pine nuts, and sunflower seeds

Mix together the sugar through the sea salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat a bit of water in a wok over high heat, and then add the onion. After a minute add in the carrots, and then cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the bok choy and cook until almost tender. Add the tofu, sauce, and noodles. Keep stirring until combined. Serve topped with sesame seeds, pine nuts, and sunflower seeds.

Spring Rolls

I have not made spring rolls in ages, but here they are on the menu again.  And they are better than ever!  I spotted an interesting recipe in my cookbook, and though that it looked like a good way to use up some rice noodles that M and I got for a prize a while back when we spent $20 at the Asian Market.  Odd, I think, to win free noodles, but there you have it.  Anyway, I loved these spirng rolls, and they came in handy for my lunch and dinner.  The egg on the outside really gave them a nice coat, and baking them really created a nice cruncy outside.  The really amazing thing, though, was that they are about 35 calories each.  That's what I call low calorie, especially if you think about all the oil that goes into other spring rolls.

Thai Spring Rolls

Makes about 20

Adapted from Low-Fat No-Fat Thai

About 2 oz cellophane noodles

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 carrot, shredded

1 small bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 small can bamboo shoots, drained

4 oz frozen tofu, thawed and chopped

2 tbsp vegetarian oyster flavoured soy sauce

2 tsp agave nectar

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

20 spring roll wrappers

2 tbsp flour mixed with water to form a thick paste

1 egg white

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles.  Remove from heat, and let sit for 20 minutes.  Drain, and roughly chop.

Meanwhile, for the filling, heat a wok over medium high heat.  Add a bit of water, and then the garlic.  Stir for a couple seconds, and toss in the bell pepper and cabbage.  After those are tender, about 3 minutes, add the carrot, green onions, bamboo, and tofu.  Heat through, and remove from heat.  Add in the cooked noodles, soy sauce, agave, and cilantro, and mix through.

Heat the oven to 425. 

To make the wraps:  Place about 2 tbsp of the filling in a line in the middle of a wrapper, horizontal to you.  Fold the edge farthest away from you over the filling to cover it, and then fold in the two sides.  With your finger, add a bit of the flour paste to the edge closest to you.  Roll the edge closest to you up to create a roll (it should seal with the flour paste).  Brush with the egg white, and place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray.  Repeat with remaining filling.

Bake for 10 minutes, until heated through.  Serve with a dipping sauce.

Tofu And Coconut Noodles

I really don't think that there is anything spectacular about this dish that really makes it stand out.  But, it's still really good.  Not to mention so simple to make, like most things similar to these types of dishes.  And it has coconut milk, which I still seem to be addicted to.  This is another dish that goes well with pretty much any veggies, and is a good fridge cleaner-outer.

Coconut Noodles with Tofu and Veggies

Serves 4

Adapted from Chinese and Thai 400

1 tbsp masaman curry paste

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp corn starch

1 cup reduced fat coconut milk

1 onion, thickly sliced

3 carrots, chopped

1 large head broccoli florets

3/4 lb green beans, chopped into 1/2 inch lengths

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

12  oz package fried tofu

2 servings frozen egg noodles, cooked in boiling water until thawed, and drained

Mix together the curry paste through coconut milk in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat a wok over medium high heat.  Add the onion and carrots, and saute for 2 minutes, and then add the green beans.  Saute for another two minutes and add the bell pepper and broccoli.  Saute until almost tender, about 4 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and sauce, and cook until heated through and well mixed, about 2 more minutes.  Serve.

Asparagus and Tofu Soba Stir Fry

I went to the grocery store yesterday, and oh my gosh.  They had the most beautiful veggies that I have ever seen in my life.  I had such a hard time holding myself to just getting what M and I could manage to eat, or else those beautiful veggies would have gone bad.  But, oh- the bell peppers were so big and red, and the asparagus was so tall and thin.  I was falling over with excitement, and M was just rolling her eyes at me the whole time.  Who cares, though, because they were so pretty.  I really wish that veggies would always be that pretty, but a person really has to take advantage of moments like this when they can, lest the pretty veggies disappear without a chance for them to appear on their plate. 

Which is what happened to a bunch of asparagus in this dish, which tastes stellar for the minimal 20 minutes of time it requires to make.  I loved the sauce, which way almost too spicy, but just right in this case.  The veggies were so fresh and excellent quality, that they really shone in the stir fry.  Not to mention that the long matchstick shapes were absolutely beautiful on a plate.  The sesame seeds nicely round things off.  Not to mention the ever popular tofu made an appearance in this dish once again.

Tofu, Asparagus and Carrot Soba Stir Fry

Serves 4

Adapted from 330 Vegetarian Recipes

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
Equal amount of carrot matchsticks
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup each soy sauce, dry sherry, and mirin
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp agave nectar or honey

Chili sauce, to taste

12 oz pakcage fried tofu, cut in half if large

2 servings soba noodles, cooked

Black and white sesame seeds, to serve

Heat a wok over medium high heat coated with nonstich spray.  Add the asparagus, carrots and green onions, and stir fry until almost tender, about 6 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix together the soy sauce through chili sauce in a small bowl.  Add to the wok, with the tofu.  Cook for another minute and add the noodles.  Saute until heated through, and serve with sesame seeds.

More Noodles and Veggies

I tried yoga for the first time yesterday for several years, and it was amazing.  I loved it.  I was so relaxed, but it felt like I had actually gotten a decent core workout, and I was actually really tired afterward (admittedly, I had done a weight-lifting class an hour before).  I really want to start doing yoga every week.  I think that will be my new year's resolution.  M wants to do the same thing, only twice a week instead of once a week.  M's old.  She needs her yoga and stretching time.  But really, I enjoyed the yoga more than I thought possible.  My favourite part had to be at the very end, when the teacher sprayed the room with peppermint purfume, and we just sat on our mats for a good ten minutes.  I was so unwilling to leave the room, and just wanted to stay like that forever.  But the depressing part was when I got home, I could feel the tension coming right back on, and it was back to normal life in a matter of seconds.  But, as I said, the yoga was so relaxing, and I am hoping that it will get rid of some of my issues caused by stress from school and life.

Another destresser has got to be cooking.  Even more so when the dish turns out really good, like it did tonight.  This dish was actually supposed to be a noodle pancake sort of thing, and the noodles were to be fried and become a disc.  Well, that didn't exactly work out, so I decided to just go with a plain old stir fry.  It was still really really good, and both M and I loved it all the same. 

Noodles with Vegetables
Serves 4

Adapted from Chinese and Thai 400

3 servings frozen egg noodles

2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cup cauliflower florets
2-3 cups green cabbage, shredded
3 cups crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 bunch green onions, chopped
½ lb snow peas or snap peas, trimmed
¾ cup bean sprouts
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup soy sauce, plus more as needed
3 tbsp agave nectar
¼ cup mirin
1 tbsp vegetarian chicken bullion
¾ cup vegetarian bacon
Boil a pot of lightly salted water, and cook the noodles until tender. Drain, and keep warm.
Meanwhile, mix together the cornstarch through bullion. Set aside.

Reheat the wok, and add the garlic, cauliflower and broccoli with a bit of water. Sauté for a minute and add the carrots, pepper, mushrooms, green onion, and snow peas. Sauté until almost tender, and then add the sauce. Cook until heated through and stir in the bean sprouts and “bacon”. Stir in the noodles, and add more soy sauce as needed.

Coconut Milk - Not All THAT Bad

I have always been shy of using coconut milk because it is so high in fat.  But then I saw it in one of my new healthy cookbooks, and realized that in small quantites, especially the light varieties, it's not all that bad, really.  So I decided to tackle this pretty simple dish with coconut milk.  The only glitch I ran into was adding the milk.  When I poured  the milk straight from the can, the milk was separated.  I ended up getting all the cream in the stir fry, and then all that was left over was a thin, slightly opaque water.  So I spent some time scooping what I could out of the wok, and it seemed to still be ok.  Actually, this dish was way more than ok.  It was one of the best things that I have ever tasted.  I was in love with this dish from my very first bite.  I really have to start to use coconut more, because it is amazingly good.  The funny  thing was that I thought the leftovers were even better.  Probably because the flavours had had time to mix.  Whatever.  It was still amazing, and I could totally live of of this stir fry.

Noodles and Veggies in Coconut Sauce
Serves 6

Adapted from Chinese and Thai 400

1 tbsp, or to taste, masaman curry paste
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 cups broccoli
2 large carrots, coined
½ 14 oz can reduced fat coconut milk
A couple drops coconut extract
½ cup Silk
½ cup water
1 tbsp vegetarian chicken bullion
2 servings frozen egg noodles
1 tbsp mushroom flavoured soy sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 vegetarian hot dogs, chopped
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 small red chili, for garnish (opt)

Heat a wok over medium heat. Add the curry paste and onion and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the onion has slightly softened. Add the bell pepper through carrots. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Bring the heat to medium, and add the broccoli florets, coconut milk, coconut extract, silk, broth, and noodles. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and heat through, and serve.

Cabbage: Cheap, Healthy, Healing

Ahh, the joys of being sick.  Not.  Sheesh, I felt awful when I got home that day- I think I might have had a quick surge of a fever, because for a couple hours I was shivering like nobody's buisness, and then felt like something set on fire.  And then I had to go give a short improv speech about a quote from Asher Lev.  (Which I got a 100 on.  Not to brag- my grade really needed that, though.) 

But why do you care about that?  You don't.  I just felt like typing that...  But, I think this cabbage worked miracles for me and my sickness.  Once it was finally done cooking, I dragged myself over to the table, and M dished up the noodles and cabbage.  And then I was in heaven for about half an hour.  I dunno how to describe this- how about amazing?  The steam helped my nose, and it tasted quite creamy.  Exactly the thing a sick person is craving when they want a healthy, tastey, nourishing dish. 

This is so simple to put together, too, and was a nice way to use up a leftover pile of cabbage that was lying around.  Plus, the leftovers were as good as leftovers can get, which is quite convenient. 

Oh- if you are like me, your wok does not have a lid.  I use a cookie sheet.  But whatever works for you, I say go for it!

And about grating the carrots, make sure you have a nice grater- preferably one that stands on its own, and use the large holes.  Otherwise, I think you might end up grating all night, and with really orange hands when the carrots are all gone.

Halushki with Egg Noodles

Adapted from Vegan Dad

Serves about 6

1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
1 leek, white and light green part, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, grated

1 small head of cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp basil, chopped

3 Portobello mushrooms, chopped

1 ½ cups boca crumbles
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp miso paste
½ tbsp corn starch
1 ½ tbsp agave nectar

salt and pepper to taste

cooked egg noodles

Mix together the soy sauce through the agave in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large wok over high heat with a bit of water. Add the onion and leeks, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the cabbage and carrots and stir through. When the cabbage has wilted slightly, add the sauce and cover for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. Stir in the basil, and serve over egg noodles.

An Odd Combination of Asian and Italian

If you are undecided about what ethnicity to make your stir fry, well, here's what I suggest.  The unique (and, quite frankly, easy) sauce for this one provides Italian and Asian!  Yay!..

I think that's what makes this such a unique dish, at least to me.  I ususally end up with a combination with soy sauce, mirin, and rice vinegar, with a couple other things.  But not this one.  Well, I couldn't resist adding some soy sauce, as the original recipe called for oil, and something needed to form the sauce.  And I find miso paste adds such a deep and rich flavour to dishes.  But the combination was perfect.  And, for some really odd reason, I was drawn to the broccoli in the dish.  Don't ask why, because I have no clue.  Maybe I'm just going crazy, but that, along with the spinach, was just extra good. 

And the beans were different.  Never had a stir fry with beans before, but they seemed to be just the thing in here.  M and I are still working on our huge quantity of beans... I am so determined to finish them off.  In a year, hopefully (knock on wood).

Italian-Asian Udon Stir Fry

Inspired by VeganYumYum
Serves 4

Udon Noodles, to serve

1 bunch spinach, stems removed

3 cups broccoli or broccolini

1-2 tsp chili sauce (to taste)

Black Pepper

Salt

1 leek, tough green part of the stems removed, chopped
1 package oyster mushrooms, large ones chopped
1 onion, sliced thick
1 large carrot, coined
1 red bell pepper, sliced
½ cup dried white beans soaked and cooked, or 1 can or beans
1 tbsp Italian Herbs
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3-4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp miso paste
½ tbsp corn starch
Cashews and fresh basil leaves, for topping

Mix together the chili sauce, pepper, salt, Italian herbs, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, and corn starch, and stir until corn starch and miso dissolve.
Heat a wok over high heat. Add the onion and carrots, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the leek and broccoli, and after 2 more minutes add the mushrooms and bell pepper. When they are almost tender add the spinach, and let wilt. Add the beans and sauce, and heat through.
Serve over udon, topped off with cashews and basil leaves.

Hoisin Udon Stir Fry

I think I have totally and completely fallen in love with hoisin sauce.  It is so sweet and tangy... and... good.  I know for a fact that I like sweet and heavyily flavoured foods, and stir fries are no exception to that.  Not to mention udon noodles have to be some of the best form of starch out there (but, honestly, have you ever met an Asian noodle that you haven't liked?)  There is just something about their thickness and slurp-able-ness that is irrisistable.  And where does all this get a person?  To what I had for dinner last night- this stir fry, based on Vegan Dad's Sweet Setian Stir-fry.  I originally had planned on using setian, but the pieces kind of decinigrated a bit, so tofu knots came to the rescue.  They were certainly just as good, or even better.  The cauliflower was a last minute addition, and I had a green onion crisis- we were all out, so I subbed a regular onion instead.  It still turned out to be one of the better stir fries that have appeared in front of M and I at dinnertime. 

When I first tasted the dish, it was slightly bland, so I added a bit more hoisin sauce to just my serving.  M said it was just fine with her, so it all depends.  I recommend having the sauce at the table, just in case. 

Hoisin Udon Stir Fry with Tofu Knots

Serves 4

Inspired by Vegan Dad

½ recipe beef setian, or 75 grams tofu knots, soaked

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 package snap peas (.75 lb), trimmed
2 cups broccoli
2 carrots, coined
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 baby bok choy, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 onion, sliced
2 cups cauliflower
1 tbsp grated ginger

1. Mix together the soy sauce, mirin, agave, and hoisin sauce.
2. Heat a wok over high heat with a bit of water. Add the onion and carrot. After a minute, add the cauliflower. After 2 more minutes add the garlic, broccoli, and ginger. Add the peas and pepper a minute later, and heat through. Add the bok choy and cook until wilted. Add the sauce and tofu or setian, and cook until you are satisfied. Serve over udon noodles.

Sweet and Fiery Coconut Udon Stir Fry

Sheesh, I feel like I have been neglecting to post recently, but really M and I have been working hard on finishing off the various leftovers (mainly the Unfried Rice, which I still think was absolutely A-Mazing).  That, and what with school being so demanding, I think I am going to be stuggling with posting as often as I want.  But no worries there, because, hey, I will never stop cooking... until someone holds me at knifepoint, I will not stop chopping (no pun intended).  But here is my latest and greatest.

This is another takeoff on one of the recipes from my cookbook that I got recently called Wok.  The original is called Turkey Ragout with Coconut.  I guess you are wondering how a ragout turns into a stir fry, but it happens here, folks!  The sauce stayed basically the same, with a few additions, and I added a few more veggies.  And tofu knots made a great stand-in for the turkey.  In the version that I made, I decided to add some celery, but that did not really seem to fit in too well, so I have omitted it in this version of the recipe.  Other than that, I honestly think that this is a very interesting combination of flavours.  Make sure your green beans are actually decent quality, or just substitute something else, because I think that they could make or break this dish.
And, oh.... the loves of my life: udon noodles and tofu knots.  I can't seem to down enough of these things.  Either of them!  And I love coconut extract, too.  It really seems to be such a good toy in the kitchen for amping up the flavour of dishes. 

Oh, goodie, now I get to go look for similies and metaphors and such... my favourite.  Can't my teachers just grade my cooking, instead?

Sweet and Fiery Coconut Udon Stir Fry

Serves 4

Inspired by Wok

1/2 bag dried bean curd skin knots (75 grams total), soaked in water until soft
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup basil leaves, torn
1 bunch spinach
Just under 2 cups snap peas, trimmed
.7 lb shiitake mushrooms, chopped large
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tbsp coconut extract
1 1/2 tbsp yellow curry paste
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp agave nectar
1-2 tsp chili sauce, to taste
4 servings udon noodles, cooked and kept warm
Nuts for topping (I tried both walnuts and almonds)

Mix together the coconut extract through the agave, and set aside.
Heat a large wok coated with nonstick spray over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms, and cook for a minute.  Add the green beans and snap peas, and cook for 2 or 3 more minutes, and then add the bell pepper and green onion.  When the veggies are almost done, add the basil, spinach, and sauce.  When the spinach is wilted toss in the bean curd skin, and heat through.
Serve over udon noodles topped off with nuts.

A Heavy and (Of Course) Delish Stir Fry

Another one of those lovely clean-out-the fridge recipes.  I don't know who doesn't love those... I sure do.  Anyway, I was very pleasently surprised to see how good this one turned out.  So much better than I though it would.  And it took so much less time that I had predicted, too, which is always nice.  I know, this isn't the prettiest stir fry, but who cares when it is something that you just want to gobble up at lightning speed? 

Anyway, I really think straw mushrooms are growing on me.  And the balance of the bean sauce in the sauce (that sounds kind of weird) was perfect, so yay for this recipe.  The tofu knots are always something that both M and I really enjoy, and so are the walnuts, which I have just recently discovered as another nuts possibility for stir fries.  Hehe, I got to use another one of my monster onions in this recipe, too.  I love those babies!  They are awesome, and totally outdo any onions that you could ever find. 

Black Bean Sauce Stir Fry

Serves 4-6

Adapted from CookShareEat.com


• 6 oz soba noodles, or any other kind of noodle, cooked
• Veggie broth, as needed
• 3-4 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce (I just happened to have just over 3, so I usedit up…)
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• Chili sauce, to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 monster onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 heads baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 large portabella mushroom, chopped
• 3 cups shiitake mushrooms, cut into large pieces
• 1 can straw mushrooms
• 1 leek, tough green stems removed, chopped
• 1 large carrot
• ½ package dried bean curd knots (75 grams), soaked
• 4 green onions, sliced into ½ inch pieces
• Walnuts


1. In a small bowl, combine black bean sauce, soy sauce, mirin, nectar, chili sauce, and corn starch. Set aside for later.
2. Heat a wok coated with nonstick spray over high heat. Add the onion, and sauté for a minute, then add the carrot and leek, adding broth as needed. Cook for another minute, until heated up again. Then add Portobello and shiitakes, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until almost almost tender. Add the green onions, and cook for another minute. Add the bok choy, cook for another minute, and then add the sauce, bean curd skin, and straw mushrooms. Cook until it’s done to your liking.
3. You can either stir in the noodles, or serve them separately. Top with walnuts.

Orange Pho Noodles

As I was hunting around for ideas on how to use up some left over pho noodles, I stumbled upon this recipe on Vegan Dad's blog.  I thought I would give it a whirl, and see how things turned out.  I added a few more veggies, as usual, and increased the sauce a bit.  Even with these changes, when I first ate it, the stir fry seemed kind of bland, so I though about it for a minute, and darted back to the kitchen for some hot sauce and five spice powder.  That seemed to lived it up a little bit.  Actually, with those additions it was quite tasty.  I think, though, that this recipe could do with a bit more work, and here I have posted what I think would be the ideal recipe. 

This combination of veggies should work well, and the marmalade always seems to add extra depth to orangey dishes.  Hopfully I can give this version a whirl soon...

Orange Pho Noodles, Tofu, and Veggies

Serves 4

Inspired by Vegan Dad

3.5 oz Pho noodles, cooked in boiling water for a minute or two and soaked for 45 minutes
8 oz tofu, pressed and cubed
1 red pepper, sliced into slivers
2 baby bok choy, chopped
2 1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 ½ cups snap peas
4 cups shiitake mushrooms, chopped
6 green onions, cut into 1"pieces
3 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp miso paste
1/3 cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar free orange marmalade
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp five spice powder, or to taste
2 tsp chili sauce, or to taste
Peanuts

1. Mix together the soy sauce, corn starch, miso, orange juice, marmalade, agave, five spice powder, and hot sauce in a small bowl.
2. Heat a wok over high heat with a bit of water. Add the broccoli and shiitakes, and sauté for 2 minutes, adding more water as needed. Add the peas and, and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until shiitakes are about ½ way done. Add the bell pepper and onions. After 2 more minutes add the bok choy. When the bok choy has wilted add the sauce and tofu, and heat through. Add the noodles, and stir until hot and everything is coated with the sauce.
3. Serve, topped off with peanuts.

Udon Noodle Stir Fry

Several months ago, I had seen this most amazing picture of a noodle stir fry.  It really must have made an impression on me, because I think I actually dreamed about those noodles several times.  Long, thick, lucious noodles with a slightly sweet and soy-saucy sauce, mixed with some of my favourite veggies in the whole world.  To my dismay, though, I could not find the website again.  I searched, and, finally!  I had rediscovered that website with those noodles that had been haunting me. 

I took the recipe and modified it a bit, adding more veggies and such, and could hardly wait to try it.  The only major change was that M and I could find nothing but fresh udon noodles- none of the big yellow ones that the original called for.  But the stir fry turned out so excellent- the noodles were delicious, the sauce perfect, and the veggies were all among my favourites.  Especially the king oyster mushrooms! 
You can find the udon noodles in the frozen/refrigerated section of the Asian markets.  Mine were part of a soup mix, but I through the seasoning packets away as they contained squid extract.  The noodles were vegetarian, though (obviously).  I have got to do more cooking with udon, now that I know I can buy them.

Udon Noodle Stir Fry

Serves 4

Inspired by Melting Wok

Ingredients
16 oz fresh udon noodles
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
12 oz king oyster mushrooms (3 small or 2 large)
1 red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups snap peas
2 baby bok choy
5 oz spinach
2 ½ cups red cabbage
1 egg, beaten
½ tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp stir fry sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp mirin
½ tbsp hot sauce
Pepper to taste
Cashews or peanuts for garnish

Mix together the corn starch, stir fry sauce, soy sauce, agave, mirin, and hot sauce in a bowl. Set aside

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until they begin to separate, just over five minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat a bit of water in a wok over medium high heat. Add the cabbage and mushrooms, and stir fry for a minute or so. Add the bell pepper, garlic, and peas, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the green onion and bok choy, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the spinach, stir until wilted, then create a crater in the middle of the veggies. Pour in the egg, and allow to sit for several minutes, until the egg is almost cooked through. Stir in the egg and add the sauce, and cook until heated through. Serve, topped off with nuts.

Pho and Mock Beef

Around two months ago, I tried this seitan beef recipe from Vegan Dad's blog to use in a stir fry and a salad.  It was really quite tasty, and had a great texture and flavour.  I modified it a bit, cutting out the oil, and I dry-fried them instead of using oil.  It was so wierd how they almost smelled like real beef when they were cooking!  I never would have guessed that something like that was possible with non-meat ingredients.  Incredible recipe, Vegan Dad!  Only, the first time I made them, the pieces seemed pathetically small after frying, so I researched setian a bit more (it was my first time working with the stuff).  It seems that most recipies call for boiling the setian in broth, so I decided to try that.  It was quite... cool.. to see how much bigger the pieces got,  and how much of the water they absorbed.  So, if you are unframiliar with setian and are more than slightly dismayed when you see how small the pieces are, never fear.  Just boil it!

And now about the Pho.  When I was visiting my aunt and uncle, my aunt highly recommended trying this soup.  She told me that it was Vietnamese, and was usually made with beef, but it could be made vegetarian.  Well, of course I had to eventually give it a shot, and yesterday was the day.  I thought there were quite a few interesting ingredients in the few recipes that I looked at, and the one I finally settled on looked like it was authentic enough, without having to chase all over for ingredients in bags that neither M nor I can read.  The one thing, though, that we couldn't find at that certain store was anise, which made me really mad because I had seen it before.  Murphy's law, I guess. 

But the soup was quite fun to make, and rather easy too for the amount that it made.  I used official pho noodles, of course, which seemed rather bland until I added chili garlic sauce to my serving of the soup- M thought they tasted just fine as is.  The broth was rather interesting I though, especially with the cinnamon stick and the five spice powder.  It was sweet, but it fit just right with the soup.  Most certainly, it was not a heavy broth at all, and very clear.  And the veggies were, of course, great, as was the beef..!  This is a very unique soup, and unlike anything that I have ever had before.  I really should try more of this Vietnamese stuff... you know?

Mock Beef

Adapted from Vegan Dad

Makes enough for two recipes, I guess

1/4 cup TVP (textured vegetable protien)

2 tbsp vegetarian stir fry sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp bbq sauce sauce

1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce, or something similar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tbsp water (if needed)

Mix all the wet ingredients with the TVP and let sit for five minutes or so.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything hold together, adding water as needed.  Roll the dough into several long snakes, as thin as possible, and cut into pieces.  Keep in mind that they will double in size when boiled.
Heat a large frying pan coated with nonstick spray over medium heat.  Saute the beef for 5 minutes or so, until browned. 
Boil a large pot of broth, and then add the beef and let simmer for about an hour.  Remove from broth.  They can be frozen, but I don't know how long- atleast a couple weeks, probably.
The broth can still be used later, it tastes really good!

Vegetarian Pho

Serves 6-8

Adapted from Gastronomy

• 7 oz flat rice noodles
• 1 1 inch piece ginger
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 8 cups water
• 1 ½ tablespoons Chinese five spice
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar
• 1/2 recipe mock beef
• 1 leek, top tough part removed
• 1 onion, chopped rather large
• 1 ½ cups bean sprouts
• 8 oz. mushrooms (any variety, but something with a heavy flavor would work best like king oyster or shiitake)
• Extra soy sauce
• Chili garlic sauce
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• Limes, cilantro, and/or basil, to serve

Cook the rice noodles in boiling water for 1 1/2 minutes, remove from heat, and let soak for 45 minutes or more, until they stop expanding.
Bring the 8 cups water to a boil in a large soup pot.  Add the ginger, cinnamon, bullion, five spice powder, soy sauce, and sugar.  Stir to dissolve the bullion cubes, and simmer for atleast 45 minutes, the longer the better.  When ready to use, remove ginger and cinnamon.
Heat a wok over high heat.  Add a few tablespoons of water, and saute the onion and leeks for 5 minutes, adding water as needed.  Add the mushrooms, saute for 2 more minutes, then add the bean sprouts and pepper.  Cook until all veggies are tender, about 3 more minutes.  Then add the beef, and stir.
To serve, place some noodles in the bottom of a large bowl.  Top with the veggie mixture, and then ladle the broth over everything.  Add extra soy sauce and chili garlic sauce to taste, and garnish with basil, limes, and/or cilantro.

Confetti Soba Salad

All that I can really say about the creation of this salad is that I found two really good recipes, and kind of mashed them together, and then ended up throwing a few more ingredients in the sauce to end up with a delicious and satisfying salad.  Another great recipe for a summer's day, but I am sure it could quickly become a fantastic stir fry as well. 

The story begins with, as usual, my hunt for recipes.  I found a website with a post called Cold Noodle Salads for Hot Days on The Kitchn, and was quickly attracted by the lovely pictures and tantelizing ingredients.  I was wavering between two salads, one called Bun Chay and the other Soba Noodles with Wilted Bok Choy, so I decided to combine the ingredients, kind of, and throw in a few ideas of my own. 
The results were fantastic, and M agreed.  This is kind of like the Otsu, but more in look than in taste.  It has more of a darker flavour, and is not quite as springy.  Still, the boatload of veggies make this an excellent dish, and add lots of colour- thus the name.  Enjoy!

Soba Confetti Salad


Serves 6-8

Inspired by Soba Noodles with Wilted Bok Choy and Bun Chay

1 very large or two small carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
3 baby bok choy, stems and leaves separated and both cut into thin slices.
4 oz soba noodles
6 scallions, cut into ½ inch or so slices
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts
8 oz tofu
2 tbsp agave nectar
3 tbsp mirin
5 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
¾ tsp Chinese hot mustard powder
Fresh herbs like basil
Cashews

Cook the soba noodles according to the package. It should be about 8 minutes, if you can’t read it! Drain, cut the noodles into smaller pieces (this makes life a lot easier, but if you insist on not doing this, then be my guest), and put in a large bowl.
Heat a pot over medium-high heat (I used the same kettle). Add the bok choy leaves and sauté, adding water as needed, for about 3 minutes, until wilted. Remove to the bowl.
Heat the pot one more time, and add the peanut oil and tofu, and fry for 15 minutes or so, until the tofu becomes lightly browned and firm. Add to the bowl as well.
Add the carrots, scallions, cabbage, and bean sprouts to the bowl.
In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients except the herbs and cashews until the miso is dissolved. Add to the noodle mixture, and stir to coat. Chill (or just leave it out) until ready to serve. Serve at any temperature, topped with herbs and cashews.

Just to say this again, this would probably make a great stir fry too. Just chuck the veggies in a wok!