Honey "Chicken" Stir Fry

I haven't really made an official stir fry in such a long time, and I figured that last Friday was the perfect night to make the stir fry that had been waiting on my list for so long.  By the way- the list of recipes that I want to cook is probably about 3 weeks worth of food.  I am never going to catch up, even if I eat five thousand calories a day... sigh.  Anyway, so I went with this quickie dish that night, and it surpassed my expectations by quite a bit.  There was that lovely hint of honey (alliteration!), along with the usual soy sauce.  I wouldn't say that the flavour was very complex or involved by any means- in fact, it was a rather simple recipe as far as stir frys go.  But there was certainly enough flavour to make it taste really really really good.  And I mean really good.  I still hold my firm belief that corn starch is one of the most amazing substances that I have ever used in the kitchen, because of the amount of intensity it can add to a dish.  Amazing stuff!  You should try it some time...

All in all, I would certainly make this dish again (if I every get a chance to make something again), and I was very satisfied with this filling and colourful stir fry.

Honey "Chicken" Stir Fry

Adapted from Tigers and Strawberries

Serves 2

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soy sauce plus extra

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp corn starch

2 large carrots, cut on the diagonal

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1/3 lb snap peas, trimmed

4 green onions, chopped

2 cups vegetarian chicken

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Cooked rice, to serve

Mix together the honey though corn starch in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat a wok coated with nonstick spray over medium high heat.  Add a bit of water with the carrots.  After a minute add the broccoli, garlic, and ginger, and stir fry for another 2 minutes.  Add the bell pepper and snap peas, and stir fry for another 2 minutes.  Add in the remaining ingredients except rice and heat through for another minute or so.  Serve over cooked rice with extra soy sauce.

On Vegetarian Mutton

When I was looking for the shrimp last week, mutton caught my eye.  Absolutely no reason for that, but it just did.  When picking out recipes for the week, I was leafing through my Wok cookbook, and, what do you know- there were several good looking recipes with lamb!  I was pumped, and got the bag of mutton on the next trip to the Asian market. 

And so, I think I died that night and went to heaven.  Seriously.  Literally.  It.  Was.  So.  Good.

That's all that I have to say.  Perfection in every aspect.  The mutton was actually kind of funny- it was this huge brown block, and had to be microwaved for almost five minutes before M and I could crumble it into the wok.  And then we had to wait for the stuff to heat through, but, hey, it was so worth it.  The combo of veggies was just perfect, and the sauce was excellent.  I can't really remember what meat tastes or feels like, and I never had eaten mutton before I turned vegetarian, but it seemed real enough, and had a subtle and interesting flavour.  Just try it- you'll see what I mean.  And then think you have gone to heaven too.

Blows-Your-Sock-Off Vegetarian Mutton Stir Fry

Serves 4-6

Inspired by Wok

1 package vegetarian mutton, defrosted and broken into bits (I think mine was about 3-4 cups)

2 medium-small onions, sliced thick

1 monster carrot, coined
.75 lb shiitake mushrooms, chopped large
.75 lb snap peas, trimmed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 small baby bok choy, cut into strips

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 inch ginger, chopped
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
6 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp rice vinegar
6 tbsp mirin
Chili sauce, to taste
½ tbsp corn starch

Cashews

Mix together the hoisin sauce through corn starch in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat with a bit of water. Add the onion and carrot, and cook for two minutes. Add the shiitakes, and then after two more minutes add the snap peas and bell pepper. Mix through and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for another minute or so, and then add the bok choy. When that has wilted (and there is room in the wok), add the mutton and sauce, and heat through. Serve over rice, topped with cashews.

Cashew Shrimp Stir Fry- My First Mock Meat!!

 I had this dish at a restaurant called Green Sprout in Atlanta, Georgia one night, and it was the bomb.  I highly recommend Green Sprout, by the way, if you ever happen to be in Atlanta.  I'm pretty sure they are vegan, and they have such a delightful array of chinese dishes with the most stellar mock meats.

But, when I saw this recipe on Chow Vegan, I knew fate was calling to me.  I had to make this stir fry.  As luck would have it, the Asian Market has a whole isle in the frozen section dedicated to vegetarian stuff, which M and I have looked at before, but never really thought of buying anything.  That was totally a mistake.  If you ever have the chance to buy some of those mock meats, do so.  Yes, they are a bit pricy, but I think that a couple dollars is a small sacrifice if you are floating in happiness for several days afterward, which I was.  Actually, M did not like the shrimp at all, but that is only because of what we called "the Fishy Flavour".  If you like nori, seaweed, and things like that, this is so a dish that you should try.  I loved the texture of the shrimp, and they were so cute!  Even though I am not a big fishy flavour person, I still liked the shrimp enough.  M had the stir fry sans the shrimp-tofu instead- and was in love with it.  Of course, I loved it too!  And, like most stir frys, this one is really quick to whip up. 

I think that the ham flavouring was such a nice addition to the sauce.  I really have to start using it more.  It's kind of like miso- adding a dark, rich, and complex flavour.  And if you find that you need more sauce, don't hesitate to add more- the rice is like a sponge...

Cashew Veggie Shrimp

Inspired by Chow Vegan

Serves 4

8 oz package frozen vegetarian shrimp, or other mock meat
.75 lb package shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 large carrot, coined
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli
.75 lb package snap peas, trimmed
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1" piece fresh ginger, minced
4 tbsp soy sauce
Chili paste, to taste
2 tbsp agave nectar
Salt, to taste
4 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp Better Than Bullion Vegetarian Ham flavouring
½ tbsp corn starch
Cashews, for topping

Set out the shrimp to thaw.
Mix together the soy sauce through the corn starch in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok coated in nonstick spray over high heat with a bit of water. Cook the carrots for a minute, adding more water as needed. Add the broccoli and mushrooms, and after two more minutes add the cabbage, garlic, and ginger. After another minute or so, add the peas and bell pepper. 3 minutes later add the shrimp and sauce and heat through. Make sure the shrimp is thawed!
Serve over rice, topped off with cashews.

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.

Bamboo- Fresh!

So, I was adventurous enough to give fresh bamboo shoots a go today.  I actually bought them quite awhile ago, but have never had the chance to make this dish until today for lunch.  The original recipe is from that amazing cookbook called Wok.  The weird thing, though, is that the bamboo shoots in their picture look nothing like the ones I got from the Asian market. 

Oh, it was kind of funny- M and I had no clue what these were when we got them.  I was pretty sure they were bamboo shoots, but there was no lable or anything.  When we were checking out, they rang up as bamboo shoots, and I said "Oh, look.  We guessed right."

So, we ended up with this for lunch.  And I have to say, I almost hesitated when I was cutting up the bamboo shoots because they looked so darn funny!  But they went in, along with the odd assortment of veggies that were lying around.  I do have to say, I think M and I are big fans of hoisin sauce!  That stuff tastes great, and gave this dish a boost in flavour.  I would certainly make this one again, and perhaps serve it over rice.  I think the alfalfa is another really unique thing about this stir fry.  I never would have thought of it, but Wok said to top it off with alfalfa, and so I obeyed.  The sprouts add a pleasant crunch, and M said it made her feel like she was eating a salad.  Which I kind of felt like too.  A darn good salad.  With bamboo... go figure.

Bamboo Shoots and Veggies in Hoisin Sauce

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Wok

1 lb fresh bamboo shoots, cut into halves (I don’t know how many pounds I used, but it was about 3-4 cups, one box at the Asian market)
½ lb shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup snap peas, trimmed
2 baby bok choy, chopped
1 tbsp yellow bean sauce
1-2 tbsp rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
Alfalfa sprouts
Parsley

Heat a few tablespoons of water in a wok over medium high heat. Add the bamboo and mushrooms, adding more water as needed throughout. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then add the celery, pepper, and peas. When the mushrooms are about tender, add the bok choy, yellow bean sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, and hoisin sauce. Cook until all veggies are tender, about 4 more minutes. Serve topped with alfalfa and parsley.

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.

More Udon- with Walnuts!

I think M's favorite kind of noodle is udon.  I really, really do.  I can't say that myself, becauce I love all kinds of noodles, really, but udons are great!  I love their texture, and their thickness makes them seem so luxurious and rich.  The miso- based sauce in this recipe seemed to really do the trick for the veggies, and both M and I loved the walnuts.  The mixture of veggies is really quite vibrant- I love the look of this stir fry too- very photogenic!

We had never actually had walnuts on a stir fry before, but when I saw this recipe, I was inspired to take some of it's basic elements, change the veggies, and came up with this recipe. 

I added a little hot sauce to my bowl, but I just wanted a little heat tonight.  The noodles don't really need it, but it was an excellent addition, I thought. 

I created this recipe with veggies enough for 3 servings, because that is the amount on udon that needed to be used up.  Just increase the sauce a bit, and add a few more veggies, and this could easily become a four serving dish.

Ooooh!  I had a little project of placemats going on, and M and I finally finished them this morning.  On one side, they are neon yellow with flowers, and on the other they are black with big colourful circles.  I will try to post a picture soon.  They are quite nice, and they look great.  It's cool to be able to say they are homemade! 

Miso Walnut Udon Noodles

Serves 3

Inspired by  Gardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/23/udon-noodles-miso-walnutottolenghi

½ large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, coined
3 green onions
3 cups shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 cup snap peas, trimmed
1 generous cup broccoli, cut into florets
6 oz tofu, pressed and cubed
Salt
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp miso paste
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp agave nectar
Water or broth, as needed
3 servings fresh udon noodles, cooked
Walnuts, for topping

Mix together the miso, mirin, soy sauce, and agave. Set aside

Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add a bit of water, and add the carrot and shiitakes, adding more water as needed to prevent sticking. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli and peas along with the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 2 more minutes. Then add the green onions and bell pepper. Cook until veggies are almost finished, then add the sauce and tofu. Heat through, add the udon, and stir until the sauce has coated everything. Serve, topped with walnuts.

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.

Pepperoni, Pizza, and Tofu

Yup- lots of recipes today.  But none of them were very labour-intensive, so it sounds a lot more impressive than it really is. 

The pepperoni came from Vegan Dad, a most excellent website.  This is actually his second seitan recipe that I have made, and they have both turned out to be delicious and very realastic.  I was especially pleased with how the pepperoni looked- it almost cute, coming out of it's foil wrapper in a long cylandrical shape...  and the texture was very meaty.  The spices also resemble what pepperoni tastes like. 

I was originally wanting to make sausage, but then M requested pepperoni, so that's how I ended up making this!  And it went great on the potato pizzas that I made from Fat Free Vegan. 

The potatoes hit just the spot today, too; I can never seem to get enough of a baked potato, even if it is a sweltering hunderd degrees outside, and I am still overheated as I type this.  Summer's here for the next three months... and it's HOT.  Ah well.  Anyway, back to the potatoes.  Loaded with vegetable goodness!

And finally, the Mapo Dofu.  This one I adapted from Vegan Ronin.  It looked nothing like what she had posted, but still tasted great all the same.  I have never actually heard of this "mapo dofu", but the picture was just so tantilizing!  And it turned out to be just the thing, too.  I added some snap peas, even though you don't typically find that, because I seemed to be craving those at the moment I made the recipe...  And it turned out to be quite heavy on the onions, but that's OK, because who doesn't love a whole bunch of onions?

Pepperoni

Adapted from VeganDad

8 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of white or red kidney beans, mashed well

• 1 tsp liquid smoke

• 1 tsp BBQ sauce

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp five spice powder

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten

1. Mix together everything except the gluten.  Add the gluten, and continue mixing until it becomes a dough-like substance.

2. Divide dough into four equal portions. Roll each portion into a log and wrap tightly in foil, tootsie roll style.

4. Steam for 45 mins. Cool and slice.

Mapo Dofu

Adapted from The Vegan Ronin

4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 oz tofu, pressed and cut into 1 cm cubes

• 1/2 C burger crumbles

• 1 tsp peanut oil

• 2 tbsp broth

• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce, or to taste

• 1 tsp chili powder, or to taste

• 1 onion, sliced thick

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• ¾ lb snap peas
• 4 green onions, chopped, for garnish

1. Heat oil on medium heat in a wok and add tofu, cooking until lightly browned on all sides (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the chili garlic sauce, chili powder, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water.  Set aside.

3. Stir fry onions, peas, and garlic in broth until the onions have become slightly tender.

4. Add crumbles and sauce, and heat through..

5. Add tofu, and continue cooking until all veggies are tender and everything is hot, hot, hot!

6. Garnish with green onions.

Potato Pizzas

Adapted from Fat Free Vegan

2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large baking potato, or two really small ones

• Pizza toppings

Sauce (you will have extra, but it tastes really good)

• 1/2 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• ½  28 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1/2 tsp. oregano

• 1 tsp. basil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bake the potato(es) in the microwave.

Pizza sauce: Sauté the onion in a non-stick saucepan until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and sauté one minute more. Mix with remaining ingredients, and keep hot.

When the potato(es) is/are done, cut in half spread each face with sauce, and load with toppings. Put them into the oven and bake for 15-20 more minutes at 350 if you are feeling ambitious, or just eat as is.