The Chinese Vegan Kitchen (25 page)

To make Easy Mixed Vegetable Lo Mein: Cook 1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh or frozen stir-fry vegetables according to package directions; drain and toss with
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cup low-sodium vegetable broth and
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tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil. Add to the hot cooked lo mein noodles immediately after the sauce mixture. Serve at once.

Hunan Cold Sesame Noodles

This spicy, delicious noodle dish is unusual in that it contains no soy sauce. Duo jiao, a fiery Hunan pepper sauce consisting of chopped red chilies pickled in brine, has a distinctive salty-and-sour taste; it is available in Asian markets. Chinese chili paste, a milder hot sauce flavored with garlic, can be substituted; it is available in most regular supermarkets. If using natural, unsweetened peanut butter, you may need to add a bit more sugar to the recipe.

MAKE 4 SERVINGS

8 ounces egg-free Chinese noodles, other thin Asian pasta, or vermicelli

2 tablespoons toasted (dark) sesame oil

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cup low-sodium vegetable broth

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cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter

2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar

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tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon Asian sesame paste or sesame tahini

1 teaspoon Hunan pepper sauce (duo jiao) or Chinese chili paste, or to taste

1 teaspoon finely chopped and seeded green or red chili pepper (optional)

1 medium seedless cucumber (about 8 ounces), julienned or shredded

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

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cup chopped fresh cilantro and/or basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot filled with boiling salted water, cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain again and transfer to a large bowl. Add the sesame oil, tossing until thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour, or overnight.

In a large bowl, stir together the broth, peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, sesame paste, pepper sauce, and chili (if using) until thoroughly blended. (At this point, sauce can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day before continuing with recipe.) Add the cold noodles and toss well to thoroughly coat. Add the cucumbers, scallions, cilantro, salt, and black pepper; toss well again, and serve. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 day and serve chilled or return to room temperature, tossing well before serving.

{PER SERVING} Calories 396 • Protein 13g • Total Fat 17g • Sat Fat 3g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 50g • Dietary Fiber 4g • Sodium 149mg

Shanghai-Style Lo Mein with Fried Tofu and Hot Bean Sauce

Fried tofu is available in Asian markets, usually in the refrigerated section by the other tofu—any precooked tofu can be substituted, if desired. Chinese hot bean sauce or paste, also called soybean paste with chili, is not to be confused with standard black bean paste, which is considerably less spicy. Black bean sauce with chili can be substituted, if necessary. For a whole-grain alternative, replace the Chinese noodles with whole wheat linguine or spaghetti.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

8 ounces fried tofu, cut into
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-inch cubes

3 tablespoons hot bean sauce or paste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

3 teaspoons sesame oil

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pound lo mein or other thin egg-free Chinese wheat noodles, cooked according to package directions until al dente, drained

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add the tofu and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the hot bean sauce and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add the scallions and 1 teaspoon sesame oil and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add the noodles and remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil and toss until thoroughly coated and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 337 • Protein 13g • Total Fat 11g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 48g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 150mg

Sichuan-Style Lo Mein with Sesame and Garlic

If you’re fond of garlic and spice, you’ll love this garlicky, spicy noodle dish.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons plain rice vinegar

3 tablespoons Asian sesame paste, sesame tahini, or natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons Chinese chili paste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon peanut oil

3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced, plus 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

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pound lo mein or other thin egg-free Chinese wheat noodles, cooked according to package directions until al dente, drained and rinsed under cold running water, drained well

2 to 3 teaspoons chopped pickled red chili pepper or Pickled Chilies (
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), or to taste

In small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame paste, sesame oil, sugar, chili paste, salt, and pepper; set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the 3 scallions,
white and green parts, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the noodles and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, 1 to 2 more minutes, or until all ingredients are heated through. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining scallion greens and pickled chili pepper. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 372 • Protein 11g • Total Fat 14g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 53g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 459mg

Rice Noodles with Tofu and Hot Bean Sauce

This classic hot bean sauce is made from Chinese hot bean paste, also called soybean paste with chili, not to be confused with standard black bean paste, which is considerably less spicy.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained

3 tablespoons hot bean paste or sauce, or soybean paste with chili

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

3 teaspoons sesame oil

8 ounces dried flat (stir-fry or linguine-style) or thin (vermicelli-style) rice noodles, cooked according to package directions until just al dente

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Place the tofu on a deep-sided plate or shallow bowl. Top with a second plate and weight with a heavy can. Let stand for a minimum of 15 minutes (preferably 1 hour). Drain off the excess water. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons hot bean paste and sugar; set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the hot bean paste mixture; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the scallions and 1 teaspoon sesame oil and stir quickly to combine. Add the noodles, soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon hot bean paste, and remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil; cook, tossing and stirring constantly with a wide spatula, until coated and heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 333 • Protein 6g • Total Fat 10g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 55g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 602mg

Hunan-Style Green Beans and Tofu Skins with Rice Noodles

Here is an outstanding dish you won’t find in the typical Chinese restaurant outside of China. Tofu skins, also known as dried bean curd or yuba, are the yellowish membranes that form on top during the production of tofu. Dried in sheet form, it’s known as tofu skin; in stick form, it’s known as tofu bamboo. For a milder dish, use half the fresh chili pepper or replace with a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

4 ounces dried tofu skin sheets (about 4 sheets), soaked in hot water to cover until pliable, about 3 minutes, drained well, or sticks (about 4 sticks, depending on length), broken into 6-inch lengths, soaked in boiling water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes, drained well

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

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

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

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cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 ounces flat rice noodles (stir-fry or linguine-style), cooked according to package directions until just al dente, drained well

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, or to taste

2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce, or to taste

1 teaspoon Hunan pepper sauce (duo jiao) or Chinese chili paste, or to taste

Carefully cut the tofu skin sheets into long, wide ribbons, or cut the tofu skin sticks lengthwise in half or in thirds or quarters, depending on width. Set aside.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the chili pepper, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add beans, tofu skins, broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until beans and tofu skins are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add noodles, soy sauce, oyster sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and pepper sauce to the skillet; cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until heated through and thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 306 • Protein 8g • Total Fat 15g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 38g • Dietary Fiber 5g • Sodium 753mg

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with Broccoli

The key to the success of this delicious dish is not to fully cook the udon noodles (known as cu mian in China) before stir-frying.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

12 ounces fresh udon noodles

8 ounces fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 scallions, white and green parts, separated, thinly sliced

2 to 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

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teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom soy sauce

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

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

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, cook the noodles and broccoli in boiling salted water according to noodle package directions until almost al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the noodles and broccoli and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Cook, tossing and stirring often, until heated through and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the scallion greens and toss well to combine. Serve at once.

{PER SERVING} Calories 300 • Protein 9g • Total Fat 8g • Sat Fat 1g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 47g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 417mg

Sichuan-Style Cold Udon Noodles with Pickled Vegetables

Pickled vegetables are a specialty of Sichuan Province—the most popular is zha cai (literally “pressed vegetable”), a type of pickled mustard stem. Feel free to use your favorites in the following recipe, perfect for a buffet, as it holds up well at room temperature. To reduce the heat and spiciness, omit the Chinese hot oil and use half the amount of Sichuan peppercorns. Try to use fresh udon noodles—known as cu mian in China—which can be located in the refrigerated section of Asian markets.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil