CHINESE VEGETABLES

This is probably my family's favourite way to eat vegetables. It is so simple, but packed with flavour.

Use your favourite crunchy stir fry vegetables in this recipe. It pairs perfectly with rice.

Base Ingredients

4  cloves        garlic, minced

2 slices          ginger, minced

Sauce Ingredients

2 tsp             sugar

1 tsp             cornstarch

2 Tblsp         mushroom seasoning 

2 Tblsp         cooking wine, my favourite is  Shao hsing rice cooking wine

4 Tblsp         water, cold

Vegetables

4 cups         mixed vegetables ( I use a combination of thinly sliced carrots and                               zucchini, red and green peppers in bite sized chunks,  broccoli, and red                       onion

Instructions

1  In a large frying pan, sauté ginger and garlic in water until soft and water has evaporated

2. Prepare sauce ingredients by mixing everything in a large measuring cup.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Carefully, add the vegetables and cover the pot. Immediately set a timer for 3 minutes. ( you can cook less if you want your veggies crunchier).

4. Place a strainer in the sink and when the times goes off, strain your veggies and run cold water over them until it stops steaming. Keep draining veggies while you heat the sauce.

5 Place the frying pan with the ginger and garlic on a medium heat. Pour in the sauce ingredients and whisk until it thickens and is bubbly. Cook for about a minute.

6 Add in the well drained vegetables and stir.  

7. Enjoy!

Note

1. This recipe doubles well.

2. This recipe reheats well. I often make it for holidays the day before. 

3. If you do not have mushroom seasoning you could use your favourite bouillon seasoning, however you will need to adjust to taste. 

STEAMED SOY CURL 'PORK' BUNS

These steamed buns are very simple to make and taste great served with a dipping sauce of your choice, although I  recommend a sweet chili sauce. Please refer to the Note at the bottom of the recipe for instructions regarding the parchment paper.

 Dough

2 1/4 cups        All Purpose Flour

1/3 cup            Sugar

1 Tblsp            Baking Powder

Filling

1/2 lb               Soy Curls Rehydrated, and weighed after rehydrating

1/4 cup            Green Onions, Chopped

1/3 cup            Water

3 Tsp               Soy Sauce

2 Tsp               Hoisin Sauce

1 Tblsp            Sugar

1 Tblsp            Cornstarch

Instructions

1. Place flour, sugar and water in the bowl of a food processor.
2. With the motor running, add in 2/3-1 cup of hot water. Start with the lower amount and allow the food processor to work and add water until a ball is formed.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to rest for 30 minutes. Longer is ok.
4. Chops larger pieces of soy curls into smaller pieces if desired using either a knife or  kitchen shears.
5. Place all filling ingredients into a small pot and cook until mixture is bubbling and thick.
6. Allow mixture to cool.

Assembly

1.  Remove dough from plastic wrap and roll into a log shape. 
2.  Cut log into 12 equal pieces.
3.  Lightly flour countertop surface and roll each piece. 
4.  Place a small amount of filling in the center of the dough. Try to keep any filling from touching the edges of the dough.
5.  Pull the edges of the dough up above the dough and pinch the pulled pieces together to form a ball. Make sure it is sealed well.
6.  Place on a parchment lined steamer basket, being sure not to crowd the buns as they will expand during cooking. Cook in batches if required. 
7. Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove from steamer.
8. Enjoy. 

Note

I use parchment paper that has been manufactured for steamer baskets. It has holes already punched in it. If you do not have prepunched parchment paper then you can tear parchment paper into smaller pieces that will fit under each bun making sure the bun does not touch the steamer basket. This will allow the steam to come up nicely around each bun.

Thai Rainbow Salad

Thai Rainbow Salad

This is a good way to eat a wide variety of veggies. It does require some chopping, but I do not think you will be disappointed. Because peanut butter is a higher fat food, this would be an occasional treat in my home.

Ingredients

10 cup chopped vegetables of your choice. I used white cabbage, red cabbage, grated carrot,
                                                                     cucumber, green onion, red pepper, parsley   

Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter, I used Kraft brand with no added sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup rice vinegar

Add all ingredients to a microwave safe bowl. Heat for a few seconds until the peanut butter softens a little. Whisk until well mixed.

Combine the dressing with the vegetables and mix well.

Chill for a few hours for best results.

Enjoy!

 

Tip  

 Chopped cilantro would be very good in this recipe.

PB2 Noodles

PB2 Noodles

Peanut Butter is not something that I use very often. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that it is higher in fat and not something that I can consume often. So when I discovered PB2 powdered peanut butter with a lot of the fat removed,  I was excited to try it. This is still a dish higher in fat, so it would be a rare treat in my home.

Ingredients

8 Tblsp PB 2 powder
5 Tblsp water

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup Korean red curry paste
4 Tblsp maple syrup

800 grams udon noodles

1 lb broccoli florets, cooked, optional but good

Directions

Cook noodles as per package directions.

Mix the PB2 powder and water together. This mixture should be runnier than peanut butter out of the jar.

Whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Warm sauce in a pan. 

Pour sauce over the noodles and mix.

Enjoy!

Tip

When the PB 2 powder and water where mixed together it measured about a 1/2 cup.

Kung Poa Noodles

Kung Poa Noodles

This is a recipe I found somewhere on the internet and adapted it to suit my diet. It's pretty easy to throw together and it makes a lot. My daughter uses frozen stir fry vegetables to make this dish. 

Ingredients

800 grams udon noodles, cooked as per package directions, drained and rinsed

10 cups stir fry vegetables, I used onion wedges, broccoli, orange and red peppers and snow peas
                                              but any of your favourite ones will work just fine

Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp stevia or 2 Tblsp sugar, or to taste
1 Tblsp rice vinegar
2 Tblsp ketchup
2 Tblsp cornstarch
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce, more or less to taste, optional


Directions


Place all of the sauce ingredients into an a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir well.

Stir fry vegetables in a large pan or steam them in your microwave to desired tenderness.

Remove veggies from pan or drain them if you steamed them.

Give the sauce ingredients a quick stir and then pour into the pan and boil for a minute or two until the sauce thickens and the cornstarch is cooked.

 Return vegetables to the pan, along with the noodles. Stir well.

Serve and Enjoy!

Korean Rice Cakes

Korean Rice Cakes

Korean Rice cakes are an amazing food. They have such an unusual texture. This recipe makes a lot because this is an incredibly popular dish in my house. It can be easily reduced if you do not want to make so much. Here is a link to the mushroom seasoning that I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006NJJBWU/ref=pd_lpo_325_bs_tr_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=27F22VEHPS8B97WP5DNR

Ingredients

6 cups water
6 Tblsp mushroom seasoning
3 Tblsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tblsp Korean Red Pepper Paste or to taste
6 Tblsp maple syrup ( you could sub 4 Tblsp maple syrup , plus 2 Tblsp water and 1/2 tsp stevia)
3 - 1 lb packages of Korean rice cakes, sliced if possible

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stirring frequently and scrapping the bottom of the pot.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

TIP

If you have been unable to find the sliced rice cakes and only have the tube shape, it may require additional cooking time.

If you prefer a runnier sauce, then cover the pot while you are cooking the rice cakes. If you want a thick sauce, keep the lid off.  If you want the thicker sauce be aware that once the leftovers have cooled they will stick together. My family love the thicker sauce.

Adapted from: http://www.klunkerskitchen.com/2015/08/ddoekbokki.html

Loaded Miso Soup

Loaded Miso Soup

A simple soup to make, but loaded with flavour. Any of your favourite Asian Style vegetable can be used. Snow peas or bok choy would be good additions.

Ingredients

5 Cups vegetable or mushroom broth ( I used 5 cups water plus 3 Tblsp mushroom seasoning)
2 Tblsp white miso
5 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups carrots, julienned
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
2 Tblsp parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili garlic paste, or to taste
2 Tblsp uncooked quick oatmeal, optional but it does thicken the soup slightly

200  udon noodles
1/2 cups broccoli , cut into tiny florets

Directions

Place all of the ingredients, except noodles and broccoli into and pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until vegetables reach desired tenderness.

Add broccoli and noodles. Stir and simmer for about 3 minutes or until noodles are fully cooked.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

Enjoy!

Tip

Add additional broccoli if desired.

Fusion Cabbage Rolls

Fusion Cabbage Rolls

This recipe came about when I had to use up some leftovers in the fridge. I had been making my regular mushroom cabbage rolls and I had some leftover cabbage leaves. I also had some leftover fried rice, so I decided to combine the two and see how they turned out. They were fantastic. The number of cabbage rolls you get will depend on how much fried rice you have and of course how many cabbage leaves you have.

Ingredients

I head cabbage, frozen and defrosted

6-8 cups, leftover fried rice, approximately,

1 1/4 cups Korean BBQ sauce approximately, Recipe can be found here: http://barbsplantbasedkitchen.blogspot.ca/2016/09/korean-bbq-sauce.html. 

1-2 cups mushroom broth or vegetable broth

Directions

Directions for preparing and stuffing the cabbage leaves can be found here:
http://barbsplantbasedkitchen.blogspot.ca/search?q=cabbage+rolls

Place the stuffed cabbage rolls into a pan and pour the broth over top. I made 21 cabbage rolls and used the full 2 cups of broth. If you have fewer, then you may not need the full 2 cups. 
(Basically you want the broth to have mostly evaporated during the initial cooking time. If you find the broth has not evaporated at the end of the initial cook  time, just remove the foil and cook for about 20 extra minutes and the broth should mostly be gone.)

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for approximately 2 hours.

Remove the cabbage rolls from the oven and pour the Korean BBQ sauce over top of the cabbage rolls, making sure you cover as much of the top surface of the cabbage rolls as possible.
Do not replace the foil. Return the pan to the oven and bake 45-60 minutes, or until the tops of the cabbage rolls are nicely caramelized.

Enjoy!

Cabbage Rolls after 3 hours of Baking

Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi Fried Rice

This fried rice is bursting with flavour. I find my kimchi at a local Asian market. Be sure to check that there is no added oil.

Kimchi Fried Rice With Bulgur 'Meatloaf' and Vegetables

Ingredients

1 cup onion, sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp chili garlic paste, or to taste
1 tsp Korean red curry paste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp vegetable stock powder

300 grams oil free kimchi, chopped if pieces are large
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 Tblsp soy sauce
3/4 cup parsley, loose pack
6 cups cooked rice, cooled overnight

Directions

Saute onion in as little water as possible until soft.

Add in garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add in chili garlic sauce, curry paste, black pepper, turmeric and vegetable stock. Mix well.

Add in kimchi, corn, soy sauce and parsley. Mix well.

Add in cooked and cooled rice, breaking up any lumps. Mix well.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Enjoy!

Kimchi Fried Rice With Bulgur 'Meatloaf" and Vegetables

TIP 

I have found two brands that do not contain oil. They are Chongga and Pulmuone, but check the label as the company may make more than one type of Kimchi 

Udon Noodles with Greens

Udon Noodles with Greens

This is a simple recipe that doesn't take a lot of effort. I used Chinese Baby Broccoli as my greens, but any of your favourite greens would work.

 

Ingredients

For Sauce 

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tblsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp minced ginger

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tblsp maple syrup

1 T  Cornstarch

Remaining Ingredients

800 grams udon noodles 

2 heaping cups, onions, sliced

1/2 tsp ginger. minced

1 tsp garlic, minced 

8 cups Chinese Baby Broccoli, chopped or greens of choice

Directions

Combine Sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Saute onions in a pan adding as little water as possible. 

Once cooked add in ginger and garlic. Stirring for about 30 seconds.

Add in chopped greens and place lid on pan. Steam until greens are cooked to your liking. If your greens are dry, add just a tablespoon or two of water to the pan so they will steam. Mine still had water clinging to them after I washed them, so I did not add any extra water.

Add sauce to pan and boil for about a minute.

Add noodles to the pan.  Combine well.

Enjoy!

 

Korean BBQ Sauce

Korean BBQ Sauce

I have used this sauce as a dipping sauce for Asian dumplings, roasted potatoes with it,  and served it on top of tacos. It is wonderfully versatile. It is hot as it is made from Korean red curry paste which I find  at my local Asian Market. I do add a very tiny bit of stevia as I find it smooths out the flavour, but it is purely optional. It doesn't make a lot so you may want to consider doubling or even tripling the recipe.

Ingredients

1 Tblsp Korean red curry paste
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tblsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
tiny dash stevia, optional ( this is less than what what you would grab between your thumb and finger)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a small jar and shake well.

Store in fridge.

Enjoy!

Udon Noodle Soup

Udon Noodle Soup

This is a simple soup to prepare. I think the addition of some vegetables would only add to the flavour. Mushrooms, julienne carrots or bean sprouts would be good choices. Here is a link to the mushroom seasoning that I use: http://24vegan.com/shop/y-te-thuc-pham/mushroom-seasoning/

   

Ingredients

Broth
 
6 cups water
4 dried mushrooms
8 tsp mushroom seasoning
2 green onions
1/2 cooking onion
1 tsp garlic clove, whole or minced

Other Ingredients

3 Tblsp soy sauce
600 grams udon noodle
1 green onion, for garnish

 
Directions

Add water, dried mushrooms, mushroom seasoning, green onion, cooking onion and garlic to a soup pot.

Bring to a boil and  reduce heat so broth is simmering. Cook for 30 minutes.

Remove vegetables from broth, saving the mushrooms.

When mushrooms are cook enough to handle, slice them up and return them to the broth.

Meanwhile, add the soy sauce and noodles to broth. Simmer until noodles are cooked to desired tenderness about 3 minutes, or according to package directions.

Ladle into bowls and top with green onion.

Enjoy!

Asian Cold Noodle Salad

Asian Cold Noodle Salad

This is an easy salad to make with wonderful Asian flavours. You can really add any diced vegetables you desire.

Ingredients

300 gram pkg vermicelli noodles

1/2 cup carrot, grated
1/2 cup red pepper, diced fine
1/3 cup red onion, diced fine
3 small green onions, chopped fine


Sauce Ingredients

3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbslp soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce, or more to taste
2 Tblsp cilantro, chopped

Directions

Place noodles in boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes until desire tenderness is reached.  Drain and rinse.

With a clean pair of kitchen shears, cut noodles so they are easier to eat. This is optional.

Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix well. Add in the vegetables and mix again.

Place in fridge for at least an hour until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Udon Noodle Stir Fry with Roasted Mushrooms, Broccoli and Kale

Udon Noodle Stir Fry with Roasted Mushrooms, Broccoli and Kale

Yesterday I dropped in to see my brother. He has a tremendous green thumb. His flower and vegetable garden were bursting. Before I left he offered me some  kale from his garden. It was beautiful, so I knew that I had to try make something special with it. This stir fry is bursting with flavour. It makes a lot of food too. A lower salt version can be found at the end of this post.

Ingredients

Roasted Mushrooms 

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp stevia
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered



Stir Fry

800 grams udon noodles
6 large kale leaves, chopped, about 2 cups

1 onion, chopped
1 Tblsp garlic

I large red pepper, julienne
1 lb pkg frozen broccoli, microwaved for about 4-5 minutes

Sauce for the Noodles

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp stevia
2 tsp chili garlic sauce, or more to taste
1 Tblsp heaping, ginger, minced

Directions

Roasted Mushrooms
 
Start to Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place mushrooms into a large bowl.

Combine the remaining roasted mushroom ingredients in a blender and process.  Pour over the mushrooms. Stir occasionally while oven is preheating.

Once oven is preheated, pour mushrooms and any liquid onto the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes and stir well. Bake for another 15 minutes  or until all liquid has evaporated. Set aside.

Noodles

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.

Add in noodles and chopped kale. Cook according to noodle package directions. Mine called for three minutes in boiling water. Drain and set aside.

Stir Fry

Dry fry onion until about half cooked.

Add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add in red pepper and stir fry to desired tenderness.

Add in broccoli, noodles and kale. Mix well.

Combine noodle sauce in a small container and stir. Add to noodles and mix well.

Serve and Enjoy!

Lower Salt Version

The directions remain the same, just substitute this lower salt version for the ones listed above.

For the  Roasted Mushrooms

2 Tablspoons soy sauce
2 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp stevia
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced

Sauce for The Noodles

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp stevia
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 Tblsp ( heaping) ginger, minced 


 
 

Korean Rice Cakes in A Sweet Ginger Garlic Sauce

Korean Rice Cakes in A Sweet Ginger Garlic Sauce

Korean Rice Cakes are a food item that I only discovered recently. They are kind of chewy and can be used in soups or pot pie to add some texture to a dish.

Ingredients

1 500 gram package Korean Rice Cakes, I used the sliced variety
1 large carrot grated, about a cup
2 green onions, chopped for garnish
Cooked rice, for serving

Blender Ingredients

2 1/2 piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tblsp soy sauce
2 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup DATE PASTE , or brown sugar to taste
1 1/4 cups water

Directions

Place all  blender ingredients into the blender and mix until smooth. Transfer to a pot

Add carrot and rinsed rice cakes.

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, until rice cakes are tender, but chewy.

Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onion.

Enjoy!

 Here is a link to the type of rice cakes that has no added oils. I was able to find it in the refrigerated section of my local Asian market. http://ugou.de/index.php/lebensmittel/korea-japan/mainfood/chongga-reiskuchen-geschnitten-500g.html?___store=en&___from_store=cn

Mushroom Gyoza

Mushroom Gyoza

One day after making cabbage rolls, I found myself with leftover mushroom filling. I had some dumpling wrappers in the fridge and combined the two to make gyoza. This recipe is a bit fussy, but worth the effort. I use a stainless steel wok and steaming rack to make these.

Ingredients 

1 package dumpling wrappers
leftover mushroom filling from my cabbage roll recipe http://barbsplantbasedkitchen.blogspot.ca/p/easy-cabbage-rolls-love-cabbage-rolls.html
water for sealing the dumplings
pastry brush, optional
parchment paper
Dipping Sauce, I use sweet chili sauce

Directions

Lay out a dumpling wrapper on the counter top. Using a pastry brush or your finger, cover half of the wrapper with some water to moisten.

 Place  about 1/2 to 1 tsp of mushroom filling in the center of the wrapper.

 Bring up both sides and press to seal the edges together.

This step is optional, but it does make the gyoza look more authentic I think. Lightly wet the edges and fold the edges back on themselves. Once at either end and once in the middle. This makes the edges look a little fluted.

Once all the wrappers have been filled, place in a steamer rack that has been lined with parchment paper. I punch holes in the paper, but you could easily cut the paper into multiple pieces and rest the dumplings on the pieces. This allows the steam to the rack easily.

Place the rack over boiling water. Do not let the water run dry.

Steam for about 15 minutes or until the wrapper is tender.

Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Swiss Chard Sushi

Swiss Chard Sushi

Sushi is one of the most popular dishes in our house. Swiss Chard is one of our most popular greens. So I decided to try and combine the two and see how it turned out. I added in a spicy southern style BBQ sauce to add a kick. Wow. What an explosion of flavour. I used Happy Herbivores mustard based southern style BBQ sauce from her cookbook, The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, but you could use any mustard based BBQ sauce.

Ingredients

2 cups sushi rice

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tblsp sugar or sweetener, ( I used 1/2 tsp stevia powder), or to taste

2 carrots, cut into long thin sticks
1/2 large English cucumber, cut into long thin sticks
Pickled hot pepper rings, drained
pickled ginger, drained
1/4 cup spicy Mustard based BBQ sauce,
1 cup swiss chard, chiffonade or cut into thin strips
1 package Nori ( you will not need all 10 sheets)


Directions


Cook Sushi rice according to package directions.

Mix vinegar and sweetener. You may need to heat the mixture in the microwave to ensure the sweetener dissolves.

Steam Swiss Chard in the microwave in a little bit of water, until tender, about 3 minutes.


Assembling the Sushi

Once the rice is cooked, place it in a large bowl  and pour the vinegar mixture over the rice.


Gently stir to combine well. The rice should become somewhat sticky.

Lay out a nori sheet and cover about 80% of it with a thin layer of rice. Leave about an inch at the top uncovered.

Using a spoon, place a thin line of mustard sauce across the width of the sushi rice, at the end closest to you. 

Layer the vegetables on top of the sauce.  I usually start with ginger and the pickled banana peppers. Then add on the Swiss chard, carrots, and cucumber  on top.

Now starting at the bottom short end where the vegetables are, roll up the sushi. It is important to gently squeeze the sushi as you roll so that it holds together well.

Continue until all of the nori and rice are used up.

Place sushi rolls in fridge until ready to eat. Using a serrated knife, or other sharp knife, cut the sushi into pieces.

Enjoy.

Asian Ginger Sauce

Asian Ginger Sauce

This is one of my husbands favourite meals. He says he could eat it almost everyday and never tire of it. We typically steam fresh broccoli, green peppers and thinly sliced carrots in the microwave and place over cooked rice. Top with the sauce and dinner is done. 

2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp stevia or sugar ( about 8 Tsp sugar)
3 Tblsp cornstarch
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced ( it can be left whole if using a high speed blender), about 3 Tblsp  
 2 tsp chili garlic sauce, or to taste

Put everything into a high speed blender and process for about a minute, until smooth.( If you do not have a high speed blender, use the minced ginger and just add to the pot along with the rest of the ingredients). 

After blending the mixture, transfer  to a pan a heat until hot and bubbly. Stirring occasionally.

Serve over veggies and rice.

Enjoy!

Sticky Tofu and Mushrooms

Sticky Tofu and Mushrooms

Sometimes I crave something different and a little sweet for dinner. This recipe will surprise you with how flavourful it is. It does take a little while to cook in the oven and a little babysitting, but the end result will be worth it. For the tofu, I used a soft tofu sold in bulk at Asian markets, but I think you could substitute any tofu, although I have only tried it with the soft kind.

Ingredients

Flour mixture 

1/2 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp black pepper

Other Ingredients

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tblsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 3/4 lb tofu, soft, cut into large cubes about 2"x3"
1 lb mushrooms, cut into quarters if large

Directions 

Mix all the flour ingredients together in a wide bowl.

If tofu is thick, cut it in half, although this step is optional, it does
allow the sticky sauce more surface space to adhere to.

Line 9x13 inch shallow pan with parchment paper. You may need a larger pan if you half cut your tofu in half. Do not crowd the pan as you want the sauce to spread out and thicken as it cooks

Dredge tofu and mushrooms in the flour mixture. 

Mix the remaining together and pour the sauce over the tofu and mushrooms.

Bake at 375 F for about an hour basting frequently.

After an hour the sauce should have thickened  and be the consistency of maple syrup.

If you have used soft tofu, remove from pan carefully, so that  the tofu remains intact. Top with the mushrooms and sauce.

Enjoy!

TIP. Carrots also taste wonderful in this recipe.

Inspired by this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/sticken-chicken-106715

BLACK RICE SUSHI

My cousin, was a sushi chef for a period of time in Vancouver, Canada. This is a recipe that he shared with me, and I modified it by omitting the salt  and using black rice , which is a whole grain. The look is rather dramatic, and tastes very good. Any leftover rice can be mixed with the leftover veggies ( chop them up) and eaten as a sushi salad. Black rice can be found in some grocery stores and Asian markets.

Black Rice Sushi

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tblsp sugar or sweetener, ( I used 1/2 tsp stevia powder), or to taste

1 cup black rice
2 cups water

1 pkg Nori sheets( you will only use 5 or 6 sheets)

Vegetables

1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly length wise, and cut into thin strips
1 carrot, cut as above
1 red pepper, cut as above
pickled ginger,drained
pickled banana peppers rings, drained


Bring the water and rice to a boil.

Turn the heat down and simmer for 50 minutes

Meanwhile, mix the sugar/sweetener with the rice vinegar and stir until mixed. You may have to heat the vinegar for a few seconds to make sure the sugar is fully incorporated into the vinegar.

Assembling the Sushi

Once the rice is cooked, place it in a large bowl ( my cousin says to be sure not to scrap the bottom of the pan) and pour the vinegar mixture over the rice.

Gently stir to combine well. The rice should become somewhat sticky. But it will not be as sticky as white sushi rice.

Lay out a nori sheet and cover about 80% of it with a thin layer of rice. Leave about an inch at the top uncovered.

Layer the vegetables at the bottom of the sushi roll. I usually start with ginger and the pickled banana peppers. Then add on the carrots, cucumber and peppers on top.

Now starting at the bottom short end where the vegetables are, roll up the sushi. It is important to gently squeeze the sushi as you roll so that it holds together well.

Continue until all of the nori and rice are used up.

Place sushi rolls in fridge until ready to eat. Using a serrated knife, or other sharp knife, cut the sushi into pieces.

Enjoy.

TIP

Extra rice and veggies make a great salad when mixed together.

Keeping  a small container of water to dip the spoon into will help keep the rice from sticking to the spoon as you spread it out over the nori sheet.

A few spinach leaves are also great to add  if you have them on hand.