Courtesy of Kelly Rossiter
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With only a short time before the beginning of the Olympics, I wanted to do a roundup of some Chinese food recipes we have done here on Planet Green and add some new dishes into the mix. Luckily, the Olympics run for a number of days, so you could try something Chinese every day while you catch the athletic action. Chinese food is my husband's favourite cuisine, so I cook a lot of it and I have plenty of easy and delicious recipes in my repertoire.
You might be tempted to order in the Chinese food, but resist! It's so much better when you make it yourself, with organic tofu, or vegetables from the farmers' market and knowing that your dinner doesn't contain any MSG. You can make something fun like spring rolls, or something that you can get in pretty much any Chinese restaurant like General Tso's Chicken (or Tofu). If you feel adventuresome, try making some dim sum or steamed pork buns.
I was going to give you are recipe this week that didn't involve tofu, but my daughter was coming to the cottage on her day off from working at a summer camp and she wanted a meal that didn't involve meat, or potatoes cooked in any fashion. Tofu is an excellent source of protein, but not something you see on many summer camp menus. You do, however, get potatoes at every meal. The recipe calls for broccoli, but I had a beautiful head of cauliflower from the farmers' market, so I used that.
Vegetarian Kung Pao
1 1/2 lbs firm tofu
1 lb broccoli (or other vegetable), cut into florets
5 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp minced scallions
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp hot chili paste
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 1/2 tbsp rice wine or sake
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/4 cups dry-roasted peanuts
- Wrap the tofu slab in paper towels or a cotton towel, and place a heavy weight, such as a cast -iron skillet, on top. Let stand for 30 minutes to press out the excess water. If you are using extra-firm tofu, you needn't press it. Cut the tofu into slices about 1/2" thick and 2 1/2 " long. Place them in a bowl.
- Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add the broccoli, and boil for 3 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, and drain again.
- Heat a large, heavy skillet and add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the oil. Arrange some of the tofu slices in the pan and sear over high heat for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove with a spatula and drain in a colander. Reheat the pan and add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Continue frying the rest of the slices. Remove and drain.
- In a bowl, mix together the stock, soy sauce, sake, sugar, sesame oil, vinegar and cornstarch. Reheat the skillet or a wok, and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, heat until hot and add the scallions, garlic, ginger and chili paste. Stir-fry briefly, about 15 seconds. Add mixed sauce, and cook, stirring constantly to prevent lumps, until it thickens. Add the broccoli, fried tofu and peanuts. Toss lightly to coat and heat through. Serve over steamed rice or noodles.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Adapted from A Spoonful of Ginger by Nina Simonds.
Related Recipes
Asian Noodle Soup
General Tso's Chicken or Tofu
Hold the Phone! Make your own Dim Sum
Hold the Phone! Make your own Chinese Steamed Pork Buns
Black Bean Tofu
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