Nappa Tofu (白菜豆腐)

Pronounced: bái cài dòu fuMy mother and I had a debate earlier on how to name this dish. The conversation went something like this: "Mom, what's the name for the dish I just made? What do you mean you don't know? What do you mean you just threw it all together and called it a dish?" After much brainstorming, we came up with the most creative name we could...which was Nappa Tofu. (I was going to add 'homestyle', but decided against it.) So my point is, don't try ordering this dish at your local Chinese restaurant. Chances are, the waiter will look at you funny.

What you'll need:
Nappa Cabbage (5-7 leaves depending on the size of the cabbage)
1 block of firm tofu
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (or soy sauce alternative)
1 inch of fresh ginger root
vegetable oil
water

**If you are worried about sodium, rest assured that most of the soy sauce doesn't get eaten unless you decide to drink the sauce...which I don't know why you would.

Here are the steps:
1. Wash the nappa leaves and save the rest of the cabbage for another meal. Chop the leaves into small strips. Drain the tofu and cut into small rectangular pieces.
2. Chop the ginger into thin slivers, sort of like matchsticks. I've read recipes where people peel their ginger, but I've never met anyone who actually bothered to peel it. Personally, I feel it's unnecessary.
3. Drizzle oil in a pan on medium high to high heat. Lightly fry the tofu in until golden and remove from the pan when done. Be sure to turn the tofu pieces so all the sides are cooked. Don't go overboard with the oil, we're not deep-frying it...but if that's what you want, go for it.
4. Transfer the tofu into a pot on high heat. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce and the ginger.
5. Cover the pot, and let it sit for about 3 minutes. Then, flip the tofu onto the other side and let it sit for another 3 minutes.
6. Replenish the water and then add the nappa leaves. Cover and let it cook until nappa leaves are soft, but not mushy. Stir to get it to cook evenly.
7. Add the 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce. Bring the heat down to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes to fully get the flavor into the tofu (the longer the better). Stir and serve!


Cooking, like all other things, gets better with experience. Practice and you'll know when to stir, when to add water, and when the food is done. The measurements for most Chinese food recipes are really just guidelines. So, happy eating and cooking!

Simply SimpleTruffles!

My present to my readers this year: simply the simplest truffles ever. And vegan too! :) Found the recipe from Food.com. Like most people, I was skeptical about using cashews, but I actually prefer these over the nauseating cream-laden ones now. Even the hardcore meat-eaters at our Christmas dinner were impressed (even more so after I mentioned that it was vegan and made with cashews). So, yup, looks like I'm never going to have to buy truffles ever again.


I made three variations: the traditional one with cocoa-powder, one with crushed almond flakes, and one that I squashed into cubes. In the future, I'd imagine these would taste great in a hard raspberry flavored chocolate shell, but that's a project for another time. Without further ado, here is the recipe!


What you'll need:
- 3/4 cup of raw cashews
- 3/4 cup of cold water
- 16 oz of vegan chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate, but if you don't like bitter chocolate, I suggest semi-sweet! I also skimped and used 12oz by not using the entire cashew mix. )
- cocoa powder
- a blender or food processor
- a double boiler (I just used two same sized pots stacked on top of one another.)

1. Blend the cashews and cold water on high speed for 1-2 minutes. **Edit: someone noted that if you don't have a good blender, you can soak the cashews beforehand to make it easier to blend.
2. Scrape down the chunks from the side and blend again until the mixture has the consistency of heavy cream.

3. Heat the chocolate in the double boiler until it's melted. (Make sure not to get any water or steam in the chocolate or it will seize.) Let cool until workable and slowly fold in the cashew cream.

It's chocolate time! Woohoo!

4. Allow to set and cool in the fridge for about 1.5 hours.
5. Make small spheres by using a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon or a melon scooper. Place on wax paper.
6. Roll in cocoa powder or a topping of your choice. Store in the refrigerator.

Put it in a glass jar for a great homemade gift!

Or if you're feeling particularly ambitious, create individual origami boxes for each truffle. :)



Happy holidays, everyone!

Easy Peasy Edamame (毛豆荚)

Pronounced: Máo dòu jiá.
Quiz time!!!
This is a popular appetizer that...
a) I almost always bring to potlucks.
b) is super easy to make.
c) a great substitute for potato chips.
d) all of the above.

If you picked (d), then you WIN! Anything else and you FAIL (kidding).
Anyways, about this dish... it's, um, a bit...addicting because you can just keep munching and munching and munching...and munching...you get the point. :)So I made this the night before I returned to school to eat on the bus ride. Unfortunately, that didn't work out too well because I was crammed into a teensy space for seven hours and could not eat in peace. Eating should be done in a very pleasurable fashion, and the bus, my friends, was not very pleasurable at all. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the delicious snack when I got back to the city.

Here's what you need:
-1 bag of frozen Edamame (with shells intact)
-3-4 pieces of dried Chinese Star Anises (八角--Bā jiǎo)
-sea salt
-pepper

In case you're wondering what a star anise is...it is a spice commonly used in Asian dishes (which you could've easily guessed). It's shaped like an eight-pointed star and that's why the Chinese call it 八角, or quite literally, eight angles. Star anises have a strong flavor and are discarded after cooking. You can look for them in your local Chinese market. If you can't find any, it's okay to omit it too.

1. Fill a pot halfway with water. Make sure that the amount of water you use will be able to cover the entire bag of edamame. Add the star anises and bring to boil.
2. Add edamame. Bring to boil again.
3. Mix salt and pepper in a separate small bowl. The ratio is up to your taste.
(I used about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. I'm not particularly concerned with my sodium intake, which is terrible, I know...but no one eats the shells anyways!)
4. Drain the edamames by using a colander or a strainer. Let cool.
5. Mix the salt/pepper mixture with the Edamame.
6. Discard the anises or use them as decorations, and serve!

Extreme close up!!!

Now wasn't that easy?
Happy snacking!

P.S. Been getting a lot of inquiries about this, so a little clarification is needed. Like pistachios, the shells are not meant to be eaten!

Family Friendly Chocogasm Cake

Made this last night for Thanksgiving guests. I first made this during my time abroad in Paris, where there were few vegan dessert options. Nobody could resist seconds then, nobody could resist seconds now. 'Twas a smashing hit and I am happy to report that the entire thing is gone now. Furthermore, I've been getting numerous requests for this recipe for future dinner occasions. So, without further ado, here it is! I tweaked the recipe I found on Instructables by substituting apple sauce for oil and decreasing the sugar amount.


Ingredients:

Cake:
-1 1/4 cup flour (I used a combo of whole wheat and all purpose flour)
-1/2 cup sugar (I used turbinado sugar for the cake and the glazing)
-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup warm water
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1 tsp distilled white vinegar

Glaze:
-1/3 cup sugar
-4 tbsp margarine
-2 tbsp soymilk
-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-almond flakes (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
2.Mix all the dry ingredients for the cake. (Use a fork to stir and make sure it's thoroughly mixed.)
3. Add the wet ingredients for the cake. Use spatula to mix until smooth and pour into an 8x8 cake pan, or a pie pan in my case.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Stick a knife into it to check if it's done; it should come out clean. If not, leave it in there for 5-10 more minutes.
5. Let it cool for about 1 hour.
6. Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 2 minutes. Remember to keep stirring!
7. Let the glaze cool for about a minute before pouring it evenly onto the cake. Sprinkle with almond flakes or a topping of your choice.
8. Stick in the fridge overnight, or 2 hours if you can't wait any longer. It tastes better when chilled.

Happy eating! :)

P.S. Also, since I have been peer-pressured (you know who you are) into continuing to update this blog after my long hiatus...you'll hopefully be hearing from me soon. Yay!

From the College Kitchenette: Soygurt on the Go!!!

I am always on the go and recently I've developed an addiction to soygurt...specifically Alpro Soya Plain Yogurt . But alas, if I pack it in the morning for my midday snack, the granola gets soggy by the time I eat it. I would totally buy those individual packs with granola and yogurt separated, but a) they are usually pricier than buying in bulk b) they're usually not vegan c) come on, I want different options depending on my mood!!!


When I was a kid, in my omni days, I used to get those Fruit Parfaits from McDonald's and I loved pouring the granola from the top and mixing it with the yogurt bottom. My nifty contraption helps me relive those days...I took two hummus containers: one big and one small and stacked them together.

I scoop the granola (or in this case, Jordan's Super Berry Muesli) into the bottom (the bigger container) and the plain yogurt into the bottom because if the yogurt is in the bigger container, it'll make a mess on the bottom of the smaller container. Errr...plus, the lid is on the liquids, which makes even more sense. Yeah, but I'd rubber band it for safe measure. Yum for non-soggy granola and if I wanted to pack it the night before...I can and it'll still taste just as delicious!

Happy eating!

Sweet Sticky Purple Fried Rice (Rice, Less Boring 2.0)

Yeah, I've been MIA for a little bit because I've been making the same things over and over... A couple days ago, I got an email from a reader asking me where all the food porn went, so I want to thank you all for sticking with me.

And speaking of sticking...here's a sticky treat for you: a recipe! This is something I made on a whim: Sticky Sweet Purple Fried Rice (but not really just rice...)

I actually used more than just the typical boring rice. Bwahaha, I hid all the nutritious stuff in.

This recipe incorporates millet, barley, brown rice, and black rice with jewel yam. It works best if you have a rice cooker.

Here's what you need:
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup black rice
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 jewel yam (they work better than garnet yams)
1 bag of mixed frozen veggies
water
vegetable oil
salt

1. Wash the rice, millet, and barley until the water runs clear. Place in rice cooker.
2. Wash and chop jewel yam into chunks. Layer on top of rice. There is no need to mix.
3. Add water until it barely covers all the contents.
4. Cook in rice cooker until done.
5. Heat a non-stick pot and add a bit of oil. Add the frozen veggies and stir-fry. Add salt to taste.
6. Add the rice and stir.


And that's pretty much about it. :)
It's surprisingly sweet without any additive sugars and so much more nutritious than white rice.
Feel free to adjust amounts to your liking.

Tip: Keep the rice cooker away from walls. Black rice stains and it's a pain to clean if it splatters.

Happy eating!

From the College Kitchenette: Rice, Less Boring

Hi, everyone!

I know I've been MIA for a while now. I haven't been cooking that many different dishes lately due to the lack of time and space. However, I thought I might share something with my readers today. It's not a recipe, but it's a way to make your rice less boring!

Throw some yams with your rice into the rice cooker! When it's done cooking, it's nice and soft. Yummy. A good way to give your food some color without doing that much work. Just make sure you adjust the amount of water to include the yams or you'll have really dry yams and really dry rice.



And try experiment with different types of yams. My favorite is purple yam!