Mango and Cucumber Spring Roll

This is a no-cook dish, simple and yet delicious plus healthy. The vegetarian mushroom which is made from mushroom stalks can be purchased from the vegetarian shops. Thaw it prior to cutting or shredding. Steam the vegetarian mushroom, if desired. You can still enjoy this dish if you don’t have the Vietnamese rice paper. Just pour the dipping sauce over the ingredients and toss well.

Preparation: 20 mins

Ingredients (makes 10-12)
° 150g shredded mango
° 100g shredded cucumber
° 100g shredded vegetarian mushroom
° 10-12 pieces rice paper

Dipping Sauce
° 2 tablespoons tomatoes sauce
° 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
° 2 tablespoons (4 limes) freshly squeezed kalamansi lime juice, or to taste
° ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

Method
To prepare dipping sauce
1. To make the sauce: Dissolve the sugar with lime juice in a bowl. Add in the tomatoes sauce and mixed well. Sprinkle sesame seeds and set aside.

To wrap spring roll
1. Soften the rice paper sheet in warm water till soft or as per packet’s instruction. Do not over-moisten the rice paper sheet. If it is too brittle, lightly moisten it with some water or wipe with a damp cloth.
2. Place 1 sheet of rice paper on chopping board or plate. Place a small amount of cucumber, mango and vegetarian mushroom in the centre and roll up.
3. Arrange on a serving plate and serve immediately with the dipping sauce. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent from drying if it is not consume immediately.

Veggie Burger

Hmmm… I was supposed to make veggie croquette for my veggie burger. Then, I saw this Veggeburger-corn at the Vegetarian Shop @ Fortune Centre. Next, I just bought it and make burger by adding tomatoes slices and lettuces to it. For a healthy burger, just brush with a little bit of oil and bake or toasted.

If you prefer to make it yourself, check it out at Les Vegetarienne Recettes’s blog - Soy Burger or The BitBit's blog - Tofu Burger.

When I have the time, I would like to try making veggie croquette using mashed harsh brown and something else :-)

Tempeh with Oatmeal

Oatmeal stir-fry with chilli and curry leaves is simply delicious. To make this even more nutritious, tempeh is added. The tempeh can be cut into small dices or chopped, is your own preference. For an ultra-healthy dish, just baked or toasted the tempeh instead of pan-fry or deep-fry.

Preparation: 5 mins, Cooking time: 5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
° 2 (100g) fresh tempeh, diced and baked/toasted/pan-fried/deep-fried
° 1 tablespoon olive oil
° 4-6 sprigs curry leaves, stalk removed
° 2-3 fresh chilli padi or 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and sliced
° 3 tablespoons instant oatmeal
° ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
° ½ tablespoon sugar, or taste
° pepper (optional), to taste

Method
1. Mix the oatmeal, salt, sugar and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Stir fry the curry leaves and chilli for 1 minute. Add in the oatmeal and stir fry until all the ingredients are crispy and aromatic.
3. Add in the tempeh and stir fry briskly. Dish up and serve hot.

Simple Stir-Fried Winged Bean

Simplicity is beauty. A simple dish yet it is tasty. Just enjoy the original taste of the winged bean and its crunchiness.

Preparation: 5 mins, Cooking time: 5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 150g winged beans, sliced diagonally
° ½ -1 red chilli, thinly sliced
° 2 thin slices ginger or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
° 1 tablespoon olive oil
° salt to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add the ginger or garlic and fry till fragrant.
2. Throw in the winged bean and stir-fry briskly for 2-3 minutes. Add in the chilli and season to taste with salt.
3. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Stir-Fried Tempeh with Basil Leaves

Simple, easy and yet nutritious dish. Toast the tempeh if you don’t like pan-fried or deep-fried.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 2 pieces fresh tempeh, diced
° 50g or small handful basil leaves
° ½ red chilli, seeded and sliced
° 1-1½ tablespoons olive oil
° salt or five spices salt to taste

Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or non-stick pan. Place tempeh in and pan fry until golden yellow. Drain well on kitchen paper if desired and set aside.
2. Pour ½ tablespoon oil in work. Throw in the basil leaves, chilli and stir-fry briskly for a moment.
3. Toss in the tempeh and season to taste with salt or five spices salt.
4. Dish up and serve immediately.

Furikake (Vegetarian)

Aonoriko & Vegetarian Salted Fish

It is a bit difficult to get Vegetarian Furikake but no worries, you can come up with your own. I did it by using Vegetarian Salted Fish (from Vegetarian Shops), Aonoriko Seaweed (from Daiso) and Black and White Sesame Seeds.

Vegetarian Salted Fish, the ingredients: Beancurd Skin, Seaweed, Flour, Salt & Sugar

Steamed Mei Cai with Vegetarian Mushroom

Steamed minced pork with preserved vegetables such preserved salted vegetable (Tong Chai) or Mei Cai is a popular traditional home style dish in the past. For the vegetarian or vegan version, vegetarian mushroom is used to substitute the minced pork. The vegetarian mushroom or vegetarian mushroom slice can be purchased at any vegetarian supply stalls/shops. The ingredients are vegetarian mushroom and seasoning. A simple steamed dish, if you want some traditional home style dish.

Preparation: 5 mins, Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-4)
° 175g-200g mei cai (preserved mustard), washed and finely chopped
° 50g vegetarian mushroom or vegetarian mushroom slice, chopped
° ½ teaspoon olive oil
° ½ teaspoon sesame oil
° 30ml water

Method
1. Place all the ingredients in a heat proof serving plate and steam for 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chai Chak Thai (Traditional Vegetarian Ham)

I love this vegetarian ham (Chai Chak Thai in Cantonese) and the ingredients are bean cured skin, spices, sugar, oil and flavouring. This is one of those traditional vegetarian foods available before the commercial mass production of mock meat. The process of making this is very tedious, where seasoned cooked beancurd skin is placed on top of each other, roll up and tightened by strings.

You can still find them at most vegetarian shops around S$2 plus for one. If it is frozen, just thaw it and slice thinly. Alternatively, just give it a quick steam to heat up.

Bitter Gourd and Soy Milk Soup

Hey, this is a simple soup and yet very healthy. If you do not like unsweetened soy milk, just use vegetable stock.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 100g bitter gourd, sliced
° 2 tomatoes, cut into 4 wedges
° 2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
° 100g enoki or golden needle mushrooms (optional), base trimmed
° 1 tablespoon wolfberries, soaked
° 6 slices ginger
° 250ml water or vegetable stock
° 250ml unsweetened soy milk
° salt and pepper, to taste
° dash sesame oil (optional)

Method
1. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the bitter gourd slices and mix well. Let it stands for 10-15 minutes and rinse off the salt. Drain well and set aside.
2. Place the ginger, water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Add in bitter gourd, tomatoes, mushrooms, soy milk and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Throw in the wolfberries and season to taste with salt, pepper and sesame oil.
4. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and serve immediately.

Stir-Fried Okra with Special Tom Yum Paste

This is a simple to cook dish. Get a wedge of pineapple from the Fruit Seller, this can save you some time. If you do not like stir-frying, blanch the okra and heat up the special tom yum paste with or without the pineapple in the wok. Vegetarian mock fish slices can be added, if desired. Tomatoes puree is used instead of using corn starch or flour, which is a much healthier alternative. The amount of sugar used is to make up for the sourness of the lime juice which is used for adding tangy taste.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-4)
° 75g okra or lady’s fingers, trimmed and sliced
° 1 (125g) wedge pineapple, diced or sliced
° 1 tablespoon olive oil
° 3 tablespoons water

Special Tom Yum Paste
° 150g tomatoes, peeled and diced
° 1 slice ginger
° 1 stalk lemongrass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 7.5cm, bruised and chopped
° 1 teaspoon (1 lime) freshly squeezed kalamansi lime juice
° 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
° 1½ tablespoons vegetarian tom yum paste

Method
1. Blend special tom yum paste ingredients until fine in a food processor. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Add the okra, pineapple and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the special tom yum paste and stir-fry briskly for a minute.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Toasted Sandwiches with Curry Potatoes

If you love the filling of the curry puff and do not wish to have deep-fried food, try out these toasted sandwiches with curry potato filling. It is simply delectable. If you intend to make them for a picnic, you will need to have a sandwich maker to seal in the filling. The vegetarian mushrooms that are used in the recipe can be purchased from Vegetarian shops. Its ingredients are mushroom stalks and seasoning. Besides curry potatoes, you can have Soon Kueh’s filling or Apple Pie filling or any other filling that you like.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients (makes 12)
° 12 slices bread

Curry Potatoes Filling
° 350g potatoes, peeled and diced
° 50g carrot, peeled and diced
° 25g onion (optional), peeled and finely diced
° 50g vegetarian mushroom or vegetarian mushroom slice (optional), finely chopped
° 1 sprig curry leaves
° 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
° 1-1½ tablespoons curry powder, or to taste
° ½-1 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste
° 1 sprig curry leaves
° 250ml water
° salt and sugar to taste
° 2-3 tablespoons coconut milk (optional)

Method
1. Mix the curry powder and chilli powder with a tad of water to form curry paste.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, add the curry leaves and fry for half a minute. Stir in curry paste, fry until thickened and fragrant.
3. Stir in the potatoes, carrot, onion, vegetarian mushroom and stir fry for 1 minute. Add in the water, coconut milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Alternatively, add the potatoes, carrot, onion, vegetarian mushroom, water, coconut milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stirring occasionally.
4. Season to taste with salt and sugar. Stir and cook till the gravy had dried. Set aside.
5. Place the curry potatoes onto the bread and make toasted sandwiches according to the instruction of sandwiches makers.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Curry

I had broccoli and Cauliflower Curry served in claypot at few hotels’ cafes in Malaysia and I just love it. It is simple and yet delicious. I regretted not remembering this dish when I was having it. Now, I am trying real hard to re-create this dish. If you prefer the curry sauce to be slight thicker, just mashed few pieces of cooked potato and stir in.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 125g broccoli florets, blanched
° 125g cauliflower florets, blanched
° 100g potato, peeled and diced
° 25g carrot, peeled and diced
° 1 lemongrass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre and bruised
° 200ml water
° 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
° 10-15 curry leaves
° 1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste
° 1 tablespoon chilli powder, or to taste
° 125ml coconut milk
° salt to taste
° 1 teaspoon sugar (optional), or to taste

Method
1. Mix the curry powder and chilli powder with a tad of water to form curry paste.
2. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan, fry the curry leaves for half a minute. Stir in the curry paste and fry until fragrant.
3. Add in the potatoes, carrot, lemongrass, water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt and sugar.
4. Off the fire and throw in the broccoli and cauliflower. Mix well and serve hot.

Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetable with Potatoes

Kids will love this dish, frozen mixed vegetable seems palatable to them. On top of that, toasted hard roll or bread dices are so crispy. Alternatively, you may use bread croutons. By adding potatoes, this makes a wonderfully simple dish to attract the kid to fall in love with vegetables. And 2008 is the international year of potatoes – check out why potato is good for you at: www.potato2008.org

Preparation: 7 mins, Cooking time: 8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 200g frozen mixed vegetable, thawed
° 150g potatoes, peeled and diced
° 1 hard roll or 1 slice bread, diced and toasted
° 1-1½ tablespoons olive oil
° salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the potatoes and fry till golden yellow or until tender.
2. Throw in the mixed vegetable and stir-fry briskly for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt.
3. Toss in the toasted hard roll or bread.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Persimmon Soy Milk Shake

This is a Wonderful and Yummy soy milk shake. You will love it. If you like some crunchy persimmon bits in your milk shake, you can do a quick blend. If not, blend until smooth and creamy to have a glass of lovely orange coloured persimmon milk shake. Very ripe persimmon is so sweet that you can totally omit sugar or use sweetened soy milk.

Preparation: 8 mins

Ingredients (serves 1)
° 1 (125g) very ripe frozen persimmon
° 125ml fresh unsweetened soy milk

Method
1. Thaw frozen persimmon under running tap water or a big bowl of water. Gently rub and peel off the skin. Cut the persimmon into small chunks.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Chilled or serve with ice.

Steamed Huat Kueh (Fa Gou)

Traditional Huat Kueh! I bought a packet of Red Man Huat Kueh Mix. Instead of using coconut milk or milk and food colouring which was indicated on the packet. I replaced with unsweetened soy milk and green tea powder or black sesame powder. You may use paper cup or plastic cup for the steaming but I think to be more environmentally-friendly, little teacups would be better. Alternatively, make huat kueh by using 250g of self-raising flour, 200g of black sugar and 250g of coconut milk. I have yet to test out using wheat flour and soy milk and self-raising flour with soy milk. Remember, always bring the water in the streamer to a boil before steaming for a more satisfactory result.

Ingredients of Red Man Huat Kueh Mix: Wheat Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Vanillin.

Preparation: 5 mins, Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients (makes 10-12 pieces)
° 500g huat kueh mix
° 300ml unsweetened soy milk
° 2-4 teaspoons green tea powder or black sesame powder, or to taste

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients in bowl. Mix well to form a batter.
2. Grease the teacups and pour in the huat kueh batter.
3. Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Place the teacups in and steam for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the cup.
4. Serve with brown sugar and grated coconut.

Vegetable Alfabeto Soup

This simple one-pot recipe is more for the kid who does not eat much vegetables. To attract them, the pasta used is alphabet pasta, they can learn their ABC at the same time. By using lots of different vegetables and tomato puree, this is a nutritious meal for the body and the mind (that ABC pasta!). Marmite is used here for Vitamin B12 which important in a Vegetarian Diet. Omit it, if you do not like the taste of marmite.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 25g alfabeto (pasta)
° 100g potato, peeled and diced
° 25g onion (optional), peeled and diced
° 50g celery, trimmed and diced
° 500ml water or vegetable stock
° 3 (150g) tomatoes, peeled and blended
° 75g frozen mixed vegetables
° 3 tablespoons tomatoes sauce, or to taste
° ½ teaspoon marmite
° 1 teaspoon sugar
° 2 tablespoons tapioca flour, mixed with 3 tablespoons water
° salt to taste
° pepper (optional), to taste

Method
1. Throw in the alfabeto, potato, onion, celery and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
2. Add in the mixed vegetable, tomatoes puree and bring to a boil. Season to taste with tomatoes sauce, marmite, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the tapioca flour mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Serve hot.

Persimmon

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE :-)

Persimmon was my mom favorite fruit. She loved it so much but not me. Lately, I was watching the Good Food Fun Cook TV program, the cook demonstrated how to peel off the skin of the ripened persimmon and how to make persimmon puree. That looked fun and I bought some persimmon to play with and I blended it. Wow, the end product looks like ice cream, so sweet, creamy and cool.

It is such a good way to eat persimmon fruit, especially for those kids who do not like fruit or persimmon. If the kid still didn’t like this, added 60ml chilled unsweetened soy milk to each persimmon (125g) and blended it. It even looks more beautiful – pale orange in coloured and tasted marvelous.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 1)
° 1 (125g) very ripe frozen persimmon

or
° 1 (125g) very ripe frozen persimmon
° 60ml fresh unsweetened soy milk, chilled

Method
1. Thaw frozen persimmon under running tap water or a bowl of water. Gently rub and peel off the skin. Cut the persimmon into small chunks.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Serve immediately.