Dining In - Moo Shu Vegetables with Homemade Chinese Pancakes

Moo Shu Vegetables with Homemade Chinese Pancakes - Chloe's Kitchen

One of my favorite Chinese food dishes turned vegan! Though a time consuming recipe the outcome was worth it. I fully committed to it, making the flour pancakes from scratch as instructed. The combination of marinated, salty vegetables and tofu with the sweet hoisin sauce wrapped up in a warm flour pancake was finger-licking good. My non-vegan boyfriend and I couldn't stop eating them, partially because they weren't overly filling, but I blame that on not waiting between bites and only later realizing we had overdone it with the portions. You can feel so much better about eating these than the greasy Chinese takeout version you might have had previously. I will be making these again. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).

Vegetable Filling
14 oz. extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
4 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 onion, thinly sliced

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, trimmed and chopped

Sea salt

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

7 oz. shredded cabbage (available at Trader Joe's)

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced

Sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Pancakes
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup boiling water
Sesame oil, for cooking


Press tofu on a plate for 20 minutes using paper towels and a heavily weighted object. Afterwards, slice tofu into thin rectangles. 

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons canola oil on medium-high. Add tofu slices, pour soy sauce over the tofu. Let cook for a couple minutes and then flip. Cook until both slides are browned, remove from heat. 

Mushrooms and Onions

In the same skillet add 2 more tablespoons oil and cook mushrooms and onions (see photo) until soft. Season with salt and then add in grated ginger and garlic. Cook for another few minutes. Now add in the cabbage, carrots, and broth with another tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir together and let cook until the liquid dries up. Add in the tofu and scallions, stir again. 

To make the sauce, combine hoisin sauce and soy sauce in a small bowl and stir until combined. Set aside. 

To make the pancakes mix flour and salt together in a large bowl and then add in boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon and then use your hands to blend. Cover bowl with a towel and let sit for 20 minutes. 

Homemade Chinese Pancakes

Roll out the dough into a log that is about a foot and half (16 in.) cut the log into 1 inch pieces. Flatten and roll out pieces into thin pancakes, about 6 in. in diameter. Brush each side of pancake with sesame oil. Place pancakes on a hot (medium-high heat) griddle or skillet and cook. Watch for bubbling and then check the first side, flip when it begins to brown. Cook on other side then remove from heat and stake on a plate (see photo). Repeat until all the dough is used. I ended up with about 13 pancakes, not 16 but for two people this was more than enough anyways. 

Dining In - Eggless Brown Fried Rice with Garlic Infusion

Eggless Brown Fried Rice with Garlic Infusion -
Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

For a simple, healthy Chinese take-out alternative try this fried rice recipe from Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. The egg is replaced with crumbled tofu, adding some extra protein to make it meal-quality. I enjoyed the flavor of the sesame oil and the fresh ginger. I was also happy to test out one of my Christmas gifts, a fancy garlic mincer (available at Williams-Sonoma) despite mediocre reviews, it worked great for me! Besides chopping up a couple veggies, this was one of the quickest dinner recipes I've made. Added bonus - fewer dirty dishes when it's complete! You can find this recipe and others in Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.

2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup firm tofu, rinsed, crumbled
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (original recipe calls for snow peas, cut in half)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cups cooked brown rice
Salt, for seasoning
Ground black pepper, for seasoning
Sesame seeds, for topping
Teriyaki or soy sauce, for topping

Start by heating sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add garlic and tofu. Cook for a minute, stirring. Add in green onions, corn, peas, and ginger. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring. Add the brown rice, cook for 5 more minutes, still stirring to avoid overcooking and sticking to the pan.

Quick & Easy Vegan Fried Rice

Remove from pan. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sesame seeds and sauce of your choice for topping. See, wasn't that easy?

Dining In - Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook
by Kim Barnouin

My vegan cookbook collection grew this holiday season with the addition of Skinny Bitch - Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin. Despite the name this is an exquisite and rather gourmet hardcover cookbook. The first seventy pages are devoted to education on the vegan diet, how to prep your kitchen, and cooking techniques. I tried a couple recipes prior to adding this to my gift list and thoroughly enjoyed them so I can't wait to cook my way through (most of) the 150-plus recipes.

If you're not familiar with the Skinny Bitch series, it started as out as a diet book by a former agent for a modeling agency, Rory Freedman, and a former model, Kim Barnouin, that hit the New York Times Bestseller List in 2007. I recall friends reading it and thought nothing of it, having no idea its message was about the benefits of veganism. Based on the success, the authors continued writing and created a whole collection of books - Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven, Skinny Bitchin', Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, Skinny Bastard. This cookbook comes from just one of the authors, but still holds the famed title. 

Stay tuned for more posts about my experimentation with these recipes!

Pick up your own copy of Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook here.

Dining In - Pineapple Not-So Fried Rice

Pineapple Not-So Fried Rice - Chloe's Kitchen

A creative spin on traditional Chinese fried rice, this version packs a more exciting flavor with raisins,  curry powder, coriander, cashews and pineapple. Chloe photographed this recipe in her cookbook served in a pineapple boat to keep with Thai tradition, which I thought was a fun idea, but when cooking for two on a weekday night it wasn't worth the effort! This made a lot so prepare for a larger group as a side dish or for 3-4 for a full meal. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).

14 oz. extra firm tofu (the Trader Joe's variety is 15 oz. so use a kitchen scale or eyeball it to reduce by 1 oz.)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 cups diced pineapple
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, sliced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
3/4 cup cashews (roasted, not raw)
1 carrot peeled and shredded or 1/2 cup pre-shredded carrot
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 raisins
3 cups cooked jasmine rice

Soy Sauce Marinated Tofu

1/4 cup vegetable broth

Start by pressing the tofu, as described in some of my other recipes to remove excess water. Cut into small 1/2 inch cubes. In a bowl toss with soy sauce and sprinkle more if needed to coat each cube. 

Set oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place in one layer on baking sheet and cook for about 45 minutes, flipping a few times during cook time. Remove from oven. 

Heat canola oil in a large skillet and cook onions until soft, add salt for seasoning. Now add in garlic, curry, coriander, chili-garlic sauce and continue cooking. After a few minutes, add in cashews, carrots, raisins, peas, tofu, jasmine rice, vegetable broth, and diced pineapple. Cook long enough so that all ingredients are heated. Add more salt or seasonings if needed. Done.

Dining Out in New York City - Red Bamboo

Creole Soul Chicken - Red Bamboo

In my search for a great vegan restaurant in New York City that was a little more casual but still had high ratings I discovered Red Bamboo. Located in the West Village, it's a small, popular place that features an eclectic mix of Asian, Caribbean, and Southern American cuisine. Unfortunately they don't take reservations, but it was worth the half hour wait for a table. This is a good one if you're dining with carnivores since there are many familiar "meat" dishes on the menu and the flavors are so good anyone would like it. It actually took some convincing for my boyfriend to realize this was a meat-free place. 

I ordered one of the most popular dishes, Creole Soul Chicken, a generous serving of rosemary seasoned panko breaded soy chicken nuggets with a delicious, sweet, barbecue-like sauce alongside a scoop of sweet corn mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and steamed vegetables. As I write this I have a strong craving for more! I hadn't even realized it, but I had yet to try vegan mashed potatoes. These potatoes were a great first impression of how yummy they can be! The chicken was crispy and flavorful, the sauce complimenting it perfectly.

Sweet and Sour Chicken - Red Bamboo

My boyfriend went with the Sweet and Sour Chicken, battered soy chicken with onions, peppers, pineapple, lychees and carrots coated in a tangy sweet sauce served with brown rice. Another great option and another huge serving. He was definitely satisfied and though not a fan of fake meat thought this was close enough to the real thing. 

Despite my efforts to reduce mock meat consumption, in New York City it's a challenge since so many of the vegan-friendly places serve it in the most scrumptious ways. Red Bamboo topped that list. They offer a handful of vegetable entrees as well, so you don't have to go with fake meats, but I would say just do it. You won't regret it!

Red Bamboo

140 W. 4th Street 

(Between 6th Ave & MacDougal)

New York, NY 10012

Red Bamboo Website

Dining Out in Boston - Grasshopper

The No Name - Grasshopper Restaurant

Although I passed by this place many times throughout college and since then, I never tried it until becoming vegan. Located along Allston's "Vegan Way" it's not the easiest place to pick up takeout at as it's next to an intersection with busy street parking, but I plan to stick with takeout for now due to the not so cozy ambience for dining in. However, I must say the staff here is very friendly and fast! Also, I recently learned that the Boston Vegetarian Society hosts a monthly educational seminar at Grasshopper, giving it some street cred :)

Takeout from Grasshopper

Grasshopper offers a large Chinese menu, with options like lo mein, dumplings, stir-fry, and all of it is vegan! Based on Yelp reviews, the only dish I've tried is The No Name so I can't really speak to the rest of the menu options. The description for The No Name reads battered gluten in a sweet and sour sauce served with assorted steamed vegetables and topped with sesame seeds, also comes with a side of brown rice atop a very small salad. This is a huge serving for about $13 and is really meant to be shared or saved for leftovers, as I do. 

When I crave junk food like back in my college days, this is the sort of meal that would satisfy me (except for the gluten-belly bloat after). I have to admit it's not the best quality food and part of me questions if it's that much healthier than regular Chinese food, but it is nice to have once in a while and I would recommend you give a try. 

Grasshopper

1 North Beacon Street

Allston, MA 02134

Grasshopper Website