After I became vegetarian, the world of shrimp and lobster dishes were lost to me. This was particularly sad for me, since many of the most delicious Chinese dishes are prominently feature seafood. So when I ran across a fake whole lobster at Good Fortune, I determined to buy it and make one of one of the Wei Chuan seafood recipes that I had so often flipped past The ingredients for this particular recipe were an add combination for me, which attracted me to it. And I wasn’t disappointed. The flavors were bold, at once tangy, sweet, savory, and so flavorful. I felt like I was transported back to my younger meet-eating years dining in a high end Chinese seafood restaurant. I proudly served it for Thanksgiving dinner where it was gobbled up by everyone.

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Fake Lobster in a Tangy Ginger Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 fake veggie lobster. Can also use vegetarian fish balls that are more available.
• 2 T cooking oil

Spices

• 3 T cooking oil
• 2 T garlic minced
• 2 T ginger minced
• 2 T green onion chopped

Sauce

• 2 t hot bean paste
• 2 T fermented rice wine (optional)
• 8 T ketchup

Seasoning

• 1 t salt
• 1 T sugar
• 2 t MSG
• 4 T water

Instructions

• Prepare the ingredients as described in the Ingredients list. Combine the Spices ingredients in a small bowl. Combine the Sauce ingredients in another small bowl. Combine the Seasoning ingredients in a third small bowl.
• fry the whole veggie lobster in oil on medium heat, about 3 minutes, or until the bottom is slightly brown. Remove from pan.
• Fry the Spices ingredients in the pan and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute
• Add the Sauce ingredients and continue to stir-fry, about 30 seconds.
• When the mixture begins to boil, add the Seasoning ingredients. Bring back to boil.
• Serve the lobster in a deep plate with the sauce underneath. Slice the lobster for easy eating.

I grew up on this dish as a little girl.  One of the “aunties” would bring it to every Taiwanese community potluck.  It was a staple that I always looked forward to.  It has that every so slightly chewy clear noodle texture and that balanced salty soy umami taste.  Deniz and I have made it a number of times, different ways, and below is our favorite recipe.

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Sichuan Stir-Fried Mung Bean Noodles with VegPork (螞蟻上樹)

This favorite potluck dish has that every so slightly chewy clear noodle texture and that balanced salty soy umami taste. 

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 4 Morningstar Original Vegetarian Sausage Patties
• 10.5 oz 4 small packs of dried mung bean noodles
• 1/3 c + 1 T cooking oil
• 1 bunch green onion chopped (garnish to taste)
• coriander chopped (garnish to taste)

Spices:

• 2 T green onion chopped
• 2 t ginger root minced
• 1 T hot bean paste là dòu bàn jiàng, 辣豆瓣酱

Sauce:

• 1 t salt
• ¼ t MSG
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 t sugar
• 1 t corn starch
• 2 c veggie broth 1 Knorr Vegetarian Bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water

Garnish (optional):

• 2 T green onion chopped
• 2 T cilantro

Instructions

Directions:

• Toast the patties in toaster oven for 15 minutes on 400°F.  Pulse them in a food processor to a ground-beef consistency.
• Combine the Spices ingredients in a small bowl.   Combine the Sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
• Place the dried mung bean noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover.  Leave the noodles in the water until they are soft, about two to three minutes.  Do not oversoak.  Drain and set aside.
• Heat the 1/3 c cooking oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat.  Add the Spices and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Add the ground patties and stir to coat evenly.  Add the softened noodles and stir until the noodles are evenly coated in oil.  Add the Sauce and mix to coat evenly.
• Continue cooking uncovered until the water is completely soaked into the noodles.  Remove from heat.
• Do not overcook or the noodles will break into pieces.  Stir in the remaining 1 T of cooking oil.
• Garnish with green onion or coriander.

So I had been wanting to try to make a vegetarian fish for over a decade.  I kept procrastinating because of the level of effort and lack of necessary ingredients.  This weekend I had neither excuse and embarked upon a fun adventure.  We had just visited Chinatown the weekend before and stocked up, and Deniz was willing to help me with the labor.  And the results turned out great.  Even Deniz said it was worth the effort.  The flavors are mild, so we’ll have to keep testing to see if we can bring a more sea flavor, but the look and texture are great.  Below is a recipe from Wei-Chuan’s Vegetarian Cooking cookbook that we modified and used:

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Vegetarian Fish

Is it even possible? Well, we even made the skin! If you have a good egg substitute you can even make this vegan.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh or frozen bean curd skins if frozen, defrost
• 2 nori sheets

Filling:

• 6 oz dried bean curd skin broken into small pieces
• 8 oz can enoki minced
• 4 oz can water chestnuts chopped (Optional. This will give the fish a crunch, which will make the texture different from real fish, but nice in a different way)
• 1 block firm tofu drained, crumbled, and as much water squeezed out of it, as possible
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 T nori komi seaweed sesame seed furikake
• 1 T sea salt
• 1 t pepper

Paste:

• 1 T flour
• 1 T water

Instructions

Instructions:

• Prepare the ingredients as described in the Ingredients list above.
• Rehydrate the dried bean curd skin by soaking in boiling water for 1 hour.
• Drain and chop into smaller pieces, approximately 1 square inch in size
• Mix the Filling ingredients (including the rehydrated bean curd skin and squeezed tofu) together in a large bowl until well blended.  Mix the Paste in a small bowl.
• Place the fresh or defrosted bean curd skin on a large cutting board.
• Place the nori on top of it and cut it into the shape of a fish.
• Place the mixed Filling on top of the nori.
• Cut excess bean curd skin away as needed to fold the skin over without having to wrap it around the back.
• Wrap the remaining bean curd skin around the fish like a Christmas present.  Seal tightly with the Paste.
• Steam the fish for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool.
• Make diagonal slashes at 1 cm intervals halfway into the fish.
• Deep fry the fish until golden brown (pan frying it in a lot of oil and flipping it works too, that's what we did.  just be careful about splattering hot oil).

One day, Deniz and I had some extra broccoli and decided to make the classic Chinese-American beef with broccoli dish.  We vegetarian-ized a recipe from Wei-Chuan’s Chinese Cooking cookbook and were happy with the results.  We’ve continued to modify it to further enhance it.  Here’s our latest and favorite version.

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Vegetarian Beef & Broccoli

Almost every Chinese restaurant have this dish for meat eaters. Now you can too enjoy this dish at home, with a good plant-based meat!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Morningstar vegetarian Grilers Original burgers
• 2 heads of broccoli florrets only
• 1 red pepper cut in 1 inch strips
• 4 oz can of water chestnuts drained and sliced (optional)
• 2 T vegetable oil

Spices:

• 1/2 bunch of green onions sliced
• 1/2 red onion sliced (optional)
• 6 slices of ginger root optional

Sauce:

• 1 T rice wine
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1/2 t MSG
• 1½ t sugar
• 1/2 t white pepper
• 1/2 t sesame oil
• 2 c vegetarian broth we prefer to use broth made with dried Chienese mushroom seasoning
• 1½ T corn starch
• 1 T deep fried dried garlic

Instructions

Instructions:

• Prepare the ingredients as described in the above Ingredients list.  Place the Spices ingredients in a small bowl, and the Sauce ingredients in a large bowl.
• Toast the patties for 15 minutes at 350ºF.  After they cool, pulse them in a food processor to a large chunky ground beef consistency.
• Place the broccoli florets in a large saucepan with stems facing down.
• Place the sliced red pepper on top of the broccoli.
• Add 1/8 c of water to the pan.  Cover the pan, and cook on high heat.
• After 5 minutes, turn the heat off and leave the pan on the stove covered for 5 more minutes.
• Drain any remaining liquid from the pan, and set the vegetables aside.
• Heat 2 T of vegetable oil on high heat in the large saucepan.
• Stir-fry the Spices for 1 minute.  Add the ground vegbeef and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Add the drained vegetables and water chestnuts.  Add 1 more T of vegetable oil and stir to combine.
• Add the Sauce and continue cooking and stirring until it is thickened.
• Remove the ginger root slices before serving.

We decided to take a long overdue trip to Chinatown last weekend.  It was great to find some hard to find items, including pickled mustard green.  Here’s an incredibly addictive Sichuan recipe from Wei-Chuan’s Chinese Cooking cookbook, modified to be vegetarian.  The ginger and pickled mustard green are the stars in this recipe, and pair perfectly with the fake meat and vegetables.

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Sichuan Stirfried Vegetarian Pork with Veggies and Pickled Mustard Green

Here's an incredibly addictive Sichuan recipe from Wei-Chuan's Chinese Cooking cookbook, modified to be vegetarian.  The ginger and pickled mustard green are the stars in this recipe, and pair perfectly with the fake meat and vegetables.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Morningstar Vegetarian Sausage Patties
• vegetable oil

Marinade:

• 1/2 salt
• 1 t rice wine
• 2 T water
• 1/2 T cornstarch

Spices:

• 1/2 bunch green onions sliced on an angle in one inch lengths
• 1 T ginger root shredded
• 1 T hot red pepper shredded
• 1 small green pepper shredded

Vegetables:

• 1/2 c Sichuan pickled mustard green shredded
• 4 oz can bamboo shoots shredded (can be substituted with lo mein noodles for a different taste if you don't like bamboo shoots)
• 4 carrots julienned

Sauce:

• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t MSG
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/2 t sesame oil

Instructions

Instructions:

• Prepare the ingredients as described in the above Ingredients list.  Place the Marinade ingredients into a large bowl, the Spices ingredients in a medium bowl, and the Sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
• Toast the patties for 12 minutes at 350ºF.  After they cool, slice them width-wise, in half diameter-wise, and then into thin strips.
• Toss the patty strips in the Marinade. Let them sit, marinating for 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.
• Boil 6 cups of water in a pot.  Add the julienned carrots, return to boil, and cook for 1 minute.  Drain and set aside.
• Heat 2 T of vegetable oil on high heat in a wok.  Add the drained, marinated patty strips to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute, constantly stir-frying to keep the strips from sticking to the wok.  Remove from the wok and set aside.
• Heat another 2 T of vegetable oil on high heat  in the wok.  Add the Spices and stir-fry for 1 minute.   Add the Veggies and the stir-fried patty strips and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add the Sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Deniz and I love indian food and palak paneer is one of those great flavorful and healthy dishes.  We had a lot of extra ong choi in the garden and figured, why not try it with water spinach instead?  We took Dassan’s Palak Paneer recipe and modified it slightly to make it our own.  Here is our fusion recipe, we couldn’t be more pleased with the results.  So flavorful, bursting with Indian spice and with the smoothness of ong choi.  Enjoy!

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Fusion Indian-Chinese Pani Palak Paneer / Pureed Ong Choi with Tofu

We were skeptical with our Palak Paneer using Ong Choi and Tofu first but we couldn't be more pleased with the results.  This fusion creation is so flavorful, bursting with Indian spice and with the smoothness of ong choi.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• Ong Choi Puree
• 1½ lbs fresh ong choi washed well and large stems removed
• 1 anaheim chilli chopped
• 2 t garlic
• 1 t ginger
• 3/4 c water for the puree
• 6 c water boiling
• 6 c water frigid with ice cubes

Tofu Sauce:

• 4 T oil
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• medium onions diced in a food processor
• 2½ T garlic minced
• small tomatoes chopped
• ½ t turmeric powderi
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t garam masala
• 2 t vegeta
• salt to taste
• 1 block approx 1 lb of extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 t kasuri methi leaves/dry fenugreek leaves crumbled
• ½ c half and half

Instructions

Instructions:

Ong Choi Puree:

• Boil 6 cups water in a pot and with 1 tsp salt. Add the ong choi leaves and thin stems into the boiling water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
• Strain the leaves and then immediately place the strained leaves into 6 cups of cold water with ice cubes to cool it down.  Drain again.
• Blend the cooled cooked ong choi in a blender with the ginger, garlic, and 3/4 c of water until smooth.

Tofu Sauce:

• Heat the cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Add the bay leaves and diced onions and saute till the onions  become golden.
• Add the minced garlic. Saute it without browning it.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, stirring until they soften, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the turmeric powder and chili powder.
• Stir in the ong choi puree. Simmer for 6-7 minutes or more till the ong choi is cooked, adding water as needed to keep it a smooth creamy consistency.
• Stir in the vegeta, salt to taste, garam masala, and tofu cubes. Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the crumbled dry fenugreek leaves.
• Stir in the cream.

We’ve been on a bit of a sandwich kick lately, and thought we’d try Peking VegPork in a sandwich instead of on top of rice.  The results were delicious.  Below is the recipe, adapted from Wei-Chuan’s Szechwan Style cookbook for our vegetarian diet and tastes.  The Peking VegPork goes over rice by itself well too.

Ingredients:

• 35 oz VegeFarm Vege Bacon Ham
• bunch of cilantro
• bunch of lettuce
• mayo for garnish (optional)
• 10 sub rolls
• 3 T sweet bean paste
• ½ T sugar

Marinade:

• 2 T water
• 2 T rice wine
• 1½ T soy sauce
• 4 t corn starch
• 2 t cooking oil

Instructions:

Combine the Marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.

Slice the Vege Bacon Ham into 1½ long thin strips.  Add the sliced ham to the Marinade.  Stir to coat evenly and allow to marinade for 20 minutes.

Heat 3 T of cooking oil in a wok or large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the sweet bean paste and sugar and stir-fry for a minute.  Add the marinated vege bacon ham and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat.

To assemble the sandwiches, toast the sub bread until it’s crispy on the outside.  Cut the sub in half, making sure not to cut all the way through.  Place the may on the sandwich (optional), then leaves of lettuce, followed by sprigs of cilantro, and then finally the Peking vegpork.

Deniz and I were lucky to have my parents visiting this week during Chinese New Year.  Dad made this traditional Taiwanese coconut butter steamed new years cake that I grew up on.  It’s sticky in the center, flaky on top, and has a delicious buttery coconut taste.  Here’s the yummy recipe, given to us by a family friend (Mrs. Helen Shu).

Ingredients:

• 16 oz bag of sweet glutenous rice flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c butter
• 2 c sugar
• 3 c milk
• 3 T coconut flakes
• 2 t baking powder

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350oF.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl well, until they bubble.  Add in all the remaining ingredients to the eggs and mix well until no lumps remain.

Liberally grease a 13″x9″x2″ baking pan.  Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan.  Bake in the oven for one hour.  Cool before removing for the pan and serving.

There’s something so satisfying about soy-pickled cucumbers combined with meaty flavors and textures.  We were excited to find this Taiwanese dish in Wei-Chuan’s Chinese Cuisine cookbook, and adapted for our vegetarian diet.   It’s so simple to make.  Salty and perfect on rice.

Ingredients:

• 12 Morningstar Original Vegetarian Sausage Patties
• 2 green onions, chopped in 1-inch sections

Marinade:

• ½ T soy sauce
• ½ T rice wine
• 5 T water
• 3 t corn starch

Sauce:

• 4 oz can of pickled cucumbers, sliced into thin strips
• Liquid from the pickled cucumber can
• 1½ T soy sauce
• 1/8 t corn starch

Instructions:

Toast the veggie sausage patties in the oven for 15 minutes on 400°F.  Allow them to cool so they can be handled to cut.  Slice each patty into thin (approx ¼ inch) strips.

Combine the Marinade ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well to ensure the corn starch is fully dissolved.  Toss in the sliced patties to coat evenly.

Combine the Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.

Heat 4 T of cooking oil on medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet.  Add the marinaded patty strips.  Allow to the patties to brown for 1 minute, then flip with a spatula, and continue cooking for 1 minute.  Then stir-fry for an additional 1 minute.  Add the green onions, and continue stir-frying for another minute.  Add the Sauce and stir well.  Continue cooking until the sauce bubbles and has thickened.

Deniz loves these bean sprouts, we’ve made them more than any other recipe on this blog.  I’ve never been a big fan of bean sprouts, and even I like them.  They’re simple to make, full of flavor, and very nutritious.  This recipe is taken from Wei-Chuan’s Chinese Cuisine cookbook, with the seasoning amplified for our tastes.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs bean sprouts
• ½ green pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 t Sichuan peppercorn, ground

Seasoning:

• 2 t salt
• 2 t sugar
• 2 t MSG
• 2 T rice vinegar

Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients per the instructions above.  Combine the Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.

Heat 3 T of cooking oil in a wok over high heat.  Add the ground Sichuan peppercorn and stir-fry for 10 seconds.  Add the bean sprouts, sliced green pepper, and Seasoning, and continue to stir-fry until until the bean sprouts are thoroughly cooked.

This dish has a five spice and fennel soy taste that makes it a unique treat different from traditional Chinese dishes.  It’s salty on its own, and goes great on plain white rice.  This recipe is adapted from Wei-Chuan’s Rice cookbook, for our vegetarian diet.

Ingredients:

• 12 Morningstar Original Vegetarian Sausage Patties

Spices:

• 6 medium-sized shallots, minced
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 1 T ginger, minced
• 1/8 t cinnamon powder
• 1/8 t five spice powder
• 1/8 t fennel powder
• 1/8 t pepper

Sauce:

• 1 c water
• 3/4 c rice wine
• 3 T soy sauce
• 3 T sesame oil
• 1½ T white sugar
• 1½ T black vinegar
• 1 t corn starch

Instructions:

Toast the veggie sausage patties in the oven for 15 minutes on 400°F.  Allow them to cool so they can be handled to cut.  Cut each patty in half and then slice in thin (approx ¼ inch) strips.

Combine the Sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, mixing well to ensure the corn starch is fully dissolved.  Combine the Spices ingredients in a small bowl.

Heat 2 T of cooking oil in a non-stick saute pan on medium high heat.  Stir-fry the Spices for 1 minute.  Add the Sauce and sliced patties, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat after the sauce has thickened.  Allow the dish to stand for 2 minutes for the flavors to infuse into the patties.

Tofu cubes make a fantastic meat substitute when marinated, coated with seasoning, and fried or deep-fried.  Below is a recipe that we modified from The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook: 100 Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Table.  It’s a great base most any chicken-based stir fry or wrap.  It’s also tasty enough to eat on its own.  Soon after cooking, there are always several that seem to mysteriously disappear into my mouth.

Ingredients:

• 2 blocks of extra firm tofu, cubed
• 3/4 c all purpose flour
• 1 c cooking oil
• 1/4 c butter (optional)
• 2 Knorr vegetable bullion cubes
• 1½ c water

Seasoning (can be modified for taste):

• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• ½ t onion powder
• ½ t garlic powder
• ½ t cayenne
• 1 t paprika

Instructions:

Boil the water.  Dissolve the bullion cubes into the boiling water in a large bowl.  Add the cubed tofu to the bowl, ensuring that each cube is fully covered in the marinade.  Marinade in the refrigerator overnight.

Drain the marinated tofu cubes.  Pat the cubes with a paper towel to remove excess water.  Sprinkle the Seasonings ingredients to the bowl, gently tossing the tofu to evenly coat.

Sprinkle the flour into the bowl, continuing to gently toss to evenly coat the tofu.

Heat the cooking oil and optional butter in a medium-sized sauce pan on medium high heat or a deep-fryer.  Add the coated tofu into the pan/fryer ensuring that each cube is fully covered in oil.  You may need to do multiple batches for even coating.  Deep fry for 4 minutes.

Remove the deep-fried tofu with a slotted spoon.  Cover with sauce, or use as a chicken substitute in another recipe.

With its aromatic smell and flavor, Sichuan pepper makes any dish special. Now add hot bean paste, ginger, garlic, and some bell peppers – we end up with a Chinese delicacy that will satisfy anybody, not just vegetarians.

Ingredients

• 1 lbs Gardein Chick’n (Mandarin Orange, or a similar version that is battered but not breaded.  Set aside the sauce for another use.)
• 1 T hot bean paste

Pepper spice mix:

• ½ T Sichuan peppercorn, ground
• 1 dried hot red pepper

Veggies:

• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 T green onion, minced
• 1 t garlic, minced
• 1 t ginger, minced

Sauce:

• 3 T cooking wine
• 3 T light soy sauce
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T water
• 1 t sesame oil
• 1 t rice vinegar
• 1 t corn starch
• ½ Knorr Vegetable Bouillon

Directions

Bake the fake chicken pieces in oven for 18 minutes at 425°F flipping midway. They should be golden brown, and little crispy. Cool.  Cut each nugget in half.

Prepare the Veggies per the Ingredients list.  Combine the Sauce ingredients into a medium-sized bowl.

Heat the wok, add 3 T oil.  Stir fry Veggies until fragrant. Remove and set aside.

Add 1 T oil to the wok. Add in hot bean paste to fry until fragrant, then add in the Pepper Spice Mix.

Turn off the heat.  Add the Sauce and stir well to ensure the boullion is completely dissolved.

Add the baked chick’n and Veggies back into the wok.  Stir well to coat everything evenly with the sauce.

I’ve made this delicious soup in various versions over the years, thanks to Wei-Chuan’s cookbook guidance.  It’s got that perfect balance of sour and savory with a tinge of heat.  I don’t miss the meat at all in this vegetarian version.  Here’s our most recent variation, chock full of veggie goodness.  Most of the veggies are optional, feel free to add or subtract as your pantry allows.

Ingredients:

Stir-Fry Veggies:

• ½ of a 14-oz can of bamboo shoots, shredded
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• ½ oz dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 4 wood ears, chopped
• 3-inch strip of dried turnip, chopped (optional)
• ½ bunch of enoki mushrooms

Additional Soup Ingredients:

• ½ c frozen peas
• ½ c water chestnuts, sliced and halved
• 1 block silken tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes

Soup Stock:

• 5 c broth (2.5 Knorr vegetable bouillons dissolved in 5 c of hot water)
• 2 T black vinegar
• 1½ T rice vinegar
• 2 t ginger, minced
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 t garlic chili paste
• ½ t salt
• ½ t sugar
• 1 t pepper
• 1 T corn starch

Garnish:

• 1 egg, beaten (optional)
• 1 T sesame oil
• 2 t green onion, chopped

Directions:

Prepare the Veggies and Additional Soup Ingredients as described in the ingredients list.  Heat 2 T vegetable oil in a very large skillet on medium high.  Stif-fry the Veggies for 2 minutes.

Add the Soup Stock ingredients to the skillet, making sure the corn starch is fully dissolved in the broth prior to addition (otherwise the corn starch will turn into gelatinous lumps).  Cook on high until the soup is boiling.

Add the Additional Soup Ingredients and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add the Garnish, stirring the soup during addition to create egg strands.