Chinese Hot and Sour Noodle Soup

Ingredients

6-1/2 oz fresh Shanghai noodles
6-1/2 oz chicken breast fillet, cut into very thin strips
2 tablespoons garlic and red chili paste
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
3-1/2 oz enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated
1 (4 oz) fresh baby corn, cut into quarters lengthways
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
2-1/4 oz black fungus, roughly chopped
6-1/2 oz firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal in long strips, to garnish

Stock

3 lb chicken bones, washed
2 (1/2-inch) slices fresh ginger
4 spring onions, white part only, bruised

Method

1. To make the stock, put the chicken bones and 15 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, but do not boil. Cook for 30 minutes, removing any scum that rises to the surface. Add the ginger and spring onion and simmer gently, partially covered, for 3 hours. Strain through a fine sieve and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the laver of fat from the surface.
2. Cook the noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water for 4-5 minutes, then drain and rinse.
3. To make the soup, pour 8 cups of the stock into a non-stick wok, bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, add the chicken, garlic and chili paste, soy sauce and white pepper and stir well. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
4. Add the mushrooms, corn, vinegar, black fungus and tofu, season with salt, return the lid to the wok and simmer gently for 5 minutes — do not stir.
5. Mix the cornstarch with 4 tbsp water. Add to the soup with the noodles, return to a simmer, then pour the eggs in a very thin stream over the surface.
6. Turn off the heat and stand for 10 minutes before gently stirring in the sesame oil.
7. Divide among the serving bowls and garnish with the spring onion strips.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: The Essential Wok Cookbook

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Japanese Udon Miso Soup with Chicken

Ingredients

8 dried shiitake mushrooms
13 oz fresh udon noodles
4 cups good-quality chicken stock
1-1/4 1b chicken breast fillets, cut into S/8-inch thick strips
10 oz baby bok Choy, halved lengthways
2 oz white miso paste
2 teaspoons dashi granules
1 tablespoon wakame flakes or other seaweed
5 oz silken firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch) cubes
3 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal

Method

1. Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes. Squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard the woody stalks and thinly slice the caps.
2. Bring 8 cups water to the boil in a large saucepan and cook the noodles for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
3. Pour the stock and 4 cups water into a wok and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer.
4. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until almost cooked through.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the bok Choy and simmer for a further minute, or until beginning to wilt, then add the miso paste, dashi granules, wakame and reserved mushroom liquid. Stir to dissolve the dashi and miso paste. Do not allow to boil.
7. Gently stir in the tofu.
8. Distribute the noodle among the serving bowls, then ladle the hot soup over them. Sprinkle with the spring onion before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: The Essential Wok Cookbook

Stir-fried Tofu with Orange Ginger Sauce

Ingredients

2 packages of extra-firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups carrots, shredded
2 cups organic mushrooms, sliced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup spinach
black and white sesame seeds, cashews and green onion to garnish

Sauce

3/4 cup organic orange juice (fortified with calcium)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp organic corn starch
1 tsp ginger, grated

Method

1. Mix together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Sautee tofu with some oil in a wok until browned slightly (about 10 minutes).
3. Add carrots, mushrooms, broccoli and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add 3 tbsp water and cook for about 3 minutes.
5. Add spinach and cook for another 3 minutes or until spinach has wilted.
6. Add sauce and stir-fry until the sauce thickens.
7. Add sesame seeds, cashews and green onion. Toss to combine. Remove and serve hot.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Source: Vista Magazine

Smokey Sweetcorn and Tofu Fritters

Ingredients

350 g silken tofu, broken up into 2cm pieces
200 g frozen sweetcorn, de-frosted, or freshly shaved corn from the cob
1/2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes
1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
5 fresh kaffir lime leaves, woody stems discarded and finely chopped, about 1 tsp

Method

1. Place all the ingredients, except for the beans, oil and lime wedges, in a food processor with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Blitz roughly so that most (but not all) of the sweetcorn is broken up. Stir in the sliced beans.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan and place on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add 4 tablespoons of the mixture to make 4 fritters. Do this carefully as the oil will spit. Flatten the mixture down so that each fritter is about 6 or 7 centimetres wide and 1-1/2 centimetres thick and then fry for 1-2 minutes until golden-brown on the bottom (this is important: they need to crisp up completely on the bottom for them not to break when you turn them over. Add a little extra rice flour if this still happens.
3. Use a spatula to carefully turn the fritters over and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and keep somewhere warm whilst you continue with the remaining mix in the same way, topping up the oil with an extra tablespoon for each batch.
5. Serve warm with and the lime wedges alongside.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Ottolenghi

Savoury Loaf Made with Veggies, Walnut, Tofu and Oats

Ingredients

1 lb Japanese eggplant
1/2 cup walnuts
1 lb firm tofu
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup oats
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp black pepper
1/4 Tbsp chili flakes

Gravy

2 1/2 lbs sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
I Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup vegetable stock
pinch of salt and pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Roast eggplant in foil for 35 minutes in a 350°F oven. Let cool and peel.
2. Pulse eggplant in a food processor until smooth, place in a bowl.
3. Pulse mushrooms, tofu and walnuts all separately in a food processor and add to the eggplant (walnuts should be very fine and the rest a little coarser for texture).
4. Add remaining ingredients into the bowl and mix together using your hands.
5. Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour in a 350°F oven (place a water bath in the bottom of the oven).
6. To make gravy, saute mushrooms and onions in olive oil until caramelized.
7. Add tomato paste, stir constantly for 5 minutes then add flour.
8. Cook for another 10 minutes.
9. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, vegetable stock, salt and pepper.
10. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened to a gravy consistency. Serve on top of meatless loaf.

Makes 1 loaf.

Source: ciao!