Ginger soy 'fish'

We had some of the soy 'fish' left over and so I decided to do a variation on the theme that P had done so successfully the other day. This time I did a ginger sauce, steamed some asparagus and puk choy, and made brown rice.

Ingredients

Ginger sauce
1/2 tblp canola oil (or any light vegetable oil)
2 tblp fresh grated ginger
1 tblp chilli sauce
1 tblp lemon juice
1 tblp soy sauce

soy 'fish' (2 or 3 per person)
asparagus
puk choy
brown rice


Cook the brown rice. (We use a rice cooker).

Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the ginger. Stir for about a minute and add the chilli, lemon juice and soy sauce. Stir for a couple of minutes and then lower the heat and let it simmer for a little. Add some hot water if it starts getting too thick.

Brush a fry pan with a small amount of oil and lightly fry the soy 'fish' on both sides.

Steam the asparagus and puk choy for about a minute (or until slightly wilted).

Serve all ingredients on to a plate and drizzle the ginger sauce to taste.

Spring rolls

One of the foods that we served at the party on Saturday was a recent addition to our cooking repertoire, but it is fast becoming a party favourite. So, I thought that I would share the recipe with you.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients
One wombok (Chinese cabbage), shredded
4 medium carrots, chopped into matchstick size pieces
200g firm tofu, crumbled
1/2 cup of dried Shitake mushrooms, rehydrated & chopped
2 cups mung bean shoots
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 packet of spring roll wrappers


Preheat the oven to 180C.

Heat the canola oil in a wok (or fry pan) over a medium heat. Add the ginger and tofu and stir for a minute or two. Add the mushrooms and carrots, bring up the heat a little and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (except the sesame oil or wrappers!) and stir for a few more minutes (partially covered).

Take off the heat and stir through the sesame oil.

Once the mixture has cooled place it in the spring roll wrappers. Basically place a line of mixture along one edge (leaving some space above and below). Fold the wrapper down at the top and bottom and then roll.

Place the spring rolls on a oven tray (or two). Brush lightly with canola oil and place in the preheated oven for 15-25 minutes (or until lightly brown and crispy). [They will probably take at least 20 minutes, but do check them at 15 just in case... it is not like they need to rise or anything]

Serve to admiring guests with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, fresh coriander and diced fresh chillies. [Save a few for yourself or you may miss out]

Sushi lunch box

P and I have our first 'parenting' class this evening. We were supposed to start last year, but had to postpone the classes because neither of us were in Canberra. Today's class is about 'normal' labour (we get to hear about complications next week - yay!).

Since I am incapable of going for more than a few hours without food, I thought that I would pack a snack. I also thought that I would go overboard simply to keep having fun with making creative 'lunch boxes'.

And so I present you with brown rice sushi, baby tomatoes, mango and a gingerbread person.


I hope that you all have a lovely evening.

Rice paper lunch box

Ingredients:
Rice paper (from an Asian grocer, or the supermarket)
1/4 pack of Vermincilli rice noodles
150g Firm tofu (sliced into narrow strips)
1 cup small button mushrooms (quartered)
1/2 bunch of shallots (chopped finely)
1 carrot (cut into thin julienne strips)
1/2 bunch baby buk choy (chopped finely)
1 cup mung bean sprouts (washed well)
1 clove garlic (diced finely)
small square of fresh ginger (diced finely)
1 fresh chilli (diced finely)
vegetable oil
sesame seeds

Sauces:
sesame oil
lemon juice
fresh chilli - diced finely
Braggs (or soy sauce)


Brush a wok or pan with a small amount of vegetable oil and heat over medium. Add half of the garlic, ginger & chilli. Stir for a couple of minutes and add the mushrooms. Raise heat and fry for up to five minutes adding some Braggs or soy sauce towards the end.

Repeat this process with the tofu.

Cover the carrots with a small amount of lemon juice and sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Fill a wide bowl or serving dish with about an inch of cold water and slide in one sheet of rice paper. Remove after about 30 seconds, it should still be a little stiff (it will soften afterwards). Lay flat on a clean surface and place a small amount of each of the ingredients in a narrow strip along the centre, leaving space up the top and bottom of the strip.


Dribble a teaspoon of the sauce over the ingredients so that you don't have to dip them later for flavour (this makes them more portable).

Fold the top and bottom over and then pick up one side and bring it over the strip to lay on to the other side, before rolling the remaining package into a roll.


Set aside and repeat the process.

Chinese eggplant and greens

Chinese Eggplant

Ingredients
1 whole eggplant chopped into cubes of about 5 cm2*
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil (or veg oil)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or Bragg's)
Water
Sprinkle of sesame oil to taste
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
*[Several chinese eggplants would also work here if available]


Heat a heavy-based pan over medium high. Add oil, chilli and garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the eggplant and stir so that the ingredients mix together well.

Allow the eggplant to start to brown, add soy sauce and stir. Add sesame seeds and stir through. Turn up the heat to high and add a small amount of water, and stir as the water steams off and then add some more. Repeat several times allowing the bitter juices to evaporate.

Add a small amount of water, turn down heat to medium and cover with lid. Remove lid every now and then to stir and make sure that it is not sticking. Remove from heat when mixture is goey (but still has some shape).

Sprinkle small amount of sesame oil to taste.

Greens

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
Small bunch of shallots, diced (remove ends)
1 small red chilli, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
Ginger, finely sliced
Button mushrooms, chopped in half or quarters
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or Bragg's)
Asparagus, chopped in thirds (remove botton end)
Snowpeas, chopped in half (remove ends)
Baby buk choy, chopped coarsely (remove base)

Heat wok over a medium heat. Add oil, shallots, chilli, garlic and ginger and stir together for about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir until lightly brown.

Add soy sauce, asparagus and snowpeas and stir for a few minutes. Add buk choy and turn off the heat.

Mix the ingredients together and serve.


Serve over brown rice.

Vegetarian Dumplings

I mentioned recently that I have been craving dumplings lately and had come to the realisation that I was going to have to make them myself if I was to be able to satisfy my craving. So, last night we did just that and I thought that I would share the recipe with you.


Ingredients:
250gms firm tofu
a dash of vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or minced
a dash of soy sauce (or Braggs)
2 teaspoons of finely minced or grated fresh ginger [or less if you are not a big ginger fan - it does give the dumplings quite a bite!]
1 small red chilli finely chopped
one small bunch of spring onions finely chopped
small bunch of fresh coriander finely chopped (we didn't have this and it didn't matter too much, but it is yummy)
1/2 cup carrot (grated or cut in short, thin julienne strips)
half a bunch of baby buk choy finely chopped (including lots of the stalk)
one stick of celery finely chopped
small bunch of enoki mushrooms (or button if you prefer) finely chopped
a decent dash of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of soy sauce (or Braggs)
40-60 small dumpling (wonton) wrappers [available at most asian grocers for around $2)
a bowl of cold water


Tools:
a wok (or fry pan)
a pastry brush
a teaspoon
a large mixing bowl
a small bowl
a bamboo steamer (or metal if that is all you have) and fitted saucepan

Wash the tofu and then chop into very small squares (about 1/2 centimeter sqaured) or just crumble it. [We chopped it and would crumble it next time - it is easier to use.]

Heat the wok over a low/medium heat and then add the oil and the garlic and stir. After a minute or so, add the tofu and turn up the heat to medium high. Keep stirring and add the soy sauce as the tofu starts to brown slightly. Stir in for a couple of minutes and remove from heat and allow it to cool for a little while.

Combine the ginger, chilli, spring onions, coriander, carrot, buk choy, celery, enoki mushrooms, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a bowl.

Add the tofu once it has cooled a little and stir it all together.

Place one wonton wrapper on a plastic chopping board and cover the rest with a damp cloth. (This is faster if you have a few people doing the wrapping.) Use the pastry brush to dampen the edges of the wrapper with water. Place a small amount of the mixture into the middle of the wrapper (about one level teaspoon, any more and it will be difficult to get the edges to stick together). Fold the wrapper in half and use your fingers to press the edges together. (You can try trickier shapes too, but I would start with this one.)

Place the dumplings into the bamboo steamer, making sure that they do not touch each other. You may only be able to steam 10-12 at a time unless you have several steamers. Brunch the steamer(s) with a little oil to prevent the dumplings from sticking.

Place the steamer over a pot of boiling water and leave to steam (covered) for around 15 minutes. (We tried steaming them over the wok, but the steam wasn't concentrated enough and we had to transfer them to a fitted saucepan.)

Serve the dumplings in mini courses or keep them warm in the oven while you wait for them all to finish. A mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice and minced chilli makes a nice dipping sauce.

ENJOY! They are yummy