Vegetable Dishes

Snow Peas with Water Chestnuts in Brown Sauce

4 ounces fresh Snow Pea Pods
1 small can Sliced Water Chestnuts (drained)

Mixed Vegetables in Brown Sauce

Use the previous recipe, substituting vegetables: snow peas, broccoli florets, sliced bamboo shoots, black mushrooms, green pepper, onion, etc.

Bean Curd Home Style

8 ounces firm Tofu (Bean Curd)

Kung Pao Tofu

Make Kung Pao Chicken with tofu instead of chicken. You'll find the sauce in the "Stir-Fry Sauces" chapter. You may prefer firm varieties of tofu or you may be able to handle softer styles without turning it into mush - experiment!

Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

3 medium stalks (about 1 pound) Broccoli
3 tablespoons Oil
½ teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Oyster Sauce
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Corn Starch
Dash of Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

Cut the broccoli tops into bite-size florets. Cut the tough outer coating off the upper parts of the stalks and cut the softer inner parts into ½" cubes or similar size (¼"x¼"x2" sticks is attractive) Mix the oyster sauce, sugar, corn starch, and soy sauce thoroughly in a small bowl. Pre-heat wok, then add oil and swirl until smoke starts to rise, add broccoli and salt and stir. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover for 3-4 minutes. Steam will rise from around the lid. If, before broccoli is done, you hear the unhappy sizzle of something that used to be steaming before the water boiled away, add another little bit of water. Drain any remaining water and add sauce ingredients, allow the sauce to thicken as you toss the broccoli in the sauce, add a dash of sesame oil and plate the dish. When I really can't watch the broccoli this closely, for instance if there's a lot to do and my attention is divided, I sometimes "blanch" it in the microwave (making sure to still keep it quite crisp) before adding it to the wok.

Szechuan-Style Eggplant

¼ cup Oil
1¼ pounds Eggplant, (peeled if desired), cut into 1½" cubes
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
½ cup Chicken Broth
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh Ginger, peeled and grated or minced
2-3 teaspoons Chili Paste, to taste
1 teaspoon Hoisin Sauce
1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar or Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine or Dry Sherry
3 Scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 Red or Green Bell Pepper, diced
Dash of Sesame Oil

Pre-heat a wok, then add oil and swirl until smoke starts to rise, and stir-fry the eggplant 3-5 minutes, or until it is tender and browned. Transfer the eggplant with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the broth. Put the garlic, ginger, chili paste, hoisin sauce, vinegar and wine into the hot wok and stir fry the mixture for 30 seconds. Add the scallions and green or red bell pepper and stir 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar,
the cornstarch mixture (stir it again just before adding) and the eggplant and stir 1 minute, add the sesame oil and toss the mixture well.

Szechuan Dry-Fried String Beans

Heat 1 cup of oil in a wok until it just begins to smoke. Deep-fry the beans in two or three batches for 2 to 3 minutes or until they look wrinkled and blistered. Remove and drain the beans, and remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok. Reheat the wok and add the ginger and garlic, stirring for 15 seconds. Add the pork and stir for 1 minute, breaking up the pork into its individual granules as it fries. Add the green onion, sugar, white pepper and soy sauce and toss to blend. Return the reserved green beans, chicken broth and sesame oil; toss vigorously over high heat until all liquids are reduced and absorbed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve.

Buddha's Delight
This dish is generally a mix of vegetables in a sauce containing no meat - the vegetables can change, but it isd always delicious!

½ cup Lotus Root cut 2"x½"
½ cup (1 can) sliced Bamboo Shoots
½ cup Carrot cut 2"x½"
2 Water Chestnuts, julienned
½ cup Celery cut 2"
1/3 cup Snow Peas cut in ½" pieces
5 Black Mushrooms, soaked, stems removed, chopped into ¼" strips
30 dried Tiger Lily Buds, soaked 30 minutes, squeezed dry, hard ends removed
4 slices Dried Bean Curd, 30 minutes and cut in ½" strips

Sauce

¼ cup Vegetable Stock OR ¼ cup Water and increase soy sauce below by 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1¼ teaspoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Vegetable Stock
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
Pinch of White Pepper
1 tablespoon Ginger, minced

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Pre-heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and swirl, until it just begins to smoke. Add the ginger and stir briefly. Add the lotus roots and stir for 30 seconds.  Add the carrot and stir briefly. Add the bamboo shoots and stir briefly. Add the water chestnuts and stir briefly. Add the celery, snow peas, mushrooms and tiger lily buds and stir briefly. Add the bean curd and stir briefly. Let all the vegetables cook together about 2 minutes, stirring. Stir the sauce ingredients (the cornstarch tends to settle), and add to the wok. The sauce will boil and thicken, and the dish is done.

EGG FU YUNG

5 large Eggs, beaten a little
1 teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Oil
3 Scallions, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup Bean Sprouts, blanched a few seconds in boiling water and drained
1/2 pound Barbecued pork -- diced
1 tablespoon Onions, green -- chopped
SAUCE
3/4 cup Chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons Oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1 pinch white pepper
1 teaspoon Cornstarch mixed with
1 tablespoon Water

dr Sesame oil
In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs with salt. Preheat Wok over medium high heat until hot. Add 2 TBS oil and tilt wok to coat the sides. Add shallots and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Increase to high heat and add snow peas, seconds late, add bean sprouts and fry for about 1 minute or until vegetables are crisp tender. Toss in the shrimp and pork and stir-fry for 30 seconds more to heat through. Remove from heat. When cool, add onions or coriander or parsley and beaten eggs. Mix together well. Reheat wok to medium high heat. Add remaining 2 TBS oil and when hot, pour in 1/3 cup of egg mixture. Fry until bottom is golden brown and the edges are crisp, about 1 minute. Turn omelet over and brown other side. Remove and keep warm. Repeat as necessary.
Arrange omelets on a warm serving platter. Make sauce by heating wok to high and pouring off all the remaining oil. Add chicken stock, oyster sauce, sugar and white pepper. Bring to a boil.
Stir in cornstarch and stir until mixture thickens and is glossy, about 30 seconds. Add sesame oil. This makes about 1 cup. Pour sauce over warm omelets and enjoy. Omelets may also be served plain with soy sauce.