Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 6 large cabbage leaves
• 2 dried mushrooms
• 30 grams straw mushrooms
• 30 grams silver sprouts 1)
• 3 water chestnuts 2)
  
• 1/4 carrot
• a little dried fungus
• a little black moss
• Seasoning:
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cornstarch Mixture:
• 40 ml water or liquid from the reconstituted mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• Sauce:
• 40 ml water (or stock if desired)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce
• pepper to taste
• a few drops sesame oil
• 1 - 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, as needed

Preparation

Parboil cabbage leaves in the wok in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes. This will help the filling stick to the cabbage. Move the leaves around with chopsticks so they will soften. Drain well. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for between 20 - 30 minutes. Save the soaking liquid to use if desired. Squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms and cut off the stems. Soak the black fungus in warm water for at least 15 minutes. Rinse and trim the stems and cut off any stiff parts. Soak the hair moss in warm water for 20 minutes and drain well. Wash the water chestnuts and peel. Wash and scrape the carrot. Rinse the silver sprouts and the straw mushrooms. Shred all the ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix together the seasoning ingredients, adding 2 tablespoons of the reconstituted mushroom liquid if desired. In separate small bowls, prepare the cornstarch/water mixture and the sauce.
Heat the oil on medium-high to high heat in a wok. When the oil is ready, add the mushrooms, fungus, hair moss and silver sprouts, carrots and water chestnut and stir-fry. Add the seasonings with the mushroom stock. Add the cornstarch/water mixture, and 1/2 of the sauce and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. Divide the cooked filling into 6 portions. Lay out a cabbage leaf and place a portion of the filling on the end. (If necessary, cut off the stiff rib of the leaf and place a small piece of cabbage over to cover.) Roll up the cabbage tightly and trim off the ends if necessary. Continue with the remaining rolls.

Steam the cabbage rolls on high heat for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in wok and when ready, add the rest of the sauce. Heat and pour on top of the cabbage rolls. Serve hot.
1)Silver sprouts are merely bean sprouts that have been "topped and tailed" - they have had both ends cut off. The purpose is to make a more attractive dish. If desired, you can skip this step and not trim the bean sprouts.
2)If unavailable, substitute bamboo shoot

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh egg noodles
• 1 can bamboo shoots
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh snow peas
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 slices ginger
• 2 TB dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 TB Chinese rice vinegar

Preparation

Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 3 - 5 minutes, or cook according to the package directions.
Prepare the vegetables: Rinse all the vegetables and drain thoroughly. (Rinse the bamboo shoots and canned water chestnuts under warm running water for several minutes to remove any tinny taste). Cut the red bell pepper in half, remove the seeds, and cut into thin strips. String the snow peas and cut the celery into thin strips on the diagonal Mince the ginger. Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the water chestnuts. Stir-fry briefly, and add the other vegetables except for the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry briefly and add the noodles.
Stir in the dark soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. Stir in the bean sprouts. Cook for a few more seconds and serve hot. Each serving contains (based on 3 servings): Calories 469*, 76 g Carbohydrates, 16 g Protein, 13 g Fat (2 g Saturated Fat), 72 mg Cholesterol, 8 g Fibre, 907 mg Potassium. An excellent source of potassium. A good source of calcium, iron and dietary fiber.
*The calorie count goes down to 352 when based on 4 servings.

Vegetarian Recipe Spot

Chinese Vegetarian Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb soybean sticks
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

Preparation

Bean sticks are usually sold in 1 pound packages. Take half. Break into several sections. Place in bowl, sprinkle soda over them and cover with 8 cups hot water. When they begin to whiten and float to top anchor down with small plate and let soak for 4 hours.Drain sticks in colander. Rinse with warm water. Put back in bowl and cover with warm water and anchor. Let soak 4 hours. Drain just before cooking. Spray with warm water and press lightly to extract excess water. Heat wok or skillet over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirl and heat for 30 seconds. Scatter in bean sticks and stir rapidly to coat. Add soy sauces, salt and sguar and stir briskly for 30 seconds. Turn heat low, cover and let steam cook vigorously for 10 minutes. They should release enough liquid to prevent scorching. Uncover, stir in sesame oil and pour into bowl. Let cool.