Vegetarian Beef Recipe

It's hard to believe it's almost the end of January already! It feels as though the year just got started. With the Asian New Year (Tết in Vietnamese) starting in a few days, I concocted yet another vegetarian recipe. This time around, I stir-fried vegan-friendly faux-beef with fermented black beans and chili garlic sauce. It's a great source of protein while the texture is very similar to beef itself. 

To balance the meal, I also added crookneck squash, which provided a soft contrast to the dish. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Char Siu Recipe (Tofu Xa Xiu)

If you've been to an Asian market, you've probably noticed the long pieces of Chinese-style barbecue meat glistening with red sauce on hangers. The red sauce is char siu sauce (in Vietnamese, it's called xá xíu). Since my husband Lulu is a vegetarian, I made a tofu version and coated the fried tofu with the sweet sauce. It's made with honey (but I used date syrup for a darker color), hoisin sauce, reduced soy sauce, dry sherry (optional), fresh ginger, five spice powder and sesame oil. I added a little red food coloring to reach the typical char siu color but really, it's up to you. To finish the dish I sautéed the tofu with shiitake mushrooms and red and green onions.

I didn't miss eating meat at all, but of course, you could use the sauce on a pork tenderloin and generously baste the meat with the eye-catching sauce, if you prefer.

Sauteed String Beans (Chinese Green Bean Recipe)

Chinese-style green beans are a delicious side dish. Green beans are deep fried until the outer skin becomes slightly wilted. Once all the beans are fried, they're sautéed in garlic, chili garlic sauce, black bean sauce and soy sauce.

This may not be the healthiest way to prepare green beans, but I can’t get enough of them. The natural sweetness of the green beans balances perfectly with the saltiness from the fermented black beans. On top of that, this vegetable dish is so easy to make, it will take you less time to make it yourself than ordering take-out!
 

Glass Noodles with Vegetable Stir Fry (Jap Chae)

 This glass noodle dish (also known as cellophane noodles, dam myun in Korean and harusame in Japanese) is made from sweet potato starch. The dish is very similar to chow mein, but aesthetically the noodles look translucent once they're boiled and their texture is chewier.

I prepared the noodles with king mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, pan-fried tofu, baby spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and cauliflower. The dish is relatively easy and quick to make if you have all the veggies prepped in advance.

Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce

Choy sum (also known as Chinese flowering cabbage) is a very quick and easy vegetable to cook. I pan-steamed the greens for only a few minutes to maintain a bright green color and paired them with an oyster sauce mixture. Of course, I also had to modify the recipe a bit for the strictly vegetarian diet of my husband Lulu, but the method is exactly the same.

You can serve them as is or with a sauce of your own. It's a healthy and flavorful way to open a meal. I've had it often that way at dim sum restaurants. In fact, it's usually one of the few vegetable dishes offered. With this recipe, you can have it at home, without the dim sum prices!