Chinese Cabbage Salad Recipe

This salad course is simple and very easy. I shredded a head of Chinese cabbage and mixed it with pickled onions, Vietnamese mint and pickled garlic. The mint enhances the flavor of the cabbage and gives it a fresh taste.

The best part is that this type of gơi (Vietnamese pickled salad) can be done very quickly and it's very low in calories. I'm attending a yoga class today, and this salad will keep me in a Zen state of mind long after the class is over.

Red Cabbage and Bean Sprout Salad Recipe

I had leftover bean sprouts from a large pot of phở over the weekend, and I decided to make a salad with it. The color of the bean sprouts needed a little oomph, so I added shredded red cabbage. In addition to the red cabbage, I also used diced Fuji apples.

Given the Asian flair of the salad, I made a peanut, lime and condensed milk vinaigrette. This is a very quick and easy first course, which gave me some time to work on a delicious dessert to satisfy my husband's sweet tooth for Valentine’s Day.

Canh Bap Cuon (Stuffed Cabbage Soup Recipe)

Canh bắp cải cuốn, which literally translates to stuffed cabbage wrap soup is my way of using the leftover potsticker filling I recently made. I stuffed the leftover mixture into whole cabbage leaves that were previously softened by par-boiling. I served them phở-style, meaning that I brought them to the table in bowls and then covered them with celery and carrot broth just before everyone dug in.

Creating little cabbage “gifts” is a great way to vary the vegetarian meals we've been having this week for Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year, on February 3^rd). I tied the cabbage with green onions strings. The entire thing is edible and looks very playful.

Red Cabbage Coleslaw with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

This recipe was inspired by a dish described to me by Chef Doreen T. Ross. We "met" through PhamFatale.com and we've exchanged several emails about dishes. She recently made a plate of very successful fish tacos that used cabbage coleslaw instead of the more traditional choice of lettuce. Doreen made her coleslaw with a buttermilk ranch dressing that sounded delectable. I had to try it myself, so today I tried to recreate the coleslaw that Doreen described to me as a stand alone dish.

I adapted the recipe so the vegetarians in the house could partake, which means there are no eggs. If that's not an issue for you, a standard egg-based ranch dressing would work fine. To make vegetarian ranch dressing, I usually incorporate silken tofu, but as I started working on the dish I realized that I had bought the wrong kind at the store. I had liquid soy lecithin and xanthan gum in my pantry, so I used those instead. If you're familiar with egg-free recipes, xanthan gum and lecithin are an excellent egg substitute.

I didn't think my first iteration of the buttermilk ranch dressing had enough of a kick on its own, so I melted blue cheese and added champagne vinegar to the mix. Because of its rich color, shredded raw red cabbage seemed like the right canvas to showcase the light-colored dressing. I paired the cabbage with cubed Granny Smith apples for a little sweetness and additional color contrast.

The result is an unexpectedly complex and flavorful dish. It was a big success at my house, so I have to say thanks again to Chef Doreen for the tip!

Scrambled Tofu and Kimchi

Using the kimchi from yesterday's post, I made a dish today for true vegetarians and vegans like my Aunt Elise. She is a monk from Vietnam who's currently visiting us, and one of her favorite meals is mock scrambled eggs with kimchi.  The mock scrambled eggs are actually scrambled boiled tofu. Today, I made mine with turmeric and green onions.

The fluffiness of the tofu complements the salty flavor of the kimchi well. Lulu's New Year's resolution has been to exercise and live a healthier life. He's enrolled at the gym and has been going regularly. My way of supporting his effort is by making quick, healthy meals and snacks that are tasty and good for him.