Tau Hu Chung: Vietnamese Vegetarian Pate Recipe

Tàu hũ chưng is one of the many vegetarian equivalents you can find to Vietnamese meat dishes. As I mentioned last week, Tết is coming soon (January 23rd), and you're supposed to eat vegetarian for the days just before and after the Asian New Year. Usually, I would make mắm chưng thịt (Vietnamese-style meatloaf). This dish is similar, using ingredients such as mushrooms, bean thread noodles and cilantro, but paired with mashed tofu.

The mixture is first steamed, then baked for a few minutes in the oven so the top is slightly golden and dried out. It's almost like a tofu pâté that can be enjoyed with rice and a bowl of canh (soup) on the side.

Chao Chay Recipe (Vietnamese Vegetarian Rice Soup)

We just stored all the holiday decorations and a new celebration is already upon us. Tết, the Asian New year is coming up in two weeks! I haven't bought cherry blossom flowers yet or decorated the house with red, but I’ll get to it soon. The other thing is that at the beginning of the year (Lunar calendar), it is auspicious to eat vegetarian food (ăn chay) on the last day of the previous year and first day of New Year. I recently made a delicious cháo bò (beef rice porridge), and I’ve created a vegetarian version to serve to the family.

Rice porridge is a typical Asian comfort food. I made this dish with tofu, carrots, daikon radishes, beech mushrooms and peas. Not only is it vegetarian, but it's also very healthy, which fits my New Year's resolution perfectly. I'm still trying to shed the extra baby weight! I'm going to be sharing a few Asian vegetarian dishes for you to try over the next few days, so come back soon!

Lemon Rosemary Chicken Recipe

My cousin Tri recently got married and his wife Tran just started a new job at a nail salon. Now he's the one who comes home first, so his new chore is cooking. He's been calling me regularly for advice on cooking healthy, easy meals for dinner. Last night, he came to visit and I showed him how properly marinating chicken the day before makes for a quick dish the following day.

The day before, I marinated skinless, boneless chicken breast with meat tenderizers (lemon, green papaya and yogurt), spices and flavorings (fennel seeds, star anise, cayenne pepper, whole grain mustard, Bourbon Barrel Foods pure cane sorghum, soy sauce and rosemary). The following day, I stuffed the chicken with finely diced Granny Smith apples for crunch and a hint of acidity. I baked the chicken in the oven, resting over chicken broth on a bed of sliced red onions. Tri will attempt to recreate the results at his home, and I hope you give it a try as well!

Tofu Scramble Recipe with Green Beans

Tofu is probably the ingredient I cook the most. Since there are five vegetarians in my home, I've learned to deep-fry, stir-fry, sauté, boil and grill tofu. My husband Lulu isn't a strict vegetarian; he eats eggs only if they're blended in desserts and the egg taste isn't detectable. He wouldn't eat eggs in the form of an omelet or scrambled eggs. I came up with this vegan egg substitute by boiling tofu as a first step, then scrambling the tofu, then finally sautéing it with turmeric to replicate the color of real eggs.

I cooked the mock scrambled eggs with French green beans and served it with steamed jasmine rice. This meal is complete while remaining healthy and still very tasty. Bon appétit!

Baked Lemon Chicken Breasts (Healthy Recipe)

After reading through Joy Bauer's new book, "Food cures: Eat Right to Get Healthier, Look Younger, and Add Years to Your Life", it inspired me to  make a healthy chicken dish. To make the dish I used chicken breasts because the meat is leaner. Chicken breasts can taste a little bland, so I added acidic ingredients which both tenderize the meat and enhance the flavor. I used what is currently in season: pomegranate and lemon. I also mixed in capers and kalamata olives for their briny taste. I love how the flavors complement each other; all have acidic notes which make them work well together while keeping the calorie count low.

As usual, olive oil is a great choice for a healthy meal, though as Joy said a little goes a long way!