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.

Stuffed Bitter Melon (Kho Qua)

Bitter melon (khổ qua in Vietnamese) is a part of many cultures and cuisines. In India, deep fried bitter melon rings (karela) are a common dish. Vietnamese people use the smoother variety of bitter melon, and the vegetable is often prepared steamed or in a broth. In this particular preparation, I filled the bitter melon with tofu, bean thread noodles and wood ear mushrooms, but you could definitely use chicken or pork. I typically pair mine with rice, but you can also serve a simple vegetable broth if you prefer. 

From Wikipedia:

This dish is usually cooked for the Tết holiday as its name: "bitter" reminds people not to forget or disrespect the poor living condition experienced in the past.

Eating shouldn't be a chore, so if you're a little put off by the description, I understand. The taste is very unusual but I think this dish really does taste great though, so I urge you to give it a try.

Vietnamese Meatloaf (Mam Chung Thit)

Mắm chưng thịt is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine. It's a blend of pork or chicken, crab meat, salted fish fillet in brine, bean thread noodles, mushrooms and eggs.

For this recipe, I used a mix of chicken breast and thighs. The flavor is reminiscent of the filling of a meat egg roll combined with the strong flavor of salted fish fillet in nước mắm (brine). The most common fish used for making steam fish cakes is snakehead fish, though mackerel or catfish can be used as well.

Cucumber Dill Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

I wanted to prepare a simple salad for dinner this evening, so I made a cucumber salad with a really easy to make tzatziki dressing.

Prepping the cucumber takes only a few steps. I wash, chop, salt and pat dry the cucumber slices and they're good to go. The tzatziki sauce is made of dried mint, dill and yogurt and is seasoned with salt and pepper. If you want to make it extra rich, you can add some sour cream or crème fraîche. Mix them together and you're ready to serve. That's it. Easy never tasted so good.

Scrambled Tofu (An Amazing Egg Substitute)

Today, Lulu worked from home. I wanted us to have a light lunch together but I felt too lazy to make a fancy meal. I was craving scrambled eggs with salsa and some home-made chorizo on a bagel but of course, once more, I had to create a vegetarian alternative for Lulu.

Since we got married, I've tested lots of varieties of tofu. One type is perfect for simulating scrambled eggs. I add turmeric powder to give the product a yellow hue. It's really hard to tell the difference between it and real scrambled eggs.  Best of all, it tastes great and takes almost no time to make.