kourtney
25 posts
Jan 24, 2005
8:58 AM
|
I bought this paste http://www.veryasia.com/inhotandsopa.html on the weekend and it's amazing. I added some to a mushroom, bok choy and potato soup I'd made and it made it taste like really good hot and sour soup. This particular one seems to be vegan, but some contain shrimp paste so that's something to watch out for.
|
Linda
267 posts
Jan 24, 2005
1:32 PM
|
Mmmm, that sounds yummy, kourtney. I have an old bottle of a Tom Yum by "Thai Kitchen" that I haven't tried.
I had the most awesome Curry Soup from a Thai restaurant (takeout) last week that I duplicated with moderate success. They also had an incredible spicy eggplant dish; so I'm on an eggplant roll now too!
I just purchased a brand new vegan cookbook (just came out this month), called, "Buddha's Table," by Chat Mingkwan. The curry and eggplant dishes prompted me into this Asian binge I'm on :D. The recipes look awesome. I *LOVE* Pad Thai. I've made it a few times, trying different recipes, but I'm looking forward to trying his version.
I love all types of Asian foods. Yesterday, my cravings lead me to Chinese. Last night I made Bryanna's version of egg rolls (Shanghigh Spring Rolls) from "Authentic Chinese Cuisine." Tonight I'm making a few dishes from her book -- well, that's my plan anyway! I want to make the "Chinese Potatoes," which sound awesome (and easy!); I'm definitely making the "Sichuan Eggplant" (cannot wait!); and maybe the "Sichuan Tofu." I'm having a friend over to help me eat :). It's not an orchestrated meal plan, but I just have a craving for eggplant lately.
|
kourtney
26 posts
Jan 25, 2005
8:00 AM
|
I've made shanghai spring rolls using that recipe and they were delicious. I love eggplant, too -- eggplant in garlic sauce is my favourite chinese dish.
Now I'm hungry :)
|
Linda
271 posts
Jan 25, 2005
9:50 AM
|
Ooh, is there a recipe for that eggplant and garlic sauce?!! I have about 2 lbs. eggplant left!
|
kourtney
27 posts
Jan 25, 2005
10:12 AM
|
Yup -- here it is.
Eggplant in garlic sauce
1 lb. regular or firm tofu (not extra-firm)
2 tsp. chile-garlic sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce, plus extra to taste
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
about 1 cup vegetable oil, divided
2 eggplants, diced
1 head of garlic
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
hot cooked rice (preferably sticky)
Marinate sliced tofu in a mixture of chile-garlic sauce, vegetable oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and ginger for at least one hour and up to one day. Drain, reserving the marinade. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 1/2 hour or until chewy and somewhat crispy.
Meanwhile, mince the garlic, slice the onion, chop the green pepper and dice the eggplants into 2 cm cubes. Add the cornstarch to the reserved marinade. Heat several Tbsp. vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the garlic and onion and fry briefly. Add the remaining vegetables. You will need to continue adding oil as the eggplant absorbs it: the dish is supposed to be rich but not quite greasy. Continue frying over high heat until the eggplants soften. Towards the end, drizzle on the oyster sauce and several tablespoons of soy sauce. Add the cornstarch-marinade mixture and allow it to boil to thicken. Add the tofu and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and add additional seasonings as needed. Serve hot over sticky rice.
|
Debbie
506 posts
Jan 25, 2005
8:42 PM
|
Hmmm, I love Tom Yum soup. I will try to find this product or maybe invent a recipe myself when I am inspired. I have a lemon grass plant in my backyard. Tom Yum use lots of lemon grass and lime juice (and red chillies, of course). I get lots of lemon grass when I harvest them. It is quite a WORK since I have to wear gloves (the grass is sharp), dig and pull the stalks. Lemongrass grows very well in SoCal. Then, I clean them and make bundles. I also grind them in a food processor and then freeze them. The rest, I gave them to the Vietnamese Vegetarian restaurant near my house. In return, my husband and I get a free meal and we can order whatever we like including desserts. A bundle of lemon grass is expensive in Asian market (could be $2 - $3 each). Each time I harvest I can get 30 bundles (half for me and half for the restaurant).
I am going to try the eggplant in garlic sauce, Kourtney. That looks yummy but I might reduce the amount of oil(I am trying to eat low fat). Bryanna has a way to make it less oily (in her sichuan eggplant recipe). I love Thai dishes.
I have a great Thai 'Fish' recipe if anyone is interested. This one is with Thai Basil, lime juice, dark soy sauce, chili, etc. and a vegetarian fish. It is not my recipe but I make it all the time. It is great with steamed rice.
----------
Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
|
Linda
272 posts
Jan 26, 2005
12:43 AM
|
Ha! Debbie, I thought the exact same thing when I read the recipe: I'm going to use the broiling method for the eggplant too! I love how the eggplant tasted this way; even just plain it was good.
Thanks, Kourtney for the recipe; it looks really yummy! I will make this wednesday.
Yes, Debbie, I'm interested in that Thai dish! It sounds good. :)
|
Debbie
516 posts
Jan 28, 2005
8:44 AM
|
I could not find this Tom Yum paste with no shrimp extract in it. I will try to invent my own, I think.
----------
Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
|
Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
764 posts
Jan 28, 2005
12:48 PM
|
Debbie, I was looking for a recipe for tom yum paste and I found Knorr brand and they had the ingredients in percentages:
Salt 43 %
Sugar 17 %
Dried chili 9 %
Citric acid 7 %
Spices 6 %
Chili paste oil 3 %
No preservation
This might help you firgure out your own version (you use 2 T. per 2 c.). Also, it has no fish in it, so maybe you can find it somewhere!
I also found another brand without fish at a California online Thai food place:
http://grocerythai.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/255?osCsid=55ccdda526c4febc779805a2584fe82e
Mae Ploy also makes it, and I use their Thai curry pastes-- no fish!
----------
"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
|
Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
765 posts
Jan 28, 2005
12:58 PM
|
PS: Here is a recipe for Tom Yum soup from scratch (it is not vegetarian, but the spicing wouldbe the same);
http://www.bangkokmarket.com/recipes/tomyum.html
I also read about Wai Wai's Vegetarian Tom Yum.
----------
"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
|
Debbie
517 posts
Jan 28, 2005
2:06 PM
|
Thanks Bryanna! I think I will try to make it myself since I have the ingredients closeby. I will start with that recipe from the website you posted.
I am planning to plant a Kaffir Lime tree since my lemon grass is doing great. I started with 1 stalk of lemon grass in the ground and now it has multiplied like a bush.
I will look at local nurseries first and if I can't find it I will order from this web site:
http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/lore/kaffir_lime.html
Another plant I will investigate to grow is the Thai Basil.
----------
Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
|
Debbie
518 posts
Jan 28, 2005
2:13 PM
|
BTW, I am planning to make your Liqurian Cioppino tonight. I will add veg fish and veg shrimp. I might add this new seasoning for seafoods and see how it taste. It's raining here in SoCal. Soup and bread will be good tonight.
----------
Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
|
