Asian Sensation

Cooking Light's May "Inspired Vegetarian" column was Ming Tsai delivering a bunch of fantastic Asian recipes. We had to make something. Now, before I was a vegetarian my favorite dim sum food was the steamed pork buns. I absolutely loved them. In fact, I think right after I became a vegetarian I made an exception for those delicious buns. In this column there was a recipe for Caramelized Onion buns, and Adam and I knew we had to make them. We started off our meal with homemade egg rolls and then continued the food fest with the steamed buns and hot and sour soup. The soup left a little to be desired, but all in all the meal was a success!


Vegetarian Egg Rolls

I have to admit that I don't know any portions, because we just threw the ingredients together. Add as much or as little of everything as you like. I don't think you can mess these up. Just make sure not to add too much hoisin, otherwise the filling will be too liquidy.

tofu, cut into strips
garlic
carrots, julienned
napa cabbage, chopped
green onions, sliced thinly
hoisin sauce
egg roll wrappers

1. In a medium-sized skillet, heat a bit of oil over medium heat. Add tofu and brown slightly. Add garlic and carrots,; saute until slighlty softened. Add cabbage and continue to saute until the cabbage wilts slightly. Stir in green onions and hoisin sauce. Take off the heat and let cool slightly.
2. Working with one egg roll wrapper at a time, place filling in the center of wrapper. Fold in the bottom, the two sides, and then roll the wrapper over the filling. Place seam side down on a baking sheet.
3. Heat a bit of canola oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Pan fry the egg rolls until crispy. Serve with hot chile sauce and duck sauce.


Caramelized Onion Bao (Cooking Light, May 2009)

These took a LONG time to make and are absolutely only for the weekends or special occasions, but you will definitely be proud when you bite into the sweet bread and tangy filling.

Filling
1 1/2 tsp. canola oil
6 cups sliced red onion (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup sliced green onions (about 1 bunch)
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbs. Chinese black vinegar [we used 1 Tbs. each of balsamic and rice wine vinegars]
2 Tbs. naturally brewed low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
1/4 tsp. five-spice powder
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Dough
2 Tbs. sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
1 tsp. sesame oil
12.4 oz. all-purpose flour, divided (about 2 3/4 cups)
cooking spray

Remaining Ingredients
2 tsp. canola oil, divided
2 cups water, divided

1. To prepare filling, heat 1 1/2 tsp. canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red onion, green onions, and salt to pan; saute 12 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring often. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add soy sauce, honey, five-spice powder, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a bowl; chill 30 minutes.
2. To prepare dough, dissolve sugar and yeast in 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. warm water in a medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in sesame oil. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 11.25 oz. (about 2 1/2 cups) flour to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 Tbs. at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky). Lightly spray surface of dough with cooking spray; cover and let rest 10 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a ball. Cover dough balls loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining portions to prevent drying), flatten dough with hand into a 3-inch circle. Place about 2 1/2 Tbs. onion mixture in center of circle. Bring up sides to cover filling; twist top of dough, and pinch to seal (bun will be very full). Carefully place bun, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and onion mixture.
4. Cover buns with plastic wrap; refrigerate, and let rise 2 hours or until slightly puffed (buns will not double in size).
5. Heat 1 tsp. canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange 4 buns in a single layer, evenly spaced in pan; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are crisp and golden brown. Pour 1 cup water into pan, and cover; steam 8 minutes or just until water evaporates. Transfer buns to a plate; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan with paper towels. Repeat with remaining 1 tsp. canola oil, remaining 4 buns, and remaining 1 cup water. Serve warm.


Hot and Sour Soup (The New Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen)

This wasn't quite as flavorful as I would have hoped a hot and sour soup would have been. I have to say that it did gain flavor as the leftovers continued. We did alter the recipe a little, which may have affected the taste. For instance, we did not use dried Chinese black mushrooms; instead we used shittake mushrooms and vegetable broth. We also added bamboo shoots and some chopped Napa cabbage for crunch. Next time I would definitely try to find the dried mushrooms, hopefully intensifying the flavor at the same time.

1 oz. dried Chinese black mushrooms
8 cups water
3 Tbs. dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1/4 to 1/3 cup cider vinegar (to taste)
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1 cake (1/4 lb.) firm tofu, in thin strips
2 Tbs. cornstarch
2 beaten eggs (yolks may be omitted)
6 minced scallions (whites and greens)
1/4 tsp. white pepper (to taste)
Chinese sesame oil (optional)

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl. Heat 2 (of the 8) cups of water to boiling; pour over the mushrooms. Cover with a plate, and let stand at least 30 minutes. (You can assemble the other ingredients in the meantime.) Drain the mushrooms, squeezing out and saving all the liquid. Slice the mushrooms, removing and discarding the stems.
2. In a kettle or Dutch oven, combine the remaining 6 cups of water, the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid, and the sliced mushrooms. Heat to a gentle boil.
3. Add sherry, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and tofu. Lower the heat, and let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
4. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl. Measure out about 3/4 cup of the hot soup, and whisk it into the cornstarch. When the cornstarch is dissolved, stir this mixture back into the soup.
5. Drizzle the beaten eggs into the simmering soup, stirring constantly. Add scallions and white pepper. Cook only a few minutes more. Top each serving with a few drops of sesame oil, if desired.