Asian Fusion Soup

I always love the idea of pho, the Vietnamese soup with meat and toppings such as bean sprouts and hot sauce. But, I can never eat it because of the broth and, obviously, the meat that makes up the main component of the soup. So, Adam and I decided to make our own version. We cheated a little bit by using a prepared mushroom soup mix that came along with the udon noodles, but you could definitely make your soup with veggie broth. With the mix of the Japanese udon noodles, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, sriracha, and lime juice, the soup is definitely not a pure pho, but it certainly satisfied the pho craving.


Asian Fusion Mushroom Noodle Soup

I am not going to include amounts, because you might want to alter them depending on your preferences and the size of the noodle packets. Feel free to use your imagination with this soup.

packets of fresh udon noodles with broth packets(we used packets that came from the fresh noodle section)
bok choy, sliced
shiitake mushrooms, sliced
tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
bean sprouts
cilantro
lime wedges
Sriracha hot sauce

1. Bring water to a boil. Use the noodle packages to determine the amount of water needed. Add the broth packets, bok choy, mushrooms, and tofu. When the vegetables and tofu have softened, add the noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender.
2. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce.

Curry in a Hurry

For some strange reason, I had a craving for red curry. Naturally, I had to indulge. Curry takes hardly any time at all, and hardly any culinary skill; anyone can make it any night of the week. We used a Red Curry Paste for the base of the curry sauce. The only major change I would make would be to add a Thai red chile. The curry had fantastic flavor, but it was not nearly spicy enough for me and Adam. We added Sriracha hot sauce, but that masked the curry flavor too much. After making the basic curry sauce, add any vegetables or meats that you have laying around to create a unique dish that can't be beat. Serve with a side of rice, or switch things up and serve over noodles.


Red Curry Vegetables

Definitely add in a diced red chile pepper to add heat, which we did not use in this recipe. I plan on adding one to the leftovers for a meal later in the week. I used light coconut milk because it has much less fat and calories than it's regular counterpart but still has all the flavor.

12 oz. tofu, cubed
1 (15-oz.) can light coconut milk
3 Tbs. red curry paste
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. soy sauce (or fish sauce)
3 cups bok choy, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 can bamboo shoots
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 lime, sliced
2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped
2 Tbs. basil, chopped
1 or 2 scallions, sliced

1. Saute the tofu in olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until golden brown on all sides.
2. Pour in the coconut milk and mix in the red curry paste. Bring the skillet to a simmer, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, bok choy, red peppers, and bamboo shoots; simmer for 10 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If you are adding meat, add after 10 minutes and continue to cook until done, approximately 3-5 minutes. Stir in the bean sprouts, cilantro, and basil, and squeeze in 1/2 a lime's juice. Garnish with scallions and extra lime slices; serve over rice.

Wontons for Everyone

One of the hardest things about being vegetarian (in my view) is not being able to eat soups in most restaurants. Most often, chicken, beef, or fish stocks are used rather than vegetable broth. Adam, Jeremy, and I went out to a Chinese restaurant a few weeks ago, and since then I've been yearning for some Wonton Soup. Because of this broth issue, I decided I should just make it myself rather than search the Bay Area for a vegetarian version. To accompany my Vegetarian Wonton Soup, we made absolutely fantastic Scallion Pancakes. What a perfect, comforting meal! (Although I must warn you that it leaves your kitchen looking a bit like a war zone.)


Vegetarian Wonton Soup

We did not do this, but I would add 1 Tbs. of soy sauce and a splash of rice wine vinegar to the broth for a more Asian touch. We added a bit of extra heat at the end by topping our soup with some Sriracha hot sauce. Also, these dumplings would be great as potstickers, if you want to make a huge batch and freeze the rest or later. And, the wonton wrappers, since you probably won't use them all, can be frozen up to 2 months in an air-tight container and saved for a later date (I'm sure I will have something soon using the rest of the wrappers).

8 cups water
3 vegetable bullion cubes (or your preferred vegetable stock option, equal to 6 cups of water)
10 thin slices of ginger
1 package oyster mushrooms, chopped
1 stalk bok choy, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts

12 to 15 wonton wrappers
2 to 3 oz. tofu, crumbled
1 tsp. garlic, minced or crushed
2 tsp. ginger, grated
1 stalk bok choy, minced
1 carrot, grated
2 scallions, sliced

1. Prepare the broth by bringing the water, bullion, and ginger to a boil.
2. While the broth is boiling, begin to prepare the wontons by heating a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the crumbled tofu, garlic, and ginger. Allow the tofu to brown slightly. Add the bok choy and carrot and saute for 2 minutes. Add the scallions and mix thoroughly. Take off the heat and allow to cool while prepping the wonton wrappers.
3. Have a small bowl filled with water handy for wetting the wrappers and making the dumplings. Place a damp paper towel over the unused wrappers to keep them from drying out. Take one wrapper and place it flat on a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Put a small Tbs. of the filling mixture into the center of the wrapper. Brush water along the edges of the wrapper. Pull two opposing sides together and press so that they stick. Pull the other two sides up to meet the others; press so that there are no holes or gaps. This style of wonton is called the beggar's bundle. (It doesn't matter how beautiful they look, they will taste fantastic.)
4. Meanwhile, reduce the broth to a simmer and add the mushrooms and bok choy. (You may want to add the mushrooms before the bok choy to help add more flavor to the broth.)
5. Once the bok choy has become tender, add the dumplings and bean sprouts to the soup. Cook for 5 minutes at a strong simmer, or until the dumplings have become translucent.


Scallion Pancakes (Ming Tsai, www.foodnetwork.com)

This recipe came with a recipe for a ginger dipping sauce. We took the basics of the sauce and made our own mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, scallions, and red pepper flakes.

2 cups flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil (we only used 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. chili oil)
salt and pepper

1. In a bowl, sift flour. Slowly add water in a steady stream while mixing with a wooden spoon. Keep adding water until a ball is formed. With the same procedure, one can use a food processor with a metal blade. Let ball of dough relax for about 30 minutes and cover with a damp cloth.
2. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a thin rectangle. Brush on oil mixture, cover with scallion and season with salt and pepper. Carefully roll dough like a sponge cake. Cut into 4 pieces. Take one piece and twist 3 times. Make a spiral out of this and roll again and flatten to achieve a 5 to 6 inch pancake. In a hot non-stick pan, coat with canola oil and pan sear both sides until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Wok This Way

I love Asian Stir-Fries. They are so quick and easy, as well as fairly healthy and nutritious. We found fantastic looking bok choy, which is what sparked this meal. We added oyster mushrooms, tofu, ginger, udon noodles, and other seasonings to make a wonderful, delicious one-pot meal. If you want some wine with dinner, we've found that Reislings go exceptionally well with spicy Asian foods.

Udon Noodle and Bok Choy Stir-Fry, Adam and Kristin-Style

10-oz. tofu, cubed
5 cups bok choy, chopped
2 personal-sized packages pre-cooked udon noodles (any type of cooked Asian noodle will work)
1 package oyster mushrooms
1 1/2-inches ginger root, grated
2 Tbs. soy sauce, or to taste
2 Tbs. chili garlic sauce, or to taste
2 Tbs. peanut butter, or to taste

Sriracha hot sauce, optional

1. Heat wok on medium-high with 1 Tbs. canola oil. Place tofu in wok. Allow to brown and crisp for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side. Add bok choy, noodles, oyster mushrooms, ginger, and soy sauce. Cover with lid and allow to steam for 3 minutes. Add chili garlic sauce and peanut butter. Mix thoroughly. When vegetables have reached the preferred tenderness, serve. Top with Sriracha hot sauce for additional spice. Try not to lick the plate when finished.