Steamed Silken Tofu

A simple dish easy to prepare for summer when the heat doesn't inspire one to do much cooking and the appetite leans towards something light.  The tofu can be eaten cold or hot.

One package silken tofu (the softest one)

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

chopped green onions

vegetable oil

fried shallots (available in Chinese stores)

Dried pork floss (肉松）

For cold tofu, just remove from package and follow below.

For hot tofu, place tofu on plate and steam for 5 min. Drain liquid.

Heat vegetable oil, fry chopped green onions for few seconds.

Mix soy sauce with 1/2 tsp sugar.

Pour hot oil and green onions ove tofu, pour soy sauce over it, top with fried shallots and pork floss.

Zucchini Quiche

6 cups shredded green zucchini (about 3 medium zucchinis)
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
6 extra large eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
Oregano, thyme and pepper
1/2 cup chopped Italian turkey sausage (optional)

Bake 375 deg for 30-40 min till middle is puffed up and quiche is light brown on top.

Mushroom with Vegetables

The star of this dish is the mushrooms. It can be  served with any green leafy vegetable. 

Recipe:

One packabe fresh shitake mushrooms, wash and cut off stems.

Green leafy vegetables or lettuce, washed and cut

garlic

oyster sauce

cornstarch

1/2 cup water

vegetable oil

Add a dash of salt to a pot of boiling water.  Add in vegetables and drain when cooked. Place in a plate.

Boil mushrooms in water for 1-2 min till cooked.  Drain.

Fry chopped garlic in oil till fragrant, add mushrooms and stir.

Add oyster sauce and cornstarch mixed in water.

When sauce has thickened, pour mushrooms over the vegetables and serve hot.



Tri-Color Baked Potato Wedges

Peel and slice white potato, purple potato, and sweet potato. Toss with olive oil and salt.  Put single layer on baking sheet and bake at 400 deg about 20 min.

Quick & Easy Eggplant

Ingredients:
3 Japanese eggplant (thin long ones)
2 stalks scallions, diced
Lee Kum Kee Blackbean and Garlic sauce
Oyster sauce

Roll cut eggplant and boil till just cooked. 
Fry scallions, add blackbean sauce and oyster sauce and stir.
Add eggplant and stir and serve.

Fried Bean Sprouts & Celery

A light and crunchy vegetable dish that goes well with fried rice or meat.

Ingredients:
One carrot juliened
3 - 4 stalks celery with fibers removed and sliced thinly
1 bag bean sprouts, rinsed
3 stalks scallions, sliced into 2 inch lengths.
3 slices ginger
fish sauce

Heat oil and fry ginger for 30 seconds.  Add carrots and celery and fry 1-2 min, add scallions and fry another rminute.  Add bean sprouts and some fish sauce and fry 1-2 min. Plate and serve.

Papaya Salad

You're supposed to use a very green papaya for this salad, but I actually prefer the texture and sweetness of a slightly ripened papaya.

Make long shreds of green papaya.  Prepare a dressing of fish sauce, brown sugar, fresh or bottled red chilli, fresh garlic and finely diced tomatoes.  Pour over papaya and serve with cilatnro.

Photo is recovered from an email, that's why it's blurry.

Purple Yams

Do you believe these are purple yams?  When I first saw them, I was doubtful, but lo and behold, after they're cooked, they look like this:

They are Japanese purple yams and are as sweet as candy.  The first time I had purple yams was actually along a street in Hong Kong, but they were disappointing in flavor and not sweet at all.  However, the ones I bought from the Chinese store are very sweet and yummy.  Note that these are Japanese purple yams, not Japanese yams (which are ironically dark purple on the outside but yellow on the inside.)

Fuzzy Squash