Basic Sweet And Pungent Vegetables Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Select 9 to 12 of the ingredients listed below, choosing some from each category: dried, fresh and miscellaneous. (Although less typical, as few as 4 or 5 ingredients may be used.) Prepare each ingredient, as indicated below. 2. Combine water, soy sauce, sherry and salt. 3. Heat oil. Add selected ingredients, and stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes. (This will take a large pan. If one is not available, cook 3 or 4 ingredients at a time, then assemble them in step 5 and reheat before adding cornstarch paste.) 4. Add water-soy mixture and heat quickly then simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes). 5. Blend cornstarch and sugar to a paste with remaining cold water, soy sauce and salt then stir in to thicken. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with sesame oil stir in and serve. NOTE: This vegetarian dish is known as the Feast of Arahats or Food for the Saints the Chinese name is Lo (or Loo) Hon Ji, or Lohan Tsai. It will keep about a week and can be reheated several times without loss of flavor. VARIATION: * In step 4, stir 2 tablespoons Chinese red cheese, mashed, into the water-soy mixture then heat quickly. DRIED INGREDIENTS FOR BUDDHIST VEGETABLE DISH:1/8 pound rice or peastarch noodles (soaked), cut in 3-inch lengths 1/2 cup lily buds (soaked) 1/2 cup dried black mushrooms (soaked), cut in half 2 tablespoons cloud ear mushrooms (soaked) 1/2 cup hair seaweed (soaked) 1/2 cup dried bamboo shoots (soaked), cut in 2-inch lengths 1/4 cup dried chestnuts (Parboiled) 3 sticks dried bean curd, broken in 2-inch lengths and soaked or 1 or 2 sheets dried bean curd (soaked), cut in squares or rectangles 2 pieces dried lotus root (soaked) FRESH INGREDIENTS FOR BUDDHIST VEGETABLE DISH:1/2 cup celery, shredded 1/2 cup green pepper, shredded 1/2 cup mushrooms, shredded 1/2 cup mustard cabbage, shredded 1/2 cup onion, shredded 1/2 cup bean sprouts, blanched 1/2 cup cauliflower, broken in small flowerets 1/2 cup Chinese cabbage, cut in 2-inch sections 1/2 cup snow peas, stemmed 1 cup winter melon, diced 1 cup zucchini, cut in 2-inch slices MISCELLANEOUS INGREDIENTS FOR BUDDHIST VEGETABLE DISH:1 cup canned bamboo shoots, shredded 1/2 cup ginkgo nuts or lotus seeds, shelled and blanched 1/2 cup raw peanuts 5 cakes bean curd, deep-fried 1/2 cup vegetable steak The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

Steps:

• 1. Prepare vegetables as in Basic Stir-Fried Vegetables: Specific Vegetable Cooking Instructions. 2. In one cup, combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and salt. In another, blend cornstarch and cold water to a paste. 3. Heat oil. Add vegetable and stir-fry until half done. 4. Add sugar-vinegar mixture stir-fry 2 minutes more. 5. Then stir in cornstarch paste to thicken and serve at once. NOTE: Any of the following vegetables are suitable for this recipe: asparagus, cabbage, carrots, celery or zucchini. VARIATION: * In step 2, add a drop or two of Tabasco Sauce to the sugar-vinegar mixture.