Kung Pao Vegetables
Kung Pao Vegetables
One birthday, i asked my husband what he might like for me to cook, and he said Kung Pao Chicken, which he often got at his frequent lunches in Chinese Restaurants. We Googled the recipe and i combined several versions to make a dish he quite liked. I made it every week or two, until he got sick of it.
I have long meant to try a vegan version of Kung Pao Chicken, if only so i can see what it tastes like. But i didn’t get around to it until my husband joined me in eating low fat vegan food at home (he still eats meat when he goes out).
I thought it was marvelous, but i have to say, my husband did not find it edible. The main differences are no oil, no oyster sauce, no chicken, and fewer peanuts. I also put in some carrots and some greens, but he didn’t think that was a problem.
So here is a dish that fellow vegans might like (vegans who have gotten used to not eating meat and rich food, not people who eat what their spouses cook). As with all vegan food, it gets more delicious the more you eat it and the farther you get from meat, dairy, added fat, and refined flours.
By the way, my husband says that i should not call this Kung Pao anything, because Kung Pao is not vegan. But i think if i use the name, you will know what i mean.
Oriental Baked Tofu
Makes 4 servings
Preparation about 10 minutes
14-16 oz. firm or extra firm tofu
Marinade:
2 T. rice vinegar
1 – 2 T. low sodium tamari
2 inches fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
Press tofu 30 minutes with heavy objects. I wrap the tofu in a towel and press it with a stack of my iron skillets. Cut the tofu into smaller pieces. Since you are going to have to turn the pieces a couple of times, you might not want to make them too small.
Mix the marinade and pour it into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Lay the tofu in the marinade and immediately turn it over. Marinade at least 15 minutes per side.
Bake in a 350° oven about 20 minutes until tofu is light brown.
Kung Pao Vegetables
Makes 4 servings
Preparation about 45 minutes
Best eaten as soon as cooked
Can be frozen without the tofu
Sauce:
2 T. rice wine such as sake
Vegan low fat bouillon for 2 c. liquid
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t. vegan sugar
1 T. low sodium tamari
2 T. rice vinegar
1 t. sesame oil (optional)
¼ c. cornstarch
5 – 20 dried red chili peppers
Vegetables:
1 large red bell pepper
1 medium green bell pepper
3 stalks celery
1 large red onion
1 carrot
½ bunch greens
6 scallions
¼ c. roasted peanuts (optional)
14-16 oz. baked tofu (optional) – see recipe above
Make the baked tofu. See above.
Make the sauce: Mix all the ingredients but the chili peppers. Stir in as many peppers as you want. They are very hot. Most people don’t actually eat them, they just use them to flavor the veggies and then take them out. (My husband thinks they’re about the best part.) Set aside.
Chop and slice the vegetables: Traditionally they are sliced rather large. This is what i do:
Cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds. Slice up the tops and cut the rest of the peppers along the indentations and remove the white parts. Slice into ½ inch strips and then half each strip.
Slice the celery from the bottom to the top, into ¼ inch pieces.
Slice the red onion into halves, then into thin slices.
Slice the carrot into rounds unless it is quite large, then half it and cut into crescents.
Chop the greens into ¾ inch squares.
Slice the scallions into 1/8 inch rounds.
When all is assembled, heat a wok or large skillet and ¼ c. water. Put in all the vegetables but the greens and scallions and cook until tender but still crisp, about 4 – 6 minutes. Add the greens and scallions and cook until the greens are limp and bright green, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sauce and heat about 2 minutes.
Serve over brown rice with baked tofu and garnish with peanuts, if desired.
Adapted from a combination of many chicken-based recipes and a lot of input from my husband, who has probably had a hundred different versions over the years.
Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:
Per serving – without tofu and peanuts: 254 calories/5.2 g protein (8.2%)/3.1 g fat (10.9%)
Per serving – with tofu and peanuts: 532 calories/ 34.1 g protein (25.6%)/ 22. 6 g fat (38.2%)