Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

4 cups of diced pumpkin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 can of coconut milk

½ cup of sugar

1 cup of kelp threads

a pinch of salt

some crushed roasted peanuts

¼ cup sago (wash but don’t cook before using)

 

Cooking:

In a pot add enough water to cover diced pumpkin. Cook until tender. Add sugar (to taste), salt and kelp. When sugar and salt have dissolved, and then add coconut milk and sago. Stir to prevent sago from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

 

 

Salty Preserved Bean Curd Sauce

Ingredients:

2 pieces preserved bean curd

2 tsp sugar

3 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp preserved bean curd sauce

 

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Add natural MSG to taste.

 

 

 

Savory Bean Curd Sticks

Ingredients:

4 sticks of dried bean curd, break each stick into 3-4 parts

3 slices of onion, finely chopped

2 stalks, use only the white part of the stem, finely chopped

oil

 

Seasonings:

1 tsp each of sugar, natural MSG, Au Lac chili sauce

½ tsp of salt

6 tsp of Maggi soy sauce

½ tsp of ground black pepper

uncooked black and white sesame seeds (optional)

 

Cooking:

Combine seasonings in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Add enough oil in a frying pan to cover half of the dried bean curd sticks. Preheat oil and add the bean curd sticks. Deep fry until crip and bubbled on the surface, turning occasionally making sure they are friend evenly. (Do not over-fry to black.) Put on a plate.

 

Drain the frying oil reserving a small amount of the drippings in the pan. Stir in the chopped lemongrass and onion and quickly fry until the mixture is a golden color and exudes a savory aroma. Add the previously mixed seasonings and stir well. Add the bean curd sticks and sauté over low heat stirring continuously until mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and put on a serving dish.

 

Pickled Bean Curd Crisps

Ingredients:

1 dried bean curd sheet

2 cubes of preserved bean curd (not too salty, not too hot)

some raw black or white sesame seeds (optional)

 

Cooking:

Soak bean curd sheet in water until tender. Place the sheet flat on a cutting board. Evenly spread the preserved bean curd over half of the sheet (as if spreading jam on bread). Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Fold it in half to cover the preserved bean curd. Cut into bite-sized cubes (or to desired size).

 

Preheat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry bean curd skin until golden and crisp. Put on a serving dish

 

 

Suggested Combination:

Rice, cucumber, celery sticks, carrot sticks, fresh mint, etc…

 

 

 

  Five Spices Tofu
 

Ingredients:

1 piece of tofu, cut inro small cubes

2 Tbsp oil

1-2 sprigs of cilantro

 

Seasonings:

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 piece spicy fermented soy bean curd

½ tsp salt

½ tsp natural MSG

1 stalk lemon grass, minced

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp five spices powder

½ tsp Au Lac chili sauce (can use other chili sauce, but Au Lac’s has a finer taste)

1 Tbsp tomato ketchup

 

Cooking:

Place the small tofu cubes into a pan, keeping some space between each piece of tofu.

 

Blend all the seasonings together and pur onto the tofu, allowing all the tofu to soack in the seasonings sauce for a while. Then sauté the marinated tofu in hot oil, turning several tiems. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2-3 min. Put on a plate, decorate with cilantro and serve.

 

  Stir Fried Shanghai Cabbage

Ingredients:

7-8 Shanghai cabbages, chopped

1 cup vegetarian ham, diced 3 tsp oil

 

Seasonings: (mix the following seasonings thoroughly)

2 Tbsp Maggi soy sauce

1 piece hot fermented soy bean curd

½ tsp fermented soy bean juice

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp natural MSG

Some dried green onion (or garlic)

 

Cooking:

Preheat oil in a frying pan, add vegetarian ham and stir-fry until you can smell the aroma. Add the stalks (white part) of the cabbage and a small amount of water and stir well. Cover the pan with a lid and allow cooking for a minute. Remove the lid, add the green leaves or the cabbage and the dried green onions together with 1.5 tsp mixed seasonings. Stir-fry and mix well.

 

 

English Thin Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt or use 1 cup milk and some lemon uice to make sour milk

all-purpose or whole wheat flour

water

½ tsp salt

2 tsp grounded white or black sesame seeds (optional)

lemon, cut into wedge shapes for sqeezing

fructose or sugar

butter

 

Cooking:

Blend yogurt, flour, water, sesame seeds and salt into a well-mixed batter. To test for desired thickness, drop a small ball of batter into a glass of water. Optimum thickness is achieved if the ball does not dissolve in the water and sinks to the bottom of the glass. If it dissolves, add more flour to the batter. However, take care not to make the batter too thick, If it is as thick as the thick rice congee, it will be alright.

 

Preheat a non-stick frying pan over low heat. (Add some oil or butter, if desired.) Add 1 scoop of batter, Move the pan around to make the batter spread out in the pan. Pancake should be thin. When the edges are golden brown, use a spatula to turn the pancake over and cook the other side for a while, Put on a serving platter.

 

Spread butter over the pancake, sprinkle with sugar (or fructose), and squeeze a wedge of lemon over it. Roll it up and serve. Fruit jam, honey, vegetarian ham, cheese, preserved pickled bean curd could also be as toppings for the pancakes according to your liking. Serve salty or sweet

 

Suggested Combination:

Black tea and/or drinking water

 

Scones

Ingredients:

450 g (3 ¾ cups) flour

½ tsp salt

some sugar (to taste)

1 tsp baking powder

a small amount of milk powder and cinnamon (for a nice taste)

200-250 g (2 cups) butter, soft (do not over heat)

milk, yogurt,

walnuts, raisins, cherries, etc. (for nutrition)

minced lemon peels, minced orange peels and ground ginger (for special flavors)

Cooking:

Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, Milk powder and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well.

Slowly add butter, until it is blended with the flour. Texture is like small pieces of crumbled dough.

Then add milk or yogurt little by little until mixture can be slightly pinched.

Add walnuts, raisins, cherries, lemon peels, orange peels, ginger, etc… to taste.

Knead mixture into dough with light force. Dough is ready when it is slightly moist. (Add more milk if it is too dry, or more flour if too moist.)

Sprinkle some flour on a baking tray. Roll the dough into balls and arrage on the baking tray. Lightly press the balss into flat, roudh-shpaed cakes. (Master made a joke saying: “Suppress their egos a little, make them flatter!”) Sprinkle some flour on the cakes so that they will be crispier after baking.

Preheat oven for five minutes. Bake the cakes at 190 degrees Celcius (370 degree Fahrenheit) for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Spread some butter on the halved scones before eating for better taste.

 

Bean Pate Provencal

Ingredients:

½ cup red kidney beans

1 onion, minced

1 leek, thinly sliced

¼ cup sunflower oil

½ clove garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp black Indian mustard seeds (optional)

½ tsp Marjoram

¼ tsp herbes de province

¼ tsp savory

¼ cup water

Herb salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

 

Cooking:

Soak beans overnight, and discard soaking water in the morning. Then boil the beans in plenty of water until soft. Let cool.

In the meantime, brown the onion and leek in oil until they are soft and the onion has turned brown. Add garlic and mustard seeds (optional) and sauté one minute longer.

Finally, add the seasonings and puree all the ingredients. Adjust the amount of water so that you get a solid paste.

This bean pate is an excellent sandwich spread. It keeps for several days refrigerated and even longer in a covered jar. Surprice your guests with snacks made of slices of whole-grain baguette, bean pate and a slice of dill pickle.

 

Savory Nut Pate

Ingredients:

1 ½  cups sunflower seeds

1 cup almonds or cashews

¼ cup sesame seeds

1 large beefsteak tomato

1 Tbsp parsley

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Herb salt, to taste

 

Cooking:

Soak sunflower seeds, almonds, and sesame seeds overnight in water. Rinse well and let the damp seeds stand a few hours more. Skin the almonds if you wish.

Puree all ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

If you prefer to shorten preparation time, use preserved nut puree.

The first three ingredients alone, pureed with a little water, make a good paste. You can vary the seasonings.

 

Mediterranean Olive and Pepper Pate

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper, diced

1 cup black olives, pitted

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced

Freshly gound pepper, to taste

 

Cooking:

Puree all ingredients. If you want the pate especially creamy, substitute 7 ounces, of mascarpone for the oil.

 

Savory Barbecued Protein Kabobs

Ingredients:

75 g (2.5 oz) dried vegetarian protein meat

8 skewers

 

Seasoning:

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tsp sugar

1 tsp natural MSG

½ tsp gound pepper

½ tsp five spices powder

 

Method:

Soak the dried vegetarian meat in hot water until they soften. Squeeze the water out. Mix the seasonings with the vegetarian meat thoroughly, and marinate for 20 minutes. Skew 4 to 5 pieces onto each stick. Cook the remaining sauce until it thickens, then brush onto the vegetarian meat. Bake in oven at 250* C (480* F) or BBQ.

Serve with rice noodles, lettuce, mint and Au Lac sweet & sour sauce.

 

Sour Vegetarian Nem

Ingredients:

350 g (12 oz) of vegetarian ham, shredded

30 g (1 oz) of agar, shredded

60 g (2 oz) of bean threads

PE wrappings or cellophane, cut into 5x5-inch squares.

2 Tbsp of pepper grains

some red chilies, sliced and sedded

1 tsp of vegetable oil

 

Seasonings:

1 cup of vinegar

7 Tbsp of sugar

½ tsp of salt

¼ tsp of natural MSG

 

Cooking:

Combine vegetarian ham, vinegar and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Set aside for 1 hour.

Soak agar in water for 5 minutes and drain. Cook agar in 2 cups of water until dissolved.

Preheat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute vegetarian ham slightly then add agar. Stir fry briefly and add salt and natural MSG. Stire evenly for 2 minutes then change to simmer heat to keep warm (so that agar will not harden).

Put 1 tablespoon of vegetarian ham and agar misture in the middle fot eh PE wrappings.

Sprinkle with pepper grains and top with 3 slices of the red chilies. Tightly wrap into square pieces.

Keep the Nem refrigerated until served.

 

Vietnamese Sour Soup

Ingredients:

110 g (4 oz) cabbage, torn into pieces about 2 fingers in size

2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

¼ fresh pineapple or 1/3 can of pineapple rings, sliced and cut into pieces

a handful bean sprouts

4-5 okra, cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces

1 piece tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes

4 cups water

 

Seasonings:

2 Tbsp tamarind or 2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp salt

4 tsp sugar

½ tsp natural MSG

cilantro, sweet basil and mint leaves, minced

chili (optional)

 

Cooking:

Boil tofu in water.

Soak tamarind in some hot water for a few minutes.

Add cabbage to 4 cups of boiling water. Two minutes later, add pineapple and okra. In another 2 minutes, add tomatoes and tofu.

Mash the tamarind pulp and seeds with a spoon and pour the juice into the soup until the desired sourness is achieved.

Stir well then stire in all the seasonings. Remove from heat immediately and serve. (If lemon juice is used, add it as the last step.)

Add bean sprouts, sweet basil, mint leaves, cilantro or chili before serving.

 

 

Lo Han Congee

Ingredients:

½ cup rice

4 cups water

3-4 slices vegetarian ham (or any other vegetarian protein), cut into thin strips

2-3 leaves cabbage (or other green leafy vegetables), shredded

½ cup carrots, shredded

½ cup shitake mushrooms, shredded

½ cup button or straw mushrooms, cut into small pieces

1-2 stems green onions, finely chopped

a few stems of cilantro, finely chopped

½ small onion, diced

1 Tbsp ginger, finely shredded

2 Tbsp oil

 

Seasonings:

1 Tbsp soy sauce (or Maggi soy sauce)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp natural MSG

1-2 dashes of black pepper

 

Cooking:

Roast the rice in a frying pan to light yellow-brown. Add water and cook over low heat until the misture becomes congee. (Like a rice soup mixture.)

Add cabbage, carrots and mushrooms and stir thoroughly. Add the seasonings and sauté until done. Remove from heat.

Preheat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan and fry ginger and onions to a golden brown. Next, add vegetarian ham and shitake mushrooms. Stir-fry until golden brown.

Pour the sauted vegetables into the congee pot and stir thoroughly. Boil over low heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Top with green onions and cilantro. Ready to serve immediately. Great for breakfast or dinner.

 

Salty Gluten

Ingredients:

3-4 pieces of gluten (cut in small chunks or any size according to one’s tastes)

¼ cup light soy sauce

3 stalks of lemon grass, finely minced

a pinch of black pepper

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp natural MSG

2 tsp Maggi soy sauce

1 Tbsp oil for frying

 

Cooking:

Mix the finely minced lemon grass with soy sauce, sugar, natural MSG. Maggi soy sauce and pepper to make a marinade sauce and season and the gluten for 30 or more minutes.

Add oil to a flat frying pan. Over medium heat, fry gluten until slightly golden. Add the marinade sauce and a little bit of water.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat thwn the desired amount of sauce remains.

Serve with fresh cucumber or lettuce.

 

Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

2 blocks of fresh firm tofu, mashed

100 g (3.5 oz) bean threads, soaked until soft and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 bag (500 g/18 oz) spring roll wrappers or Au Lac rice paper

50 g (2 oz) black agaric, minced

500 g (18 oz) cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium onion, finely chopped

250 g (9 oz) carrots, finely chopped

oil

 

Seasonings:

½ tsp salt

½ tsp natural MSG

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp pepper

 

Cooking:

Mix cabbage, carrots and onion with 1 tsp salt. Set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess water to make vegetable mixture as dry as possible. Mix the drained vegetables with the tofu, bean threads, black agaric and seasonings to use as filling.

Add filling to the spring roll wrappers to desired size. Wrap as tightly as possible. Heat the oil and deep fry the rolls on low to medium heat until golden brow. Ready to serve.

Spring rolls can be served with lettuce, fresh mint leaves and Au Lac sweet and sour sauce.

 

Sauted Vegetables with Rice

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant, cut into round thin slices

¼ cabbage, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 small carrot, cut into round or oblique slices

1 large tomato, cut into chunks

1 small bunch of spinach, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 small cucumber, cut into 4 parts lengthwise, seeded, and then cut into 2 inches oblique pieces

4 thin slices of vegetarian ham, cut into chunks

½ vegetarian mutton (optional)

6-8 medium sized dried or fresh mushrooms, cut into halves

½ onion, chopped

a bunch of mint, minced

a bunch of cilantro, minced

½ cup water

 

Seasonings:

2 cubes of preserved bean curd and some of its sauce

1 Tbsp Maggi soy sauce

1 Tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp tomato sauce

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp natural MSG

2 tsp corn starch

 

Cooking:

Put all seasonings into a large bowl, mix well and set aside.

Preheat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add onion and sauté to light brown; then add ham, mushrooms and vegetarian mutton.

When the vegetarian ham is lightly browned, add tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes become a paste. Then add the cabbage, carrots, eggplant, cucumber, water and spinach and stir-fry until thery are almost done.

Pour in the seasoning sauce, sprinkle with mint and cilantro and mix well. Cover and cook for a few minutes at medium heat.

Serve the cooked vegetables over rice. The taste is savory and delicious.

 

Japanese Tempura

Ingredients:

¼ pumpkin, seeded, sliced and cut into wedge shapes

1-2 eggplants, sliced

1 sweet potato, sliced and cut into halves

7-8 mushrooms

 

Batter:

½ cup wheat flour

½ cup water

salt to taste

 

Sauce:

Soy sauce

Finely grated raw radish

 

Cooking:

Mix batter and well-coat the slices of pumpkin, eggplant, sweet potato and mushroom with the batter.

Deep fry in oil until the vegetables float to the top of the oil

It tastes especially good when served with the soy sauce and finely grated raw radish

 

Japanese Nori Rolls

Ingredients:

3 cups rice

5 dried mushrooms, soaked in warm water to soften and cut into long strips

5 gourd ribbons, rubbed with salt, soaked in warm water to soften, and then cut into 7 inches long strips

30 g (1/4 cup) spinach, slightly boiled

½ carrot, cut in strips, parboiled with sugar

100 g (3.5 oz) cheese, cut into strips

5 sheets Nori seaweed

1 cup kelp stock

1 Tbsp soya sauce

2 Tbsp sugar

 

Vinegar Sauce:

2/3 cup vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

a pinch of salt

 

Cooking:

Sushi Rice:

Cook the rice in less water than normal to make it firmer. Put the cooked rice onto a large tray, add vinegar sauce and use a spatula to mix thoroughly. Allow rice to cool.

 

Fillings:

Put mushrooms and gourd ribbons in a saucepan, add just enough soaking mushroom water to cover the ingredients and stir in kelp stock, soya sauce and sugar. Cover and boil until the liquid evaporates.

 

Making the Nori Roll:

Place a Nori seaweed sheet on a bamboo mat or plastic wrapping paper.

Spread a layer (about 0.5 cm / 1/6 inch thick) of Sushi rice on the Nori seaweed sheet, with 1/3 inch margin in front and a 1 inch margin on the far side.

Arrange lines of mushrooms, gourd ribbons, spinach, carrots and cheese on the rice, 2/3 inch from front edge of rice.

Wrap up in a tight and even roll using the bamboo mat. Remove the mat.

Using a sharp knife coated with vinegar, cut the Nori roll into slices, and put onto a serving tray.

 

TOFU STEAK WITH SHIITAKE SAUCE (DRIED BLACK MUSHROOM)

    

     

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2/3     -   cup (dry) Dynasty Slice Shiitake

   1     -   pkg.(14oz)Firm Tofu                            

   2     -   tbsp. cornstarch

   2     -   tbsp. Kikkoman Soy Sauce

   1     -   tbsp. Kikkoman Manjo Aji Mirin

   1/8  -   tsp. black pepper

   4     -   tsp. vegetable oil, divided

   2     -   med. carrots, julienne cut

   1     -   med. yellow onion,cut into thin wedges

   2     -   cups hot, cooked Nishiki or Botan Calrose Rice

• Soak shiitake in 2 cups hot water, 25 minutes

• Drain Tofu

• Halved tofu horizontally and vertically to get 4 equal size "steaks"

• Place tofu on paper towels, in single layer

• Let drain 30 minutes, changing towels when wet

• Drain shiitake, reserving liquid

• Combine shiitake liquid, corn starch, soy sauce, mirin and pepper

• Stir until cornstarch dissolves

• Heat large frying pan, preferable nonstick, over high heat

• Add 2 teaspoons oil, coat inside bottom of pan

• Add tofu steaks, in single layer

• Cook 2 to 3 minutes, on each side, or until lightly browned

• Remove from pan, keep warm

• Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in same pan

• Add carrots and onion; sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until tender-crisp

• Mix in shiitake and shiitake-cornstarch mixture

• Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture boils and thickens

• For each serving, place a tofu steak on serving plate

• Spoon 1/4 (about 3/4 cup) shiitake sauce over tofu.

• Repeat with remaining tofu and shiitake sauce

• Serve immediately with rice

• Makes 4 servings, 1 tofu steak, 3/4 cup shiitake sauce and 1/2 cup rice each

Per serving: 319 calories, 14g protein, 9g fat, 43g carbohydrate, 508 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

 

 

Versatile Tofu

Tofu is a superb food to add to the repertoire of growing children, and pays bountiful dividends in women’s and men’s diets as well. Many nutritionists experts recommend completely eliminating meat and high-fat dairy products as protein sources and getting more from plant-based foods such as grains, legumes, and soyfoods.

Four ounces of tofu, for example, has only about 100 to 120 calories and 5 to 8 grams of fat, but supplies 9 to 10 grams of protein. Tofu made with calcium sulfate provides up to 20% of average daily calcium requirement. It’s high in easily digestible protein, low in fat, and is a good source of iron, and B vitamins.

To increase your chances of pleasing results, especially when trying to combine tofu with familiar flavors. Here are a few easy and delicious ways to do so:

Barbecue-Flavored Tofu and Onion Skillet

Serves 3 to 4

I love what barbecue sauce does for tofu. This is excellent over rice.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced (try red or Vidalia onions)
• One 16-ounce tub firm or extra-firm tofu, well drained and diced
• 1/2 cup natural barbecue sauce, or as needed
• Hot cooked rice, optional

Heat the oil in a stir-fry pan or large skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until golden.

Add the tofu and barbecue sauce and turn the heat up to medium-high. Use enough sauce to coat the tofu generously. Stir-fry for 6 to 8 minutes, and serve on its own or over rice.

Mediterranean Tofu

4 servings

Here’s a great way to serve tofu in the summer, with the season’s flavorful tomatoes.

• Two 16-ounce tubs firm tofu, drained
• One tablespoon light olive oil
• Salt
• One tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups diced ripe tomato (make the dice fairly small)
• 1/4 cup oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips, with a little of their liquid
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• A few leaves fresh basil, cut into strips

Cut each block of tofu into 6 equal slabs. Blot very well between layers of clean tea-towel or paper towels. Spread the light olive oil over the surface of a 12-inch square griddle or extra-wide skillet and heat. Arrange the slabs of tofu in a single layer, and cook over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Sprinkle the tofu with salt.

Meanwhile, heat the extra-virgin oil in a smaller skillet. Add the garlic and saute over low heat until golden. Add the fresh and dried tomatoes and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat just until the fresh tomato wilts a bit and is well heat through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, fan out 3 slices of the tofu on each place and divide the tomato-garlic sauce over them. Top each serving with a few strips of basil. Serve at once.

Asian Noodles with Napa Cabbage, Mushrooms, and Tofu

Serves 4

• One 16-ounce tub firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium natural soy sauce
• 12 leaves napa cabbage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, to taste
• 8 ounces wide Chinese wheat noodles or udon noodles
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or red wine
• Freshly ground black pepper

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices and blot briefly between clean tea-towels or several layers of paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Slowly heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil with the soy sauce in a wok or stir-fry pan. Add the tofu and stir quickly to coat. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the tofu is golden-brown and crisp on most sides. Remove to a plate and set aside until needed.

Prepare the vegetables as described. Before beginning to stir-fry them, begin cooking the noodles in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining canola oil with the sesame oil and sherry. Add the vegetables and ginger and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until everything is just wilted and tender-crisp.

When the noodles are done, stir them in with the vegetables and season to taste with additional soy sauce and pepper. Toss well, remove from the heat, and serve at once.

Tofu and Potato Hash Browns

Serves 4 to 6

Have potatoes cooked ahead of time and this easy and tasty dish will have your family eating in short order. Leftovers are wonderful for breakfast. Or, if you make this expressly to serve in the morning, you can either microwave the potatoes the night before for a head start, or plunge them into very cold water once done so they can be handled within a short time.

• 4 to 5 medium or 3 large potatoes
• One 16-ounce tub extra-firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, minced, optional
• Paprika
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bake or microwave the potatoes in their skins until done but still firm. When cool enough to handle (ideally at room temperature), peel and cut into small dice, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch.

Cut the tofu into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Blot well between paper towels or clean tea towels, then cut into approximately 1/4-inch dice.

Heat the oil in a large, wide skillet. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the diced potatoes and tofu, and the optional bell pepper. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is golden brown all over, about 12 minutes.

Sprinkle in a small amount of paprika, season with salt and pepper, and serve.