Carrot Cake with Mock Floss

Lately, there are lots of dishes using Floss - Chicken Floss, Pork Floss! Look like it is another way to market the product - FLOSS!  I chance upon this recipe - Meat Floss Carrot Cake (non-vegetarian) and modified the recipe to make a Vegetarian Carrot Cake with Mock Floss.

This is a long neglected food and is not too difficult to whip up at all and I love to add lots of ingredients to it. Other way to garnish this Carrot Cake is to drizzle some sweet soy sauce and sprinkle some sesame seeds or chopped chilli, with some Japanese Spring oil shreds and shichimi, or with some crispy shallot and chopped spring onion, or with chee cheong fun sauce and sesame seeds ...

Preparation:     15 mins, Cooking time:  25 mins 

Ingredients (makes 8 pieces)

°         200g radish weight after  peeling, diced

°         50g carrot weight after peeling, died

°         4 chinese dried mushroom, soaked and sliced

°         150g rice flour

°         1 tablespoon corn starch

°         1 teaspoon salt or to taste

°         pepper to taste

°         ½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

°         500ml water

°         1½ tablespoon oil

Garnish

°         some mock floss

°         few coriander leaves

°         ½ fresh chilli, sliced

Method

1.      Combine the rice flour, corn starch, salt, pepper and sesame oil with 250ml of water. Mix well and stir into a smooth batter.

2.      Heat oil in a wok. Throw in the radish, carrot and mushroom and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in 250ml of water and bring to a boil.

3.      Off the heat and pour in the batter. Stir till the batter turn thick and transfer to a steaming container and steam for 25 minutes. Let it cools. Top with mock floss, garnish with coriander and chilli. 

Winter Solstic Dessert ...

Abacus Shape Glutinous Rice Ball with grounded peanut powder …

 Mini Glutinous Rice Cake with Azuki Bean (stuff it in, if desired ...)

Sprinkle or sift some macho powder on it ...  

I am not a big fan of Glutinous Rice Ball or Dessert and why are there so many postings related to it?

Just that I haven’t got bore with photographing these mini creations using the ingredient glutinous rice flour. And I find that dessert and snack can be made more interesting with slight modifications that do not required lots of work or cost a bomb and yet can be served in a small portion to enhance a bento set or as a beautiful snack in any party menu.

Simple ingredients like glutinous rice flour which are not costly at all and yet it can be use to make mochi, mua chee, glutinous rice ball, kueh etc. With different ingredients added and methods used, it can make into different desserts/snacks with many different variants.

Must Winter Solstice Dessert which is the traditional glutinous rice ball be round (round shape symbolize 团圆), of standard size, in red and white colour, in sweet soup or coated in grounded peanut powder?

In fact, it can be unique and different … I have few other ingredients in mind that I wanted to test out when I am free …  It is quite fun, mixing the flour with water and shaping those tiny little balls and throwing them into boiling water and seeing them floating … sound like Clay Therapy …

So, be daring, create a new Winter Solstice Dessert this year and maybe a different one for every other year! 

Macha Peanut Coating! 

Kinako (soybean powder) coating is a basic ingredient for Warabi Mochi. And there is a different variant – Macha Kinako Coating,with green tea powder added to it (other spices like cinnamon can be used). Since I don’t have soybean powder in the kitchen, I used grounded peanut powder to make Macha Kinako Coating which is not as delicate and fine comparing to soybean powder …

Vegetarian Siew Mai ...

I just like the combination of a piece of coriander leave and just one wolfberry for garnish. Simple yet it makes a big different to the food. I saw this in a beautiful food photo of shark’s fin dish and therefore try it out on instant vegetarian siew mai which I bought from Friendly Vegetarian Food Suppliers – 25pcs for S$5.

You just have to steam them and place on a small white porcelain plate use for sauce or arrange in a row on a oblong plate, Next, just place coriander leave and reconstituted wolfberry on it (kid can help out with this).  That’s!  

Frozen Vegetable Dumping

Served in Sauces Plate with Mushroom Broth and garnish with coriander and wolfberries ...  

Served in a Chinese Tea Cup with Mushroom Broth, mini dried mushroom, wolfberries and coriander ...

Various presentation ... 

Frozen Vegetable Dumping 450g @ S$2.50

Yes! This is instant vegetarian food and with simple food presentation, it can look beautiful and use that for buffet or party food for a no-cook.

I got this from Friendly Vegetarian Food Supplier – 1 pack (450g) for S$2.50 (Product of Taiwan by Chimei). 

Macha Soy Milk with Azuki Bean ‘N’ Glutinous Rice Ball

I passed by MOF Japanese Sweets & Coffee and saw a dessert that uses Macha, Azuki Bean and Rice Cake, it is something like red bean in macha soup with few oblong rice cake (looks like mochi or glutinous rice cube). It was too early and the eatery hasn’t open yet. So, I decided to re-create it when I reach home.

I had some red bean soup in the refrigerator anyway and I scoop out the red bean and add them to the soy milk with added matcha powder. Then, I add one traditional glutinous rice ball to it (which I think I had made it a little too big for a well balanced presentation in a Chinese Tea Cup). Shape it into a cube, if desire.

It is served in a traditional Chinese tea cup and just the right portion for a small dessert. So, if you think Red Bean Dessert or Red Bean Dessert with Glutinous Rice Ball is boring. You can give it a twist, just like this or create a totally new combination … 

A Cup of Simple Crispy Shallot Rice

For Little Girl ...

For Little Boy ...

Super simple and delicious …

When I was a little gal, my late mother whipped up this Rice with Raw Egg for us. What she did was when the rice was cooked, threw in the eggs (raw), shallot oil, spring onion, crispy shallot, and season with salt, light soy sauce and then mix well.

Yesterday, I was making some shallot oil by deep-frying some freshly cut shallot in oil. It was aromatic and I decided to mix the shallot oil, crispy shallot and some chopped spring onion to the cooked white rice. Season to taste with light sauce and mix well.  Spring onion and shallot lends its unique flavour to the plain rice, making it real fragrant.

Then, to make it interesting for kid, I serve it in a round Tea Cup with cute little cartoon on it (freebie). It looks good and delicious, my boy finished up all the tasty rice very fast.

Visual impact is important to kid too! It helps to make the food look more appetizing. Try this, if you have a fussy eater at home. It does not need lots of time to churn out something simple yet delectable.

For a healthier version, use brown rice (those that are light brown in colour). Substitute shallot with ginger, spring oil with Chinese parsley if desired. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if preferred.

Terrific Cabbage Roll Pickles

Coldplay – Life in Technicolor II (click to listen, have fun and enjoy!), it starts with upbeat music - a Indian Stringed Instrument – Santoor! Beautiful way of introducing a classical instrument, otherwise I would not even know that there is such beauty sound in the world. If only Vegetarian Cuisine just like Santoor in this song. Again, why not? Vegetarian Cuisine can be trendy …

So, I tried out with pickles and play with it! The food presentation of this dish can be improved. In the photo, I didn’t cut it into bite size, if not it can be stacked up and sprinkle with shicimi togarashi to make it looks classy. Place them in a glass bottle (recycle your home sauce bottle), décor the bottle in a simple way, if desired – you can give away them as - Homemade Nappa Pickles. An appetizer for a party (just add a garnish with skewer, if desired) or a side dish or as refreshment between spicy dishes …     

Preparation:      10 mins, plus 1-2 hours standing time

Ingredients (serves 8)

°         4 (200g)  Chinese cabbage/Nappa/Wok Bak leaves, halved lengthwise and blanched

°         2 tablespoons cider vinegar

°         1 tablespoon sugar or to taste

°         ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste

°         3-4 slices red chilli, chopped 

Garnish

°         Some  roasted sesame seed (optional)

Method

1.       Combine the napa, chilli vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well.  Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

2.       Tightly roll the leaves and cut into bite-size if desired. Sprinkle some sesame seeds, chopped chilli/chilli flakes and serve.

Mini Tofu Balls

This is not a new recipe, I just use the old recipe created in Mar 07  - Crispy Tofu Balls.

Explore old recipe … Experiment with a new presentation … Exchange ideas … new appealing dishes Evolved ... So, just be daring and start enjoying the fun.

By serving this cutie mini tofu ball wrapped in lettuce leaves, it becomes a finger food and a perfect item for parties! It gives a light and healthy appeal. A homemade special dipping sauce which can be as simple as spicy mayo sauce or mixing tomatoes and chilli sauce or change around the sauces, mixing and matching, would add a new twist to it.  Replace lettuce leaves with few julienned carrot, green mango and alfalfa, then team with green mango salad sauce, if desired.

This little cuties tofu ball can be served with Tomatoes and Herbs Sauce Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Herbs Sauce

Or add few of these tofu balls to the Spaghetti with Tomatoes Sauce Spaghetti with Tomatoes Sauce, to make a more complete meal.

Is Veg*n Food is bland and boring? Nay! We can even re-invent those Traditional Veg*n Food and make it New Style Vegetarian Cuisine.

p.s. A little secret! In fact, I didn’t purposely re-do these tofu balls, it was some left over when I used them for creating the Tofu Cabbage Roll … then I started playing with the lettuce leaves and homemade pasta tomatoes sauce I have in the kitchen with these deep-fried tofu balls …

Mini Otah Toast

Many would find that cooking is a time consuming and tedious task, from thinking of what to cook, what ingredients to buy, where to buy them, the washing, the cutting, the cooking, the cleaning up ….

Often, good delicious recipes are labour intensive which most of us does not have the time. And one of the headache problems is those seasoning and sauces occupied the space in the refrigerator and often not consume before they expired. Maybe, some would like to get those ready-prepared vegetables in the supermarket and just do a simple quick stir-fry.

Usually, the common reaction is don’t cook, eat out! Often eating out, those eateries offering healthy food are quite limited. So, sometimes, we still yearn for a simple home cooked meal, and would usually go for those real simple and easy recipes!

Here is one of them, spreading ready-made raw vegetarian otah on bread and toasted them in the oven toaster for 5-8 minutes.

For party food, garnish with black and white sesame seeds, coriander leaves, nori shreds, mock floss etc. Serve with lettuce if desired.

Simplified Dry Tom Yum Vermicelli

This might be a good, pretty simple to whip up and yet impressive item for party or fun fair, as all the ingredients can be prepared in advance and just mixed them prior to serving and it will not go wrong at all even without any stir-frying.

This can also be an item that can be given to your helpful guests who want to help out in your party or easy task for little boys and girls to do. Remember to taste and add more lime juice or tom yum paste if necessary. Use shallot oil instead of olive oil, have some fresh shallot slices, if desired. Pea shoots is too common to add as addition green veggies for this dish, try something else … julienned green mango or something that does not required too much work …

How about putting in a beautiful bento box with some fruit/veggie salad or a cup of lovely smoothies/juices/soya blends plus crispy cracker and take it to work for lunch?

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2-8)
° 150g rice vermicelli, cooked according to packet’s instruction
° 1 firm tofu, cubed and pan-fried
° 1 stalk lemongrass, peel off outer layers leaving tender whitish centre, cut out 5cm, thinly sliced
° 5-6 kaffir lime leaves, finely cut/snip just before using
° 25g carrot, shredded
° some fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
° 1 fresh red chilli or 3 chilli padi, sliced
° some toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Tom Yum Sauce
° 1 tablespoon olive oil
° 2 tablespoons vegetarian tom yum paste or to taste
° 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or to taste
° 2 tablespoons (4 limes) freshly squeezed kalamansi lime juice
° 4 tablespoons (60ml) water
° ¾ tablespoon sugar or to taste

Method
1. Place the Tom Yum sauce ingredients in a bowl and mixed well.
2. In a big bowl, throw in the vermicelli, corianders, chilli, tofu, carrot, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves.
3. Pour the Tom Yum sauce over, toss and mix well. Sprinkle some water if it is too dry. Taste and add more Tom Yum Paste (more fiery and spicy) or lime juice, if necessary. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

Mango and Veggie Salad with Wasabi Salad Dressing

Lately have been busy with other stuff that I didn’t spend enough time on this recipe blog and those things on my January To-Do List. So last night, I decided to create this recipe at 8pm. It is real simple as I love to say. It has to be simple yet nutritious to be done at home by anyone, anything that required more works; let’s enjoy them at the vegetarian eateries. Maybe it is a little bit costly, but just takes that as the price for the manhour if we have to do it ourselves and we can relax and dine in a different ambience … Be a little compassionate and pamper ourselves once in a while by having a nice meal at the vegetarian eateries …

Back to this recipe, adding mango to the veggies salad gives a different taste – natural sweetness.! The amount of mango or carrot or cucumber to be used depends on individual preference. For the salad dressing, I added Wasabi! Sunny had left comments on my blog that avocado with wasabi is her favorites, I think. So, I happened to pass by the sushi counter at Cold Storage @ Bugis, so I brought 2 little pack of wasabi at 10 cents each. By adding wasabi to the salad cream, it gives a totally new flavour and it is nice, but you have to taste it before adding more wasabi, if not …. : )

Oh yeah, just to share this new piece of information from Health Promotion Board (HPB) - A Vegetarian’s Guide to Eating Right Share with ALL your friends (veg*n and non-veg*n)….

Preparation: 8-10 mins

Ingredients (serves 1-2)
° 75g mango shreds
° 50g carrot shreds
° 25g Japanese cucumber shreds
° 1 lettuce leaves (optional), for garnish
° some toasted/roasted sesame seeds (optional)

Wasabi Salad Dressing
° 1 tablespoon vegetarian salad cream/ vegan mayonnaise
° 1 teaspoon sugar
° 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
° ¼ - ½ teaspoon wasabi or to taste

Method
1. Combine all the wasabi salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Arrange the mango shreds, carrot shreds and cucumber shreds on the lettuce leaves. Garnish with sesame seeds.
3. Serve with wasabi salad dressing sauce.

Instant Vegetarian Satay!

I got this packet of 10 sticks of Vegetarian Satay that come with Satay Peanut Sauce too, from Friendly Vegetarian Food Supplier. The shop assistant recommended that I take this brand – Tian Hock (天福斋供应商). Oh, it turns out delicious.

What I did was place the satay in my oven toaster, brush some oil on it and toast it. Next, I cut some Japanese cucumber, onion (omit, if you desired) and steamed the Lotong Rice that I got from the Supermarket and warm up the Satay Peanut Sauce. The Satay Peanut Sauce is sufficient for the satays, cucumber and Lotong Rice.

And all with 15 minutes, I can enjoy this lovely vegetarian satay at home without much fuss.

As for the price, oh I can’t remember now and this supplier does not have the habit of pasting price tag on their product.

Vegetarian Siew Mai & Vegetarian Spinach Fishball

Going vegetarian and yet have occasional crave for Dim Sum or Fish ball? Fear not, there are these ready-made frozen Vegetarian Siew Mai and Vegetarian Spinach Fishball (I could not really remember the actual name) at reasonable price.

Just steam them for 8-10 minutes and you can enjoy these tastes yummy Vegetarian Siew Mai and Spinach Fishball. Just remember, don’t indulge too much …

Ideal for party food with little preparation and yet presentable …

Where to buy: Friendly Vegetarian Supplier

QQ水晶果 and 可可榴香

QQ水晶果 (Chinese Crystal Ball Dessert)

可可榴香

I went to Friendly Vegetarian Food Supplier at AMK, to buy Vegetarian Siew Mai for my son school - Teachers’ Appreciation Party. Guess what I found, QQ水晶果 (Chinese Crystal Ball Dessert) and 可可榴香 (No English name for this product, it is filled with durian and yam paste).

For the QQ水晶果, you just need to defrost it and it can be served, no cooking required.

Whereas for the other product, just deep-fried prior to serve, you may bake it if you like for a healthier choice.

By the way, the Vegetarian Siew Mai is lovely. Just steam them and you can have some ready made party food.

Purple Yam Roll or Dioscoreae Roll ?

Baked!

Deep-Fried!

What is this? I don’t know the name of this product. It is very delectable. It is purple yam wrapped with a “net wrapper” made of rice vermicelli.

I got them from Friendly Vegetarian Food Supplier and they told me it Chinese Yam or “Purple Yam” (紫山芋 / Dioscoreae) and you deep-fried it. The packet didn’t come with any information related to this product, so let called it Purple Yam Roll or Dioscoreae Roll!

How to cook this? You can brush some olive oil on it and bake/toast it, for a healthier choice. Alternatively, deep-fried it which is nicer.

Seaweed Bread Roll

Run out of ideas for making sandwiches, try this Seaweed Bread Roll! Oh, it is scrumptious!

What you need is nori, bread, lettuce, shredded carrot and Japanese cucumber, and lastly vegan mayonnaise or vegetarian salad cream.

Next, place the nori (should be much longer than the bread) on a plate. Place the bread on top of the nori. Arrange the lettuce, carrot and Japanese cucumber on the bread. Spread some vegan mayonnaise vegetarian salad cream and start to roll from one end to the other. To finish, seal with some vegan mayonnaise or vegetarian salad cream. Its that easy!

Nata De Coco with Passion Fruit

Nata De Coco is a high-fibre, low-calorie and cholesterol-free dessert. The chewy, juicy cubes can be mixed with cocktails or other dessert to create your own treats. In here, I marry Nata De Coco with Passion Fruit!

Bread Sushi

It is fabulously simple!

Trim the crusts of the white bread. Then place the bread on the nori sheet. Spread some vegan mayonnaise or vegetarian salad cream evenly on the bread. Place a Japanese cucumber strip on the bread and start rolling …

Oh yeah, seal the edge with some mayonnaise and cut into 3cm pieces or eat it as a whole roll.

Watermelon & Honeydew Juice

Lately I have been very busy and also getting very lazy. I just dump my 2 serving of fruits into the blender and few moments later, my precious Watermelon and Honeydew juice is ready. Nothing is wasted, all the fiber of the fruits are in the drink itself. You don’t need to be that exact on how much each fruits to use, just adjust to your liking.

Preparation: 10 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
° 400g seedless watermelon
° 150g honeydew, peeled and chopped

Method
1. Throw in the watermelon and honeydew into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Serve chill or with ice.

Watermelon Juice

Healthy homemade fruit juice is always better than fizzy drink and it is so refreshing. I love this so much when I too lazy to dice the watermelon to eat. Basically it is so simple to do, just halve the watermelon and use a tablespoon to scoop out the flesh, even kids can do it. Don’t make too much, if you can’t finish it in a day. It is good for those little ones who can’t chew well or take a long time in eating, or does not have enough fiber.

There was an article saying that “Those who reported drinking three or more glasses of juice per week were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s” – thesundaytimes October 14 2007.

Preparation: 10 mins

Ingredients (serves 8-10)
° 1 seedless watermelon

Method
1. Cut the watermelon into half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Throw in the watermelon flesh to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Serve chill or with ice.