SPICY THAI 'FISH' AND STIR- FRIED CUCUMBER WITH WOODEAR MUSHROOMS AND CHILI

This week I am making vegan spicy Thai 'fish' and stir-fried cucumber with wood ear mushrooms and red chili. They are served with jasmine brown rice. This is a rather long blog but I presented 2 recipes. So I hope it is worthwhile to read them.

About the Spicy Thai 'Fish' dish:


I bought the vegan fish frozen from an Asian market. It is made with soy bean curd and seaweed. I actually can make it at home from scratch with yuba and seaweed. But that's another blog, I think. It is also easier to buy since it is readily available here, in my area.


The 'fish' is browned on cast iron frying pan with a little bit of oil, on both sides. The seaweed will become crispy. Toasted and crispy seaweed is delicious, in my opinion. But I love 'sea' flavored dish so this is a treat for me.


The other ingredients are: Thai basil (known also as Cinnamon Basil), chopped garlic, chopped chili such as jalapeno or serrano, diced red and yellow/orange bell pepper.



I made this recipe many times. I received this recipe from my friend Yongkie years ago and have modified it many times by reducing the sugar content. I finally use agave nectar in my cooking.

I also use special Asian soy sauces for a replacement of fish sauce or oyster sauce. When I mention light soy sauce or a replacement of fish sauce, I use this soy sauce brand: Healthy Boy Soy Sauce with Mushrooms. It is not easy to find but I believe that this is important in Thai or Vietnamese cooking which uses fish sauce heavily. As a vegan, I need to find a replacement of fish sauce as closely as possible. Bragg's Liquid Amino can also be used as a replacement of fish sauce. It has that natural brew flavoring. However, I still prefer the Thai mushroom soy sauce. I go as far as L.A. to visit Thai markets to get this brand. I really take my Thai/Vietnamese cooking seriously, I think. Please don't use Tamari or Japanese soy sauce because it will not taste the same. If you can't find the mushroom flavored soy sauce you can surely find Bragg's Liquid Amino in your area. Or, perhaps, you can buy them on-line (click the links).





I also use dark mushroom soy sauce in my Asian cooking. I love this brand: Pearl River Bridge Mushroom Flavoured Superior Dark Soy Sauce. I use this dark soy sauce in my Asian dishes. This is not Ketjap Manis (an Indonesian sweet soy sauce) which is used for another type of cooking in my kitchen.


This Thai 'fish' recipe is very simple when you have all of these ingredients on hand. I am trying to grow my own Thai basil or cinnamon basil in pots. Now, my plants haven't matured yet ( see picture). The leaves are still so small. I still rely on Asian market to get my cinnamon basils. Hopefully, in another month, I can enjoy this herb and cook more vegan Thai or Vietnamese dishes.

Spicy Vegan Thai 'Fish' serve 4-6

1 Vegan Thai 'fish' (buy frozen), pan fry until crispy and toasty, set aside in a warm oven

canola oil for pan frying and stir frying
1.5 cups Thai/Cinnamon Basil (leaves only)
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 large yellow/orange bell pepper, diced
2 Tablespoon garlic, chopped finely
2 Tablespoon red or green jalapeno, seeds removed (reduced amount accordingly for less spicy)

Sauce Mixture: (combine in a small bowl)
3 Tablespoons light soy sauce or fish sauce replacement (see above)
1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce (see above)
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1.5 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons agave nectar (3 Tablespoon if you like it sweeter)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Put 1 teaspoon of oil in a cast iron frying pan and pan fry 'fish' both sides until crispy and toasty. Set aside in a serving platter in a warm oven.
2. Heat wok until very hot. Add 1 - 2 teaspoons oil, add garlic, stir fry for 3o seconds, then, add red and yellow bell pepper, stir fry for a minute.
3. Add Thai basil, stir fry until basil leaves are wilted and soft.
4. Add sauce mixture, stir, and let it become hot and boiling.
5. Immediately, pour over warmed and ready 'fish'
6. Serve immediately

About the Cucumber Stir Fry with Wood ear mushrooms and Chili:

Stir-fried CUCUMBER, you asked? Yes! I watched Kylie Kwong's cooking show on TV one day and she was preparing stir fried cucumber. I thought it was pretty interesting and thought that Iwould like to give it a try. I had to reduce the amount of ginger since DH doesn't like ginger that much. I also veganized the dish with Vegetarian Mushroom Flavored Stir-Fry sauce instead of oyster sauce.

The trick to stir fry cucumber is to act quickly after cucumbers are added. If sauces are added and combined quickly, then, immediately remove wok from the heat, I think, you'll find that the cucumber is still crispy. You'll also need to serve the dish immediately.

This dish is unusual because it needs fresh wood ear mushrooms. This kind of mushrooms grow on trees and looks like an ear. That's why it is called wood ear. The use of this kind of mushroom is very common in Asian dishes. They sell dried ones in Asian markets that you can soak in warm water to re-hydrate them but I prefer the fresh ones. The fresh ones cook very quickly. If you can't find this kind of mushrooms you can substitute with other kind of mushrooms but you'll need to stir fry them before hand and set aside. Then, when you add the cucumbers into the wok, you can add the cooked mushrooms at the same time. Other wise, the cucumber will be too soft to wait for the mushrooms to be soft and cooked.

Below are the ingredients: cucumbers, finely sliced garlic, julienned green onions, sliced red jalapeno (fresh red chili), diced wood ear mushrooms, and julienned ginger.



Stir-fried Cucumber, Wood Ear Mushrooms, and Chili serve 6-8Adapted from Kylie Kwong's recipe

2 large cucumber, peeled
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/3 cup ginger, julienne finely
6 cloves garlic, finely diced
5 green onions, trimmed , and cut julienne into 3-inches long
8 oz. fresh wood ear mushrooms, cut in bite pieces
1 -2 large fresh red chili (red jalapeno), sliced diagonally

1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
2 Tablespoons Vegetarian Mushroom Flavored Stir-Fry Sauce
2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon sesame oil for drizzling before serving

1. Cut cucumbers in half length ways and scoop out the seeds using a spoon. Cut in half width ways, place halves cut-side down on a chopping board and slice on the diagonal (julienne) into 3-inch pieces.
2. Heat work until very hot. Add peanut oil and let it heat up before adding garlic and ginger. Stir fry for 10 seconds. Add cucumber, wood ear mushrooms, red chili, and green onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
3. Quickly add wine or sherry, mushroom flavored sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and agave nectar.
4. Combine quickly for about a minute until all ingredients are hot. Take it off from heat.
5. Lastly drizzle with sesame oil before serving. Serve immediately.

GINGERED TEMPEH WITH RED SPINACH AND SHIITAKE

I have been so guilty of not using more tempeh in my cooking. After all I am an Indonesian girl , born in Java, and Indonesia is the birthplace of tempeh. So here it is, my stir fried gingered tempeh with organic red spinach, shiitake, and yellow bell pepper. This dish is Asian, I think, because of the ginger, tempeh, tamari and rice vinegar. I created this dish 'out of the blue' when I was so busy with my overly active Toastmasters clubs and needed to cook something easy and fast.

I found this beautiful organic red spinach at Mother's market. It is so delicious that I went back the next week for more. It tastes just like regular spinach except that it has red stems. If you can't find red spinach, swiss chard, or kale will do.

I also found a great tempeh product, Tofurky brand, that is not bitter. Therefore, I don't need to steam the tempeh first (Indonesians never steam tempeh before use. Maybe, because we always get them fresh?). Below is a picture of marinated tempeh, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, and diced yellow pepper, the main ingredients of this dish.


Then, I added shiitake mushrooms at the last minute. Remember, this is not a 'planned' recipe. The tempeh marinade was also an 'idea' that came out of my brain after I made this Herb Crusted Tofu from Everydaydish. After I made the delicious tofu dish, I had a left over marinade that I didn't want to throw away. I dumped in tempeh into the marinade (tamari, marsala, and water). Isn't that super easy?

I think this dish was very satisfying and yummy. I served it on top of a bed of brown jasmine rice.


Gingered Tempeh with Red Spinach, Yellow Pepper, and Shiitake Mushrooms
Serve 6-8

Ingredients:
8- 10 oz. tempeh
2 bunches of red spinach (about 1.5 - 2 lbs.)
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
10 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dried), sliced
Note: if using dried, soak in warm water for 30 minutes
4 cloves garlic, chop finely
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped finely
3 Tbsp. Tamari
2-3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Marinade:
1/2 cup Tamari
1/2 cup Marsala wine or white wine
enough water to cover the tempeh to marinade

Finishing:
drizzles of roasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
1/2 Tbsp. Korean red pepper (optional)

1. Marinade tempeh for 1 - 4 hours (or leave overnight in the fridge).
2. Drain tempeh and cut in 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Cut and clean red spinach by washing them in a big bowl of water. Drain but don't pad dry. Set aside in a bowl.
4. Heat olive oil in wok or large frying pan. Add garlic and ginger. Saute for 1 minute.
5. Add bell pepper and saute for 3 minutes.
6. Add shiitake mushrooms and tempeh. Saute until tempeh is brown. Add water to prevent sticking. Don't add too much water since there are water in the spinach.
7. Add red spinach in batches (3 or 4 batches). After each batch, stir over and under until spinach is wilted. Water/juice will come out of the spinach which will create sauce for this dish.
8. After all batches are added, add tamari and rice vinegar( add 2 tbsp. first and taste. Then, add another tablespoon if necessary).
9. Add freshly ground black pepper at the end and stir. I don't think it is necessary to add salt but you can add salt to taste.
10. Pile jasmine brown rice on a plate and top with the spinach mixture. Drizzle with sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds, and optional Korean red pepper.

Enjoy!

VEGAN 'SEA' FLAVORED MEALS

I loved seafood before I became a vegetarian because I grew up on an island surrounded by the sea. Seafood was a major part of our meals in my growing up days. I figured out that, now, after I became a vegetarian, what I missed is the 'sea' flavor instead of the seafood. I also found out that I can satisfy it with eating seaweed. Some vegans do not like seaweed at all but I do. It's good for me because seaweed has a lot of minerals and vitamin B-12, I was told.

Below is my recipe of my favorite Italian soup(pictured above): Cioppino (seafood Italian stew). At first, I got a recipe from Bryanna but I have modified it to satisfy my own 'sea' cravings that the recipe has become my own because it is more 'seafoody' than the original recipe. There are many different styles of this stew, depending on the regions of Italy, but I like the one made with fresh tomatoes (not very tomatoey).

The main ingredients of my vegan cioppino are vegan fish, vegan scallops, and vegan oysters. I bought the 'fish' from Chinese market (frozen). I made my own vegan seitan scallops and oysters. The latest newsletter from Bryanna featured a recipe of homemade vegan seitan scallops. Hooray! Finally, a recipe of seitan 'seafood'! I converted her recipe by adding fresh wakame to make seitan 'oysters.' These have lots of 'sea' flavors due to the fresh wakame in them. Pictured below are: store-bought vegan fish, homemade vegan oysters, and homemade vegan scallops. The dark green specks in them are chopped wakame and kelp granules.

VEGAN CIOPPINO (VEGAN “SEAFOOD” STEW)

Vegetables:
1 onions, chopped small
1 cup celery rib, chopped small
1 cup carrot, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dry red chili pepper flakes
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

2/3 c. chopped flat-leafed parsley

2 tbsp.. extra-virgin olive oil

8 dry shiitake mushrooms soaked in 3 cups warm/boiling water (you may add the soaked shiitake mushrooms into the soup, chopped, if you want)

2 c. mushroom soaking water above or dilute 2 cup water with 1.5 Tbsp. Pistol River Porcini mushroom powder

1 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional or more broth above

a bay leaf
1/3 c. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dry basil flakes
1 tsp. kelp granules
1 - 4X6 inches kombu (Japanese seaweed)
1 tsp. salt or to taste
1/8 -1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

a heaping 1 T. light miso

'Seafood':

2 1/2 cups combination of vegan fish, seitan scallops, and seitan oyster, chopped in small pieces (I have made this soup with store-bought vegan fish and vegan shrimps, another option)

1	Saute 'seafood' and chopped shiitake (if using) in 1 tbsp. olive oil until brown. Set aside. Then, sautee with 1 tbsp. olive oil: onions, dry chili pepper flakes, garlic, celery, and carrots until the onions are soft and translucent.
2	Add chopped tomatoes. Cook 10 minutes until tomatoes are soft and disintegrated.
3	Add wine or broth, basil, and bay leave. Cook on high heat 5 minutes.
4	Now add more broth(2 cups), with the large piece of kombu seaweed and kelp granules. Cook about 25 minutes. Remove kombu.
5	Add the sauteed 'seafood' and shiitake back in. Add more broth, if necessary. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
6	Add salt and pepper to taste.
7	Add light miso, stir until dissolve. Finally, add chopped flat leaf parsley and take it off from heat.

Ladle into bowls and serve with garlic bread or whole wheat baguette or sourdough baquette.

Below is a picture of another 'seafood' meal that is featured in Bryanna's latest newsletter: Fried Seitan 'Scallops' (and 'Oysters') with Lemon-Garlic 'Butter' Sauce. Unfortunately, Bryanna stopped her newsletters production although you may be able to order her previous versions of these wonderful newsletters soon. I served the delicious 'seafood' morsels with Roasted Baby Yukon Potatoes with olive oil, garlic and rosemary and steamed fresh asparagus. You see, we eat yummy vegan meals in our household and aren't missing out delicious 'sea' flavored meals at all.

Sin-Dawgs - Yummy, Gooey, and Cinnamony!

What prompted me to blog Sin-Dawgs is my recent purchase of a new mixer: Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine, 800 watts. YES, I finally got the top-of-the-line mixer: the BMW of mixers. My older Kitchen Aid Heavy Duty mixer did not satisfy my needs anymore. I sold it at craigslist. With the proceed of that sale, I happily ordered my dream machine, a Bosch mixer with a 6-quarts bowl, from Julie at Everydaydish.tv/ Market.

While I was shopping for the mixer, I reviewed a few new Cooking Shows at Everydaydish.tv and encountered Sin-Dawgs. Gosh, what's that? You really need to view this video, I recommend it, because it's a blast. A guy with big muscles and a pony tail demonstrated how to make his creation he called it: Sin-Dawgs. The scene of a guy who looks like a biker, cooking in Julie's kitchen, is very rare but amusing. :-)

This guy is Dave Dahl from Dave's Killer Bread. Apparently, he sells bread at Portland (Oregon)Farmers Market and other places in Oregon. Golly, that's far away from where I live but yet his recipe is so intriguing that I can't help to try to make Sin-Dawgs at home with my new mixer. I want to know what I missed for not being able to visit Dave's booth in Portland's Farmers Market. I thank Dave for sharing his recipe to all of us who live far away from Portland, OR. You can visit his website and blog to get to know Dave because he has an amazing story. You can get his recipe at everydaydish.tv, here. Don't miss the video before you try making it! BTW, he is also a wonderful musician and you can listen to his music in this video and his site. The instructions to make this bread are pretty clear. In this video, he used the same mixer I bought.

Sin-Dawg is apparently a VERY cinnamony loaf and that's how it got its name. My house was full of cinnamony goood fragrants while these loaves were baking. The bread is surprisingly soft considering it was made with all whole wheat flour. The filling is yummy, gooey, and cinnamony.


I cut about an inch of it, just to try it, and then, cut some more to eat more. It was SINfully gooood! It was especially delicious when it was still warm. You really have to like cinnamon to appreciate Dave's creation. The smells of cinnamon trigerred my childhood memory growing up with spices in Indonesia: the home of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, etc.; therefore, I LOVE cinnamon. I used the Indonesian Korintje Cassia Cinnamon (Grade A) that I bought from Penzey's.

DH tried it too and said 'Hhmmmm...I have never eaten anything like this before!' 'Well, do you like it?', I asked. 'Yeah, it's real good, the fact that it's great with beer, that's pretty good' he said with a smile(at that time, he was drinking a bottle of non-alcoholic beer). Then, he added comments that the DAWGS are pretty big to eat for one person (a recipe makes 3 big loaves). He suggested that I made 'Sin-Puppies' next time. Not a bad idea! I can make small dawgs and eat one for breakfast per day. Sin-Puppies, Dave, how about Sin-Puppies?

Now, about my new mixer, I absolutely LOVE it. It's like driving a new BMW. I have been dreaming of owning it since 2004 when I went to Denman Island attending vegan cooking vacation with Bryanna. That's the first time I saw a Bosch mixer. At that time, I still owned a Kitchen Aids mixer which I found out later on that it was not strong enough to make seitans and breads. Bosch IS a better tool for this job.

VEGAN TIRAMISU - PICK ME UP!

I was craving for a cake! Do you think because we were feeling romantic, celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary, this week? I remember our wedding cake was not vegan, 19 years ago. It was a delicious rich and chocolaty cake, a non-traditional one. If I have the chance to plan my wedding again (marrying the same guy) I would pick Tiramisu as a wedding dessert- an Italian trifle - cake or ladyfingers layered with custard and liquor and topped with whipped cream. Tiramisu means 'pick-me-up.' Maybe, it should be a 'date' dessert? By all means regular and traditional Tiramisu is not vegan. Custard is loaded with eggs, ladyfingers are made of egg white, and what about the whipped cream on top? I was wondering if I will ever eat Tiramisu again.

The answer is YES! Due to Bryanna Clark Grogan, that is! She wrote an Italian vegan cookbook titled Nonna's Italian Kitchen. When I opened the book years ago and discovered a recipe for Tiramisu, I thought, 'No way!' But yes, way, it is possible. In her recipe, the ladyfingers is replaced by her Vegan Genoise Cake. She created Cashew Creme Custard for the filling and Sweet Soy Creme for the topping. It's all in her book, page 223.

I made Bryanna's Tiramisu recipe a few times. loving it, however; I still think that it needs a whipped topping that should taste creamy and have an airy texture like a real whipped cream. Tiramisu is not perfect without a whipped cream, I think. Until recently, I discovered Soyatoo whipped soy cream. The one in the can has a lot of problem with the can. After a few squirts, nothing comes out of it anymore. I stopped buying it because it was becoming too expensive and wasteful. Then, I discovered Soyatoo sells a liquid, whippable soy cream in the box that I can whip myself with a mixer. I don't even have to order this product on-line because it's available in a nearby major supermarket. How cool is that?

Just for a 'pick-me-up experience again, I re-made Vegan Tiramisu with Soyatoo whipped soy topping, at last. I chose to serve and assemble the components in wine glasses and dessert cups. If I have to serve this dessert in a wedding, it better be a really small and special wedding because serving it this way is pretty time consuming. However, the presentation is really lovely and romantic!

The components of Vegan Tiramisu are: cut up Vegan Genoise Cake, page 222













Cashew Creme Custard, page 219, and espresso mixed with Amaretto (I used Monin Amaretto Syrup)













and Soyatoo whipped soy topping. On top, sprinkle with some powdered pure cocoa and sugar mixture. This is definitely my favorite dessert!

FRESH MOREL MUSHROOM - I FINALLY TASTED IT!

I am a foodie. I like to taste different kinds of unusual culinary items(vegan items, of course). Well, I kept hearing how tasty morel mushroom is from DH. Every time we talk about mushrooms he mentions FRESH MOREL. It's delicious, he says, you got to try it! I had a chance to try it last week while we were vacationing to El Dorado Springs, Missouri, visiting my in-laws. It was apparently a morel season while we were there because the local newspaper featured how people in this area gather morel in the woods and found big ones.

Being lazy Californians(us) who always get produce from the supermarkets, instead of gathering morels in the woods, my MIL sacrificed going out early in the morning to a garage sale (yes, the folks in this area sell fresh morels in garage sales) to buy fresh morels for us, $7.50 per quart size bag. She even went back out again because she thought she should have bought more for my SIL. What a mother she is! BTW, Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Don't worry, we are not ingrates we gave her a gift certificate for a massage treatment she needed and lots of hugs!

I heard that people make money by selling fresh morel mushrooms and the price can go up to $80 a lb. in the city. I don't know if this was true or not but knowing that fresh chantrelle mushrooms are sold for $19.95 per lb. at a major supermarket in our area, I think it could happen with morels, too. Therefore, having fresh morels was a treat for us.

My MIL split the mushrooms into 2 and soaked it in water. She said for removing dirt or dead bugs nestled in the honey-comb like surface. Then, she spread them out to dry on clean towel.



We opted out to deep fry the mushrooms with soda cracker meal breading. I use soy milk and lemon juice mixture (replacing eggs or buttermilk) to soak the mushrooms then coated them with a mixture of soda crackers meal, salt, and pepper. My MIL used eggs to soak them in and coated them in the same dry mixturel.


It was quite delicious! I think it tastes like a combination of oyster and portabella mushrooms. If I can find fresh ones easily, I could have use them in many different recipes. Now, I tasted it, fresh morel mushrooms, after hearing about it for almost 20 years! I can buy dried morel anywhere but having fresh morel is truly an experience that a foodie is looking for!

In response to Emily's request (see comments), I entered the recipe. I also entered the non-vegan version of my generous MIL. I am still dreaming about fresh morel mushrooms!

Deep Fried Fresh Morel(Vegan and Non-Vegan versions)
Serve 4-6
Appetizers/light meals
Time: 30 minutes

1 quart fresh morels (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups soda cracker meals
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt (cracker meal is already salty so be careful of adding too much salt)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1-inch vegetable/peanut oil in a cast iron pan for deep frying.

Vegan version:
1 cup soy milk/other non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Non-vegan version:
2 eggs, beaten

Split fresh morels into half. Soak them in a bowl of cold water to remove dirt and dead bugs. Drain and place them on clean kitchen towels to dry.

Mix soda cracker meal with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in the frying pan till 350F degrees. Use a deep fryer thermometer.

For vegan version:
Combine non-dairy milk and lemon juice. Wait for 1 minute. The milk will curdle like buttermilk. Soak each mushroom slice in this mixture. Then, drench each mushroom slice in soda cracker meal mixture. Deep fry each mushrooms until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the frying pan.

For non-vegan version:
Beat eggs in a small bowl. Soak each mushroom slice in the egg mixture. Then, drench each mushroom slice in soda cracker meal mixture. Deep fry each mushrooms until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the frying pan.

Enjoy!

CASSAVA OR YUCA --- WHAT IS IT?

CASSAVA OR YUCA! What is it? What's the code? This is the question I always get when I buy yuca/cassava at Whole Foods market. The cashier scrambles to ask other cashiers to know what is this 'thing' called and to search page after page in her or his book for the code to enter. If I buy it at an Asian or a Hispanic market, of course, the cashier usually knows what it is. No question was asked. It is not very American at all, isn't it?

I grew up eating yuca in Indonesia. It's a root that tastes very similar to potatoes. There is a waxy film covering the root (I think it is to preserve it's freshness). After it is cut horizontally into chunks, the brown and waxy outer layer can be removed easily with a knife.

I like eating yuca, deep fried, just like thick French Fries. Indonesians have many ways/recipes to prepare yuca. We eat them as snacks. It can be prepared salty or sweet (as desserts).


I usually boil yuca in salty water for about 20 to 25 minutes. I tried the pressure cooker, too, which only take 3 minutes (under pressure). Below is my garlicky yuca recipe. This dish can be eaten just like it is (boiled). Or, the gravy (sauce) can be drained and then the yuca is deep fried until they are crispy. DH who loves fried food loves deep fried yuca. Boiled yuca looks soft but it becomes hard and crispy when it is deep fried.

Garlicky Yuca/Cassava

1.5 lb yuca/cassava (prepared as pictured)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tsp. table salt
3 cups water or enough to cover it entirely
1 tsp. oil

In oil, sauté garlic until fragrant. Add the yuca chunks, water and salt. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender. The water will become a bit thick like gravy.

I have other recipe I adapted from Bryanna's recipe. I receive this recipe after I emailed Bryanna about the Peruvian restaurant we visited one day, called Inka Mamas. One of their menu items is called YUCA ALA HUANCAINA. Of course, Bryanna has a recipe for this dish with potato, instead. She said I can replace it with yuca. It's an appetizer consists of lettuce, corn, carrots, olives, and deep fried yuca smothered with 'cheezy' warm sauce.







YUCA ALA HUANCAINA (A PERUVIAN YUCA DISH)
(adapted from Bryanna's recipe)
Serves 6

1 Garlicky Yuca/Cassava recipe (above), deep fried

White Sauce ingredients:
1/2 pkg. Mori-nu Silken Tofu, Firm
1 cup soy milk
1/2 to 1 cup water
2 Tbsp. non-dairy margarine/Earth Balance
2 Tbsp. unbleached flour

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 an onion, minced
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 Tsp. minced jalapeño
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of white pepper
2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chiknish
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp. salt


6 to 8 large lettuce leaves
18 black olives
12 2"-long chunks of cold cooked corn on the cob
12 2"-chunks cold cooked carrots

White Sauce:
Combine silken tofu, soy milk, and 1/2 cup water in a blender. Blend until smooth/not grainy (take a few minutes). Melt margarine/Earth Balance in a small sauce pan on a low heat. Add flour and combine until thickened. Scrape flour mixture into the blender. Blend until smooth.


Sauté the chopped onion, hot peppers and turmeric in the olive oil until the onion is soft. Stir in the white sauce, chicknish, spices, salt, and nutritional yeast. Keep warm. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining water (or add more) a little each time until desired consistency.

On each serving plate, place a lettuce leaf. Place a few chunks of deep fried yuca (still hot) on each lettuce leaf. Place a few olives, 2 chunks of carrots, and 2 chunks of corn around the yuca. Drizzle the yuca with the sauce, distributing evenly. Serve immediately with more sauce, if desired.

I used the left over sauce on top of Tofu Benedict(toast, tofu, vegan sausage, caramelized mushrooms, and grilled tomatoes) for breakfast and it's delish!




Yuca tastes just like potatoes. If you can find it, don't be afraid to cook it and try it!

Vegan Pecan Sticky Buns - Move Over Cinnabon

It has been almost a year that I didn't post a new blog. This doesn't mean that I haven't tried new recipes or cooked. I have. It's just that there are so many blogs out there that I enjoyed reading so why repeat what they did, I thought.

Although someone may have blogged vegan pecan sticky bun already, this blog is all about learning to make bread the easiest way. I grew up with rice and noodles so making bread is something I am not good at. I threw away dough that will not rise time to time then I got frustrated.

Recently, I learned that it's easy to make bread and it's nothing to be scared about. I learned about no-knead yeast bread from my friend Bryanna who recently blogged about it. I bought this recipe book that she recommended. S he found out about this book from Julie Hasson from Everyday Dish who also blogged about it. Word of mouth (or blog to blog) is a powerful thang! This book is titled Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. You can throw away your Kitchen Aid mixer or your expensive bread maker. You can just go back to the basic: a very large bowl and a wooden spoon. I successfully made artisan breads from the recipes. It was so easy, no kneading. I mixed the ingredients in 5 minutes and let the dough rise in the fridge for 24 hours or more. I went to bed after mixing the dough and the next morning it will be ready for bread baking. Or, if I don't want to make bread that day I'll let it rise in the fridge until I am ready.

Being successful with bread, I wanted to make more exciting bread such as vegan sticky buns; especially, after tasting the most delicious vegan pecan sticky buns when we were at Flagstaff, Arizona. We had them at Macy's International Bakery. We went to this bakery twice just for their sticky buns. That was last December. After that experience, I craved for this sticky buns so did DH although he may not admit it. The dream for having sticky buns didn't just started last December. It started after I stopped eating eggs. Whenever I passed Cinnabon at malls, my mouth watered smelling and seeing the cinnamon rolls they displayed. Of course, those are not vegan. It's loaded with eggs and butter. I thought that there must be a way to make them without eggs and butter, the vegan way. At last......I found this good recipe in this cookbook with the help of Bryanna who veganized it.

There are two recipes listed below. One is the dough and the other one is how to convert this dougo to delicious Pecan Sticky buns.

I ended up making it in a 13 X 9 pan and used 3/4 of the dough.

Veganized Master Enriched Dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day*

* Veganized by Bryanna Clark Grogan The book contains several master dough recipes, and this is an enriched, sweet dough, perfect for a loaf of Challah (the braided dough) and the Sticky Rolls. You start by mixing the master dough first, Let that rest overnight in the refrigerator, then the next day, pinch off a cantaloupe sized hunk-o-dough to make your Sticky Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls! Return the rest to the refrigerator to use for another day.
 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbs instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp table salt
1 cup soymilk, warm, whisked with 2 Tbs. Ener-G Egg Replacer (I used Bob's Red Mill egg replacer)
1/2 cup agave syrup or maple syrup
1/2 cup Earth Balance butter, melted
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, mix together the soymilk/Ener-G mixture, water, syrup, melted EB, yeast and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add in the flour. STIR, BABY STIR!!! Stir until you don't see any more dry bits of flour (about a minute). Cover (not airtight) and stick it in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 4 days. The longer you let it rise in the refrigerator, the better tasting the dough will be.

Cooking Tips NOTE: When you let the dough hang out in the refrigerator, it's not going to "rise" like a normal dough Think of Cinnabon, that chain store found in every American mall, except EVEN BETTER.

VEGAN PECAN STICKY BUNS* The Dough above: A cantaloupe sized chunk of the Master Dough (about 1.5 lbs)
The Gooey Sticky Caramel Topping:
6 Tbs Earth Balance, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar 3
30 pecan halves ( I chopped them)

The Heavenly Sweet Cinnamon Butter Filling:
4 Tbs Earth Balance, softened
1/4 cup sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped and toasted pecans
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
13 by 9 inch baking pan

1. The first thing you need to do is take that master dough out of the refrigerator, grab a small cantalope sized chunk of dough. Return the rest of it to the refrigerator to use another time (psst...get the book for all the other recipes using this dough!).
2. Generously flour your hands and the dough. Shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough and tucking it to the bottom all around, rotating hte ball a quarter-turn as you go. This creates a taut, smooth surface. Let the dough rest, covered with a towel to take the chill off while you prepare rest of ingredients.
3. While the dough is unchilling, mix the topping and the filling. FOR THE TOPPING: Cream together the EB, and sugar. Spread this topping evenly on the bottom of the cake pan. Scatter with pecan halves (I used chopped pecans). FOR THE FILLING: Cream together all ingredients except the pecans. Set aside. Dust your counter with flour and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to 1/8" thick rectangle. Try to get it 13" x 17" I had trouble with the rectangle shape, so I we just rolled it into a large oval. Spread the sweet filling evenly on the surface. Scatter chopped pecans all over.
4. Roll it up, starting with the long side. Flour your serrated knife and cut roll into 9-12 even pieces.
5. Set it in the pan on top of the caramel, cover with towel and rest for 1 hour Preheat your oven to 350F. The book says to bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and well set in the center. But take a peek at the rolls around the 35 minute mark.
6. While still hot, run a knife round the edge of pan and invert immediately onto a plate. If you wait until it cools, the caramel will harden and it will be difficult to turn out. YUM. Soft, pillowy dough. Sweet cinnamon and nutmeg butter dribbling down your chin. Sticky, gooey caramel. Crunchy pecans.

Indonesian Coffee Flan at Everydaydish.tv!

Photo by Yongkie Hurd

During my vacation at Portland, Oregon(see last blog), one exciting event I did was fulfilling Julie's request to present my Indonesian Coffee Flan recipe in her Everyday Dish.TV, a newly born website to present healthy and creative cooking. This is, indeed, a wonderful site with videotaped cooking shows (click on Cooking Show) where you can view what the dishes look like and how recipes are made, in short webtv segments. No measurements of ingredients are mentioned during the videotaping since you can find the recipes on the right hand side of the cooking show page. It is a smart idea for individuals who want to learn an easy-does-it cooking by using simple recipes and simple techniques.


I was, of course, NERVOUS, because the experience was really nerve-wrecking! It was my first experience being videotaped. Just try it, cooking something with someone breathing on your neck and watching you closely or from behind your back. In my case, it was the camera and the cameraman/director/producer, Jay. I was cooking under the shining bright lights everywhere. Hence, I have never cooked like this before. But Jay was very patience with me and methodical. At one time, he offered me a shot of tequila...hhmm....what a good idea! But I didn't take a shot and was able to go through it with his help. Let me know what you think of my video: Everyday Dish.tv presents Indonesian Coffee Flan. You may need to download the latest Quicktime 7 for Windows to view all the cooking shows in this site. If you are an iPod user, you can subscribe and download all cooking shows from this site. DH happens to get an iPod for his birthday and will be able to show his wife cooking to everyone he knows. :-)






Indonesian Coffee Flan is a recipe I invented because an acquaintance visited an Indonesian restaurant, had this dessert, and wanted to know how to make it. The secret ingredients are Indonesian Palm Sugar called Gula Jawa, Pandan (Southeast Asian flavoring leaf smells like vanila, also called screwpine leaf), vanilla, and a good coffee. I grew up with these ingredients and have always used agar powder in making jello-like desserts. I didn't know that gelatin powder that is used commonly in the US is made of an animal ingredient until I became a vegetarian and was told so. Indonesians have always used agar powder which is derived from seaweed for gelling desserts.

You may say, 'Wow these are EXOTIC ingredients! How can I find these ingredients?' If you live in a metropolitan area, you can find these ingredients in asian markets who usually carry Indonesian ingredients. You may find Gula Jawa (palm sugar) and agar powder in the aisle of Thai or Indonesian ingredients and the pandan leaves in the frozen section. It is very unfortunate that I can't find fresh pandan leaves in the States. The aroma of fresh pandan leaves is so wonderful!



Agar powder found in Asian markets in small packages


If you live in a non-metropolitan area, you can find on-line sources for gula jawa: IndoMerchant or Indonesian Food Mart; agar powder: barryfarm.com or Amazon , and pandan essence (use 1 to 2 teaspoons): Importfoods.com.

Portland, VegFest, Veganized Molé Rojo, Molé Verde, and Tamales!

I was traveling to Portland, Oregon, from May 10 - 14, 2007. The purpose was to visit friends (Julie Hasson, Bryanna, and Yongkie) and to attend Portland's VegFest 2007.



It was a delightful journey to be close to friends I met in the Internet. Yes, Internet is a great place to meet friends who have the same taste and ideas.

Take a look at Bryanna's Blog: Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen about this event. I also went to Powell's bookstore and attended Bryanna's and Julie's demos at the VegFest. It was a lot of fun! Then, we all had a vegan asian fusion dinner at Julie's. Yum!

At Powell's (the biggest bookstore I've ever been), I bought new cookbooks. I love cookbooks! The one that was outstanding to me was the Mole! cookbook by Gwyneth Doland. It is not a vegan cookbook but I am able to veganize the recipes. I also want to make tamales with the veganized molé sauces I made from this cookbook.

It was a success! I made Vegan Molé Rojo (red molé).



The ingredients are guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, new mexico chiles, whole cloves, canela (Mexican cinnamon), whole all spice, pecan halves, almonds, garlic, onions, tomatoes, bittersweet chocolate, and veg. broth.



The next sauce is Vegan Molé Verde (green molé).




The ingredients are tomatillos, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), canela(Mexican cinnamon), whole cloves, whole cumin seeds, garlic, onions, fresh pasilla chiles, fresh jalapeno chiles, fresh cilantro, and veg. broth.




Mole Verde
Adapted and veganized from Mole! cookbook by Gwyneth Doland
Makes about 3 cups
3/4 lbs. tomatillos, husked and washed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 whole cloves
3-inch piece of canela or Mexican cinnamon
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 cup cilantro leaves, washed and dried
1 teaspoon salt

1. Put the tomatillos and broth in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Drain the tomatillos and save the broth.
2. In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast the pepitas, cumin seeds, cloves, and canela until the seeds start to pop and turn golden.
3. Transfer the seeds and spices to the blender and puree with about 1 cup of the reserved broth from the tomatillo pot. With a rubber spatula, scrape the puree into a small bowl and set aside.
4. Transfer the tomatillos to the empty blender. Add the jalapeno and poblano chiles, onion, and garlic. Puree while adding 1 cup of the reserved broth.
5. Add the cilantro and puree again until smooth. Scrape this puree into a large bowl.
6. In the cast-iron skillet, heat oil. Transfer the pepitas and spices mixture back to the skillet and fry this mixture in the oil until it browns slightly.
7. Add the pureed tomatillos mixture to the skillet. Mix well and heat thoroughly. Add more broth if the mixture is too thick. Season with salt. Serve immediately or it can also be store in a freezer until ready to use.

Then, I made tamales' fillings using soy curls, onions, garlic, zucchini, red bell pepper, and cilantro. The fillings were cooked in these molé sauces.

Here is the picture of Molé Rojo Vegan Tamale:



and the Molé Verde Vegan Tamale:



BTW, I added Smoked Cheddar Sheese inside the Molé Verde Vegan Tamale and it was delish!

Now, this is a teaser for you. I won't post the recipes here but will include the recipes in Bryanna's Vegan Feast Newsletter . I haven't submitted recipes for a while so I thought I'll share my experience with vegan feasters only in the Readers' Recipes section.
On top of cooking and buying cookbook, I also went to visit my ex-roommate, Carolyn, that I haven't seen for 15 years. She suggested that we visit Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Rhododendrons are also known as Rhodies were flowering at that time. This turned out to be the highlight of my trip. We spent 2 hours in the garden and took a lot of pictures with my new camera, Canon Rebel XT Digital SLR. It was also Mother's Day that day. I promised my mother-in-law and my mom to share the pictures with them as I was thinking of them while strolling in the garden. For viewing the pictures, click here. I can't thank enough to Carolyn and her husband Michael to take me to this beautiful garden.
After enjoying the garden for 2 hours, we were famish. We went to this Lebanese restaurant(Yongkie's suggestion): Nicholas Restaurant for the best lunch I ever had in Portland. It is a family restaurant and very small. It has a lot of vegetarian and vegan options (check out their menu). This is the kind of restaurant I love: informal, family owned, small, located in not so great part of town (not in a mall or fancy location) but the waitresses and waiters are friendly and....the food is GREAT and CHEAP!

Vegan Dark Moist Spice Cake and DH's "Surprised the Guests" Birthday Party!

It was DH's (Dear Husband) birthday! I made a vegan Dark Moist Spice Cake from More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts by Fran Costigan (my favorite dessert cookbook) for his birthday. This was an unusual request for a cake for DH who likes CHOCOLATE! I guess he wanted to be 'different' this year. Before I tell you all about this scrumptious cake, I would like to tell you about his 'surprised the guests' birthday celebration.

He had a 'surprised the guests' birthday celebration this year. This was how he was going to surprise his guests:

1. He didn't tell his guests that it was his birthday. This was hard but apparently possible.
2. He wanted to surprise his guests to tell them that it was his birthday party with a cake that had a Happy Birthday candle on it, at the end of the party, dessert time.
3. He wanted to present un-birthday gifts for all guests at the party.

His plan worked great so far as the middle of dinner. The phone rang and none of us got up and thought that we let the machine picked it up. It was DH's brother who left a message on the machine loudly "Hi, it's me, your brother from Missouri, Happy Birthday....." Ooops, the cat is out of the bag! Almost all of the guests heard the message and together they yelled "OH, IT"S HIS BIRTHDAY!" It was funny. I was laughing so hard. Of course, everyone said things like 'Oh, I didn't bring anything' or 'Oh, I didn't buy a card for him.' But that's exactly what DH wanted. Indeed, the phone message was a good way to break the news. Then, he gave his surprised un-birthday gifts for all his guests who were suprisingly happy to receive it. The cake was not a surprised anymore but they all were still surprised by how scrumptious it was for a vegan cake.

It was indeed a delicious cake! It was moist (dark molasses and maple syrup), spicy (ginger, cloves, and cinnamon), and tender. It's topped and filled with Ginger Tofu Whip (tofu, ginger juice, orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla, and a tiny bit of nutmeg). I also used maple sugar. Believe it or not, there is NO WHITE PROCESSED SUGAR in this cake! But yet it was yummy. If you like to know who invented such a healthy but sensational desserts, check out Fran Costigan's website. I recently saw her on TV making her recipe Chocolate Cake to Live For in Get Fresh with Sara Snow in Discovery Health program. YAY, Fran!

P.S.: Dinner menu consisted of (from start to end): Lentil and Walnut Paté and Muhammara dips served with crackers and fresh cut veggies, Tom Yum Soup , Spicy Seitan Stew, Confetti Rice with Coconut (these last 3 dishes were from my last blog entry), stir-fried Variety of Organic Vegetables, and Dark Moist Spice Cake.

Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew, Spicy Tom Yum Soup, and Savory Confetti Rice

I am still cooking and trying recipes from Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry. 2 recipes caught my interests: Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew(pg. 173) and
Confetti Jasmine Rice with Coconut(pg. 147). They turned out very very good!

The Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew uses kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, onion, garlic, serrano chili, and ginger. These are definitely Asian spices. But then she throws in 28 oz. can whole tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. That's Italian! It is interesting so I decided to try it. I wondered how it was going to taste. East meet West? Unfortunately, I didn't have fresh basil leaves but I did have some Italian Parsley. I also didn't have serrano chilies but had jalapeno chilies. I changed the recipe a little bit based on ingredients I had at home.

I have fresh lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves since I have been growing them in the last few years. I don't do anything to these 2 plants but once a while feed the kaffir lime tree. It is wonderful to have the 2 plants thrive and available all year long to cook Thai dishes. This is the benefit of living in Southern California. Anything grows here as long as you water it. Here are the pictures of my plants:

Lemon Grass

Kaffir Lime Tree

Spicy Tomato Seitan Stew
Adapted from Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry (my changes are in Italics)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (see note)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 fresh jalapeno chili
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 14.5 oz. organic diced tomatoes
1/4 cup Thai Thin soy sauce, Healthy Boy Brand
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 pkgs. Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Steak Strips(see note)
1/2 cup chopped Italian Parsley, lightly packed

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. add the onion, garlic, lemon grass, ginger, and jalapeno chilies, and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the bell pepper and saute 3 minutes longer, or until crisp-tender.
3. Add the 2 cans tomatoes, soy sauce, vinegar, agave nectar, and kaffir lime leaves.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tomates are very tender.
5. Stir in the Steak Strips. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the seitan is heated through, then stir in the parsley.
6. Transfer the stew to a bowl and serve with rice.

Note:

• Lemon Grass stalks are really hard to mince with a regular knife. I recommend using a small blender or spice or coffee grinder to mince it to tiny tiny bits.
• The original recipe calls for 1 pound Basic Seitan (page 189) cut into thick strips. I thought using Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Steak Strips was easier, quicker and still tastes great. For people who wants to quit eating beef, this is a great substitute and healthy. It is available in any major US market.

Confetti Jasmine Rice with Coconut
Adapted from Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry (my changes are in italics)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil3/4 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown jasmine rice
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup yellow corn kernels (about 1 ear of corn)
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the curry powder, ginger, and turmeric, and then the rice.
2. Add the water and salt and bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently without stirring for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, bell pepper, and carrot, and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Saute coconut in a dry heavy frying pan until a bit brown and well toasted.
5. Transfer the rice to a cookie sheet(see note). Use a fork to fluff the vegetables into the rice. Spread it to let it cool. Sprinkle the toasted coconut and almonds on top of the rice. Mix and transfer to a bowl and serve.

Note: I decided to spread the rice on a cookie sheet to cool so the rice will separate instead of sticking together when it's cool.



I served the above dishes with my Vegetarian Thai Tom Yum soup as a starter(with tofu, oyster mushrooms, and bok choy) using more lemon grass, fresh lime juice, jalapeno chili, and kaffir lime leaves in it. Spicy and refreshing!



Since Julie requested the Tom Yum soup recipe(click on Comments below), I posted my recipe of Tom Yum soup below. There are so many varieties of ingredients you can use in this soup. Sometimes I use vegan shrimps and make the soup a 'seafoody' taste. The most important is combining the Tom Yum stock, the crushed garlic and chilies combination, vegetarian fish sauce, and lime juice together, then, you can add just about anything to it. I didn't post the recipe in the beginning because I know some of the ingredients will be hard to find in some parts of this country. Actually, this time I didn't use any galangal, kelp powder, and kombu, but the soup still tastes great. This is one of my favorite soup that I can have everyday.


TOM YUM SOUP (SIV ORIGINAL)A Thai spicy soup that is so popular in Thai restaurants in my area. It has shrimps, lemon grass, kaffir lime leave, galanga, lime juice, mushrooms, roasted chili peppers, and vegetables in it. The herbs and spices in this soup are good for a cold remedy because it really clears a stuffy nose (won't kill germs though! Ha ha). When my co-worker has a stuffy nose she always calls me and said 'Let's go for a Thai lunch and have that soup!' I re-invented this soup recipe with vegan ingredients without loosing the herbs and spices taste nor the 'seafoody' taste. This soup is SPICY, SOUR, SALTY, and REFRESHING!

Tom Yum Stock:
1 large (6 by 8) dashi kombu ( A Japanese seaweed ) , optional
10 cups water or your favorite vegetable broth
6 stalk lemon grass, use the lower thick portion, pounded, and sliced thick
10 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced galangal or 1 - 2 tsp galangal powder, optional

1. Roll lime leaves and crush them with your hand to release the leaves aroma.
2. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain the stock and discard the seaweed, if using, lemon grass, and the leaves. Set aside .

Soup Ingredients:
14 oz. firm tofu packed in water, drained, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz. oyster mushrooms or other kind of mushrooms (shiitake, white, etc.), cut into slivers
1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetables such as cabbage or bok choy or napa cabbage or young mini corns in a can or a combination
6 to 8 dry red chilies (chili japones)
Note: These are hot chilies. To reduce the spicyness, cut the portion into half
3 to 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
6 Tbs Vegetarian Fish Sauce or soy sauce, Healthy Boy Brand
6 Tbs Fresh squeezed lime juice or a juice from 3 fresh limes
4 to 6 Kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk large lemon grass, sliced thick diagonally
1/2 to 1 tsp kelp powder or granules , optional, if you want to make it 'fishy'
salt to taste
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
1 Tbs vegetable oil

1. In a non-stick frying pan, heat ½ tablespoon oil. Stir fry red chilies and crushed garlic in oil until the chilies became dark and garlic is brown but not burnt. Set aside.
2. Heat a heavy pot, put 1/2 tablespoon oil, then, pan fry the tofu in a medium-high heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir fry 2 more minutes. Add tom yum stock, vegetarian fish sauce, lime juice, lemon grass, kelp powder, if using, and lime leaves. Simmer in a low heat while working on the chilies below.
3. Set aside about 3 whole roasted chilies for the garnish in soup. Put the rest of the red chilies and crushed garlic mixture in a small blender like a spice or coffee blender including the oil. Add about 3 to 4 tablespoon of broth from the soup. Grind for 30 seconds.
   
   Note: Whole chilies won't make the soup spicy (unless you eat it) but looks good in it. So to make it less spicy grind less chilies with the garlic and set aside more chilies for the garnish.
4. Scrape the chilies and garlic mixture into the simmering soup. Throw the whole roasted chilies into the soup. Taste for saltiness and add salt if necessary.
5. Add the rest of the vegetables into the soup and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Add cilantro sprigs on top and serve immediately.