Chow Vegan

Good Eat • No Meat

Tang Yuan – Savory Glutinous Rice Dumpling Soup

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Tang Yuan | Chow Vegan

I’ve been eating yuan for as long as I can remember. Come to think of it, I never really knew why my mom made it, she just did. Apparently, it’s to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The round shape symbolizes family unity. It can be made either savory or sweet, we always have the savory, which I prefer. And nowadays, mine is a vegan version.

This last time I helped out with the prep work – cutting the napa cabbage, mushrooms and daikon. While cutting the daikon, mom walks by and tells me I’m cutting it all wrong. It’s at the wrong angle dummy and you’re too slow but you know in a kind, motherly sorta way. Meanwhile, she was making the glutinous rice dough into the round yuans and by the time I was done with the cutting, she was done with the yuan making. I guess I really was slow. I was going to measure and write down the recipe but she’s already finished. Okay, I’ll just get it next time. Mom said I can make it anytime, it’s easy. Ha! I once tried making the yuans myself, rolling a piece of the dough between the palms to make the round shape. They came out kinda lumpy looking, poor misshapen balls. Then mom showed off by making two at a time. I said shut up but you know in a loving, daughterly sorta way.

Sauteed Spinach

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Sauteed Spinach | Chow Vegan

Sometimes the best way to cook something is to just keep it simple, nothing fancy, no special equipment, no exotic ingredients. This is my favorite way to cook spinach. I like getting the fresh organic bunch of spinach with the stems still on. A couple of times while washing the spinach, I’ve found a ladybug on a leaf. Each time I just open the back door and let them go on their merry way. For awhile there, I was buying the spinach in the cellophane bags, prewashed no less. But I missed the stems, they’re the sweetest, most tender part of the spinach.

Sauteed Spinach
Serves 2 as part of a meal

1 bunch of spinach with stems still attached
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
White sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Wash the spinach in several changes of water, making sure there’s no dirt or grit left, cut off the root part and separate the leaves. You don’t need to dry the spinach.

Heat the wok over high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the spinach and cover. After about 30 seconds the spinach will start to wilt down. Stir bringing up the spinach at the bottom to the top. Add salt to taste and stir again. Cover for 30-45 seconds until all of the spinach is cooked and wilted. Do not overcook. Garnish with the sesame seeds.

Tofu in Claypot

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Tofu in Claypot | Chow Vegan

Cold, rainy weather is the perfect time for some homey-type comfort food – tofu, red potatoes, leeks, and garlic in a marinade all braised in a claypot. It’s a fairly quick braise too, 15 to 20 minutes since the potatoes are cut into small chunks and the tofu is already cooked but the flavors are rich and intense.

I once made this dish when I was down visiting my parents, I had intended it to be just for myself. For some reason I don’t remember what now, everyone ended up having it for dinner and they couldn’t get over how tasty it was. When my brother asked who made it, my mom decided to be elusive and didn’t really say (I wasn’t in the kitchen at the time). So he thought a family friend who owns a restaurant had cooked it. She eventually told him that it was really me who made it and to top it off, it’s vegan. Just goes to show even a die hard carnivore can enjoy a vegan dish and say it was good.

Disclaimer: I had absolutely nothing to do with fooling my brother. I guess he was not happy about that at all and nowadays at family meals, it’s full disclosure on what’s what.

But it’s still funny.