GROWN IN TAIWAN
Expand your plant-based cooking with our favourite recipes from TV chef Ching-He Huang’s latest cookbook, Asian Green.
When TV chef Ching-He Huang became fully vegan, she had to re-imagine her favourite dishes as entirely plant-based. Her new book, Asian Green, showcases these brilliant reinventions, from Peking mushroom pancakes (boom!) to miso-roasted cauliflower with noodles
PEKING MUSHROOM PANCAKES
“Instead of duck, I have used an array of mushrooms. If you are not a fan, you can use smoked tofu, cauliflower or baby marrows, but the mushrooms really do work well – they provide a bold umami flavour and take on the Chinese five spice brilliantly.”
Serves 4 to share
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 10–12 minutes
mixed mushrooms 500 g
(I used shiitake, oyster, king trumpet and shimeiji mushrooms)
Chinese five spice 1T dried chilli flakes a large pinch sea salt a pinch tamari or low-sodium light soya sauce 1T canola oil 3T
To serve: shop-bought wheat-flour pancakes 16–18 (or use washed little gem lettuce leaves) hoisin sauce 5T spring onions 2, trimmed and sliced julienne cucumber 1, seeded and sliced julienne
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place all the mushrooms on a roasting tray. Sprinkle over the Chinese five spice, chilli flakes and sea salt, and drizzle over the tamari or light soya sauce and canola oil. Roast for 10–12 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, place the pancakes in a small bamboo steamer set up over a wok half-filled with water. Steam the pancakes for 8 minutes, then take off the heat and set aside. To serve, transfer the mushrooms to a serving plate, and place the hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumber in small, individual dishes. Place the steamer basket of pancakes on the table and let everyone help themselves. DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Laibach Ladybird Organic Merlot
HUNAN-STYLE CRISPY SWEET CHILLI MUSHROOM AND NOODLE SALAD
“The people of the Hunan region in China are known for their love of sweet and spicy combinations. This easy dish is inspired by these strong flavour profiles. The recipe calls for aquafaba: the beige liquid found in tinned chickpeas. It acts as a thickening agent and egg substitute, making it perfect for panko-ing the mushrooms to give them a crispy texture.”
Serves 2 as a starter or a light main meal EASY
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
For the mushrooms: shimeiji mushrooms 500 g, separated sea salt a pinch ground white pepper a pinch Chinese five spice a pinch potato flour or cornflour 2T aquafaba 3T vegan panko breadcrumbs 100 g low-calorie olive oil 6 sprays
For the sauce: canola oil 1t fresh ginger 1 x 2.5 cm piece, finely grated long, dried chillies 4 tamari or low-sodium light soya sauce 1T sweet chilli sauce 2T large orange 1, zested and juiced
For the salad:
Romaine lettuce leaves 1 head, shredded cucumber ½, cut into half-moon slices large carrot 1, cut into fine matchsticks ready-to-eat vermicelli rice noodles 200 g sesame seeds 1 T, toasted spring onion curls, for serving
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lay the mushrooms on a roasting tray and season with the salt, pepper and Chinese five spice. 2 Place the flour, aquafaba and panko breadcrumbs in three separate dishes. One at a time, dip each mushroom into the flour, covering and coating well, then into the aquafaba, and finally quickly dip into the breadcrumbs. Once coated, return to the roasting tray and repeat with the remaining mushrooms. Spray the mushrooms with olive oil, then roast for 15 minutes until crispy. 3 Meanwhile, heat a wok over a high heat until smoking. Once hot, add the canola oil, then add the ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds. Next add the chillies, tamari or soya sauce, sweet chilli sauce, and orange zest and juice. Bring to the boil and reduce until thickened. 4 When the mushrooms are ready, remove them from the oven. Drizzle the sauce over the crispy mushrooms and toss to coat. 5 Serve the mushrooms on a bed of lettuce, cucumber, carrot and rice noodles. Drizzle over more of the sauce if you like. Sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds and top with spring onion curls. Serve immediately.
DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Catherine Marshall Pinot Noir
TROPICAL OVERNIGHT OAT POTS
“These overnight oat pots are quick, easy and full of nutrition. Prepare them the night before and serve with an assortment of Asian tropical fruits, such as mangos, pineapples and papayas.”
Serves 1
EASY
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 10 minutes, plus overnight soaking time
rolled oats 4T chia seeds 2T coconut milk ¾ cup
For the topping: mango 3–4 slices pineapple 2 T finely diced golden syrup 1T toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling ground sunflower seeds or flaxseed, for sprinkling fresh mint, a sprig, to garnish
1 Pour the oats into a glass jar. Top with the chia seeds and add the coconut milk. Stir and place, covered, in the refrigerator. The next morning, remove from the refrigerator. 2 Top with fresh mango and pineapple, drizzle over some golden syrup, sprinkle over toasted sesame seeds and your chosen ground seeds, then garnish with mint and serve.
DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE
Instead of duck, the mushrooms work well – they provide bold umami flavour”
Scale up the quantities and serve with tropical fruit as part of a Continental breakfast”
YUXIANG BRINJAL WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
“This warming, comforting meal hails from the Sichuan province in China. It’s a go-to staple for a midweek supper. Brinjals are rich in vitamin E and shiitake mushrooms are full of antioxidants. To mix it up, I sometimes switch the shiitake for smoked tofu – both are equally good.”
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 10 minutes
canola oil 2T baby brinjals 200 g, trimmed and quartered lengthways garlic 2 cloves, finely chopped ginger 1 x 2.5 cm piece, finely grated red chilli 1, seeded and finely chopped chilli bean paste 1T fresh shiitake mushrooms 200 g, sliced spring onions 2, trimmed and finely sliced coriander a small handful, stalks finely chopped, leaves separated cooked jasmine rice, for serving
For the sauce: cold vegetable stock ½ cup tamari or low-sodium light soya sauce 1T Chinese black rice vinegar 1T toasted sesame oil 1t caster sugar a pinch cornflour 1T 1 Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a jug. Stir well and set aside until needed. 2 Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking, then add 1 T canola oil. Once hot, add the brinjal and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until browned. As you cook it, keep adding drops of water, up to about 3 T in total. This will create steam to help soften the brinjal (much healthier than frying it in lots of oil). 3 Once cooked, transfer the brinjal to a plate and set aside. Return the empty wok to the heat and add the remaining canola oil. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and chilli bean paste and stir for a few seconds. 4 Return the cooked brinjal to the wok and add the shiitake mushrooms. Pour over the sauce and bring to the bubble, cooking for 3–4 minutes on a high heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the spring onions and coriander stalks. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve immediately with jasmine rice.
DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Fairview Chenin Blanc
THAI-STYLE ROASTED SWEET CHILLI SPROUTS WITH CREAMY COCONUT NOODLES
“This is a super-delicious dish with lots of flavours and textures: it’s sweet, spicy, nutty and creamy. It’s comforting on so many levels.”
Serves 4
To mix it up, I sometimes switch the shiitake for smoked tofu – both are equally good”
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 5 minutes Cooking: 38 minutes
For the roasted sweet chilli sprouts: Brussels sprouts 200 g, trimmed canola oil 1T vegan Thai red curry paste 1t sweet chilli sauce 2T golden syrup 1T raw unsalted cashew nuts 50 g
dried wheat-flour noodles 200 g toasted sesame oil 1T garlic 2 cloves, roughly chopped small shallots 3, roughly chopped lemongrass 2 stalks, roughly chopped canola oil 1T tamari or low-sodium light soya sauce 1T coconut milk 1 x 400 ml can coriander, a small handful, chopped, to garnish
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Begin by making the sprouts. Heat a wok and fill it with water. Bring to the boil and add the Brussels sprouts. Cook for 3 minutes, until tender but still al dente. Drain and rinse the sprouts under the cold tap. 2 Transfer the sprouts to a roasting tray. Add the canola oil, Thai red curry paste, sweet chilli sauce and golden syrup and roast for 15 minutes. Add the cashew nuts and return the tray to the oven to roast for another 5 minutes until golden. 3 Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions and rinse in cold water. Drain and drizzle over the toasted sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together. 4 In a food processor, blitz together the garlic, shallots and lemongrass to form a paste. Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking, then add the canola oil. Once hot, add the garlic, shallot and lemongrass paste and fry for a few seconds, then add the Thai red curry paste and cook, stirring, for a few seconds more. 5 Stir in the tamari or light
I love the way this dish makes the veg the star of the show”
soya sauce followed by the coconut milk. Cook for 12 minutes until the liquid has turned a dark red colour. Add the drained noodles and toss to coat well. To serve, divide the creamy noodles between four bowls and top with the roasted sprouts. Garnish with coriander and serve immediately. HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths DMZ Pinot Noir
MISO-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CHICKPEA, CARROT AND NOODLE SALAD
“With Japanese miso and Middle Eastern tahini, this is such an ‘east meets east’-inspired salad. The miso, garlic and soya dressing used to season the cauliflower delivers a rich umami hit as it roasts in the oven, while the accompanying noodle salad delivers on protein and fresh carroty sweetness.”
Serves 2 or 4 as a side EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 15–20 minutes
cauliflower 1 large head sea salt a pinch freshly ground black pepper a pinch canola oil 1T garlic 2 cloves, finely chopped red miso paste 1T tamari or low-sodium light soya sauce 2T golden syrup 1T
For the salad: chickpeas 1 x 400 g can, drained and rinsed carrots 2, sliced julienne vermicelli rice noodles 200 g, cooked roasted cashew nuts 1T spring onions 2, trimmed and finely diced
For the dressing: freshly grated ginger, tahini, tamari or low-sodium light soya sauce, toasted sesame oil, canola oil and clear rice vinegar 1 T each
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare the cauliflower. Discard the outer leaves, but keep the inner leaves and set aside. Break the cauliflower up into florets and place in a roasting tray with the inner leaves. Season with the salt and pepper, and drizzle over the canola oil. 2 Put the garlic, miso paste, tamari or light soya sauce and golden syrup in a jar and shake well to combine. Drizzle this mixture over the cauliflower florets and leaves, making sure they’re well covered. Roast for 15–20 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Layer the chickpeas, carrots and noodles on a platter. Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to the platter on top of the chickpea salad. Drizzle over the dressing, sprinkle over the cashew nuts and spring onions, and serve immediately. DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Cape Point Sauvignon Blanc
The miso, garlic and soya delivers a rich, umami hit”