Vegan Mofo 15: T is for Thunder Tea Rice

The Chinese may not be known for their salads, but one that you have to know is Thunder Tea Rice (Lei Cha Fan), which I would laud the honour as King of Asian Salads. Essentially this dish is served in two parts: a rice bowl filled with a bedazzling medley of chopped Asian vegetables such as long beans, cabbage, leafy greens and radish as well as diced tofu and peanuts; and a side bowl best akin to a slightly astringent herbal pesto soup, made from ground tea leaves and Asian herbs such as mint and basil. It is the tea soup that harbours the strong and unique flavor of Thunder Tea Rice which you either love or hate. It is obvious which side of the camp I am on!

The best part comes when you douse the rice bowl in the green tea soup, so that each spoonful of veggies comes coated in the minty soup. This is the traditional way to eat the dish although there are some who find the soup too overpowering and choose eat the individual elements separately. Whatever the method, the beauty of Thunder Tea Rice is the smug sense of virtuousness and well-being that lingers on for hours.

As always, I like to write a little on the history of the dish. Thunder Tea Rice is a traditional Hakka dish originally created as a medicinal dish for soldiers to ward of plague and illnesses during the tumultuous times of war in the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207AD). During the mass migration from central China to the southern provinces, the Hakka brought along and preserved the traditional preparation of Thunder Tea Rice. The “thunder” (Lei in Chinese) in the dish refers to the racket made from pounding (Lei in Hakka) all the tea ingredients. Thus there is actually a double meaning to the name depending on the language you view it from. It’s kind of confusing but interesting to learn the etymology of words.

With so many veggies, preparing thunder rice tea at home can be a tedious endeavor; it requires the separate preparation of each ingredient so as to maintain each of their flavor profile. But I assure you the results are rewarding and extremely satisfying. A big batch may last a couple of meals, which you will never tire of.

The original dish contains dried anchovies which help impart a umami or savoury flavour. I easily replicated its flavours by using tamari-simmered mushrooms and shredded nori strips. Also I used Pu-Er (普洱) tea leaves instead of the recommended ones green tea and some obscure liu bao cha (六宝茶) or jiu cheng ta (九層塔) because that was the only tea leaves I had on hand. Also I blended the tea leaves into the paste which may not have been the best idea. My soup came out blackish rather than the expected pale green, probably because of insufficient basil and mint leaves (their taste was rather weak too). Overall the tea blend still needs a little tweaking but was still pretty good. And look who loves Thunder Tea Rice too!

Thunder Tea Rice (Lei Cha Fan)
Serves 4.
Vegan.
Refer to Annelicious for a very comprehensive guide.

Ingredients (You may also refer to the visual guide above)
Rice or other carbs

• Cooked brown/white rice or carbs of preference (I used buckwheat)

Vegetables and Other Toppings

• 100g or 1/2 pack long beans, chopped into large sticks
• 140g or 1/4 of a large savoy cabbage, shredded
• 200g or 1 pack of kai lan (Chinese broccoli), leaves and stems separated
• 9 small dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tsp tamari
• 220g or 1/2 medium jicama, diced into small cubes
• 200g or 1/2 pack firm tofu, drained, dried and diced into small cubes
• Nori, shredded
• 40g toasted peanuts, toasted

Thunder Tea Soup

• 8g Thai Basil Leaves (stems removed before weighing; I used home-grown Thai Basil!)
• 8g Mint Leaves (stems removed before weighing)
• 5g superior-grade tea leaves (I used Pu-Er)
• 25g old ginger, grated into large chunks
• 5g or 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 10g toasted peanuts
• 1/2 tsp matcha powder

Directions
For the vegetables and toppings

1. Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms in water for at least 2 hours, or better, overnight.
2. Trim long beans and cut into large pieces. Blanch in boiling water for about 3-5 mins, drain, then chop into small pieces. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, saute cabbage in olive oil until softened, about 10-15 mins. Set aside.
4. In the same skillet, saute the kai lan leaves in olive oil until slightly wilted, about 3-5 mins. Set aside.
5. Blanch the kai lan stems in boiling water until bright green, about 3 mins, drain, and set aside.
6. Once the msuhrooms are rehydrated, squeeze them dry, slice into small pieces. Then simmer the mushrooms in the tamari and some water for about 10-15 mins, until the mushrooms have softened and absorbed the tamari.
7. Meanwhile, chop the jicama and firm tofu, and shred the nori. Set aside.
8. Toast peanuts and sesame seeds (for the tea paste) in a skillet over high heat if using untoasted. Set aside.

For the tea paste

1. Place all the ingredients for the tea soup into a food processor and blend until a paste forms. Scrape out the paste and place into a small bowl.

Serving

1. Place rice of choice of carbs into a bowl, then scoop desired amounts of each topping over.
2. Take about 1-2 tbsp of the tea paste and place into a small bowl. Pour boiling water over to infuse for 3-5 mins.
3. Douse the rice with the tea soup and inhale its minty aromas!

 

Vegan Mofo 10: L is for Lentil Sunday Roast

A flavourful roulade packed with meaty mushrooms, toothsome lentils and nutritious spinach. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or just a normal night’s dinner.

I stumbled upon this savoury roulade recipe by the Mouthwatering Vegan when I was actually searching for a vegan dessert roulade. But what an accidental fortuitous find! It looked absolutely scrumptious that I bookmarked it immediately. Furthermore it gave an opportunity to work with phyllo for the first time. Phyllo has a fussy reputation – a delicate and messy dough that requires tedious buttering and layering. But I’m always up to a challenge and so down to work it was!

But back to lentils (the post should be about lentils after all). Lentils are another favorite pantry staple; they are tasty, cook in a cinch and its uses highly versatile, from bulking up a simple salad to becoming a creamy base for soups and stews. Furthermore, the nutritional value of lentils is well-established. For example did you know that lentils pack the third highest level of protein of all legumes and nuts, trailing after soybeans and hemp only? There’s much to love about lentils!

Lentils come in a myriad of colors including brown, green, yellow, red. The difference between them is the cooking time and texture. Red and yellow lentils cook in about 30 mins and tend to break apart when cooked; hence they are often used in soups, stews and Indian daals or curries. On the other hand, green (or French/Puy) lentils are sturdier and retain their shape when cooked, which make them a better choice for salads. I also find that green lentils have a stronger, more earthy taste than the other varieties, which I adore. In case you were wondering, green lentils are also called Puy after their origin in the Puy region of France.

And for a final lentil tidbit – lentils have been eaten since antiquity and actually appears in the Bible four times (Genesis 25:34; 2 Samuel 17:28 and 23:11; Ezekiel 4:9). The most famous account is in Genesis 25:34, in which Esau exchanged his birthright to Jacob, his younger brother, for a bowl of lentil stew. Either Esau had been truly starving, or that must have been some serious stew!

For the lentil roulade I used green lentils for a more toothsome bite and extra flavour. I’m sure yellow or brown lentils would work too although it may turn out more mushy. Apart from lentils, the filling contains mushrooms and spinach. The trio are seasoned with Middle Eastern spices and reduced to a delicious stewy mix before spreading onto phyllo, then topped with a nutty mix. In fact if you are pressed for time, the filling itself makes a pretty good dish on its own!

The roulade came out fantastic. There were playful textures and flavours for the palate to take pleasure in – a fragile frame of crispy phyllo that shattered into a million delicious pieces upon stabbing with a fork. Then there is the filling – meaty and earthy mushrooms and lentils with the nuttiness of crunchy nuts in between. To balance out the savouriness, I served this with some crisp-steamed broccoli and fresh cherry tomatoes. This is a crowd-pleaser that will warm the hearts of both vegan and non-vegan friends.

Lentil Sunday Roast
Makes one roulade, about 10 1-inch slices.
Vegan.
Adapted from The Mouthwatering Vegan.

Ingredients
Lentil, Spinach & Mushroom Stuffing

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 cups mushrooms, chopped into small pieces (I used a mix of portobellos and shiitake)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 250g cooked green puy lentils (can prepared from 125g dry or 1 400g can)
• 6 oz (170g) spinach, roughly chopped
• 3 whole sundried tomato, chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 slice of lemon (about 2 tsp)
• Zest of half lemon

Nut Topping

• 3/4 cup nuts, finely chopped (I used a blend of almonds, walnuts and brazil nuts; you can process them in a food processor, but don’t make powder of them, they still need to be in small pieces)

Puff Pastry

• 5 sheets of vegan phyllo pastry, thawed (I used Fillo Factory Organic Whole Wheat Filo Dough)
• Non-dairy milk to brush onto pastry

Directions

1. If using dry lentils, cook the lentils. Place lentils in a saucepan and cover with cold water to cover. Simmer for 25-30 mins until tender. Set aside. If using canned lentils, drain and rinse. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, sweat onions in about 1 tbsp of olive oil until they turn soft and translucent, about 10 mins.
3. Add garlic, mushrooms and 3 tbsp olive oil. Cook until mushrooms release their juices and become soft, stirring often. This will take about 10-15 mins.
4. Then add in the tomato paste and spices and mix well to combine. Cook on medium-high for about 2 mins until the spices release their aromas.
5. Finally, add in the cooked lentils and stir, then the spinach and remaining ingredients for the stuffing. Cook on low for about 10-15 mins until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is thick, rich and aromatic. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm temperature.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Then prepare the pastry sheets. On a floured surface, fold the pastry sheets together in such a way that you create one sheet approximately 10″ x 7″ (25 cm x 18 cm).
7. Spoon the thick lentil stuffing onto the pastry sheet. Flatten and evenly distribute it using the back of a large spoon, leaving a 1/2″ (1.3 cm) gap all round. Then top with the chopped nuts. Roll along the length to make log. If any bits fall out of the side, just push them back into place.
8. Brush the roulade with non-dairy milk, then make horizontal cuts at 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals on the surface of the dough. These will be your markers for each slice once cooked.
9. Transfer the roulade onto a parchment-lined baking tray and bake at 400°F/200°C for 25-30 mins until golden brown.
10. As the roulade is baking, you may want to prepare some steamed veggies (eg broccoli or carrots), potatoes or a salad to go with the roulade.
11. Remove roulade from oven and let cool slightly before slicing (it will be very flaky). Impress your non-vegan friends!

Also, check out this interesting post about how to sprout lentils, and a sprouted lentil vegetable stew.

Three Dishes for a Vegan Meal

My eyes are greedy. I’ve been bookmarking so many recipes lately and have an inexplicable urge to make all of them. I’m not sure if this lull period in my life is a good thing because in between preparing (or attempting to) for the MCAT and writing essays, I’ll be surfing FG, brainstorming for new recipes and visualizing the creation in the mind. Could it be possible to suffer from recipe addiction? Incidentally, yesterday’s sermon touched on idolatry, which was a timely reminder not to turn this hobby into an obsession that occupies my mind and uproots more impending priorities.

Lest I launch into philosophical waxing, here’s one two THREE dishes that will make a complete wholesome vegan meal. Somehow Sundays are always equated to cooking out and more elaborate meals. I might add time-consuming too. Nevertheless, what you reap is what you sow, and though these recipes are slightly time-consuming, they’re bursting with a party of flavours and the effort is worth every bit. Actually, most of time is spent letting the ingredients sit in the marinade so the actual cooking time is fairly short.

First up, we have giant portobello mushrooms for carbohydrates. Okay so I admit mushrooms are low carb compared to rice and grains but the carbohydrates they contain are of the complex type. They are rich in immune-boosting beta glucans and loaded with selenium, an often overlooked mineral that helps regulate thyroid function. An Italian favourite, portobello’s meaty texture takes well to marinades and glazes. Here as an twist to the classic olive oil, I concocted a balsamic vinegar dressing, spiked with the piquancy of crushed garlic, shallot and herbs. Paired with the natural woody juices of the portobellos when cooked, it came out as a curious, interesting flavour. Who needs meat when we have portobello steaks?

Oh, and be sure to lean the shrooms well before marinating; bits of dirt may be trapped in the gills. The gills can be easily removed by scraping with a spoon (see above right picture).

Tofu provides the protein. Sesame crusted tofu is a perennial favourite where a crisp crust of smoky toasty sesame seeds encase pillowy soft tofu curds. The contrast in texture is pure delight! I used pressed tofu for the recipe which has a firmness between silken/soft tofu and firm tofu. Their semi-firmness is best suited for tofu steaks and braises, and it’s so convenient that the whey is already pressed out for you.

And finally for veggies we have a Cauliflower & Carrot Garlic Mash, a veggie alternative to mashed potatoes, but just as creamy and tasty! My love for garlic knows no bounds, so I threw in cloves of roasted garlic with reckless abandon. If you haven’t tried roasting garlic before, it’s about time you do. The astringent mouth-puckering sulfurous tones of raw garlic melts into a creamy smoky flavour, and they are so deliciously mild you could eat them by the cloves.

I’m quite sure you wouldn’t miss meat with this three tasty vegan dishes. Enjoy!

Balsamic Portobello Steaks
For two large portobellos.
Vegan.

Ingredients

• 2 large portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used Il Borgo del Balsamico, orange label)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Herbs (fresh or dried, eg. thyme, rosemary or basil)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Clean and pat dry portobello mushrooms and scrap gills away with a spoon. It should come off easily (see above picture).
2. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, shallot and a liberal pinch each of sea salt, black pepper and herbs. Mix well to create a marinade and brush or drizzle the mixture generously over the portobello mushrooms. Let it sit for at least 15 mins.
3. Place the marinated portobello mushrooms gills side up in the oven and bake for 10 mins, flip, then bake the reverse side for another 10 mins.
4. Best enjoyed with mash (potato, or veggie mash – eg. cauliflower, carrot, sweet potato or pumpkin).

 

Sesame Crusted Tofu
Makes eight tofu sticks.
Vegan.

Ingredients

• 1/2 block (140g) pressed tofu, drained of liquid
• 3/4 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 tbsp sesame oil
• 3/4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 3/4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Wrap tofu in lots of paper towels and press as much water out of the tofu as possible. You may place a weight on the tofu and leave it standing for about 15 mins. Once the tofu is fairly dry, slice into sticks.
2. In a shallow plate, mix the garlic, sesame oil, tamari, vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes. Add tofu to plate, spooning the marinade over the tofu. Alternatively you may marinate the tofu in a ziploc bag. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 mins to an hour.
3. When ready to cook, pat each tofu stick COMPLETELY DRY with paper towels. This is critical to achieve a crispy sesame crust. (I didn’t pat mine dry and it didn’t turn crispy). Sprinkle the sides of each tofu stick with sesame seeds (I only crusted two sides.)
4. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium low heat. You may add a small amount of oil if necessary to prevent sticking. Sear the sesame tofu for about 3-4 mins per side, so that it achieves a nice brown crust.

 

Cauliflower & Carrot Garlic Mash
Yields ~2/3 cup mash.
Vegan.
Adapted from Multiply Delicious.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/3 cup carrot slices
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves roasted garlic (see notes)
• 1 tsp olive oil, divided
• Non-dairy milk, if necessary
• Herbs (fresh or dried eg. rosemary, thyme, basil)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring about 2″ water to boil. Place cauliflower and carrots in boiling water and steam until soft, about 12-15 mins.
2. Heat 1/2 tsp olive oil in non-stick skillet on medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and herbs until onion is translucent. Set aside.
3. Place steamed cauliflower and carrots into a food processor. Add the sauteed onion, roasted garlic, herbs, and 1/2 tsp olive oil. Process until desired smoothness, drizzling in some non-dairy milk if necessary. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
4. Garnish with additional fresh or dried herbs and serve.

Notes
To roast garlic, slice off the top of a head of garlic and drizzle in some olive oil. Wrap in aluminium foil and bake for 40 mins. Remove from oven and let cool completely before unwrapping.