Grass Jelly Dessert with Java Sugar & Coconut Milk

This is a very unique, easy and delicious South East Asian dessert. Don't be freaked out by the ingredients that you have never seen in your life. Trust me, you will love it. So let's get started.

This is the grass jelly. You will find several different brands at any Chinese or Vietnamese super market. Any brand works for me. The jelly has slight bitter taste and a little bit of iodine lavender flavor.

Slash and cut the grass jelly in a bowl. Don't even bother the shape, just slash into small pieces.

Coconut sugar. This is the key to this dessert. Coconut sugar is produced from the sweet juice of coconut palm sugar blossoms. Coconut sugar has twice the iron, four times the magnesium and ten times  the amount of zinc when compared to brown sugar.

Bring 2.5 cups of water to a boil. Place coconut sugar into the water. Simmer for 15 minutes until coconut sugar is completely dissolved. Put the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.

Coconut milk 

Place slashed grass jelly in a cup, glass or bowl. Pour chilled coconut sugar and coconut milk. It's good idea to put some ice cubes. Hope you enjoy it !!

Buckwheat Soba Noodle Soup

My wife likes 100% buckwheat soba noodle. Most of the buckwheat noodles are made from mixture of buckwheat and flour. (It's okay too) Some people prefer them instead. 

You need dried kelp and bonito flakes to make Japanese soup broth.

And you also need soy sauce and mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

Boil dried kelp and bonito flakes in the plenty of water for about 20 minutes.

Add soy sauce and mirin. You can add little bit of sugar if you like more flavor in the soup.

(the white balls are vegetable fish balls)

Bring plenty water to a boil and add soba noodle. (see the cooking time on the package)

Drain and rinse well

You can add any vegetable you like. 

Braised Soupy Japanese Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish, Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), Soy Sauce, Dried Kelps, Bonito flakes

Dried Kelps & Bonito Flakes

Bring water to a boil and add bonito flakes and kelps together

Daikon needs to be pilled and diced into small pieces 

Add diced daikons in the pan. Bring it to a boil over high heat

Season daikons with Soy Source and Mirin. Boil ever high heat 15 minutes and simmer until about half of the liquid is absorbed or all the daikons are fully cooked.

Enjoy

Stir Fried Glutinous Rice (Sticky Rice)

This Stir-Fried Glutinous Rice is one of my wife's favorite dishes. Trust me, it's easy to cook and delicious. We haven't ordered this dish at Chinese restaurant since I started cooking at home. Oh, by the way, my wife is Chinese so you can take my word for it. 

You can buy the glutinous rice at any Asian supermarket. Sometime it called sweet or sticky Mochi rice.

Soak glutinous rice and dried shiitake mushrooms for 6 hours. 

Chop rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and Chinese vegetarian bacon into dices.

KEEP shiitake mushroom juice for stir-fry. 

Heat the pan/wok with oil and garlic & ginger mix. Stir-fty diced shiitake mushrooms and vegetarian bacon.

Drain well

Add rice into the shiitake mushrooms and vegetable bacon. Keep mixing and stirring for 3-5 minutes

Add soy sauce, sugar and few drops of sesame oil and keep stirring for 3 minutes

Add small amount of shiitake mushroom juice to the rice and stir. Add again when the juice is about drying up. Repeat the process of stirring until the rice is cooked. 

 Enjoy !!

Fried Q-Tofu

We found this pre-cooked fried tofu at a vegetarian grocery store in Richmond, BC.  The texture was not like the traditional tofu but much firmer, just like cheese. The package says "Fried" but actually it's not. You need to stir-fry them.

Vegetarian Bacon

This is one of our favorite meat alternatives - Chinese style bacon (flavor) and  made from soy, beans and gluten.  I usually slice them and stir-fry with oil, little bit of garlic, vegetarian mushroom sauce. I'm now gathering all the recipes and will post them soon.

Preparing Soy Curls

Soy Curls are dehydrated soy protein made out of whole soy beans that are slowly cooked until they are soft.  I love this product because it has a meat texture without too much flavor so I can prepare it with my own seasoning.  You'll find cooking instruction on the package. It's so easy to prepare.   

Place Soy Curls in a bowl and cover with warm water. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes to re-hydrate. You may see some bubbles but don't even bother. 

Drain excess water (squeeze if needed)

Salt, Vegetarian seasoning and Black Peper 

You can buy a similar vegetarian seasoning at any vegetarian/vegan supermarket

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan

Add Soy Curls in the pan and season with salt, vegetarian seasoning and black pepper

Keep stir frying until Soy Curls are crisp and brown

Add to stir fried vegetables, noodles, rice. You can use them as just meat.

Stir Fried Soy Curl Black Pepper Sauce

I picked cabbage, eggplant and zucchini. It's fun to experiment with your own choice of vegetable. I love to visit local produce stores. All the colorful veggies make me so happy!

Cut eggplant, zucchini and cabbage into small bite size pieces

Heat 2 tbs of the oil in fry pan or skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic & ginger mix. 

Add all the vegetables in the pan. Stir fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp. (7-8 minutes or so)

OPTIONAL: Soy Curls 

Add prepared soy curls to the stir fried vegetables

Add pre-mixed black pepper sauce to the pan. Stirring constantly, bring to boil on medium-high heat. 

Add more sauce if needed

Serve with rice or mix with pasta noodle.

Enjoy it !!