CHINESE VEGETARIAN FAMILY STYLE DINNER:

One of my favorite things about cooking and food in general is its ability to bring people together, which is why I love having my family over for dinner. My cousin is a vegetarian, which makes it fun to try new recipes or test out vegetarian versions of my favorite recipes. On tonight’s menu was Mu Shu Vegetables with Chinese pancakes and Ma Po Tofu with eggplant and rice 🤤 Either one of these recipes would be delicious for Meatless Monday, or as an easy way to spice up your meal prep lunches for the week! You gotta make these ASAP 🤤

Ingredients:

For the Ma Po Tofu with Eggplant:

• 3 Chinese eggplants (skinnier and thinner skin than regular eggplants)

• 2 blocks of tofu (I used both silk and extra firm for different textures)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 sliced scallions (greens and whites)

• 1” piece of ginger, minced

• 2 tbsps bean sauce

• 2 tbsps chili bean sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee)

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tsps Szechuan peppercorns

• 1 tsp cornstarch (optional)

• Steamed rice to serve with (optional)
  
  

Directions:

For the Ma Po Tofu with Eggplant:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prick your eggplants all over with a fork.

• Place on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil and season with salt.

• Bake for 35-40 minutes turning once.

• Meanwhile, in a large wok or saucepan, sauté your garlic, scallions, and ginger for about a minute.

• Add in bean sauce and chili bean sauce and cook for 1 minute.

• Add in vegetable stock, soy sauce, and tofu.

• Stir and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.

• If you like a thicker sauce, you can add in some cornstarch (I just simmered for another 5-10 minutes with the lid off).

• Cut the eggplant into bite size pieces and stir into the tofu mixture.

• Sprinkle with Szechuan peppercorns and serve with rice 😋

MU SHU (MOO SHU) VEGETABLES WITH CHINESE PANCAKES:

Ingredients:

For the Chinese pancakes:

• 1.5 cups of flour, plus more for sprinkling

• ⅔ cup boiling hot water

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

For the Mu Shu Vegetables:

• 1 lb shiitake mushrooms

• 1 head of Napa cabbage

• 1 head of shredded purple cabbage (beware, this will stain your other veggies purple, so feel free to leave this out!)

• 1 10 oz package of shredded carrots

• 2 sliced scallions (greens and whites)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsps fresh ginger, minced

• 2 tbsps soy sauce, divided

• 6 eggs

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 2 tbsps hoisin sauce + 2 tbsps hoisin sauce for the sauce

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• Plum sauce to serve

• Chinese pancakes to serve (recipe below)

Directions:

For the Chinese pancakes (recipe from The Woks of Life):

• Stir your flour with a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl.

• Slowly pour in your boiling hot water into the flour mixture and use a fork to mix until a rough dough forms.

• Once it is cool enough to handle, knead the dough for 8 minutes until smooth, adding flour if the dough gets too sticky.

• Roll into a log and cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

• Roll the dough into a long cylinder and cut into 12 equal pieces.

• Flatten each piece with your fingers into a small disk.

• Brush half the disks with a little sesame oil.

• Place one of the unbrushed disks on top of one with oil and roll into a thin large pancake shape.

• Continue until you have rolled out all the pancakes.

• Heat up a nonstick pan to medium heat and add each pancake, cooking for 30-45 seconds per side, or until you start to see some brown spots.

• Continue until all pancakes are cooked.

• Once cooked, carefully separate each pancake into two (the sesame oil you brushed earlier plus the steam should allow you to do so).

For the Mu Shu Vegetables:

• First prep your veggies!

• Slice your mushrooms, cabbage, and scallion, and set aside.

• In a hot wok, sauté mushrooms with half the garlic and ginger.

• Once they start to get some color, add in a splash of soy sauce. Remove from pan.

• Add in your Napa cabbage, shredded carrots, and purple cabbage if using.

• Sauté with the rest of your garlic and ginger. Remove from pan.

• Scramble your eggs and cook in the pan with some sesame oil.

• Add back in all your veggies and add in 2 tbsps hoisin sauce and 1 tbsp soy sauce.

• For the sauce, mix equal parts plum sauce with hoisin sauce.

• To serve, spread some sauce on your Chinese pancake and scoop in the veggie mixture.

• Wrap up like a burrito or crepe and enjoy! 😋