Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 21st Century Table

This is a quick, fresh stir-fry that we have loved forever, it seems. A great way to use the fresh asparagus that is getting seasonally less expensive all the time.

If you have never used vegetarian "oyster sauce", this is a great place to start. If you can't find it (and I give you an online source at the end of the stir-fry recipe), I have posted a homemade sauce recipe below.

For the "beef" in this recipe, I used Soy Curls®, strips similar to TVP but made with the whole soybean. They are very tender. I usually use them for a chicken sub, but I decided to try them as a beef sub, and they worked really well. They are much less expensive than commercial vegetarian meatless strips, though you can use those if you wish.

Printable Recipes and Notes

BRYANNA'S CHINESE-STYLE VEGAN "BEEF" AND ASPARAGUS STIR-FRY WITH VEGETARIAN "OYSTER SAUCE" (A WEIGHT WATCHER'S CORE PLAN RECIPE)

This recipe is different from the one in my Chinese cookbook, "Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen". Serve immediately with brown basmati rice.

1/2 Tbs dark (Asian) sesame oil
1 Tbs dry sherry
about 1 lb vegan "beefy strips" (**see suggestions below)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1/2 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 Tbs oil
12 oz fresh thin asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into thirds on the diagonal
1/2 cup chicken-style vegetarian broth
3 Tbs vegetarian "oyster sauce"

Combine the sesame oil, sherry, ginger, garlic and cornstarch with the "beefy strips" in a non-metallic bowl. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick skillet or stir-fry pan over high heat, add the 1/2 Tbs oil and swirl to coat. Add the "beef strips". Stir-fry until browned.


Browning the "beefy" Soy Curls®

Add the asparagus and 2 Tbs water. Cover and cook over high heat until the water evaporates, but don't let it stick. Stir. Add 2 Tbs more water, cover and let evaporate. Toss the mixture each time before adding water. You may have to do this 1 or 2 more times. Stop cooking when the asparagus is crisp-tender.

Pour the broth mixed with the "oyster sauce" into the pan, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 1-2 mins. or until the sauce is slightly reduced, and the mixture is heated through and coated in the sauce.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 254.0 calories; 24% calories from fat; 6.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 650.9mg sodium; 787.2mg potassium; 14.5g carbohydrates; 7.8g fiber; 3.1g sugar; 6.6g net carbs; 31.9g protein; 4.8 points.


VEGAN "BEEFY STRIPS"
Vegan "Beefy Strips" can be 2 1/2 pckgs. Yves Veggie "Beef Tenders", 2 pckgs. Lightlife Smart Menu "Beef Strips", 2 pckgs. Morningstar Farms Meal Starters "Steak Strips", or 1 2/3 pckgs. Presidents Choice Meatless "Beef Strips".

OR, you can use Soy Curls®. Soy Curls® are made from the whole soybean. Though they are dry, keep them (double-bagged) in the freezer to keep them fresh. For this recipe, use 5.3 oz. (a scant 4 cups) dry Soy Curls® reconstituted for about 15 minutes with a mixture of:
4 cups boiling water, 4 tsp. Marmite, 4 Tbs. + 1 tsp soy sauce, 4 Tbs + 1 tsp ketchup, and 4 tsp gravy browner. Drain the Soy Curls® when they are tender, and use in the recipe.


"Beefy" Soy Curls® before stir-frying


BRYANNA'S HOMEMADE CHINESE VEGETARIAN MUSHROOM "OYSTER" SAUCE (ALSO KNOWN AS "VEGETARIAN STIR-FRY SAUCE")

1 1/2 cups boiling water
6 Tbs ground dried Chinese mushroom (*see note below)
6 Tbs Chinese brown (or yellow) bean paste (**see note below for alternate names and substitute)
6 Tbs soy sauce
7 Tbs. brown sugar, or Sucanat
1 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. cold water

Blend all the ingredients EXCEPT the dissolved cornstarch in a blender (leave the plastic thing out of the center hole in the blender lid and cover with a folded towel, so that the hot liquid doesn't explode) until as smooth as possible. Pour into in a medium saucepan and heat to boiling over high heat. Add the dissolved cornstarch and stir until thickened. Cool and store in a covered jar or bottle in the refrigerator. Since it is quite salty and sweet, it should keep for several months.

NOTE: You can, alternately, microwave the mixture, with the cornstarch, in a medium bowl and cook on HIGH for 1 minute, then whisk. Repeat until thickened.

NOTE ON DRIED MUSHROOMS: For the dried mushrooms, you don't need expensive shiitakes-just use the inexpensive dried Chinese mushrooms that are easily available (sometimes called "dried Chinese Forest mushrooms" or just "dried Chinese black mushrooms") in most supermarkets and Asian groceries. Snap off the stems and discard them, then grind the mushrooms to a powder in a DRY blender or coffee/spice grinder (well-cleaned).  But you can use dried shiitakes.

NOTE ON CHINESE BROWN BEAN PASTE: This is a very common Chinese ingredient and should be available wherever Chinese foods are sold. It is also known as "brown bean sauce", "yellow bean paste or sauce', "soybean condiment", "Yuan Shai Shih" or "Mo Yuen Shih". If, however, you can't find it, substitute a mild brown miso, mixed with a bit of water to make a softer mixture, sort of halfway between a sauce and a paste.

Yield: 18 liquid oz.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 0z.): 38.6 calories; 7% calories from fat; 0.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 415.8mg sodium; 52.8mg potassium; 8.2g carbohydrates; 0.4g fiber; 5.8g sugar; 7.8g net carbs; 1.1g protein; 0.7 points.

Cooking Tips
1 oz. is about 2 T.

Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-fry Sauce is worth stocking up on this sauce (it's very inexpensive) when you are in a large city that has Asian stores, if it isn't available in your area. I use it frequently to coat plain extra-firm tofu for use in stir-fries and fried dishes instead of chicken, and, of course, it's essential in some Chinese dishes. As well, it can add rich flavor to homemade seitan and other dishes.

Enjoy!

Nice biscuits made with my vegan homemade pancake mix!

I had a hankering for biscuits and gravy this morning, but didn't have much time. (Biscuits and gravy are a Southern US dish which I did NOT grow up with, but have come to enjoy very much.) I decided to try making biscuits from my homemade vegan, partly wholegrain pancake mix, which I had blogged about a couple of weeks, ago, I think. I tried them with less fat and with oil, but they were much lighter and tastier this way:

BRYANNA'S QUICK BISCUITS USING HOMEMADE BISCUIT MIX
(This is not a Core Plan recipe, but the gravy below is!)

2 cups Bryanna's Vegan All-American "Buttermilk" Pancake Mix
2 Tbs Earth Balance
1 Tbs lemon juice
plus
10 Tbs soy or nut milk (2/3 c. liquid all together)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Dump the mix into a bowl and cut in the Earth Balance with two forks, or a pastry cutter until like crumbs.

Mix together the lemon juice and milk. Pour into the mix and mix briefly with a fork.



Place the dough on a lightly-floured piece of cooking parchment and fold one side over the other, then repeat . Roll out to about 1/2" thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter. You can re-roll the scraps, but handle them gently so they don't get tough. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Servings: 8
Yield: 8 biscuits

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per biscuit): 132.3 calories; 38% calories from fat; 5.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 178.4mg sodium; 135.8mg potassium; 17.6g carbohydrates; 2.2g fiber; 1.5g sugar; 15.4g net carbs; 3.3g protein; 2.7 points.

Cooking Tips
FOR DROP BISCUITS:
Use about 3/4 cup lquid in total and drop spoonfuls close together in a nonstick baking pan.

For the gravy, I usually make a vegan "milk gravy" with some kind of vegan "chicken" or "sausage" in it. I had, for some reason, picked up a box of Bisto Traditional Gravy Mix last time I shopped. It's made for use with poultry and meat gravies, but the actual mix is vegan. It's a British product, but we have it here in Canada in most supermarkets, or you can order it here in Canada, or here in the States. I was in a hurry, so I decided to try it with the biscuits, and it worked out very well! I have never used a gravy mix before! There are other brands with better ingredients, perhaps that would work in this  recipe, but you might have to tinker with the amount of mix and you probably won't need to use the vegan broth powder.  Here are a couple that you can order online that might work-- Road's End Organics Original Vegan Gravy Mix or Hain gravy mixes. I think these probably are pretty widely available.



BRYANNA'S QUICK VEGAN "MILK GRAVY" FOR BISCUITS (A Weight Watchers Core Plan recipe)

Also good on toast!  NOTE: I used Soy Curl "crumbs" in this-- the little pieces at the bottom of the bag. Just soaked them in hot vegan chicken-style broth and drained them.

2 1/2 cups soymilk or other nondairy milk
3 1/2 Tbs Bisto Traditional Gravy Mix (for poultry) (this is a vegan product-- see text above for info and alternatives)
2 tsp dark Asian sesame oil
1/2 Tbs vegan "chicken-style" broth powder (you  may not need this with the alternative mixes listed above)
1 cup ready-to-eat chopped vegan chicken sub (such as reconstituted Soy Curls) or vegan sausage, crumbled and browned

Mix the milk, Bisto, sesame oil, broth powder together with a whisk. Pour into a small skillet or medium saucepan and whisk constantly over high heat until it thickens and boils.

Remove from heat and stir in the chicken substitute. Serve hot over split biscuits.


Servings: 5

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 98.8 calories; 29% calories from fat; 3.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 625.1mg sodium; 263.8mg potassium; 10.6g carbohydrates; 0.7g fiber; 4.7g sugar; 9.9g net carbs; 8.1g protein; 2.1 points.


I tried a cappuccino with Almond Breeze-- the foam is nice, but the coffee is creamier with soymilk.

CAT BLOGGING:


"Our gang", Sinéad, Ringo, and Tina waiting on the stairs like they do every morning, for us to come up and feed them!

Enjoy!

My new recipe for soy yogurt! Success at last!

By George, I think I've got it!

I've just spent a good part of the last three days perfecting and re-writing my soy yogurt recipe, and getting it onto my website in various forms (long form, shortcut form, small batch form, using various kinds of soymilk, etc...). I had a pretty good version there for two years or so, using Pomona's Universal Pectin (a low-methoxyl pectin made from citrus, which is great for making jams, jellies and preserves with either no sugar, or less sugar, or alternative sweeteners, because it doesn't need sugar to make it jell, like regular pectin-- it uses a calcium solution to jell!). But I found over time that the results were inconsistent, and it was kind of "fiddly", and alot of people had trouble finding Pomona's. It would separate after culturing, and you'd have to blend it with a hand immersion blender before refrigerating it. I wanted to make a product that did not have to be blended with a blender or immersion blender, because I found that the blending made the yogurt unpleasantly frothy in texture.

Also, there was the problem of people who used calcium-enriched soymilk. If the calcium balance isn't right when you use low-methoxyl pectin (Pomona's), you can end up with a rubbery and unpleasant product! So, I kept searching for a new stabilizer/thickener.



Why do we need a stabilizer/thickener for soy yogurt? Because soy protein does not behave in the same way as milk protein, so soy yogurt just does not set as firmly as dairy yogurt. Some people don't mind that, but I like it thicker.

My goal was a spoonable yogurt that will hold its shape, but, at the same time, haave a soft texture and creamy mouthfeel; not separate; not "weep" more than normal yogurt; and have a pleasant, tart flavor. I also wanted to streamline the process a bit.

Originally, I used kosher jel to thicken my soy yogurt, but, because of the difficulty of getting truly vegetarian kosher jel in my area, and because the truly vegan brands, such as Kojel and Carmel, are not sold in bulk and are herefore quite expensive (considering how much you must use per batch of yogurt-- a whole box!), I experimented with other stabilizers, including tapioca starch (by itself), carageenan or Irish moss powder, cornstarch, agar (by itself), and low-methoxyl fruit pectin (the kind that uses calcium rather than sugar to jell, like Pomona's Universal Pectin).

When I tried carageenan or Irish moss powder I had to throw out the yogurt-- it tasted like seaweed! Agar alone produces a firm product (too firm, actually, unless you blend it after setting, and then it tends to be too runny, in my opinion), but it does not taste creamy to me, no matter what I do to it or what I use. Tapioca starch and cornstarch on their own made a yogurt that was runny and separated after a couple of days. I tried a mainstream brand of no-sugar pectin (Bernardin), but it was $2.00 per package and you had to use the whole package! It did not work well in any case.

So, after using Pomona's Universal Pectin (low-methoxyl pectin) with mixed results for 2 years, I decided to try agar again. It was extremely firm, so I blended it after it had set, as instructed. That was better, but we found it too runny after the blending, and, as I said before, even with Soy Dream added, it lacked creaminess.

I also tried xanthan gum, which was praised by a poster on my vegsource forum. I found the mouthfeel unpleasant and there was also a certain bitterness. It was still pretty runny, as well, but you certainly wouldn't want to add more xanthan gum, since it's not cheap and I didn't want more of the mouthfeel or bitterness.



So, I thought about how I make vegan fruit jells, and my vegan low-fat vegan mayonnaise-- with a mixture of starch and agar. The starch softens the effect of the agar, and the agar provides stability. I thought that might be the answer. I read up on starches and learned that tuber starches do not react to acidity negatively, as grain starches do. So, I opted for inexpensive tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour), and agar powder, which is easier to work with than the flakes.

For the primary recipe, I also decided to use a combination of 1 batch (6 cups) of homemade soymilk with 1 box (1L or 1 quart) of a creamy commercial soymilk (Soy Dream is the one I like best) for enhanced creaminess. This makes a large batch of yogurt (10 cups), so I also included another page with not only a small batch version of the primary recipe, but also recipes using ONLY homemade soymilk, and ONLY commercial soymilk.) You don't need a blender, food processor or even an immersion blender to make this yogurt!

The results were great! DH, who hasn't been that crazy about soy yogurt, really likes it, and serves himself some voluntarily now! (He likes it with a little maple syrup on top). It did not have to be blended after setting because it didn't separate (YAY!), and it "weeps" only a tiny bit after some is spooned out, like many dairy yogurts (you can just drain it off, if necessary). The texture and mouthfeel are good, the taste is pleasant and tart, and it was easy to make.

I outline four different ways to incubate your yogurt, too. You don't have to buy a yogurt maker! I give you two ways to make yogurt with equipment you might already have around your house. But, if you want a yogurt maker, I provide links to US and Canadian sites for both electric and non-electric versions.

I have thrown out my old electric yogurt makers, which were either too cool or too hot in temperature.


My OLD Salton yogurt maker

I would like to get a non-electric Yogotherm incubator someday soon:



But, this is the method I use now. You can use 5 widemouthed pint jars or 3 widemouthed quart jars with screw-on lids (plastic lids, preferably), or even one large, wide-mouthed container, if you like. Place the container(s) inside of an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler along with 2 quart jars of boiling water (with lids-- and the jar should not touch the yogurt jars). (Warm up the cooler with the jars of hot water while you get the yogurt ready.) Place the cover on the cooler and cover with an old blanket. You may have to add more hot water to the jars halfway through the incubation time. It works perfectly!



THE COST OF HOMEMADE SOY YOGURT (this is in Canadian dollars-- it will be less in US dollars): Even when made with all commercial soymilk, it save you at least $1 a quart, compared to storebought soy yogurt. If you use 2/3 homemade soymillk and 1/3 commercial soymilk (like Soy Dream Original Enriched, which is really nice and creamy and rich, with no chalky aftertaste), you will save at least $3.15 a quart. I think it's worth it to add 1 quart or L of commercial soy milk to homemade for a creamier texture.

NON-DAIRY YOGURT CULTURE OR STARTER: Because we now have access to totally-vegan, live-culture, non-dairy soy yogurts, AND dairy-free dried yogurt cultures, we can use them for starters instead of dairy-based yogurts, or dairy-based yogurt cultures.



So, if you are interested in making your own soy yogurt, please go to my website and check out the new recipe. All the details are there! And please give me some feedback!

Enjoy!

UPDATE: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY 2011! At this new post, I've posted 2 new vegan truffle recipes, with variations, that do not contain margarine or vegan butter-- one is nut butter-based, and one contains silken tofu.



You gotta have chocolate on Valentine's Day, right? Well, we certainly do! As I've mentioned before, though, I'm not much of a candy maker. But, I discovered some years ago that truffles are actually not very hard to make, and make an impressive gift for your sweetheart! Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it!

Why are chocolate truffles called truffles, anyway? These candies, based on ganache (which is generally chocolate mixed with cream to make a smooth mixture, but in this case, liqueur and vegan butter are used instead of cream), resemble the French mushroom-like fungus of the same name. And, like the original truffle, chocolate truffles also denote luxury and a sumptuous taste experience.

I make a basic dark chocolate truffle mixture with a few variations that we like-- coffee, orange, and raspberry-almond. I use appropriately-flavored liqueurs for deep flavor (and maybe a bit of buzz?) If you don't use alcohol, you can substitute a flavored syrup used for special coffees and Italian sodas (like Monin or Torani.)


You can find organic, vegan (and often fair trade) sugar, powdered sugar, chocolate, and cocoa on many online vegan grocery sites, such as:

Vegan Store (Pangea)

healthy-eating.com

Vegan Essentials

Vegangoods.com (A Different Daisy)

Cocoa Camino (organic, fair trade) has chocolate chips that are vegan. I use Vivani dark chocolate, or Denman Island dark chocolate, but there are others. Dagoba has a wide range for baking. Newman's Own has some vegan bars, all organic, fair trade. Check out some of the online vegan stores I mentioned above for other brands of vegan, organic chocolate and chocolate chips. There are more every year!

I use organic, fair trade Cocoa Camino unsweetened cocoa powder. Other organic cocoa powders (unsweetened) include:
Rapunzel,
Ah!Laska, Fairly Traded cocoa, Now Foods Organic Cocoa Powder, Green and Black's ( a UK brand, but available in North America), Organic Dutched and Natural Cocoa.



BRYANNA'S VEGAN DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
makes about 2 dozen

12 oz. organic vegan semisweet chocolate
1/4 c. vegan butter, softened (try my homemade palm oil-free vegan Buttah)
1/2 c. liqueur of choice (or flavored syrup for Italian coffees and sodas)
Unsweetened organic cocoa powder
blended with organic powdered (icing) sugar (equal amounts)
(Organic, vegan powdered sugars: Hain, Rapadura, Wholesome Foods, Woodstock Farms, Nature's Flavors, Florida Crystals.)

OR, instead, use ground, chopped, or slivered lightly-toasted nuts
(your choice-- could be almonds, walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts or filberts, macadamia nuts, coconut, etc.)

Break up the chocolate in very small pieces. Place in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Cook until chocolate melts, stirring often. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in the Earth Balance. Gradually beat in the liqueur, beating constantly to keep the mixture creamy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, til firm. With hands, roll mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in cocoa mixture or nuts, shaking off excess.

You can place them in little candy cups, if you like-- gold foil ones are nice.


Equally divide between two pint freezer bags with zip-lock tops. Remove excess air and seal. Can Freeze up to 6 months.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per truffle, rolled in cocoa/sugar mixture): 109.2 calories; 44% calories from fat; 6.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 21.8mg sodium; 65.5mg potassium; 12.4g carbohydrates; 0.3g fiber; 1.3g sugar; 12.1g net carbs; 0.8g protein; 2.6 points.



NUTTY ORANGE TRUFFLES:
Use orange liqueur instead of coffee liqueur and add grated zest of 1 orange. Roll in chopped nuts. Hazelnuts are nice.





RASPBERRY ALMOND TRUFFLES: Use raspberry-flavored liqueur (or syrup), and chopped or slivered lightly-toasted almonds for the coating.





COFFEE OR ESPRESSO TRUFFLES: Use Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur (or syrup) and any nut of your choice.

Sunday breakfast, vegan-style, with Lightlife "Gimme Lean" "sausage" patties

Well, I guess it was inevitable that I get one of those boxes of goodies from Lightlife to try out and report on on this blog. (I am going to be totally candid about my reactions, BTW!) I have tried some of the Lightlife products, but they are no longer available in my area. After trying some of the products, I am going to ask my HFS to get some of them back!

Our favorite was the "Gimme Lean" Sausage Style

which I was afraid might be kind of dull, like many vegan "sausage" brands. It's low in fat, has a great texture, and actually a very nice flavor. If you want it spicier, the great thing is that you can squeeze it out of the tube into a bowl and knead in some spices and/or herbs, then form it easily into patties. Otherwise, just slice it like I did, with a sharp serrated knife.



I cooked the patties in a nonstick skillet with a small amount of Chinese (dark) sesame oil for a smokier flavor.



With hashbrowns, browned onions and apples, whole wheat sourdough toast, and tofu scramble, and accompanied by one of my husband's great soy cappuccinos (made with my homemade soymilk!), it was a great meal!



Previous to that breakfast, we'd tried the Organic Smoky Tempeh "Fakin' Bacon" Strips with a similar meal.



I was not sure how DH would receive these because he doesn't really like tempeh, but, surprise, surprise, he really liked them! They don't get really crispy unless you use alot of oil (and I cooked them in just a little dark Chinese sesame oil in a nonstick skillet, as I did with the sausage patties), but we still liked them. Very nice flavor.



On Friday, my husband tried the Smart Chili for lunch, and saved me some to taste later. It was surprisingly spicy (pleasantly so-- I thought it would be under-spiced), hearty, and low in fat, but a little on the sweet side. But it would make a good quick meal if you are really on the go.



Today for lunch, we tried the Smart Strips Chick'n Strips.



I wasn't as enthusiastic about these. I thought they were too salty, and a bit on the thick side. I rinsed them and drained them, but they were still pretty salty. However, they were pretty good in a "chicken" taco, cooked in my homemade Red Chile Paste (see below) (you could use your favorite taco seasoning).



I used commercial taco shells, Tofu Sour Creme, grated vegan cheeze, commercial tomato salsa, and shredded Savoy cabbage (didn't have any lettuce). They were quite tasty!

I was trying out a new vegan product that I found at the Great Canadian Superstore, and I was in a big hurry to make dinner, so I made this quick Vietnamese stir-fry  (so hurried, in fact, that I only had time to make white rice-- hence the picture!). I used this product--


Very good, but a bit pricey

They are made by Gardein, which also makes the Morningstar Farms and Yves products mentioned in the recipe ingredients. Gardein itself makes a vegan meatless "beef" product (really amazing, but quite pricey) and a "chicken" one. They make food service products for the restaurant trade, too. A friend recently tasted a Gardein product in a vegan restaurant in Southern California and raved about it-- the "chick'n filets". "  (PS: I'm not getting paid to write this! I'm just always interested in new vegan products.) 

I've suggested some other products you can use in the following recipe instead of the product above, including "beefy" home-flavored Soy Curls (see directions below the recipe in Cooking Tip #2).  Whatever you use, I think you'll enjoy this recipe!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S RIDICULOUSLY EASY VIETNAMESE-STYLE VEGGIE "BEEF" STRIPS WITH TOMATOES
(A Weight Watcher's Core Plan recipe)
Servings: 2
This is indeed ridiculously fast and easy, but very good! Serve with steamed rice, brown preferably, bulgur or quinoa.  PS: If you prefer not to use "beefy" strips of any kind, try using strips of grilled portabello mushrooms, but add them at the last minute.

8 oz. (227 g) vegan "beef" strips, such as President's Choice Meatless Beef Strips, Yves "Beef Tenders", Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Steak Strips, or Lightlife Smart Menu Steak Strips
(or a good "beefy" seitan" cut into strips would also work, or "beefy" Soy Curls-- see Cooking Tip #2 below)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder or granules
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs dark soy sauce or mushroom soy sauce
1 Tbs vegetarian "fish sauce" (see Cooking Tip #1 below), or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or lite soy sauce (low-sodium)
1 Tbs oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 small ripe tomatoes, thinly-sliced
1/3 cup water
3 small green onions, chopped
about a tablespoon more of vegetarian "fish sauce" or alternate (see above), according to taste
more freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Combine the strips with the garlic granules, black pepper to taste, dark soy sauce and "fish sauce".



Heat oil in a large nonstick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillet or stir-fry pan. When hot, add the strips, crushed garlic, and the marinade. Stir-fry until the strips start to brown. Add the tomatoes, green onions, and water and stir-fry just until the tomatoes soften. Taste to see if it needs more pepper, and/or "fish sauce".

Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 250.9 calories; 35% calories from fat; 10.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 1100.6mg sodium; 930.6mg potassium; 10.3g carbohydrates; 1.5g fiber; 4.1g sugar; 8.8g net carbs; 32.7g protein; 5.6 points.



Cooking Tip #1: Vietnamese Vegetarian "Fish Sauce": I buy this at my local Chinese grocer. Bragg's Liquid Aminos are weaker-tasting than soy sauce and remind me of this sauce, so use it instead if you can't find this, or a lite (low-sodium) soy sauce.


Cooking Tip #2: To make "beefy" Soy Curls--   use 5.3 oz. (a scant 4 cups) dry Soy Curls® reconstituted for about 15 minutes with a mixture of:  4 cups boiling water, 4 tsp. Marmite, 4 Tbs. + 1 tsp soy sauce, 4 Tbs + 1 tsp ketchup, and 4 tsp gravy browner. Drain the Soy Curls® when they are tender, and use in the recipe.  Freeze whatever you don't use.

Enjoy!