Chinese vegetable recipes

By Times staff
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 26, 2003

Kohlrabi Cakes

• 4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled, shredded and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Chinese greenery With bok choy and its Asian cousins becoming more common in grocery stores, it's time to expand your vegetable palate.

Squeeze the moisture from the kohlrabi. Mix all the ingredients, except olive oil, together thoroughly in a bowl. Form patties with hands, much like crab cakes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan. Saute patties until golden on both sides.

Source: Sanwa Growers.

Daikon and Carrot Salad

• 1 pound daikon radish, peeled
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup watercress leaves

Coarsely grate daikon and carrots. In a bowl, stir together salt, sugar, mustard and vinegar. Toss with vegetables.

In a separate bowl, blend together sour cream and heavy cream. Cover both containers and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Drain vegetables thoroughly, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Add creams, scallions and stir. Sprinkle watercress on top and serve.

Source: Sanwa Growers.

Chinese Eggplant Fries

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Chinese eggplants, peeled and sliced into fries

In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Place the eggs in a separate bowl.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. A few at a time, dip the eggplant pieces into the egg, then into the flour mixture, then back into the egg, and back into the flour mixture. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

• 1 pound bok choy
• 2 tablespoons chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oyster flavored sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 fresh ginger slices
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled

Separate the bok choy into stalks. Wash in several changes of cold water and drain thoroughly in a colander. Trim 1/4 inch from the bottom of each stalk. Halve each stalk lengthwise and cut stalks and leaves into 2-inch-long pieces. In a bowl, combine the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, corn starch and sugar.

Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil and ginger; stir-fry 10 seconds or until ginger is fragrant. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil, bok choy and garlic, and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until leaves are just limp and bok choy is bright green. Re-stir the broth mixture and swirl into wok. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the vegetables. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young (Simon & Schuster, 1999).

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright