Since leaving Vancouver three years ago and moving across the country for university, one of the things I miss the most is my parents’ Chinese food and Vancouver’s fantastic Asian cuisine.
Sick of General Tao take-out, I googled endless links, looking for authentic, health-conscious Asian recipes. I haven’t finished combing the pages yet, but below, I’m sharing 5 easy recipes that my two roommates and myself have attempted with success.
1) Cold Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles
Cold peanut sesame noodles are the quintessential summer lunch, but it’s also an easy microwave-free lunch to pack for school. They’re super easy to make and require only a blender, a pot, and maybe measuring utensils (I tend to eye everything).
This recipe from Table for Two is the closest match to my grandma’s noodles. Either Asian rice noodles or spaghetti can be used. I personally prefer spaghetti noodles.
Tip: Skip the garnishing if you’re lazy (like me).
2) Red curry soup
On rainy days, a bowl of red curry soup leaves me warm and satisfied. Make this in a big pot and you’ll have plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week. This recipe from Vegetarian Times is vegan and vegetarian, but you can add cooked chicken and rice to make it even more filling.
3) Rabokki
Okay, so this one isn’t quite healthy but everyone needs to cheat once in a while, right? This Rabokki recipe from Spontaneous Tomato may look complicated, but my roommate can assure you that it’s a lot easier to make than you think. We found all of the listed ingredients at the Asian chain store T&T, but they should be available at your local Asian or Korean specialty stores.
Tip: This delicious Korean rice cake ramen dish tastes best fresh.
4) Ginger Beef, Mushroom, and Kale Stir-fry
I love stir-fry but I’m particularly picky about my leafy greens. Bok choy, gailan, and other traditional Chinese stir-fry greens bore me so kale was a fun switch-up. This quick recipe from Gimme Some Oven is simple and all ingredients are widely available at most grocery stores.
Tip: You can use a smaller amount of white vinegar as a substitute for rice wine vinegar.
5) Egg Tarts
What recipe list would be complete without dessert? A popular Chinese dessert, the egg tart has a special place in my heart. My mom used to make this when we had guests over for dinner and I would always inhale two before they even left the kitchen. Surprisingly, they’re super easy to make!
This recipe from Cooking and Me feature Portuguese egg tarts, which are almost exactly the same as Chinese ones except they use puff pastry sheets rather than the pre-made tart shells you can buy at the grocery store.
So there you go; five easy recipes to tide off your cravings!
Links to recipes:
1) http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/cold-spicy-peanut-sesame-noodles/
2) http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/red-curry-vegetable-soup/
3) http://spontaneoustomato.com/2013/06/06/rabokki/
4) http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/ginger-beef-mushroom-kale-stir-fry-recipe/