3 Vegetarian Cantonese Cuisine Recipes
This post is produced in partnership with Quorn Foods.
It’s been almost 2 years since I went vegetarian and I don’t think I’ll ever look back. While it’s been tough at times – like I outlined in a post last month – I have to say that moving to a vegetarian diet has been one of the best things I’ve done and it’s been SO beneficial to my energy levels and feeling generally better in terms of bloating and digestive issues. I can’t vouch that it’ll be the same for you, but that’s just how it worked for me.
In last month’s post, I noted how difficult I’ve found and am finding it to move away from the traditional Cantonese home cooking that I’ve grown up with and have always loved. Coupled with the fact that my parents are restauranteurs, it’s been an incredibly strange time and it’s often been tumultuous to say the least! It’s 2018 and yet Asian parents (or mine, at least) don’t believe you’re eating properly unless there’s a slab of meat involved. Thankfully, my Dad is a head chef and has simply taken my new diet as a cue to delve deeper into nutrition, has been super supportive as of late and I’ve even introduced him to Quorn.
This week is World Meat Free Week and I wanted to mark the occasion with a recipe post that Dad and I have been working on. Did you know that if you cut down your meat consumption down by just one meal, your impact of going meat-free has the carbon equivalent of boiling 388 kettles or 8 days of water for personal use? Going meat-free is named one of the top ways to help manage our planet better and it is the aim of sustainability campaigners that 50% of the world eats meat-free by 2050. Not only is it incredible in terms of eradicating animal cruelty, it also dramatically reduces water usage (to grow grains for farmed animals) and cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions.
What I miss most since moving to a vegetarian diet is the hearty, homemade Cantonese food, so with that in mind, it’s our pleasure to bring you three Cantonese dishes that are wholly veggie-friendly and extremely accessible…
- Extra firm tofu
- 1 can tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 sprig rosemary
- Star anise (optional)
- 1 white or red onion
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- Handful tenderstem broccoli, asparagus, carrots, baby corn and sugar snap peas
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- Marinade your tofu in soy sauce and sugar for at least 30 minutes.
- Wash and prepare your rice. To do this, simply run tap water over your rice grains and swirl it around with your hands to get rid of some of the starch. You may need to do this two or three times. Then, drain and cook the rice. Two parts water to one part rice. (2 cups rice = 4 cups water.)
- Directly in the stone pot, add your tomatoes, red wine, rosemary and star anise. Also, add a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar.
- Pop it on the hob and heat through on a medium-high heat.
- When you’re happy with the consistency, add the marinated tofu and a cup of water, plus your sliced onions. I tend to cut my onions into wedges to absorb the flavour a little better.
- Cover the pot and keep on the hob on a medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Add vegetables of your choice. I’ve listed what I use above.
- Cover the pot and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
- Serve with a bowl of rice.
Hong Kong-Style Tomato Baked Quorn and Vegetables
By far one of the dishes that I missed the most about not eating meat was the classic Hong Kong-style tomato baked pork chop dish. Back when Hong Kong was a British colony, much of the cuisine took inspiration from and was derived from Western dishes and this meal was a perfect example of that. It’s now a local Hong Kong classic and you’ll find it at any good local diner (cha chaan teng/茶餐廳) across the country. Dad made a huge batch for our family a few weeks ago and he made a vegetarian version for me!
Ingredients
- 1 packet Quorn roasted sliced fillets
- 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp cooking oil of choice
- 3/4 garlic cloves
- 1 white onion
- 4 tomatoes or half can of chopped tomatoes
- Handful broccoli florets
- Handful babycorn
- Handful mangetout
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
Directions
- Wash and prepare your rice. To do this, simply run tap water over your rice grains and swirl it around with your hands to get rid of some of the starch. You may need to do this two or three times. Then, drain and cook the rice. Two parts water to one part rice. (2 cups rice = 4 cups water.)
- Heat a saucepan and add oil.
- Fry your Quorn sliced fillets lightly so that they begin to gain texture and crisp at the edges. Set aside.
- With the remaining oil, add the garlic and stir until fragrant on a medium heat. Then add your onion (sliced or diced is fine).
- Bring the heat down and add your tomatoes and tomato ketchup. If desired, add a pinch of salt, pepper and/or sugar to your personal preference. I personally don’t add any! Cover and cook until it’s completely blended and soft.
- Add your vegetables and Quorn fillets.
- Transfer to the stone pot.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Optional: 5-6 minutes before serving, add a sprinkle of cheese or vegan cheese alternative on top!
- Serve with a bowl of rice. You can also line the stone pot with rice before adding the tomato bake to emulate the original.
Salt and Pepper Tofu
This dish is one of my favourites, not least because the meat version (with pork or chicken) was a regular feature in my Granny’s Sunday dinners. It’s a takeaway favourite as well, so this will be a great recipe to nail and recreate a takeaway at home. Dad and I always use medium-block tofu (never firm if possible) because the tenderness contrasts beautifully with the cornflour crumb — you’ll find these in plastic tubs at any good Asian supermarket.
Ingredients
- 1 tub of medium-block tofu
- Quarter cup cornflour
- Spring onions
- Mixed bell peppers
- 2 chillis
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp black pepper
Directions
- Drain and press your tofu (wrap it in kitchen paper and pop a plate over it).
- Cut into small cubes.
- Chop your bell peppers into long pieces, your spring onions into inch-long pieces, and finely chop your chilli peppers.
- Combine good quality salt and pepper with cornflour in a bowl. You shouldn’t need more than a quarter cup of cornflour, although I tend to eyeball it.
- Coat your tofu cubes in the mixture.
- In a frying pan, heat oil of your choice (I use coconut) until it bubbles when you stick a chopstick in the centre.
- Add the tofu and fry on each side until lightly brown.
- Set aside and drain the pan.
- Using the remnant oil in the same pan, fry your vegetables to char the peppers and bring out the flavour and fragrance of the spring onions.
- Add the tofu back in and gently combine the ingredients.
- Serve with spring onions as the garnish. No dipping sauce is required with this. I serve mine with a bowl of rice and side of sautéed pak choi or choi sum.
