It is not officially summer at point of writing but we are beginning to experience bouts of heat wave. What comes to mind are summer-ready and heat-wave friendly chilled salads such as Coleslaw, Celery and Dates Salad, Grapes and Radish Salad, Tomato, Cucumber and Feta Cheese Salad, Watermelon and Feta Cheese Salad.
Today, this Celery Carrot Tofu Salad is an improved, easier to prepare version, better than this celery tofu recipe.
This 3C Rice Porridge/Congee cannot be bought with Cash or Credit Card. It is homecooked and worth many carats...or rather, carrots.
A fuss-free 3C - Carrots, Celery, Cod Fish Porridge/Congee recipe that you can easily make at home, this porridge/congee stands alone as one-dish meal consisting of vegetables (carrots, celery), proteins (fish) and carbs (rice/ grains).
The carrots add subtle sweetness and celery, a tender crunch to the savory cod fish porridge/congee.
This side-dish, made with just two ingredients, whets all our appetite whenever my friend makes it. A side-dish combining the infamous bland tofu and strong-tasting celery; heightened by the aroma and fragrance of toasted sesame oil, spiced up with ground white pepper.
A classic Chinese chilled vegetarian side-dish, typically made from extra-firm tofu and Chinese celery (conveniently replaced with regular celery in this recipe). You might have eaten or seen this dish in which the tofu and celery are prepared in strips. Well, that is perfectly fine especially for chopsticks! However, I am preparing a spoon-friendly dish, so let us start dicing and mincing.
It was a dark rainy day and that called for a bowl of warm congee/ rice porridge, soupy comfort yet able to fill us up.
This bowl of congee/ rice porridge is flavorful with salmon, complemented by soft-tender mountain yam and crisp-tender celery. It is not just a mass of sticky soft gruel but one which offers textures and layered flavors. The mixture and blend of grains also helps in that perfect congee consistency.
Celery for fiber boost, dates for additional potassium (especially after a sweaty workout) and nuts for protein (plus good fats) - this Celery, Dates, and Nuts salad turned out a perfect component to a post-workout lunch salad bowl composed of steamed broccoli and cauliflower, leftover shredded chicken, hard-boiled egg, and quinoa.
For vegetarians, omit the chicken as the celery, dates and nuts component is delightfully tasty to glorify this steamed vegetables and quinoa grain bowl.
During Lunar New Year, many Chinese families believe in shoring up good luck with food that symbolizes good health and prosperity.
With good health and happiness in mind, this easy and healthy vegetarian stir-fry is perfect for the Lunar New Year. We have broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers, beech mushrooms, and tofu all in a pot, symbolizing togetherness.
Quite different from the popular vegetarian dish Chap Chai(Braised Vegetables Combo) that often makes its appearance during Lunar New Year, this vegetable combo wins on the crisp fresh bites of vegetables and light-tasting flavors, unlike the soft meld-down texture and deep-layered flavors of a braised dish.
Each ingredient and its symbolism, in my own interpretation:
Mushrooms 鸿禧菇 = 鸿运当头 (Good luck)
Asparagus 芦笋（顺）= 事事顺利 (Smooth-sailing)
Broccoli 西兰花 = 花开富贵 (Prosperity)
Celery 芹(情)菜 = 心情愉快 (Positive mood, good health)
Orange bell peppers 橘（吉）色灯笼椒 = 大吉大利 (Auspicious)
Garlic/leek 蒜(算）头 = 有的算$ (Fortune)
Tofu 豆腐（福）=有福 (Good health, happiness)
"Sweet from dates, sour from lemon, bitter from celery, and salty from Parmesan - this humble salad manages to get all taste buds firing at once." - Bon Appetit
Alright, I omitted everyone's favorite - the cheese; but trust me (or rather, trust Bon Appetit), this salad delivers the flavor punch in crunch.
I was excited to make it after watching the video and adapted it by using my own homemade turmeric dressing. Though I did not add in the cheese for saltiness, the mixed of almonds and cashews and the salted sunflower seeds made up for it. I totally enjoyed this crunch-a-licious salad and see it coming more often into my meals.
Remember the health-specific five colors (black, white, green, red, yellow) of bibimbap? Now the five colors can be found in this stir-fry. Unlike a leafy vegetable stir-fry or braise that tends to be tender-soft, this stir-fry is crisp with exciting crunch and bite from the celery, bell peppers, woodear mushrooms. Woodear mushrooms is rich in plant collagen, high in iron and a good source of protein and riboflavin (vitamin B12) comparable to that of meat (Source: Ezyhealth).
This is a vegetarian dish inspired by the famous Taiwan non-vegetarian stir-fry 客家小炒 that typically combines celery, cuttlefish/squid, braised/marinated tofu, and pork.
This no-fuss three-ingredient, dressing ingredient not included, side-dish salad is easy to prepare (no stir-frying required) and if you are thinking of making more and storing in the fridge, the good news is, it also keeps well (~ two days) in the fridge.
For a non-spicy dressing, omit the chili "sauce" in this dressing. Personally, I prefer sesame oil as one of the components in a dressing for Asian-style salads or side-dishes; while using extra-virgin olive oil or flax oil for Mediterranean-style bean-based salads.
Celery together with onions and carrots forms a trio of aromatics that is no stranger as the base for stews and soups in some Western cuisines.
You can also snack on celery stalks dipped with peanut butter or nibble
on them when served with buffalo wings. In Asian cooking, celery is more
often seen in stir-fries.
Personally, I find celery and shrimps (prawns), a balanced combination of earthy and umami-seafood flavors. You can easily make a soup with them, or churn out a healthy stir-fry like this Celery and Shrimps Stir-Fry 清炒芹菜虾仁 in minutes.
Due to its strong distinctive flavor alike cilantro or parsley, celery is not enjoyed by everyone. Not surprising. Do you enjoy celery as main ingredient in a dish?
Chinese Celery and Fragrant Tofu Salad 芹菜拌香干 is a Chinese (cold) appetizer I have always enjoyed. Seasoned with toasted sesame oil, sea salt and ground white pepper - it is a refreshing appetizer or side dish with rice or porridge. The Chinese celery sold in Asian (Chinese) supermarkets resembles a huge bunch of parsley cilantro or a slender version of the regular celery. Chinese celery is more often used in Southeast China and Taiwan where they are sometimes also known as Fragrant Celery 香芹, and typically finely diced to generously garnish (and flavor) soups.
Since the weather is chilly and cold right now, I am looking for warm dishes and avoiding cold appetizer side dishes (or salads). This Stir-Fry Chinese Celery with Bell Peppers 香芹炒灯笼椒 is created in the attempt to add to my repertoire of Chinese celery dishes other than salad and soup.
A "羹" (Geng) is a kind of thick soup in Chinese cuisine, almost like cream-based soup in Western cuisine but relatively lighter. Usually, corn starch or egg is used as a thickening agent to thicken the soup. However today, I am taking a fresh new spin on Steamed Shrimps with Celery, to make a Tofu "Thick Soup" 豆腐羹(Dou Fu Geng)-inspired...Tofu, Shrimps and Celery Soup - 豆腐虾仁芹菜汤.
Yes, not any thick soup but a light yet substantial soup with vegetables and proteins. A perfect soup for spring and maybe a regular during summer. Those succulent shrimps, tender cubes of tofu and added crunch from the celery dices - the textures are exciting and flavors promising.
Voting for Singapore Blog Awards 2010 has ended and this big event is taking place 10th July 2010, next Saturday, with the results announcement. But I will be traveling during this time and too bad... will be missing this event. Miss it by just a week! Anyway, good luck to all the finalists, "thank you" to the organizers and sponsors. Have a blast!
Now back to some unglam-affair here...tsk tsk...
The snakehead fish (San Yee, in Cantonese; 生鱼- Sheng Yu, in Mandarin) is good for healing wounds without much scarring from the wound. The usual practice is for Chinese to cook this fish in soups or congee (rice porridge). Sometime, San Yee Fish Soup is also consumed by patients who have just undergone operation/surgery.
However, I tried to be adventurous, fillet the fish like a butterfly, season the fish with some salt, white pepper and cooking wine; then stuff some aromatics (pre-fried thin shreds of garlic, ginger, celery, carrots, shitake mushrooms) into fish parcels,
to have them steamed...
IT DID NOT WORK!
These days, it is not the type of sauce that determines the pasta type or choice. Instead, it is how busy your schedule is, that decides the choice of pasta types. Busy people who are always in a hurry are in for bowtie pasta, shell pasta, fusili - pasta that settles with a spoon or fork without splatter worries. Those with a little more time can afford to slurp and enjoy the longer strands - spaghetti, linguine, angel hair - wiping your saucy lips once every 5 feeds.
Ha. I have made a strong sweeping statement. You still typically decide pasta type based on the type of sauce. It is just me, who go with my favorite pasta type and pasta sauce. And sometimes, I just whip up something simple like this.
Imagine you do not have a electric food chopper/processor to finely mince the celery, in this Celery and Tofu Salad - 芹菜拌香干, what would you do? Use a heavy Chinese chopper/cleaver and start...chop chop chop...mince mince mince...and still...chop chop chop...mince mince mince.
Imagine you have celery and tofu, then "BLAND" comes into mind. Do not be fooled. This Celery and Tofu Salad - 芹菜拌香干 can be as fragrant as you want it to be.Not robust but subtly fragrant.
The finely-minced consistency betters the texture of this appetizer or dish. Contrary to what many would associate as a light refreshing summer salad appetizer(凉拌小菜), this dish aptly fits into the cold winter months. How? Why? Imagine a bowl of piping hot plain congee...wouldn't this dish fit so well as a simple side dish for the congee?
Celery and Tofu Salad 芹菜拌香干
Ingredients: 5-6 stalks of celery, blanched, then finely minced (note:drain away excess moisture or water. substitute regular celery with Chinese celery*; in fact Chinese celery works better if you ask me); 1-2 pieces five-spice marinated tofu, finely minced (note: available in Asian supermarkets. substitute: firm tofu); pinch of salt; 1/2 tsp ground white pepper, 1 tsp sesame oil
Directions: Toss the celery and tofu thoroughly in a deep mixing bowl. Add salt, white pepper, and sesame oil as seasoning and mix them really well with the minced celery and tofu.
Do You Know?...Chinese celery ( more usually known as 药芹 in Chinese, literally meaning Medicinal Celery) is quite different from regular celery. The Chinese celery originated in a form of wild celery. sometimes known as smallage. As illustrated below, the stems/stalks of the Chinese celery are much thinner (and usually hollow).
Chinese celery also has a much stronger (pungency of medicine) and flavor, thus used like a herb (similar to parsley or cilantro) in cooking. Chinese celery can be a popular garnish to soups.
Hope the folks at Weekend Herb Blogging get some insights on regular vs Chinese celery at Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska this week.
Tag: celery, chinese celery, salad
Twist(ed)
Twist(ed) linguine
Twist(ed) puff pastry, in my chicken strudel
Fusili - a form of twist(ed) pasta, in Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce
Twist(ed) celery shreds in Soybean Noodles Summer Salad
Twist(ed) potato, in Tamsui eating.
My first entry to Photo Hunter :)
Tag: noodles
You will find guided instructions on how to make this warm pasta salad as you read along. No stir frying or sauteing is required. But steaming may not be avoided. This warm pasta salad for Presto Pasta Night has a main trace of Asian flavors as a result of the marinade and ingredients used in steaming the prawns.
Fusili with steamed shrimps/prawns and celery
This warm pasta salad is
done by first shredding celery ; then steaming the shrimps or prawns in this recipe --> chinese-style - without the egg- whites and red chili but adding in spring onions/scallions; and preparing some tomato wedges.
While shredding the celery, boil the fusili or any other shell pasta. While the prawns are steaming, add the cooked pasta, tomato wedges, and celery strips into a big bowl or deep dish like this -
When the prawns are cooked (steaming takes about 8mins), dish and lay them on the serving bowl or deep dish -
The natural "juices" of the steamed prawns/shrimps infuse so well with the fusili. And with the ginger, scallions, sesame oil and pepper that have gone into steaming the prawns/shrimps, you will taste all of that in your pasta.
Does that sound refreshing to you?
Tag: salad, warm salad, steamed prawns
Have you heard of curd noodles? It was my first time, hearing and seeing these noodles. Call myself a foodie... tsk tsk.
Curd noodles are also known as tofu noodles or soybean curd noodles. These noodles are made from compressed tofu (not wheat or flour) and packed with protein and nutrients. When cooked, they are non-sticky and not easy to break. Hmmmm...non-sticky...sounds good as a salad. Desperately in need, soaring temperatures to come. If you are keen and willing to give these "special" noodles a try, look for them in the refrigerated section of Asian markets. They are usually near the tofu packs and/or near fresh (refrigerated) noodles. YJ taught me an easy way to prepare the noodles, and I thought of sharing this with you as part of my "less stove-top cooking" project.
Curd Noodle Salad (can be appetizer or main dish)
Ingredients:
- a pack of curd noodles, blanched in boiling water, to soften and "loosen up" the noodles
- celery, washed/cleaned thoroughly and julienned to thin strips (Note: I use a peeler to help me achieve the "noodle-effect" in my celery. It'll be so much easier to enjoy the salad this way since the celery strips and noodle strands will not "segregate" on their own when tossed as a salad)
- some dried shrimps, soaked in warm water to soften, then chopped into small bits (Note: You can pre-fry the dried shrimps, or if you already have pre-fried dried shrimps, use them. But my objective here is to have less stove-top and oil-free cooking, thus I just use pre-soaked/soften dried shrimps)
- some sesame oil
- dashes of pepper
- pinch of salt, to taste
How to: Place ingredients in a bowl, toss and mix well. (Note: If having it later, you can keep in the fridge for up to 2 days)
There you go, a healthy, nutritious noodle salad...enjoy :)
Easy, isn't it? I would love to share this summer delight over at Presto Pasta Night.
Other cool delights this summer:
Chinese vegetable salad
Mango slushy
Lemon linguine
Gado gado-Vegetables medley in spicy peanut sauce/dressing
Embracing the soaring temperatures, you could also freeze some berries (rasp-, black-, blue-, olallie-), and when you find the heat too overbearing, head over the freezer for a berry icy treat (I did not ask you to open the freezer door and enjoy the cool air from there...:p).
Tag: curd noodles, chinese, noodle salad
It's St. Patrick's day on 17 March 2007. I do not know much about this day, except for the elements of "Irish" and "Green". I could not stop laughing when Ming Merciless posted this and there was a comment about the chinese saying of wearing green hats (戴绿帽, pronounced as dai lu mao). Oh my goodness (I'm laughing again). Yet one example of culture differences.
Back to the "Green" theme, green, green, grass of home; green, green, vegetables of home.
I like to cook with celery, whether it is using them as a "root vegetable" to flavor soup, or just to be simply savored as a vegetable in a stir-fry. I seldom eat it on its own though, when it's ok (and healthy) to do so. I tend to combine celery in stir-fry with most of the not-so-leafy greens/vegetables because of the texture differences (celery tends to maintain its crunch, even after 10-12mins stir frying while most of the leafy greens start to become limp and overcooked within 5-8mins of stir-frying). I tried combining celery with cabbage before and it worked well. Both are flavorful vegetables, so the outcome is...what else but more flavor (and mixture of textures). This time, I tried long beans and celery. And, what else but more crunch (and flavor!). You find synergy in cooking too!
Stir fry long beans and celery (ingredients quantity depends on servings required)
Simply:
Have the long beans and celery cleaned, and cut into bite-size lengths respectively. Rinse the the dried anchovies and dried shrimps in water to soften.
More simply: Heat up some oil in the fry pan; add in dried anchovies and dried shrimps and fry till fragrant. Add in long beans and celery and fry (5-7mins) till cooked (crunchy and tender is the way to go here). Serve over rice.
Some of the "green" stuff I have in the past:
Princess and the Pea Sprouts
Real spinach, fake fish cake
Dear okra, don't try to be funny with me
Kang Kong's friend is your friend, Kang Kong's enemy is also your friend
Snowing in fall
Once upon a time
Is my screen green enough for St. Pat's day - Green or Irish ?
Tag: vegetables, stir fry
To vary stir-fry cabbage , celery can be added. Surprisingly tasty ! Oh, chinese cabbage and napa cabbage actually taste quite different.
Stir-fry celery with cabbage (serves 4)
Ingredients:
-~5-6 ribs from celery stalks/hearts, washed, and sliced in medium thickness if you want more crunch
-half a chinese cabbage head, washed and jullienned ( remaining half of cabbage was used here )
-1/4 lbs minced pork
-1tsp dried shrimps
-1tsp minced ginger
-1tsp minced garlic
-~3tbsps warm water
Method:
1.Heat oil in pan and fry garlic, ginger and dried shrimp
2.Add the minced pork and fry for 2-3mins
3.Add in celery and fry for 1-2 mins, then add cabbage to fry for another 1-2mins
4.Add warm water, and allow the vegetables to simmer for 2-3 mins
5.Ready ready !
