Fast Life = Fast Food Creations

My deepest apologies for the unexpected 2 month hiatus!  Between weekend travels and a new job (that involves longer hours and commute), I didn't get a chance to cook a whole lot of new and interesting things.  But with life settling down a bit more, I do anticipate new culinary creations :)   To get a head start on making up for the lack of posts, I bring you 2 new dishes (that I cook quite often)! They involve the same ingredients, but cooked in different forms and both make for great one pot meals.

 

Hot & Sour Clear Broth Soup

Ingredients:-

• 7 oz. of Extra Firm Tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 Cups of Snow Peas
• 1 Cup of Sliced Mushrooms
• 2 Medium Eggs
• 2 (32 fl. oz.) Cartons of Organic Low-Sodium Chicken/Vegetable Broth  * I use Trader Joe's
• 3 Tbsp of Distilled White Vinegar 
• 2 Tbsp of Rice Wine Vinegar
• 4 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbsp of Corn Starch
• 3 Tbsp of Chilli Garlic Sauce

Directions:-

1. Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water in small bowl and mix thoroughly; set aside, leaving spoon in bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with remaining 1 teaspoon water in small bowl; add eggs and beat with fork until combined. Set aside.
2. Bring broth to boil in large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add snow peas and cook for 4 minutes in boiling broth.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add mushrooms and simmer until mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes.  Add tofu and continue to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Stir cornstarch mixture. Add to soup and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens and turns translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and soy sauce; turn off heat.
5.  Without stirring soup, use soupspoon to slowly drizzle very thin streams of egg mixture into pot in circular motion. Let soup sit 1 minute, then return saucepan to medium-high heat. Bring soup to gentle boil, then immediately remove from heat. 

 

Ginger Vegetable & Tofu Scramble
Adapted from the recipe by Sweetest Kitchen

Ingredients:-

• 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2 Cups of Fresh Snow Peas
• 350g Extra Firm Tofu, cubed
• 1/2 cup of Sliced Mushrooms
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce 
• 2 Tbsp Chilli Garlic Sauce

Directions:-

1. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add cubed tofu and lightly brown.  Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
2. Add a little oil/butter to the same pan and cook the eggs (scrambled) with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in same frying pan.  Cook red pepper, ginger and garlic until fragrant.  Add snow peas and mushrooms, and stir to evenly coat with spices.  Cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Return tofu and scrambled eggs to pan.  Pour soy sauce and chilli garlic sauce over the snow peas, eggs and tofu in the pan and stir to evently coat.