Mock Pork Stir-fry!

You can find these strange cans filled with "vegetarian mock pork" in most shops specialising in Chinese foods.


This stuff is actually just wheat protein texturised to imitate meat, developed as many eastern cultures became vegetarian, mostly with the onset of Buddhism. It's a good source of protein, and is also known as "Seitan"~ It also comes in "mock chicken" and "mock duck" varieties.


In Dublin, it is sold in the Asia Market on Drury street, and the Oriental Emporium beside Jervis LUAS station. It costs around €1.50 per can. Each can contains three servings.


The mock pork tastes a little meaty, but it absorbs all other strong flavours around it, like onion and any spices, and instantly turns delicious when cooked in a stir-fry~ ^_^


Ingredients:

• One can of Mock Pork
• 3 medium-sized onions (red or white, red+sweetness white+savoury)
• One bell pepper
• Broccoli, sliced.
• One small bag of beansprouts
• Two heads of medium-sized Pak choi
• One tablespoon of soy sauce (dark or light, dark is more salty)
• One nubbin of fresh ginger
• One fresh chilli.
• Two or three cloves of garlic, depending on personal taste~
• For even MORE protein, add a cup of cooked mung beans!
• Egg noodles, or Udon Noodles, cooked. (or any type! Ramen, rice.. etc..)
• One cup of mushrooms. (shiitake preferably)
• Peanut or Rapeseed oil for frying.
• One teaspoon of "Chinese five-spice" powder.
• Four spring onions.

If you have time, marinade the mock pork in a mixture of a little soy sauce and sprinkling of Chinese five-spice for an hour beforehand~


Directions:

-Heat oil in a wok or frying pan to a high heat.

Add the mock pork to the wok and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.

If you haven't marinated, add the Chinese five-spice now, and stir fry for a further 2 minutes.

-Add the vegetables that need extra cooking time, like garlic, ginger, chilli, broccoli. Let them flavour the mock pork.

-Add the peppers, onions, mushrooms. Stir-fry for a further 3 minutes, still on a high heat!!

-Add a splash of soy sauce to the mixture and stir evenly!

In the final minute of frying, add the perishable vegetable like pak choi and beansprouts, cooked mung beans or spring onions.

-Serve on a  bed of cooked noodles, drizzled with soy sauce.

Enjoy! 

HP recovered: 800! This is very healthy and filling. The only drawback is salty soy sauce. Use less if you want to~ Extra Noodles add more bulk. 

Feel free to add: Asparagus, water chestnuts, sweetcorn, french beans, broad beans, baby-corn.

~^_^~

Delicious Tofu Skewers

These look absolutely AMAZING when they're all done, and ready to be eaten.

Ingredients

• Firm tofu. (cut into skewer-size pieces)
• Ground spices. (like cumin, paprika, garlic, cayenne, turmeric)
• Egg. (beaten)
• Wooden skewers. (soaked in water for 30 minutes beforehand)
• Regular or Panko breadcrumbs.
• Bell peppers, or any thick sweet pepper.
• Red or white onion.
• Plain white flour.

Directions~

-Get three small bowls.
Fill one with a mixture of flour and spices, to a ratio of 1/3 spices, 2/3 flour. Mix together.
Fill another with the beaten egg mixture.
And fill one more with breadcrumbs.

-One at a time, by hand, get each piece of tofu and coat it first in the flour/spices mix, then followed by the egg mixture, and finally coat the egg layer with breadcrumbs. Place on a plate or chopping board.

-Quarter the onions, and cut the peppers into large slices.

-Put the tofu cubes on a skewer, along with the vegetables.

-Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes (Ideally suspended) @220c until the tofu coating has turned a lovely golden colour and the vegetables have charred a little. Serve drizzled with some sort of spicy sauce or mayonnaise. OR BOTH!

 This is my friend Niamh learning how to make them ~^_^~

Status: Vegetarian.
HP recovered: 250
Filling? Not really, best used as a party food, or a starter.
Healthy? Definitely! The only vaguely unhealthy ingredient is eggs. No oil used in this recipe.
Please use organic free range eggs. And try to get organic/non-GMO tofu and vegetables.

Introductory Post!

Hello Blogland.

Here you'll find an array of useful information on amazing food of all kinds, guaranteed to raise your base HP. And maybe Attack.

I decided to make this blog on request from a few of my friends who I regularly have over for lovely foods that I cook. I hope they like it!

All my information on food will be based on someone living in Ireland or the UK.

Things I try to keep in mind:

• Student-friendly meals (cheap!)
• Try to make it vegan/vegetarian!
• Healthy
• In season and organic is what to aim for~
• Taste is important too ^^ I SUPPOSE.

So... with that, here's a picture of some lovely things that are about to be roasted. nomnomnom~

~Lee