Vegan Chinese Banquet Foods?
Ok, I'm really excited....some of you know I am in culinary schooll...right...I sometimes refer to it as culinary hell...ok...anyway....something of a miracle has happened! There is going to be a banquet in April and the theme is Chinese foods. The head chef...a devout carnivore ....surprised the vegetarians and vegan in the class by announcing that we would be serving at least one vegan or vegetarian dish for each course offered! Believe you me folks this is a break through!!!!! :D
So anyway, now I am running around trying to find chinese vegan appetizers, soups, vegetables, starches, entrees.....you get the idea. I am hoping to use the General Taos Tofu from this site but I am wondering if I need to get someone's permission????
I'd love any suggestions any of you might have.
you're in luck ... !
with Chinese New Year rapidly approaching, there are a number of us getting ready to celebrate ... which, as you might guess, involves special menus & foods at our tables, many of which - (Buddhist tradition) - will be veg*n for the big dinner!
be sure to ask around in your area & check with Asian / Buddhist friends about the delicacies we'll be enjoying at this time of year!
~ fr
Vegan lumpia-type egg rolls filled with burger-style crumbles sauteed w/ carrot, celery, onion and garlic sounds good....finger type foods would probably go over well I think...Will check some recipe books for more ideas... Good luck!!
Thanks, I appreciate the suggestions! There is a Buddist Temple in town but I don't know much about them. I quess I can call and find out if anyone there is receptive to helping me with recipes or could point me to a book or something.
I love eggrolls! It is hard to find the wrappers around here without eggs in them though. I should check out a couple of the asian markets......
WHEEEEEEEEE......
Good luck with this-- a great opportunity to showcase your mad vegan skillz and blow them away! Maybe you'll turn a few of your peers on to veg*nism who knows?! or at least impress your prof! Yay!
There is a Buddist Temple in town but I don't know much about them. I quess I can call and find out if anyone there is receptive to helping me ...
trip to the local library or bookstore, or even an online search, should turn up some ideas that are both Asian & Veg*n; depending on the Temple, the kitchen help might not speak much English ...
(we hear mostly Mandarin in our Temple kitchen)
enjoy!
~ fr
Thanks, MDV! I just read some of the reviews on that book and it sounds great! One of the problems is finding chinese recipes that will work with American ingredients....and this book seems to address that! I'm going to Borders and Barnes and Noble this weekend to see if they have it in stock.
Thanks so much! :)>>>
I turn in my first draft of my Chinese menu for buffet this morning. Scared...
Couldn't use Genereal Taos's Tofu.....but 2 no wait 3 students (non-vegetarians!) took copies of the recipe when looking through my notes, just to try at home. Rules were I had to find authentic Chinese recipes, identify the location they were from and not (at this time) change the ingredients. I was really tempted to try sneaking in that Thai inspired soup too but it didn't fit the rules.....darn.
Anyway, this is it. 7 out of 9 of my recipes are vegan to start with. I figure I can veganize that soup (if they let me) no problem. And of course I have that required meat dish. I picked one so hot I am sure it will get rejected! Two of the other students grabbed the egg rolls right off along with spring rolls and veggie pot stickers....
Cold Appetizer
Hunan Style Smacked Cucumbers
Hot Appetizer
Cantonese Style Green Onion Pancakes with Ginger Dipping Sauce
Soup
Cantonese Style Sweet Corn Soup with Crabmeat
Salad
Chengdu Style Marinated Carrot Shreds
Cantonese Style Liang Pan Chich Lan
(Broccoli Stem Salad)
Starch
Szechwan Style Dan Dan Noodles
(Street Peddlers Hot and Spicy Noodles)
Vegetable
Cantonese Stir-fried Spinach in Garlic Sauce with Lemon
Meat Entrée
Kao Yang Ruo Chan
(Xijian Lamb and Chili Grill)
Vegan Entrée
Cantonese Style Buddha Delight
Wish me luck!
Green onion pancakes own my heart. I make them all the time! They were my favorite food in the school canteens and from street vendors in China. I want one now!