the Soycialist

Tag: #veggie

  • Sesame Spinach Salad 麻酱菠菜墩

    Sesame Spinach Salad 麻酱菠菜墩

    TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes

    YIELD: 2 servings

    CALORIES: 180 kcal per serving

    SPICINESS: Not Spicy

    This is a quick, wholesome side dish that combines the vibrant freshness of spinach with a rich, nutty sesame dressing. Ready in just a few minutes, it’s light yet satisfying, making it perfect for busy weekdays or as a healthy addition to a larger meal.

    INGREDIENTS 备菜

    Item 配菜Amount 用量
    Spinach 菠菜1 bunch
    Sesame Paste 芝麻酱2 tbsp
    Garlic 蒜2 cloves
    Light Soy Sauce 生抽1 tbsp
    Vinegar 香醋1 tbsp
    Sugar 糖1/2 tbsp
    Sesame Oil 香油1/2 tbsp
    Salt 盐To taste
    Water 温水2-3 tbsp
    1. For an even richer flavor, use a sesame–peanut blended paste instead of plain sesame paste.
    1. 芝麻酱建议选择芝麻与花生混合的那种，会更香一些。

    INSTRUCTIONS 做法

    1. Rinse the spinach thoroughly. 将菠菜洗净。

    2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the spinach for 1 minute, then remove. 水烧开后放入菠菜焯水 1 分钟，捞出。

    3. Immediately plunge the spinach into cold water to cool. 立即放入凉水中过凉。

    4. Squeeze out excess water and cut into sections. 攥干水分后切段。

    5. For a nicer presentation, press the spinach into a small container (such as a glass) and invert it onto a plate. 为了摆盘美观，可将菠菜压入一个小容器（如玻璃杯）后倒扣在碗中。

    6. For the dressing: mix 2 tablespoons sesame paste with 2–3 tablespoons water until smooth (adjust water to your preferred consistency). Add 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon aged vinegar, ½ tablespoon sugar, a pinch of salt, and ½ tablespoon sesame oil (optional). Finally, stir in some minced garlic. 调料汁：取 2 勺芝麻酱，加入 2–3 勺饮用水搅匀，水量可根据个人喜好调节酱汁浓稀；再加入 1 勺生抽、1 勺陈醋、半勺白糖、一点盐、半勺香油（可省略），最后加蒜末搅拌均匀。

    7. Pour the prepared dressing over the spinach and sprinkle with white sesame seeds or crushed peanuts before serving. 将调好的芝麻酱汁淋在菠菜上，最后撒些白芝麻或花生碎即可上桌。

    Voila! Bon appétit!

    Tips:

    • Removing excess moisture makes the spinach crisper; a large bunch will shrink down to about a fistful. 攥干水分能让菠菜更爽脆，一大把菠菜最后大约只剩一小拳头大小
    • I only used half of the sesame dressing for this dish. Store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator — it’s also delicious as a dip for other boiled vegetables. 这道菜最后调好的麻酱料汁我只用了一半，剩下的可以放入冰箱冷藏，蘸其他水煮蔬菜也非常好吃。
  • Spicy & Sour Shredded Potatoes 酸辣土豆丝

    Spicy & Sour Shredded Potatoes 酸辣土豆丝

    TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

    YIELD: 2 servings

    CALORIES: 250 kcal per serving

    SPICINESS:

    A classic home-style dish rooted in Sichuan cuisine and beloved across China. Known for its tangy, spicy, and crisp taste, it features potatoes as the main ingredient, complemented by chili peppers, vinegar, and other seasonings. Its history can be traced back to the Ming dynasty, after potatoes were first introduced to China. The finished dish is bright in color, refreshing in texture, and perfectly balanced in sourness and heat — and it can also serve as a light, low-fat option.

    INGREDIENTS 备菜

    Item 配菜Amount 用量
    Potatoes 土豆500 g
    Scallions 葱15 g
    Garlic 蒜3 – 5 cloves (20 g)
    Green Chili Pepper 青椒2 (65 g)
    Red Chili Pepper 红辣椒1 (40 g)
    Dried Red Chili 干辣椒2
    Sichuan Peppercorn 花椒2 g
    Light Soysauce 生抽2 tbsp
    Dark Soysauce 老抽3 g
    Sugar 糖3 g (1 teaspoon)
    Salt 盐3 g (1 teaspoon)
    Chicken Bouillon Powder 鸡精3 g (1 teaspoon)
    White Vinegar 白醋10 g (1 tbsp)
    Aged Vinegar 陈醋20 g (2 tbsp)
    1. Slice two green peppers (thin-skinned, stems and seeds removed) lengthwise into thin strips; cut the red chili in the same way. You can also add a few dried chili segments to combine both smoky heat and fresh chili flavor.
    2. Slice the garlic and set aside together with the red chili strips.
    3. Prepare scallion whites cut into thin strips or segments. If available, substitute with cilantro stems for extra aroma.
    4. White vinegar is clear or milky in color with a sharp acidity, while aged vinegar (Chen Cu) is dark brown with a mellow sourness and distinctive aroma. If needed, white vinegar and aged vinegar can be used interchangeably — having one is enough. That said, both types are usually available in Asian supermarkets.
    5. Chicken bouillon powder is a common Chinese seasoning and can also be easily found in Asian supermarkets.
    1. 将两个去蒂去籽的薄皮青椒剖开后斜切成丝；红辣椒同样切丝。可根据个人口味加入一些干辣椒段，这样既能带来干辣的香气，也有鲜辣的味道。
    2. 大蒜切片，与红辣椒丝放在一起备用。
    3. 可准备一些葱白切丝或切段，有条件的话可以换成香菜梗，味道更好。
    4. 白醋呈透明或乳白色，酸味较为刺激；陈醋则色泽深褐，酸味醇厚并带有独特香气。如果条件有限，白醋和陈醋可互相替代，任选其一即可。不过在大多数亚洲超市里，这两种醋都能买到。
    5. 鸡精是常见的中式调味料，在亚洲超市也很容易找到。

    INSTRUCTIONS 做法

    1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin shreds. Rinse under cold water until the water runs clear . 土豆去皮切丝，用清水冲洗至水变清澈。

    2. Mix the potato shreds with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and let soak for 10 minutes . 加入 1 勺白醋抓匀，浸泡 10 分钟。

    3. Heat oil in a wok and add Sichuan peppercorns, frying until aromatic. Do not use too many, as they can turn bitter; remove and discard once fragrant and dark purple. 锅中倒油，加入花椒粒炸香。花椒不可过量，否则发苦；炸糊也会发苦，见其出香味、呈深紫色时立即捞出丢弃。

    4. At this point the oil will be very hot. Turn off the heat, let it cool slightly, then add the garlic slices and red chili strips to release their aroma with the residual heat. Still off the heat, add 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce and a dash of dark soy sauce for color. 此时油温很高，关火，待稍降后放入蒜片和红辣椒丝，用余温爆香。保持关火，加入 2 勺生抽和少许老抽调色。

    5. Turn the heat back to high and stir-fry until the sauce starts to bubble. Add the potato shreds, stir-fry on high for about 1 minute until slightly softened, then add the green pepper strips. 再开大火翻炒，待锅中酱料冒泡时下入土豆丝，大火翻炒约 1 分钟，炒至稍微软化后加入青椒丝。

    6. Keeping the heat on high, season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Add scallion strips or cilantro stems and stir to combine. 保持大火，调入 1 茶匙盐、1 茶匙鸡精、1 茶匙白糖，再倒入葱丝或香菜梗翻炒均匀。

    7. Finally, drizzle 2 tablespoons of aged vinegar or white vinegar around the wok, toss quickly, and serve hot. 最后沿锅边淋入 2 勺陈醋或白醋，快速翻匀即可出锅。

    Voila! Bon appétit!

    Tips:

    • At step 1, rinsing potato shreds with cold water is to remove excess starch so the potatoes stay crisp and don’t stick together when stir-fried. 第一步中用清水冲土豆丝能洗去多余淀粉，炒时不粘连，更加爽脆
    • At step 2, the vinegar keeps potato shreds crunchy when cooked. 第二步中用醋浸泡也是因为醋能让土豆丝更脆
    • At step 6, the sugar is to enhance flavor and balance the vinegar’s acidity. 第六步中，糖是为了提鲜并中和醋酸味。