Preparing Vegetable Stuffings, Vegetable Wrappings and Bean Cakettes

This is a continuation of our series on cooking with the wok, as pulled from excerpts from Renegade Wok:  New Dimensions in Wok Cooking. This time we concentrate on how to prepare vegetable stuffings, vegetable wrappings, and bean cakettes.

Vegetable Stuffings

Vegetable stuffings are popular when cooking with ground meats. Renegade Wok recommends greater usage of these traditional presentations and development of your own.

Stuffed Vegetables

1. Cut around the stem base and discard.
2. Cut to form a shell, or a top and bottom cup. (Discard pith and seeds.)
3. Stuff with any sauted ground fish or ground meat of your choice. Spicy condiments, black bean paste, and pickled cabbage are tasty optional additions.
4. Steam and serve with external garnishments as desired (Cilantro, green onions, kumquats). Optional: Place over a bed of cabbage leaves or strips of eggplants and steam until the vegetable shell softens. Garnish and serve.

Vegetable Wrappings

1. Start with any stir-fried combo of ground or minced meat and golden triangle.
2. Add diced or finely chopped Chinese long string beans, carrots, zucchini, celery, and green onions.
3. Add finely chopped pre-soaked black mushrooms, dried oysters, and cooked glass noodles to enhance the flavor chain.
4. Add an internal gravy binder of Hoisin sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and sugar, which will seal all the exotic tastes together.
5. Serve washed lettuce leaves on a long platter, as everyone can grab a portion at the same time. The survival time of this dish is approximately 90 seconds. Endive or Romaine can be surprising alternatives.

Bean Cakes (A La Tofu)

Tofu and bean cakes are a basic high protein ingredient without cholesterol. It is a bean curd with a soft or firm texture and blends well with any dish or soup. Use it as a meat substitute and/or a protein additive, because it is neutral in taste, and will attain the general flavor of your main ingredients. It is easier to obtain it from your market than to make it from soy beans.

1. Dice for salads and soup or for frying.
2. Cut carefully to large bit size and add stuffing on top.

Stuffing #1

Ground pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, or celery, black mushrooms, peanuts, and green onion—all finely chopped and mixed into a coarse paste texture.

Stuffing #2

Fish cake ingredients are a delicious alternate.

1. Cut to "two bite" size (Warrior cut). Add stuffing, pan, or deep fry to golden brown, and let drain on paper towels.
2. Cut to wedge shape (Princess cut). Add stuffing, pan, or deep fry, and let drain on paper towels.

Note:

1. Sprinkle corn starch or flour prior to cooking or braising to prevent crumbling.
2. Skewer with round toothpicks.
3. Cakes can be eaten as cooked—crunchy or dip into sauces of your taste.
4. Cakes will be juicier if braised in your favorite sauce.
5. Braising sauce can be made of your favorite oyster or soy sauce, mixed with soup stock, sugar, garlic, and cornstarch.
6. Cover vessel and let sauce simmer into your cakes for a few minutes. Remove cakes carefully and artfully arrange your presentation with garnish. Your choice!

In the next edition of Jade Dragon Online we will discuss how to cook with oils in a healthy way. Future issues will focus on fried rice, as well as selecting oils and condiments, acquiring good stir-frying techniques, steaming, and using your wok hardware, among many other exciting Renegade Wok secrets.

To become a full-fledged Renegade Wokker more quickly, order the Renegade Wok source book at our discounted rate of only $9.99 (retail $12.95) using our mail order form.

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