A Chinese Culinary Pantry Raid

On Sunday, we felt like having Chinese food for dinner. Despite the plethora of Chinese take out joints and restaurants in our area, we knew of only a few that served vegan dishes. I took it upon myself to create a quick and tasty dish instead of schlepping to one of our two favorite spots, which are at least 15 minutes by car. I searched the Internet for some Asian-inspired recipes, but I couldn't find anything online that looked appetizing, So, I decided to make an ad hoc meal, a Chinese hodgepodge of sorts, mostly comprised of stuff idly taking up space in our cabinet and fridge.

I made Chinese food in the past with varied results. Some dishes were rather good and some downright meh. As this was my first stab at concocting a purely vegan dish using both traditional and non-traditional Chinese ingredients, I was even more unsure of how this dish would turn out. The two panel jury of myself and Mac gave it two-thumbs-up. Although far from authentic-tasting it was rath,er delicious. The Brussels sprouts actually made the difference, as their slight bitterness lent the dish an added oomph!

Source: Artie's Whipper-Upper

Serves 4

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger6 tbsp of wine vinegar1 tsp of vegan cane sugar6 tbsp of soy sauce2 tbsp of Sriracha 2 tbsp of sesame oil1 (16 ounce) package tofu, drained and cut into cubes 1/2 cup baby corn, drained and cut into pieces 1/2 cup of bean sprouts2 small zucchinis 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips 3 medium green onions, thinly sliced diagonally 10 fresh Brussels sprouts, par cooked (7 minutes) and halved 1 small package of vegan Chinese noodles(Optional) 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Sautee the garlic in a large wok for about 2 minutes or until it turns brown.In a small bowl whisk together the ginger, wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and Sriracha , and pour in the wok and cook for 10 minute on medium/high heat.While the sauce is cooking, toss the noodles into boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes.When the sauce is finished, pour it over the cubed tofu and set aside.After giving the wok a quick cleaning heat up the sesame oil on high and then throw in the baby corns, bean sprout, zucchini, pepper, green onions and Brussels sprouts. Cook for about 5minutes, stirring often. Combine the noodles and tofu and cook for about 3-4 minutes.Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and serve!