Friday 21 August 2009

Pasta de Vegan!

Many people who ever entertained the idea of being a long-term vegetarian in Singapore would have felt it was an uphill task, because 1. Singapore is a food haven that everyone is spoilt for choice with its variety, 2. With so many types of meat available, each type alone can be cooked in 1001 ways within different races, the temptation does not make it easier. 3. People think being vegetarian only meant eating only vegetables and all the typical fried mock meat dishes that a vegetarian char bee hoon stall sells and that's about it.
Nonetheless, I convinced myself to go for it as it was for my own good; for health purpose, for cleansing purpose, as well as for my spiritual practice.  Anyway it is only going to be 100 days.

Day 3 / 100, this was the pasta I made today, I shall call it Pasta de Vegan! Haha! It was pasta but cooked in a more Chinese way of stir-fry. I boiled and cooked the pasta in boiling water with olive oil and salt for 10 minutes. Then I sieved them up to dry and air. Do not overcook the pasta as it will turn soggy.

Ingredients (serving size = 6-8 persons):
- 5 big Chinese mushrooms (soaked and thinly sliced)
- 5 white shitake mushrooms  
- 1 pack of 500g pasta or slightly more about 600g
- 1 and half green capsicum (thinly sliced)
- 5 young corn shoot (cut into long pieces)
- 1 big onion (chopped)

Additional Ingredients for the non-vegetarians:
- 300g pork, thinly sliced, marinated w/sesame oil, light soya sauce, pepper
- 150g prawns, thinly sliced, marinated w/ sesame oil, light soya sauce

I cooked in 2 separate batches; vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Well, I was the only one having the Pasta de Vegan!  After frying the chopped onions in oil, I added the pork to fry for about 5 minutes, then I added the chinese mushrooms to fry another 1 minute, then I added the capsicum and young corn - fry for another 3 minutes. The last to go in should be the shitake mushroom and then pour in the cooked pasta. Add a little water and add oyster sauce (or mushroom sauce) and/or a pinch of salt, mix well and stir fry everything. Throughout I used high fire. After about 5 minutes, it was ready!

I cooked my vegetarian pasta separately. It was quite delicious - springy pasta and crunchy  veggies. I always insist on using chinese mushroom because it has a more fragrant taste and I like sauteed shitake mushroom as well. So you see, a vegetarian meal does not need to be boring, as the taste depends on how you cook the pasta and veggies well. I feel that both the oyster sauce (or mushroom sauce) and onions are the crucial ingredients for seasoning (actually I could even eat the pasta alone because it was that delicious).

Whereas mine is called Pasta de Vegan, I shall call the other with additional pork and prawns, Pasta de Heaven! Haha!

2 comments:

  1. I personally found it challenging to be vegetarian in sg. I was pescan (fish only, no meat) for one month and i really really had to focus and be stringent with myself. Partially because there isn't much variety for non-meat eaters out there, especially for converts yknow? I ended up having salmon all the time hahaha.

    So i'm giving you all my determination and strength, you can do it! After the month, i did try to limit my intake of meat but man, it was too tough, i caved in. You need like-minded friends to lead this sorta lifestyle, me thinks, at least for me. My friends were laughing at me and waving their chix wings... cruel.

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  2. Melly
    Having fish only would be a delight, salmon, codfish, all the different types of fishes, Filet o Fish etc...haha. I've done veg diet for the most one month, so this time 3 months would be the longest I hope I can. Thanks for the motivation! I need luck!!! :D

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