A macédoine chinoise

A satisfying original stir-fry animated by Asian flavors.

That’s not cuisine from Macedonia at all. Macédoine just means a mix of cubes veggies and peas. When I was a kid, they’d tell me that was because in history Macedonia, the old country, had been made of patches of very small regions and people. Yeah ? What country was not ? The horror is that was usually about canned veggies that tasted like the can. So they invented stories to make you eat that…

Nothing like that here. I’ve fresh produce and some well cooked.

My selection. Some garlic and ginger are not on the photo.

The black things are hijiki seaweeds and Chinese ear wood mushrooms. I used them dry and they have soaked the excess of sauce.

Another black ingredient is the tablespoon of Chinese miso I have added. And I’ve sprinkled ground Sichuan pepper.

A huge plate to devour with black Puer tea. I really thought I was preparing some for 2 or 3 meals but I have eaten it all as it’s really easy to munch. You take a spoon, one more and again and oh no more ! No problem, that’s totally healthy.

August veg’ lunch plate

Colors and vitamins with season veggies.

This Kintoki red bean waffle (like this) is a bit broken. Well, it’s totally broken. It’s necessary to add some potato or corn starch as a binder. Not much, but the amount depends on the beans and these needed more than the small adzuki. It’s flavored with Chinese miso, turmeric, garlic, sesame and cubes of goya bitter squash.

With a sauce made of tomato, olive oil, cumin, spices, chili.

Finely grated raw kabocha pumpkin.

Steamed taasai greens. It’s called B. rapa var. narinosa in vegetable patch Latin. It’s spelled like that in Asian hieroglyphs : 搨菜. And in English ? No idea. Well, greens are always good to take. I got them for a song at the market.

More sliced goya.

Spicing up the Chuka standards, mabo tofu and yakisoba

Chuka, is Chinese cuisine in Japan. These 2 dishes are so boringly classic that you always want to make variations.
Beware : it’s hot today ! On the table too.

Momen tofu, cotton tofu. It’s squeezed in cotton. The mark of the fabric is visible. It’s a firm tofu. I just let it on a plate and excess water goes out (it’s possible to add a second plate + something heavy on top).

That’s a new variation of mabo tofu.
-garlic, onions, Chinese miso, chili pepper. Stir-fried.
-plus tomato paste and cooked kabocha skin. Simmered.
-plus a garam masala mix of Indian spices
-plus the water squeezed tofu

It has a Singapore curry taste. That must be the effect of black beans from miso combined with Indian spices.

home-made eggs noodles

A shahan, fried noodles. Very simple : oil, garlic, lettuce, soy sauce. Toppings are negi and shichimi togarashi (7 spice mix) plus a few drops of fragrant sesame oil.
PLUS ichimi togarashi (=pure hot chili flakes).
OOOOOOOOOCh !
The truth is I’ve confused the pure chili and the mix.

So, I’ve ended with 2 very spicy dishes. And I’ve love them to the point of licking the chopsticks.

Veg’ patties and aubergines

And a new potato salad. That’s an easy Summer lunch.

Yes, these azuki bean patties, AKA pattzukis come again. But they are never twice the same.

The aubergine is steamed (with the potatoes), then baked under the broiler, then it joins the patties to steal the juice’s flavor.

Just add parsley.

Grilled.

Cut the hot steamed potatoes. Place on lettuce. Drizzle a little canola oil then lots of raspberry flavored wine vinegar. A little dry oregano.

With Chinese miso, and why the pattzukis…

I’m trying a new condiment. Well, it’s new for me. I’ve used it to give a Chinese flavor the patties of azuki beans.

Yes, again, those patties. I really love them. I should give them a name. pattzukis ? Why the obsession ? Oh, you don’t know who is posting. The truth I am an American teen, in someone else’s body, and I eat burgers all the time. And I’ve found I like liked the azuki ones better than the those made of beef ? dog ? donkey ? Well what do they give us in fast-food ? We prefer not knowing. And azuki beans are ideal for me. I get them dry cheaply since they are local. Prices really depend on geography. Exotic beans are overpriced. For instance, I buy kidney beans for occasions as they are about 10 times the price of my azuki beans.
They are not soy, so no overdose of phyto hormones. Bonus : azuki means “small beans” as they are tiny like lentils. They cook quicker that most others, in about 20 minutes (after 24 hours of soaking).

click for other posts with pattzukis

Chinese miso made with soybeans. The color of miso depends on the ingredients to make it, that goes from nearly white (rice), to nearly black (soy beans) with all shades of brown (mix of rice, soy, wheat, other grains). This one is a cousin of Japanese hatcho miso, that is also very dark, but usually firmer and not so sweet, by it’s related.

The batter (azuki, ground sesame, potato starch) is flavored with the Chinese miso, grated garlic, ginger, chili pepper and cumin. I added the minced feet of the shrooms.