A non-stir fry dish - something quite different! From the photo above, this salad looks pretty plain and ordinary. I’ll agree with that from the looks of it. However, I can assure you that it was very tasty!

I got this recipe from a book “Chinese Cooking - The Food and the Lifestyle” while looking for something easy. The recipe only called for tomatoes as the main ingredient, but cucumbers were added along as well! The dressing contains mainly white rice vinegar (as opposed to the dark ones). This white rice vinegar is similar to the Western vinegars, but not as acidic. I have not tried regular vinegar as a substitute, but I suppose it could work.

The next time I try this salad, I think I’m going to try including roasted peanuts (or cashews). I think that would be a great inclusion!

• 2-3 tomatoes, cut into slices
• 1 cucumber, cut into slices
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-2 stalks of green onions, chopped
• some coriander, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of white rice vinegar
• pinch of salt and pepper
• pinch of white pepper

• Mix all the ingredients to form the dressing: garlic, green onions, coriander, sesame oil, white rice vinegar, salt, pepper, and white pepper into a bowl.

1. On a big plate, arrange and spread out the tomatoes and cucumbers.
2. Pour the dressing on top of the vegetables, and serve.

Here’s another vegetarian dish, also using tofu as a main ingredient! I read a recent article about the value of having regular soy intake, and it really has changed my view on tofu! I try to eat as much as I can now, it seems.

No special ingredients are required, and this dish can be completed within 15 minutes, from start to finish.

From the image above, it may look like the tofu is covered with oil, but it’s actually just the natural juices of the tomatoes. Very healthy dish!

• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• about a pound of tofu
• 3 garlic, chopped
• a pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons of chicken broth powder
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• some green onions for garnish (optional)

• Clean and cut tofu into small pieces. Allow it to dry

1. In a preheated wok (or pan), heat the cooking oil, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn a little brown, add the tomatoes.
2. Fry the tomatoes on both sides until you start to see the juices come out. Add a little bit of salt, and 1 teaspoon of the chicken broth powder.
3. Now add the pieces of tofu into the wok (or pan), and a bit more salt and the rest of the chicken broth powder (1 teaspoon). Perform a taste test, and add more salt (or chicken broth powder) if needed.
4. Flip the tofu, turn down the heat and cover the wok (or pan) with a lid for a few minutes. We are aiming to have the natural juices of the tomato come out, creating a bit of a sauce.
5. Serve and garnish with green onions (if available).

This is a similar dish to a previous recipe I posted a few weeks ago, using mainly breakfast-like ingredients. The inclusion of beef and celery gives me an excuse to use some ketchup for dinner :)

The addition of celery may seem like an odd combination, but it turned out great! That said, I don’t think I’ll be trying this with other greens. When stir-frying the tomatoes, I’d go soft on them, since you don’t want all the juices spewing out of the tomatoes (thus creating a soup hybrid instead!).

One of the ingredients for the sauce is Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. This sauce is primarily used for grilled or barbecued meats, but it is actually also used in Asian cuisines, particularly in Hong Kong when having dim sum.

I also created a video for this dish, so stay tuned for the next few days for that!

**EDIT** Video posted Thursday July 8th: Video

• 250 g tenderloin beef, thinly sliced
• 2-3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2-3 eggs (perhaps the same ratio as tomatoes)
• 2 stalks of celery, cut into small pieces
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 4-6 teaspoons of sugar
• 6 tablespoons of ketchup
• 1-2 teaspoon of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce (optional)

• Marinade the beef with 1 teaspoon of sugar, and soy sauce

1. Whip the eggs, have them scrambled, and set aside.
2. In a preheated wok (or pan), heat the cooking oil, then add the beef and stir-fry for a few minutes. Once almost cooked, remove and set aside.
3. Saute the onions for 1-2 minutes, then add the celery and place the beef back into the wok (or pan).
4. For the sauce, add the salt (as needed), 3-5 teaspoons of sugar, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce (if available). Stir well for a minute.
5. Add in the tomatoes, but be gentle, as we do not want to create a soupy mixture. Then add the scrambled eggs.
6. Taste test, you may need to add more sugar or ketchup depending if it’s not sweet or salty enough. Enjoy!

Yes, you did not mis-read the name of this recipe. Actually, thinking of a name was quite the head-scratcher. It sounds like an oxymoron, using mostly breakfast ingredients within a stir-fry, doesn’t it?

While I don’t recommend this dish as a replacement for your actual breakfast, I feel that this is a recipe that everyone can enjoy, especially kids who like the “ketchup-y” flavor. They’ll enjoy mixing the sauce within their steamed rice!

• 2-3 tomatoes, cut into small pieces (or wedges)
• 2-3 eggs (the same number of eggs and tomatoes would be ideal)
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons of scallions, chopped
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of chicken broth mix
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 4 teaspoons of sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons of ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil (optional)

• nada! *edit* Actually, you do need to beat the eggs :)

1. Using a portion of the cooking oil, scramble the eggs on a frying pan. Try your best not to cook them in super tiny pieces, perhaps medium-sized chunks. Remove the eggs from the pan, and set aside.
2. Pour the rest of the cooking oil onto the pan, then add the onions, and stir-fry until almost soft. Dump the tomatoes into the pan, and carefully stir to keep the shape of the tomato intact.
3. Add the salt, sugar, and the chicken broth mix, and bring to a boil while slowly mixing.
4. Add the ketchup, and return the eggs into the pan. If you have sesame oil, now would be a good time to add it in. Gently mix for another 30 seconds.
5. Scatter with the scallions, and serve.