Quick Note: Apologies to the followers, I know my site was down for the past two weeks. Everything seems to be up and running, and we’re ready to go!

Pardon the generic title. To be honest, I’m still unsure what the official name of this green is! It’s labeled as “Chinese Lettuce”, but somehow, something tells me the name was just slapped on! That does not sound very convincing. However, doing a Google Image search on the Chinese name (油麥菜) does the trick!

Here is what it looks fresh from the grocery store:

This is probably the most simple stir-fry dish that has been posted. I usually boil them, and put oyster sauce on top. This time, I tried stir-frying it, and it turned out delicious! I just love the crunchy stem (bottom part)!

You can pick up a batch at your local Asian grocery store. Don’t be intimidated by the large amount that it may come in, as it shrivels by more than half its’ size when you’re done cooking! One thing I would like to try next time is to perhaps cut them into halves. If your pan (or wok) is not very large, you may initially feel it’s being overflowed with the greens! But they will shrivel.

• one large batch of Chinese Lettuce
• 2 teaspoons of chicken broth powder mix
• 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (or to taste)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• Clean all the greens with cold water. They do not need to be dried.

1. In a preheated wok (or pan), heat the cooking oil, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn a little brown, put all the greens into the wok (or pan).
2. You will most likely need to stir the greens, to ensure it is heated uniformaly. Gently stir for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth powder and sugar and keep stirring for another couple of minutes.
4. You will notice that the greens have shriveled. When it has shriveled, and has a darker color, you can turn off the heat, and serve on a plate.

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).