Tag Archives: stir fry

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life and Chua Vietnam, Roslindale

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Every week, we would go to Chua Vietnam for Vietnamese lessons. As children, we would take our shoes off, hang up our coats and enter the main Buddha hall of Chua Vietnam, the Buddhist Association of Massachusetts’s Buddhist temple, in Roslindale.

Over time, we have attended less frequently, but still do attend services for the Lunar New Year, holidays and important family occasions. Currently, there is a youthful monk visiting from Central Vietnam. He is humorous and very relatable.

After meditation, reflection and community, we are reminded how important it is to renew and explore our spiritual roots and understanding absolute and relative happiness. After services, we have a sense of calmness and internal peace.

One of the most momentous events in the Chua Vietnam’s services was when Zen master, Thay Thich Nhat Hanh visited the Buddhist chua. More recently, the New York Times featured a brief video of Thich Nhat Hanh’s visit to the Google campus (On Google’s Lunch Menu: Mindful Eating), as well a thoughtful article on mindful eating, Mindful Eating as a Way as Food for Thought.

Dr. Lilian Cheung and Thich Nhat Hanh co-authored Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life and we highly suggest to pick this up for an informed view on eating. Dr. Cheung espouses the seven practices of mindful eating and describes each concepts such as the importance of honoring the food, engaging all senses, mindfulness of portion size, chewing, eating slowly, not skipping meals and eating a plant-based diet.

We are not vegetarians (one of us is a former vegetarian), but do strive to eat more veggies. Kathy Freston’s Veganist offers tangible examples and explanations of the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

Every Sunday, the Chua Vietnam community invites participants to enjoy a banquet of vegetarian dishes after services (L), including vegetarian noodles (R).

Our mother’s Vietnamese Fresh Vegetarian Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn Chay) and the community’s stir fry noodles, egg rolls, fried rice and marinated green beans.

Every item on our plate had a nice balance with each other and each grain of rice was eaten. The fresh spring rolls had a nice texture from the vermicelli noodles, carrot and cucumber. The tofu absorbed the peanut flavor and the fresh herbs offer a vibrant flavor.

The vegetarian egg roll has a nice crunch and was filled with savory carrots and yellow mung beans. The green beans had a good snap, light sauce and fragrant sesame flavor.

Five Spice Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

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For a quick, aromatic and hearty stir-fry, we made chewy Five Spice Beef and cabbage. It was a really fast meal to make, flavorful and a great way to get in some ruffage.
Adapted from AllRecipes
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 pound sliced beef
  • 1 small head cabbage, shredded
  • 1 small onion, cut into strips
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 tablespoons five spice sauce (recipe follows)

Five-Spice Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch dissolved in 3 teaspoons water
Combine all ingredients for the five spice sauce. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Saute garlic for about 5 seconds, then add onion and beef. Stir-fry until beef is evenly brown. Stir in cabbage, and cook until vegetables are tender, and beef is fully cooked. Stir in sauce. Mix together cornstarch and water, and stir in. Season with pepper. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened and serve alone or with rice.
Water and Five Spice Teriyaki Sauce
Washed cabbage
Pre-seasoned wok with peanut oil, garlic, onion and beef
Added water and five spice marinade

Chinese Bourbon Chicken

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I love Bourbon Chicken you can get at the mall. A miniscule taste of the super tender, sweet chicken on a toothpick causes a physical reaction to purchase an entire foam container of chicken with rice. Using a wok, we made our own version of the chicken and a bit of cornstarch thickens the sauce.

Adapted from Lila Voo

  • 3 boneless chicken breasts (1.5 lbs)
  • 1 tsp peanut oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch

Marinade:

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp thick soy sauce
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp garlic salt

Cut all of the fat off the chicken and cut the breasts into 1 inch pieces. In a large container with a tight fitting lid, mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade. If you don’t have thick soy you can substitute with just a ½ tsp of molasses. Stir the marinade thoroughly until all the sugar has dissolved. Then add the chicken making sure that each piece is coated with the marinade and refrigerate over night. Be sure to have a container with a tight fitting lid, the alcohol is quite strong and will leave an odor in your refrigerator if the lid is not sealed tight.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, drain it from the marinade, reserving the marinade to be used later. In a small cup, mix the cornstarch with just a little water to dissolve and set it aside. Heat a large non stick pot or wok on high. Once hot, add the oil.

When the oil it hot, add the chicken and cook it until it browns. Remember, you have to wait for all the liquid in the chicken to evaporate before it can brown. This takes about 7 minutes. Once the chicken is brown, slowly stir in the reserved marinade and bring it to a boil.

Then add the cornstarch mixture and stir until it becomes thick. Serve with rice.