Have I ever told y’all just how much I love food from the Asian continent? Because I really, really do. Whether we’re talking Indian or Thai curry dishes, Mujaddara from Iran, vegan sushi, vegan char siu, fried rice and noodles galore. I love all that I know (minus the animal products) and I can’t wait to learn more.
So last week I did the thing that I’ve been working on for months now…I finished Emerald Creek book 2! I’m still not sold on the title so maybe a better one will come to me while I dive into editing this, the roughest of drafts! If you’re interested in my non-food writing, check out Emerald Creek book 1, Best Of My Love!
Okay so, I finished this wonderful romance, which was a huge milestone because writing for other people all day and then myself after that means I have get my words in when I can and when I can…yay! I decided to reward myself with a bit of vegan takeout, Asian fusion edition.
I’ve said before that there aren’t a lot of vegan options here in Ploiești and the last thing I wanted to do to reward myself was drive to Bucharest even though there are plenty of delicious vegan options there. So, I popped on a an episode of That Chapter (true crime podcast) and I whipped up a vegan takeout meal that I could eat at home, in my pajamas while watching television.
It was pretty easy in terms of vegan dinners even though there were multiple components, and there aren’t a ton of ingredients so you can do this at home for a weeknight or to impress a crowd.
What’s your go to takeout? What’s your favorite Asian cuisine?
Menu:
*Steamed edamame with Himalayan salt & chili flakes
*Pickled woodear mushroom salad
*Udon & vegan meatballs in a tamari & chili sauce
Edamame:
Cooking the frozen edamame was much easier than I expected. All you need to do is salt a big pot of water, drop the edamame in for 3 to 4 minutes (full boil) and strain. Season with salt & chili flakes and that’s it. I added some lemon zest this time because I like to experiment and it was a nice pop of freshness.
Pickled Wood Ear Mushroom Salad:
Get the recipe here.
Udon & Vegan Meatballs
Cook the udon according to the package instructions. I used dry udon noodles this time and they were easier to cook but they don’t taste as good as the vacuum sealed ones, however they are better on calories…for some reason.
For the vegan meatballs, I used Vemondo brand. I seasoned them with vegan Worcester sauce, ground ginger, ground lemongrass, garlic, salt & pepper. Let them sit while the oven preheats and cook’em for about 5 to 7 minutes until they start to crisp up.
For the sauce: Whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, chili sauce or Sriracha, dark soy and sesame oil. Bring it to a bubble over medium high heat and then add in your cornstarch slurry and return to a boil, then reduce the sauce until thick. Add vegan meatballs and stir together.
You can also add the noodles into the sauce and toss it altogether if you want everything coated.
And that’s how I celebrated my new romance novel. How will I celebrate the release date which is in April 2024? Come back to find out!
Expand your culinary horizon with these vegan Asian or Asian inspired recipes:
*Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Curry
*Rice Paper Dumplings
*Butternut Squash Curry
*Mushroom Lo Mein
*Lemon Chickpea Dal
*Kimchi
*Mujaddara Oyster Mushroom Mujaddara
*Mushroom & Lentil Mujaddara
The Spicy Spatula 
Whatcha think?