Chinese Spaghetti

Serves 8

Chinese spaghetti is like pizza in the sense that you can add a variety of toppings. But this is much healthier than pizza as it uses seven different types of vegetables. Chinese spaghetti does not have to be a strictly vegetarian dish; you can add fish or chicken or some other lean meat. But even the most loyal of carnivores will not be able to deny the normally meatless sensation that is Chinese spaghetti. This meal only takes about half an hour to make and its cheap ingredients are sure to stretch your dollar.

You will need:

• A salad spinner
• A measuring cup
• A knife
• A slotted spoon
• 2 large pots (about six inches deep, enough to hold a quart of liquid)
• A spaghetti server

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 1 medium to large Chinese eggplant
• 1 head of bok choy (Chinese cabbage)
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
• ½ a head of leeks
• 10 chopped garlic cloves
• ½ cup of olive oil
• 12 oz. of spaghetti
  
• ½ cup of sesame seeds
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 1 pound of imitation crab meat
• 1 pound of mixed bell peppers (about 6 or 7 peppers)
• Some ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of salt

Condiments (whichever you prefer)

• Hoisin sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Soy sauce
• Plum Sauce
• Chinese mustard
• Duck sauce
• Red cherry sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
  

Start by prepping your vegetables and boiling water for the spaghetti. Take a large pot and fill it with water and add a tablespoon of salt. Follow the directions on the spaghetti box. While the noodles are boiling, start prepping your vegetables by rinsing them under cold water. Take your leeks and bok choy and break them away from their stems then place the chopped leeks and bok choy in a salad spinner. Use the salad spinner so that the dirt and tiny pebbles in these vegetables can sink to the bottom and won’t appear in the food.

Grab your second pot and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Chop your onions, peppers and garlic into the pot and add the diced tomatoes. When you’re chopping up the vegetables they should be about the size of your thumb. I cut them that way because vegetables tend to shrink as they cook. Sauté the vegetable pieces until they soften and then add a teaspoon of pepper. Add the Chinese eggplant later only after the other ingredients are soft because eggplant cooks much quicker than vegetables do.

Like I said before, you can add any meat you like to Chinese spaghetti, but my personal favorite is imitation crab meat. I always thought imitation crab meat came from imitation crabs, but I recently discovered it was made from the finely pulverized flesh of the Alaska Pollock, a white fish whose flesh is shaped and cured to resemble snow crab legs. By now, the water for the pasta should have boiled and the noodles should be soft enough to eat. As soon as the spaghetti is ready, drain the water out and transfer the cooked noodles to the other pot and stir all the ingredients together as the eggplant cooks. Your Chinese spaghetti should be ready in about 10 minutes. Once everything is ready, sprinkle and stir in your sesame seeds and parmesan to add some crunch and cheesy flavor to your meal.

As for toppings, I like to keep the condiments Chinese or at least Asian to keep with the whole Chinese theme of the dish. Once you serve the food, guests should be free to choose whichever condiment they want to add to their Chinese spaghetti. I really don’t have a favorite, so I alternate between the sauces mentioned above.

Spring Rolls

Makes 20-25 rolls

Spring rolls are a great hors devour that will satisfy nearly every pallet. While many Americans may have eaten spring rolls in Chinese restaurants, these fried treats are popular in many other Asian countries including Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia. I like to dip my spring rolls in duck sauce, but I know people who dip theirs in everything from ketchup to soy sauce to mustard to wasabi. This recipe does call for some rather exotic ingredients such as hoisin sauce and oyster sauce. If you don't live near an Asian neighborhood like I do, you might be able to find these items in the ethnic foods section of your supermarket or order it online.

You will need:

• a tablespoon
• a skillet or wok
  
• a deep fryer or pot large enough for deep frying
• a knife
• a wooden spoon
  
• a chopping board or plate
• a box grater or peeler
• a measuring cup
• a small bowl half filled with water
• a small pastry brush
  

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped cabbage
• 1 medium-sized carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• 1 package of 20-30 square wonton or egg roll wrappers
• vegetable oil, for frying
• salt and pepper
  
• 4 ounces ground meat (optional)

Part 1: Making the filling

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add the garlic, coriander, cabbage, carrot, and bean sprouts. Cook for 2 minutes or until the cabbage is limp. Add the ground meat (optional) and continue to cook until heated through. Stir in the hoisin and oyster sauces. The filling should be moist but not wet. Remove skillet from heat and allow to cool. Toss in a little salt and pepper to taste.

Part 2: Creating the spring rolls

Ideally, the size for a spring roll should be rectangular and about an inch or so in width (the length doesn't really matter as long as the wrapper is long enough to wrap around the spring roll at least twice) so if the wrappers you find are too wide, just cut them in half. Note: It is highly recommended that you watch my spring roll video to learn how to wrap a spring roll. Lay a wonton (or egg roll) wrapper on a flat surface and place 2 teaspoons of the filling near one corner of the wrapper. Dipping your pastry brush (you can use your finger if you don't have a brush) into the water, lightly moisten the long sides of the wrapper before folding them inward. The water will help the wrapper stick together. Take the wrap and using your thumbs to push the wrap forward and your index and middle fingers to tuck the filling inside, roll the whole thing up as you would a loose cigarette. Paint the top seam of the wrapper with water to seal it. Pour about 1-inch of oil in a skillet and fry the spring rolls for 2 minutes, turning them over to make sure all sides are cooked. Drain your golden brown rolls on paper towels before serving.

P.S.: My spring rolls were a hit at Arlene's Grocery last Sunday, where they held their first ever Gong Show. For those unfamiliar with the original Gong Show, it was a televised talent show that ran in the 1970s and 80s with the main attraction being the giant gong that was hit to let crappy performers know it was time to get off stage. My talent was obviously the cooking and although I didn't win the grand prize, the judges didn't bang the gong, either!