Fast and inexpensive meals I have been cooking for myself during internship as a Vegetarian Living in San Diego
The music therapy interns are busy, busy, so eating enough and eating healthy is super important! Here is everything I like cooking for myself as a Chinese person…
Noodle soup:
What a Chinese classic! I love making this for dinner after a day of internship. After the water reaches a boil, I throw the noodles in and two minutes before they are cooked, I will throw my chopped vegetables in too.
After taking the noodles and vegetables out, I will poach an egg in the water. I season the noodles with soy sauce, black vinegar (balsamic will also do), sesame oil, chill crisp, peppercorn oil, white pepper, cilantro, and scallions.
Frozen dumplings:
I love buying frozen dumplings from the supermarket, 99 Ranch, and on an online Asian grocery delivery app called Weee!, and cooking it in the morning to bring into the office for lunch. For the sauce, I use black vinegar and chill crisp.
Rice, sauteed vegetables, tofu salad
Rice is best when it is portioned like this: one cup of jasmine rice, a handful of brown rice, and half a handful of tricolour quinoa. Sauteeing vegetables the Chinese way is actually very easy: wash and cut vegetables, heat up the pan, add oil and a few ginger slices, then throw the vegetables in. If you would like, you can add salt or soy sauce to taste at the end.
Tofu salads are very common in Chinese cuisine, my favorite is to toss tofu strips, sliced cucumber together and to garnish with cilantro with a sesame oil and soy sauce dressing.
Nothing like a hearty soup with rice. This is my loose interpretation of the korean soup dish, sundubu-jjigae (soft-tofu stew)
I add scallions, ginger to a pan before adding my vegetable broth or just water. I throw in daikon radishes, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, soft tofu, vegan kimchi, and Korean chili paste. I try to have it on a simmer for as long as I can before garnishing it with some fresh cilantro. I like scooping a tablespoon of rice and dipping it in the soup!
Zucchini with smoked tofu
Nothing like the smell of oil and garlic together! Smoked tofu is versatile in a tofu salad or sauteed. Always add the tofu in before adding in the vegetables so everything can be evenly cooked.
Red radishes
Northern Chinese people love sauteeing radishes with sugar and vinegar. Sautee sliced radishes before adding sugar and black vinegar into the pan.