Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant (欣園素菜館)

This is one of my favorite Chinese vegetarian restaurants in California. Needless to say, they serve excellent Chinese cuisine with vegetable dishes or substitute soy meat. Need I say more?

Please note that this restaurant is divided into two parts. The 1st floor serves regular non-vegetarian Chinese menu, and the 2nd floor serves vegetarian food.

Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant (欣園素菜館)

http://www.happyfamilyveg.com

608 N. Atlantic Blvd.
Monterey Park, CA 91754

(626) 282-8969

Baked Pepper (Vegetarian / Vegan option available)

With the basmati rice recipe or just about any rice recipe, you can make stuffed baked pepper with the rice. I have made stuffed baked peppers with some leftover rice (which was later made into fried rice to stuff the pepper). It's an easy dish if you have the rice already!

BAKING TIME: about 30-40 minutes 3-5 bell peppers (or enough peppers to contain your rice)
3-5 cups of rice (cooked and flavored, such as tomato rice with herbs)
Some cheese

• Shreded or sliced mozzarella cheese AND/OR
• Parmesan cheese AND/OR
• Feta cheese AND/OR
• Soy cheese

Herb seasoning of your choice (parsley flakes, oregano)

1. Preheat the oven to 355 degree F
2. Wash and cut the peppers in halfs
3. Start stuffing the rice into the bell pepper halves until filled.
4. Sprinkle the cheese or the toppings of your choice (black peppers, herb seasonings, etc.) on the top of the stuffed bell pepper halves
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the peppers seem tender enough to eat
   

Tomato Rice with Herbs (Vegan / Vegetarian)

This is yet another recipe from my trusted cookbook by Kurma Dasa. I have never attempted to make rice the non-Chinese way, and this dish turned out pretty good for me today :) I made this dish because we had a lot of tomatoes at home that need to be used...

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"This simple combination of rice, herbs, and tomato with an Italian flavour can also be used as an alternative stuffing for baked peppers."

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes
COOKING TIME: 25-35 minutes
YIELD: enough for 4 persons

1 cup (250 ml) basmati or other long-grain white rice
1 3/4 cups (435 ml) water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) paprika
1 teaspoon (20 ml) tomato paste
2 tablespoons (40 ml) fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
2 tablespoons (40 ml) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) yellow asafoetida powder
1 cup (250 ml) firm tomatoes, cut into 1.25 cm (1/2-inch) cubes
2 tablespoons (40 ml) finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Wash, drain, and dry the rice.
2. Bring the water, salt, paprika, tomato paste, and basil slowly to a boil in a 2-litre/quart saucepan over moderate heat.
3. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick 2-litre/quart saucepan over moderately low heat. Saute the asafoetida in the hot ghee. Add the rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the rice grain turn whitish.
4. Pour in the boiling water. stir, raise the heat to high, and bring the water to a full boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and gently simmer, without stirring, for 15-20 minutesor until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender and flaky.
5. Remove the rice from the heat and allow it to steam for 5 minutes with the lid on. Finally, fold in the tomatoes and fresh parslye and serve immediately.

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Ingrid's experience with this dish:

• I didn't have any fresh parsley, so I used dried parsley flakes and some chopped basils to mix in at the end instead. I'm sure that the rice would be more flavorful with fresh parsley though.
• Again, I used grounded black pepper instead of asafoetida powder.

(Source: Great Vegetarian Dishes: Over 240 recipes from around the world by Kurma dasa. See more on http://www.kurma.net/)

(Keywords: vegan, vegetarian, rice dish, main entree, Indian, Italian, basmati rice, tomato)

Okra in Tomato Sauce (Vegan / Vegatarian)

This is another recipe from Mr. Kurma Dasa. I have never actually cooked okra before (I usually just boil it for a minute and dip them in soy sauce), so this is new for me.

"Okra releases a glutinous sap when cut, and sweats when salted, so dry it thoroughly before cooking and add salt after the cooking is completed. Okra is a summer vegetable. When selecting okra look for small pods. If the pointed end snaps off, it is fresh. Serve this dish, which originates in Trinidad, as an entree or side dish."

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes to 30 minutes
YIELD: enough for 6 people

500 g (a little over 1 pound) young okra pods
3 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) yellow asafoetida powder
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped into small cubes
1 medium hot green chili, seeded and chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

1. Wash the okra, dry them with paper towels, and cut off the stem ends. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and saute the okra until lightly browned sugar all over, (about 10 minutes). Lift out the okra with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a sauce pan.
2. Saute the asafoetida in the oil remaining in the pan, add the peppers and chili, and stir-fry until they become soft.
3. Add the tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until the tomatoes break down.
4. Pour the tomato mixture over the okra, stir to mix, and cook covered until the okra is tender (about 5 minutes). Sprinkle in the salt and serve hot.

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Ingrid's Notes and Modification:

• I added some grounded black paper instead of asafoetida powder (I still can't find any place that sells such seasoning).

(Source: Great Vegetarian Dishes: Over 240 recipes from around the world by Kurma dasa. See more on http://www.kurma.net/)

(Keywords: vegan, vegetarian, entree, okra, tomato)

GoVeg.com

GoVeg.com has a lot of information on vegetarianism. They promote ethical animal treatment. If you are interested in becoming a vegetarian, they also provide ways to make the transition. I recommend watching the video clip "Meet your Meat", which is available on their homepage, too. Just be aware that this clip has some really cruel content in unethical animal treatment, so be prepared.