"Hey, kid," I said, "for the last few days of school I want to make you your very favorite lunches again. What was the best lunch you had this year?"Without missing a beat shmoo replied, "Chinese!"
"Chinese?"
"Yeah, with the green beans and the dumplings...and Twinkie Dogs!"
You could have knocked me over with a feather. I knew it was one of my personal favorites, but shmoo hadn't mentioned it again since the day I made it in celebration of Chinese New Year.
I relied on recipes and tips from Bryanna Clark Grogan's wonderful book Authentic Chinese Cuisine
to put together shmoo's Number One: tofu Char Sui with rice, Chile Green Beans, and a steamed dumpling filled with sweet red bean paste. Above the dumpling is a Chinese gooseberry (aka kiwi fruit...isn't that funny, a fruit named after a bird twice!).Verdict: This time around I made the dumplings from scratch using Bryanna's recipe for Bao Xian ("steamed savory filled buns") and a can of sweet red bean paste from the Asian market. My dumplings are certainly not as handsome as the ones I bought at the store, but they contain no trans-fats, which the storebought ones were loaded with ("trans-fat me once, shame on you, trans-fat me twice, shame on me").
I just loved reading all your guesses (especially eatpeaceplease's -- "Oh no, I hope #1 isn't Tuno!"). I suppose everyone is as surprised as I was, since no one guessed it right! Everything was eaten, with shmoo running through the kitchen stuffing extra squares of tofu and beans in his mouth before breakfast. 5 stars for Number 1. Thanks, Bryanna!
See you tomorrow with shmoo's last lunch box of the school year!
That is a big shocker. But excellent choice.
ReplyDeleteWow Chinese! I definitely wouldn't have guessed that - How great that he remembered that one lunch as his favorite four months later!
ReplyDeleteI too hope you will be updating over the summer - I'll miss it too much if you don't!
Hey Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome #1 lunch! I need to learn how to make tofu like that...it looks amazing. I love making green beans in a spicy bean sauce...it's SO good.
I'm going to have to try out some of these recipes - When I lived in the Tri-Cities, I frequented the Asian markets, and it's just something I haven't done much in Reno. I think I'm going to have to go buy some red bean paste and dumpling ingredients. Woot!
Take care,
Zach
I came late to the Vegan Lunch Box party, but I love this blog and I can't wait for your cookbook. I wish you were my mom!
ReplyDeletes.
"Hey, kid," I said, "for the last few days of school I want to make you your very favorite lunches again. What was the best lunch you had this year?"
ReplyDeleteYou are such a great mom! And what a groovy little shmoo. Chinese! who'da thunk?
Will miss your lunchboxes over the summer. Roll on start-of-school!
That looks like a wonderful meal and a wonderful book. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeletewill you be posting lunchboxes over the summer? summer school perhaps? or even your dinners?
ReplyDeleteOh, man. What the heck am I going to do without new lunchboxes??? I'm devastated. I've been looking to Shmoo's posts for food inspiration. Now I might have to actually pick up a cookbook!! This is horrible. WHY can't school be year-round???
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Shmoo for making it through and entire school year. And best wishes for a fantastic summer! I'm still going to check this blog just in case you post something yummy. :)
Happy summer to all of you!
aww another school year over..
ReplyDeleteIt all flies by. Any plans for summer??
Teddy
Jennifer, this lunch would be one of my favorites too! I had a hunch there was something "stuffed" in the box, as those dumplings sound really good and especially homemade.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found my comment about the Tuno funny, but I'm even more glad it wasn't his #1 pick.
chinese... a classic vegan option for any meal. and i lurve steamed buns! great #1 favorite.
ReplyDeletei'm looking forward to tomorrow's lunchbox and also very sad to think that it'll be the last :(
whether or not you'll post shmoo family meals over the summer, i am grateful for all that you've shared of your time, humor, effort and inspiration to vegans everywhere (but particularly your fans here in nyc).
thank you, jennifer-shmoo :)
*drools* Red bean paste bun, wow it's been awhile since I've had one.*jealousy* lol. *notes to go buy some anko tomorrow* ;p Great lunch!
ReplyDeleteWhat is tofu char sui?
ReplyDeleteI mean, i know what tofu is :-) I just don't know what tofu char sui the dish is.
ReplyDeleteoooh, please, how to do the red bean dumplings? and what brand of bean paste? we happen to be near a few Asian markets too.
ReplyDeleteWow - Chinese - what a great lunch to go out on! Were going to miss the lunchbox over the summer but will look forward to your book coming out :)
ReplyDeleteLucy
Vegan Family House
Now that's cool! This was the lunch that got me interested in trying vegan! LOL
ReplyDelete: ) looks great!
ReplyDeleteAh, my boyfriend is Korean and he introduced me to the wonder that is red bean buns, since he grew up eating them all the time. Now I'm so addicted, I'd choose red beans over a candy bar any day.
ReplyDeleteThose green beans look so fresh! Yum!
ReplyDeleteTried your glazed tofu last night and it turned out pretty good for my first attempt at dinner tofu :) Thanks for the tips.
-Crystal
I love your blog.. Shmoo is so lucky to have such a great mom! I'll bet you have inspired many kids to want to eat healthy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid we had red bean buns with every Chinese meal, and they were so good that for years I thought they had chocolate inside! I was floored when I learned it was beans. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited someone else loves sweet red bean dumplings too! i'm going to get that cookbook just for that recipe - yum. I also like smoothies made with red beans and coconut milk and everybody but me thinks they're gross =) Will miss lurking on your blog over the summer if you choose not to post... happy summer to the Shmoo family regardless and hope you enjoy your vegan meals at home.
ReplyDeleteI think fried tofu is one of my all-time favorite foods! I wish it weren't quite so bad for me, or I would eat it all the time.
ReplyDelete>>What is tofu char sui?
ReplyDeleteFrom the book it looks like char sui means "barbecued pork", so it's a vegetarian version of a traditional pork dish.
hurray for vegan kids (and their cool parents) and for them liking things most kids would make faces at!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on such a great site. Please come back next year!
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