Kung Pao

Before I became vegan, my favorite dish at any Chinese restaurant was Kung Pao. Usually Kung Pao chicken, but sometimes even one with three different meats. Now, of course, that thought horrifies me, but I had begun to wonder why in so many Chinese restaurants the only dish available to me was steamed mixed vegetables.  Boring. Bland. Why couldn't they do a vegan Kung Pao?

I have since found some excellent Chinese restaurants that offer a variety of dishes for the non-meat eater, and this pleases me enormously. But I also make it at home. This recipe can be made with either tofu or seitan.

Kung Pao Tofu

4 c. cooked rice
Sesame oil
One onion, chopped
5-6 ribs of celery, diced
One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, cut into bite sized cubes
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1-1/4 c. water
2 T. cornstarch
Dry roasted peanuts
Green onions, chopped

Saute the onion and the celery in the sesame oil until softened. Add the tofu, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Whisk together the water with the cornstarch and add to the frying pan. Simmer over medium until slightly thickened. Serve over the rice and sprinkle the peanuts and greens onions on top. Enjoy!

Kung Pao Seitan

Substitute seitan for the tofu.

You can also substitute Braggs Aminos for the soy sauce, and can use a different nut butter if you prefer.

Also, remember to check the ingredients on your dry roasted peanuts. Some name brands contain gelatin.