Signature Dish: Tofu Kebab

One of my inventions, fusing Middle Eastern flavors with an East Asian vegan staple. Simple to prepare, simple to clean up after, filling, and protein-packed.

Tofu Kebab served with rice and avocado.

I use the extra-firm tofu when I can. Before I cube it, I squeeze it for a few minutes between two large plates, using a saucepan as a weight, then draining the water. This reduces the sogginess and helps it remain intact. I use whatever non-root vegetables are available. Bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and onions all go well. For a dressing, I can go Middle Eastern with olive oil and lemon juice (and salt and pepper), or East Asian with soy sauce and sesame oil.

The skewers can be grilled like vegetables on an outdoor grill. If using the oven, I usually set it to bake at 425F for 10 min, while turning it often, to dry out the tofu even more. Then I set it to Broil at 535F for another 10 min, rotating frequently.

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Layer Cake

My mother's recipe, and a favorite of my daughter. Needs no baking. The idea is to arrange layers of tea biscuits (known as petit beurre , which can be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores, among others), with alternate layers of custard and chocolate pudding in between. Instead of custard, which is hard to find nowadays, I substitute any kind of pudding I like. Layer cake with chocolate, tapioca, and custard. Shown below is my latest with layers of Kozy Shack chocolate and tapioca puddings, and a powder pudding mix that I combine with milk over heat, like custard. I skipped the eggs on the last one, to give it more of a custard consistency that hardens when cooled. Depending on the shape of your baking tray, you may need to cut out parts of some of the biscuits. I used a 9"x9" tray. I also recommend putting the chocolate pudding at the bottom since it's thicker and will hold the consistency better. Once the layers are arranged, cover the tray with foi

Kid-Friendly: Quick Pizzettas

These pizzettas are easy and quick to prepare, and are a sure hit with my daughter. For a crust, you can use slices of any kind of bread you have. For a cheese, hard cheeses that melt nicely are preferred, like Gruyere. I personally like yellow Balkan cheeses like Kashkeval (Bulgarian) and Kefalograveira (Greek), which you can obtain from Middle Eastern and Balkan grocery stores. For toppings, mushrooms, bell peppers, pitted and halved kalamata olives, and grape tomatoes go well. You can add coarsely chopped garlic if you wish. Bake at 400-425 F for about 10-12 min, until the cheese starts to brown. Top with baby arugula if you like. Pizzettas with Kashkeval cheese on whole wheat sourdough, topped with bell peppers, mushrooms, kalamata olives, garlic, and baby arugula. Hint: If using mushrooms, don't chop them too small and don't bake for too long, or their water will seep out and make the bread soggy.

A Few Vegetarian Chinese Dishes

The key to coming up with dishes like these is to not be afraid to experiment and substitute. Use whatever ingredients available, as long as the flavors go together. It takes trial and error, but if you cook often, you'll get the hang of it. Eggplant and enoki mushroom with carrots and bulb onion. Puffy tofu with Shanghai cabbage and bean sprouts, over rice. Puffy tofu and eggplant over soba noodles. Preparation for Xian noodles and cabbage One of my favs: Xi'an noodles and cabbage in hot oil. A recipe from the ancient capital of China. Preparation for a silken tofu salad. Since I'm allergic to soybean and sesame (the main traditional garnish), I add a lot of vegetables to reduce the amount of allergens I'm eating. Silken tofu salad, with soy sauce and sesame oil, plus whatever veggies you want to add.

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