Sunday Menu 🥑🥞🌮 no. 35
Come shopping with me at our local Asian market, a whole heap of recipes, and some secret kitchen hacks tucked in, too!
The Sunday Menu is a look at what I’m cookin’ up to feed my vegan family of 6, fave ingredients, and other reflections on all things delicious. Grab a snack and let’s hang out in the kitchen…
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Happy Sunday! It’s been a minute since I was in your inbox talking almost exclusively about food. I’ve started weaving food content into other content I share, which feels more natural to me— food is an important part of my life. It’s not only something I prioritize a minimum of three times a day, but it’s also something I take immense pleasure in preparing, sharing, and enjoying. It’s something I enjoy reading about in books, watching on TV (mostly YouTube), and learning about— from nutrition to ethics to history. It feels good to welcome it into the other topics I share about on here because that’s the natural role food plays in my day-to-day life.
Last weekend, I was at our local Asian market restocking a few items, and I thought about how intimidated I once was to shop there. Now it’s a regular part of my shopping routine because we have so many favorites that are staples in our home, so I thought I’d “bring you along” and show you some of the things I love to get there. Whether you are a seasoned Asian market shopper who enjoys exploring the vast range of riches your local store has to offer, or you are new to the space and would like a little guidance on where to start, I hope today’s post will serve both + everyone in between.
I have also grown quite a soft spot for our local Asian market. Not only do I take pleasure in leisurely perusing the aisles searching for new-to-me goodies and filling my basket with ingredients that are going to make my taste buds sing, but I also treasure the interactions I have with the staff. The first time I shopped at the market closest to my house (we have a handful of different shops in our area), I discovered that the owner is a parent of one of my kiddos’ classmates. I feel deeply invested in supporting local businesses in our community, which are owned by our neighbors, our children’s classmates, and people invested in helping our communities thrive and flourish— they make our communities richer. It’s so important, when we can, that we make choices that support local businesses over larger corporations (for example, I used to buy our veg dumplings at Trader Joe’s, now I will only buy them at our Asian market).
My cooking improved dramatically after incorporating ingredients and offerings from our local Asian market, and not only that, they often offer better options than our traditional grocery store, and for lower prices! C’mon, enough of me yapping, grab your basket, let’s go shopping…
🥬 Produce
First things first, the produce! Y’all, the produce section at our Asian market is always POPPIN’! And as a vegan, it truly feels like walking into a candy shop, seeing the most beautiful array of mushrooms, leafy greens, root veggies, herbs, and ohhhhh the tofu selection.
mushrooms: so many rad mushroom varieties! If mushrooms are new to your culinary ventures, start with shiitake. Use them as a base for soups and ramen (just sauté in a bit of avocado oil to get the umami party rollin’), or crisp ‘em up and turn them into bac’n (OMFG) for BLTs, or make these insanely delicious tacos. I also love enoki mushrooms fried up in our ramen, but see what catches your fancy and find a way to add it to a meal you are making to pack in the umami and amp up the nutritional benefits.
greens: bok choy is my favorite to get at our market because you get a massive bag, which I toss into dumplings, Bai (Chef Bai)’s “recession-proof crunchy tofu pancakes” (which are my current hyper-fixation meal I eat weekly), ramen, or just steam or sauté— delish.
green onions: the best green onions come from my Asian market. I keep the roots submerged in a glass of water in my fridge and ensure I always have some on hand for flavor and/or garnish.
herbs: the basil and cilantro runneth over! Two of my most used herbs. I also keep cilantro in a glass jar in the fridge like flowers in a vase of water. It lasts forever if you refresh the water and whisper kind messages to it like “I don’t care what the other half of humanity says about you, I couldn’t live without you.” Try it!
ginger: a staple! And if you don’t yet know some secrets about this rad root veg, lemme do the honors. 1.) If you are not freezing your ginger, then change that ASAP. You will always have ginger on hand, which is important when making delicious food. You can grate it straight from frozen, and yes, YOU ARE WELCOME (just please be careful with your precious sweet fingers and the microplane, not that I’m talking from experience). I freeze it two ways, both work great— either as a big ole knob (peeled in advance if you want, though you can also peel just as easily when frozen) and/or in smaller thumb-sized knobs because this is what I have found most recipes call for when ginger is involved. Never waste ginger again and always have some on hand, yay. Okay, and 2) You can peel your ginger with a spoon (!!!), but!! it is also okay if you don’t peel your ginger (!!!), so just deprioritize the peel or use the spoon method if you prefer. Alright, hit it, Maui!
tofu: if I ever have a white pet, I’m naming it tofu. In fact, I’m mad I didn’t name our white Subaru tofu. I f*cking love tofu. And so do my kids, so much that when I cut into a box of tofu, my two youngest children come running and begging for a slab of it… straight out of the package. Anyway, tofu is da bomb, I eat it almost daily, and the more I cook with it, the more familiar I become with the different varieties of firmness. Extra firm is my go-to because it holds up well for many of the ways I use it, and I love that firm spongy texture, but firm tofu is awesome for tofu scramble or even just sauteeing a slab of it with some black salt as an “egg” patty. Silken tofu is one I’ve only become familiar with in the past few years, and oh, how I’d been missing out! It’s so versatile, you can make my super delicious and easy onion dip and also chocolate mouse (like what?!), sour cream and other sauces, and this 10-minute chile garlic tofu that I literally salivate thinking about. You can even just plop a portion of it into a bowl (like custard) and top with all your pretty fruits and nuts and seeds and a lil drizzle of maple syrup for the easiest, most delicious summer breakfast (or treat, snack, lunch, whatever!). I’ll do a deep dive into tofu soon because this is a topic I could talk about forever. I ♥ tofu.
and so much other great veg!! onions, turnips, garlic, go check it out.
🫙 Condiments & Sauces
miso paste: a fermented (!!) soybean paste that is rich in probiotics, antioxidants, and a plethora of other nutritional benefits and packs in an umami punch! Use it to flavor everything from soups and stews to my favorite quick and easy mozzarella, to sweets!
soy sauces: we use soy sauce a lot, so I buy in bulk from Costco, but for lighter, darker, or even different brews, the Asian market is your spot. I also couldn’t help myself with this Hello Kitty soy sauce bottle I stumbled upon recently. I will refill and reuse, ofc.
will literally buy anything that has Hello Kitty on it (as long as it’s vegan) ponzu: this citrusy, salty sauce is amazing as a quick and easy marinade for tofu or drizzled on stir-frys or rice bowls. If you haven’t tried it yet, add it to your list. The flavor will WOW you.
dipping sauces: I tend to make my own dipping sauces, but sometimes a bottled option is convenient and offers something different.
chile garlic & sriracha: these are NOT the same— chile garlic is more of a paste and exactly what it sounds like + a bit of acidity (vinegar), while sriracha is more of a sauce and a slightly sweet note. Personally, I am team chile garlic— I love it in my ramen and tossed with edamame (+ half a juiced lemon and sea salt, you have to try it!), but my husband and kids are team sriracha, which I personally find too sweet.
rice vinegar: seasoned (containing sugar and salt) is great for quick pickled onions or sushi rice, regular is great for sauces and just about everything else. I prefer to keep a big bottle of the unseasoned kind because I find it more versatile; it’s a staple in our house, used multiple times a week.
toasted sesame oil: OMG, the rich, nutty, umami flavor is the best!!! I do a tiny drizzle on stir-frys, tofu, in rice bowls, and whisked into marinades and dipping sauces. I heard that heating it/cooking with it makes it bitter, so I generally avoid that. Plus, did you know, consuming sesame oil comes with a wide range of benefits, from lowering your risk of developing heart disease, lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, to being rich in antioxidants, to reducing inflammation, and more?! :) Love when super yummy stuff is like that.
yuzu: a bottle of this East Asian citrus fruit juice can add so much to sauces and marinades or even cocktails and mocktails with its vibrant citrus and slightly floral flavor profile.
chili crisp: most folks are familiar with this by now, and the Asian market has a wide range of options.
black vinegar: adds depth and umami to stir-frys and sauces, like in these chile garlic noodles or these tofu and mushroom lettuce wraps!
hoisin & sweet chile sauce: both are great (though quite different!) as tofu marinades or dipping sauces for spring rolls.
Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine): I keep this on hand primarily for my go-to stir-fry and this amazing spicy noodle stir-fry with salt and pepper tofu.
🌶️ Spices
sesame seeds: because I make this sesame-crusted pizza dough weekly in the colder months, I am HYPER aware of the cost of sesame seeds, and let me tell you, buying sesame seeds anywhere else is a scam. A 2oz jar of sesame seeds at the grocery store costs me upwards of $7. A 5oz bag of sesame seeds at the Asian market? $3! 🤯 I also love getting black sesame seeds to sprinkle on noodle and rice bowls for a pop of color and another plant point!
white pepper: a milder and earthier pepper flavor, great in several of the dishes I’ve linked already.
basil seeds: similar to chia seeds but higher in iron and fiber, and gel faster!
seaweed: sheets or sprinkles, we love it all! I love seaweed in my ramen, making suhsi burritos with it, and adding flakes of it to chickpea salad to create a mock tuna situation. We also all just eat it straight up as a snack, as it also has great nutritional benefits.
dried chiles: flakes and/or whole chiles, which are amazing for adding a bit of heat to stir-frys, and I pop ‘em in my roasted salsa!
🍜 Noodles and Dry Goods
noodles: ramen noodles, stir fry noodles, udon noodles, vermicelli noodles, rice noodles. The noodles are plentiful, and the Asian market puts the grocery store offerings to shame.
rice paper: an absolute staple for everything from rainbow spring rolls to rice paper dumplings and pancakes to vegan bac’n (SO GOOD)!! When I don’t have a meal planned or need something quick/in a pinch, I make something with rice paper. Just writing about this is making me crave some rice paper wrapped somethin’…
rice: we eat a lot of rice, so that’s another staple I buy in bulk at Costco, but for different varieties like sushi rice (short grain), black rice, etc., I get them at the Asian market.
🥟 Frozen Goods
gyoza and dumplings: we always have a few bags of veggie gyoza in the freezer, great as is or in a delicious broth, and believe it or not, my absolute favorite wayto enjoy them is in a tomato and basil salad in the summer (MIND BLOWING). The Asian market has so many great veggie options!
edamame: my favorite snack and thing to toss into ramen, rice bowls, salad, you name it! Get it shelled or in the pod.
dumpling wrappers: I have attempted to make these from scratch, and they are very time-consuming, and mine did not taste as good, so the frozen ones win! These dumplings with chile crisp are what dreams are made of; we make them every NYE and anytime we can, honestly.
scallion/green onion pancakes: so yummy! We love them as a side with Trader Joe’s beefless bulgogi, or as a wrap, or just as is.
puffy tofu: unreal. Drop ‘em in ramen as little flavor sponges or toss ‘em in sweet chile sauce and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning and pop ‘em in the air fryer till crispy (they cook fast, so keep an eye out).
🍬 Snacks and Treats
chips: so many fun flavors of chips!
mochi: It’s tough to find vegan mochi, but when we do, it’s always a treat!
seaweed snacks: my kids love when I come home with a bag of seaweed snacks from the Asian market; they are quite tasty.
sake: for sipping or cooking with.
plum wine: In college, I worked at several different sushi restaurants and developed an affinity for plum wine. I don’t drink it much anymore, but it would be lovely on a warm summer day when the feeling strikes.
candy: tamarind candy, rice paper candy, so many fun things to explore, and delightful characters and packaging.
boba, tea & other drinks: and there are so many rad canned and bottled beverages to peruse.
Here is a week’s worth of meals with goods from the Asian market, this would be the most delicious week eveerrrr:
🫛 Spicy Noodle Stir-Fry With Salt and Pepper Tofu
🫓 Crunchy Tofu Pancakes or Rice Paper Dumplings
🥬 Crispy Sesame Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps
🥟 Dumplings in Spicy Chile Sauce or Quick Dumpling Soup
🍚 Hoisin Tofu Rice Bowls or Crunchy Roll Bowls
What do you think? See anything new you are excited to try? A recipe or ingredient that caught your eye?
Friends! Tell me what you love to get at the Asian market! And what do I need to try next?
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Asian markets also have the best brands for coconut milk (Chaokoh and Aroy-D) and also Thai curry paste (Maesri). WAY better than the stuff sold at most typical grocery stores! Also the fresh ginger and turmeric root is best deal around.
We are a vegan household and have started making Asian dishes we have 3 Asian markets near us