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Asian Green: Everyday plant based recipes inspired by the East
Fast, fresh, plant-based dishes from Asian chef Ching-He Huang, offering her modern take on recipes that are traditionally meat and dairy free.
Asian food has always included a variety of meat and dairy free recipes. Focusing entirely on these plant- based dishes, Ching draws inspiration from across Asia to create simple, everyday, healthy home cooking that features protein-rich ingredients such as tofu, seitan, pulses, beans and grains.
The inspiration behind the book is Ching's husband, Jamie. From birth, he suffered from asthma and eczema but three and a half years ago, three months after adopting a vegan diet, he was cured. Ching has always believed in the age-old Chinese maxim that "food is medicine", and having experienced first-hand the transformation of her husband's health, she firmly believes in the healing power of plants to reduce inflammation, to restore, nourish and replenish.
This book is full of inspiring, quick and simple recipes, perfect for vegetarians, vegans and people looking to reduce the amount of meat in their diets.
Asian food has always included a variety of meat and dairy free recipes. Focusing entirely on these plant- based dishes, Ching draws inspiration from across Asia to create simple, everyday, healthy home cooking that features protein-rich ingredients such as tofu, seitan, pulses, beans and grains.
The inspiration behind the book is Ching's husband, Jamie. From birth, he suffered from asthma and eczema but three and a half years ago, three months after adopting a vegan diet, he was cured. Ching has always believed in the age-old Chinese maxim that "food is medicine", and having experienced first-hand the transformation of her husband's health, she firmly believes in the healing power of plants to reduce inflammation, to restore, nourish and replenish.
This book is full of inspiring, quick and simple recipes, perfect for vegetarians, vegans and people looking to reduce the amount of meat in their diets.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
137 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 6, 2024
This is a very aesthetically pleasing book, but I don't foresee myself referencing it too much as a cookbook.
Ching-He Huang has a very beautiful worldview (at least in this book). I found her introduction, which outlined her reasons for embracing a plant-based diet, more interesting than the actual recipes. Huang believes in the Chinese saying "food is medicine." She details that converting to veganism helped to alleviate symptoms of asthma for her husband, and that both of them are healthier and happier than they were before.
For Huang, her Buddhist beliefs are what informed her decision to convert:
"As my Buddhist master says, all life on earth is energy... Emotions are energies-in-motion. So, if all are sentient on earth, and all feel emotion, if we consume life that has suffered, then we consume the energy of suffering and that is absorbed into us. If we consume without suffering, that negative emotion cannot consume." (10)
Now, I'm Christian, so I don't believe that. BUT I do believe that when I eat fresh food, local food, and food grown/raised in sustainable ways, I feel good! (I could also make the argument that little accessible food is completely "suffering" free - think of the workers in the fields,if they're being paid and treated fairly, etc - but this is not the place or time). I'm not interested in going vegan, but I do want to feature more fresh, seasonal veggies and fewer processed foods in my daily diet.
I also did not love some of her doom-and-gloom, extinction-centric verbage, especially since she made very drastic claims without citing or referencing... any sources. HOWEVER! This is a cookbook, not really a manifesto, so I will be rating this book off of the recipes.
Which were not really my fave.
The cooking part of the book was a little underwhelming. I had hoped for some new, fun, fresh (green, as the title would suggest) recipes that I could incorporate into my daily routine. What I got, however, were pretty long ingredient lists, several recipes that seemed like the same recipe with small differences, a LOT of brown foods, and a twist at the end of the book that the only tools you need... are sold by Huang. All of the explanations for unfamiliar ingredients and tools and methods are at the back of the book instead of the front, which seemed like an odd choice. There were also two recipes that I was anti-excited to think about eating.
I think part of what turned me off is that Huang and I have different philosophies about veg-centric dishes. I prefer to make them their own thing, but Huang's goal is to recreate her favorite meat dishes as veggie versions. I personally feel like that approach often doesn't let the natural flavors of veggies shine in the same way. You can't force cauliflower to be a chicken wing any more than you can force me to be a surgeon. You can put me in the operating room, but I'm not going to do a good job in there.
That being said, there were a few that I will maybe try! The Thai-Style Roasted Sweet Chili Sprouts and Creamy Coconut Noodles looked good, as did the Veggie Ball Noodle Soup and the Lemon Ginger Breaded Cauliflower Cutlets. I probably won't recommend this to anyone, especially when there are so many better vegan Asian recipes online for free, but I might wait like a year before I donate it to my local Goodwill.
Ching-He Huang has a very beautiful worldview (at least in this book). I found her introduction, which outlined her reasons for embracing a plant-based diet, more interesting than the actual recipes. Huang believes in the Chinese saying "food is medicine." She details that converting to veganism helped to alleviate symptoms of asthma for her husband, and that both of them are healthier and happier than they were before.
For Huang, her Buddhist beliefs are what informed her decision to convert:
"As my Buddhist master says, all life on earth is energy... Emotions are energies-in-motion. So, if all are sentient on earth, and all feel emotion, if we consume life that has suffered, then we consume the energy of suffering and that is absorbed into us. If we consume without suffering, that negative emotion cannot consume." (10)
Now, I'm Christian, so I don't believe that. BUT I do believe that when I eat fresh food, local food, and food grown/raised in sustainable ways, I feel good! (I could also make the argument that little accessible food is completely "suffering" free - think of the workers in the fields,if they're being paid and treated fairly, etc - but this is not the place or time). I'm not interested in going vegan, but I do want to feature more fresh, seasonal veggies and fewer processed foods in my daily diet.
I also did not love some of her doom-and-gloom, extinction-centric verbage, especially since she made very drastic claims without citing or referencing... any sources. HOWEVER! This is a cookbook, not really a manifesto, so I will be rating this book off of the recipes.
Which were not really my fave.
The cooking part of the book was a little underwhelming. I had hoped for some new, fun, fresh (green, as the title would suggest) recipes that I could incorporate into my daily routine. What I got, however, were pretty long ingredient lists, several recipes that seemed like the same recipe with small differences, a LOT of brown foods, and a twist at the end of the book that the only tools you need... are sold by Huang. All of the explanations for unfamiliar ingredients and tools and methods are at the back of the book instead of the front, which seemed like an odd choice. There were also two recipes that I was anti-excited to think about eating.
I think part of what turned me off is that Huang and I have different philosophies about veg-centric dishes. I prefer to make them their own thing, but Huang's goal is to recreate her favorite meat dishes as veggie versions. I personally feel like that approach often doesn't let the natural flavors of veggies shine in the same way. You can't force cauliflower to be a chicken wing any more than you can force me to be a surgeon. You can put me in the operating room, but I'm not going to do a good job in there.
That being said, there were a few that I will maybe try! The Thai-Style Roasted Sweet Chili Sprouts and Creamy Coconut Noodles looked good, as did the Veggie Ball Noodle Soup and the Lemon Ginger Breaded Cauliflower Cutlets. I probably won't recommend this to anyone, especially when there are so many better vegan Asian recipes online for free, but I might wait like a year before I donate it to my local Goodwill.
December 26, 2021
I'm not satisfied with the volume of vegetables 🥦 that I consume. I'll have carrots 🥕, cucumbers 🥒, and tomatoes 🍅 as a salad with breakfast. Just not enough dark, leafy greens 🥬 . Barely any really. Almost none. Okay, it's none.
For like half of this year, I used to chug a daily hefty dose of greens (Amaranth leaves, flax seeds, & fruit) through smoothies 🥤, but gradually stopped. Literally this week, I decided that I gotta get back into it. This book, I guess, marks the beginning of me becoming a Greens Guy🥝. again.
Enter the book: Asian Green. I didn't stumble upon this title, I consciously looked up books that will help me get out of this low veggie volume valley. I just made up that phrase, lol, nice.
This just seemed like the right fit. I like Asian food, the ingredients are accessible to me, and this will help me move beyond just blending gargantuan smoothies.
Ching-He Huang, the author, I found out is a very accomplished chef based in London. Many Emmy nominations and television credits to her name. I didn't know this when I bought the book, so I was pleasantly surprised in that sense. More importantly, I enjoyed the pace of the book. The recipes- divided by categories like soups, salads, stir-fries, desserts - are quick to read with sufficient details. Sometimes the recipes would be from friends or family - which was cute too. I also appreciated the exact caloric and macronutrient (carbs, protein, fats) breakdown given for every dish, by serving.
Mouthwatering photos are included with the recipes. I'd find myself speed-reading through recipes, but right after seeing a photo of a Hanan-style noodle salad, I'd re-read the entire recipe more carefully again. I look forward to actually trying this out IRL⏲. This was fun - and different! Let's see how this Greens Guy 🥗 thing goes this time. Cheers 🥤
For like half of this year, I used to chug a daily hefty dose of greens (Amaranth leaves, flax seeds, & fruit) through smoothies 🥤, but gradually stopped. Literally this week, I decided that I gotta get back into it. This book, I guess, marks the beginning of me becoming a Greens Guy🥝. again.
Enter the book: Asian Green. I didn't stumble upon this title, I consciously looked up books that will help me get out of this low veggie volume valley. I just made up that phrase, lol, nice.
This just seemed like the right fit. I like Asian food, the ingredients are accessible to me, and this will help me move beyond just blending gargantuan smoothies.
Ching-He Huang, the author, I found out is a very accomplished chef based in London. Many Emmy nominations and television credits to her name. I didn't know this when I bought the book, so I was pleasantly surprised in that sense. More importantly, I enjoyed the pace of the book. The recipes- divided by categories like soups, salads, stir-fries, desserts - are quick to read with sufficient details. Sometimes the recipes would be from friends or family - which was cute too. I also appreciated the exact caloric and macronutrient (carbs, protein, fats) breakdown given for every dish, by serving.
Mouthwatering photos are included with the recipes. I'd find myself speed-reading through recipes, but right after seeing a photo of a Hanan-style noodle salad, I'd re-read the entire recipe more carefully again. I look forward to actually trying this out IRL⏲. This was fun - and different! Let's see how this Greens Guy 🥗 thing goes this time. Cheers 🥤
September 5, 2023
This book didn't live up to my expectations, although very attractive, with bright colours and good photography, there were many downsides for me.
There were too many recipes that I'm personally not interested in, lots of salads, breakfast ideas, smoothies and desserts. Lots of recipes didn't have photos of the finished product. Some recipes seemed a bit basic, one was a block of tofu in a bowl with some mirin and soy sauce spooned on top or dishes like a stir-fry which most people will cook anyway. There could have been some good dishes hidden amongst this lot, but I wasn't enthused to try them, given the rest of the book. Could be useful to someone new to cooking.
There were too many recipes that I'm personally not interested in, lots of salads, breakfast ideas, smoothies and desserts. Lots of recipes didn't have photos of the finished product. Some recipes seemed a bit basic, one was a block of tofu in a bowl with some mirin and soy sauce spooned on top or dishes like a stir-fry which most people will cook anyway. There could have been some good dishes hidden amongst this lot, but I wasn't enthused to try them, given the rest of the book. Could be useful to someone new to cooking.
November 1, 2021
I may need to update my rating to 5* once I have prepared some of these many appealing recipes. It is a treat to have this collection of flavourful dishes that are not based on meat, poultry or seafood. Although I don’t see myself using the recipe provided to make my own tofu, I won’t say never. I am inspired to use the technique provided to smoke pre-made tofu. The Asian pantry & techniques info are great for less confident cooks.
March 28, 2021
Fantastic recipes, I can't recommend this highly enough!
July 3, 2021
Great recipes and beautifully presented.
September 7, 2021
Review to follow soon.
September 17, 2021
Subtle vegetarian recipes !
November 13, 2022
I enjoyed the oat date bar recipe in this book.
July 1, 2025
Full of family favourites!
November 19, 2022
Until I read this book I hadn't realised I was cooking most vegetables incorrectly. If you follow the author's instructions you'll find your veggies are much, much tastier.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews