Paradox Blog

Cooking with Colors

Along with taste and aroma, color is one equally important measurement of cooking. To present food in its natural luscious colors not only preserves the most of its nutritional values but entices us by appealing to our sense of sight. To cook with colors, the chef becomes a painter, and the spatula her paintbrush, the ingredients her paint tubes. She will mix and match, stir and swirl, to create her work of art, literally good enough to eat. The following offers simple meals of three or four dishes per set, matching together dishes like colors on a canvas.

Menu 1

Miso Soup

Tomato and Eggs Scrambled

Beef, Asparagus and Tofu Stir-fry

Miso Soup 

2-tblsp miso paste 
1 cup tofu cubes 
1/4-cup chopped scallion 
2 fresh shiitake mushroom, cut into pieces 
4-cup water 
Salt and pepper 

Heat water and dissolve miso into water. Add tofu and shiitake mushroom, simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add scallions right before serving. Serve warm. Make 4 one-cup servings. 

2 medium tomatoes cut into pieces 
4 eggs, slightly beaten 
2 stems scallion, cut into pieces 
2-tblsp cooking oil 
Salt and pepper 

Heat oil, braise scallion, add egg mixture, when egg solidified and brown on one side, break it up and add tomatoes. Stir well, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Serve warm. Make 4 3/4 cup servings. 

4 oz beef, cut into strips 
2 pieces pressed tofu, cut into strips 
2 cups asparagus strips, cut at 45 degree angles 
2 garlic cloves, crushed 
2-tblsp cooking wine 
1-tblsp cornstarch 
2-tblsp cooking oil 
1-tblsp soy sauce 
Salt and pepper 

Marinate beef with 1 tblsp wine and cornstarch. Heat oil, stir in garlic and beef, when meat starts to change color, stir in tofu and soy sauce, and mix well. Add asparagus, cooking wine, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 3 minutes till asparagus is bright green and tender to bite.