Homemade egg tarts. Oh, what a treat! A couple of years ago, my sweet family took me to eat dim sum for my birthday. What we didn't know was that dim sum is definitely not vegetarian friendly. I enjoyed the experience, however, of seeing all the little dishes on carts roll by and being a part of the incredibly lively atmosphere. But the best thing of all were the sweet and savory egg tarts - perhaps the one vegetarian item available that day. I think I ate ten. Happy birthday to me!
So with a gift like that for inspiration, it was time to whip together a little shala feast when we got home. Shala (pronounced shah-lah) is the Chinese word for salad.
My version of a Chinese salad does not involve those little ramen noodles all smooshed up. Sorry. Instead, I have fun with veggies (thank goodness I had a salad bar waiting for me in the fridge!) and top with one of our family's all-time favorites to add crispy deliciousness and excellent protein: Morningstar Farms Chik Patties. These babies sizzle up quickly and beautifully in the oven and can be used in a multitude of ways.
Shala Feast
While the chik patties are baking in the oven, create generously-sized individual salads with freshly chopped veggies:
Bibb lettuce
Baby leaf spinach
Bok choy
Edamame
Carrots
Red and yellow peppers
Pea pods
Baby pea sprouts
Be creative and use what's fresh and organic and strikes your fancy. Sprinkle with peanuts and/or sesame seeds and top with cubed chik patties, still warm from the oven. Drizzle an Asian inspired dressing on top to finish. We really like Maya's Miso Sesame or Brianna's Ginger Mandarin dressings.
I served our shala with side dishes of brown rice, steamed broccoli, pan-fried vegetarian dumplings, and mandarin oranges. We all had seconds it was so yummy! The egg tart waiting for me at the end made this a very delicious meal, indeed. Thank you again for the inspiration, Si-fou!
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