Asian vegan cooking : a high-energy approach to healthy living

256 Pages·2003·41.85 MB·English

by  Kim Le

ASIAN
VEGAN
COOKING
A
High-Energy
Approach to
Healthy Living
KIM LE, Ph.D.
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
New York
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Available upon Request.
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3
Published 2003 by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
Originally published by Rudra Press under the title High Energy
Living: Vegetarian Cooking/or Health © 1997 by Kim Le
Distributed in Canada by Sterling Publishing
c/o Canadian Manda Group, One Atlantic Avenue, Suite 105
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 3E7
Distributed in Great Britain by Chrysalis Books
64 Brewery Road, London N7 9NT, England
Distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
P.O. Box 704, Windsor, NSW 2756, Australia
Printed in USA
AU rights reserved
Sterling ISBN-I-4027 -0627-8
Contents
Preface 9
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 13
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF
HIGH-ENERGY LIVING
Expanding Our View of Health 19
The Benefits of Being Vegetarian 23
Myths about Vegetarianism 27
The Vegetarian Diet 33
Making the Transition 37
Important Elements of Good Health 45
Taking Care of Yourself 49
Tea and Your Health 55
A New Attitude about Health 61
Femininity and the Art of Cooking 71
RECIPES FOR
HIGH-ENERGY LIVING
Using the Recipes 77
Sample Menus 81
Breads, Cereals, and Pancakes 87
Sandwiches 99
Soups 107
Salads, Dressings, and Sauces 137
Rice and Noodles 159
Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan 171
Vegetable Entrees and Side Dishes 193
Beverages and Desserts 229
Index 245
This book is dedicated to
all those seeking a healthier life
and a more compassionate path.
Preface
I grew up in Vietnam during a time of severe depression in that
country. My health was always very fragile, due in part to being a
premature baby. My grandmother, who was my closest friend,
encouraged me to practice vegetarianism as part of a healthful
and compassionate way of living and eating.
At any early age, I resisted eating meat; the thought, sight, or
smell was disagreeable to me. However, due to my poor constitu-
tion, many health practitioners advised me to consume meat in
order to sustain my strength. This recommendation seemed logi-
cal at the time, and to please my parents I gave in and consumed
meat and fish. During those youthful years I struggled with my
diet, going back and forth with myself about my health and my
beliefs.
As time went on, my war-torn country and my own poor health
motivated me to become a healer. As I observed my patients and
pursued extensive research about the nutritional aspects of vege-
tarianism, I once again became determined to abstain from animal
foods. Since eliminating animal products from my diet many years
ago, the fragile health condition stemming from my childhood has
disappeared. My energy has become more stable, my mind more
clear, and my dreams more vivid.
We humans are small universes within a larger universe. Life
involves constant exchange between these universes. As we
9
10 PREFACE
reside in the larger universe so it also resides in us. With such an
understanding, we appreciate the fact that within us, we possess
the natures of all beings. The old adage goes "We are what ~e
eat." In this light, in addition to being part of a healthy lifestyle,
vegetarianism can also be seen as a life of compassion in action.
Acknowledgments
Sincere thanks go to numerous good spiritual friends without
whom this book would not have reach completion. Heading the
list are my parents who brought me into this life; it is due to
their suffering and hardship that I have chosen a life of service to
others.
Thanks go to Christine Hoffman (Tara) and Lai Chee for their
encouragement and work on the manuscript as well as their con-
tributions of cooking knowledge and recipes. Their sincerity and
devotion are reflected throughout the book.
Thank you to John Gorman (Norbu) for his great data-
processing knowledge and untiring assistance in bringing this
book to fruition .
And finally, thanks to the editorial and production staffs at
Rudra Press for all their fine work.
Mayall who encounter this book experience inner peace and
clarity of mind as they follow the path of healthy and compas-
sionate eating.
II