Some of my absolute favorite flavors come from Vietnam. Mind you I have never personally been there but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy all of the tastes from that region. I mean the first time I had a big steamy bowl of Pho I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Or how about mock duck rice noodle salad- dreamy. Then when I discovered Bahn Mi sandwiches I was beside myself.
Until several years ago, Vietnamese restaurants were in regular rotation for going out. My husband and I used to have a favorite Vietnamese restaurant that we would probably go to twice a month if not more. Then the unthinkable happened- MSG. It was a beautiful summer night, we had just got done eating a satisfying bowl of veggie Pho and decided to enjoy the summer breeze with a stroll around the local lake. As we were walking I started to notice that my hands were feeling swollen, but passed it off to the humidity. About half way around the lake I mentioned something to my husband about how tight and swollen my hands were feeling and he said his hands were feeling the same way. By the time we made it 3/4 of the way around I felt like a bonefide swollen sausage stuffed in it's casing. And not just my hands but my whole body! We laughed, we cried, we tried to get around of the rest of the lake in this miserable state. Darn you MSG! I actually felt this way for 3 days! That's a long time to feel stuffed and miserable. And so from that day forth I have sworn off all MSG which means there are just a few Asian restaurants I will go to now. They have to state, "no MSG" somewhere on the menus or I will call in advance and ask if they use MSG. It's just not worth taking the risk.
If you don't already know MSG or Monosodium Glutamate, is a flavor enhancer and food additive that is put in many processed foods. It is also extremely bad for you and cause for much concern. One of the best overviews of the very real dangers of MSG comes from Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon and author of “Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills.” In it he explains that MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees -- and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and more. YIKES! From personal experience I know it to cause bloating, swelling, depression, mood swings, and I once had a friend who's mom cooked with it a lot and she said it made her eyebrows fall out. This is definitely something to watch out for. A word of advice, food should heal not kill.
The upside to all this is now I make all of these amazing dishes at home MSG free. Today I am going to share my recipe for Bahn Mi. This is a meat filled sandwich, with Vietnamese flavors on a French baguette. Usually they are made with pork, chicken or sometimes beef but I am making it with seitan (mock duck). Of course this recipe will work with any protein of your choice. This is the kind of sandwich you really want to sink your teeth into and it will have you craving for more.
Vegan Bahn Mi Recipe(can be made non-veg with meat of choice)
For Slaw
2 large carrots
2-3 large diakon radish (same size as carrots), can substitute parsnips or turnips
1 small apple
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs siracha
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
Thinly slice, julienne, or grate the the carrots, diakon and apple. Place them in a zip lock bag then add the rest of the ingredients. Close the bag and shake well until everything is thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (This in effect pickles the vegetables and will last in your fridge up to 3 weeks. It is also makes an excellent flavor addition to many types of sandwiches)
For Seitan (protein option)
2-3 cups seitan (or meat of choice), cut into slices not too small
3/4 cup water or broth
1/4 cup soy ( Braggs liquid aminos or tamari sauce also work)
2 Tbs molasses
2 Tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp siracha
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
2 Tbs toasted sesame oil
Add all the liquid together and mix. Place seitan (meat) in cast iron skillet in a single layer. You may need to make it in two batches. Pour half the liquid over and cook on med-low until liquid is cooked off and seitan has texture. Set aside.
Other Ingredients
1 big loaf of baguette bread
cilantro sprigs
spinach
mayo or veganaise
red or yellow peppers sliced (optional)
extra siracha
Really this is your sandwich you can put anything you want on it. After the slaw and seitan/meat are done build your sandwich to your liking. Bon appetite!
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