Bahn Mi Recipe (vegan or non-veg options)

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!



 

The World's Best Mac & Cheese Recipe- btw it's vegan!

Mac and cheese- the quintessential comfort food.  A few years ago I began searching for my perfect  go-to mac & cheese recipe that didn't come from a box. I have to admit I grew up on Kraft mac & cheese from a box and there was something so satisfying about it.  First it was the powdered neon cheese that you added milk to, then I graduated to the squeeze cheese from the package. Gooey carb and fat loaded processed deliciousness. Several years back I started eating healthier and cooking more food from scratch and I dropped eating mac & cheese all together.  Then the craving hit and my quest began.

I was always intrigued with the idea of making healthier mac & cheese.  I know it sounds like an oxymoron like jumbo shrimp or fighting for peace, but I really wanted to make vegan mac & cheese.  The first time I made it was a total flop. In fact my husband made me promise never to do that to him again.  But I couldn't help myself.  I tried a few more traditional recipes using real cheese but they were just ok. I never felt satisfied like I did from the overly processed fake stuff of my youth, and being so high in fat it never seemed worth it for just ok. Then I came across this recipe in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's vegan cookbook, Appetite For Reduction, and I just knew I had to try it. So despite my promise, I made it one night and I conveniently omitted the fact that it was vegan when I served it. Of course my husband knew right away it was vegan, but to both of our surprises it was sooooooo delicious we devoured it! I have been making the vegan Mac & Greens ( I added kale and broccoli just to up the nutritional value) regularly ever since.  In fact it's the only mac & cheese we will eat now.

The recipe calls for nutritional yeast as the cheese base.  If you are vegetarian or vegan this stuff is a staple but if you are new to it, nutritional yeast is a powerhouse of nutrition (it's even in the name!). 

One ounce of nutritional yeast  has 14g of protein (plant based protein that is easy to digest), 79 calories, fat free, has 18 different amino acids, 15 different minerals, rich in B vitamins and especially B12 (it's one of the only sources of non animal based vitamin B12 available), rich in folic acid, high in fiber 7g/oz, low in sodium, gluten free and is non-yeast forming.

The rest of the recipe is good for you too!  I make mine Mac & Greens by adding both kale and broccoli and  I also use quoina pasta.  All in all it's about a healthy mac & cheese you'll ever get.  Here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy this version of  guilt free mac & cheese as much as I do!

Mac & Greens Recipe-
-8 oz pasta (I use Ancient Harvest Quinoa elbow noodles)
-1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and chopped (or you can finely chop the stems for added crunch)
-1 head broccoli chopped

 Cheese Sauce
(Adapted from Appetite For Reduction,  Moskowitz p.173)
-3/4 cup nutritional yeast
-1/4 cup all purpose flour
-2 teaspoons granulated garlic
-2 teaspoons onion flakes
-1/4 teaspoons salt
-1/8 teaspoon turmeric
-2 tablespoons broth powder
-1 1/2 cups water
-1 teaspoon yellow mustard
-hot sauce (I use Siracha) optional

In a small pot start the sauce by mixing the nutritional yeast, flour, garlic, onion flakes, salt, turmeric, and broth powder (no heat yet).  Add the water and mix well to beat out any clumps until mostly smooth. Turn the heat on to medium-high and cook stirring regularly until it starts to boil. Once boiling some turn the heat down to a slow boil.  The sauce should thicken.  Cook for another 5 minutes or so stirring constantly to prevent sticking. It should get a thick, smooth melted cheese consistency. Turn off the heat and add in the mustard and optional hot sauce.

It is very easy to cook this all at once so that everything is done at the same time if you work in steps. This is how I usually do it.
1) get the cold sauce ingredients ready in a pot
2) In two separate pots start the water to boil- one for both the pasta and one for the greens, adding salt to the pot that will cook the pasta.
3) once the water is boiling in the 2 pots I turn on the heat for the sauce (medium high) and dump just the kale in one pot, and wait a minute or two before I put the the pasta in the other pot.
4)while the greens and the pasta are cooking you can focus on the cheese sauce and turning down the heat once it starts to boil
5) While stirring the sauce I let the kale cook alone for 5 minutes then add the broccoli and cook the greens for 2 more minutes and drain (total of 7 minutes kale, 2 minutes broccoli)
6)  pasta generally takes 8 minutes and by this time both the greens and sauce are done. Drain the pasta add it all together an viola vegan Mac & Greens!

DIY Raw Chocolate Recipe- easy and amazing!

Raw Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar

Chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate! Who doesn't love chocolate?   As we know not all chocolate is made the same.  Most of us try to limit the amount of consumption because of the sugar and fat in chocolate, let alone whatever the chocolate might be covering up.  What if I told you that chocolate can be a healthy superfood, made without any sugar and very easy to make yourself.  Sound too good to be true?  Well, it's not!  I have been exploring raw foods for a little while now and while I have had some great meals the true blessings have been raw deserts. However the greatest find yet has been raw chocolate.  I eat it plain when I just need a nibble of sweet and I also make some really rawmazing treats with it as well.

Why raw chocolate instead of regular old chocolate? Raw cacao is a superfood with amazing health benefits.

Raw chocolate contains many important vitamins and minerals including: Magnesium, and other essential minerals including calcium, sulfur, zinc, iron, copper, potassium, and manganese. Polyphenols called flavonoids, with antioxidant properties. Vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B9.  Essential heart-healthy fat: oleic acid a monounsaturated fat. Protein and fiber

  Raw Chocolate can also lower blood pressure & improve circulation, can promote cardiovascular function & health, can neutralize free radicals, can improve digestion, can enhance physical and mental well-being.

In today's post I am going to include three raw chocolate recipes that will change how you view the sweet stuff forever. 1) Basic Raw Chocolate 2) Raw Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar (pictured) 3) Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls. The first two recipes are from Judita Wignall's raw uncook book Going Raw.  I have found some really great recipes in this book and it's a good place to explore raw food for the adventuresome.  The third recipe is one I created after I saw how much my husband loved the not raw version made at our local co-op. Of course I knew I had to try making them myself and decided I would attempt to make them raw. Not only did they turn out amazing but I can feel good about eating and serving them!

Ingredients note:  I purchase all my ingredients at my local co-op.  Raw cacao is different than bakers cocoa.  Cacao is the purest form from the source.  The brand I use is "Ojio" and in comes in powder form. The cacao butter I find in bulk in the health and beauty section of the co-op.  Yep , it's the same stuff you rub on your body for beautiful skin.  Heck, if it works so good on the outside why not on the inside too!  There are food grade cacao butters ("Now" brand carries one such version).  The stuff I buy is not labeled food grade even though it is perfectly fine to use as food grade.  It is the highest quality purest cacao butter you can get.  Just don't use that yellow tube stuff you get from Walgreens.  If you can't find food grade cacao butter make sure it is 100%  cacao butter, no funny stuff, and you should be ok.

Basic Raw Chocolate- (as taken from Going Raw by Judita Wignall p.147)

1 cup cacao butter, shaved/cut into small pieces

1 cup cacao powder

2-4 Tbs honey, agave (less for bittersweet chocolate)

2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt (optional)

1. Melt cacao butter in saucepan over very low heat (it should be warm not hot- you can still be able to touch the pan and cacao without pain)
2. stir in cacao, honey, vanilla extract, and salt. Combine well
3. from here you can make what you want with the chocolate. For just plain chocolate freeze to harden 30 minutes. If you want to make fruit nut bars or peanut butter balls keep chocolate in liquid form and continue on to next step.

Raw Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bars (As taken from Judita Wignall's Going Raw p.148)

-1 recipe Basic Raw Chocolate (melted)

-2 Tablespoons chopped almonds or nut of your choice

- 1 Tablespoon dried blueberries

-1 Tablespoon  dried Zante currants (I used raisins)

-1 Tablespoon finely chopped dried cherries ( I used dried strawberries and/or cranberries)

      1. Stir all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and pour into candy bar molds (ice cube trays).                  Let set in freezer for at least 30 minutes before removing.

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls 

 -1 recipe Basic Raw Chocolate (melted)

-½ cup smooth peanut butter

-½ cup medjool dates, pits removed

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-1 Tbs almond flour (finely ground almonds) OR maca powder

-1/4-1/3 cup peanuts crushed

-pinch of sea salt

-Peanut Butter inside and assembly:

1. place the dates and peanut butter in and food processor and blend to a thick paste. Add, vanilla extract, almond flour or maca, and salt. Blend to mix all ingredients. Transfer mixture to separate bowl. Fold in most of crushed peanuts (save a little to sprinkle on top)
2. in small ice cube trays or chocolate molds put a dab of chocolate on the bottom.
3. Make a little ball of peanut butter filling and place in each cube
4. cover with chocolate and sprinkle with peanuts
5. Freeze for at least 30 minutes to harden. Keep refrigerated or frozen in airtight container.