Vegan Banh Mi Sandwiches

Banh Mi with homemade grilled  'pork' patty and Cilantro Lime Aioli

Banh Mi with Candied Smoked Ham and Dijon Mustard

I haven't been cooking lately because the weather is too hot.  However, a post from Bryanna at Vegan Feast Kitchen blog about  Vegan Spinach "Chicken" Patties (Open to Experimentation) prompted me to a new experiment with her recipe.  I made it Asian style in my experiment and it became Vegan Cilantro Roasted Lemongrass "Pork" Patties instead of "Chicken" patties.  I used the patties in Vietnamese Bánh mì with homemade Vegan Cilantro Lime Aioli and topped with traditional Bánh mì toppings(pictured above).  I grilled the patties on a cast iron skillet thus it became Vegan Grilled "Pork" Patties Bánh mì.

I just want to warn everyone that this recipe is very cilantro-ey.  Some people don't really like cilantro or coriander leaves.  I love them.  A lot of Vietnamese dishes use a lot of cilantro.   If you don't like cilantro you may stick with spinach or parsley.

I also did another experiment to make Candied Vegan "Ham" or "Bacon" using Chinese Style Vegan Smoked Ham I bought in Asian market.  I also served the Candied "Ham" in Bánh mì with dijon mustard and topped with traditional Bánh mì toppings(pictured above, too).

The traditional Bánh mì toppings are fresh cilantro, cucumber, jalapeno slices and pickled shredded daikon and carrots.

Ingredients of bánh mì  toppings are: cilantro, jalapeno, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots.

Bánh mì Ingredients:

Pickled Shredded Daikon Radish and Carrots, recipe below

Jalapeno slices

Fresh Cilantro

Cucumber Slices

Cilantro Lime Aioli Sauce(recipe below) or Dijon Mustard

Vegan Cilantro Roasted Lemongrass "Pork" Patties, recipe below or

Vegan Candied Smoked "Ham", recipe below

Vietnamese Baguette(Banh Mi Tay), store bought or homemade(pictured below)

(I have tried made it myself using this recipe)

Homemade baguette

Printable Recipe for Vegan Grilled "Pork" Banh Mi

Printable Recipe for Vegan Candied Smoked "Ham" Banh Mi

Pickled Shredded Daikon Radish and Carrots

1 large daikon radish, peeled

4 carrots, peeled

4 Tbsp vinegar, divided

2 tsp salt, divided

4-6 tsp sugar, divided

1. Using a food processor, shred radish and carrots separately. 
2. In 2 bowls, 1 for radish and 1 for carrots, pile shredded radish and carrots, separately.
3. For each bowl, add 1 tsp salt and 2-3 tsp sugar (add more to make it sweeter).  Rub the shredded radish or carrots with salt and sugar, mix well,
4. Add 2 Tbsp vinegar in each bowl.  Mix and let the radish and carrots macerated in room temperature or fridge.

Cilantro Lime Aioli Sauce

Yield 1.5 cups

This sauce is great with a lot of things.  I have served it with 'fish' tacos, sandwiches, and use it as a dip for tortilla chips.

2 cups packed fresh cilantro including stems (cleaned and dried in a towel)

1 large jalapeno, chop in large pieces

2 large cloves garlic

4 large green onions

juice of 1 lime (about 1/4 cup)

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

2 Tbsp. oil (optional)

Vegan Mayonnaise, store bought or check out Bryanna's recipe

1. Put all ingredients above except the mayonnaise and blend until smooth.
2. I store the Cilantro Lime mixture and the mayonnaise separately.  Just before serving, I combine equal parts of cilantro lime mixture and mayonnaise until well blended.

Cilantro Lime Sauce before it is combined with vegan mayo

Vegan Cilantro Roasted Lemongrass "Pork" Patties

Yield 12 oval patties

Adapted from Bryanna's Vegan Spinach "Chicken" Patties

2 6-inch fresh lemongrass (white part only), chopped in large pieces
2 large shallots, chopped in large pieces (about 2/3 cup altogether)
4 large cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. oil

2 large green onions
2 cups packed fresh cilantro including stems (cleaned and dried in a towel)
1 Tbsp. no beef broth paste
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 cups plain textured soy protein granules (TVP) or crumbs from bottom of Soy Curls bag
1 lb. medium-firm tofu, drained
1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten (gluten powder)
1 Tbsp. mushroom powder
  Note:  This is ground dried shiitake mushroom (grind until powdery smooth in a spice grinder)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic granules
1 tsp. ground white pepper
  Note:  a lot of Vietnamese dishes use ground white pepper as seasoning.
2 Tbsp. 'fish' sauce  or Braggs Liquid Aminos

1. Start with a dry food processor, grind chopped lemongrass into a fine fibrous pulps.  This may take 1-2 minutes.  Add chopped shallots and garlic cloves.  Process some more until it become a fibrous spice paste.
2. Heat oil in a wok or on a cast iron pan, saute the spice paste on a medium heat.  Stir fry for literally 10-15 minutes until the herb paste brown and roasted.  Stir the paste frequently.  When it becomes loose, brown, dry, and fluffy, turn off the heat and let it cool.  (See the same method in making Lemongrass Tofu).
3. While stir frying the lemongrass in step 2, mix the no beef broth paste with boiling water.  Add to the TVP and let sit 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  
5. Using the same food processor (you don't need to wash), grind fresh cilantro and green onions.
6.  Mash the drained tofu (squeeze out excess water) and mix well with the soaked TVP(squeeze out excess water), cilantro and green onion mixture, cool roasted lemongrass shallots mixture and the remaining ingredients, except the gluten flour.  Mix thoroughly.
7. Add the gluten flour and mix well again.
8. Scoop up some of the "dough' and roll into a ball, then press down into a patty on a piece of baking parchment or silpat.  I made it oval shapes because I am serving it in a baguette.  There will be about 12-13 patties.
9. Place the patties on parchment-lined or silpat-lined baking sheets, cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.  The patties will be soft when they come out of the oven.  Let them cool on baking sheets.  Cool or chill thoroughly in the fridge.  They will firm up as they cool.  Store in a container with parchment in between the patties and refrigerate  or freeze for future use.
10. When ready to serve, grill or brown them on both sides and medium heat on a oiled cast iron skillet.

Vegan Candied Smoked "Ham"

Using a loaf of store bought smoked vegan ham.  I frequently perused Asian market in search of Smoked Vegan Ham.  I often found one or two that is vegan.  The one I purchased was VegeFarm brand.

Store bought vegan ham

Vegetable oil

Maple syrup

1. Slice thawed vegan ham vertically and about 1/4-inch thick.
2. On a cast iron skillet, heat a tablespoon oil, pan fry a few ham slices until golden brown.
3. Add 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup.  Let syrup bubbles up and coats the ham slices.
4. Keep frying until syrup reduced and ham slices turned to roasted brown (see picture below)

Candied Smoked Vegan Ham

Assembling Bánh mì:

1. Cut about 6-8 inches of baguette and slice in half horizontally, almost all the way through but not quite.
2. Slather with Cilantro Lime Aoli for making Grilled "Pork"  sandwich or with Dijon Mustard for the Candied "Ham" sandwich.
3. Add Grilled "Pork" Patties or Candied Smoked "Ham" slices, top with pickled shredded daikon radish and carrots, jalapeno slices, cucumber slices, and more cilantro.

Assembling Grilled "Pork" Patties Banh Mi with Cilantro Lime Aioli

Assembling Candied Smoked "Ham" Banh Mi with Dijon Mustard

The details in Grilled "Pork" Banh Mi with all the toppings and aioli

Enjoy!

Vegan Lemongrass Tofu or Faux Fish



Above: Lemongrass soy/faux fish.  Below: Lemongrass tofu.

We visit vegan Vietnamese restaurants pretty often.  Our favorites are nearby Loving Hut and Thuyen Vien.  Lemongrass soy fish or tofu is on their menu and we love this dish.  I've been trying to develop a recipe that I want to blog but somehow could not get the taste right until I found a perfect sauce to replace the fish sauce.  I found it by way of facebook, a discussion with a fellow vegan about a replacement of fish sauce.  This sauce is called Toyomansi, a Filipino soy sauce with calamansi in it.  Perusing a nearby Asian market, I found it, here is the picture of the bottle below:



Toyomansi, a delicious fish sauce replacement.

I thank my fellow vegan in fb for her suggestion.  This sauce is quiet delicious.

Making it with faux fish or soy fish:
Another discovery, lately, for me, is a store with a lot of vegan faux meat in Monrovia, CA, called Vege USA.  This Taiwanese based company for faux meat and seafood products has been in business since 1998.  They were creating vegetarian products instead of vegan products.  However, visiting the store (the headquarter has a small market or store) and talking to the worker in the store, this company is in the process to turn their products to vegan.  There is a whole freezer section dedicated for vegan products.  The process takes a long time but they are trying.  I was able to get a good vegan soy fish from them.  In the past, I made my own vegan soy fish but lately buying it is easier.  Some people will say that they don't like faux meat or seafood.  Oh well, I grew up eating fish and love the 'seafoody' flavor so I still enjoy eating faux fish.

Making it with spongy tofu:
If faux fish is not your thing, you can make this dish with tofu.  I suggest the extra firm tofu.  I found that tofu can be bland in a stir fry dish unless I soak and marinade the tofu pieces first with the spices.  I fix the problem by freezing the extra firm tofu first overnight and then leave it to thaw the next day on a colander.  Before freezing it, do not squeeze the water out of the tofu.  I usually take out the tofu from the box, wrap it in a saran wrap tightly and put it in the freezer.  The water in the tofu will be frozen and crystallized so when it is thawed, it forms holes as pictured below.  After it is thawed, I squeeze the water out and the tofu becomes spongy.  If the tofu is soft, there are a lot of water in the tofu so when it is thawed, the tofu reduced to half of the original size.  For this dish, I prefer the extra firm spongy tofu. The benefit of using the spongy tofu is that the sauce and spices easily absorbed into the tofu so it is not bland.  The tofu is really like a sponge absorbing the spice and sauce well.   But then again, some people do not like the texture of spongy tofu.  In that case, extra firm tofu can be used in this dish (without freezing and thawing).  It is a matter of preference.


From left to right:  extra firm tofu, extra firm spongy tofu, soft spongy tofu

Vegan Lemongrass Soy Fish or Tofu
Serve 6
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups soy fish or extra firm spongy tofu or extra firm tofu (drained, pressed)
2-3 Tbsp. Canola or Safflower oil
4 garlic cloves
5 shallot cloves
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, use the white stalk only and remove the fibrous and leafy tops, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium red jalapeno or 2 red thai chili, optional
¼ tsp. salt, optional
Note: toyomansi or vegan fish sauce can be salty. Salt may not be necessary.
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Toyomansi or Braggs Liquid Aminos or Vegan Fish Sauce
½ tsp. curry powder
1 cup vegetable broth (non-salty kind is preferable)

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut soy fish, tofu or spongy tofu to bite sizes. With a brush or oil -spray bottle, apply oil soy fish or tofu pieces (using ½ to 1 tablespoon of the oil).
2. Bake soy fish or tofu until crispy, about 25minutes - for fish and 35 minutes for tofu, flip over about halfway of cooking. The fish or tofu should be brown and crispy. Set aside to cool.
3. Using a food processor, grind lemongrass, garlic, shallots, optional red chili, and salt until it is very fine. Scrape the side a couple times to gather ingredients. The final result is a spice paste.
4. Heat a large wok or nonstick frying pan on a medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp. oil. Then, immediately, add the herb paste (from no. 3). Stir fry this herb paste for 10 minutes. Be patient, this is dry frying process. It needs to be slightly brown and dry before continuing to the next phase. Add a little more oil or water if it starts to stick to the pan. The aroma of browned herbs will be delicious.
5. Add baked soy fish or tofu and mix with the browned herbs, mix well and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
6.  Add toyomansi or liquid aminos or vegan fish sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, and mix well with soy fish or tofu mixture.
7. Add vegetable broth. Let the soy fish or tofu soak all the liquid and stir fry for another 5 minutes. Another option is not to use broth and have this dish as a dry dish. I like it both ways.
8. Take it off heat and enjoy with my perfect brown rice and Indonesian Salad with Spicy Grated Coconut Dressing or Indian Kale-Cabbage Thoran.

Baked soy fish until crispy.

Before



 After:  Spice paste was sticky before.  After 10 minutes, it is brown, fluffy, and loose.

  

Serve Lemongrass fish or tofu with brown rice, Indonesian salad, or Indian Thoran, a perfect combo.

Stuffed Tomatoes and Bell Peppers - Asian Style

Stuffed Tomatoes and Bell Peppers - Asian Style

A while back, I had this dish at a  vegetarian restaurant called One World Vegetarian and decided to make it myself at home.  Apparently, this restaurant does not serve this dish anymore which is too bad since I love this dish.  I think it is originally a Vietnamese dish which uses ground pork as the stuffing.  To veganize it I used crumbled and drained firm tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and mung bean noodle (bean thread noodle or glass noodle or cellophane noodle).  The cellophane noodle acts as a binder  for the stuffing.   In the picture above, I served this dish with sweet and sour sauce and garlicky sauteed baby spinach.  I also serve this dish with steamed brown rice.   The dish is so COLORFUL and use rainbow colors vegetable such as below:



Ingredients from left corner, clockwise:  yellow, orange, and red bell peppers, onion, 1 block of firm tofu, bean thread noodle, fresh shiitake mushrooms, and medium ripe tomatoes.

The sweet and sour sauce is optional.  Without this sauce, the stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers are already so tasty.  The sauteed baby spinach was also a side dish that can be replaced with any other stir fried vegetables.  However, I love a colorful dish and thought that it looks so appetizing to combine yellow, orange, red, and green on my plate.

Stuffed Tomatoes and Bell Peppers - Asian Style
Serve 8

Ingredients:
3 medium size bell peppers (1 yellow, 1 orange, and 1 red)
3 medium size ripe tomatoes
9 fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped into coarse bits (including the stems)
1 water packed block firm tofu (14 oz), drained
1/2 large onions, chopped into coarse bits
3 stalks of green onions, chopped coarsely
2 oz dry bean thread noodle  (soak in hot water)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. Mushroom Seasonings or Mushroom Powder
Note: I love the mushroom powder from Pistol River Farm
1 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
Toasted Sesame Oil
Canola Oil or Grapeseed Oil
a 9-inch non-stick frying pan or cast iron pan with a tight lid



Remove the inside of the tomatoes.

Remove the inside of the colorful bell peppers.

The fresh tomatoes were stuffed with tofu, mushrooms,
onions, green onions, and seasonings.

The fresh colorful bell peppers stuffed with tofu, mushrooms,
onions, green onions, and seasonings.

1. Put the drained block of tofu in a colander under heavy objects (such as canned vegetables) to press out more of the water out of the tofu.  Press for 30 minutes or longer.    You can use TofuXpress but I haven't really acquired this nifty gadget yet and still doing it in the old fashion way.
2. Soak the dry bean thread noodle in a bowl of hot water for about 10 minutes.  Then drain the noodles onto a colander.  With a kitchen scissor or knife, cut the drained cellophane noodle into 1-inch strands. Set aside
3. Cut all the bell peppers and tomatoes into halves.  Remove the stems from the bell peppers(it's ok to have holes on the bottom).  Remove the inside such as the seeds and cut out all the ribs from inside the bell peppers and tomatoes.  Throw away the seeds but save the ribs for the sweet and sour sauce recipe below.
4. Pour 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil in a frying pan.  Saute chopped shiitake mushrooms and onions for about 5 minutes until they are soft, brown, and mushrooms are dry. Set it aside and let it cool.
5. Crumble the drained and pressed tofu with your hands into a large bowl.  Add the sauted onions and mushrooms, chopped green onions, all purpose flour, mushroom powder, sugar, salt, ground white pepper, and cut cellophane/bean thread noodle.  Combine thoroughly to form a stuffing.
6. Stuff each half of tomato and bell pepper with the stuffing (no. 5) up to the rim.
7. Heat a flat 9-inch frying pan on a medium heat.  Put 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil and 1/2 tablespoon canola/grapeseed oil and swirl them around to coat the pan.
8. Starting with the stuffed tomatoes, put the tomatoes bottom sides(skin sides) down first.  Cover with the lid and leave it alone for 10 minutes.  This is important to cook the tomatoes.
9. Then, flip them  carefully with a spatula to fry the stuffed sides.  Cover with the lid again and leave it alone for another 5 minutes.  Take the lid off and cook more for another 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pan fried tomatoes from the frying pan, set them aside.
10. Add more oils (1/2 Tbsp sesame and 1/2 Tbsp canola/grapeseed) into the frying pan. Continue with the stuffed bell peppers, put the peppers bottom sides (skin sides) down first.  Cover with the lid and leave it alone for 13 minutes(bell peppers need more time).
11. Then, flip them carefully with a spatula to fry the stuffed sides. Cover with the lid again and leave it alone for another 7 minutes. Take the lid off and cook more for another 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pan bell peppers from the frying pan, set them aside with the pan fried tomatoes.

Amount per Serving:

Calories 157157  Calories from  Fat 67, 67 Total Fat 7.5g7.5 12%12, Saturated Fat 1.2g1.2 6%6, Sodium 300mg300 13%13, Total Carbohydrates 19.5g19.5 6%6, Dietary Fiber 2.2g2.2 9%9, Sugars 3.8g3.8,  Protein 5.4g5.4

atoes.

Stuffed tomatoes, pan fried.

Stuffed bell peppers, pan fried.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Serve 8
This is an optional sauce to serve with the stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers.

Combine in a bowl and stir:
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
2 Tbsp. cooking wine or sherry
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/8 tsp. Ground White Pepper
1 3/4 cup water or low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 large onion, sliced
Optional: the inside of the tomatoes and bell peppers (without the seeds), chopped into small bits.
Toasted Sesame Oil

1. In a medium pot on a medium heat, put 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil.  Add sliced onions and the tomatoes and bell peppers bits.  Saute until onions and vegetables are soft, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the combined sauce, stir, and bring it to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes until thickened.  Serve.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 6666 Calories from Fat 88, Total Fat 0.9g0.9 1%, 1Saturated Fat 0.1g0.1 0%, 0Sodium 385mg38516%,16

Total Carbohydrates 11.7g11.7 4%,4 Dietary Fiber 0.7g0.7 3%, 3 Sugars 8.0g8.0, Protein 0.5g

Garlicky Baby Spinach
Serve 2-4
This is an optional side dish to servw with the stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers.

6-8 cups baby spinach
6 garlic cloves, chopped or slice thinly
1/2 salt
Cracked black pepper
Toasted Sesame oil

1. In the frying pan used for preparing the tomatoes and bell peppers, heat 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil on a medium high heat.
2. Add garlic and toast for 30-40 seconds.
3. Add baby spinach and stir.  Sprinkle salt and cracked black pepper.
4. Cover with the lid for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and soft.
5. Take it off from heat and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 6161 Calories from Fat 2222, Total Fat 2.4g2.4 4%, 4Saturated Fat 0.3g0.3 2%,2 Sodium 139mg139 6%,6Total Carbohydrates 4.7g4.7 2%, 2Dietary Fiber 1.5g1.5 6%, 6Sugars 0.1g, 0.1Protein 4.3g

Enjoy!

Vegan Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crêpe Lettuce Wrap)

Warning:  This is a looong blog and recipe.  This is  because I provided several options (including a gluten-free option) so  readers can pick and choose what to use and which to follow.  Don't be afraid!  The recipe is actually pretty simple.  If you watch the video and try it, with a bit of practice making the crêpe, it is actually not that hard.  I make this dish all the time and it is delicious!

Bánh Xèo, pronounced 'bun say-o', translated to 'sizzling cake', is a unique southern-style Vietnamese Crêpe dish.   I call it Vietnamese Crêpe Lettuce Wrap (say that a few times as a tongue twister).   It is a lettuce wrap because of the way it is eaten, wrapped in lettuce with fresh herbs and vegetables and then dunked into a sauce.  It is so DELICIOUS and SAVORY that you want it again and again.  I decided to veganize it based on conversations I had recently with my out-of-state vegetarian friend, Yongkie, whom just ordered this dish for the first time in a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant and was excited to learn to make it at home.

Yongkie and I both agreed that this is a dish that is so MESSY to eat.  Just like eating tacos, you will need to learn how to eat it without getting your hands all sticky and nasty with food juices.  It is a dish that we all feel more comfortable to eat at home in front of your family members.   Definitely, I would not recommend  this dish if you are on a date in a restaurant. :-)

Although I have made this dish at home several times, I learned that it is hard to describe how to make it to a person who lives out-of-state.  I searched for several youtube videos and sent them to describe the process of making bánh xèo, traditionally.  The recipes in the videos are not vegetarian nor vegan but what is important is to learn the techniques in preparing the batter, cooking the filling,  timing and cooking the crêpe, and eating it (wrapping in a lettuce and dunking it into the sauce).  Therefore, if you replace the filling and the fish sauce ingredients with what I suggested in my recipe, you will be able to prepare a vegan bánh xèo at home.

This youtube video by yummies4dummies is the one I really like.  Tina Pham is also so funny and energetic (the slo-mo near the end cracks me up).  Check out this Bánh Xèo video from yummies4dummies.  Her recipe and techniques are right on.  Yongkie told me that he watched it twice before he made it.  After replacing the filling and sauce ingredients with vegetarian ingredients,  the technique worked for him.  He said that it will be easier to make it next time after his first attempt.  My only critique of the video is that I thought Tina poured too much batter into her frying pan.  I think  less batter is better for a thinner crêpe which then becomes crispier.  The video plays about 9 minutes but you have to see it till the end when she showed us how to eat bánh xèo and you'll know what I mean by MESSY.

The batter Tina and Yongkie used was made from a pre-mixed flour you can buy at a Vietnamese market.  It is called Bánh Xèo flour.  This is one example:

It usually has the picture of the crêpe in front of it so it is not that hard to find.  I suggested to Yongkie to make it with a pre-mixed flour because it is the easiest for the first timer.  However, the pre-mixed flour usually contains 'all white' flour.  Like all food that is made using white flour only, it raises your blood sugar high and then drop it quickly.  One becomes hungry again too quickly.  The ingredients listed on the bag is rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and tapioca.  Another brand I found in the market has some wheat flour in it  (not whole wheat).  If you are trying to avoid gluten, you'll have to read the ingredients carefully.

If you are trying to avoid WHITE flour, I suggest another option, a healthier option:  Bryanna Clark Grogan's Sizzling Saigon Crepe batter from her latest cookbook World Vegan Feast published by Vegan Heritage Press on August 8, 2011.  

You can buy this wonderful cookbook from Amazon.com  I own one and use it often.  In fact, I was her Vegan Feast subscriber and tried so many of her vegan recipes including this one.  The good news for gluten-free vegan folks, Bryanna's batter is GLUTEN-FREE.  Bryanna let me blog her batter recipe which contains soaked split mung beans and brown rice flour.  There are extra steps to do but by using this batter, you'll feel that there is an extra 'uumph' after you eat it because it is more filling and nutritious.  

The dipping sauce traditionally is made with fish sauce. I veganized it by using Vegetarian 'Fish' sauce or Soy Sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos which both fermented naturally and salty.    I also listed 3 different dipping sauce recipes and you can choose what you would like to use.  I prefer a dipping sauce that has a lot of fresh lime juice, a bit sweet, and spicy (hot).  Yongkie likes it on the sweet taste with a small amount of lime juice or vinegar and not spicy at all.  Bryanna's sauce is also great and not as  spicy.

Vegan Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crêpe Lettuce Wrap)
Serve 4-6 (or 4-6 crêpes)   Choose Batter No. 1 or 2 and Dipping Sauce no. 1, 2, or 3.

Vegetable oil
Natural oil spray in a can
8-inches or 10-inches non-stick frying pan

Batter No. 1(adapted from Tina Pham, using pre-mixed flour):
12 oz Bánh Xèo flour  (1 package)
 Note: if there is no salt and sugar in the ingredients list, add 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. sugar for extra flavors
1/2 tsp. Tumeric
1 tsp. Vietnamese curry powder, optional
 Note: Vietnamese curry powder can be bought in a Vietnamese market, it looks like this:

14 oz. Coconut milk or light coconut milk
3 cups water
1/2 cup chopped green onions

OR

Batter No.2(adapted from Bryanna Clark Grogan's Sizzling Saigon Crepe), gluten-free:
3/4 cup moong dal (split and skinned mung beans)

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups coconut milk or light coconut milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. Vietnamese curry powder, optional  (see description and picture in batter no. 1)
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Filling:
2 cups vegan smoked ham or vegan shrimp or  baked tofu or regular firm tofu, sliced
Note:  my favorite is the vegan smoked ham because of it's smoky flavor
2 cups onions, sliced
2 cups cremini mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms or brown enoki mushrooms, sliced
2 cups red bell pepper, sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
salt and black pepper

Dipping Sauce No. 1, on the mild and sweet side, Yongkie's recipe:
1/2 cup vegetarian soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup shredded carrots

Dipping Sauce No. 2, sweet and sour, Bryanna's recipe:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp (or more to taste) Vietnamese chili sauce
1/4 cup vegetarian soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 small carrot, finely-grated

Dipping sauce no.3, sweet, sour, and spicy, my recipe:
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (from 3-4 limes)
1/3 cup vegetarian soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 fresh serrano chili or Thai chili, minced
Note: for less hot, use 1/2 of a chili

Fresh Vegetables:
1 head red leaf or green leaf lettuce
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh mint
1 English cucumber, french cut slices
1 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and shredded  mixed with 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and 2 tsp. salt
Note: You can make the pickled carrots 1 hour ahead a day ahead, set it in a room temperature, then drained before serving.

Step 1, making the batter
To make the batter with pre-mix bag of flour (batter no. 1), just mix them all together in a bowl (like in the video).
To make batter no. 2:  Cover the moong dal with water to cover and soak for 30 minutes.  Drain them and place in the blender with the remaining batter ingredients.  Blend until VERY smooth.  Set aside (in the blender container) in the refrigerator until time to cook.

Step 2, making the sauce:
Choose  dipping sauce no. 1, 2, or 3 recipe.  Combine all ingredients together in a bowl, stir to mix well.

Step 3, preparing the vegetables:
Arrange the vegetables in a large platter like this:

Step 4, making the crêpes(see video for the demo), for each crêpe:

Sauteing the filling

Adding bean sprouts

1. Heat non-stick frying pan in a medium heat, put 2 tsp. vegetable oil.
2. Grab about 2-3 tbsp. sliced onions and 1/2 tsp minced garlic.  Throw them into the heated pan, saute.
3. Add 2 tbsp each sliced mushrooms, red bell pepper slices, and the protein slices (whether it is veggie ham, tofu, or veggie shrimp).
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and continue pan frying until a bit brown.  Spread the filling in a single layer in the frying pan.
5. Pour 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup batter and swirl around the pan until the batter is spread thinly covering the filling ingredients.
6. Immediately cover with a lid tightly and set timer to 4-5 minutes.
7. Remove lid,  add 1/4 bean sprouts in half of the crêpe.  Cover tightly again and set timer for 2 minutes.
8. Flip crêpe, the half without the bean sprouts, over the bean sprouts.  Slide it out to a serving plate and serve immediately.  The crêpe  should be eaten immediately.
   Note: Since there are only 2 of us at home, I usually store the batter in the fridge for the next meal.  It works well and is better than eating the leftover crêpe the next day.

Think about the possibility of a Bánh Xèo party with your friends.  With portable butane gas stoves and non-stick frying pans, each guest can take turn making his or her own crêpe and learn something new.

Vegan Pomelo/Grapefruit Salad (Happy Lunar New Year!)

Happy Lunar New Year!  The Year of the Dragon!  This weekend, if you are roaming around China town, Vietnamese town, Thai town, etc. you will see a lot of Pomelos, Kumquats, Oranges, and Tangerines.    When I start seeing pomelos in Asian markets, I know that it is close to Tết (lunar new year).  Then, I start thinking about making pomelo salad.  If there is no pomelo in your area, you can use grapefruit instead.  Pomelo is larger than grapefruit, can weight from 2-4 lbs, but it is not as tart as grapefruit.  The fruit looks like this:

It is huge and has a very thick skin, about 1/2 to 1 inch thick.  Here are  videos I found in youtube:  How to Cut, Peel, and Eat Pomelo (including the horror movie music background) and Peeling the Pomelo. For this salad, I shredded the pomelo sections/pulps after they are peeled (the white skin part was removed).  The inside of my pomelo was white instead of pink such as it was in the videos.

Now, why should I make a salad dish in winter time?  This should be a summer dish, right?  We should all be eating soups, right?   The reason is that citrus is in season now and it contains a lot of vitamin C, such as the pomelo above.  It is time to eat CITRUS so we can fight colds that are common during winter.  I also have a lot of fresh limes from my tree.  I will need fresh limes for my pomelo salad. Pomelo and lime contain a double dose of vitamin C.  This diet works since I am proud to say that I haven't had any cold in more than 1 year now.  Actually, I don't remember the last time I had any cold.

The ingredients of pomelo salad are:

From top left, clockwise: shredded pomelo(in blue bowl), carrots, cucumber, aburaage, mint leaves, cilantro leave, beansprouts.

Vegan Pomelo/Grapefruit Salad
Serve 4-6

2-3 cups shredded pomelo or grapefruit  (it depends on the size of the pomelo, it can be from 1 to 2 pomelos after it is cut and peeled)
2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 cups cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 cup  aburaage or firm tofu, cut into matchsticks
   Note:  I used seasoned aburaage (one for inari) but you can use unseasoned aburaage or shredded fried tofu
2 cups beansprouts
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts, 1-2 tablespoons more for the toppings
1/4 cup fried shallots, optional
  Note:  Below is the picture of fried shallots I bought at an Asian market.  It is crunchy and savory.  If you can't find it, you  can substitute with French's French Fried Onions but fried shallots are the preference.

Salad dressing:
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (from 3-4 limes)
1/3 cup vegetarian soy sauce or light soy sauce
1/4 to 1/3 cup agave nectar, depending how sweet you like it
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 minced serrano chili or Thai chili
  Note :  for less spicy, use 1/2 chili

1. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Don't mix the dressing until about ready to serve. Note: I often store the combined salad ingredients in the fridge without the dressing and add the dressing before serving.
2. Combine the salad dressing in a separate bowl, mix well.
3. Pour salad dressing slowly into the salad and toss well.  Add chopped peanuts on top.  Serve.

This salad is very refreshing.  It is sour, sweet, peanuty,  minty, limey, and oniony.  I just love it.  It is also light.  There is no oil in the dressing so if you are cutting oil after all those meals during the holidays, you will appreciate this salad (use plain firm tofu instead of aburage and omit the fried shallots).

Smoked Tofu and Mango Summer/Salad Rolls

My first encounter with the recipe of this yummy Vietnamese-style Summer/Salad Rolls or goi cuon (not the fried ones called cha gio which is also called spring rolls) was at Bryanna's Vegan Cooking Class in 2004. I fell in love with it. The way she combined the flavors of ripe mango, marinated-and-baked tofu, carrots, basil leaves, cucumber, lettuce, vermicelli noodles, and peanut sauce is BRILLIANT! For the last 5 years, I lost count how many times I made this dish. I brought the summer/salad rolls to potlucks too. Every time it never fails to be the first dish gobbled up by my non-vegan or vegan friends attending the potlucks.

Recently, I went to a poolside vegan potluck hosted by Orange County Veggie Meetup group and brought these rolls. Again, they were gone in a matter of minutes. I decided to blog it and share my version with the world.

Like any recipe, especially the one that I use many times, this recipe went through many iterations of changes. Every time I made it, I may use slightly different ingredients. Thus it is not really the same as the original recipe. I invite you to be creative also and use ingredients that you like. However, I think the combination of the baked or smoked tofu and ripe mango is a 'must have'.

I sometimes use a store-bought-baked-and-marinated tofu for a short cut. There are a few vegan baked tofu brands with Thai or Teriyaki flavors (those are the best for these rolls) that are ready to eat. This is just perfect if you don't mind the cost and that you'll like to save time. You can also buy store-bought Teriyaki sauce to use for the marinade and then bake the tofu at home. I have done these before too when I am lazy or really busy. I usually make my own marinade, add liquid smoke to it, and bake the tofu. Don't be nervous about using liquid smoke! It is natural and vegan. You can read this blog about it. Apparently, liquid smoke is just smoke and water but adding a few drops of this liquid to your tofu marinade will make your tofu so flavorful and smoky. I provide my version of smoked-marinated-baked tofu below.

About the rice paper or banh trang, for those who are not familiar with Vietnamese rice paper, I recommend this blog about selecting rice paper. I prefer the Red Rose brand but I have also used the Three Ladies brand. For beginners, I definitely recommend these brands. Here is a blog about How to Make Rice Paper. I believe that's the traditional way. The ones that are sold in stores are probably industrialized with machines in factories. Here is also a blog for a Step by step how to roll these spring/summer/salad rolls or goi cuon (not a vegetarian recipe). I also provide the step by step pictures below. I hope with these you'll have an idea how it is done.

Vegan Smoked Tofu and Mango Summer/SaladRolls
Serve 16

Summer/Salad Rolls Ingredients:
16 Vietnamese rice papers
2 large ripe mango, peeled and cut in 4" by 1/2" thick
1 medium head of green lettuce, shredded thinly
1 English cucumber, cut in 4" by 1/2 " thick
2 cups julienne cut peeled carrots marinated with:
2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp vegan sugar
1 lb baked-and-marinated tofu or smoked tofu, cut in 4" by 1/2" thick
1 cup basil leaves, separate leaves from stems
Note: I like to use the Thai Basil type but I have used the Italian Sweet Basil too. Whatever is available in your area will be fine.
Optional: 2-3 cups cooked rice vermicelli or thin soba noodles

Clockwise from upper left hand corner: ripe mango, cucumbers, basil leaves, julienned-and-marinated carrots, smoked-baked tofu, and shredded green lettuce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup hot water
4 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp vinegar or fresh lime juice
1 Tsp sesame oil
1 Tsp Chinese Chili Garlic Sauce or Sriracha
2 Tbsp chopped green onion

1. Marinade the julienne cut peeled carrots with the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Combine and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The carrots will be limp and seasoned or pickled. Then drain them thoroughly (you can do this 1 day ahead if you like).
   
2. To make the peanut dipping sauce, combine hot water and peanut butter until it is well mixed and the peanut butter is melted and thinner. Then, add the rest of the peanut dipping sauce ingredients, set aside (you can to this 1 day ahead if you like).
   
3. Prepare a large bowl of warm water (about 120F), a damp and clean kitchen towel(wet a clean kitchen towel and squeezed the water out), a large plate or cutting board. Set all the ingredients of the Summer/Salad rolls around you so that it is within reach. BTW, I learned this method at Bryanna's vegan cooking school in 2004.
   

4. Dip a rice paper in the bowl of warm water and circle it around to make sure it is all wet and covered with water.
   

5. Quickly put the rice paper on the damp kitchen towel. Let the water soaks through the paper. I usually count about 30 seconds before I put the ingredients on it and start rolling.
   

6. Pile the ingredients on the wet rice paper. At this time the paper will be limp and pliable but it should not tear. If you wait too long the rice paper will be too soft and easily torn. You'll have to work QUICKLY.
   
   
7. Start rolling like making burrito. I like to put the basil leave on the outside layer of the roll to make it prettier. I usually put the leave right side down. You can put 1 leave or 2 to 3 leaves in a row. You'll see the result later. It's nice!
   

8. Then, continue wrapping it like burrito. Again, work QUICKLY!
   

9. Roll and tada! Here is the final result and you'll see the leave behind the transparent rice paper. It's an art!

10. Repeat steps 4 to 9, 15 times. It looks hard but with practice it will become easier and easier each time. If the rice paper is torn or stuck together, you can throw it away and start all over again. It's cheap, you know. Believe me, I have done that and been there before but I am persistent and determined to tackle this skill. I had practiced many times and ate many smoked tofu and mango goi cuons which is not too bad of an experience. DH loves it too that I practiced a lot.
    
11. Then, you can eat the roll whole with the peanut dipping sauce or cut it in a diagonal like the picture below.
    

If you are allergic to peanut, I have a peanut-free dipping sauce for it. Check out the salad dressing in my blog titled Vietnamese Green Mango Salad. This dressing is great for a dipping sauce for this salad roll.

Regarding the smoked-baked-marinated tofu, you may want to check on Bryanna's blog regarding A Nifty Gadget for Pressing Tofu. This kind of tofu is great for this recipe. I don't have this nifty gadget myself but I usually buy an extra firm tofu. Bryanna suggesteds 2 parts soy sauce, 1 part maple syrup, and a little sesame oil for the marinade. I added 1 part of water, 1 tsp liquid smoke, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp onion powder for the smoked tofu marinade sauce. Make sure that all the tofu slices are covered in the marinade sauce and let them submerged in the marinade for at least 4 hours. Then, you can bake them in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes or pan fry them in a skillet. Basically, you can create your own version of the marinade sauce.

These rolls are to be eaten within a day (we have no problems with that). They are not good to be refrigerated and eaten the next day(have done that, too).

Enjoy these summer rolls(goi cuons) this summer!

Vietnamese Green Mango Salad

Recently, I have been craving Vietnamese Vegan dishes. I was inspired by my visit to a local Vietnamese Vegan/Vegetarian restaurant, Thuyen Vien, to prepare this dish. If you are in SoCal area, I really recommend this restaurant. Their dishes are authentic and the owner is very friendly and accommodating. It is a mom and pop, not a fancy vegan restaurant, but the food is out of the world!

After having a super delicious green mango salad in Thuyen Vien, I vowed to replicate it at home. It is not hard to find green mango in my area. I usually pick mangoes that are still firm and green in Asian or Indian markets nearby. If you cannot find green mangoes, you can use green apple such as Granny Smith. I even use 1 green apple in this recipe to add a crunchy texture.

It is also not that hard for me to find the fresh herbs used in Vietnamese cooking. I live near the so called Little Saigon of Orange County, California. The essential ingredient for this salad is a fresh herb called Vietnamese Coriander, the Vietnamese name is rau răm. I went on a special trip to a Vietnamese market just to get it. It is not available in the usual natural food markets I frequently shop at. If this is not available in your area, you can use fresh lemon verbena. Whatever you use for a substitution, choose a fresh herb that has lemony flavor and smell. I took a good picture of it so you can see how it looks like if you are able to find a Vietnamese market near you (you know that language barrier can be a problem shopping in such a market). Probably, you can also ask your local Vietnamese restaurant if they know where to buy it.

The ingredients of the salad are as follows (from left hand corner, clockwise): green mango, firm cucumber (English cucumber), carrots, jicama, green apple, chopped herbs (Vietnamese coriander and fresh mint leaves).

As you can see that the green mango is light yellowish and not white. During my growing up years, I was able to pick green mango from my own tree in the yard before it turned light yellow (a bit too ripe). However, for the purpose for this salad, since the mango was still firm, it was good enough.

The ingredients were all cut in julienne manner or match sticks. This is a chore. I used a food processor but then found out that it was not a good idea since this tool tends to make the ingredients juicy. I will investigate of a good mandolin that can perform julienne cut fruit and vegetable the way I want it. A julienne peeler did not do a good job since it cut too small. Don't worry since all the effort to cut all the vegetable and fruit is well worth it. This salad is so refreshing, spicy, light, healthy, and very low fat.

Another unique ingredient is young coconut juice. It is the water/juice and not milk, ok? If you can find a young coconut and get the juice out of it, that's great (recently we have lots of young coconuts in nearby Asian and natural food markets). Otherwise, I recommend the one in a can without added sugar and no pulp. I am using it in the veganized salad dressing (originally, this salad has fish sauce in its dressing).

Vietnamese Green Mango Salad
Serve 4-6

Ingredients:
2 cups green mango, julienne cut (about 2 small green mango)
1 cup English cucumber, julienne cut
2 cups carrots, julienne cut
2 cups jicama, julienne cut (1 small jicama)
1 to 2 Granny Smith apple, julienne cut (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup Vietnamese Coriander, measure then chop
1/2 cup fresh mint, measure then chop

Garnish:
Cilantro
2 tablespoons fried shallot, omit for lower fat
3 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts, omit for lower fat
Sriracha hot sauce
Rice chips or crackers

Salad Dressing:
1/4 cup light soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Amino
Note: refer to my blog about soy sauce I use
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 to 1/3 cup young coconut juice or vegetarian broth (room temperature)
1-2 tablespoons agave syrup
1-3 Thai chili or 1/2 jalapeno, chop finely (reduce amount for less spicy)
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

Preparation:

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a salad bowl or a large salad plate.
2. Combine all the salad dressing ingredients. Adjust the lime juice and agave syrup so this dressing is a sweet, sour, and spicy. Add enough young coconut juice to make it about 1 cup. Make sure the dressing is mixed thoroughly.
3. Just before ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and combine well.
4. Add garnish on top of salad, serve immediately in a room temperature with rice crackers, papadum, and drizzle with Sriracha hot chili sauce, if desired.

While shopping in Vietnamese markets, I discovered Vietnamese rice crackers that is usually served with this kind of salad. The Vietnamese name is Bánh da .



It is made of rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, water, black sesame seetd, and peanut. In this case, it was covered with black sesame seeds. It is crispy like a large cracker about 12-inches diameter and is broken into pieces when it is served with the salad. A closer look:


I thought that this rice cracker is quite delicious with the salad or even just for snacking by itself. It reminds me of Indian papadums. I guess every culture has chips as snacks and this one is a great Vietnamese snacks. Here is how this salad is served: rice cracker on the bottom, top with salad, and drizzle with Sriracha hot sauce. I made sure that every bite has all 3.


This is our favorite salad. It can be a light meal by itself for a hot summer. I cannot describe how good is the combination of sour green mango and green apple, sweet carrots, crispy jicama and cucumber, spicy sweet and sour dressing, refreshing herbs, and crackling rice chips all together. It was a party in our mouth!