DDD #119 – Vegan Sriracha Chicken Bowl with Broccoli

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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Click the image below to watch the video for this recipe.  Plus – watch it to meet my newest foster dog – an adorable & brave trauma rescue from Uruguay and hear how I met Rachel Maddow, Fairuza Balk, Doyle from the Misfits & more!

This chicken & broccoli comes together faster than the rice – so – if you have warm, cooked rice ready – you can serve this in ten minutes.  None of the ingredients are particularly exotic but it is GENUINELY spicy.  I like a lot of heat & this took it to my limit – so – if you are more timid in the spice department – cut the spicy things way back or drop them completely.  I used – as always – Beyond Meat brand vegan chicken because it is absolutely the best on the market.  It comes in 9 ounce packages.

10-Minute Spicy Vegan Sriracha Chicken & Broccoli Bowl

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

9 to 12 ounces vegan chicken – cubed

1 jalapeno – seeded & diced (optional)

1/4 red bell pepper – chopped

Olive oil

1-5 dry red chilies – halved & seeded (VERY optional as these are VERY spicy – and if you use hem – do not chew & swallow them – but pick them out when you eat)

1/2 cup vegan hoisin sauce

1-2 TBS sriracha sauce

1-3 tsp crushed garlic (I used jarred)

1 TBS ginger (I used jarred)

Broccoli for 2 – fresh or frozen

Salted peanuts

Sliced scallions as garnish

Cooked rice for 2

DIRECTIONS

Cook the rice.  If you are using fresh broccoli – steam it a few minutes until it is done to your taste & set aside.  If using frozen – cook it according to directions & set aside

Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a pan.  Saute the jalapeno & red chili – if using them.  When the jalapeno is softens (a few minutes) – add the garlic & ginger & saute 1 minute.  Add the hoisin & sriracha and the chicken & heat the chicken through.

Assemble the bowls with the rice, broccoli & chicken & garnish with peanuts & scallions.

Vegan Protein Salad Bowl – Chickpeas & Roasted Beets, Ancient Grains (Quinoa, Amaranth & Millet) with Orange Tahini Dressing & Chia Seeds

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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This is a really easy salad – especially if you buy already roasted beets or, like me, roasted them ahead & had them all ready.  I used this ancient grains mix (above) but any grain you prefer could be used – like the quinoa below.

I made the dressing but you could use any dressing you prefer.  I had the gorgeous bottle of blood orange olive oil from my friend, Alyse, but regular olive oil is fine.

How to roast beets:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash beets well.  Coat with a thin layer of olive oil & wrap in foil.  Cook, undisturbed, for at least 45 minutes (it could take much longer for big ones), until a knife pierces one with little resistance. They may cook at different rates.  Remove the skin on each when they are done by just pushing it off under running water.

Vegan Protein Salad Bowl – Chickpeas & Roasted Beets, Ancient Grains (Quinoa, Amaranth & Millet) with Orange Tahini Dressing & Chia Seeds

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

4 beets – roasted (as outlined above), peeled & sliced

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas – drained

1 cup of dry grains – cooked as per directions

1/4 cup parsley – chopped

Chia seeds (quantity up to you)

for the Orange Tahini Dressing (makes more than you will need for these two servings)

3 TBS tahini

3 TBS fresh orange juice

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 TBS maple syrup or agave nectar

1 TBS olive oil (infused with orange if you have it but not necessary)

1 tsp orange zest

1 garlic clove – minced

1/2 tsp dry mustard

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the dressing ingredients together.

Plate the bowls by putting some grains, sliced beets, chickpeas & parsley in each bowl.  Drizzle with dressing to taste.  It does not need much.  Sprinkle with Chia seeds.  Toss.

Devour!

 

 

Beyond Meat Korean BBQ with Beyond Chicken – Frozen Dinner – Part 1

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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Ever have a bad day?  Flat tire on a rainy night?  Take the blame for someone else’s error at work?  Not get that job you really wanted?  Stuck in traffic for hours?  Diet all week & step on the scale only to discover you have gained two pounds?  Spend the day trying on bathing suits & now you feel like jumping off a bridge?  Run into an ex with their amazing new “other half” and you haven’t showered in two days?   Need a little comfort food to go with your box of wine but you can’t really cook or you are too exhausted, anyway?

Beyond Meat to the rescue!

Beyond Meat has done it again!  Very soon, 4 different, single-serving frozen meals will become available.  They might already be available at Whole Foods in the frozen meal aisle.  I was lucky enough to find one of each kind and I will talk about the Korean BBQ here today.

Zaps in the microwave in between 3-6 minutes.  It has just the right level of sweet meets mildly spicy & loaded with chunks of Beyond Chicken, rice, edamame & kimchi.   Only 320 calories & it is easy, quick & delicious!  And for those concerned about protein intake – this has 21 grams!   And it is surprisingly filling for such a low calorie count.

Non-GMO & 100% vegan – this is a welcome new dish in the convenience food market.  I highly recommend it!

Vegan Mixed Vegetable Burrito Bowl with Cauliflower “Rice”

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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Burrito bowls – easy & endlessly customizable.  I used leftover Coconut, Ginger & Jalapeno Cauliflower “Rice” – seen just above – and that made this bowl virtually guiltless – because cauliflower rice is just grated cauliflower.  The only ingredients left in the bowl that were not vegetable were the vegan cheese & the black beans.

So – there is no real recipe here – but rather a list of ingredients I used & a few suggested alternate or additional ingredients.

I used a teensy bit of bottled vinaigrette on my bowl.  You can toss yours with dressing or a squeeze of lime & some olive oil – or just lime – or whip up a:

Lime & Cumin Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil

3 TBS lime juice

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

S&P to taste

Whisked together.

Vegan Mixed Vegetable Burrito Bowl with Cauliflower “Rice”

MY ingredients were:

Cauliflower rice (you can use regular cooked rice or try one of my cauliflower rices)

Sliced avocado

Black beans – drained & rinsed

Cherry tomatoes – halved

Arugula (you can use any lettuce or leafy greens you prefer)

Purple cabbage – sliced

Red onion – diced

Jalapeno slices

Vegan cheesed – chopped

Cilantro

Lime juice & wedges

Dressing of choice

OTHER POTENTIAL INGREDIENTS – corn, pico de gallo, sliced radishes, vegan chicken or beef crumbles, vegan sour cream or a vegan Mexican-style cheese, bell pepper, shredded carrots, guacamole, salsa, scallions, corn tortilla strips, quinoa or lentils or other grain – rather than rice.

DIRECTIONS

Assemble the bowls as you like or let individuals assemble their own.  Add whatever dressing you like & mix it all up.  Easy peasy!

10-Minute Spicy Vegan Sriracha Chicken & Broccoli Bowl

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

This chicken & broccoli comes together faster than the rice – so – if you have warm, cooked rice ready – you can serve this in ten minutes.  None of the ingredients are particularly exotic but it is GENUINELY spicy.  I like a lot of heat & this took it to my limit – so – if you are more timid in the spice department – cut the spicy things way back or drop them completely.  I used – as always – Beyond Meat brand vegan chicken because it is absolutely the best on the market.  It comes in 9 or 12 ounce packages.

10-Minute Spicy Vegan Sriracha Chicken & Broccoli Bowl

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

9 to 12 ounces vegan chicken – cubed

1 jalapeno – seeded & diced (optional)

Olive oil

1-5 dry red chilies – halved & seeded (VERY optional as these are VERY spicy – and if you use hem – do not chew & swallow them – but pick them out when you eat)

1/2 cup vegan hoisin sauce

1-2 TBS sriracha sauce

1-3 tsp crushed garlic (I used jarred)

1 TBS ginger (I used jarred)

Broccoli for 2 – fresh or frozen

Salted peanuts

Sliced scallions as garnish

Cooked rice for 2

DIRECTIONS

Cook the rice.  If you are using fresh broccoli – steam it a few minutes until it is done to your taste & set aside.  If using frozen – cook it according to directions & set aside

Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a pan.  Saute the jalapeno & red chili – if using them.  When the jalapeno is softens (a few minutes) – add the garlic & ginger & saute 1 minute.  Add the hoisin & sriracha and the chicken & heat the chicken through.

Assemble the bowls with the rice, broccoli & chicken & garnish with peanuts & scallions.

Vegan Creamy Polenta Bowl with Roasted Beets, Toasted Walnuts, Thyme & Balsamic Glaze

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Once again, I created a dish out of an effort to use what I had on hand and, I must admit, I am quite delighted.  I had a bag of polenta from the bulk section at Lassen’s (a store that is a wonderland of healthy foods but 1) mixes meat & vegan items in the same cases & it can get confusing and 2) is SO FUCKING claustrophobic that I am in a mild panic the whole time I am there).  I also had some roasted beets I needed to use.  Voila!

I am a huge fan of both polenta & grits (grits being the same thing, really, but just not as finely ground).  I especially like them creamy & soft – like a porridge.  Most polenta & grits recipes have cheese in them & you can certainly add cheese but this didn’t need it.  AND – I cooked the polenta in my slow cooker while I went spinning this morning!  I came home, exhausted, to a vat of steaming, creamy polenta.  Win win!

If you are not vegan, some crumbled goat cheese on this would be divine!  Actually – they make lots of vegan cheeses that are like goat cheese or Boursin & a little bit of one of those might be a nice addition to this dish.   If you don’t like or don’t have walnuts – I think pistachios would be better, anyway – I just didn’t have any.  Oh – and polenta is naturally gluten-free.  This is a very low fat recipe but is warm & hearty & great for winter weather.  If you really want to get all cold-weather crazy – stir a small can of pumpkin puree into the polenta.   Yuuuum!

I used this balsamic glaze (below) but a balsamic reduction is VERY easy to make.

BALSAMIC REDUCTION

Simply boil a nice balsamic until it reduces by about 50-75% and has a thick syrupy texture.  It really does reduce a LOT so – if it reduces to too little for your pizza – just boil down some more.  Be careful not to burn it! I used about a tablespoon of the reduction on this polenta.

Vegan Creamy Polenta Bowl with Roasted Beets, Toasted Walnuts, Thyme & Balsamic Glaze

This makes enough polenta to feed 4 easily.  The quantity of the toppings is up to you.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dry polenta

8 cups vegetable stock

Beets

Walnuts (or pistachios)

Fresh thyme removed from stems

Balsamic glaze (see recipe above if you want to make it yourself)

(Adding vegan goat cheese – or any other very soft cheese) at the end with the beets & nuts would take this to the next level.  Fried sage – in place of the thyme – might also be nice.)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

I cooked my polenta in a slow cooker by simply putting the polenta & stock in there, setting it on high (cover on) and two hours later – I had a lot of creamy goodness.  If it gets too thick, add more water or stock.  If it is too thin – cook a bit longer (taking the top off accelerates this process).

OR – cook your polenta according to the package (using stock rather than water).  Stove top – this should take 30-40 minutes.

Wrap beets well in foil. You might want to drizzle a bit of olive oil in there but that is not necessary.  Place on a baking sheet and bake until beets are slightly soft to the touch, 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on their size. Cool beets and then rub off skins (use a paring knife for tough spots).

Toast the nuts in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes – stirring frequently so they do not burn.  Set aside.

Now – assemble your bowls.  Spoon in the polenta, top with beets & nuts & a drizzle of balsamic glaze & some thyme leaves.  Add cheese – if you are using some.  I did not.

Eat’m up!

Vegan Beef & Vegetable Bibimbap Bowls

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Bibimbap!  A signature Korean dish.  Bibimbap translates literally to “mixed rice.”  Typically made with sauteed vegetables, beef, gochujang sauce & topped with a fried egg – diners mix it all up before eating it – so that the yolk & the gochujang sauce get completely incorporated.  It photographs very well – especially when using that egg.   Look HERE at how gorgeous it can be!   I think some people even serve it with a raw egg & let the heat of the other ingredients cook the egg.  I did not do this.  I used no egg at all and Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles rather than real beef.  Depending on your diet & tastes, you could add egg or eliminate the vegan meat – or use different vegetables.

The most critical ingredient is the gochujang sauce.  Gochujang is a spicy, red paste – thicker than ketchup – that adds the distinct flavor to this dish.  If you cannot find it locally – HERE are a ton of options available on Amazon.  It is not expensive & should last in your fridge as long as any other condiment – which, let’s face it, for most of us means – years.  Korean markets sell it in gigantic tubs – so that should tell you how critical it is to Korean dishes.

I used this Chinese BBQ sauce – which I later discovered has honey in it.  Oops!  Well – I am not strictly vegan but, if you are, be sure to buy a vegan Asian BBQ sauce (maybe a Korean BBQ sauce) – or any smokey/mesquite BBQ sauce that you like.

You need to cook everything separately to get the gorgeous presentation – but everything comes together in under twenty minutes – as long as you start with cooked, warm rice.  If not – I guess it would come together while the rice cooked.  I used leftover Coconut & Ginger Rice Pilaf with Pomegranate Seeds – but plain steamed rice is actually probably better.  Whatever you decide – I hope you try this recipe because it is really healthy & satisfying!

Vegan Beef & Vegetable Bibimbap Bowls

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1-2 cups cooked rice (depending on how much rice you want to eat)

1/2 lb shitake (or other) mushrooms

2-3 carrots – grated or cut into matchsticks

5 oz fresh spinach

1 large zucchini – grated, cut into matchsticks or, as I did it, spiralized

A handful of bean sprouts

9 oz vegan ground beef

4 TBS soy sauce (or tamari) – divided

1 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS Mirin

1-2 tsp sesame oil

Salt

2 TBS BBQ sauce (Korean or Chinese or other mesquite BBQ sauce)

Sesame seeds – back and/or white (toasted or not)

I added Asian micro greens as garnish but they are $$ and silly – but they just LOOK so nice!

for the gochujang sauce

2 TBS gochujang

1 TBS brown sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp soy sauce (or tamari)

DIRECTIONS

Make some steamed rice.

Mix the gochujang sauce with a whisk & set aside.

Heat about 1/2 tsp sesame oil in a saute pan.  Cook the carrots with a pinch of salt until just softening.  If your matchsticks are thick like mine are – add a TBS or so of water & steam them a bit.  Set aside.

In the same pan – add 1/4 tsp sesame oil & cook the zucchini until just tender.  The water trick works here, too, if you need it.  Set aside.

In the same pan – add 1/4 tsp sesame oil & cook the spinach until just wilted.  The water trick works here, too, if you need it.  Set aside.

In the same pan, heat about 1/2 tsp sesame oil  & cook the mushrooms.  When they start to wilt, add 2 TBS soys sauce, 1 TBS brown sugar & 1 TBS mirin.  Cook until the liquid is absorbed.  Set aside.

In the same pan, heat the beef with sesame oil, soy sauce & BBQ sauce until warmed through.

Now – you assemble your bibimbap bowls – pretty much any way you like – but keeping everything separate.  Remember a spot for the gochujang sauce.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds & serve!  When ready to dig in – REALLY mix all that shit up!  Completely incorporate everything & chow the fuck down!

Vegan Ground Beef Taco Bowl with Cilantro Scallion Lime Cauliflower Rice and Easy Fresh Salsa

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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More summer ease here!    I used this awesome Beyond Meat beefy crumble.  You could use any brand you prefer or even real, greasy & disgusting ground cow.  🙂

I served this in a bowl with my Easy Cilantro Scallion Lime Cauliflower Rice and Super Ultra Easy Any Season Spicy Salsa.   Each item is very easy individually & made for a hearty bowl of spicy, vegan healthiness!!  You can add or lose any ingredients – according to your own tastes.   Add cold beer & you are good to go!

Vegan Ground Beef Taco Bowl

Serves two very well – with rice

INGREDIENTS

11 oz vegan ground beef

Olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper – chopped

1 jalapeno – diced (seeds in for more heat)

1/4 onion – diced

1 cup ORGANIC corn (as regular corn is very likely a GMO)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp crushed red pepper (less if you are heat intolerant)

1 tsp chili powder or cayenne (less if you are heat intolerant)

(***OR – you can replace the dry spices with 1/2 packet or so of taco seasoning but that might not be vegan & will have loads of salt***)

GARNISH SUGGESTIONS

Sliced black olives

Avocado

Purple cabbage – chopped

Grated carrots

Sliced radishes

Black Beans

Cilantro

Lime Wedges

Vegan Cheese and/or sour cream

Chopped lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Pico de gallo

Chopped fresh or jarred jalapeno

DIRECTIONS

Heat about 1 TBS olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add all the other ingredients (but not your various garnish selections) and saute until the onion & red pepper are softened & the beef is heated through.

Serve over my Easy Cilantro Scallion Lime Cauliflower Rice and Super Ultra Easy Any Season Spicy Salsa.   Garnish as you like & devour!!!

 

The top video there is trailer for my novel.  The second is me reading from it a while back – at Vroman’s.

Vegan Vietnamese Spicy Caramel Beef Bowl

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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This is a dish traditionally prepared with pork.  You might think that a faux chicken would be a closer thing to pork that faux beef and you would probably be correct.  But – I have been using faux chicken a lot lately & decided to mix it up a bit.  If you make this dish – any faux meat would be fine & a faux chicken would certainly be prettier to photograph.

I was going to use this Trader Joe’s stuff –

but then I remembered I had this stuff in the fridge & opted instead to try it.

I thought the cube-style rather than a strip-style beef would be better for this dish.  But, Gardein proved underwhelming, yet again.  My complaint with the Gardein products is that the bulk of them are “breaded” or have some kind of bready texture on the outside & that even these beef cubes, while not bready, proved to have a fragile consistency that would never hold up in a stew or something.  And the texture is NOTHING like meat when you chew it.  It just sort of crumbles.  So – my suggestion is, if you are going to make any of the faux beef things I post, use the Trader Joe’s stuff instead.  Beyond Meat makes a faux beef, apparently, but my local grocery store doesn’t carry it so the jury is still out on that version.

I am posting a beef bowl serving suggesting here but you needn’t get all the stuff for that if it sounds like a pain in the ass.  Just serve this shit over rice & scarf it down.

Oh – and I apologize for the photos.  Dark beef items are really hard to make look pretty.  Do not be thrown, however – because this is far yummier than it looks!

 

Vegan Vietnamese Spicy Caramel Beef Bowl

Serves 2 with rice

INGREDIENTS

8 oz or so of faux meat

Cornstarch

S&P

1-2 TBS toasted sesame oil

1/2 onion or 1 large shallot – minced

1 TBS ginger – minced (I use jarred)

4 garlic cloves – minced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup vegetable stock

1 TBS soy sauce

2 tsp cornstarch (additional)

2 tsp rice vinegar

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper (to taste)

1/2 red bell pepper – seeded & cut into strips

1-2 red or green jalapenos (or other hot peppers – to taste)

1/4 cup toasted peanuts (I planned to use cashews but forgot to)

Cilantro – chopped – as garnish

Cooked rice

Sesame seeds – as garnish (optional)

For a bowl

Napa cabbage

Red Cabbage

Scallions

Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

Make some rice.

If doing the bowl version – chop up some Napa cabbage & some red cabbage & some scallions & cilantro & set aside.

Toss the meat in enough cornstarch (and some S&P) to lightly coat it.  Set aside.

Whisk the stock, soy sauce, 2 tsp cornstarch, rice vinegar & crushed red pepper together.  Set aside.

Prep the onion or shallot, the garlic, ginger & jalapeno (or other pepper) and set aside.

Slice the other veggies & have them on hand.

Spread the brown sugar on the bottom of a dry pan over medium heat – and leave it undisturbed until it melts.  Then stir it with a wooden spoon until it caramelizes.  Be VERY careful not to burn it.

Take the spoon out of the pan & VERY CAREFULLY add the stock mixture to the pan.  Be very careful not to burn yourself.  That molten sugar isn’t fucking around.  The caramel will instantly harden so stir again with a wooden spoon over moderate heat until it melts again & the sauce begins to thicken.  Set aside on lowest possible heat.

Heat the sesame oil over med-high heat & fry the meat up.  I used a lid to press it against the heat.  When it is browned on all sides, put in in a bowl & set aside.

If you need a little more oil in the pan add it & saute the red or green jalapeno & the onion (or shallot) for a few minutes or until tender.

Add the ginger to the pan with the onion & jalapeno.  My ginger was jarred & wet & spattered everywhere so be careful.  Saute this about a minute & then add the garlic for about 30 seconds.

Now – a tricky part.  Add the stock to the saute pan.  It will likely splatter a bit so do this carefully and at arm’s reach.  Bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer.  Add the slices of red pepper & the faux beef & heat through.

Now – either serve this over rice with some scallions & cilantro or create a beef bowl by layering rice & then meat & then the chopped raw veggie – and maybe some toasted nuts & sesame seeds on top – squeeze a bit of lime & go to town!

Vegan Cauliflower, Potato & Chickpea Wrap (or Rice Bowl) with Lentil Hummus

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Do not be intimidated by the list of ingredients.  If you look closely, you will see that most are just spices and things you probably already have around.  This is simple to throw together.  You can use this curry in a wrap or over rice.  I like a heavy amount of spice in my curries so I am going to put a range with the spices in this recipe.  You can start lighter & add more if you feel it needs it.  In every case – I went with the higher quantity.

As a note – you can make chickpeas from dry beans and lentils & even rice and, once cooked, put small quantities (measure one cup or two per bag) into sandwich baggies & fill them just enough that they can be closed & still be flat – as if a sandwich were in there.  Mark the bag with the quantity inside & then freeze them for later use.  You can do this with leftovers, too.

Vegan Cauliflower, Potato & Chickpea Wrap (or Rice Bowl) with Lentil Hummus

INGREDIENTS

Tortillas or wraps of your choice OR cooked rice of your choice

1 TBS olive oil

1 cup cooked chickpeas

2 cups potatoes – cubed

2 cups cauliflower – cut into small florets

1/2 cup peas

1 jalapeno – seeded & diced

2-4 garlic cloves – chopped

1 TBS ginger – minced

2 TBS grapeseed or canola oil (or olive oil)

1/2 – 1 TBS cumin seeds

1/2 – 1 tsp turmeric

1/2 – 1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 – 1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 – 1 tsp chili powder or cayenne

1/2 – 1 tsp salt

cilantro – chopped

some red onion – diced

sriracha

for the lentil hummus

1 cup cooked lentils

10 cherry tomatoes – quartered (or similar amount of other tomato)

1/2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp each: salt, cayenne, ground cumin, garlic powder

1 tsp sriracha

DIRECTIONS

for the lentil hummus

Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the other ingredients.  Heat through & mash with a wooden spoon.  Set aside.

for the Vegan Cauliflower, Potato & Chickpea Curry

Chop all the vegetables so they are ready to go.

Heat the oil over medium heat.  When hot, add the cumin seeds & heat until they begin to pop.  Add garlic, ginger & jalapeno & cook for about a minute.  Add the potatoes & cook, covered, for two minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, and chili powder into 1/2 – 1/3 cup water.

Add the cauliflower, chickpeas, peas & spice water to the potatoes and stir to blend.  Reduce heat to med-low.  Cover & simmer for 10-15 minutes – being careful not to burn the vegetables.

Now – simply dish this out over some rice & garnish with cilantro, red onion & sriracha.

Or – spread some hummus on a wrap.  Top with onion & cilantro & some curry.  Add sriracha, if you like.  Roll that fucker up & eat it with abandon!  Then, feeling all awesome & vegan & badass – go onto Amazon.com & buy my book!  Read the reviews!  Men & women both seem to love it!

Egg and Cheese Stuffed Baked Potato Skins

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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This recipe is really just a guide.  You could put any little combo of omelette ingredients you prefer in these.  I made one with 2 whole eggs & one with scrambled eggs & Velveeta (These potatoes were huge.  For smaller potatoes – just use one egg).  I overcooked the whole egg one & it came out like this – basically in an “over hard” or hard boiled state.

Some people like their yolks cooked through.  For that – these were in the oven for about 25 minutes.  Reduce it to 15-18 minutes or so & you should get cooked whites & a runnier yolk.

Again – anything you might like in an omelette could be diced & added to these.  Hollandaise might be nice, too!

Egg and Cheese Stuffed Baked Potato Skins

Ingredients I used

Potatoes

Olive oil

Eggs

Velveeta

Grated cheddar & mozzarella mix

Parsley

Tomato

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the potatoes & rub them with olive oil.  Pierce the deeply all over with a fork or knife.  Coat all over with salt.  Place them directly on the rack with a pan beneath to catch anything that might fall.   Depending on how big they are – they should be done in 45-60 minutes.

Lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop out the interior of the potato.  Use the pan from the oven & create little support bowls out of foil to stabilize the potato boats.

Place the boats on the foil supports.  Fill with whatever ingredients you are using.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes for a softer yolk or up to 25 minutes for the egg to be cooked through.

Garnish as you will & swill these guys down – holding them in your hand like a hot dog – with a lesser champagne made tastier with the slightest addition of OJ.  Finish the champagne.  Nap.

Spicy Lemongrass Grilled Shrimp & Vietnamese Egg Roll (Cha Gio) Vermicelli Salad Bowl

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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I’ve loved Vietnamese food since high school when my parents & I would go to the Saigon Inn in the Combat Zone (red light district) in Boston in the late seventies-early eighties.  It was a tiny place on the edge of Chinatown in an old, white, free-standing building that had once been a White Castle or something.  There were 4 or 5 tables and maybe six stools at a counter & everything on the menu was under $4.  It is here that I learned about hoisin sauce & sambal oelek & vermicelli bowls and about eating their little egg rolls (cha gio) wrapped in lettuce leaves & dipped in nuoc cham (sweet chili dipping sauce).  We would go there late nights after seeing bands like Bauhaus or X or Gray Numan somewhere in town – like The Channel or The Rat.  And I walked around looking like this:

My parents long bragged that they loved the Saigon Inn so much that even the discovery of a cockroach in my step-dad’s half-consumed iced coffee did not dull their passion for the place.  In fact, that roach should have come as no surprise as this restaurant was situated in one of the filthiest & most run down areas of downtown (Chinatowns everywhere are seldom famous for their hygiene & fresh scents – and red light districts have their own grotesquerie to offer).  Also, the roaches at Saigon Inn were bold & you were hard pressed to eat there & not spot a few walking nonchalantly up walls or across menus.

As a quick aside, let me share this gorgeous photo I found as I hunted for a shot of the Saigon Inn.

Boston, Combat Zone 1970 – by Jerry Berndt.  Found HERE.  Isn’t that sensational?

This one, too, by the same guy.

And this (though I do not know if it is from the same guy or exhibition in Boston).

So – with that, I present my Spicy Lemongrass Grilled Shrimp & Vietnamese Egg Roll (Cha Gio) Vermicelli Salad Bowl!

A key to this dish is the dipping sauce – the nuoc cham (or spicy chili dipping sauce).  If you cannot find it in an Asian store like this

then there are lots of recipes for variations of it, if you Google the term.  Here is the basic recipe (from www.VietWorldKitchen.com):

Basic Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

Makes ¾ cup

3 tablespoons lime juice (1 fat, thin skin lime)
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup water
2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

Optional additions:
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1 or 2 Thai chilis, thinly sliced or 1 teaspoon homemade chili garlic sauce or store bought (tuong ot toi)

1. Make limeade. Combine the lime juice, sugar and water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste and as yourself this question: Does this limeade taste good? Adjust the flavors to balance out the sweet and sour.

2. Finish with fish sauce. Add the fish sauce and any of the optional ingredients. Taste again and adjust the flavors to your liking, balancing out the sour, sweet, salty and spicy. Aim for a bold, forward finish — perhaps a little stronger than what you’d normally like. This sauce is likely to be used to add final flavor to foods wrapped in lettuce or herbs, which are not salted and therefore need a little lift to heighten the overall eating experience. My mother looks for color to gauge her dipping sauce. When it’s a light honey or amber, she knows she’s close.

Notes

Advance Preparation – This sauce may be prepared early in the day and left to sit at room temperature.

Variation – Use half lime juice and half Japanese rice vinegar for a less assertive sauce. Some delicately flavored dishes require this.

The Vietnamese egg rolls can be purchased like this

but these might be hard for you to find.  They are nice because they are tiny – about the size of one of my fingers cut in half.  These are also nice because they are vegan.  But, if you cannot find these you could Google a recipe to make them (traditionally, they are filled with ground pork) or you could just use any old frozen egg rolls of your choice.  If they are big egg rolls, just slice them up after frying.

I added shrimp to this dish because I wanted it to be more substantial & I didn’t want to eat a dozen fried egg rolls.  You could go all shrimp or all egg rolls or even add grilled veggies.   These vermicelli bowls were topped with all sorts of things (sliced meats, meatballs etc etc) at the Saigon Inn, maybe even some things we are glad we are unaware of, so feel free to customize this to your taste.

I had this for dinner two nights in a row.  The first time was less successful because I used fresh vermicelli like this

which got gooey & clumped together.  These guys are far better for soups, like my Vegetarian Pho.

As another side note – if you love that pho but do not want the calories those noodles represent, why not try my ZERO CALORIE ZERO CARB Vegetarian Shirataki Pho?

Last night I made the salad bowl with these dry vermicelli noodles.

They worked far better so I recommend this type for the salad bowls.

Spicy Lemongrass Grilled Shrimp & Vietnamese Egg Roll (Cha Gio) Vermicelli Salad Bowl

INGREDIENTS

Vermicelli noodles – cooked as directed, rinsed in cool water & left at room temperature.

Egg rolls – fried as directed (or baked, if you prefer)

Shrimp – peeled & cleaned

Cucumber – cut into matchsticks

Carrot – grated

Sprouts

Red or green leaf lettuce – roughly chopped (leaving some pieces large enough to wrap around bite-sized egg roll slices)

Basil and/or mint (even cilantro works) – to be hand torn & mixed into the bowl after serving

Lime

Peanuts – chopped

nuoc cham (recipe above or bottled)

Sambal oelek or sriracha – as additional condiments, if you want to add a kick

For the shrimp marinade

1 lemongrass stalk

1 shallot

3 jalapenos – seeded

2 hands full basil (I used both Thai basil & Thai hot basil but any basil will do)

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup sambal oelek (or chili paste or sriracha)

1 TBS sugar

2 TBS olive oil

4 garlic cloves

Juice of 2 limes

DIRECTIONS

Peel & clean the shrimp & put them in a Ziplock bag or a lidded (preferably glass) container.  Hit the lemongrass with a tenderizer or (as I did) with a heavy pepper mill or something & bruise it up.  Slice it into large chunks & add to the shrimp.

Puree the shallot, lime juice, jalapeno, basil, fish sauce, sambal oelek, sugar, garlic & oil.  Add to the shrimp & toss well.  Refrigerate for an hour or as long as overnight.

Then simply cook the vermicelli.  This is a room temp dish with warm toppings so – make the noodles & assemble them in a bowl(s).  Surround them with the lettuce, cucumber, carrots, sprouts, basil, lime wedges & top with peanuts.

Grill the shrimp & cook the egg rolls.  Add them to your bowl.

Serve with the dipping sauce (you can even pour it on top of the whole lot & mix it all up).