All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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Click the image above to watch the review.
All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2017
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
The video for the stovetop version is here. The slow cooker one is far below. Click the image below to watch the stovetop recipe.
Vegan Pulled Pork Jackfruit in a Sriracha and Blackberry Jam BBQ Sauce (Stovetop)
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
Drizzle of olive oil
1 (20 oz) can of young jackfruit – drained & shredded by hand
1-2 garlic cloves – chopped
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
A few dashes of soy sauce or tamari
1/3 cup ketchup
1 TBS blackberry (or other dark berry) jam or preserves or chutney
1 TBS Sriracha
1 tsp molasses
A few dashes vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
DIRECTIONS
Heat a little bit of oil in a pan. Add the shredded jackfruit & the remaining ingredients & combine. Heat through & serve as you desire.
That above is jackfruit. It is a staple in Southeast Asian diets. It is a giant fruit that grows to 100 pounds. If you want to read more about it – I went into some detail in my Vegan Jackfruit Spicy Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles post. Those are the noodles – below.
I bought this jackfruit in cans for $1.39 at my favorite Thai market – Bangluck – but I hear most Asian markets carry it. Just be sure to buy UNRIPE or young jackfruit in water or brine. Ripe jackfruit in syrup – it seems – tastes like Juicy Fruit gum & would be awful in this dish.
I made this in the slow cooker using a combination of jackfruit & Beyond Meat vegan chicken strips.
Both the jackfruit (above) & chicken will require that you shred it using two forks to achieve the pulled chicken visual. It is easy once they are warmed & soft. Just fish them out of the BBQ sauce & shred them on a cutting board.
I used it in tacos – HERE.
And on pasta – HERE.
And on pizza HERE.
Vegan Pulled Chicken with Jackfruit in a Sriracha and Blackberry Jam BBQ Sauce for the Slow Cooker
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 (20 oz) cans of young jackfruit
9 oz vegan chicken (or two more cans jackfruit)
4 garlic cloves – chopped
2 TBS cider vinegar
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup blackberry (or other dark berry) jam or preserves
3 TBS sriracha
1 TBS molasses
2 TBS vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 (12 oz) bottle of dark (or other) beer (optional)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS chili powder
DIRECTIONS
Put everything in the slow cooker & leave on high for 5 hours.
At some point – you need to use two forks & shred the chicken & jackfruit.
Serve as you would serve any pulled chicken.
All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Flipping around on Pinterest the other day – I spotted a vegan tuna melt & the photo was SO convincing – I had to see WTF the tuna was made from. I should have guessed. Jackfruit. Just above is my Vegan Pulled Chicken with Jackfruit in a Sriracha and Blackberry Jam BBQ Sauce for the Slow Cooker. I was already aware of jackfruit being any incredible proxy for pulled chicken & pork but tuna had never crossed my mind. I had to try it!
FYI jackfruit is literally a fruit – a pretty flavorless fruit – that shreds like chicken & pork and TUNA!
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Wikipedia says, “The jackfruit, also known as jack tree, jakfruit, or sometimes simply jack or jak) is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family. It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of India, in present-day Goa, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The jackfruit tree is well suited to tropical lowlands, and its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit, reaching as much as 35 kg (80 lb) in weight, 90 cm (35 in) in length, and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter.[9]
The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food item in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Jackfruit is also found across Africa (e.g., in Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe, Ethiopia, and Mauritius), as well as throughout Brazil, west-central Mexico, and in Caribbean nations such as Jamaica. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh.
Because unripe jackfruit has a meat-like taste, it is used in curry dishes with spices, in Bihar, Jharkhand, Sri Lankan, Andhran, eastern Indian (Bengali) and (Odisha) and Keralan cuisines. The skin of unripe jackfruit must be peeled first, then the remaining whole jackfruit can be chopped into edible portions and cooked before serving. Young jackfruit has a mild flavor and distinctive meat-like texture and is compared to poultry. Meatless sandwiches have been suggested and are popular with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian populations.”
(these two images below of the jackfruit tree & the split fruit were stolen from Google)
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Look at that label! Cheap & good for you! Jackfruit is found in every Thai market I have been into but you can buy it HERE on Amazon.
This recipe is really just a guide to use the jackfruit. Tuna salad is a dish people have lots of opinions on – from using sweet relish in it (yuck) to adding mustard or whatever. I will tell you what I did but you can just make this the way you would make your favorite tuna salad recipe.
I added one sheet of nori & about a TBS of the stuff below to add a seafood essence – and it worked. I might try it with just the nori next time as I would like to maybe lose the sesame element. You could try it without one or both or add kelp granules. Most recipes add mashed chick peas for density – and I did, too. The result was INSANELY convincing Not as specifically fishy as real canned tuna but the texture was spot on & all the other flavors of tuna salad were there. I recommend this very highly – especially to veteran vegans who have learned to be open-minded about vegan versions of things we all have visceral memories of.
Vegan Jackfruit Tuna Salad & Avocado
Makes about 2 cups tuna salad
INGREDIENTS
1 (10 oz) can jackfruit – IN BRINE OR WATER (not syrup)
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans – drained
olive oil
1 sheet nori
1 TBS roasted sesame & seaweed OR kelp granules (optional)
1 small onion – diced
2 celery stalk – diced
2 scallions – diced
1 TBS Dijon or other mustard (optional)
Vegan mayo (I used a lot – make a full cup of more – but the mayo ratio is up to you)
Avocado halves
S&P
Paprika (optional)
OR – whatever your favorite tuna salad ingredients are.
DIRECTIONS
Drain the jackfruit & smash it by hand until it looks like tuna.
Prep the other ingredients.
Heat a TBS or so of olive oil in a pan & heat the jackfruit – not to cook it – but to dry it out. Put into a large bowl.
I pulsed the garbanzos & nori in my food processor but you can easily mash them together by hand.
Then just mix everything (except the avocado) together & season with S&P. Add as little or as much vegan mayo as you like.
Halve the avocados – remove the pit & scoop the “tuna” in there. Sprinkle with paprika & devour.
All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Download that coupon HERE.
So – a while back, I made that Pulled Vegan Chicken & Jackfruit with Blackberry Jam-Sriracha BBQ Sauce you see above. The recipe made a lot of the stuff, so I posted a pasta & a pizza recipe using the leftovers – seen below.
This is simply another idea for a way to reinvent the leftovers. The recipe for the pulled chicken & jackfruit is HERE. Then – you just make tacos the way you normally would – or load the taco the way you would load a pulled chicken sandwich – with pickles or coleslaw. But – look at that vegan chicken & jackfruit! Pretty convincing visually & it does not disappoint in the flavor department, either. I promise. Even the texture seems authentic.
Vegan Blackberry Jam-Sriracha BBQ Pulled Chicken & Jackfruit Tacos
INGREDIENTS
corn tortillas
tomato
avocado
cilantro
lime wedges
and anything else you wanna put on these guys
DIRECTIONS
Make the pulled chicken & jackfruit.
I warm my corn tortillas on the burners of my stove – then I just pile filling into them.
Enjoy!
All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
So – I made a boatload of Vegan Pulled Chicken with Jackfruit in a Sriracha and Blackberry Jam BBQ Sauce for the Slow Cooker – seen above. I had to use it in ways other than just on bread. So – I made Pasta with Pulled Vegan Chicken & Jackfruit with Blackberry Jam-Sriracha BBQ Sauce – seen below.
And then I made a pizza. I used the No-Rise Thin & Crispy Pizza Dough recipe from How Sweet It Is – but any dough will do. I used my go-to jarred sauce – Rao’s Arrabbiata.
And – I used real cheese but, if you are vegan, use vegan cheese. I used corn, which I typically avoid because corn is so heavily GMO – but this was frozen organic corn from Trader Joe’s – so I rolled the dice. I used red pepper strips – primarily because I had a red bell that needed using. While I make my dough from regular, organic flour – rolling it out in semolina flour adds a bit of a crunch & gives the crust the golden flecks that make the crust look professional. I won’t list quantities here because pizza is a very personal thing. Some like lotsa cheese – some less. Same with sauce & other toppings. But – my best advice is to be sure your oven is fully at 500 degrees before putting the pizza in there. This makes for the crispiest crust.
Vegan or Vegetarian BBQ Pulled chicken & Jackfruit Pizza
INGREDIENTS
Pizza dough
Sauce
Corn
Sliced red bell peppers
Grated vegan cheese
Garnish – scallions, cilantro
Semolina flour for rolling the dough (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 500 degrees.
Roll the dough out on flour or semolina.
Put the dough on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper (the best thing ever) or treated with olive oil or cooking spray.
Top with sauce & other toppings.
Bake for 10-15 minutes – depending on your oven and/or how you like your pizza.
Garnish, slice & devour!
All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
So, last week, I made Vegan Pulled Chicken with Jackfruit in a Sriracha and Blackberry Jam BBQ Sauce for the Slow Cooker – seen above. It was delicious but I made a fuckton of it & needed to find more creative ways to use it. Here is the first of three ways I used the leftover pulled BBQ chicken – on pasta! The only real recipe here is the actual pulled chicken & jackfruit. Beyond that – it is your favorite pasta & favorite pasta sauce. I used these curly noodles & Rao’s Arrabbiata – THE BEST sauce in a jar ever.
Pasta with Vegan Pulled Chicken & Jackfruit with Blackberry Jam-Sriracha BBQ Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Vegan Pulled Chicken with Jackfruit in a Sriracha and Blackberry Jam BBQ Sauce for the Slow Cooker
Cooked Pasta
Pasta sauce
Garnish – micro arugula, basil, red bell peppers diced
DIRECTIONS
Make the pasta. Warm the sauce & warm the BBQ.
Distribute onto plates.
Eat.
All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
That above is jackfruit. It is a staple in Southeast Asian diets. It is a giant fruit that grows to 100 pounds. If you want to read more about it – I went into some detail in my Vegan Jackfruit Spicy Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles post. Those are the noodles – below.
I bought this jackfruit in cans for $1.39 at my favorite Thai market – Bangluck – but I hear most Asian markets carry it. Just be sure to buy UNRIPE or young jackfruit in water or brine. Ripe jackfruit in syrup – it seems – tastes like Juicy Fruit gum & would be awful in this dish.
I made this in the slow cooker using a combination of jackfruit & Beyond Meat vegan chicken strips.
Both the jackfruit (above) & chicken will require that you shred it using two forks to achieve the pulled chicken visual. It is easy once they are warmed & soft. Just fish them out of the BBQ sauce & shred them on a cutting board.
Vegan Pulled Chicken with Jackfruit in a Sriracha and Blackberry Jam BBQ Sauce for the Slow Cooker
This makes a lot but I will post 4 recipes using it over the next few days
INGREDIENTS
2 (20 oz) cans of young jackfruit
9 oz vegan chicken
4 garlic cloves – chopped
2 TBS cider vinegar
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup blackberry (or other dark berry) jam or preserves
3 TBS sriracha
1 TBS molasses
2 TBS vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 (12 oz) bottle of dark (or other) beer (optional)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS chili powder
DIRECTIONS
Put everything in the slow cooker & leave on high for 5 hours.
At some point – you need to use two forks & shred the chicken & jackfruit.
Serve as you would serve any pulled chicken.
All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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OK – I had never heard of Dan Dan noodles but they are, it seems, a Chinese staple & even on the menu at P.F. Chang’s. I began researching recipes & they seem to vary a lot – going from a pho-like soup to a drier noodle dish. Spices varied a lot but they all seemed to have a preserved vegetable thing in them. I went on Amazon looking for “ya cai” (preserved mustard greens) or “tianjin” (preserved cabbage). I thought I bought some of one or the other but this is what showed up.
So – fuck it. That is what I used. I used light & dark soy sauces but regular would likely be fine.
You really should use Szechuan pepper (anise) and dried red chilies for the heat & flavor factors.
And I used this chili oil – which is not the right kind. I will be making my own chili oil today so I can try a new version of Dan Dan tomorrow!
I used these fresh egg noodles – but any noodle would work. If you are vegan, obviously, egg noodles are NG. Use fettuccine or ramen or chow mein noodles – or whatever you prefer.
The revelation here is the jackfruit – above. I had seen it used online in recipes for pulled chicken & pork but I had no idea where to find it. Then, at my favorite Thai market, Bangluck, I spied an entire shelf of the stuff. That can cost about $1.40.
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Wikipedia says, “The jackfruit, also known as jack tree, jakfruit, or sometimes simply jack or jak) is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family. It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of India, in present-day Goa, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The jackfruit tree is well suited to tropical lowlands, and its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit, reaching as much as 35 kg (80 lb) in weight, 90 cm (35 in) in length, and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter.[9]
The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food item in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Jackfruit is also found across Africa (e.g., in Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe, Ethiopia, and Mauritius), as well as throughout Brazil, west-central Mexico, and in Caribbean nations such as Jamaica. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh.
Because unripe jackfruit has a meat-like taste, it is used in curry dishes with spices, in Bihar, Jharkhand, Sri Lankan, Andhran, eastern Indian (Bengali) and (Odisha) and Keralan cuisines. The skin of unripe jackfruit must be peeled first, then the remaining whole jackfruit can be chopped into edible portions and cooked before serving. Young jackfruit has a mild flavor and distinctive meat-like texture and is compared to poultry. Meatless sandwiches have been suggested and are popular with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian populations.”
(these two images below of the jackfruit tree & the split fruit were stolen from Google)
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So – excited – I bought a can. I was planning on making a Dan Dan recipe with Beyond Meat beefy crumbles but I HAD to try this jackfruit immediately – so – I made Jackfruit Dan Dan. I opened the can & it looks like that above. But, it is thready & breaks down the way chicken & other meats do. Look at these images of cooked jackfruit. Convincing – no?
(above from the Chow Vegan)
(above from Food 52)
Jackfruit is the greatest Goddamn thing ever! Look HERE to see the health benefits – including glowing skin & hair growth – low in calories & zero fat! Genius!
*Here is a little tip I read today about fresh noodles: if you are using fresh noodles (even fresh spaghetti or whatever) – steam it for 5 minutes & then boil it. The steaming gives the noodles a chewier texture – more like ramen. I tried it. It worked.
Vegan Jackfruit Spicy Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles
serves 2
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb noodles of choice (if using fresh noodles – see the *tip above)
Bok choy
for the “meat”
1 (10 oz) can of jackfruit (in water or brine – NOT syrup)
2 tsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves – chopped
1 TBS fresh ginger – minced
3 dry red chilies – cut the top off & shake the seeds out & discard the seeds
1/2 tsp whole Szechuan pepper corns
2 TBS preserved vegetable (ya cai or tianjin, ideally, or the preserved radish I used and I used all 3.5 ounces in the packet)
2 TBS light soy sauce (or low sodium or regular or tamari)
for the sauce
1 tsp ground Szechuan peppercorns (I crushed mine with a mortar & pestle)
4 tsp tahini sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 TBS dark soy sauce (or low sodium or regular or tamari)
1 TBS light soy sauce (or low sodium or regular or tamari)
1 TBS chili oil
2 garlic cloves – mined
1/2 cup water (reserved pasta water is best)
for the garnish
chopped scallions, crushed peanuts, Thai basil or cilantro
DIRECTIONS
For the sauce – mix the sauce ingredients – except the water. Add the water from the pasta pan after you cook the pasta. Or – just use hot tap water & make it all at once & set aside.
For the meat – heat the oil in a pan & add the Szechuan & red chili peppers for one minute. Then add everything else & heat it through. Smash the jackfruit up until it looks like pulled chicken or pork. Set on the lowest heat & set aside.
If using fresh noodles – steam them for 5 minutes then put them in boiling water – adding the bok choy – and cook for about a minute or until it is done. If you were waiting to add pasta water to the sauce – do that now & drain the rest.
If using dry noodles – cook according to instructions – adding the bok choy when the pasta is about one minute from being ready. If you were waiting to add pasta water to the sauce – do that now & drain the rest.
Ladle some sauce into two bowls, add noodles & top with the jackfruit.
Garnish & eat it all up.
And look back here soon – because I will make another version of this presently.
Delightful-Delicious-Delovely 