3-Ingredient Crispy Vietnamese Crepes (vegan option)

What are they like?

-Deliciously crisp

-Filled with your favorite filling, or an option below

Recipe

This recipe is called Banh Xeo in Vietnamese and I love it. These crepes are deliciously crisp and the batter keeps in the fridge for whenever you would like a fresh batch. The recipe below is an adaptation from The Gluten Free Asian Kitchen cookbook. Traditionally the batter has ground turmeric in it, but instead I opted for ground fennel as I love the subtle, nutty flavor.

If you would like to learn more about how to make this recipe, it is featured in this episode. If you would like a vegetarian option, here is a Spicy Chickpea & Potato Curry (vegan), which makes a great filling.

Crepes
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/3 cup coconut milk 
1 1/4 tsp salt 
Optional: 1 tsp ground fennel (see note)

Filling, optional
1 large pork chop 
12 shrimp (cleaned, no shells) - optional 
1 cup mung beans, cooked 
1 garlic clove 
3 green onions
8 oz mung bean sprouts 
1 cup fresh mint leaves 
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (or basil) 

Directions:

1. For the crepes: place all of the ingredients in a bowl and add 2 cups of water. Whisk thoroughly. Allow to rest while you cook the filling. 

2. Cook the mung beans. Follow the instructions the package. 

3. Slice the pork into thin bite-sized pieces. Slice the green onions, keeping the white part separate. Chop or crush the garlic. 

4. Place a large nonstick pan (like a 10” cast iron) over medium high heat. Add 1 1 /2 tsp of oil and add the pork and white part of the green onions. Turn the heat down to medium and let it brown for two minutes. Then stir the pork and add the shrimp and crushed garlic. Cook for about two minutes or until the shrimp is no longer translucent. Set the filling aside. 

5. Add 1 1 /2 tsp of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour in 1/2 cup of the crepe batter and swirl immediately to spread the filling around the pan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add a few pieces of pork, a couple shrimp, a couple spoonfuls of mung beans, and a large handful of spouts to half of the crepe, making sure the ingredient are spread out on one half of the crepe. Cook until the bottom of the crepe is crisp and add a dash of salt. Then add a handful of herbs and green onions and fold the crepe in half, and serve!  

6. Traditionally this crepes is served with Nouc Cham sauce but I prefer garlic yogurt. Simply stir some some crushed garlic into yogurt to taste. This works for vegan yogurt as well! Or instead of garlic, add lemon juice and chopped dill to the yogurt and stir. 

Notes:

• Traditionally this recipe called a dash of turmeric. Feel free to omit or replace ground fennel with a dash of another spice. 

Spicy Chickpea & Potato Curry (Vegan)

What is it like?

-Packed with spices & herbs

-Cooked in a creamy Coconut-Cashew Sauce

Recipe

This recipe was inspired by chana masala, although it is milder and the spices and herbs are different. However, it does have a similar texture to chana masala as the potatoes and chickpeas are cooked in a creamy coconut cashew sauce. It can be eaten with pilaf, flatbread, or with a Vietnamese Crepe. If you would like to learn more about how to make Vietnamese Crepes, they are featured in this episode.

Puree
1 bell pepper
4 carrots
1/2 onion
1 13-oz can coconut milk (I prefer Thai Kitchen) 
1/3 cup cashews 

Stew
1 tbsp paprika 
3/4 tsp black pepper 
1 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste if needed
3 tbsp low sodium tamari 
1/2 tsp oregano 
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme 
1 1/2 lbs potatoes 
Optional, 2 tbsp white wine 

Add at the end
1 13-oz can garbanzo beans 
1 lemon, zest plus 2 tbsp juice 
1/2 cup parsley, chopped (see note) 

Directions:

1. Roughly chop the carrots, onion, and bell pepper into 1-inch sized pieces. Puree the chopped vegetables, coconut milk, and cashews in a large blender or food processor. Add up to 1/4 cup water if needed. 

2. Place the puree in a 2-quart or medium sized pan with a lid. Add all of the ingredients from the “stew” list and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when you stir to prevent a layer from forming. If you would like this recipe to be accompanied by rice, begin cooking the rice now. 

3. Add the canned garbanzo beans, lemon juice, zest and parsley. Salt to taste. 

Notes:

• Since this dish simmers for a long time, you can used the parsley stems as well as the leaves. They will soften and add a lovely flavor. 

• Spice: this dish calls or an unusual amount of black pepper, but I like the flavor and spiciness that it imparts. Add less pepper if you are hesitant and just spice to taste at the end. 

Amaranth "Polenta" Cakes (Vegan, Paleo)

What are they like?

-Browned on the outside

-Rich and creamy on the inside

-Flavored with caramelized onions, paprika, and cumin

The Amaranth Cakes look slightly different than the photo above, but equally satisfying :)

Recipe

This recipes is gluten free, vegan and can be made Paleo. They taste like real polenta cakes, but unlike polenta which is corn-based, these savory pancakes are packed with nutrients, whole grains, and fiber. If you like (like I do) you can also soak/sprout your amaranth prior to cooking.

Makes 9-12 cakes, prep 12 min, cook time 20 min

3 cups amaranth, cooked
1 cup chick peas (omit if paleo)
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs* (or for Paleo, substitute 1/3 cup coconut flour or two eggs)
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt or to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the onion and bell pepper with 2 tsp olive oil until tender, about ten minutes. Stir occasionally and turn the burner down if necessary to prevent burning. (SEE NOTE)

2. While the vegetables sauté, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the peppers and onions when they are done and allow the mixture to rest for about 5 minutes.

3. Heat the pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil and then scoop pancake-sized spoonfuls of mixture into the pan and flatten into round pancakes with the back of a spoon. I usually cook three at a time in a 10” cast iron pan. You can even cook with two pans simultaneously to make cooking faster. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, just until they brown on each side. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and serve immediately.

I love these pancakes with my homemade hummus recipe. They are also excellent with whole milk yogurt, sriracha sauce, or just on their own! I often make a yogurt sauce (dairy or vegan) by adding lime, salt, and an herb like cilantro or dill to the yogurt. It’s delightful with these savory cakes!

Notes:
Cooked amaranth is porridge-like, so breadcrumbs helps absorb liquid. You can try substituting 1/3 cup coconut flour for the oat flour, although I have not tested this substitution. Alternatively you can substitute two eggs for the oat flour and make slightly thinner pancakes. I have tested this recipe with eggs and it is delicious but not vegan!

*I tested this recipe substituting oat flour for the breadcrumbs. My porridge was fairly goopy and not dry enough so I added a lot of oat flour, 3/4 cup, and cooked them right away using two pans. However, using too much oat flour can make the texture sticky and you don’t want that! I recommend bread crumbs unless you don’t have any on hand!

Colorful Bell Peppers with Almond-Herb Pilaf

What are they like? 

- Refreshing 

- Full of flavor (lemon, olive oil, herbs & almonds) 

- Bursting with color 

Recipe

Serves 2-4, 15 min prep, 40 min cooking

This recipe can easily be doubled.

Pilaf
1/2 cup long grain rice
scant 1 cup water
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp slivered almonds

Peppers
2 bell peppers, any color
1/2 cup water
juice from one lemon, plus more for serving    
2 tbsp olive oil 

Topping
1 cup plain yogurt OR  plain tahini* (or both!) 
1 clove raw garlic crushed, optional 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. To prepare the pilaf, heat a 2 quart pan over medium heat until warmed. Add 2 tbsp oil, onion, and carrot and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Then add the rest of the pilaf ingredients, bring to a boil, and then immediately lower to a simmer for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. The rice will be al dente and it will finish cooking in the oven.

3. While the rice cooks, slice the peppers lengthwise and remove the stem. Choose a baking dish that is large enough to hold the peppers (an 8x8 pyrex works great). Add 3/4 cup water, 2 tbsp olive oil, and the juice of 1 lemon to the dish. Spoon the pilaf into the peppers, cover tightly with foil, and bake for about 40 minutes or until the peppers are fork tender.

4. Mix together the ingredients for the topping.

5. Before serving the peppers, drizzle with garlic yogurt or tahini and serve. Be sure to pour some of the sauce over the peppers. Drizzle with a squeeze of lemon juice.

*You can use 1/4 cup plain tahini for a subtle flavor, which is excellent, or mix together tahini and lemon (if it curdles and or becomes thick, stir in a teaspoon or two of water to smooth the texture). The garlic is optional. 

*Garlic yogurt is a common topping in Turkish cooking.

Smokey Wild Rice Pilaf

What is it like? 

- Smokey 

- Intense, balanced flavor

- Hardy 

Recipe

1 cup wild rice
1/2 cup smoked bacon tips* OR vegan bacon
2 chicken thighs OR butternut squash for vegan
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green or red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup white wine, optional
2 cups water
1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1 tbsp dried or fresh parsly
1/4 cup slivered almonds or 2 tbsp pine nuts, optional

Directions:

1. Rinse rice and place in a pan with 2 cup water over high heat. Once it boils, turn it down to low to simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon. If you bacon is regular high fat variety, reduce the heat a little and allow to brown. Then remove and pour out the fat and cook the chicken over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side.
3. Meanwhile, slice the celery and pepper. Once the meat is browned (but not cooked through), set aside. Then, sauté the vegetables over medium heat for about 7 minutes. While the vegetables cook, measure the wine and slice the bacon into small pieces and the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
4. Turn the heat up for about 30 seconds and then add the wine (it will boil rapidly so be careful not to get burned by the steam).
5. Drain the wild rice.
6. Add the water, drained rice, and the rest of the ingredients and turn the heat up to high. Once it boils, turn it down to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes, or until it is tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with a sprinkling of fresh marjoram leaves (or oregano) and steamed chard or other steamed vegetable. Chard is best when cooked to the point when the leaves’ veins are still crisp.

*You can substitute your favorite regular bacon, especially one that is strongly flavored, like Black Forest variety. If you do not have this kind of bacon, try adding smoked sea salt or smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.