Faux Pho

(This post is overdue, thus two posts in one day)

I have been really in the mood to cook lately. I'm thinking that it may have to do with me feeling stressed about the unknown of where I will be when my internship ends. There is something about chopping, stirring and creating something delicious that is so therapeutic.

One thing that I have been thinking about learning how to make is Pho Vietnamese noodle soup. It is so comforting and delicious. So I've been reading about it and boy is it a process. I sort of expected so. But when I say that it is a process, I mean an all day over the stove type thing. That kind of cooking is not so therapeutic to me, so I figured out a way to make a really good faux version. The other night I tried it out and it was a success!!



Kristin's Vietnamese Meal: Spring Rolls w/Peanut Sauce and Faux Pho

Peanut Sauce
1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Chili Oil

Combine in a sauce pan, heat until simmering. Make a slurry (flour and water mixture) and add a tsp at a time until the desired thickness.

For Broth
32 oz Beef Broth
1 package Pho Spices
1 White or Yellow Onion
3'' Piece of Ginger

For authentic pho, leg and knuckle bones are boiled to make a homemade broth. I decided to use beef broth for the closest tasting fake version. Chicken or vegetable stock would be alright as well. There are also a number of spices that you need to boil in the broth. Luckily there is an awesome asian market near by and they sell these spice packets with everything you need. I assume that most asian markets have something similar. This makes things a lot cheaper so you don't have to buy everything separate.



Pictured you can see that the spice packs come with cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, coriander, cloves, fennel and a mesh bag to put the spices in.

Pour spice packet in a dry pan and slightly toast over low heat to bring out their aroma. Once cooled put into the spice bag. Slice ginger and onion in half and put under the broiler for 5-7 minutes until charred. Put all ingredients in a large stock pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain broth.



For Soup
8 oz. linguine-style rice noodles
8 oz. medium-soft tofu, cut into small cubes or thin slices

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Once cooled rinse them under cold water and divide between 4 bowls.

For Table Salad
Fresh Cilantro, Basil and/or Mint
Bean Sprouts
Jalapeno Slices
Lime Wedges
Hoisin Sauce
Sriracha Sauce

Arrange table salad ingredients on a large platter and set in the middle of the table along with sauces.



To serve, top the noodles with tofu. Ladle the bubbling broth into the bowls. Season your bowl to your liking with the table salad and sauces.

Cilantro Inspired Dinner

Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs to have on hand, however when I buy it at the store it is almost impossible to use it all before it goes bad. (I guess I need to start growing an herb garden.) I had a lot of cilantro left over from making pad thai, so yesterday I was determined to use it all up and I made a delicious and nutritious cilantro filled dinner.

Appetizer: Faux Guacamole

I read a recipe a while ago about making a hummus type dip but using edamame and tofu in place of the chickpeas. I thought that sounded really delicious and have thought about how you could do so many variations. I decided to make a faux guacamole type dip with this base recipe. I know avacados are good for you, however they are so high in fat. This faux guacamole is filled with soy(edamame and tofu), cilantro, and garlic and is so delicious you won't miss the real thing!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Shelled Edamame

1 Cup Silken Tofu

2-4 Garlic Cloves (roughly chopped)

5 Green Onions (roughly chopped)

1/2 Cup Cilantro

Juice from 1-2 Limes

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce

Prepare edamame according to package instructions (boil 5 min). Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Begin blending until the consistency of guacamole or hummus. Add a few tbsp of water if necessary to achieve the right consistency. Serve with veggies, or chips for dipping!

Makes 12 1/4 cup servings

Cal: 58; Fat: 3g; Carb: 3g; Fiber: 2g; Prot: 4g

Main Course: Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

4- 4oz Pieces of Chicken Breast

2 tbsp Olive Oil

Juice from 2 limes

Large handful of Cilantro

2 Cloves Garlic

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend well adding a few tbsp of water if needed. Pour mixture over chicken breast and marinade for 2 hrs. Grill chicken 3-4 min on each side.

(This marinade keeps the chicken juicy and infuses so much flavor!)

Side Dish: Tomato, Garlic and Onion Stuffed Peppers

I have no idea how this idea came to me, but I'm glad it did. These stuffed pepper sides are filled with flavor, and can be dressed like a baked potato without all of the carbs!

Ingredients:

2 Bell Peppers (any color)

1/2 Small Onion (any color)

3 Roma Tomatoes

2-3 Garlic Cloves (thinly sliced)

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Black Pepper

Reduced fat cheese

For Garnish: Light Sour cream, faux guacamole, cilantro, chives or green onion

Preheat oven to 375. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds, but keep the stem (because it looks pretty:)

Stuff each pepper with slices of onion, tomato, and garlic. Drizzle olive oil over the peppers and grind some black pepper over each.

Roast peppers for 30 minutes. Top each pepper with a little bit of reduced fat cheese and continue roasting until the cheese is melted. Garnish as desired with light sour cream, cilantro, green onion and faux guacamole.

These were literally melt in your mouth good!

*This entire dinner was around 350 calories, 8 fat grams, 20 grams of carbs, and 8 grams of fiber!