Cơm Gà Vỹ Dạ (Vy Da Style Chicken with Rice)

Ingredients:
-1 medium chicken
-1 large onion
-3 tbs sugar
-3 tbs vinegar
-juice of ½ -1 lime
-rau răm (laksa leaves)
-3 tbs fried shallots (approx.)
-coconut juice or water
-jasmin rice
-2 green onions
-cilantro
-salt and sugar to taste

What to Do:
Wash chicken and boil in coconut juice or water. Use chicken broth to cook rice, add salt and sugar into the remaining broth to taste. Slice onion and mix with sugar and vinegar. Marinate for ½ hour or until wilted and squeeze out excess juices. Wash and chop cilantro, green onion, and laksa leaves. Shred chicken and mix with prepared onions, laksa leaves, fried shallots and lime juice (if necessary, all flavors should be even). Serve chicken with rice, ginger fish sauce, and chicken broth garnished with chopped cilantro and green onions.

Phở Chay (Vegetarian Pho)

Ingredients:
-basic vegetarian broth (approx. 2-3 liters)
-1 head of broccoli
-1/4lb straw or button mushrooms
-fried tofu or gluten
-1 large carrot
-5 cloves
-3 star anises
-1 2 inch piece of cinnamon
-1 thumb size piece of ginger
-cilantro
-pho noodles

What to Do:
Wash and chop cilantro. Slice mushrooms, cut broccoli and carrots into bite size pieces. Slice gluten or tofu into small strips. Grill and crush ginger; add ginger, cloves, cinnamon and star anises into broth and bring to a boil. Add carrots and simmer for 5 mins before adding broccoli and mushrooms. Simmer until veggies are cooked to your preferred texture. Boil and drain noodles. Add noodles into a bowl add tofu/gluten and ladle on hot broth and veggies. Garnish with chopped cilantro and ground black pepper. Serve with bean sprouts, ngò gai (saw tooth herb), lá quế (basil), and jalapeno peppers.

Note:
Can use any veggies you like to make this dish. As long the spices are present in the broth, you have vegetarian pho.

***Because my vegetarian dishes are prepared with “Buddhist Laws” in mind; besides not using meats and animal products, I do not use garlic, onions, leeks, chives, or any type of alcohol. However, if your main goal is to just avoid meats, feel free to add the any of the mentioned above to spice up you dishes.***

Basic Vegetarian Broth

Ingredients (approximate):
-1 daikon about 1lb
-1 small cabbage
-1/2 lb carrots
-1 large apple or pear
-coconut juice or water
-salt to taste

What to Do:
Peel, wash and cut into small pieces. Simmer in coconut juice or water for at least ½ hour, strain and use in various dishes.

***Because my vegetarian dishes are prepared with “Buddhist Laws” in mind; besides not using meats and animal products, I do not use garlic, onions, leeks, chives, or any type of alcohol. However, if your main goal is to just avoid meats, feel free to add the any of the mentioned above to spice up you dishes.***