Raw Vegan Pad Thai.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Pad Thai. This love extends to the point that if I were stranded on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and there was a singular food dish that I could have, it would without a doubt be Pad Thai. My obsession with Pad Thai actually extends to the point that it frequently drives my friends insane because if I'm ever out for dinner with them, I will inevitably suggest and be 100% in favour of a Thai restaurant. I mean, who the heck wants to go out and pay money for a meal and not eat their favourite thing?!
But one very, very sad day something happened that forever changed Pad Thai for me. One of my friends linked me an article that listed the top ten nutritionally 'bad' restaurant dishes. Guess who took out the number one position? You guessed it, my baby, Pad Thai. Looking into things a bit further (I was not going to accept that it was nutritionally terrible without a fight!), a generic restaurant Pad Thai is actually loaded with calories which predominately come from processed salts, oils and sugars. However, the main issue with a standard restaurant Pad Thai is the serving size. In general, your average plate of Pad Thai is actually intended for two, but realistically who the heck ever thinks about that?! If you put a plate of yum in front of me, I'm damn well going to eat that entire plate.
So, that little debacle in the back of my mind, I set out to create a Pad Thai that was foremost delicious, but also full of fresh, colourful vegetables, would be a light and refreshing meal for a hot summer night and, very importantly, a dish that I could eat as much as I wanted of and have no need for guilt. That's where this recipe comes in. Instead of using oils and salts and other unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients, my raw vegan version of this dish uses a whole heap of fresh vegetables, herbs, and beans along with a downright delicious sauce that is flavoured only with natural ingredients.
This dish has absolutely become one of my all time favourites. Like, you know you've made something damn well when you're still thinking about how good it was five days after you finished eating the leftovers! Actually that's a lie. There's rarely five days between me finishing the leftovers and me having made another batch entirely!!!!
Ingredients;
1 zucchini (courgette)
1 carrot
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup green cabbage
1/2 red capsicum(pepper)
1 cup bean shoots
3 shallots
Handful fresh mint
Handful fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 cup edamame beans
1 corn cob (raw)
Sesame seeds
1. Use a Julianne peeler to turn the carrot and zucchini into long, thin, noodle like strips. When you've sliced all the carrot and zucchini, put them in a big bowl. If you don't own a Julianne slicer, you can use a sharp knife to cut the vegetables up, however I would really recommend a slicer. I personally use mine all the time - almost every day - and a good peeler is less than $20 at most homewares shops!
2. Slice the cabbage and capsicum up into thin strips and add to the bowl with the carrot and zucchini along with the bean shoots.
3. Slice the kernels away from the corn cob, and slice the shallots up. Add to the bowl with the other vegetables as well as the coriander and mint.
4. If your edamame beans need to be peeled to get the individual beans out, then peel away.
5. Use some tongs (or clean hands) to mix the vegetables up and then serve up into bowls. Top with the edamame beans and a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. This will serve 2 - 3 people depending on how hungry you are! The, make the sauce, as below.
Dressing
2 tbsp pure peanut butter
2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
Rind of 1/2 lime
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp water
1/2 small red chilli
1. Take a small container that has a tight fitting lid. Put all the ingredients listed above, except for the chilli, into said container. Put the lid on and shake that container like its the last thing you'll ever do! You want to make sure that the peanut butter has fully mixed in with the other ingredients and there are no chunky bits!
2. Thinly slice the chilli.
3. When ready to serve, pour the sauce over the raw vegetables and garnish with the sliced chilli.
4. EAT YOUR HEART OUT ON ALL THAT VEGETABLE GOODNESS!!!!
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Pad Thai. This love extends to the point that if I were stranded on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and there was a singular food dish that I could have, it would without a doubt be Pad Thai. My obsession with Pad Thai actually extends to the point that it frequently drives my friends insane because if I'm ever out for dinner with them, I will inevitably suggest and be 100% in favour of a Thai restaurant. I mean, who the heck wants to go out and pay money for a meal and not eat their favourite thing?!
But one very, very sad day something happened that forever changed Pad Thai for me. One of my friends linked me an article that listed the top ten nutritionally 'bad' restaurant dishes. Guess who took out the number one position? You guessed it, my baby, Pad Thai. Looking into things a bit further (I was not going to accept that it was nutritionally terrible without a fight!), a generic restaurant Pad Thai is actually loaded with calories which predominately come from processed salts, oils and sugars. However, the main issue with a standard restaurant Pad Thai is the serving size. In general, your average plate of Pad Thai is actually intended for two, but realistically who the heck ever thinks about that?! If you put a plate of yum in front of me, I'm damn well going to eat that entire plate.
So, that little debacle in the back of my mind, I set out to create a Pad Thai that was foremost delicious, but also full of fresh, colourful vegetables, would be a light and refreshing meal for a hot summer night and, very importantly, a dish that I could eat as much as I wanted of and have no need for guilt. That's where this recipe comes in. Instead of using oils and salts and other unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients, my raw vegan version of this dish uses a whole heap of fresh vegetables, herbs, and beans along with a downright delicious sauce that is flavoured only with natural ingredients.
This dish has absolutely become one of my all time favourites. Like, you know you've made something damn well when you're still thinking about how good it was five days after you finished eating the leftovers! Actually that's a lie. There's rarely five days between me finishing the leftovers and me having made another batch entirely!!!!
Ingredients;
1 zucchini (courgette)
1 carrot
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup green cabbage
1/2 red capsicum(pepper)
1 cup bean shoots
3 shallots
Handful fresh mint
Handful fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 cup edamame beans
1 corn cob (raw)
Sesame seeds
1. Use a Julianne peeler to turn the carrot and zucchini into long, thin, noodle like strips. When you've sliced all the carrot and zucchini, put them in a big bowl. If you don't own a Julianne slicer, you can use a sharp knife to cut the vegetables up, however I would really recommend a slicer. I personally use mine all the time - almost every day - and a good peeler is less than $20 at most homewares shops!
2. Slice the cabbage and capsicum up into thin strips and add to the bowl with the carrot and zucchini along with the bean shoots.
3. Slice the kernels away from the corn cob, and slice the shallots up. Add to the bowl with the other vegetables as well as the coriander and mint.
4. If your edamame beans need to be peeled to get the individual beans out, then peel away.
5. Use some tongs (or clean hands) to mix the vegetables up and then serve up into bowls. Top with the edamame beans and a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. This will serve 2 - 3 people depending on how hungry you are! The, make the sauce, as below.
Dressing
2 tbsp pure peanut butter
2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
Rind of 1/2 lime
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp water
1/2 small red chilli
1. Take a small container that has a tight fitting lid. Put all the ingredients listed above, except for the chilli, into said container. Put the lid on and shake that container like its the last thing you'll ever do! You want to make sure that the peanut butter has fully mixed in with the other ingredients and there are no chunky bits!
2. Thinly slice the chilli.
3. When ready to serve, pour the sauce over the raw vegetables and garnish with the sliced chilli.
4. EAT YOUR HEART OUT ON ALL THAT VEGETABLE GOODNESS!!!!
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