Banh Mi

Ok - this is really good, like REALLY good.  Its the combo of a couple different recipes from here and there and it needs to be written down immediately so I never forget!  A banh mi is made up of three basic parts - Asian flavored meat, pickled vegetables, and spicy sauce.  Warning - make the pickled veggies at least an hour ahead of time.

Picked vegetables:

1/2 daikon radish, julienned (little sticks)
3 carrots, julienned
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper

Spicy Sauce:

4 Tbsp almond butter
3 Tbsp pickling liquid from above
1 Tbsp Sriracha
1/8 tsp salt

Meaty Stuff:

1-2 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp lemongrass, very finely minced
1-2 cups oyster mushrooms (or shittakes, or chanterelle, or other fungus of your choice)
1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Other stuff:

Fresh cilantro
1 jalepeno, very finely sliced
Baguette, or sandwich-type device

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, fennel seeds, and pepper in saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling add the daikon and carrots and cook for one minute.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Put veggies and liquid in a bowl and chill for a least an hour.  Once the veggies have sat a while steal some of the liquid to make the sauce.  Nothing complicated about the sauce, just combine and stir.

For the meaty stuff heat the oil and saute the lemongrass for a minute or two.  Add the mushrooms, which you should rip apart or wildly chop, ya know, in a fashion that would resemble pulled pork or ripped apart pieces of chicken.  Cook for 10 or so minutes and add the tamari late, stir in and let cook for another minute or two.

On a fresh baguette, piece of stale white bread, ciabatta, on top of a pizza, or over lettuce, whatever you chose -- compile the ingredient.  Meaty stuff, spicy sauce, and pickled vegetables.  Garnish with sliced jalepenos and cilantro and devour.

Tom Kha Taohu Soup

For Tom Yum Soup, replace the coconut milk with more vegetable broth.  Traditional Tom Kha is made is with more coconut milk and definitely full fat milk, but that's a bit too rich for my tastes.  Adjust as you see fit.

4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups light coconut milk
4 stalks lemongrass (dried or fresh works)
4-6 kaffir lime leaves
1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 roasted green chiles (thai chilies would be more appropriate here, but I can never find them)
2 tsp Sriracha
2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
juice of one large lime
1 tsp sugar
2-3 cups shittakes, sliced (or any mushroom will do)
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 lb firm tofu, cubed in 1/2" or less sized pieces
fresh cilantro

Combine the broth, coconut milk, lemongrass and lime leaves in a largish pot. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes or so.  Fish out the lemongrass stalks and lime leaves with a slotted spoon, which will now be your soup stirring spoon.

Add the ginger, garlic, chiles, sriracha, tamari, lime, and sugar and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Then add the mushrooms and let cook for 10 minutes.  Finally, add the tomato and tofu and grab yourself some bowls!  The tomatoes and tofu only need to cook for a minute or two.

Garnish with cilantro and thoroughly enjoy.