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Banh Mi Salad {Keto, Paleo, Whole30}
Banh Mi Salad. This is a delicious take on Vietnamese classic sandwich, the Bánh mì. Keto, paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free, this deconstructed take on one of my favorite sandwiches is loaded with flavor, fresh crunchy vegetables and so much color. I cannot wait for you to try this one.
Alright all my keto, paleo, Whole30 pals, you didn’t think I would leave you hanging on this whole Banh Mi thing, did you? I shared my delicious gluten-free Banh Mi Sandwich a few weeks back, as part of a Sammie Smackdown Contest with Canyon Bakehouse, all for a very good cause, but a lot of you, like me, are generally on that grain-free train. I feel ya, I feel better that way, too! But, there’s no reason we can’t get it on these sammie vibes, in our own way. Enter the Banh Mi Salad, my new favorite thing!
I entered my tasty take on this classic Vietnamese sandwich, the Banh Mi, to try to win $10,000 for my charity, Joyful Heart Foundation. Joyful Heart is a leading national organization with a mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse and support survivors’ healing. Through healing, education, and advocacy, they are paving the way for innovative approaches to treating trauma, igniting shifts in the way the public views and responds to these horrific acts of violence and reforming legislation to ensure justice for survivors – and ultimately working to end this violence, forever!
Voting is still open. It remains open until August 20th and you can vote up to 3 times a day for my sandwich, with extra votes coming in if you share on social media and sign up through email to win a years worth of gluten-free bread! Head over to the Sammie Smackdown contest on Canyon Bakehouse’s website and help me by voting EVERY SINGLE DAY until the contest ends on 8/20. It would mean the world to me to win this money for this incredible, privately funded organization, doing such important work.
In the meantime, if sandwiches and bread aren’t so much your thing, you need to make this epic salad, inspired by that sandwich. All the flavors, tastes and vibes, without the bread. (And yes, I am aware that Banh Mi literally translates to bread, so this becomes an oxymoron of sorts, but I am OK with that.) If you are following a paleo or keto approach to your eating or maybe just doing a Whole30 and looking to have something fun, this salad is for you!!
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Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Despite the 80 degree whether we have had this past week, with the onset of November and the clock’s changing back, I start to crave comfort food something crazy this time of year. Soups, stews, crock pot meals, all of it! This homemade Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) is something I find myself craving very often, this time of year. Even with several authentic vietnamese restaurants in the area, I find my homemade pho has been perfected to where it is the best I can find! (Horn tooted)
I make a mean Beef pho, which tends to be a bit more traditional, but I also really love making it with chicken, especially when we get one of the beautiful whole pasture-raised chickens from our farmer. Besides being hot and comforting, like any bowl of chicken noodle soup should be, the incredible warming spices in traditional pho not only warms the body, but I truly believe they have some sort of magical powers to warm the soul. To me, this is as close as you’ll ever be to getting a hug from your food.
Though it seems like there are many steps to homemade pho, it really is quite easy and once you’ve done the prep work, you can let the soup simmer all day and by the time dinner rolls around, it is done, ready and waiting for you to enjoy it!
The best thing about a traditional dish like pho are the subtle nuances to the recipe, that bring the most incredible unique flavors. Charring the onions and ginger is just one of them. A simple and quick step that provides a depth of flavor so vital to this dish! Plus, it leaves the kitchen has the most beautifully pungent aroma, too!
