My recipes for Vegetarian Pho, and Mexican Carne Asada Taco's
I just thought I'd share these two recipes because they taste yummy.
The Mexican food comes first because I just made this today, and DAMN is it yummy!
I started by making the marinade for the Steak, because the steak should sit in the marinade for 2-4 hours. Some people say to marinate longer, but I don’t think it’s necessary myself. I’d go for about 3-4 hours personally.
This is my own recipe, which I took and jumbled from multiple other recipes. Great that I did so well for a first try!
Serves about 4, with some leftover Salsa and meat I'd think..
Ingredients:
1 Lb of Steak
2 Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar
1 Garlic Clove
1 Lime (juiced)
1 Lemon (juiced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Chili Peppers (chopped)
1/2 cup Cilantro
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Chili Powder
Pinch of Mexican Oregano
Pinch of Cumin
Pinch of Paprika
Pinch of Black Pepper
Pinch of Garlic Powder
Mix all of these ingredients together. Place steak in a container (I prefer glass), and pour the mixture over it. Pour it over both sides. Hopefully the container will be big enough to fit the steak, but small enough so that the mixture covers the steak almost entirely. Cover, and place in fridge for at least 2 hours.
Next I made the salsa, because this can be set aside as well.
Ingredients:
2 Large Tomato’s (chopped)
1/2 cup Onion (chopped)
1 Lime (juiced)
3 Garlic Cloves (chopped)
2 Chili Peppers (chopped)
2 Tablespoons minced Cilantro
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
Sprinkle of Cumin
Droool. No, don’t add your own drool, I’m just sayin..
Mix all of these together, place in a container and cover and place in the fridge until ready. I did this all by hand, but will be using one of those special chopper thingy’s next time. That’ll make the job extremely easy!
And lastly, I made my own tortilla’s.
Ingredients:
2 Cups of Masa
1/4 Teaspoon Salt (I just sprinkled some in lightly)
1 1/4 Cups of Water
Mix all ingredients together by hand in a bowl. Mix for about 2 minutes, until it feels doughy. If it feels dry, add a Tablespoon of water at a time, until it doesn’t feel dry. Be careful with this.
Divide the dough up into 16 equal balls. They’ll be probably about an inch and a half in diameter..not very big, about the size of a donut hole, maybe slightly larger. I place the balls on a cookie tray, and place a damp towel over them to keep them from drying out.
At this time you should pre-heat a griddle. Set it on high.
If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can carefully roll the balls with a rolling pin..personally I use a tortilla press because it’s easier.
Just place plastic wrap around the tortilla press, then place a sandwich bag on the bottom section of the press, for easy removal of the tortilla.
Place the ball in the press, ..press…and voila.
Carefully peel the tortilla off the sandwich bag, and place the tortilla in the pre-heated griddle. I heat each side on high for 50 seconds. I also do two at a time, since my griddle is large enough to fit two. This is optional.
Place tortilla’s in tortilla warmer.
Hopefully the steak will have marinated for at least 2 hours by now. If not, the tortilla’s stay warm in the tortilla warmer for a few hours I hear, or just don’t make them right away..
I placed some Canola Oil in a frying pan, and let the pan heat up for a minute or two, then I added half of the steak.
Cut it into thin strips, either before, or during the cooking process. I find it’s easier to cut through the meat when it’s been cooking for a little bit, but that’s just me.
Place some of the marinade over the steak while it’s cooking as well.
Cook the whole steak this way, and set aside.
Now just take how ever many tortilla’s you want out, add the meat, add the salsa, and enjoy!
I also tried making some tortilla chips, but unfortunately they didn’t come out right, so I won’t share that recipe..they still tasted pretty darn good because I ate them with the beautifully yummy salsa..mmm..I will sleep well tonight.
The basic concept of the chips, is to cut the tortilla’s (4 at a time) into 4 pieces, and lay them flat on a cookie tray. Place them in the oven for ?? I did 8 minutes at 400 degrees, but I’m going to have to play with that because it didn’t work so well.
Vegan/Vegetarian Pho Recipe (Serves 1)
This is a long time coming.. I’ve probably made this over 30 times now, and the recipe has had some slight variations when I’ve been out of an ingredient, etc. Every time, even with things missing, it’s come out wonderfully though.
Ingredients for Broth:
1) 2 1/4 cups water
2) 1 Vege Bouillon Cube or 1 Tsp Better than Bouillon Vege Base
-Note: I’ve been using the Vege Base lately, and it’s easier to clean the pot when finished and tastes the same to me..
3) 3/4 Tbs Soy Sauce
4) 3 or 4 garlic cloves (halved or cut into 4ths)
5) About 1/2 a Scallion (green onion) including white part (cut)
6) About an inch by half an inch of ginger (Charred)
7) 1/2 pod Star Anise
8) 1 Bay Leaf
9) Salt (I usually don’t use any, but most people use it)
10) Rice Noodles (Amount can very, but usually I grab a clump that’s about an inch or so.
Bring water and bouillon to a boil, then add all of the other ingredients. Bring water down to low-medium heat (3 or 4 on my stove), with lid partially off, for 25 minutes.
When there are about 17 minutes remaining, start boiling the pot of water for the rice noodles. Once this water is boiling, remove the pot from the heat, and place rice noodles in. Partially cover with lid, and let sit.
In the meantime, while waiting, you can prepare the vege’s for the Pho. The list of ingredients here varies, and can include any of the following:
I consider these musts:
Cilantro (1/4th a cup or less)
Brocolli (cut)
Celery (sliced)
Carrot (sliced)
Half a scallion to a whole scallion (cut into half an inch pieces)
Other possibilities:
Baby Corn
Green Pepper
Mushrooms
I like to just put the vege’s in the bowl that I’ll be using, until the noodles and broth are done. Then I just strain the noodles, and toss them over the vege’s, then place the bowl in the sink and use the strainer again, and strain the broth into the bowl. Works like a charm. :P
And lastly, ingredients that go in the pho when it’s complete.
Hoison Sauce
Chili Paste
Basil
Bean Sprouts
I once thought Basil and Bean Sprouts were absolutely necessary, but the bean sprouts go bad so quickly, so I end up going without these most of the time. It certainly does add to the authenticity of it though.
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