Coconut Pad Thai Review

YUM.

So, I'm on a kick right now where I'm trying to incorporate more "raw" food into my diet. Basically- in my terms- eating a lot more salads as meals. I'm really, really not into extreme diets, or cutting anything out of my diet completely (hence me being a terrible vegan). It's more about being aware of what my body needs and how food affects my energy levels and blah blah hippie shit blah blah.

I found this recipe the other day and decided to make it for dinner last night.

What I ended up making is a little far from what the original recipe is. Which basically sums up the way I cook anyhow, but yeah. I wanted to use up full quantities of ingredients that I had, and the tamarind "vinaigrette" ended up being a waste of effort, so I went without. So, here's my revised version of the recipe.



Gross looking failed tamarind!



Almond Chile Sauce:

1/2 cup raw almond butter (toasted is okay, as is any other nut butter)
Juice from 1 fresh lemon
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno with seeds
1 to 2 tablespoons warm water

Vegetables:

2 cups large flake coconut (unsweetened! Toasted is okay. Fresh coconut is even better)
2 carrots cut into matchstick-size strips
1 red bell pepper cut into matchstick-size strips
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cucumber peeled and cut into matchstick-size strips
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil (I just used the whole package, 'cause I'm crazy)

Other stuff:

1/2 a head of purple cabbage- sliced thin
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Sea salt



What to do:

If using dried coconut- put into a bowl and cover with warm water. Let this sit for about half an hour (while prepping everything else) and then drain and squeeze out excess liquid. If using fresh coconut- just chop into small pieces.

Toss together cabbage, lime juice, and cilantro, then sprinkle with sea salt and let sit while you prepare everything else.



For the sauce- whisk together all ingredients then let sit for a little while.

Combine all of your veggies, including coconut, and toss with sauce.

To serve: I threw mine into a big soup bowl. Layer of cabbage slaw on the bottom, then a ton of "pad Thai" on top of it. This is super fresh and light tasting while still really filling. I had it for lunch today as well, although that kind of sucked since my office is colder than it is outside and all I wanted was soup. But whatevs. Still delicious.