Sunday, March 3, 2013

Phe Phi Pho - YUM!

I've had problems with sinus infections for years.  Years ago I had a deviated septum repaired and they are less frequent, but it seems now when I get one, they come on with a vengeance.  Whether it was the stress of the move and the new job, transition to different flora and pollen that exacerbated allergies or just being around the hospital (where I was working for a while) I ended up with a doozy of one this past winter.  For weeks, I could barely even hear out of my right ear - it had a constant whistle like a teapot.  I was miserable.  This especially stinks when you're a foodie like me and you can't even taste anything because your head is so stuffed up.

So, you'd think working at the hospital, I'd have no problem kicking an infection, right?  Well two months, three doctor's visits and four rounds of antibiotics later I could still hear that darn teapot whistling.  I was immensely frustrated.

Then I had inspiration... years ago a big steaming bowl of hot and sour soup had cured me of a nasty chest cold.  There is definitely something to the old adage of a big bowl of chicken soup for a cold.  Rich marrow broth, vegetables and a balance of protein... it all adds up to a healthy fix.  I think when the sinuses are the primary issue, the extra kicker is to add some va va va voom - heat clears out your head and let's you breathe easy for a while.

Now the question, "where in the world would we find good hot and sour soup in Charlotte?"  Every one we talked to told us this city is completely devoid of good Chinese food.  (Seriously - anyone out there who wants to open a good Chinese joint, this is your town!  It's wide open!)  We asked about twenty native Charlotteans as well as a handful of transplants like ourselves, and we weren't able to come up with a single recommendation for Chinese food.  However, more than half instead recommended a Vietnamese place called Lang Van.  We decided to give it a shot.

Dave and me (and my stuffy head - for a table of three) made our way to Lang Van one Sunday evening.  It was rainy and my head was pounding from all the pressure.  I ordered a seafood combo Pho.  We shared some vegetarian spring rolls and Dave ordered a great tofu dish.  Before I was halfway done with the Pho, something miraculous happened.  I literally heard an audible "pop" and my hearing was restored.  The teapot was no more.  As I continued to enjoy the delicious Pho, I began to feel more and more restored.  Head and sinuses drained, fatigue reduced, headache gone... Within hours, it was like I'd never been sick.

It was a Pho Miracle!  We were converts!  How could we make sure that we kept this level of vitality without eating at the WONDERFUL Lang Van every day (we wouldn't object, but it wasn't in the budget)?  We had better learn to make Pho at home.  We've been playing with recipes and exploring international markets for a couple of weeks now.  We think we've come up with the master recipe for a great vegetarian Pho.

Heat a heavy stock pot on medium high heat.
Add the following:
1 teaspoon Vietnamese Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
1/2 teaspoon ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole Cloves
1/2 Star Anise Seed (approx 1/2 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon organic Soy sauce (non-GMO baby!)
(we put the seeds, cloves and anise in a tea ball so that we could easily pluck it out later)

Once it starts to smoke a bit, add
1 chopped medium Onion
2 tablespoons chopped rough fresh Ginger
4 cloves fresh Garlic chopped rough
1 tablespoon Olive Oil


Saute these ingredients until the Onion turns slightly translucent.  Then add
5 cups of water
5 cups of organic vegetable stock (we use Better than Bouillon)
1 stalk Lemon Grass cut into large pieces
3-4 whole dried Chili Peppers

Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste (I used a little bit of white pepper as well as black pepper).  Simmer and set your timer for 50 minutes.

While your broth simmers, prepare your ingredients for the soup.  We added the following tonight, but you can through in just about whatever you want.
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup dinosaur Kale cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup shredded summer squash
1/2 cup re-hydrated dried Shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup coarsely chopped baby broccoli
1/2 cup cubed Tofu

When the timer goes off, add all the veggies you prepared for the soup to the stock.  Then start a large pot of water to boil.  Once it boils, add your Pho noodles.  We found a great, all natural brand at an Asian market for $1.29.  Follow the instructions on the noodles and cook until done.  Use tongs or a slotted spoon to fill your bowl halfway with noodles.

Ladle the soup to cover the noodles.

Top with fresh cilantro, basil leaves, bean sprouts or pea shoots.  Add siricha or other hot sauce to taste and enjoy!

We've now made this Pho recipe a few times and we're really enjoying it.  I usually add a few shrimp to mine.  You could also add just about any fish or shellfish which has been steamed.

Other veggies you might want to try:
Daikon
Napa Cabbage
Bok Choi
Snow Peas
Japanese or Thai Eggplant cubes

No sign of any sinus problems in our household anymore!

No comments:

Post a Comment