For the miang kham
Crush all the dry ingredients except the sugar and coconut using a pestle and mortar. In a pan, melt the palm sugar with the water.
Peel the galangal before using. If you can source them, use Thai shallots. Otherwise, you can use regular shallots.
A link to an alternative healthier version of this recipe and our motivation for creating this version can be found directly above the recipe photo.
Add all the crushed ingredients to the sugar mixture and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the mixture slightly thickens. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
In the meantime, you can start with the salad (Step 5).
Meanwhile, toast the coconut in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, for approximately 2–3 minutes, or until lightly golden. Quickly remove from the hot pan and set aside.
Once the sauce has cooled, pour it through a sieve, and then add the toasted coconut and soy sauce. Set aside and continue to prepare the salad.
For the Thai salad
Cut the scallions into thin strips and finely slice the shallots. Crush the peanuts. Peel the pomelo, pull away the membrane that surrounds each slice, and cut into small chunks. Open the pomegranate and remove the seeds. Coarsely chop the cilantro and spearmint leaves. Deseed and thinly slice the chili pepper. Juice the lime and grate the lime zest.
If you can source them, use Thai shallots. Otherwise, you can use regular shallots.
The original recipe lists white grapefruit as an alternative to pomelos.
Mix all of the salad ingredients — except the lime zest and juice and the chicory leaves — in a large bowl. Mix in about 3 tbsp of the miang kham. Then add the lime zest and juice and stir.
Serving
Pull the leaves from the chicory to make individual serving cups, or simply arrange them on a plate and then put a little of the mixture into each one and serve.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Fresh Vegan Kitchen Pavilion Books Company Ltd, David Bailey Raw recipes 43 (4), Cooked recipes 76 (4) Additional photos (10)
Ordering
"Fresh Vegan Kitchen — Delicious Recipes for the Vegan and Raw Kitchen"
offers a large selection of Asian-inspired vegan and raw vegan recipes.
OverviewThe Fresh Vegan Kitchenby David and Charlotte Bailey is a cookbook that can provide even the most experienced vegan chef with new ideas — this is thanks to the large variety of creative, Asian-inspired recipes it contains. However, many of the recipes are actually not that healthy as they often call for large amounts of oil and fat and sometimes include a less than desirable choice of ingredients. In this aspect, the cookbook unfortunately does not differ from the majority of other vegan cookbooks on the market. But by slightly modifying the recipes, you can conjure up dishes that are not only tasty, but also healthy.
Critical book reviews Since August 2018, we have been addressing the use of ingredients that aren’t particularly healthy. Although we don’t change recipes that contain such ingredients, we do provide alternative healthier versions of these.
Overall impressionThe Fresh Vegan Kitchen — Delicious Recipes for the Vegan and Raw Kitchen by David and Charlotte Bailey includes a diverse selection of vegan and raw vegan dishes. David and Charlotte Bailey define raw food as food that has been heated at a maximum temperature of 46 °C. They point out that some of the recipes listed as raw in their cookbook do contain smaller amounts of non-raw ingredients. Their goal is to make the most of the wide variety of vegan ingredients available, rather than simply leaving out ingredients. This is why their recipes are mainly influenced by dishes from Asian countries, which have a long tradition of vegetarian cuisine.
The many varied and imaginative dishes are a good example of just how diverse vegan cuisine is. Unfortunately, only some of the recipes include photos. The recipes are identified as raw, gluten-free, and/or wheat-free. For planning purposes, it would be he helpful to have additional information about preparation times. Most of the dishes contain common ingredients and require only very few little equipment.
David and Charlotte Bailey believe that there are many reasons to eat a vegan diet: not only animal welfare and the environment but also health is an important aspect. They have therefore tried to keep the amount of saturated fats and refined products in the recipes low, as well as the amount of salt and sugar. Unfortunately, this has only been achieved to a limited extent; as a result of the oil or coconut milk used, many of the dishes contain a large amount of fat in places where it would have been easy to reduce. The frequent use of olive oil and cashews is undesirable because of their poor ratio of omega-6 (LA) to omega-3 fatty acids (ALA). In many cases, it would have been easy to reduce the amount of fat called for or use other ingredients such as canola oil or walnuts.
It is nice to see that the basic recipes for homemade broths and spice pastes are used in many of the recipes. However, in other places processed ingredients such as canned foods and even ketchup are called for instead of more healthy natural products. It would be nice if there were a more consistent adherence to healthy eating principles.
The Fresh Vegan Kitchen by David und Charlotte Bailey is a comprehensive cookbook that shows the wide variety of vegan options that exist. And just small changes in favor of more healthy ingredients make it clear that vegan cuisine is not only varied and delicious but that it can also be healthy. The Fresh Vegan Kitchen is currently only available in English and can be purchased from Pavilion Books and Amazon.
About the authorsDavid Bailey, who has several years of experience working in top restaurants, and his wife Charlotte started their business Wholefood Heaven in 2010. They sell vegetarian street food at markets, festivals, and other events. Their famous Buddha Bowl won the 2011 British Street Food Awards for Best Main Dish. In addition to their business, they are continually developing new recipes and writing cookbooks.
ContentsThe Fresh Vegan Kitchen begins with a general introduction that is followed by a section on the health benefits of raw food and one that provides vegan cooking tips.
The recipes are divided into ten chapters:
Breakfasts
Soups
Small plates & street food
Salads
Currys & mains
Sides & dips
Desserts
Pickles, spreads & treats
Drinks & smoothies
Basics
Breakfasts:This chapter offers a small selection of breakfast dishes, most of which are on the sweet side. You will find, for example, recipes that call for lots of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits like G’raw’nola and a fruity Acai Bowl.
Soups:In this chapter, you will find a wide variety of soups, some of which are raw vegan soups. The Asian-inspired Laksa and the Chilled Cucumber and Wasabi Soup are just two examples of the recipes here.
Small plates & street food:The recipes included in this section can be served as appetizers, snacks, or main courses. About one-third of the dishes contain tofu products and about a half contain convenience products such as tortillas or dumpling dough. Examples of recipes here are the Bao Zi Steamed Buns and Vegetable Tempura with a Citrus Soy Dipping Sauce.
Salads: In this section, you can look forward to a wide variety of delicious salads, of which about two-thirds are raw. Just to name a few, Som Tam Salad, Aromatic Thai Salad, Hot Aubergine Salad, and Raw Sprouted Saladare some of the options to choose from.
Currys & mains: Many of the numerous main courses included are vegan versions of well-known international dishes, and apart from a few exceptions the main dishes are not raw. Examples of recipes found here are Beer-Battered Tofu “Fish” and Chips with Tartare Sauce and Mushy Peas and Sicilian Arancini (fried risotto balls). Given the high oil content, many of this recipes in this section contain quite a few calories.
Sides & dips: Along with dips like Baba Ganoush, this short chapter offers vegetable and tofu sides such as Maple-Glazed Tofu.
Desserts: This chapter is full of fruity, chocolaty, and creamy desserts. Recipes to try out include Poached Pears with Vanilla Cashew Cream and Peanut and Black Sesame Sweet Dumplings.
Pickles, spreads & treats:In this section, you will find a wide variety of different types of recipes: from Sauerkraut and Powerballs to Probiotic Raw Nut Cheese.
Drinks & smoothies: Examples of recipes in this section are Soya Milk and Homemade Lemonade with Chia Seeds.
Basics: You will find recipes for dressings, sauces, broths, and spice pastes here that are then called for in many of the recipes. Asian Vegetable Stock and Laksa Curry Paste are just two examples.
The Fresh Vegan Kitchen — Delicious Recipes for the Vegan and Raw Kitchen includes a recipe index at the end.
Book review written by Dr. med. vet. Inke Weissenborn
This aromatic Thai salad with pomelo, pomegranate, herbs, and miang kham sauce is served in individual lettuce cups. It makes for a great canapé.
Health: For health reasons, we have created an alternative healthier version with changes to the ingredients. Please read more in our article A Vegan Diet Can Be Unhealthy. Nutrition Mistakes. The link to the article can be found under “Motivation” by the apple symbol.
Miang kham is a traditional dish from Thailand and Laos. Directly translated it means “snacks wrapped in leaves.” You will only need 3 tablespoons of the miang kham sauce. It lasts a couple of weeks in the fridge, so it can be made in advance and any leftovers can be saved for future use.
Lemongrass: Lemongrass looks very much like grass and develops its citrus flavor best when it is used fresh. The lemongrass flavor is a result of the essential oils it contains. Many cooks, especially for Asian dishes, “bruise” the stalks by bending them several times so that they will release these oils.
Galangal: Galangal (Alpinia officinarum), also called Thai ginger, is a plant in the ginger family that is used as a spice and medicinal herb. The fresh rhizome is used to season food and drinks, and in ground form it is often found in spice mixes. As an herbal medicine, it is used to treat colds, sore throats, and digestive disorders.
Kaffir lime: The Kaffir lime, also known as makrut lime, is a citrus fruit that is native to Asia. The leaves can be used fresh or frozen to season a wide variety of foods. The dried variety has much less flavor. While coarsely cut, whole, or crushed leaves are too tough, finely cut leaves can be eaten after cooking.
Pomelo: Pomelos (Citrus maxima) are similar in appearance to large grapefruit (Citrus maxima) and native to South and Southeast Asia. Like grapefruit, pomelos contain the polyphenol naringin, which has metabolites (degradation products) that can cause interactions with certain drugs. This is because the metabolites inhibit enzymes involved in the degradation of these drugs, which can increase the effects and side effects.Given these possible interactions, it is important not to take medications together with grapefruit.
Pomegranates: Pomegranates are a fruit that is not only rich in vitamin C, iron, and phenols, but also stand out on account of their many health benefits. The red seeds can be eaten raw, but you have to be careful when you are peeling pomegranates because the juice can cause stains that are hard to get out.
Tips
Reducing the bitterness of chicory: If you would like to reduce the bitter flavor of chicory, it is best to purchase chicory that has a light color and, if possible, doesn’t have a green shimmer. In addition, you can cut a wedge-shaped piece out of the stalk as the highest concentrations of the two main bitter substances lactucopicrin and lactucin are found here. These two sesquiterpene lactones are also found in other lettuce species such as endive. However, bitter substances are valuable as they stimulate the release of salivary and gastric juices, thereby increasing appetite and promoting digestion.
Reducing salt by choosing the right soy sauce: Tamari and soy sauce both contain soy beans, water, and sea salt. However, in contrast to tamari, nama shoyu (nama = unpasteurized) also contains wheat or rice and therefore has a somewhat milder flavor. Genen shoyu (genen = low-salt or reduced salt) is a type of soy sauce that contains up to 50 % less salt than traditional soy sauce varieties. If you use genen shoyu in moderation, you can still enjoy the flavor of soy sauce while keeping your sodium intake within a healthy range. However, unlike the traditional nama shoyu, genen shoyu is sometimes pasteurized and can contain gluten.
Freezing less common ingredients: You can stock up on lots of galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and put them in the freezer so you don’t always have to make a special trip.
Alternate preparation
Fried Thai shallots: You can add (optional) crispy fried Thai shallots (available prepared in Asian stores) or Crispy Fried Shallots (recipe on page 48 of this book).
