This recipe is great for a light summer evening dinner. Pair two Bao Buns with a lovely salad and presto ! You have a lovely light dinner. 

I will make a confession. I did not make the Bao Buns from scratch. Instead, I visited the local Chinese Supermarket and bought them frozen. Then steamed them for ten minutes. While they were steaming, I prepared the mushroom filling which took me about fifteen minutes !  Super quick and easy to prepare. :)) 


Ingredients
Bao Buns

• ▢1 cup warm water 236 mL
• ▢2 Tbsp sugar
• ▢1 ¼-oz packet instant yeast 7 g
• ▢3 cups all-purpose flour 360 g
• ▢1 tsp baking soda
• ▢1 tsp salt
• ▢1 Tbsp flavorless oil plus more for brushing, 15 mL

Vegan Bao Bun Filling

• ▢4 king oyster mushrooms
• ▢1 Tbsp oil 15 mL
• ▢1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
• ▢1 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢¼ tsp salt
• ▢2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢2 Tbsp hoisin sauce 30 g
• ▢1 Tbsp sriracha 15 g
• ▢Additional filling ideas: cilantro, pickled red onion, sliced cucumber, julienne cut carrots

InstructionsBao Buns

• Prep: Cut out 12 squares of parchment paper, about 4×4 inches each. (Alternatively, use cupcake liners.)
• Activate Yeast: In a large bowl, stir together water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast makes the water frothy.
• Combine: In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to water mixture, along with oil. Stir until a loose ball forms, then turn onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes (or 3 minutes with the bread hook of a standing mixer). Dough will be very smooth and elastic when finished kneading.
• Rise: Clean out the bowl and lightly grease it, then set the ball of dough inside. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set somewhere warm. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Shape: Roll dough out to be ¼ inch thick*. Cut 3 to 4 inch circles out (using a cookie cutter or a cup). Lightly brush the inside of each circle with oil, then fold the circle half (the oil will prevent the bun from glueing itself closed while steaming). Flatten and reshape as needed. Place each folded dough on a parchment paper square (or cupcake liner). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
• Prep Steaming Station: Bring a pot of water to a simmer with a steamer basket set over it. Wrap a towel around the underside of the lid to catch excess steam.
• Steam: Working in batches, transfer buns (and their parchment paper) in a single layer into the steaming basket. Cover with the towel-wrapped lid and let steam, undisturbed, for 10 minutes, or until puffy and cooked through.

Vegan Bao Bun Filling

• Shred Mushrooms: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Using two forks, shred the stems and caps roughly into pieces. Set on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake: Drizzle with the oil, ginger, paprika, salt, and garlic. Toss around to evenly coat the mushrooms, then bake for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are a bit crispy and brown on the edges. Stir in hoisin and sriracha.

Note : Errrmmmm .. another confession here with the filling. I prepared the filling in a pan. I sautéed two onions, one white and one red. Then I added the spices, a little Worcestershire sauce, a teaspoon of barbecue sauce, some chilli flakes and at the end a teaspoon of hoisin and siracha. I let them cook for about 10 - 15 minutes. 

Grated carrot was my sprinkle of choice. 

Recipe Compliments and Adapted From: https://www.liveeatlearn.com/vegetarian-bao-buns/

Mix the following ingredients in food processor until finely chopped: 

3 cups raw pecans, soaked overnight
1/2 Cup dates 
3 cloves garlic, spicy pepper works great as well
1/4 cup lemon juice 
1/4 cup olive oil 
1 bunch (fresh corriander)
1 teaspoon sea salt 

Use the pate to stuff bell peppers, cabbage leaves, nori rolls, etc 

Serves 5 - 6 people. 

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Ingredients:
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
⅓ cup cassava flour
½ tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 large pasture-raised egg, beaten
⅓ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 tablespoon avocado oil

Cilantro Lime
“Crema” ½ cup coconut yogurt,
unsweetened ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, including stems
1 lime, juiced
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Guacamole
1 large avocado,
diced ¼ cup red onion,
finely diced 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves,
chopped 1 lime, juiced
½ teaspoon sea salt

Serving Suggestions: red cabbage, thinly sliced grain-free tortillas or lettuce leaves pico de gallo

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Combine cassava flour, salt, paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl, stir to combine, and set aside.

3. Roll each shrimp in the flour mixture, tap off any excess flour, then dip each floured shrimp in the beaten egg, followed by tossing them in the shredded coconut until coated. Lay the coated shrimp on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

4. Drizzle the coated shrimp with the avocado oil and place in the preheated oven to bake for 7 minutes until golden. Flip halfway through.

5. For the lime crema, use a mortar and pestle to mash the cilantro until it is a paste. Add the lime juice and coconut yogurt, stir to combine. Season with black pepper and set aside in a small bowl.

6. For the guacamole, add all of the guacamole ingredients to a bowl and stir while lightly mashing with a fork until combined.
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7. To assemble the tacos, add a couple of shrimp to a grain-free tortilla (or lettuce leaf if you prefer that), along with sliced red cabbage, a drizzle of crema, a spoonful of guacamole, and some pico de gallo if desired.

Nutritional analysis per serving (based on 8 servings)

Calories: 143, Total Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 5g, Carbohydrates: 13g, Net Carbs: 9g, Sodium: 714mg, Sugars: 3g

Recipe Compliments Dr. Mark Hyman:  

The shrimp are tossed in shredded coconut and baked to crispy perfection, then layered with a tangy Cilantro Lime “Crema” along with fresh cabbage and a dollop of creamy guac.

Each one of the tacos packs in some essential protein from the shrimp, healthy fats from coconut and avocado, and fiber and folate from the cabbage.

​Cilantro is an amazing herb for detoxification, which is especially helpful paired with digestion-stimulating lime juice. Herbs and spices added into a meal to receive multiple health and longevity boosts. 

Serves 6


INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp fish roe (avoid the pink colored kind, it should be very small, light beige)
• 1 small red onion, grated
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup water (optional)

DIRECTIONS
​

• STEP 1. In a food processor, add the fish roe, grated onion and blend for 30 seconds.
• STEP 2. Slowly start to add 1/2 of the olive oil and continue blending. Then slowly add the lemon juice and continue blending for 30-60 seconds. The consistency should be like  velvety hummus
• STEP 3. Slowly continue to add the rest of the olive oil while the motor is running. If the mixture is too thick, loosen it by adding some of the water.
• STEP 4. Refrigerate the dip for at least an hour. This will allow it to get even thicker. It can be added to the freezer for 30 minutes if you are in a rush.
• STEP 5. Serve with pita or bread and top with Kalamata olives.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 150g baby spinach
• 1/2 leek, green part only, chopped
• 1 cup Greek  or goat's / sheep yogurt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese  or ricotta cheese or unsalted anari crumbled 
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 1/2 tsp dry oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes

Directions

• Add the spinach, leek, Greek yogurt, baking soda and baking powder to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and add the spinach mixture, feta and cottage cheese, olive oil, almond flour, flaxseeds, oregano, black pepper, turmeric and chili flakes. Mix until well combined.
• Preheat oven to 400 F or 200 C. Line a bread pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with olive oil cooking spray. Pour the spinach mixture into the bread pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Compliments and Adapted from: 
​https://healthywithnedi.com/gluten-free-spinach-bread/

Here's a delicious way to eat your beans! A black bean brownie cookie with a date-sweetened creamy filling.

INGREDIENTS  
Cookies

• ½ cup dates, pitted
• 1½ cup cooked black beans (or 1-15 oz BPA-free, salt-free can- drained & rinsed)
• ½ cup oats
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup raw nut or seed butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling

• 2 tablespoons date syrup
• 2 tablespoons raw nut or seed butter
• unsweetened soy milk or water, if needed
• unsweetened cocoa powder, if needed

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat oven to 395F.
• Fill a 1 cup measuring cup halfway with dates and add just enough boiling water to cover. Let dates soak for about 10 minutes, while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
• Place black beans, oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and vanilla in a food processor. Add the dates along with the soaking water and process until smooth, and there aren't big chunks of dates.
• Using a spoon, divide the batter into 12-24 cookies on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or baking paper.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let them cool on a cooling rack.
• For the filling, combine equal parts nut butter and date syrup - about 2 tablespoons of each. The consistency of nut butter can vary, so if the filling is too thick, add a tiny dash of soymilk and if it's too runny add a little bit of cocoa powder.
• Sandwich the cookies together using the filling and enjoy!

Recipe Compliments Nutrition Facts:  
​https://nutritionfacts.org/recipe/brownie-sandwich-cookies/

PREP TIME 10 mins    COOK TIME 35 mins   TOTAL TIME 45 mins   
CUISINE: Mexican

SERVINGS   4

Ingredients  

For the Tacos:

• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small head cauliflower washed and cut into bite-size florets
• Corn tortillas
• 1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
• 1 jalapeño sliced, seeds removed
• 1 large avocado seed removed and diced
• Chopped cilantro

For the Lime Crema:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1/8 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, lime juice, olive oil, and water. Stir in chickpeas and cauliflower florets. Place seasoned chickpeas and cauliflower on a greased baking sheet. Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally during cooking, until chickpeas are slightly crispy and cauliflower is tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

 

• To make the lime crema, place the Greek yogurt or sour cream in a small bowl. Add fresh lime juice and cilantro. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

 

• Take a corn tortilla and place roasted cauliflower and chickpeas on top. Top with red cabbage, jalapeño slices, avocado, and cilantro. Drizzle lime crema over the tacos and serve!

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• Note-you can make the tacos vegan by using vegan sour cream or yogurt to make the lime crema or you can omit it...but it's really good:)

Recipe Compliments:  ​https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/wprm_print/recipe/39972