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. 

​

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.
​
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.