For the 14th recipe in our 15 Healthy Dinners, we combine ol’ fashioned American crock-pot wisdom with traditional Vietnamese Bahn Mi for a match made in spicy heaven.
But Whitney, you say – white bread! Pork instead of fish or poultry! Mayonnaise! How can you include a bahn mi in your list of “healthy” dinners?! Well, when you layer on the spice and stack it high with vegetables, you’re able to get away with using very little meat and still come in at under 450 calories.
To start, I made my universal crock pot pork recipe yesterday. (We had it with beans and veggies and salsa to make a burrito bowl–also healthy–but I’m pretty sure my readers are capable of making a burrito bowl on their own.) Today, using the 1/2 lb or so of leftover pulled pork, I tossed it in 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce, and 2 tbsp lime juice, then reheated it in the microwave. It came out moist and delicious, and infused with just the right flavor.
Meanwhile, lightly toast then slice two small baguettes or french rolls length-wise, and add a layer of light mayonnaise. On top ofthis, add a few drops of Sriracha, to your own preferred spiciness level. Then, add thinly sliced raw jalapeno, again to your own preferences.
Next goes the meat. Finally top with shredded carrots and daikon, and fresh mint or cilantro. (The hubby hates cilantro, so we went with mint.)
These were absolutely delicious. And best of all, because they were also quite spicy, they may even help you feel full sooner and have more energy. Win-win.
