36 Hour Pho

“What is your favorite thing to cook?”

As a chef, I get this question a lot. 

My answer is always the same. I love to cook everything. Whenever I cook a dish from another culture it is as if I am traveling through time and space and teleporting into India, Thailand, China, Colombia, Peru or Mexico.

However, my absolute favorite thing to cook by far is my 36 hour, hyper immune boosting beef and pork spicy Vietnamese Pho. Or as the locals in Vietnam call it,  Bún bò Huế or bún bò.

Bún bò Huế  is a popular Vietnamese soup, originating in Huế. Huế is located in central Vietnam and their cooking style is associated with the cooking styles of the formal royal court. 

If this dish is fit for a king, then it must be fit for all of us who are trying to live long, healthy and prosperous lives! 

If anyone has been to a Vietnamese restaurant, you more than likely know what Pho is.

But you must remember, it is pronounced as “PHAAAAAAAH”.

So why is this my favorite dish to make?

I think the real reason is that it is the gift that just keeps on giving. I can make a pot of Pho for $36 and it can feed upwards of 65 people. All you just need to do is continue to add water and the other ingredients to the broth as it continues to feverishly boil.

As I have aged, I have learned to be modest and respect others. Hubris is not an attractive trait and it can often time be the downfall of the protagonist in many legends and stories throughout history.

However, I will go to my grave claiming one thing. I will claim that I make the greatest pho that I have ever tasted. (To be clear, I said …that I have ever tasted). I have traveled the world and have been to pho restaurants in many countries, and on a handful of continents. The best pho I have ever had in my life, other than mine, is from Hanoi House in Manhattan on the corner of 9th st and 1st ave. They serve bones sliced in half with the most decadent bone marrow that is truly out of this world. What makes them seal the deal is that they have this rendered beef that is cooked down with charred scallions that actually changed my life. Eating pho for me is almost a religious experience. It is truly a culinary art form.

Making pho is a labor of love, but with the emphasis on love and not the labor. A half-assed beef pho broth takes 8-10 hours. My pho cooks from anywhere from 36 hours to 60 hours. That’s right, 60 hours!

Pho also happens to be one of the healthier things that I like to eat. I actually opt out of the noodles and choose to have extra bean sprouts, or my favorite, fresh watercress as a replacement! I can have 2-3 bowls of pho in a sitting when I do not use rice noodles. It fills me up! It fills my soul! And it is absolutely delicious and so, so healthy for you!

Why is pho such a healthy treat? It is essentially beef bone broth. What are the benefits of beef bone broth you may ask?

Benefits of Beef Bone Broth:

Bones themselves are extremely nutritious and rich in vitamins and essential nutrients. Beef bones alone have high amounts of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. But when you add in the healing properties of bone marrow into your stock, or pho, you are literally dumping vitamins into your meal.

Bone Marrow contains:

• Iron

• Fatty acids

• Selenium

• Vitamins A, K

• Zinc

• Maganese

Bones also contain a magical healing food product, collagen. When you heat up and cook collagen, it turns to gelatin (that is why bone marrow almost has a JELL-O texture). This gelatin provides the body with proteins and essential amino acids that are important building blocks for proteins which aids in building muscle. 

For those of you who missed the collagen craze while people were dumping collagen in and blending it with their Bulletproof Coffee, collagen is a classified superfood amongst biohackers. Collagen happens to be the most abundant protein in the human body. It is found in your bones, your muscles, skins and tendons. 

Fast facts on collagen:

(*from Medical News Today)

• “Collagen occurs throughout the body, but especially in the skin, bones, and connective tissues.

• Some types of collagen fibrils, gram-for-gram, are stronger than steel.

• Collagen production declines with age and exposure to factors such as smoking and UV light.

• Collagen can be used in collagen dressings, to attract new skin cells to wound sites.

• Cosmetic lotions that claim to increase collagen levels are unlikely to do so, as collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed through the skin.”

Bone broth is known to promote gut health, improve sleep and cognitive function, and aid in weight loss. I can say from personal experience, it does wonders if you are trying to lose weight. 

For those of you who do not know my whole story about my weight loss and disordered eating journey, eating pho was the major factor that contributed to me losing close to 120 lbs in less than a year. I gained 100 lbs in college because of a toxic relationship I was in. I was dating a chubby chaser. For those who are not familiar with my story, you can read it here. In short, I got on the beef bone broth trend before it was popular. In 2013, I would eat pho everyday for lunch when I worked with the Wizards. I lost 70 lbs in 4 months. I would order a giant bowl, extra broth, I would add chicken and ask for extra vegetables. I would ask for no noodles. That was my dinner. I would be intermittent fasting before that became popular as well. I would eat at 4:00p everyday. I would take my lunch break and  be back in 30 minutes and finish up the workday. I would not have to eat until 4p the next day. I was essentially in the beginning phases of ketosis.

So pho is not just one of my favorite dishes to make, but it also has sentimental value for me. Whenever I make a big pot of pho, I know I am taking myself, my roommates, and my neighbors on a healing journey that will feed us for days!

Pho is not just fun to make, it is also one of the easiest dishes to make, and if you follow my directions, it is VERY hard to screw up!

Here is what you will need in your kitchen before you even have to worry about gathering your ingredients: A BIG SOUP POT. I cannot stress this enough! You will need a giant pot in order to make your pho dreams a reality.

Now, for the Ingredient list:

*Feeds 8, for a few days :)

For Stock:

Note: more bones the better

• Scallions (3 bushels)

• 8 yellow onions

• 4 stalks of lemon grass

• Beef bones, with marrow

• 2 lbs ribeye

• 2 lbs pork, or pork belly

• 2 lbs of bone in oxtail

• 2 lbs of short ribs

• A whole bottle of fish sauce

• 3 cups of cinnamon sticks

• 3 cups of star anise

• Spicy Peppers

• 1 whole piece of ginger

• A piece of fish or seafood of your choice (*Optional)
  

As a Garnish, and Noodles:

• Rice noodle of your choice (*Optional)

• Thai basil

• Daikon

• Thinly watermelon radish

• Fish sauce

• Spicy chili oil

• Hot chili peppers

• Lime

• Bean sprouts

• Cilantro

• Rare beef (thinly sliced ribeye)

• Soft boiled egg (1,000 year old spicy pickled egg)

  • Chili oil

  • Black vinegar

  • Chilis

  • Scallions

  • Hot peppers

  • Sesame chili oil

  • Soy sauce

The ingredients are simple, easy, and almost thoughtless. It takes me less than 10 minutes to get everything at the grocery store.

The steps are almost easier than the ingredients.

Directions:

1. So you want to get a pot of water boiling. A GIANT pot of water.

2. Preheat your oven to 500

3. Peel your ginger with the back of a spoon. Trust me. Thank Nana (Ruth Sidransky)

4. Get a baking sheet out.

5. Quarter 5 onions and loosely chop the scallions.

6. Put onions, scallions, ginger, and lemon grass on the baking sheet along with all of the meat you have.

7. Place in baking sheet with veggies in oven so you get a nice char on the scallions, onions and meat. (This is to make the broth more rich and it gives the stock a caramelized flavor).

8.) Place the contents of the pan into the boiling pot of water.

9.) Add the star anise and the cinnamon and let the broth continue to boil.

10.) Continue to watch the pot, and continue to add water to the pot to fill it up. Try not to let it spill over, it will be a bigger mess for you to clean up later

11.) Go to sleep and leave on low or turn off.

12.) First thing in the morning turn the stock back on to a raging boil.

14.) Continue to add more water, and add more star anise, cinnamon, onions and scallions.

15.) 20 hours later, serve hot.

16.) Add 1/2 bottle of fish sauce to stock.

16.) Add fish sauce to each individual bowl (about 3 tbsp) upon serving.

Garnish:

1.) Follow instructions for your noodles of choice.

2.) Set a plate up of:

• Thai basil

• Sliced daikon or watermelon radish

• Lime

• Sliced jalapeños

• Bean sprouts

3.) Make a 1,000 year old egg in a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes

• Soft boiled eggs

  • Cook an egg for 5 minutes and 50 seconds exactly.

• Diced scallions

• Finely chopped ginger

• Fish sauce

• Chili sauce

• Chili peppers

• Chili Peppers

• Soy Sauce

• Black vinegar

4.) Now you have to make the shaking ginger beef.

• Thinly slice ribeye and grate fresh ginger all over it and spank it with the ginger grater.

5.) Place the shaking beef in the pho only if it is PIPING hot, so it can cook the beef before you eat it.

6.) Assemble at will!

Now that you see how easy it is to make pho, I implore you to make it for your family, or neighbors, and for yourself. This is one of the most healing treats you can give yourself and your community. And as I said, if you continue to add more water to the stock, you can let the pho feed your family for a week! My pho works for me and my roommates for up to 60 hours.

Food is medicine.

Now feed your family, nourish your community, and heal your loved ones with this amazing gift of PHAAAAH!

ENJOY and please take pictures and tag Chef Misha (me) on Instagram at @thehealthwarriorproject

Here is a video of me making, and prepping Pho for my community and my Omies.

Avocado, Curried Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Do you wake up in the morning and eat a breakfast that does not sustain you throughout the day, or even hold you over until lunch?

Do you even eat breakfast?

Most of Americans, and most of my clients, skip breakfast all together or eat something rather unhealthy as they are in a rush and on the go.

As your parents must have told you once in your life, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” As a health professional, I agree with that sentiment.

My theory is you should eat like a king for breakfast, a lord for lunch, and a peasant for dinner. Meaning you have your biggest and most nutritious meal of the day in the morning followed by a modest meal for lunch, and a small, yet satisfying dinner.

It is important to never go to bed with a full stomach if you are dealing with weight loss or other health, and sleep issues.

What if I told you that in less than 25 minutes, you can make a fat powered meal that you can eat for breakfast to power your day, and to also bring to work with you so you can have the leftovers for lunch.

Would that be something you are interested in?

Every morning, it is important to start your day with a high dose of fat if you want to optimal cognitive and physical performance. That is why bulletproof coffee is such a rage.

I suggest most people avoid grains, and especially gluten in their breakfasts. Breakfasts with grains increase your blood sugar and creates the sensation of craving, shortly after eating. But sometimes your body is in the mood for something a little heavier, and heartier, and in that case, quinoa is a solid option.

That is why I suggest my power packed avocado, and curried quinoa Buddha bowl. It is easy to make and it will fill you up for the entire day without any sense of craving or lack of energy.

Tools & Ingredients

Cast iron Pan

Small boiling pot

Ingredients

Quinoa

Garlic

Curry powder

Turmeric powder

Cayenne pepper

Pine nuts

Coconut oil

Pumpkin seeds

Avocado

Sesame seeds

MCT oil

Fresh oregano – (Use herb(s) of choice)

Instructions

1.) Boil 1 ¼ cup of water and 1 cup of quinoa.

2.) Add 1 tbsp. of coconut oil, 2 tbsp. of turmeric, 1 tbsp. of cayenne power and 2 tbsp. of curry powder.

3.) Once the water begins to boil, chop up some garlic and let the contents of the bot simmer and cover. Let cook on low for 15 minutes.

4.) Open the lid, take a hefty spoonful of Coconut oil and pour it on top of the quinoa and immediately put the top back on.

5.) On a cutting board, cut an avocado in half, and use your fingers to peel off the skin of each avocado half.

6.) In a separate skillet, put a tbsp. of coconut oil and fresh, chopped garlic on the pan. Once it is hot, scoop a large spoonful of quinoa onto the sizzling pan.

7.) Add 2 tbsp. of turmeric, 1 tbsp. of cayenne power and 2 tbsp. of curry powder to the quinoa.

8.) Add in pumpkin seeds and pine nuts to the quinoa and cook on medium for 4-5 minutes.

9.) After the quinoa is slightly crispy, place into a bowl.

10.) Add the avocado half on top of the bowl, and garnish with a small handful of sesame seeds.

 

Why is this good for me?

Could you imagine that eating a delicious, and satisfying meal for breakfast could equate to you taking a day’s worth of vitamins?

This breakfast is filled with vitamins and nutrients that will help you power through your day, and help build the foundation toward a healthy, and vital lifestyle.

Everyone knows how healthy avocados are for you! Avocado’s are filled with the good type of fat! And remember, “Eat Fat, Get Thin”.

An avocado contains more potassium than bananas and they are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, which are great anti-inflammatories. Avocados also contain vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B5, B6 and vitamin E. Avocados can be eaten in a myriad of ways, but adding them as a centerpiece on top of your Buddha is just genius to me!

When you add pine nuts to this dish, you are giving yourself a boost of energy with the extra dose of protein. Pine nuts are also great for your eye health because they contain beta-carotene and antioxidants. Lutein, found in pine nuts, allows the eye to filter UV light, which can aid in preventing macular damage as well as preventing the aging process of our eyes. Pine nuts are also a great source of monounsaturated fats that are good for lowering cholesterol.

Adding pumpkin seeds to this delicious masterpiece, you are adding a dose of heart-healthy magnesium and zinc, for overall immune support. Pumpkin seeds are great for your overall health and liver function, and they also contain tryptophan, which helps in aiding sleep.

Quinoa is a grain, but when eaten in moderation, it can be used as a potent superfood to implement into your diet. As a protein is concerned, quinoa is the best vegetable protein you can get. It is a complete protein, containing all nine of the essential amino acids. Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. To live a healthy lifestyle, eating a lot of fiber is crucial! Quinoa also contains lysine, magnesium, vitamin b2 (riboflavin), as well as manganese, which helps protect to mitochondria as well as red blood cells free radicals.

For those of you who want this dish to be a non-vegan option, I suggest adding an egg friend to perfection (over easy) on top of the bowl, for extra nutrients, and flavor.

We all know how good eggs are for us now don't we? 

As a society, we do not think eggs are that healthy.

Ask all of your health conscious friends, or even vegan friends, what they think about eggs. Most will eat egg whites only. Egg whites are the least nutritious part of the egg. 

The yolk of an egg is a power plant of nutrients and healthful benefits.

Eggs yolks contain vitamin A, D, E, B12, K, riboflavin, folate and iron. People think the egg yolk is what raises your cholesterol, but that myth has been debunked years ago.

The white of the egg or essentially just a solid source of low-calorie protein, and a source of low efficiency energy.

The deep, beautiful and profound yellow of the yolk is actually a wonderful way to get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals.

This dish is packed with other healthy and nutrient-dense ingredients including quinoa (in moderation), coconut oil, MCT oil, sesame seeds, turmeric, and cayenne power.

Could you imagine you imagine that eating a delicious, and satisfying meal for breakfast could equate to you taking a day’s worth of vitamins?

It sounds a little crazy right?

Wrong.

This is knowledge that we have seemingly lost throughout generations. To quote the great philosopher, Socrates, “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.”

As a people, a human race, this is how we should be eating.

This is how we should be saving the planet.

One fork at a time.