Thit Ca (South Vietnamese) Coconut Soda Chicken & Rice

12 fresh, or thawed, organic, boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 and a half cups of peeled, finely-minced, fresh garlic cloves

4 cups clear, sparkling coconut soda (usually in green 2-liter at an Asian or Mexican grocery store) or you can just use the clear (non-cream/non-milk) coconut water, plain, available at Albertsons or King Soopers.

2 cups reduced-sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 cup peeled, finely-minced, fresh ginger root

1/4 cup coarsely-ground black pepper

Steam the rice to serve with this first. Then, simmer all of the above ingredients in a large, deep, non-stick frying pan.  Set it on medium heat, covered for about 35 minutes. Stir every ten minutes. Check with a meat thermometer.  Serve with goi, or South Vietnamese angel-hair/finely-shredded cabbage and carrot salad.

Goi or South Vietnamese Raw Cabbage Salad Recipe:

Overview:

1/2 of it is typically raw, uncooked, finely-shredded/angel-hair cabbage

The rest is typically raw, uncooked, shredded carrots, chopped mint leaves, various assorted (hard to find) green, tangy Southeast Asian herbs and chopped cilantro leaves.

Boiled shrimp instead of boiled, diced chicken breasts is used here. Either can be used.

Also, added is pickled lotus roots (baby-sized, about 3-inches long, and less than 1/4 or one quarter inch circumference per root, available at Pacific Ocean Market in the glass jar, pickles section).

Ingredients:

You'll probably have to cut this recipe size down. It serves about 10 people, all being adults.

12 cups of washed, raw, finely-shredded, or angel-hair cut cabbage (precut in bags)

4 cups washed, peeled, organic, finely-shredded carrots (precut in bags)

4 English cucumbers, washed, peeled and horizontally sliced (finely/thinly)

2 cups fresh spearmint leaves, washed, stems removed, chopped finely, into 1/4 inch pieces (I prefer 2 to 4 cups of organic watercress, fresh, hydroponically grown, bought with roots still attached. It should be washed, roots and stems removed, with only the leaves chopped into 1/4 inch pieces)

4 cups fresh cilantro leaves, washed, stems removed, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (finely)

2 cups baby lotus roots, pickled in vinegar, baby-sized, or 3 inch long segments, each 1/4 inch circumference or less, drained, rinsed of excess sodium and vinegar, chopped into four pieces

5 cups of fresh, raw, medium-sized shrimp: headless, de-shelled (including tail), de-veined. Boil 15 minutes, cool for at least five minutes in drainer/colander, then slice each shrimp horizontally.

3 cups of canned (in natural juices only), organic, high-fructose corn syrup-free pineapple tidbits (no added sugars either), drained, rinsed, added to the salad

1/4 cup of coarsely-ground black pepper

1 to 2 cups of organic chia seeds, dark
(I prefer it with 2 cups, personally)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Then, add about 3 to 4 cups of your dressing of choice and toss it again.

Dressing for the goi depends on personal preference. Some use nuoc cham sauce or a teriyaki sauce or a Japanese salad dressing with a mixture of dark sesame oil, organic, reduced-sodium tamari, and rice wine vinegar. For ones who don't prefer tamari, soy sauce of fish sauce, try a fat-free, organic, creamy raita or Indian-style yogurt and cucumber dressing.  Here's a link on how to make a traditional raita dressing from epicurious.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Traditional-Indian-Raita-242185