All posts filed under: Eat

Bò Tái Chanh / Vietnamese Beef Carpacio Salad

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My family vacations in Virginia Beach every year around this time in August.  The great thing about the family reunion is that I get to spend time with my relatives who are crazy good cooks. Aunt Qua is another amazing home cook and luckily for me, she agreed to spend time showing me some of her best and easy to make dishes.  In this post we will make bò tái chanh.  Bò tái chanh is a refreshing salad with beef cooked in lime juice.  It is the Vietnamese version of beef carpacio.  The pineapple and chili sauce is my family’s concoction to replace the typical pungent fish paste sauce.  A little of the sauce over the fresh lime marinated beef and salad hits the spot, especially during the hot and steamy summer.  I guarantee that this salad will be gone in no time. This dish is rated easy and serves two to four people, depending on if the dish is meant as a side or main dish. Ingredients: 1 lb of eye round beef ¼ …

Shrimp and Daikon Radish Soup

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In my family, a typical dinner often includes some sort of vegetable soup. Vietnamese cuisine veers toward numerous vegetable and herbs.  Soup broths are typically made of bones, meat, seafood or vegetables.  The bones based broths are for the long simmered noodles soups such as pho, hu tieu, and bun.  The meat, seafood or vegetables are typically the basis for everyday home cooking.  My mom would make this shrimp and daikon radish soup very quickly. We would have a nutritious and healthy dinner in no time.  You can use this shrimp based broth with different types of vegetables. Ingredients: ½ lb of shrimp 1 large daikon radish 1-2 stalk of scallion 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder ½ teaspoon of sugar ⅛ teaspoon of salt ⅛ teaspoon of pepper ¼ of a yellow onion, thinly sliced ½ teaspoon of chili powder (I use the Korean version as the chili is sweeter and the heat is not as intense as others.  The goal is to add color and depth to the soup.) Directions: Remove the …

Gỏi tôm thịt / Summer Salad with Shrimp and Pork

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Gỏi tôm thịt or a traditional Vietnamese summer salad with boiled shrimp and pork is a staple at my family’s parties.  Whenever there is a BBQ, you can guarantee some type of salad will be served and it  is usually gỏi tôm thịt.  It is not hard to see why this dish is popular in the summer.  It is refreshing with numerous vegetables in a sweet and sour vinaigrette.  My mom has many tricks to make this version even more flavorable.  It is all about the preparation method and making sure you mix all the ingredients well without over mixing.  I like to mix this gỏi by hand to ensure the vegetables are not bruised.  This recipe serves about 4 people and is rated easy. Ingredients ½ lb of pork shoulder (you can also substitute with pork ear which has a chewier and firmer texture) 12 large tiger shrimp with the shell on (approx. 1 lb of tiger shrimp) 1 large carrot 1 large cucumber 1/2 cup of Thai Basil ¼ cup of Vietnamese coriander 3 cloves …

Thạch Dừa / Coconut Jelly

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When the weather is hot and humid, there is nothing like a refreshing bite of coconut jelly.  We all grew up with some sort of gelatin desserts.  In the US, it was Jell-O.  In Vietnam, it’s coconut jelly or thạch dừa.  This dessert is usually made with fresh coconut juice from the abundance of coconut trees in the country.  Luckily, coconut juice has gain tremendous popularity in the US with many different brands that are easily accessible at the supermarket.  I tried this recipe with Zico water and found that it works just as good and without the hard labor of opening coconuts!  You can use any coconut water as long as it is natural without any added sugar or preservatives.  In this recipe, I demonstrate how to create the coconut jelly the original way and the new way with Zico water. This recipe is rated easy and serves 1-2 coconut or 8 servings of 6-8 oz jars. Ingredients 2 cups of coconut juice (use either Zico coconut water or fresh coconut juice) 1 teaspoon of agar agar …

Ech Chien Bo (Fried Frog Legs Tossed in a Butter Sauce)

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Ech chien bo or fried frog legs is a classic accompaniment for late night drinking in Vietnam.  You can usually find this dish in any countryside or city sidewalk cafes.  I have a theory that this dish came about because frogs were abundant back in the day and chicken was more expensive.  Frog legs are eaten in France and many other parts of the world, but not necessarily in the US.  Additionally, frog legs tend to have higher water content than chicken, so they will keep the moisture better during cooking. I know my fellow Americans will likely be turned off by frog legs, but give them a try and you will be pleasantly surprised with the burst of flavor.  Alternatively, you can also use chicken for this dish. This recipe serves 2 people and is moderately difficult. Ingredients: 1 lb of frog legs (about 6 frog legs or 3 pairs)  You can buy this at a Chinese market or Chinatown.  Alternatively, you can also use chicken or pork. 1/2 cup of diced onion ¼ …

Phu Quoc’s Razor Clams in a Tamarind Sauce

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Another fantastic dish that takes me back to the beach is razor clams sauteed in tamarind sauce.  This dish is sweet, sour and just finger licking good.  We used razor clams for this dish but you can use any large shellfish. The trick is to get a type of shellfish where the shell will hold the sauce.  For every bite, you get both the sauce and the meat.  You first saw this dish in our Weekend Unexplored: Phu Quoc’s post. Today we will recreate that dish for you. This dish serves two people and is rated easy. Ingredients Protein: A dozen clams of your choice Sauce: ½ cup of wet tamarind paste (tamarind paste is usually sold in blocks at any Asian supermarket.) ½ cup of rough chopped Thai basil, culantro, cilantro mix (reserve some for garnishing) 4 red whole chili peppers for flavor (leave them whole as the seeds will increase the spiciness level) 3 cloves of garlic minced ½ cup of can pineapple chunks ½ cup of water 3 tablespoon of pineapple syrup juice …

Gỏi đu đủ / Green Papaya Salad

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Gỏi đu đủ is one of my favorite salads in the Vietnamese cuisine.  It is a very simple and refreshing dish to make, especially in the summer.  The traditional gỏi đu đủ is made with green papaya and beef jerky.  Vietnamese beef jerky is different from American beef jerky in that the jerky is spicier, sweeter and chewier.  I have tried this recipe with American beef jerky that I get from Costco and it still tastes great.  If you do not like beef jerky, feel free to top it with your choice of protein.  This salad is typically made as an alcohol accompaniment for late night drinking in Vietnam. Try this recipe for a quick week night dinner or for your next BBQ. Ingredients 1 green papaya (about 2 cups of shredded green papaya) 1 small carrot (about ¼ cup of shredded carrots) Approximately 1/2 cup of Vietnamese basil (Rau Thom Que) or Thai basil Beef jerky (enough for at least 1/2 cup or as much as you prefer) ½ of a yellow onion Sriracha Roasted peanuts for …

Bánh patê sô (Vietnamese Meat Pastry)

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Another snack I really enjoyed as a child was bánh patê sô.  Bánh patê sô is a Vietnamese savory puff pastry that is likely derived from the French colonization.  Many of the Vietnamese cuisines have flavors and techniques from the French culinary tradition.  How else would we have the ubiquitous bánh mì which is our version of a baguette sandwich?  This pastry is made with traditional puff pastry or pâte feuilletée and filled with ground pork, bean thread noodles and mushrooms.  The beauty of this pastry is that you can fill it with whatever you fancy.  For this version, we allowed for the ground pork to shine in its simplicity.  As summer is in full swing, this is a perfect treat to take with you on a picnic or a roadtrip. This recipe makes about 9 pastry squares. Ingredients 1 package of puff pastry 1 lb of ground pork (*Optional: add 2 pieces of chicken liver grounded to mix with the pork.  This is the traditional way of making the meat mixture hence the name patê …

Mì Quảng / Quảng Nam Style Noodles for the summer

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Vietnam is famous for its noodles soups: pho, bun and many others.  When it is hot, it is hard to work up an appetite to eat a steaming bowl of noodle soup.  Lucky for us, Vietnam also has “dry” noodle dishes which are basically noodles topped with fresh vegetables and various protein and covered in a broth to wet the noodles. One of this dishes is called  Mì Quảng noodles. It is very popular in central Vietnamese cities like Da Nang.  I spent a few years living with my grandmother in Da Nang. My extended family still resides in the city.  This is my mother’s recipe for quick and easy Mì Quảng. It is an easy dish to prepare for the summer. This recipe serves 4 people and is rated medium in difficulty.  This recipe takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes depending on how fast you prepare the ingredients. Ingredients: 2 lb of pork belly 1.5 lb of shrimp with head 1 bunch of scallions 1 red romaine lettuce 1-2 cup of Mint 1-2 cup …

Bò Né (Vietnamese Steak and Eggs Breakfast)

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Every culture has its own spin on steak and eggs.   I remember running off to school with some pocket money for breakfast which would include banh mi, steamed sticky rice, soy milk and many other wonderful dishes.  Bò né is one of my favorite breakfast dishes. Who can resist a skillet of marinated beef flank with butter and sunny side up eggs served with a crusty french baguette? Bò né  literally translates into dodge beef.  I think this has to do with having to “dodge” the splatter of oil on a hot skillet when you add beef to it.  The trick to tasty bò né is to marinate the beef the night before.  This is ideal for Sunday brunch. Ingredients: 1 lb of flank steak 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 1-2 stalks of scallions diced Onion garlic butter 4 eggs (2 per person) ½ teaspoon of sesame oil 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of pepper a pinch of 5 spice seasoning   Directions   Marinate: Trim fat off of …