All posts filed under: Eat

Bánh Canh Cua Giò Heo / Crab and Pork Hock Tapioca Noodle Soup

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Bánh canh cua giò heo  or crab and pork hock tapioca noodle soup is a typical dish in central Vietnam. Bánh canh noodles are similar to udon noodles except they are typically made with a combination of tapioca flour and rice flour. The noodles are translucent and have a chewy consistency. The stock is based on a simple pork bone stock and this recipe takes approximately 1.5 hours to prepare. If you have frozen pork stock, then this recipe takes only half an hour to create. For those that do not like pork hock, we also offer substitution for those items. You can easily make this a simple crab noodle soup as well. Either way, it is another delicious noodle soup that is not typically offered in Vietnamese restaurants in the United States. Difficulty: Medium / Serving: 6 portions / Time: 1.5 hours Ingredients: 2.5 lb pork neck bone 2.5 lb of pork hock slice 1 inch lengthwise (substitute with other cuts of pork or pork neck bones) 1 pack of cha or pork meatloaf (substitute …

Where to Find Vietnamese Pantry Items

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Vietnamese products are easier to find today than when my parents first immigrated to the US in the early 1990s. With a click of a mouse, we can find and ship certain items easier with the addition of Amazon and other online retailers. I was very surprised to see that even Walmart.com sells Viet Huong 3 Crabs brand fish sauce. In today’s post, I will highlight a few vendors, local and online, where one can pick up the essentials. NYC – Chinatown There are two Vietnamese markets located near each other in Chinatown by the Grand Street subway station. 1. Tan Tinh Hung Supermarket This is a small and well organized supermarket that has most of what one would need to cook Vietnamese food. 2. Ken Hing Food Market Inc. This is a smaller of the two Vietnamese grocery stores that has crammed everything you may need into the small space. Outside of NYC 1.  Kam Mam Supermarket Kam Mam is a regional Asian supermarket with locations in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Chinatown NYC. This is …

Caramelized Shrimps / Tôm Rim

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It is possible to make the most mouth watering dish with just a few simple ingredients. Caramelized shrimps is one of those dishes. All you need are jumbo shrimps and coco rico soda for a sticky, salty and sweet delight. The best part is mixing steaming hot white rice with the leftover sauce for a delicious treat. Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 4 / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 15 jumbo shrimps (approximately 1.5 lb.) 4 tablespoons of Coco Rico Soda 1 tablespoon of fish sauce 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of diced onion 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon of ground annatto 2 scallions (garnish) Thai red peppers (optional) Vegetable oil Directions Use kitchen scissors to cut off the legs for each shrimp. Cut into the shell along the back of the shrimp to remove the guts. Keep the shell on the shrimp as it helps retain a lot of flavors. Marinate the shrimps …

Vietnamese Stuffed Cabbage Roll and Meatball Soup / Canh Bap Cai Nhoi Thit

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I asked my mom over the holiday season to make a healthy soup and we came up with this stuffed cabbage roll and meatball soup or canh bap cai nhoi thit. This is a simple and healthy soup to detox from the rich holiday meals. It is also an elegant soup to serve at any dinner party. Difficulty: Medium / Servings: 6 / Time: 30 – 45 minutes Ingredients: 6-7 leaves from 1 extra-large cabbage or the largest cabbage you find. (You can adjust the meat filling to fit the smaller leaves.) 1/2 lb. of ground pork (You can substitute this with chicken.) 4 jumbo shrimps (deveined and without the shell) 1/2 lb. of pork paste (You can also puree the ground meat into a paste in a food processor.) 1/2 cup of rehydrated wood ear mushrooms 6-8 green onions 2 teaspoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth 3 rock sugar 1/2 teaspoon of regular sugar 1/2 teaspoon …

Grilled Beef Noodle Bowl With Lime Vinaigrette

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Grilled beef noodle bowl is an easy and healthy dish to assemble for a quick meal. This  is a take on the traditional bun thit nuong or grilled meat on noodle dish that is very popular on the streets of Vietnam. We created an easy marinade for the thin slices of beef that can be quickly grilled on the stove. Together with vermicelli noodles, fresh vegetables and a lime vinaigrette, this is a guilt free meal for a busy person. Difficulty: Easy / Serving: 2 / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1/2 pound of beef eye round or similar steak cut 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce 6 tablespoons of coconut soda 2 tablespoons of fish sauce 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 cucumber 1 carrot 1 Romaine lettuce or green of your choice A handful of mint 1 lime 1-2 stalks of scallion 1 tablespoon of garlic 1 tablespoon of onion 1 Thai chili (optional) Sea salt Ground pepper Sugar 1 bushel of vermicelli noodles Directions: Thinly slice the beef in 1/8 inches thickness. Marinate …

Salmon Braised in Tomato Sauce / Salmon Sốt Cà Chua

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An easy week night meal that my mom usually makes at least a few times a month is salmon braised in tomato sauce or salmon sốt cà chua. Salmon filet is pan fried to form a golden crust and then is braised in a simple tomato garlic sauce for a a few minutes. This dish is served simply with rice. It is a quick, healthy and easy dish to make for dinner. Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 2 people / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 large salmon filet with skin 4 ripe tomatoes 1 tablespoon of fish sauce 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons of diced yellow onion 9 cloves of garlic (5 cloves of smashed garlic and 4 cloves of minced garlic) Sea salt Ground pepper Sugar Canola oil or any oil (not olive oil since it has a low heat point and will burn) Directions: Rub the salmon on both side with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Rinse the salmon with water and wipe dry …

Phở Turkey

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Phở Turkey is a common type of phở that Vietnamese American created around Thanksgiving. This is a new take on the classic chicken phở or phở gà. Around the holiday, grocery stores will offer a promotion for turkeys. My parents inevitably fall for it and buy extra turkeys even though we normally do not eat them besides on Thanksgiving. What we end up doing is using the fresh turkey to make phở and it is a big hit. This phở is healthier and cleaner than beef phở and takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to make from start to finish. There are always people visiting during the holidays so this phở is a good way to feed the masses on a budget. Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 6-7 bowls / Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Ingredients: 4.5 lb. of turkey drumsticks (approx. 4) 6 lb. of turkey breast with bone 2 packets of phở spice (1 packet has 1/2  tablespoon of black peppercorn, 2 cinnamon sticks, 10-12 star anise, 9-10 cloves, 1 cardamom and a spice pouch) 1/2 a ginger 1 yellow …

Vietnamese Pantry Essentials

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Vietnamese cuisine is well known for its freshness, uses of herbs and the complexity of flavors. We have a history of French colonization leading to the richness and diversity of dishes within the Vietnamese cuisine. There are a few key essentials that are used often in our cooking. This post will highlight the key essentials that we used in all of our recipes on this blog and the brands that we like. Amazingly, I was able to find majority of it on Amazon! The Basics 1. Fish sauce – This is the ingredient that is the foundation for Vietnamese cooking. Fish sauce is made from fermenting anchovies in sea salt over a period of 12-14 months. I was surprise that you can get this at Walmart. My family uses Viet Huong Three Crab brand fish sauce. 2. Soy Sauce – There are many different brands out there to choose. We do not have a specific one to recommend but my family tends to cook with Maggi or Knorr liquid seasoning in place of soy sauce. Soy Sauce …

Phnom Penh Noodle Soup/ Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang

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Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang or Phnom Penh Noodle Soup is a southern Vietnamese noodle soup that is based on a Cambodian-Chinese dish and is a favorite for the locals in southern Vietnam. Go to any alleyway with food stalls and you will find one that serves Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang. Hủ Tiếu has a mild flavor compared to pho and bun bo hue and is much quicker to cook as well. The soup base is made of up pork bones and dried cuttlefish and shrimps. The noodles are also different as they are a clear chewy tapioca noodles versus the softer rice noodles found in other soups. The toppings vary by region and vendors and can be as simple as slices of pork, shrimp and a quail egg to dumplings, squid, and the list goes on. This is another dish that is good to make ahead as you can freeze the broth and toppings into portions and reheat it for a meal anytime. For this recipe, we created a fully loaded surf and turf version …

Steamed Egg and Pork Meatloaf/ Chả Trứng Thịt Hấp

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Every culture has a meatloaf or steamed egg dish. Vietnam has our steamed egg and pork meatloaf or chả trứng thịt hấp that most people will recognized as part of a very popular grilled pork chop dish at most restaurants. This dish is very easy to make and can be eaten alone or as part of grilled meat dish and salad. The steamed egg and pork meatloaf also refrigerates well so you can make one and pack it for lunch or dinner for the week. Ingredient: 6 eggs 1 lb. of ground pork 1 cup of minced woodear mushroom 1 cup of glass noodles cut into 3 inch segments (This is a clear vermicelli noodles and not the rice vermicelli noodles that most people are familiar with and can be found in most Asian supermarkets.) 1 cup of shredded carrots 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of fish sauce 1/2 cup of diced onion 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 teaspoon of ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon of salt 2 teaspoon of sugar olive oil Directions: Soak the glass …