All posts filed under: Eat

Bánh Xèo / Vietnamese Savory Rice Crepes

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Bánh Xèo literally means “sizzling cake” in Vietnamese. The sizzling sound occurs when the rice flour batter is poured into a steaming hot pan to make a crepe. This crepe is then filled with pork belly, shrimp and bean sprouts served with lettuce, mustard greens and a variety of herbs. It is both healthy and decadent and a very popular dish among my cousins. The only problem is making the crepes fast enough to feed a large family. Every family has a crepe recipe and the selection of accompaniments. My family likes the crepe very thin and light so we use beer and water in our batter. This recipe is rated easy and makes 8-10 crepes depending on the pan size. Ingredients 1/2 lb of large shrimps 1/4 lb of pork belly 1 package of pre-mix banh xeo flour (combination of rice flour and regular flour) 1 can of coconut cream 1 cup of light beer  3 cups of water 1-2 cups of bean sprouts 1 yellow onion 3 stalks of scallions a pinch of salt …

Spicy Beef Saté Noodle Soup

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Spicy beef saté noodle soup is a cross between phở and bún bò huế. It is not as well known as the two, but requires the same bone based broth. Spicy beef saté noodle soup uses pork neck bones and a surprising ingredient of chunky peanut butter. The spiciness comes from the chili oil where you can modify the heat according to your tolerance. This is a delightfully complex yet simple noodle soup that will have you sweating and enjoying the broth at the same time. This soup is especially good on a cold day. This recipe is rated medium and requires approximately 2 hours to make. This recipe serves approximately 6 bowls of noodle soups. Ingredients 2 lb. of pork neck bones 1.5 lb. of beef (eye round or top round) 1 package of pho of flat rice noodles (fresh if available) 3 tablespoons of fish sauce ¼ cup ground chili in soya bean oil (There are many different brands that have different level of heat.) ½ cup of dried shrimps 3 dried squids …

Pandan and Coconut Waffle / Bánh Kẹp Lá Dứa

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A popular street food among the locals, especially children, is pandan waffle or bánh kẹp lá dứa. This waffle is flavored with pandan and incorporates coconut milk in the batter. It is usually eaten plain since the waffle is already sweeten. This dish makes an excellent breakfast or snack. This recipe is rated easy and makes approximately three waffles (6 inches in diameter). Ingredients 3 eggs 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter melted 2 cups of flour 1 cup of coconut flake ½ cup of sugar ½ teaspoon of baking powder ⅛ teaspoon of salt ⅛ teaspoon of pandan syrup ⅛ teaspoon of vanilla extract ¾ cup of instant evaporated milk ½ cup of coconut milk Directions In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Heat the waffle maker. Pour the batter evenly and cook the waffle to the waffle maker’s directions. For our waffle maker, it takes 3 minutes per waffle, 1.5 minutes on each side. Sprinkle some powder sugar and serve warm. This recipe is also the basis for our chicken and waffle dish. Click here …

Fried Chicken Wings with Nouc Mam Glaze

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Everyone loves fried chicken wings. Coming from a Vietnamese household, we created our own version with nouc mam or fish sauce. The crispy wings are tossed with a salty and sweet glaze made from fish sauce and butter. The wings are addictive and guarantee to be a hit at your next football party. We paired these wings with pandan waffle to make a delectable Sunday brunch dish. The recipe is rated easy and takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare. Ingredients 2 lb of chicken wings 1 cup of cornstarch 1 egg 2 scallions (white end parts), chopped 8 cloves of galic, minced ¼ of a yellow onion, diced 1 ½ tablespoons of butter ¼ cup of sugar ¼ cup of nouc mam or fish sauce for the glaze and 1 teaspoon for the marinade sea salt cracked pepper vegetable oil for deep frying Directions Wash the chicken wings with 1 tablespoon of sea salt to clean the smell and any slime off the skin. Mix well and rinse with water. Cut a slit through each …

Herbal Black Chicken Soup / Gà Hầm Thuốc Bắc

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Herbal black chicken soup is the equivalent of a very healthy Vietnamese chicken soup. This particular soup is made with black chicken or a breed called silkie. Silkies have black skin, bones and grayish-black meat which are tougher than the typical chicken. Silkie’s meat creates a sweeter broth and is the basis of this soup. This is my mom’s quick version of the herbal soup and a great way to beat the winter blues. Ingredients 2 lb of black chicken 5 large slices of ginger 2 ½ tablespoons of diced onion ¼ teaspoon of Chicken Bouillon Powder (CBP) ¼ teaspoon of sesame oil 1 tablespoon of olive oil ½ cup of dried jujube or chinese red plums ½ cup of dried lotus seeds 1 teaspoon of soy sauce 1 can of 14.5 oz of unsalted chicken broth 3 cups of water ¼ teaspoon of sea salt ½ teaspoon of sugar ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper Directions Cut the chicken into smaller parts. Soak ½ cup of jujubes and ½ cup of lotus seeds with 1 cup of water …

Dưa Giá / Pickled Bean Sprouts with Carrots and Chives

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Dưa giá is one of the most popular pickled side dish for a Vietnamese meal. It is a usual accompaniment for stewed dishes such as braised pork belly with eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng) or other salty type of braised meat dishes. The slightly sour and sweet pickled bean sprouts offset the saltiness of the braised meats. This is an easy recipe to make anytime of the year. This recipe is rated easy. Ingredients 1 lb of bean sprouts 2 carrots 1 bunch of chives 6 pearl onions, peeled 8 Thai chilies 1 ½ cups of warm water ½ cup of vinegar 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of sugar Directions Peel and shred the carrots. Rinse the chives to get rid of any dirt and cut them into 2 inch sections. Slice the pearl onions in half.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the vegetables and let them marinate for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with water. Make the pickling juice by combining 1 ½ cups of warm …

Bún Riêu / Crab Vermicelli Soup

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Bún riêu is a very popular noodle dish in Vietnam for its simplicity and deliciousness. This is a tomato based vermicelli noodle soup that has three popular variations: crab, fish or snails. Bún riêu cua is probably the most well known version made with rice paddy crabs. These are small crabs found in rice paddy fields and would then be cleaned and pounded into a paste. This crab paste and tomatoes are the essential ingredients for the broth. The soup is easy to make and is a great way to serve a lot of people at one time. This recipe is rated medium in difficulty and makes approximately 6 bowls of noodle soup. Ingredients 1 can of minced crab in spices 1 can of minced prawns in spices 1 lb of ground pork ½ lb of shrimp (approximately 9-10 shrimps) ¼ cup of rouc (fine shrimp sauce) ¾ cup of ketchup 1 package of fried tofu 2 tablespoons of fish sauce or nouc mam ⅓ cup of vegetable oil ½ of a yellow onion (optional) 2 tomatoes 1 …

Pumpkin and Ribs Soup

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With the holiday approaching and the winter chill setting in, soup becomes a favorite for the winter. In the US, we have an abundance of pumpkin around the autumn time and into the winter months. Naturally, we merged pumpkin and traditional ribs soup into our version of a light yet filling meal. This soup can be eaten by itself or with toasted bread or rice. This recipe is rated easy. Ingredients ½ a block of soft tofu ½ lb. of pork ribs 2 ½ cups of pumpkin cube 2 tablespoons of chopped onion ½ tablespoon fish sauce Chicken bouillon powder (½ teaspoon for marinade and ¼ teaspoon for soup) Salt Sugar Ground pepper 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (“EVOO”) 2 stalks of scallion and cilantro for garnish Directions Cut the short ribs strip into smaller pieces of approximately 2 inches. Marinate the meat with ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of diced onions, ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper and ½ teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder. Cut the pumpkin into …

Shredded Lime Chicken with Vietnamese Coriander and Pickled Onions / Thịt Gà Bóp Với Rau Răm

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Another simple dish that elevates the boiled chicken into a refreshing and healthy entree is my mom’s shredded chicken mixed with lime juice, Vietnamese coriander and pickled onions.  It is deceptively simple, filling and healthy.  Vietnamese coriander is an herb that can usually be found in Asian markets or grown at home.  It has a bite and mild citrus scent.  This is the herb that really makes the dish.  If this herb is not available, you can substitute it with Thai basil. This dish is rated easy. Ingredients ½ a chicken ½ of an onion, thinly sliced ½ of an onion for the stock 4 cloves of minced garlic 1 lime ¼ cup of Vietnamese coriander or basil if the Vietnamese coriander is not available ½ teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 tablespoon of rock sugar salt pepper 2 Thai chili Directions In a large pot, boil 7 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of rock sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Once the water comes to a boil, add the chicken and ½ an onion and boil …

Farmer’s Market Grilled Cheese Sandwhich

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One of many great things about living in NYC is the abundance of farmer’s markets in many different neighborhoods. I discovered a small market two blocks away from my apartment after strolling around the area on one random Sunday. This is now my place to go for fresh seasonable vegetables straight from the source.  The weather finally turned from summer to autumn and nothing is better to welcome the cooler weather than grilled cheese sandwich served with a bowl of hot tomato soup. I saw some vibrant tomatoes, onions, freshly baked country bread and fresh Gouda cheese which inspired me to create my version of a grilled cheese sandwich for a fall day. Ingredients for 1 Grilled Cheese Sandwich: 2 slices of Gouda cheese or any mild melting cheese 2 thick slices of red tomato 2 thick slices of yellow tomato 1/4 of a red onion thinly sliced 1/2 of a ripe avocado 2 slices of country white bread or any type of dense bread 2 tablespoons of melted butter a few squirt of sriracha (not pictured) Directions: …