All posts filed under: vegetable

Refreshing Summer Slaw

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I randomly created this refreshing and crunchy slaw during our quarantine when we ran out of everything else. The key ingredients are Asian pear, apple and crab sticks. The family devoured it and kept asking for more.  Furthermore, I also found that it keeps very well in the fridge and tastes better the longer it marinates.  This slaw goes well as salad for a meal or a side dish to your next BBQ. This recipe is rated easy and serves 2 as a main dish. Ingredients: 1/2 ripened avocado (cubed) 1 green apple 1/2 English cucumber 1 Asian pear 2 scallion finely chopped 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic 6 crab sticks shredded 1/3 tsp of sugar 1 and 1/2 tbsp of Kewpie mayo (regular mayo will work, but you will not get the tangy-sweet taste that you will get with Japanese mayo) 1/4 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp of pepper Direction: Julienne the apples, Asian pears, and English cucumbers into matchsticks and place into a large bowl. Finely dice 2 scallions (discard the white ends) …

Sautéed Cabbage with Shrimps

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An easy dish that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare is sweet cabbage sauteed with jumbo shrimps. This dish is served with a side of rice for a satisfying and healthy meal. Difficulty: Easy / Serving: 4 / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 10 jumbo shrimps 2 lb. of cabbage 6 tablespoons of diced yellow onion 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper 1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon of sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth 3 stalks of scallions Vegetable oil Directions: Cut the cabbage leaves into 2 inch squares. Dice 1 whole onion. Cut 3 stalks of scallion into 2 inch segments. Remove the shell while keeping the tail  and remove the veins from the shrimps. Butterfly the shrimps without cutting completely through it. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the cabbage leaves until they soften. Season the shrimps with 2 tablespoons of dice onion, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder, 1/4 teaspoon …

Peanut Sticky Rice / Xôi Đậu Phộng

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Sticky rice is an everyday food made from glutinous rice steamed and eaten with various toppings. The variety can be endless and can range from savory to sweet. Peanut sticky rice is one of the most popular rustic sticky rice dishes in Vietnam. Raw peanuts are boiled, mixed with soaked glutinous rice and steamed. The sticky rice is topped witha generous heaping of coconut meat and sprinkled with a mixture of crushed roasted peanuts, salt and sesame seeds. This dish can be made in large batches and will make a delicious accompaniment for any meal. Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 6 / Time: 8 hours to soak the rice and 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook Ingredients: 2 cups of sweet glutinous rice 2 cups of raw peanuts 1 Tablespoon of crushed unsalted roasted peanuts 1 Tablespoon of roastedwhite sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon of sugar 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt 1 package of fresh shredded coconut meat (you can buy this in the frozen section of the Asian market) Equipment: A medium size steamer Directions: Soak …

Green Beans with Garlic and Roasted Peanuts

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An easy vegetarian dish for a weeknight dinner is green beans sautéed with garlic and topped with roasted peanuts and fried shallots. Add a side dish of fried egg and rice and you have a complete and healthy meal. Try this simple vegetable dish for dinner tonight. Difficulty: Easy / Serving: 2 / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 pound of green beans 3 tablespoons of garlic (rough chop) 3 tablespoons of olive oil 2 teaspoons of soy sauce ½ teaspoon of fish sauce 1 teaspoon of mushroom seasoning  2 teaspoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of sea salt ½ teaspoon of ground pepper a handful of roasted peanuts a handful of fried shallots (optional) 2-3 scallions (white portion) to garnish (optional) Directions: Add enough water to a pot to cover the green beans. Season the water with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Once the water comes to a boil, add the green beans and allow them to boil for 2 minutes. Remove the green beans and rinse right away with cold water to …

Vietnamese Omelette with Shitakii Mushrooms and Tofu / Trứng chiên

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Italians have the frittata while Americans have the cheesy omelette for breakfast. Vietnamese have our trứng chiên which we eat with rice for lunch or dinner. This is a typical dish for any time of the day and there are many versions of it. My mom makes this filling version with shiitake mushrooms and soft tofu. It is also a great dish for vegetarians. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30 minutes to make. Ingredients: 1 cup of soft tofu (approx. ½ of a package) 6 shiitake mushrooms 1 stalk of leek 5 eggs 1 ¼ teaspoons of soy sauce ½ teaspoon of mushroom seasoning ⅛ teaspoon of sugar Salt Pepper Directions: Wash the shiitake mushrooms of any dirt. Squeeze all the water out of the mushrooms. Discard the stems and thinly slice the mushrooms. Thinly diced the white portion of the leek and julienne the green part of the leek. You will need approx. 1 tablespoon of green leek for garnish. Thinly slice the tofu and slice again to create small cubes of tofu. In …

No-Cook Steamed Eggplant with Scallion Oil and Fried Shallots

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When I went off to college with a microwave in hand, my mother taught me a few dishes that you can make in a microwave for a quick and delicious meal. One of those dishes was a ridiculously simple steamed eggplant topped with scallion oil and fried shallots and served with a salty and sweet chili sauce. Now that I am a busy working professional, this dish is even more useful for weeknight dinners. I usually eat this dish with rice and a side of salad. Next time you think that you are too tired to cook a healthy meal, try this no-cook version of steamed eggplant with scallion oil and fried shallots. This recipe is rated easy and takes 15 minutes to make. Ingredients: 2 Chinese eggplants 3 Scallions 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic a few Thai chili peppers fish sauce 2 tablespoons of oil (olive or canola) Handful of fried shallots or peanuts for a crunch Salt Sugar Directions: Diced the scallions and place into a microwavable bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of oil …

Sautéed Shiitaki Mushrooms, Beansprouts and Chives

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Dinner at my parent’s house always includes one vegetable dish. This can be as simple as steamed broccoli or sautéed vegetable mix. For this week, we will make a simple dish of sautéed shiitake mushrooms, beansprouts and chives that is served at my family’s dinner. It is an easy and healthy way to add vegetables to your diet. This recipe takes 20 minutes to make and is rated easy. Ingredients 1 bunch of chives 1 lb. of beansprouts 6 dried shiitake mushrooms  or fresh if available 2 tablespoons of minced garlic 1 tablespoon of diced onion 1 teaspoon of minced ginger ¼ teaspoon of sesame oil 4 teaspoons of soy sauce 2 teaspoons of vegetarian soup base Salt Sugar Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) Directions Rehydrate the mushrooms by soaking the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of water for 15 minutes or until they plump up. Cut the mushrooms into small slices. Cut the chives into 2 inch segments.  Dice a few cloves of garlic to get approximately 2 tablespoons of garlic. Heat enough EVOO …

Phở Chay / Vegetarian Phở Noodle Soup

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Everyone loves phở but if you are a vegetarian, you are missing out on a national treasure. Buddhist temples have been making vegetarian phở for a long time. This is a fruit based broth with phở seasoning that has a remarkable resemblance to the beef version. Vegetarian phở is also much quicker and easier to make for those days where standing over a bubbling pot for hours is not on the schedule. Enjoy this healthy and delicious phở anytime of the day. This recipe is rated easy and takes approximately 1.5 hours to make. Ingredients: 1 large carrot 1 daikon 1 asian pear 1 casava 1 bartlett pear (American) 1 fuji apple 1 yellow onion 1 chayote 1 leek Vegetarian soup base (can be found in Asian markets) 1 package of pho dac biet seasoning 1 package of fresh pho noodles (flat vermicelli) / Dry pho noodles if the fresh version is not available 1 tablespoon of rock sugar Soy sauce Sugar Sea Salt Ground pepper Assortment of mock beef and ham or tofu depending …

Bánh Mì Series: Pickled Daikon and Carrots

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When you think of Vietnamese sandwiches or banh mi, you can always see the colorful pickled daikon and carrots on top of these sandwiches. The pickles give a nice hint of tartness and a crunch in contrast to the fattiness of the various meats in the banh mi. There are two versions of the pickled daikon and carrots: one as a side dish and one for the sandwich. The sandwich version is a bit saltier than the side dish version in order to stand up to the various cold cuts. Learn how to make this easy accompaniment to jazz up your sandwich today. This recipe is rated easy and takes 15 minutes to prepare. The pickling process takes at least 24 hours. Ingredients 1 large Daikon radish 2 large carrots ½ cup of distilled white vinegar 4 tablespoons of salt 1 cup of sugar 3 cups of water 1 large air tight container Directions Peel the carrots and daikon radish. Using a grater, shred them into thin long strips. Season the vegetables with 2 tablespoons …

Pumpkin Sautéed with Shiitake Mushrooms and Chicken

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There are days when I crave vegetables. My mother makes this simple dish of sauteed pumpkin, shiitake mushrooms and chicken. It is a healthy and nutritious meal for any season. If pumpkin is not in season, you can also substitute it with another hearty root vegetable. This recipe is rated easy and takes approximately 30 minutes to make. Ingredients 1 lb boneless chicken breast 1.5 lb pumpkin (We used kabucha in this recipe demonstration.) 8 dried shiitake mushrooms 3 large slices of ginger, julienne 5 cloves of garlic 1 large onion, diced 3 stalks of scallion for garnish soy sauce sesame oil chicken bouillon powder extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) salt sugar ground pepper a few stalks cilantro for garnish (optional) Directions Re-hydrate the dried shiitake mushroom. Scrub the head of the shiitake to clean of any impurities. Remove the stem from the mushroom. Thinly slice the mushroom on a diagonal. Thinly slice the pumpkin and microwave in a covered bowl on high with a few tablespoons of water for 3 minutes. This method of par …