All posts filed under: vegetable

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 …

Braised Duck with Pickled Mustard Greens

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Pickled mustard greens or dưa cải chua is a very popular side dish for a typical Vietnamese meal. Braising the pickled mustard greens with a protein takes this side dish up a notch. The fattiness of the duck complements the tartness of the pickled mustard greens. I find myself unable to stop eating once I start and I hope you do too. This recipe is rated medium in difficulty and takes approximately 30 minutes. Ingredients 2 ½ cups of pickled mustard greens (recipe here) one half of a duck ½ teaspoon salt 2 ¼  teaspoons sugar ⅛ cup of ginger 1 ½ teaspoon teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (Knorr bouillon granule are available at your local supermarket) ½ teaspoon ground, black pepper 3 tablespoons diced yellow onion 1 tablespoon of fish sauce 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 cups of water a few whole Thai chili (optional for flavor) Directions Cut the duck into smaller pieces. You can also have a butcher precut the meat. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, 1 …

Dưa Cải Chua / Pickled Mustard Greens

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Dưa cải chua or pickled mustard greens is a classic accompaniment for a typical Vietnamese meal. My house always has a jar of pickled mustard greens readily available during any season. Mustard greens are pickled in a simple vinegar brine. This process softens the tough stems, reduces the bitterness and infuses a salty and sweet taste to the greens. The pickles are slightly addictive and can be use as a basis for other dishes as well. This is my mother’s recipe for her delicious dưa cải chua. Ingredients 1 large bunch of mustard greens (approximately 1.5 lb) 7 pearl onions, peeled 8-9 red Thai chili 2 tablespoons of sugar ½ tablespoon of rock sugar 1 tablespoon of sea salt 4 cups of warm water Directions Combine sugar, rock sugar, salt and warm water in a mixing bowl. Stir to incorporate the ingredients. (You may need to make more brine depending on the size of your jar. The brine should cover all of the mustard greens.) Cut the bottom portion of the stem and discard them. In a large bowl, rinse …

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 …

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 …

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 …