All posts tagged: eat

Phở Bò / Beef Noodle Soup

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Phở is a hearty noodle soup that is the most well known of all noodle soups from Vietnam. The stock can be made with chicken or beef with the most popular type being beef noodle soup. Every region has its own take on phở bò and the noodle soup is often eaten for breakfast. Phở bò takes at least a few hours of just simmering the bones to get the  right bone stock for the soup base. This is a dish that is made for long weekends and especially when the weather turns cold. We redid the traditional phở recipe into 2 parts (beef stock and  phở broth) to make it easier to measure the ingredients and to get a consistently good broth. This is one of the easiest recipe for phở that we wrote to create a very clear, rich and fragrant broth. You can make the bone stock in advance and freeze it. Whenever you want to make phở, just defrost the bone stock and season the stock to make the phở broth. Difficulty: Medium / Time: 3 hours for bone …

Chicken with Lemongrass and Chili / Gà Xào Sả Ot

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Every Vietnamese family has a recipe for chicken with lemongrass and chili or gà xào sả ot. The combination of the citrus flavor from the lemongrass, the spice from the turmeric, the saltiness from the soy and fish sauce and the sweetness from the coconut soda give this dish a wow factor. The dish is deceptively simple and fast to make for any weeknight meal. You may be tempted to remove the skin or use white meat. I would advise otherwise as I find that dark meat is juicier and the skin adds a lot of flavor to the dish. This dish is served with a side of rice. Difficulty: Easy / Serving: 2 / Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 2 chicken thigh with skin (dark meat) cut into quarters 2 tablespoons of minced lemongrass 2 tablespoons of minced garlic 2 tablespoons of diced onion ½ tablespoon of turmeric or curry powder mix 1 ½ cup of Rico coconut soda 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of soy sauce ¼ teaspoon of …

Vietnamese Egg Rolls / Chả Giò

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Chả giò or egg roll is a popular fried food in Vietnam that is usually served with lettuce and herbs to make a wrap and then dipped into a sweet and sour fish sauce ( nước chấm). The fried egg rolls are also often served over a bed of rice and accompanied by vegetables and herbs as part of a rice vermicelli noodle bowl or  bún chả giò. The egg rolls are filled with a mixture of ground pork, glass noodles, mushrooms and vegetables and then wrapped in a rice paper and fried until golden brown. In this recipe, we use both the traditional rice paper which are flimsy and harder to wrap. However, these egg rolls are lighter and crunchier than the flour based Chinese wrappers. Chả giò makes for a great treat at any gathering. Difficulty: Medium / Serving: 35-40 egg rolls / Time: 1 hour Equipment: Food Processor Tip: You can freeze uncooked egg rolls in the freezer and they will fry up nicely once defrosted. Ingredients: 1.5 pound of ground pork 1 pound of shrimp …

Chicken Liver Pâté

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You can’t go wrong with pâté spread over toasted bread for any snack or meal. Due to French colonialism from 1887 to 1954 (also known as French Indochina), many French dishes have been adopted by the Vietnamese over the years.  Vietnam has a version of pâté that is part of the famous banh mi made of ground pork and chicken liver. My mother came up with an easy recipe that is a fusion of French pâté with Vietnamese flavors. It has a nice hint of wine with a touch of soy and garlic. Be prepared to devour at least one loaf of baguette when you spread this delicious pâté on it. You can also add radish, cucumbers or any vegetables that you prefer to the spread to give it some freshness. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30 minutes to make and a few hours to chill in the fridge. This recipe makes approximately 5 cups of pâté. Ingredients: 2 pound of chicken liver 1 cup of milk 4 sticks of softened butter 1/3 cup of …

Fish Taco with Tumeric and Dill

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Tacos are very popular in the states and the trend has been to mix the Mexican traditional taco with Asian ingredients. This combination have been a huge hit with a fusion of Korean bbq and Mexican food. This trend inspired  me to create a Vietnamese version of the fish taco based off of a traditional northern dish comprise of fish with turmeric and dill or  chả cá thì là. This recipe change the traditional sauce and the accompaniment to create a fusion fish taco. I tested this recipes on 4 teenagers and they could not get enough of it. This is a bonafide crowd pleaser for your next gathering. This recipe serves 6 and is rated medium in difficulty. This recipe takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare and require marinating the fish for at least 1 hour. Ingredients: 2 pounds of tilapia filet or any other firm white fish of your choice 2 large bunches of dill 3 stalks of spring onion 1 tablespoon of lemongrass 2 tablespoons of minced garlic ½ of diced yellow or …

Lobster Curry Bouillabaisse 

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Lobsters is a treat anytime of the year, but more so in the summer when they are abundant. I grew up eating lobsters boiled and served with butter. As I got exposed to more cuisines such as New England seafood stew and French bouillabaisse, I can’t help but play with lobster and the Vietnamese flavor profile. My mom and I came up with this recipe using our love of lobster and traditional curry soup blend with some western influences. Try out this crowd pleasing lobster curry bouillabaisse at your next gathering. This recipe is rated easy and take 30-45 minutes to make. Ingredients: 2 lobsters (1.5 lbs each) 1 14 fl oz can of coconut milk 1 14 fl oz can of chicken broth 1 teaspoon of minced ginger 3 teaspoons of soy sauce 3 tablespoons of Madras curry 2 tablespoons of sake (Kwang Tung Miju – Chinese Sake) 2 large shallots (4 halves) 4 Scallions 2 tablespoons of red onion 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 4 red Thai chili 4 yellow sweet peppers 1 …

Provencial Lamb Chops & Grilled Tomatoes

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One thing I learned while living in France for a year is this deceptively simple and delicious recipe for grilled lamb. Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbes that is typical of the Provence area in France. The mixture can be found in any market and includes savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender and other herbes. I was inspired to write up this recipe from my recent trip to Provence where I purchased the most fragrant fresh bag of Herbes de Provence right from the source. This recipe is rated easy and takes half an hour to prepare and serve 2 – 4 people. The marinade time is for 6 hours. Ingredients: 1 pound of lamb cuts (shoulders, blades, etc…) 1 teaspoon of wild honey 2 teaspoons of Herbes de Provence 1/4 teaspoon of either khosher or sea salt 1/4 teaspoon of pepper 2 garlic cloves finely minced 1  red onions thinly sliced 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard a few heirloom tomatoes or …

Crispy Egg Noodles with Seafood / Mi Xao Don Do Bien

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A simple and impressive dish for a  dinner is Mi Xao Don Do Bien or Crispy Egg Noodles with Seafood. The mix of seafood simmered with a savory sauce over a bed of crispy egg noodles is to die for. The good thing is that you can make the crispy egg noodles and prepare most of the ingredients prior to the dinner. This is a delicious and elegant dish guaranteed to be a hit at your next meal. This recipe is rated medium in difficulty and takes 45 minutes to make 2 large servings.  Ingredients 1 package of fresh egg/ wonton noodles ½ lb of frozen squid ½ lb of scallops ½ lb of mussels ½ lb of Tiger shrimp 6 bok choy 1 cup of snap peas 1 red bell pepper 3 stalks of broccoli 1 cup of baby carrots 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 1 tablespoon of minced ginger ½ of an onion and 1 tablespoon of diced onions. ½  teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 1 ½ teaspoon of oyster sauce 1 teaspoon of …

Viet Style Mango Lassi / Sinh Tố Xoài

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India is known for its mango lassi while Vietnam has our version of mango smoothie too. This mango smoothie is slightly tart but is balanced by the sweetness of the condense milk and the creaminess of the yogurt. This is a great treat any time of the day. This recipe makes 2 cups of smoothie. Ingredients: 2 ripe mangos ¼ cup of vanilla lowfat yogurt 1 ½ cup of ice 2 tablespoons of condensed milk 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon of sugar (depending on the tartness or sweetness of the mango) ½ cup of milk Directions: Cut the mango in half while avoiding the core. Make a few cuts into the mango half so that it resembles a checker board. Use the knife and cut out the flesh. Add the yogurt, ice, condense milk, sugar and milk to the blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. Depending on the tartness and sweetness of the mango, you may need to add more or subtract the sugar amount.   For more recipes, visit our EAT page or Recipe …

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 …