All posts tagged: Food

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 …

Quick Steamed Fish with Ginger Soy Dressing

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Another dish that my mom taught me before leaving for college was steamed fish with a ginger soy sauce. The version that I had while I was in college was for salmon steak and utilized only a microwave that was allowed in the dorm. This version is still just as easy but has the benefit of additional tweaks since those college days. This is a healthy and elegant dish that will fool people into thinking that you slave away making it for dinner. This recipe is rated easy and takes 15-20 minutes to make. Serves 2 people per fish. Ingredients 1 pound whole red Tilapia or another meaty white fish. (You can also use fish filet but I find that whole fish tastes better.) ½ a yellow onion ½ cup of julienned ginger 8 stalks of scallions ¼ teaspoon of sesame oil ½ teaspoon of fish sauce ¼ teaspoon of white wine 1 teaspoon of soy sauce ½ tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of mushroom seasoning ½ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper 1 …

Fried Prawns in a Tamarind Sauce / Tôm Rang Me

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Fried prawns in a tamarind sauce or tôm rang me is a popular dish especially for those living on the coast. The fresh prawns are fried and then tossed in a sweet and sour sauce made from tamarind to offset the greasiness of the oil. This humble dish is finger licking good. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30-45 minutes to create. Ingredients: 10 giant prawns 1 block of fresh tamarind 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 1 teaspoon of ground annatto 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 2 cups and 1 tablespoon of water 5 tablespoons of sugar ½ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper Vegetable oil for frying Garnish with spring onions and Cilantro Directions: Sprinkle ½ a teaspoon of salt on top of the shrimps. Mix to incorporate the salt among the shrimps. This process will help remove excess moisture from the prawns. Break the tamarind block into smaller chunks. Soak the tamarind block with 2 cups of water for approximately 15 minutes or until the …

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 …

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 …

Viet Style Strawberry & Banana Shake / Sinh Tố Dâu Chuối

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Summer is when strawberries are in season and are abundant at any farmer’s market. A great way to serve strawberries is our delicious strawberry and banana shake or  sinh tố dâu chuối. This is my mom’s recipe for a delightful afternoon treat. Ingredients: 6 large strawberries 1 banana 1 5.3oz lowfat yogurt (we used chobani greek yogurt with strawberry and banana) 1 tablespoon of condense milk 1 tablespoon of sugar ¼ cup of milk 1 cup of ice Directions: Combined all the ingredients into a blender and blend until you have a smooth consistency.   For more recipes, visit our EAT page or Recipe Index. Authors: Susan Tran and Chau Hoang

Viet Style Avocado Shake / Sinh Tố Bơ

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In Vietnam, avocados are used for sweet desserts and not savory dishes like the ones in the western world. Avocado shake literally translates to “butter fruit shake” in Vietnamese and that aptly describes this confection. Step into any Vietnamese restaurant and you’ll see avocado shake on the menu. This is not a healthy shake by any means due to the condense milk, but it is treat. This shake has a consistency of a light pudding so I have always considered this to be a dessert drink. On an interesting note, avocado was introduced by the French and given its name,  trái bơ or butter fruit, due to the buttery richness of the flesh. Enjoy this wonderful shake anytime of the day. Ingredients: 2 Ripe Haas avocados 1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt 1/2 cup of milk 1 and 1/4 cup of ice 2 tablespoons of condense milk   Directions: Using a spoon, scoop out the avocado flesh into the blender.   Add yogurt, milk, ice and condense milk.   Blend until you have a smooth consistency. …

Bánh Bột Lọc / Hue’s Tapioca Dumplings

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Bánh bột lọc is a transparent chewy dumpling made from tapioca flour and filled with minced pork and shrimp. The dumplings are then topped with fried shallots and served with sweet chili fish sauce. This is a specialty of Hue, the old imperial city in central Vietnam. My family originated from Hue so I grew up eating a lot of bánh bột lọc. This recipe is relatively easy but forming the dumpling does take some practice. The boiled dumplings are worth the effort, and making the dumplings is a fun activity to do as a group. This recipe is rated medium in difficulty and takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to make. Ingredients 1 lb of pork belly 8 large Tiger shrimp with heads 1 package of banh bot loc mix 1 package of tapioca starch 1 onion diced (enough for 4 tablespoons of diced onion) 1-2 red chili diced thinly 1 cup of chopped scallions Fish sauce Chicken bouillon powder (“CBP”) Salt Sugar Pepper Fried shallots 1 Lime Directions Make the filling: Remove bones and skin from the pork …