All posts tagged: Food

Pandan and Coconut Waffle / Bánh Kẹp Lá Dứa

Published by

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

Published by

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

Published by

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 …

Bún Riêu / Crab Vermicelli Soup

Published by

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

Published by

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 …

Aunt Qua’s Famous Fried Dumplings

Published by

My aunt Qua is known for her juicy fried dumplings so much so that there are lines of people upset because she no longer sells them.  Luckily for me and for our readers, she decided to teach us how to make this deceptively simple dish.  The fried dumplings are juicy and sweet while the deep frying gives them a nice crunch.  Covered in fried sweet onions and dipped in a unique soy vinaigrette, these dumplings will be gone in seconds.  These are the best fried dumplings I have ever tasted and I’m excited to share the recipe in today’s post. There are three cooking methods to cook the dumplings. You decide based on your preference. a.  Deep frying (the preferred method) b.  Pan frying.  We used this method for this demonstration as the hotel did not have all the equipment we needed. c.  Boiling This recipe is rated easy and makes approximately 50 dumplings. Ingredients: 1 lb of ground pork 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1/2 teaspoon of pepper 50 round wonton wrapper 1 1/2 teaspoon of chicken …

Must Do’s: Must Eats in Hanoi

Published by

Hanoi is the northern gastronomy capital of Vietnam that puts its own stamp on popular dishes such as pho.  Our contributor, Amy Dao, compiled a list of Hanoi specialties and local favorites. You will notice a variety of soups as Hanoi is colder than the hot and wet weather in the central and southern regions that people associate with in Vietnam. I hope you get to venture out of your comfort zone and try these delicacies. 1. Hanoi Tumeric Fish with Dill / Chả Cá Lã Vọng) Restaurant:  Thănh Long Resturant (31 Dường Thành Street, Old Quarter / +84 (04) 3824 5115) This is Amy’s favorite dish. It is especially delicious with a mixture of dill, vegetables and spiced fish. 2. Hanoi Style BBQ Pork with Rice Vermicelli / Bún Chả Restaurants 1: 47C Mai Hac Đé Street, Hanoi Restaurant 2:  Nem Restaurant (123 Biù Thi Xuân Street, Hanoi) 3. Hanoi Style Fried Crab Spring Rolls with Rice Vermicelli (Bún Nem Cua Bễ) Resturant 1:  47C Mai Hac Đế Street, Hanoi Restaurant 2: Nem Restaurant (123 Biù Thi Xuân …

Blue Crabs Sauté in a Roe Sauce

Published by

The northern Atlantic coast is known for its blue crabs. While vacationing in Virginia Beach, my family went to the fish market called the Shellfish Company and bought fresh blue crabs right off of the boat. My Aunt Qua created this simple and easy dish for us. Needless to say, the taste testers ate all of the crabs as soon as they were prepared. This recipe is rated easy and serves 4 people. Ingredients: 6 female blue crabs (as you will need the roe) 1/4 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 3/4 teaspoon of sugar 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1/8 teaspoon of pepper 1/3 cup of yellow onion 3 cloves of garlic (approximately 2 tablespoons) 1 stalk of scallion 1 Thai Chili Directions: Prepare the crabs Twist the tail off of the crab and discard. Snap off the claws and legs. Use a towel and pull apart the shell of the crab and get rid of the grey, furry-looking thing (the lungs). One side of the shell will have the body of the crab. The other side will …

Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua / Stuffed Tofu Braised in Tomato Sauce

Published by

Vietnamese cuisine usually consists of braising proteins or vegetables in a sauce.  Braising in a tomato sauce is a very easy and popular way to incorporate vegetables into a meal.  In today’s recipe, we will share a family recipe for tofu stuffed with minced pork, shrimp, and ear worm mushrooms braised in tomato sauce.  It is a simple and healthy dish.  The tomato sauce is great with chicken and fried salmon filet as well. This recipe is rated medium in difficulty and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Ingredients: 1 lb of ground of ground pork 1 lb of tiger shrimp or any type of meaty shrimp ⅓ cup of dried ear worm mushrooms (This is commonly found in an Asian supermarket.  If you are unable to find it, just exclude this ingredient.) 1 package of fried bean curd (tofu). (This is a pre-made fried tofu which has a denser consistency.) Approx. 2 tablespoons of fish sauce 1-2 stalks of scallion 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 2 ripe tomatoes Approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons …

Bò Tái Chanh / Vietnamese Beef Carpacio Salad

Published by

My family vacations in Virginia Beach every year around this time in August.  The great thing about the family reunion is that I get to spend time with my relatives who are crazy good cooks. Aunt Qua is another amazing home cook and luckily for me, she agreed to spend time showing me some of her best and easy to make dishes.  In this post we will make bò tái chanh.  Bò tái chanh is a refreshing salad with beef cooked in lime juice.  It is the Vietnamese version of beef carpacio.  The pineapple and chili sauce is my family’s concoction to replace the typical pungent fish paste sauce.  A little of the sauce over the fresh lime marinated beef and salad hits the spot, especially during the hot and steamy summer.  I guarantee that this salad will be gone in no time. This dish is rated easy and serves two to four people, depending on if the dish is meant as a side or main dish. Ingredients: 1 lb of eye round beef ¼ …