All posts tagged: vietnamese

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 …

Steamed Clams with Lemongrass, Thai Basil and Ginger

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When summer comes around, I automatically think of all the good seafood that are available. One very simple and fragrant dish that can serve a crowd is the classic steamed clams with lemongrass, Thai basil and ginger. The clams are then dipped into a a mixture of salt, pepper and lime juice. This dish is an easy summer delight for those nights when you do not want to cook over a hot stove for hours. This recipe is rated easy and takes 30 minutes. Ingredients: 50 Littleneck clams 4 Stalks of lemongrass 1 very large ginger 1 Tablespoon of rock sugar A few red Thai chili for a hint of spice 5-6 stalks of Thai basil 1 Lime Salt and ground pepper for the dipping sauce Directions: Cut the lemongrass stalks into 3 parts and discard the thin ends (shown tied with a rubber band). Split the thick white part of the lemongrass in half. Cut the ginger into thick slices. Break the basil into 3 pieces and discard the ends. In a large and deep …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Vietnamese Caramel Flan

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One of my favorite dessert growing up is my mother’s flan. My mother’s version is creamy and fluffy. Her trick is to steam the flan instead of the traditional baking method. This method only takes 15 minutes to cook and the flan comes out perfect every time. This is an easy and elegant dessert for anytime of the day. Impress your guests at the next dinner party with this make ahead dessert. This dessert is rated easy and takes 30 minutes to prepare and another hour to chill in the fridge before serving. This recipe makes approximately 5 servings. Ingredients 6 large eggs 2 cups of whole milk 1 lime 18 tablespoons of sugar (8 for the batter and 10 for the caramel) 5 oven proof baking cups Steamer that fits 5 baking cups Directions Make the egg batter: Crack 6 eggs into a mixing bowl. Using a whisk, slowly stir to break up the eggs. Don’t beat it hard and fast as it will add air bubbles to the batter. This changes the batter …