Monday, December 16, 2013
Vietnamese Fermented Pickled Bean Sprout
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| Dua Gia Thanks to viviandnguyen_
|
Serving: 2
Cost:
Time: $10
Every Asian culture have their own unique tasty side dish
that can be served along with our family meal. As for Korean culture their Sukju
Namul Muchim, a traditional seasoned mung bean side dish. Similar to the Korean
culture, the Vietnamese food also share the same preparation in preparing our
side dish, but our dish is a bit spicier since we add in along with fresh red chili.
Vietnamese Pickled Bean Sprout VS. Korean Sukju
Namul Muchim mung bean
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| Full Credit of I Believe I can Fry |
Korean Sukju Namul Muchim Mung Bean
The Korean Sukju Namul Muchim is very unique and different because the preparation and serve is way faster. Every cultural dish have their special side, like for this delicious Korea Sukju, is seasoned afterward with garlic, green onion, sesame oil and seed. The Korean Sukju Namul is a little salty but very delicious and you can never get enough of it. The process used in preparing this is also different because seasoning is required after water salt water is poured on.
Vietnamese Pickled Bean Sprout
My favorite Vietnamese side dish, Dua Gia, the Vietnamese
pickled bean sprout is also healthy, but it comes with a longer preparation. Its worth it though! The longer prep is better because we are letting the bean sprout ferment and that is where a nice sour taste will make us want more. Vietnamese Pickled Bean Sprout is best if you add it along to your rice while eating caramelized pork and egg.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lbs of bean sprouts
- 3 red chii sliced
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 bowl of vinegar
- 1 small sliced ginger
Steps:
1. Wash all the ingredients and cut them
2. Mixed them all together in the basket
3. In a separate bowl, added in the vinegar, salt, hot water (Make sure when you pour the water in the veggies, it is not hot or else the bean sprout and chili will be cooked)
4. Stuff the bean sprout and veggie in the container
5. IF vinegar was used, the bean sprout is ready to b serve 4 hours later. IF only salt water was used, the wait will be 5 days long at least
5. IF vinegar was used, the bean sprout is ready to b serve 4 hours later. IF only salt water was used, the wait will be 5 days long at least
Have you heard of this side dish before?
Caramelized Pork and Eggs (Thit Kho Tau ~ Thit Kho To)
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| Thit Kho To Taken by Susan Tran |
Serving:8
Cost: under 20
Time: 2 hours
This is a dish that is delicious, yet at the same time hold's a deep meaningful place in every Vietnamese heart because our heritages and culture values are reflected through this dish. Caramelized braised pork and eggs, Thit kho to, one of the few traditional dishes served on Vietnamese New Year. Growing up, whenever I see this dish, the memories of the last New Year with the family come rushing back along with the joy and warmness of love. Thit Kho To, a dish that fills your heart with warmth of love and a belly of joy!
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| Seasoning the meat Taken by Susan Tran |
Ingredients:
-
3
lbs of pork meat cut into 1 inch cube (cut then wash them with some salt or
vineagar to remove the smell)
Instruction:
1. Cut the pork into one inch cube and
add it into a large bowl for seasoning
2. Add in the green and white onions
3. Add in the black pepper and salt and 2
TABLESPOON of sugar
4. Mixed up the meat and let it season
for 30 minutes
5. After the 30 minutes is up. Add 2
tablespoon of sugar into the dry hot pot. Add half a tablespoon of cooking oil
to it. As Helen mention in the video, this is the tricky part where a nice
caramel light brown color form. Be careful of overheating and burning the sugar.
A brown burnt color will ruin your dish due to it bitterness.
6. While you are waiting for your meat
to season, you should use a separate pot to cook the eggs. Cook in a
separate pot for 20 minutes. You can set it in cold water for it to cool down to
peel.
7. Add the seasoned meat in and stir
around. Make sure the meat is equally mixed for 6 minutes so the meat can
equally cook.
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| #7 stir it for 6 minutes taken by Susan Tran |
8. Add in the coconut juice and peeled hard boil eggs and seasoned cook meat into one pot
9. Let the meat sit in the pot for 1hour
30 minutes with medium fire. No lid to prevent overflow. Be prepared to scoop out the cloudy
substance on top of the pot as you cook
10. You can add in more of the black
sauce if the color isn’t showing a nice brown golden color. This sauce can add
a sweetness to the dish and at the same time a more flavorful taste to it.
11. 2 HOURS!! Okay it is time to scoop
out the yummy saucy braised chicken with eggs.
Have you
ever tried this dish before? If yes, tell me about it please!
Tip: It is
best to serve this dish with steamed rice. Enjoy!!
Vietnamese Pomelo Salad with Shrimp and Roasted Pork
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| Vietnamese Pomelo salad with Shrimp and Roasted pork Taken By Susan Tran |
Time: 30 minutes
Cost: $20
WE MUST EAT FRUIT
SALAD OFTEN! IT IS GOOD FOR OUR MIND AND BODY! That is why you should try
POMELO SALAD WITH SHRIMP AND ROAST PORK!
Herbs have been used from Middle East to West for centuries.
Herbs is very welcomed in almost every cultures, from being use as medicine to
being added in our special dishes that fills our loved one‘s belly. Beside Herbs, fruits are also used in the making of certain dish. Fruit is incorporated into meals because of their unique special taste it gives off. The creamy taste in squash dessert to the natural sour stuffed tomato. For instance,
Vietnamese add fruit alongside with their healthy herby meals. Pomelo is one of
the fruit used in the making of this special Vietnamese salad I am about to
share with you today.
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| Pomelo Taken By Susan Tran |
BENEFITS OF THIS SALAD:
Similar like the American Fruit salad, the Vietnamese pomelo
salad carry the same goal too. Both salad purpose is to helps eliminated the
junk food craving by substituting a healthy light meal.
Pomelo, a fruit belonging to the grapefruit citrus family that
is filled with high amount of rich Vitamin C. Vitamin C can boost our immune
system by promoting the growth of antibodies used in defending and killing
bacteria that is weakening the individual health.
Ladies! Are you catching this?According to Stylecraze, Pomelo are very high in fiber, so it keep
us from experiencing the constant hunger bell since it takes a longer time to
digested in our stomach. Pomelo is also mention to have a special enzyme like that help burn the human body fat by eliminating the amount of sugar and starch in our body. So Ladies! We should try
to include this recipe in often! We would want to look fabulous for that upcoming
spring trip bikini!
Beside pomelo, Shrimps also can play a role in our weight losing
campaign because they posses a highamount of Zinc and iodine. Zinc is really special because they helps in the production of more Leptin hormones. Leptins control our body energy, so we can be more energetic and last longer without having to constantly feeling the hunger food rage.
Iodine is also an important to the human body because when our iodine is not enough our
thyroid will fall apart which then cause us to feel tired and lazy. Feeling
tired lead to sitting all day eating is not how one will lose weight!
THEREFORE, You MUST
TRY THIS delicious irresistible Pomelo Salad with shrimp and roasted pork!
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| Roasted Pork and Sliced Shrimp Taken By Susan Tran |
Ingredients:
-
½lb of
roast pork (about $5) (cut into thin sliced about one cm)
-
12
shrimps (cooked, peeled, cut in half)
-
½ medium
cabbages(sliced)
-
1 bunch
of Vietnamese Coriander (Rau Ram) (pluck all the leaves and chop)
-
5 sliced
of green lettuce
-
½ Pomelo
-
1 small
bowl of fish sauce
-
4
tablespoon of sugars
-
1 carrot
peeled and shred
3 smashed peanut and fried shallot onion (as many as you like)
3 smashed peanut and fried shallot onion (as many as you like)
Where do we start??
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| Roast Pork Fully credit to Alpha |
2 2. Shrimp. Cook them for 5 minutes on high
boiling water and take them out for cooling. Peeled and use a knife to cut them
into halves.
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| Rau Ram ~ Vietnamese Coriander Thanks to By Jean-Paul Bigand |
3. Cabbages, Green Lettuce and Vietnamese Coriander.
Washed them clean and dry them. Cut them
as thin as possible.
4. Carrot. Washed and peel the skin off. We
can cut this carrot into thin sliced or shredded them.
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| Pomelo pulp Taken By Susan Tran |
5. Pomelo. Washed the pomelo and peel off
the skin and use a scissor to cut off the seed. Grab the pulp of the pomelo and we can break up the pieces into bite size because it would be easier to dettached and quicker.
6. Sauce. The pomelo itself is already sour so we don’t
need to add any lemon juice. The fish sauce can be added with sugar and sir it
up. A little heat can help speed the sugar dissolving process.
7. MIXED EVERYTHING TOGETHER! pomelo and smash peanut can be added last as topping.
7. MIXED EVERYTHING TOGETHER! pomelo and smash peanut can be added last as topping.
Have you
ever try any salad similar to this? Have you heard of pomelo salad? If yes,
tell me about your experience when you had this salad, did you like it? Why or
why not?
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Canh Chua Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Shrimp Soup
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| Canh Chua Tom (Sweet and Sour Shrimp) Taken By Susan Tran |
Serving: 4
Time: 40 minutes
Cost: $20 to $25
Beside pho, Vietnamese cuisine also has an amazing sour
soup that can make the inside of your mouth pinch, yet, the brain is telling
you to sip! Sip! Sip!
The Sour Soup is a flavorful
and colorful soup that originated near the Mekong Delta River in South Vietnam.
People in this region rely heavily on the river as their main food source, so
people commonly use fresh fish to make this tasty soup.
The two main ingredients that are very popular and are used to prepare this soup, are shrimp and fish. I will also talk about why I prefer to use shrimp over fish.
The two main ingredients that are very popular and are used to prepare this soup, are shrimp and fish. I will also talk about why I prefer to use shrimp over fish.
Shrimp vs Fish
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| Live Shrimp By: LucyPB2urjelly |
Shrimp is way faster to cook with!
Peel, cut and cook! The broth and shrimp should be cooked in separate pots, because overcooking shrimp will cause it to shrink. Once the shrimp is done cooking you can set it aside until the broth is done. Another reason why we should
add the shrimp in last is because we
don’t want to lose the sweet juicy flavor. TIP: For a better redder shrimp, you should leave the shell on and add a bit
of water (just enough to cover the shrimps) along with a pinch of salt and seal
it with a lid (Be careful of the overflow when the lid is on). (The shrimp should be fully cooked after 4 to 5 minutes at a high boiling
temperature)
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| Live Catfish by C Simmons |
Fish! The preparation for fish takes longer than shrimp! I never
like fish at all because during my childhood I choked on a fish bone and it was my worst
nightmare. That wasn't the only bad part about it! If a fish isn't cleaned correctly, a
foul smell will make it very hard for you to enjoy this delicious broth! Even
though, it may take a lot of work people still prefer to eat
this. If your main ingredient is fish, after cleaning the fish properly, you
can just add it in along with your broth and veggies. Fish takes longer to cook! (Depending on the size of the fish. Is it whole?
Sliced? chopped up?)
I love to use shrimp in most my of dishes because I haven't achieved the level of being able to prep a fish and leave it scentless. Another reason why is because shrimp are faster to cook and less work is needed. That is why I decide to use shrimp for this recipe.
Beside the main ingredient (fish or shrimp), you will also need to add pineapple, tomato, beansprouts and a variety selection of healthy herbs such as Vietnamese taro stem and Vietnamese rice paddy herb (Optional: which I didn't use for this soup).
Vietnamese Taro Stem Taken by Susan Tran
Sweet and Sour SHRIMP Soup Ingredients:
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| Ingredients for Sour Shrimp Soup Taken By Susan Tran |
- Peeled & Deveined shrimp
- 2 fresh chopped tomatoes
- 1 can of chunk
- 2 giant chicken broth can (save a lot of time but you can also review BBH blog if you want to start off from scratch)
- 1 Red/Green/Orange bell pepper sliced (any bell pepper will work; depending on your preference)
- 1 small bag of bean sprout
- 1 stick of sliced Vietnamese Taro Stem (Bac Ha)
- Steam Rice or Small rice Vermicelli noodle
- Chopped mints
- Steam Rice or Small rice Vermicelli noodle
- Chopped mints
- 2 tablespoon of tamarind powder
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| Tamarind Powder Taken by Susan Tran |
- 6 okra sliced
How do we eat this??
1. Kick back and Hot Pot!
Hot
Pot, is the easiest and fastest way to enjoy this soup. Less work is needed for
the kitchen host because all you need to do is prepare the broth and wash the
veggies. After all ingredients are clean, you may set your table. It is best if
you eat this with (small) rice vermicelli noodle!
Instruction for hot pot!
The peeled and deveined shrimps can be added in along the veggies
Instruction for hot pot!
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| Campbell's Can Broth Taken by Susan Tran |
1. Wash all veggies and set them on plate
2. Set up the broth in the pot and add tamarind powder
3. Turn on the fire and you can slowly add the ingredients into the pot. You may scoop it out after 8 minutes.
2. Family meal!
Just
like any other typical Asian dinner, a soup is always a must! This means more work for the person in charge of
cooking because when eating sour soup, it is best served with a bowl of steamed rice!
Instruction For family dinner way!
The shrimp should be cooked separately and added in last for this
1. Set up the first pot for the shrimp and cook them. After 5 minutes with hot boiling water closed lid. Peel & devein them.
2. You should wash all the herbs and then slice the veggies
3. Set up the broth in the second pot and you can add the greens along with the tamarind powder and boil it for 8 minutes
4. Add the beansprout and the shrimp into the second pot after it has boiling for 7 minutes
5. Pour it out into a bowl
6. Add a few chopped mint and sliced Thai chili as topping
Have you ever try this type of soup before? If yes, Let me know what you think of it.
Horrible,
Sincerely
The person stuck proof reading this.
Coming soon: Goi Buoi Tom Thit Pomelo Salad with Shrimp and Roast Pork
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
The Ultimate Spicy Delicious Bun Bo Hue!
BUN BO HUE
Spicy Lemongrass Beef Soup
Taken by Susan Tran
Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Cost: $25
Serving: 4 serving
Are you suffering from a bad headache after your crazy
late Friday night? Are you suffering from that nasty flu that blocks off your
sinus from the rest of the world? The word Pho is blinking nonstop on your
mind? I need to get some is all you can think of? We all have been there! It
isn’t fun. But no worries! I am here to save you!
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2 large 32 quart pots
-
1.5 lbs pork bones
-
1.5 lbs beef bones (optional)
-
1.5 lbs chicken bones
-
1.5 lbs sliced ham hocks
-
1.5 lbs beef shank
-
2 pieces of pig feet cut (when purchase, you
should ask them to cut it into 1 inch)
-
2 small yellow onion
-
1 small bag of beansprout
-
1 small cabbages or banana blossom
- Mints (Vietnamese mint and Thai basil)
-
1 bunch of cilantro
-
1 bunch of green onions
-
1 lime
-
Oily chili ( if you don’t have them. You can buy
chilli flakes and minced up lemongrass to prepare them at home)
-
1 table spoon of salt
-
1 table spoon of sugar
-
1 teaspoon of Shrimp paste
Are you ready to test it out for yourself? Let the magic
begin!
ALWAYS START OFF with WARM OR HOT WATER so the ingredients
will cook faster and we won’t have to waste the 3 minutes waiting for it to
boil hot.
Prepping for the Special BROTH: POT NUMBER 1 (Time: 7 minutes)
*Before starting on
the Broth itself all meats (listed below) must be cooked at high boiling
temperature for 7 minutes. Why? Cooking like this can help you obtain clearer
broth at the end. When cooking at this temperature an oily and brown cloudy
substance will form at the top layer so it will be easier to scoop out.
*The beef bone is
optional because beef bone tends to leave a brown broth which is not clear like
the typical chicken broth.
2 large 32 quart pots
1.5 lbs pork bones
1.5 lbs beef bones (optional)
1.5 lbs chicken bones
1.5 lbs sliced ham hocks
1.5 lbs beef shank
2 pieces of pig feet cut (when purchased, you should ask
them to cut it into 1 inch chunks)
AFTER 7 MINUTES.. Scoop out all
ingredients, rinse it with cold water and transfer all solid ingredients into
pot 2.
After transferring the solid over, fill the pot with warm
water so you can conserve more time.
Leave the pot on the stove with medium heat so there won’t be
any bubbly bubble boiling. Too hot and boiling bubbly can ruin the broth.
-
Meat and bones from pot 1
-
Add in one peeled yellow onion
-
1 tablespoon of sugar
-
1 tablespoon of salt
-
Add the smashed lemongrass (You should be able to smell the fragrance of lemongrass)
30 MINS later
you can scoop out the pork meat
1 hour later
the beef should be good to go and ready to be slice.
WHILE WAITING FOR THE BROTH TO COOK we can save time by jumping over to the sink and washing all the herbs and also prepare the noodles.
Taken by Susan Tran
FRESH HERBS & SAUCE: (20 minutes)/(cost: 3 dollars)
While waiting for your soup, to conserve time, hop over
to your sink and wash the veggies needed for the soup. The following herbs will
need to be washed and set on your clean dry plate:
(It’s best if you wash the herbs and veggies and place them in a basket with a bowl underneath so your herbs and veggies will be dry
by the time you set them on your plate)
-
Banana cabbages (sliced) if not regular slice
cabbage would work too!
-
Fresh herbs mints wash
-
Bean Sprout wash (optional)
-
Wash and chop up yellow onion, green onion, and
cilantro, mixed them together.
Taken by Susan Tran
Chili for the
broth: dry chili flakes and frozen minced up lemongrass (could be purchase at the local market) heated (separated) on the pan
for a quick 3 minutes and add in bowl together. Lastly, add cooking oil.
Scoop out the pork and slice them up, here we can also
work on slicing up the fancy pork patty (cha lua)
1 Hour is up!!!
Check and see if the meat is fully cooked, if it is:
-
Slice up the final beef shank
-
Add in 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste into the broth
( we add it in now because the shrimp paste has a very strong scent and we don’t want the
meat to soak it up and make it hard for the consumer to eat it)
-
Have the noodle in bowl, add the meat topping on
and one teaspoon of chili
-
You may pour the soup in now and add the chopped
cilantro, yellow and white onion topping on it. Don’t forget the chili!
Enjoy! Do you have a different simpler way of making bun bo hue? Did you have any memorable experience when you had your first bun bo hue?
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Viet! Viet! Viet FOOD!
I love food! Who doesn’t? Growing up with the fact that my parents own a small Vietnamese restaurant that has been in business for twenty-one years, I have access to an unlimited number of authentic Vietnamese goodies twenty four- seven. I've been eating Vietnamese cuisine for almost twenty years, and I am still satisfied with the special, fresh, healthy herbs and spices used in almost every recipe. Mmmm! Just thinking of all the savory Vietnamese meals is making my blood rush all over my body.
Taken by Susan Tran
Bun Bo Xao Sa
Spicy Beef Lemongrass vermicelli noodle
Vietnamese food isn’t only good for your belly, but it is also good for your body, especially, your Saturday hangover. The reason why I wanted to start this blog is because I want to help spread this amazing cuisine and put it out there for everyone else to enjoy. Sharing is caring right?
Taken by Susan Tran
Banh Khot
Vietnamese Mini Crepe
Three years ago, cooking was my weakest area and I hated it, but when you’re new in the kitchen and in your hand is a recipe that looks like a crossword puzzle. One word! Confusing! Some recipes aren’t that straight forward and are extremely long. Just looking at the recipes is enough to turn you off! A recipe shouldn’t be like a manuscript. Standing in the kitchen holding a pot in one hand and a recipe in the other isn’t fun!
Crossword Picture fully Credit to Montclair Made
So, I am hoping my blog might come in handy to any kitchen fan out there. Ladies and gentlemen, if you are looking for some healthy Vietnamese recipes that are easy and quick to cook, here is your chance to impress that partner of yours!
Taken By Susan Tran
Goi Cuon Fresh pork and shrimp summer rolls
PHO! PHO! PHO! Is what the majority of customers always
order when entering a Vietnamese restaurant! The SAME OLD PHO AND SPRING ROLLS is
what they order every single time. Pho is good because the broth is
very tasty and soothing and YES! It is the best cure for our Saturday hangover, but there are other soups that can leave you feeling refreshed and
better.
SO NEXT TIME! When you walk into a Vietnamese restaurant, try
something new because you might discover your new favorite dish! Better yet! YELP the restaurant! Trust me, I know
all of this because I been there. From sitting in a high chair observing to
now running and serving special delicious Vietnamese dishes, I've seen it all.
Stay Tuned for my steamy soup! The best cure for a hangover! NOT PHO!
No more walking into dimly lit restaurants with sunglasses, so
you can avoid attracting attention in that restaurant! There is no need to
embarrass your self and let everyone know that you had a fun Friday night.
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