Pumpkin soup with shrimp

Ingredients: serves 5 portions

-          500 g pumpkin

-          150g -200 g shrimp

-          500 -700 ml clean water

-          2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

-          2 stalks scallion, washed, green crispy part only, sliced into thin rings

-          1 tablespoon sesame oil

-          1/2  teaspoon table salt

-          2 teaspoons granulated sugar

-          1 teaspoon broth mix (pork or chicken)

-          1 tablespoon fish sauce

-          ½  teaspoon ground pepper.

Preparation:

-          Shrimp: use a scissor to cut claws and legs. Soak in light salt water in 10 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and well drain in a colander.

-          Pumpkin: peel, remove seeds, wash and well drain.  Cut into 1- inch cubes.

Cooking:

1.               Heat 500- 700 ml water in a large pot over hight flame . Bring to a boil. Add the pumpkin cubes. Cover and cook until pumpkin cubes are soft ( it spends about 15-20 minutes). Transfer the pumpkin cubes to a bowl, and use a food processer to finely grind them with a little water ( about 100 - 150 ml) into a paste.

2.               Continue adding the shrimps into this boiling pot and cook for about10 minutes. Use a ladle to transfer the shrimps to a bowl. Set aside to cool the shrimps. Peel and remove the heads and tails. Slice the shirmps in smaller pieces, in half  lengthwise , or leave them whole if you want.

3.               Lower the flame to simmer, use a ladle to skim any scum and froth that rise on surface. It will help the water more clear.

4.               Return the pumpkin paste into the  broth. Leave the pot uncovered and gently stir.

5.               Taste and adjust flavor with additional broth mix, sugar, fish sauce, and sesame oil. Turn off the heat.

Serving:

-          Ladle the warm pumpkin soup in a individual bowl. Put some shrimps on top. Sprinkle with some pepper and sliced scallions. And enjoy with your soup spoon !

Read more »

Pumpkin soup with ground pork.

Ingredients: serves 4-6 portions

-          400 g pumpkin, peeled ,washed and drained, cut into 1-1.5 inch cubes or the desired size.

-          200 g lean pork, ground or finely chopped.

-          100 ml pork broth ( optional)

-          1 liter clean water

-          2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

-          2 stalks scallion, washed, green crisp part only, sliced into thin rings

-          2 stalks fresh rice paddy herb,( called ngò om in Vietnam), trim ½ inch of the stems, washed, finely chopped

-          1 tablespoon cooking oil

-          1/2  teaspoon table salt

-          2 teaspoons granulated sugar

-          1 teaspoons broth mix ( Magiee or Knorr)

-          1 tablespoon fish sauce

-          ½  teaspoon ground pepper

For the marinade:

•  2 cloves shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon broth mix
•  ½  teaspoon granulated sugar
•  ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Preparation:

Place the ground lean pork in a mixing bowl. Add the marinade ingredients. Stir to combine well and set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.

Cooking:

1.      Pour the oil into a pot and heat over medium. When the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic. Stir for about 15-20 seconds until aromatic, then add the pork. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until the pork turns white and nearly cooked. 

2.      Add the pork broth and water. Increase the heat to medium hight and bring to a boil. 

3.      Add the pumkin cubes and bring to a boil. Use ladle to remove any scum or froth that rises to surface. Cover the pot 

4.      Return the flame to medium low, and cook for 30 minutes or until pumpkin pieces are tender. 

5.      Season with table salt, granualted sugar, broth mix and fish sauce. Taste to suit your flavor. 

6.      Turn off the heat. Finally­, add the chopped rice paddy herb and sliced scallion.

Serving:

-          Ladle the pumpkin soup in a large bowl. Sprinkle with ground pepper.

-          Eating with warm rice.

Read more »

Congee with lean pork

Ingredients: serves 5 people

-             50 g fresh rice

-             200-300 g lean pork

-             2 carrot

-             ½ teaspoon table salt

-             1 teaspoon granulated sugar

-             1 teaspoon ground pepper

-             1 stalks of coriander

-             3 stalks of scallion

-             1 tablespoon of cooking oil

-             1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Preparation:

-          Lean pork: wash and drain. Bring to a grinder to ground or finely chop with a sharp knife on a cutting board.

-          Carrot: peeled, wash and drain. Dice into 1 inch pieces.

-          Scallion: wash and drain. Separate the green and the white part. Reserve the white part for cooking use later. Mince the green part and put into a small bowl for serving.

-          Coriander: wash and well drain. Finely chop and put into serving bowl.

-          Wash the rice : Add the rice into a mixing bowl. Pour about 0.5 liter of water . Use your hand gently make circles around. Don’t rub the rice grains together so hard. Drain the water off.

Cooking:

1.            Put rice into a pot, or a rice cooker. Pour the water in the rice. The ratio of rice and water should be 1: 4. Start the power to cook.

2.            In the meanwhile,  heat 2 tablesoons of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon minced scallion and half of ground lean pork. Add 1 teaspoon broth mix and ½ ground pepper. Saute for just 1 minutes and remove from the heat.

3.            When the rice boils, add half of ground pork . Continue to cook. Adjust the heat to medium low. Occasionally open the lid and stir the contents slowly to prevent sticking and burning.

4.            Add the diced carrot and simmer for 30 minutes.

5.            As the rice is cooked very soft and the soup turns milky, just place sauted meat and and white part scallion.

6.            Add sugar, broth mix, and table salt.

7.            Finally add the fish sauce and sesame oil. Taste to match your flavor.

8.            Turn off the heat and prepare for serving.

Serving:

-                Spoon the congee into individual serving bowls.

-                Sprinkle with ground pepper, chopped coriander and minced scallion.

-                Serve hot with  hot soy sauce or fish sauce.

Read more »

Simple stir-fried sweet potato leaves with garlic

Ingredients:
( serves: 4 people)

-          a bunch of sweet potato leaves ( 500 g), washed and well drained, trim ½ inch from the stem, cut into 2-inch length.

-          4 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced, divided in half.

-          1 small fresh hot red chili, seed removed, thinly sliced, divided in half

-          2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

-          1 teaspoon sesame oil.

-          1 teaspoon broth mix.

-          1 teaspoon granulated sugar.

-          1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce ( optional)

-          ½ ground black pepper.

Method:

1.      In a fryingpan or a wok, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot,  add half of minced garlic. Stir-fry in 45 seconds to 1 minute until they are golden brown.

2.      Add half of sliced chili, and the sweet potato leaves

3.      Season with broth mix, sugar and fish sauce ( or soysauce). Stir fry in 2 minutes.

4.      You can add more water if the mixture becomes too thick, or if you want.

5.      Then add the remaining minced garlic,  sliced red chili, and sesame oil. Toss to combine well. Allow them to fry for 30 seconds.

6.      Remove from the heat.

Serving:

-          Transfer the sweet potato leaves  to a flat white plate. Sprinkle with some ground pepper.

-          Eating with warm rice and sweet hot soy sauce

Read more »

Fried fetal duck egg with tamarind

( Serves: 4-6 people).

Ingredients:

-          8-12 fetal duck eggs, washed

-          3 -5 tablespoons vegetable oil. ( for deep frying)

-          3- 5 tablespoons tamarind

-          1 tablespoon cornstarch

-          1 tablespoon oyster sauce.

-          1 tablespoon sesame oil.

-          3-5 cloves garlic, minced.

-          2 fresh hot red chilies, seed removed, minced

-          2 small onions, halved lengthways and cut into thin wedges.

-          2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

-          ½  teaspoon table salt

-          2 tablespoon fish sauce.

-          3-5 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

-          1 teaspoon ground pepper.

-          some stalks saw tooth herb, finely chopped

-          some stalks coriander, finely chopped.

-          Some stalks laksa leaves for garnish

Cooking:

1.               Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fetal duck eggs and boil until them are cooked , ( perhaps 10-15 minutes ). Transfer the eggs to a colander . Rinse and peel the eggs under cool running tap water 

2.               Heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat. Deep fry the fetal duck eggs for 15-20 minutes, turning to coat all sides . As they are  crispy and golden brown on the outside, use a slotted spoon to  remove them and set aside in a large bowl ( working in batches).

3.               Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over high heat in a clean wok. Add the minced garlic and stir until golden.  Add tamarind, salt, and sugar. Toss well. Add a cup of water and lower the heat to simmer. When the tamarine mixture is done, turn off the heat and  remove the tamarine seeds.

4.               In a frying pan or a wok, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the fried eggs, sauce for 1 minutes for the outside crispy.

5.               Add the tamarind mixture to the wok and toss well to coat  the eggs.

6.               Add the onion, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and stir gently until the onion just softened,  (about 1 minutes). Taste test and season again until the sauce matches your taste.

7.               Reduce the heat and simmer until the tamarind sauce is slightly reduced and sticky.

8.               In a small bowl , combine cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons clean water. Toss to mix well and pour into the tamarind sauce above.

9.               Add minced chillies and stir lightly.

10.           Finally, add sawtooth herb, coriander, ground pepper and turn off the heat.

Serving:

• Transfer the fried eggs to a serving dish. Pour the tamarind sauce over the eggs.
•  Top with coarsely chopped peanut and some laksa leaves.
• Now enjoy hot with your spoons

Read more »