stir-fried water spinach with garlic

Ingredients: ( serves: 5 people)

 -          a bunch of water spinach ( 500 g), washed, cut into 2-inch length.

-          4 garlic cloves, finely minced, divided

-          2 tbp cooking oil.

-          1 tsp sesame oil.

-          1 tsp broth mix.

-          1 tsp sugar.

-          1 fresh red chili, thinly chopped, divided.

-          Ground pepper.

Method:

1)      Blanch the water spinach in boiling water in just 30 seconds. Remove and soak in ice water until it is no longer warm. Then drain in a colander to remove all excess water.

2)      In a fryingpan, add cooking oil over medium heat. Add half of minced garlics , stir-fry in 1 minutes until they are golden brown.

3)      Place half of chopped chili, and the water spinach.

4)      Season with broth mix, sugar and sesame oil.

5)      Stir fry in 2 minutes. Then add the remaining garlic and red chili. Allow them to fry for 30 seconds.

6)      Remove from the heat.

Serving:

-          Serve in a flat white plate. Sprinkle with some ground pepper.

-          Eating with warm rice.

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Vietnamese sweet and sour fish sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced.
• 1 hot red chili, seeds removed, minced.
• 3 tablespoons lime juice.
• 4 tablespoons refined white sugar.
• 2/3 cup fish sauce.
• 1 cup hot water.

Preparation:

Follow the below steps:

1)      In a small bowl, add the garlic, chili, sugar, lime juice first. Stir them all.2)      Then add fish sauce. Continue stirring. 
3)      Add the hot water and stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.

Serving:

-   It is commonly used as a dressing for salads, or dipping sauce.

- You should use the hot water because it help dissolving the sugar rapidly and releasing the fragrance of spices and fish sauce.

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Bitter melon soup

 Ingredients: ( serves 5 people).

•   5 bitter melons .
• 1 tsp fish sauce. 
•  1 tbs cooking oil.
• Salt, sugar, broth mix, ground pepper.
• 4 stalks scallions. Half cut in 2 inch-length, half finely chopped.
• 1 tbs chopped corianders.

For pork stuffing:

§  200 g ground lean pork.

§  1 egg whites.

§  1 dried wood ear mushroom, 2 inches in diameter, soaked in hot water about 20 minutes, drain and thinly cut.

§  1 small bunch of bean thread noodles, soaked in warm tap water about 5 minutes, drain and cut  in 2 inch length.

§  1 shallot, minced.

§  1 tsp sesam oil.

§  2 tsp fish sauce.

§  1 tsp ground pepper.

§  1 tsp sugar.

§  1 tsp broth mix.

Preparation: 
1)      In a fryingpan, add cooking oil over medium heat, then add the minced shallots. Stir-fry until the shallots have become golden brown. Remove from the heat. 
2)      Combine all inredients of pork stuffing together in a small bowl. Then add the fried shallots . Mix well. Get aside about 30 minutes. 
3)    Use a sharp knife cut the ends off the bitter melon and cut in half lengthwise (do not peel). Scrape out the seeds and pith from the middle of the melon with a small spoon. Wash in clean water and drain in a colander. 
4)      Use a soupspoon to stuff the bitter melons with the pork stuffing.

Cooking: 
1)      Bring a pot of water to a boil. 
2)      Place the stuffed bitter melon in the boiling water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. 
3)   Then reduce the heat to medium in about 30 minutes. Add the 2-inch lengh scallions and season with sugar, broth mix, and fish sauce. Taste test and turn off the heat.

Serving: 
-     Cut the bitter melon into 2-inche length pieces.Transfer them to a large bowl. Ladle the hot soup into the bowl. 
-          Sprinkle some ground pepper and garnish with chopped scallions and corianders. 
-          Eating with warm rice.

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Vietnamese Pork Roll

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Fried Chicken Wings with Fish Sauce.

( serves 5 people )

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg chicken wings.
•  5 garlic cloves, finely minced.
•  3 tablespoon fish sauce.
• tablespoons sugar.
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper.
•  1 red chilli, chopped
• Cooking oil for deep frying.
• Some tomatoes, cucumber: sliced (for garnishing).

Preparation: 

1.  In a large bowl, marinate chicken wings with 2 teaspoon minced garlic,  1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce for  about 30 minutes.
2.   Prepare the sauce: in small bowl, add 1 tablespoon water, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoons sugar, stirring well to dissolve sugar.

Process:

1.  Heat oil in frying pan. Deep fry chicken wings until golden brown. Set aside on a plate.
2.  In a clean large wok or frying pan, add 2 tablespoon cooking oil under medium heat. Add 2 teaspoon minced garlic, chopped red chillies, stirring. Add fried chicken, stirring, then pour the marinated solution over the wings. Reduce the heat to simmer the chicken in the solution. Stir and coat the chicken  for 5 minutes.
3. Then continue to add the sauce, stir sauce around the wings until they are golden brown. Turn off the heat.

Serving:

 In a large plate, place sliced tomatoes and cucumber , then add the wings. Pour the sauce remaining in the wok over the wings. You can use this dish  with tomato sauce and red chili sauce.

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Fried crab with tamarind

( Serves: 5 people).

Ingredients:

·         2 kg fresh crabs

·         cooking oil. ( for frying)

·         2 tablespoon tamarind juice.

·         1 tablespoon oyster sauce.

·         1 tablespoon sesame oil.

·         2 clove garlic, minced.

·         half teaspoon ground pepper.

·         1 small onion, halved lengthways and cut into thin wedges.

·         2 tablespoons saw tooth herb, chopped

·         2 tablespoons coriander, chopped.

·         2 tablespoons sugar.

·         1 tablespoon broth mix.

·         1 tablespoon fish sauce.

Preparation:

To prepare the crabs for cooking, follow these steps below:

-          Clean the crabs: dump the crabs into a sink. Under cold running water, press down hard on the carapace, pinning the crab underneath your palm.Use the other hand scrub the carapace with a brush. Do the same with the back and legs of the crabs.

-          Get the carapace off . Keep the carapace because there is some stuff in there that you can eat, and it is a good decoration for your dish.

-          Use a scissor to cut the entire mouth part off.

-          Flip the crab over and pry the abdomen off.

-          Twist off claws and legs. Clean them under cold running water. Use the flat side of large knife, gently crack the crab claws and legs.

-          Use a knife to cut the crab in half lengthwise.

Cooking:

1)      Heat the cooking oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the crab pieces for 5 minutes, turning to coat all sides . Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. ( working in batches)

2)      Mix well together the tamarind juice, sugar, broth mix, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil.

3)      Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat in a clean wok. Add the minced garlic and stir until golden. Add the onion and stir  until just softened,  (about 1 minutes).

4)      Add the tamarind mixture to the wok. Bring to a boil. Taste test and season again until the sauce matches your taste.

5)      Add the crab pieces  and toss well to coat with the sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer until the tamarind sauce is slightly reduced and sticky. Add sawtooth herb, coriander, ground pepper and turn off the heat.

Serving: 5 people.

-          Transfer the crabs to a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the crabs.
-     Garnish with sliced cucummbers and corianders.
-          The best way to devour is to eat with your hands. Now, Enjoy !

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Braised pork with coconut juice with eggs

  

Ingredients: ( serves 10 people)

• 500 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 10 eggs
• 2 tablspoon cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced, divived
• 2 fresh red chillies. 
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper ( black, white).
• 300 ml young coconut juice.
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoons suger
• broth mix.

Preparation:

Season the meat : put the pork in a large bowl, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic,1 teaspoon broth mix, 1 teaspoons suger, 1 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon pepper . Use a chopstick to mix them well. Keep them in a fridge for 1 hour.

Method:

1. Put the oil in  a saucepot and place it over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add 2 teaspoon garlic the meat. Brown it well on all sides, turning , about 30 minutes, perhaps longer.
2. When the meat is brown, add the coconut juice, fish sauce, suger and raise the heat, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low once again. 
3.  In the meanwhile, boil the eggs in another small pot. When the eggs is cooked, transfer them to a colander and peel them under the cold running water.
4. Add the eggs to the saucepot.

5. Cook for at least an hour, ajdust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily.
6. Stirring every 20 minutes. Do not let the bottom burn.
7. You can add more water if the mixutre becomes too thick, or if you want.
8. Cook until the meat is quite tender, add the remaining minced garlic, red chilli. Wait for 30 minutes. Taste test .
9. When it perfect, remove from the heat .
10. If it is too thick, add a little more water, perhaps about 100 ml or  and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is creamy.
11. Ready for eating.
12. You can keep it in  the fridge for a week.  Reheating, adding a little more water to thin the stew if necessary.

Serving: 10 people.

Place it to a bowl. Garnish with fresh sliced red chilli, coriander. Eating with warm rice is the best.

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