Italian Spaghetti with meat sauce

Ingredients: serves 5 people.

-          300g ground beef.

-          5 tomatoes, deseeded, finely diced.

-          4 tbsp tomato ketchup.

-          1 onion, finely diced.

-          2 tsp oregano.

-          1 tbsp broth mix.

-          2 garlic cloves, finely minced.

-          1 tbsp butter.

-          2 tbsp olive oil.

-          1 tbsp vegetable oil

-          400g dried spaghetti.

-          1 tsp ground black pepper.

Method:

1)      Put the olive oil into a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, butter and stir-fry until fragrant.

2)      Add tomatoes, stir-fry for 10 minutes. When they have softened, add the tomato ketchup. Turn down the heat to low . Simmer them for 10 minutes.

3)      In the meanwhile, cook the dried spaghetti: Add the spaghetti into a boiling pot of water. Boil for 8 minutes. Drain the cooked spaghetti into a colander. Add 1 tbsp vegetable into the spaghetti. Toss them well for the spaghetti is separated.

4)      Look for the frying pan. If the sauce is doned, add the broth mix, oregano and the ground beef. Cook for more 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with the ground pepper and remove from the heat.

Serving:

In each serving platter, place the warm spaghetti . Then pour the beef sauces on the center of the spaghetti.

And enjoy !

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Fried rice with lotus seed

 Ingredients: serves 5 people

-             500 g pre-cooked rice.

-             75 g dried lotus seeds, boiled for 20 minutes to soften, drained.

-             100 g fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, diced.

-             100 g ham, diced or cut into strips 2 inches long.

-             100 g Petit pois, boild for 5 minutes with 1 tsp salt, soaked in ice-water to cool, drained.

-             2 tbsp cooking oil.

-             2 garlic clove, minced, divided.

-             2 small red shallots, minced.

-             ½ ground pepper.

-             ½ tsp salt.

-             1 tsp sugar.

-             1 tsp broth mix.

-             scallions, coriander, minced  for garnishing.

Cooking:

1)      Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Add half the garlic and shallots, stir-fry for 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add shrimp, petit pois. Then transfer to a bow.

2)      Pour 1 tbsp oil into the wok. Add half the garlic, stir-fry until fragrant. Add the rice, broth mix, salt, sugar. Stir-fry to mix well.

3)      Add the lotus seeds, stir-fried shrimp and petit pois. Continue to stir-fry until well blended.

4)      Turn off the heat.

Serving:

-          Place the fried rice on a serving platter.

-          Sprinkle the scallions, coriander leaves, pepper on top.

-          Serve hot.

-          Eating with hot soy sauce.

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Sir-fried black forest mushrooms with garlic

Ingredients: serves 3 people

·         20 dried forest mushrooms.

·         2 tbsp cooking oil.

·         3 cloves garlic, minced.

·         1 tbsp rice vinegar.

·         1 tsp broth mix.

·         1 tsp granulated sugar

·         ½ tsp ground pepper.

·         1 tsp coriander, finely chopped.

Preparation:

-          Soaking the mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. When they have softened, squeeze them with your hands to remove the excess water.

-          Cut each mushroom into 4 small pieces.

Cooking:

1)      Heat a large frying pan over a high heat until it becomes hot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the oil to the frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir fry for about 20-30 seconds.

2)      When the garlic is aromatic, add the mushoorm. Stir-fry for 3 minutes over a high heat.

3)      Add the vinegar, broth mix, sugar, pepper. Combine them well.

4)      Add the coriander. Toss again and turn the heat off.

Serving:

-          Transfer the stir-fried mushrooms  to a serving platter.

-          Eating with warm rice.

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Vietnamese chicken and cabbage salad

Ingredients: serves 5 people.

• 500 g chicken breasts, cooked, shredded into 2-inch lengths.
• ½  savoy cabbage, finely shredded.
• 1 onion, finely sliced.
• 2 carrot, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks.
• 1 cup fresh laksa leaves, torn and chopped.
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped.
• 75g unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped.

Dressing:

§  2 garlic cloves, minced.

§  1 fresh hot red chili, deseeded, minced.

§  3 tablespoon fresh lime juice.

§  2 tablespoon rice vinegar.

§  3 tablespoon refined white sugar.

§  2 tablespoon fish sauce.

Method:

1)      Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well combined.

2)      In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, carot together. Then pour the dressing over them, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3)      Add the shredded chicken and half the peanuts. Toss for 5 minutes.

4)      Add half the laska leaves and toss to combine well.

Serving:

Transfer the salad to a flat plate. Sprinkle the remaining laska leaves, coriander leaves and peanuts.

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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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