Fresh spring roll

Ingredients: serve 5 people.

-          1 kg rice vermicelli.

-          30 rice paper wrappers.

-          20 medium shrimps.

-          300 g pork belly.

-          Lettuce leaves.

-          5 fresh cucumbers, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced on the diagonal.

-          mint leaves.

-          Thai basil leaves.

-          Fish mint herb leaves.

-          Chives, cut into 2- inch lengths.

Directions:

1)    Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the shrimps and cook until pink, ( perhaps 3 minutes ). Transfer the shrimps to a bowl. Peel and slice the shrimps in half lengthwise.

2)      Continue to add pork belly into the pot. Add some salt and broth mix. Cook until it’s done. ( around 15 minutes). Transfer and thinly slice it.

3)      Add the rice vermicelli, boil for just 1 minute. Strain in a colander. Run under cold running water until cool and set aside to drain.

4)      Time for rolling: Prepare a bowl of water.

5)      Lay the wrapper on a plate or another flate surface ( as a chopping board).

6)      Dip your hand in the water. sprinkle it on the wrapper and expand around until it’s soft.

7)    Put a  lettuce leaf first. Then the noodles, mint leaves, thai basil leaves, fish mint herb leaves, 1 cucumber stick, 1 chives stick. Continue adding 2 shrimp halves and 2 pork slices. Make sure to arrange all them in a row.

8)     Fold up the bottom, then the two sides; continue rolling up, keeping the wrapper firmly around the ingredients. Be careful not to press too tightly so as to avoid tearing the wrapper. Set the spring roll on a plate.

9)      Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Serving:

-          When you have assembled all the spring rolls, serve them immediately.

-         Use with the sweet and sour fish sauces as a dipping. See also for different sauce recipes: http://enjoyhomecooking.blogspot.com/search/label/Sauces

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Grilled snail with fish sauce

Ingredients: serves 5 people.

-          1 kg snails.

-          3 tbsp fish sauce.

-          1.5 tbsp minced garlic.

-          1 tbsp minced ginger.

-          1 tsp ground black pepper.

-          1 tbsp granulated sugar.

Preparation:

-          Wash the shell of snails to remove the dirt outside.

-          Smash a red hot chili and put it in a sink of cold tapping water.

-          Put the snails into the sink and soak them for 2 hour.

-          Drain them in a colander.

Cooking:

1)      Combine fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, black pepper into a bowl. Stir them to mix well.

2)      Put the snails into a large bowl.

3)      Use a tablepoon to get the above sauce and pour into each snail. Leave them alone for 20 minutes.

4)      Then put the snails onto a coal fire. Grill them for 30 minutes. 

Serving:

-          Use tongs to transfer the snails to a large plate and serve at once.

-          Eating with ginger fish sauce and laksa leaves.

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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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