Vietnamese sweet and sour pork spareribs

This is recipe from my mom. It’s quite simple but so stunning. You should make at home for dinner because your family need energy to continue the day’s task like work, studying…And a hot, succulent and fragrant meal will refresh all of you.

Ingredients: serves 4-6 people

-    1 pound pork spareribs, bone in, cleaned and drained, cut into bite-sized pieces ( around 1.5 inches)

-          2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

-          2 small red shallot, peeled and finely diced

-          3 medium- size ripe tomatoes, diced into small pieces

-          1 tablespoon white vinegar

-          1 teaspoon cornstarch

-          1 scallions, green part only, sliced into thin rings.

-          1 hot fresh chili, sliced into thin rings

-          2 tablespoons cooking oil

-          clean water

For the marinade:

-       1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

-       1 tablespoon fish sauce

-       2 teaspoons granulated sugar

-       1 teaspoon seasame oil.

Garnishes arranged on a plate and placed at the table:

-          1 cucumber, thinly sliced

-          2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

Accompaniments:

-             Soy sauce

-             Hot chili sauce

-             Tomato sauce

Method: 

1.            Combine the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add the spareribs and turn to coat in the marinade, then cover and marinated for 30 minutes. Drain off and reserve the marinade.

2.            Place a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tabespoons cooking oil. When hot, add the garlic and red shallot. Gently stir until fragrant and golden brown.

3.            Add the spareribs , sear and turn until golden brown on the outside.

4.            Pour 2-4 tablespoons water into the marinade. Stir well and add to cover the spareribs. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

5.            Add the tomatoes and continue to simmer until the tomatoes breakdown and thicken.

6.            In the meanwhile, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Stir well into a slurry.

7.            Add the cornstarch slurry and gently stir to thicken the sauce even more.

8.            Taste and adjust the flavor with the addional sugar, salt, fish sauce.

9.            Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Taste again. The sauce should be well sweet and sour.

10.        Finally top with chopped scallions and sliced chili.

11.        Remove from the heat. Transfer to a serving plate.

 

Serving:

Serve hot with the garnish plate.

Eating with warm rice and a dipping sauce as soy sauce, or/ and tomato sauce.

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Vietnamese beef noodle soup ( Pho)

“Pho”, a  simple soup of beef broth, herbs, spices and rice noodles,  is very popular throughout Vietnam and truly represents Vietnamese cuisine. While traditionally a breakfast food, it is now served at all time daily and eaten regularly by rich and poor alike.

You can have bowl of pho in Vietnamese noodle shops, in Vietnam or aboard. But why don’t you make it yourself ? There are a lot of recipes for Pho , from simple to complicated methods. Today, I would like to represent you a simple way to cook this delicous soup. It’s very easy and quick. It’s a best choice for breakfast when you haven’t too much time for cooking.

Ingredients: serves 4 people.

For the bowls:                                   

-          1 pound flat rice noodles.

-          2 medium onions, peeled and thickly sliced

-          1 pounds beef flank steak, frozen for 20 minutes, very thinly sliced.

-        4 scallions, green part only, sliced into thin rings ( Don’t throw away the white parts, which will be used for making the broth)

-          1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro

-          ground black pepper.

For the broth:

-          2 liters water

-          10 cups canned beef broth

-          2 tablespoons fish sauce

-          1 teaspoon salt

-          2 teaspoons granulated sugar

-       1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into 5 slices and lightly smashed with the flat side of a knife

-          1 cinnamon stick

-          3 pieces star anise

-          4 scallions, white part, cut into thin trips

-          2 tablespoons of cooking oil

Vegetable garnishes arranged on a plate and placed at the table:

-          2 fresh limes, cut into wedges.

-          1 red hot chily, thinly sliced.

-          1 bunch of thorny coriander

-          1 bunch of basil sprigs

-          1 bunch of fresh mint

-          1/2 pounds of fresh bean sprouts

Accompaniments:

-          Hot chilli sauce

-          Hoisin sauce.

Method:

Make the broth:

1.      Add 2 liters of water to pot, bring to boil over high heat.

2.      Add canned beef broth. Reduce the heat to gently simmer. Use ladle to remove any scum or froth that rises to surface.

3.      Saute the onions, ginger, star anise and cinnamon stick in a skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Saute until onions begin to brown. Transfer them all to the pot of beef broth.

4.    Add sugar, salt, fish sauce to the pot and bring to bowl. Add white parts of scallion.Then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

5.    Taste and adjust the flavor with the addional sugar, salt, fish sauce. The broth should taste slightly strong because the noodles is not salted.

6.      Add sliced beef to the broth. Allow the beef in hot broth. It will cook fast because the beef is thinly sliced, and no boiling is needed. Turn off the heat.

Assemble “ pho” bowls:

1.     Blanch noodles: boil water in a small pot and cook the flat rice noodles according to package direction. For each bowl, use long- handle strainer to blanch a portion of noodles. Empty noodles into bowls. Noodles should occupy 1/3 of the bowl.

2.     Blanch the bean sprouts if desired: blanch about 30 seconds in same pot. Drain and add to the garnish plate.

3.  Add other ingredients : Place cooked beef slices and garnish with onion, scallion, and chopped cilantro. Sprinkle black ground pepper.

4.    Ladle the broth : Ladle hot broth into each bowl, distributing hot liquid so as warm fresh ingredients specially onion.

Serving:

Serve hot immediately with the garnish plate.

Eating with hoisin sauce and hot chili sauce.

Using chopsticks and spoon to enjoy your delicious soup.

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My wife is number one (20.01.13)

A gameshow from Vietnam.
Helpful for family

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Fried breadfruit with sesame seeds

Breadfruit is a tropical tree related to Jackfruit. Breadfruit flesh is an excellent staple, rich in proteins and with a range of amino acids. It is low in saturated fat and Cholesterol and Sodium, and very high in Vitamin C.  It also contains lots of starch and fiber. When ripe, the breadfruit’s flesh will be sweet and the fruit has a nice fragrancy. With a large amount of nutrients, breadfruit has been considered as a nutritionally beneficial fruit. It’s a great option for children and vegan.

Ingredients: serves 3-5 people

-          1 breadfruit (400- 600g)

-          100g white sesame seeds

-          50-70 g flour

-          ½  teaspoon of turmeric powder

-          1 teaspoon of table salt

-          A cup of water

-          cooking oil ( for deep frying)

-          lightly saltwater solution for soaking.

Method:

1.      Wash and cut the breadfruit into four sections lengthwise. Remove the hard center core and peel. Slice them into the desired size ( thin pieces).

2.      Soak breadfruit pieces into lightly salt water about 5-10 minutes. Dry well in a colander.

3.      Combine the flour, turmeric powder and a cup of water in a large bowl. Toss to mix well. Then add salt. Mix to make a smooth paste.

4.      Dip breadfruit pieces, one by one, into the flour paste to make a light coating.

5.      Then roll them in the sesame seeds several times to make sure that they are well coated.

6.      Heat oil in a saucepan or a deep fryer over medium hight heat.

7.      When oil is hot, add breadfruit pieces in batches and deep fry until soft inside and golden both side.

8.      Remove from oil. Keep oil hot. Flatten each breadfruit piece in a flat bottomed bowl.

9.      Then return breadfruit pieces in batches into the oil pan. Deep fry, turning and submerging until they are crispy and golden brown on the outside, about 2-3 minutes.

10.  Remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

11.  Serve hot. Bon appetit !

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Grilled scallops on the half shell

Scallop - a shellfish with sweet dedicate flavor and pratically fat-free, found in all the world’s oceans. Scallop meat is so tender and succulent . It is an excellent source of protein, has many of the vitamins and minerals in good nutrition, and is low in fat.

Scallop with scallion oil is a stunning combination. Scallion oil has a strong fragrance, will help improve the smell of scallop meat and make the appearance look better. This recipe is a best choice for your family in weekends. Forget the stressful days, let your body and mind relax with this delicious scallop.

Ingredients: serves 4 portions

-          20 fresh bay scallops

-          500 g scallion

-          200 g laksa leaves

-          1 teaspoon of kosher salt

-          2 teaspoons of granulated sugar

-          3 tablespoons of cooking oil

-          100 g unsalted dry-roasted peanuts.

Method:

1.      Wash the scallops: remove any remaining side muscles from the scallops. Rinse under running cold water.

2.      Clean the scallion. Cut off the white ends. Finely chop the green parts into tiny pieces.

3.      Clean laska leaf. Tear off and discard the root of laska leaves .Drain and place them to a bowl for serving.

4.      Pulse peanuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

5.      Make the scallion oil: Heat the oil in a small saucepan. When hot, add the scallion, salt, sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir and remove the saucepan from the heat. Set aside.

6.      Place the scallops on hot grill and let them cook for 4-6 minutes, or until just cook through.

7.      Spoon the scallion oil on top of each scallop and grill for another 2 minutes.

8.      Finally top each scallop with a teaspoon of peanut.

Serving:

-          Using tongs, remove the scallops from the grill and place them on a flat platter.

-          Serve hot immediately with laksa leaves and sweet sour fish sauce.

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Sweet potato pudding

“Chè” is  tradional Vietnamese sweet soup or sweet pudding..It’s a perfect dessert for you to enjoy summer days . Use with a spoon, serve hot or cold by adding ice on top.
In a tropical country like Vietnam, sweet potato is a friend of people, especially in rural areas,  just after rice. So, there are a lot of meals made with this plant. This reciple is very simple, but the taste will not disappoint you. The combination of  sweet potato and palm sugar, coconut milk  will bring us an unforgettable flavor.
So, try cooking it and invite your friends to enjoy together.

Ingredients: serves 8 portions

-          200 g sweet potato

-          200 g cassava

-          100 g taro

-          100 g yam

-          50 g tapioca pearls

-          200-250g palm sugar

-          1 can 400 ml coconut milk, divived in half.

-          A pinch of salt ( for soaking)

-          2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-          1.5 liters of water.

Method:

1.      Prepare sweet potato, cassava, taro, yam: wash, peel, and dice them into small cubes about ½ - 3/4 inch in size. Soak in the salt water for 15 minutes. Rinse under running tap water and drain in a colander.

2.      Put yam in a pot and bring to a boil. Steam for 10 minutes. Set it aside.

3.    Prepare tapioca pearls: Place tapioca pearls in a bowl. Pour cold water over it. Soak it in water for 30 minutes until expand in size. Then drain and set it aside.

4.      Pour 2 liters of water into a pot. Bring to a boil.

5.    Add sweet potato, cassava, taro into the pot. Be patient and wait until they start becoming soft. Just 10 minutes. Don’t wait until they are cooked through or too soft.

6.      Add palm sugar. Stir with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.

7.      Lower the heat . Add tapioca pearls. Stir gently and cook for another 5 minutes.

8.      Add half of coconut milk. Stir to combine well.

9.      Finally add yam and vanilla extract. Stir and turn off the heat. 

Serving:

-          Spoon hot sweet soup into each serving bowl.

-      Pour  half of coconut milk into another bowl.  It’s for people who like sweet and fat , by simply adding more coconut milk.

-          If you prefer cold, you can add ice cubes on top. Enjoy it by following your way.

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Steamed termite mushroom with pork and egg pie

Termite mushroom is very famous among Asian cuisine, but to Western – it seems like a strange wild name. Some Western people wonder if it’s poisonous. No, this mushrooms can’t kill you. It’s edible. Besides that, it contains amino acids necessary for human body, protein, fat, as well as a variety of vitamins and calcium, phosphorus,… The mushroom is chewy and soft, and meaty like chicken.

You should enjoy this tasty mushroom recipe with your family. It will bring you all together.

Ingredients: serves 5 people

-          400 g fresh termite mushroom

-          200 g pork butt roast

-          4 duck eggs

-          3 cloves of red shallot, peeled and finely chopped.

-         3 stalks of scallion, washed and cut off the roots and the white ends, finely chopped

-          2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

-          1 tablespoon of fish sauce

-          2 teaspoons of sugar

-          ½ teaspoon of salt

-          ½ teaspoon of ground pepper

-          2 tablespoons of cooking oil

Method:

1.   Soak mushrooms into cold water with a little salt about 15 minutes. Trim off any damaged spots, dirty stems. Transfer mushrooms in a colander, rinse under running water, and let them drain. Chop into small pieces.

2.    Finely chop the pork. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with the red shallot, scallion, garlic, salt, sugar, fish sauce, ground pepper.

3.      Put 2 eggs and 2 egg whites into. Combine well.

4.     Spare about 10 mushrooms, place the rest  into the mixing bowl. Toss to combine together.

5.  Prepare a crystal or china bowl for containing. Pour 2 tablespoons of cooking oil into it.

6.      Then put the mixture into the bowl.

7.      Top the mixture with 2 egg yolks and the remaining mushrooms.

8.      Put the bowl into a steamer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Serving:

Eating hot with warm rice and soy sauce.

Bon appetit !

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