A Vietnamese Moment

There are so many methods to cooking salmon and I wanted a centralized location to keep those methods for a delicious salmon every time! There are many ways to cook a salmon and it really depends on your mood. You can sear the top or bottom, and you can bake. Tip #1 bring salmon to room temperature prior to cooking. This ensures more of an even doneness throughout the salmon. Tip #2: The key to a crispy pan seared salmon is a dry salmon. I usually remove the salmon from the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking so it chills. I rinse in water and then pat dry and let sit for about 15 minutes. Tip #3: The key to a good sear is a hot pan. Heat up the pan with medium-high or high heat. You can tell if a pan is hot when you see the oil lightly smoke. Tip #4: The key is to slightly undercook the salmon as it continues cooking when it is sitting in the hot pan. That's what I learned from Ina! You actually don't salmon to be cooked all the way through - you want a transluce...

Garlic and Chives is a popular modern Vietnamese restaurant in my home town. When I found this recipe online (from the chef who created that restaurant), I knew I had to make it! Incredibly simple to make and very fast!  You can either saute, deep fry or even bake the salmon belly. We prefer deep fry for the most crispy texture. Skin on or off is up to you, but leaving the skin on keeps the meat intact better.  https://www.theravenouscouple.com/2018/09/salmon-belly-spring-rolls.html?fbclid=IwAR1ieAamHGSnnFIG551DgS4RCUEg0bdMqpGb5BHXrzbstLKL6cfVPE_VjD0 ingredients -  8 strips of skin on salmon belly, roughly 5 x 1 inch strips -- can use salmon fillet, any fatty piece of salmon will do  2 Tb oyster sauce -- or to taste 1 ts sesame oil Filling:  1.5 cups leafy greens, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup of Vietnamese herbs such as perilla, mint, basil, roughly chopped 3 peeled and sliced cucumbers cut in small strips length wise 1/2 cup pickled ca...

My friend Eilly sent me this recipe and it's worth a try! It replaces heavy cream with coconut milk, making it a healthier option. It's extremely tasty and very simple to make. It's a very quick meal and looks so decadent! Recipe taken from joyfulhealthyeats.com Once the coconut milk cooks down, it has the faintest taste of sweet milk but is not overwhelming. https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/the-best-pan-seared-creamy-tuscan-salmon-recipe/ Ingredients 4  (4 oz) salmon filets salt & pepper 1 tablespoon  grape seed oil 2 tablespoon s unsalted butter 4  garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup  diced sweet onion 1/3 cup  dry white wine 1/8 teaspoon  red pepper flakes 2 cup s cherry tomatoes 2 cup s baby spinach 1 cup  full fat coconut milk 1 tablespoon  lemon juice 1/4 cup  fresh basil, chiffon Instructions SALMON  1. Bring salmon filets out of refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking. Pat dry.  2. Season...

The combination of cranberries and tuna sounds so weird, but I promise you it's so delicious! The cranberries add a nice tartness to the tuna, and I usually pair with a bag of chips or crackers which adds texture. I LOVE whole food's cranberry tuna, but it is so expensive so I decided to try a copy cat at home. It comes pretty damn close to the real thing and only a fraction of the cost! Full disclosure - I saw this recipe on some blog. I would say it's a keeper. Start with the measurements below and add these things to taste. Ingredients - 2 cans of solid white albacore tuna in water (5 ounce cans - I usually buy bumblebee solid white albacore tuna but any albacore tuna will do) - 1/4 cup mayo - 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion - 1 tablespoon lemon juice - 1/2 cup dried cranberries -- I like the cranberries so I tend to add more. - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt +/- sugar 1. Open up the cans of tuna and drain and discard the water. 2. Add the tuna and all the o...

I've been a little mesmerized recently by Julia Child's French Cooking. This is the dish that made her fall in love with French cooking. As I came across this simple recipe online, I realized it's quite similar to the fish my Mama Tica used to make me in Costa Rica. The difference is - this fish emphasizes butter, butter, and yes, butter. *edit - I made this the other night with tilapia and it still turned out well! I think you can use any white, mild tasting fish. This recipe takes less than 10-15 minutes to make and is extremely elegant. Perfect for a weeknight meal! Ingredients - all purpose flour - boneless sole or other thin fish fillets, patted dry - kosher salt (to taste) - fresh ground black pepper - butter - 4 tablespoons minced parsley - 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving 1. Heat oven to 200 degrees and place large baking sheet inside 2. Place flour onto large, shallow plate. Season both sides of fish fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Dred...

This is a recipe adapted from the famed Nobu. His black miso cod is WORLD famous. Although I've actually never had it (or even been to Nobu!), I've had many copy-cat versions at different restaurants. One interesting fact I learned is that black cod is *not* actually a codfish - it's really sablefish. Sablefish is a buttery, white fish that flakes when you bake it and is ideal for this recipe.  Unfortunately, I didn't have black cod on hand but I did have some salmon fillets and it worked well. You can substitute with any fatty fish fillet!  Ideally, this recipe should be marinated 2-3 days prior for the best results. Can use salmon, sea bass, or black cod. Any buttery, fatty fish will do. Ingredients (from kitchen.com): 1/4 cup sake (4 tablespoons) 1/4 mirin (4 tablespoons)  4 tablespoons white miso paste (same as 1/4 cup) 2.5 tablespoons sugar (the original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of sugar but I do 2-2.5 tablespoons of sugar to cut the sweetne...

This simple baked salmon is smothered with a 4 ingredient garlic honey ginger glaze and is ready in under 35 minutes! Ingredients: 4 salmon filets, skin removed (about 2 lbs total) 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or regular) 2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger optional for garnish:  chopped scallion, sesame seeds, sprinkle of parsley for color Directions: Place the salmon filets in a large zipped-top bag. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger together in a medium bowl (I added a sprinkle of dried parsley for color-- try chopped scallion!). Pour half of this sauce over the salmon filets, coating them thoroughly. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Line the marinated salmon filets on the baking sheet. You can hold onto this used marinade-- see step 5. Bake...

Ingredients: - 1 lb salmon - sesame seeds for garnish (optional) - oil Teriyaki sauce: - 1/2 cup mirin - 2 tablespoons sugar (a little too much) - 3 tablespoons of soy sauce - can add green onions or garlic (optional) 1. Add all ingredients in teriyaki sauce and reduce it on low heat. 2. As soon as teriyaki sauce thickens, remove from heat and let cool. 3. Heat up skillet over low-medium heat. Add oil and pan-sear salmon (skin side down) until bottom part becomes super crispy. Cover pay with skillet to make sure salmon is cooked through. 4. Flip salmon once. 5. Remove salmon from heat and drizzle teriyaki sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.

My mama tica made this simple fish for me in Costa Rica and I LOVED it! I asked her to show me how to make it. I was surprised to learn it's super easy and fast with minimal ingredients! - white fish (tilapia works well) - pepper - butter or margarine - parsley - salt (optional) *** if buying fresh white fish, it usually isn't salted so you have to add salt. if buying pre-packaged frozen tilapias, those are sometimes salted so no salt (or less) is necessary. 1. Over medium heat, melt butter and cook garlic + parsley 2. Place fish on skillet and add pepper 3. Cook both sides - should take ~10 minutes and that's it!  

My mother made this at my graduation party and it was a HUGE hit! Everyone loved how tender and moist it was. This recipe can be recreated with any white fish but chilean sea bass is the best because it's so buttery and flaky. Ingredients: - chilean sea bass - red onion - enoki mushrooms - spinach - butter - garlic - lemon Dry rub: Mix the following together in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. Lightly dry rub chilean sea bass with mixture. - salt - pepper - sugar - garlic powder Garlic Butter: 1. In a skillet, lightly brown together minced garlic and butter. You may want to cook the garlic in vegetable oil first and then dump out the vegetable oil. Add the butter (may want to separate this step b/c butter burns quickly). 1. Thinly slice 1 red onion and lemon. 2. In a foil sheet, place 1-2 slices of red onion, 1 slice of lemon, and some enoki mushroom. 3. Place chilean sea bass on top of the vegetable medley. 4. Place a small spoon (1 teaspoon?) of garlic butter onto chile...

1 pompano salt and pepper ginger ponzu (for dipping) 1. Cut up ginger and brown ginger in skillet with small layer of frying oil over medium-high heat. 2. Wash pompano. Lightly season with salt and pepper. 3. Add pompano on top of ginger and cook on each side for ~8 minutes each, with lid closed entire time over medium-light heat. 3. Serve with ponzu sauce as dipping. Enjoy!

Ingredients 3 lbs of ca hong (whole snapper fish) 1 large tomato a little white onion sugar fish sauce nuoc mam dua chua (pickled mustard greens) 1. In a large skillet add oil. Pan fry the fish until golden yellow. Turn over only once. 2. Thinly slice a small chunk of white onion and add to the skillet. Add to the sides off the fish (not on the fish). Let it caramelize a little and become fragrant. 3. Slice 1 large tomato into thin 1/4 inch slices. Add to the skillet. 4. Add 1-1.5 PS nuoc mam, 1/2 PS sugar, 1/8 tsp bot ngot, 1/4 tsp of bot nem ga). Stir lightly. 5. Turn fish over once. Cover fish with the seasonings. 6. Let the fish cook on low heat for about 10 mins. This will let the fish soak in the juices. 7. When the fish is almost done, add 2 handful bunches of pickled mustard greens. Let cook for another 2 mins on high heat and let fish soak up the juices. (optional: thinly slice green onions and add to the skillet)

Okay okay, I know what you're thinking. Isn't this just like another recipe I've posted? Well, yes and no. Vietnamese people LOVE caramel sauce, which is a heated mixture between vegetable oil and sugar. What makes this dish different is the use of thai serrano chili. It gives this dish a spice that takes the flavor in a slightly different direction. It also uses a different type of fish - black pomfret (in my opinion) tastes sweeter and less fishy than tilapia. Try it :) My boyfriend suggested that I should dress up the final versions of this pictures... well the problem is - I cook but I don't like to eat my own food. So, dressing up the food requires serving it onto a plate for someone to eat. Maybe one day I'll make that extra effort and eat it - until then, you'll see all the food I make still in their pots and pans :) Ingredients: 2 Ca Chim Den Kho chopped (Black Pomfret Fish) Sugar Bot Nem Ga (chicken broth) Nuoc mam Salt Tamarand (me) Caramel...

The cold cold weather in CA (it's been about 60 degrees... eek!) has put me in the mood for some soup :). I know, I'm a wuss when it comes to cold weather but that just makes me a big soup lover :) I love making fish soups because they cook so quickly! Well, today I tried my hand at another Vietnamese fish soup.... and it took me less than half an hour :) This is an easy recipe when all you have at home is fish and tomatoes... personally, I think this dish is just so-so but it hits the spot on a cold day :) Ingredients: 2 tomatos 2 fish (chopped) [preferably a white fish] Tamarind (me) Nuoc mam Sugar Chicken granules (bot nem ga) 1. In a medium pot, boil some water. 2. Half and slice two tomatoes. This is the sliced tomatoes next to some me (tamarind). Mommy likes to add tamarind because it makes it extra flavorful.  3. Add tamarind and tomatoes to the water. You don't have to wait for the water to boil while doing this. This is what it should lo...

You might recognize this dish at Chinese restaurants... It's pretty common. My mom makes it at home and it's super easy! Tastes just like the dish at a Chinese restaurant :) I need to make this some day for my Taiwanese boyfriend... hopefully he likes it! Ingredients: 1 whole tilapia Ginger Salt and pepper Maggi Seasoning sauce Oyster Sauce 2-3 Green onions Chicken broth Vegetable Oil Start with one whole tilapia - Remember to sprinkle some salt into it and rinse it with water to clean. 1. Use a steamer of some sort. Steam the tilapia on high heat for fifteen minutes. You can place the tilapia into a bowl and just put it into the steamer. 2. Slice and shave a 1-2 inch knob of ginger and place into bowl. 3. Add 1 tablespoon maggi seasoning. 4. Add 1 tsp oyster sauce. 5. Dash of sesame oil if you have it. This is optional . I didn't have any when I made it and it still turned out really well. 6. Add 1/4-1/2 tablespoon sugar. 7. Add 1/4 tablespoon of bot n...

3 whole tilapia fish (cut in halves) salt & pepper (salt to clean the fish; pepper to taste) 1 small red onion lots of sugar lots of nuoc mam chicken granules or chicken bullion broth 1. Cut tilapia fish in half and put in large bowl. Salt generously & mix. Add water to rinse! This process cleans the fish so don't worry about measuring salt b/c it will be washed out. Soak the fish in a little bit of water then rinse again. 2. Cut one small red onion into slices. Slice 3 scallions (the white part of a green onion). 3. Heat up a stove pot (preferably something similar to a dutch oven) with heat set to small. When the pot is hot, add 1 PS of oil. Let that heat up for a minute or so, then add 1.5 PS of sugar. Stir. This is the beginning of the caramel sauce. 4. Pour in scallions and red onions into the pot and stir until golden brown. 5. Add 3 PS of nuoc mam, 1 PS sugar, 1/4 PS chicken broth, 1/4 PS pepper, 1/2 cup of water (yes, a real cup, not the American cup mea...

Ingredients: 1 lb (a little more than 1 lb) of salmon filet cut into sections 1/2 PS nuoc mam 1/4 PS chicken granules or chicken bullion cubes 1/4 PS sugar 4 heads of garlic (diced) 1 small red onion (diced) flour pepper 1. Cut salmon filet into 1.5 inch sections. 2. In a small bowl, add salmon. Marinate with 1/2 PS nuoc mam, 1/4 PS chicken granules, 1/4 PS sugar, garlic, and onions. Sprinkle pepper on top. 3. Let marinate for at least an hour. The longer the better! 4. Place salmon filets in plastic bag and add about 1/4-2/3 cup of flour (American portion). Mix it around. You want the flour to coat the salmon filets nicely but not too much. 5. In a skillet, pour plenty of oil for deep fry. Heat up the oil on high until steam rises. 6. Add salmon filets to the oil. Deep fry until golden brown, turning occasionally (a few times is fine). This should take around 10 minutes! 7. Soak oil dry by inverting the salmon filets onto a paper towel. Personally, I didn't real...