A Vietnamese Moment

I got this recipe from bonappetit.com and it was completely delicious! I like the extra crumbly pie topping crust which gives it nice texture. For the bottom pie crust, I used my friend's vodka pie crust recipe. You can make the topping and crust ahead of time, preferably a day before if you can. https://www.bonappetit.com/RECIPE/BERRY-STREUSEL-PIE CRUST 2 and 1/4 cups of all purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1/3 cups chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch cubes *I actually used my friend's crust recipe so haven't tried this. TOPPING 6 tablespoons (packed golden brown sugar) 6 tablespoons whole almonds 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 4 and 1/2 tablespoons of old-fashioned oats 4 and 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1. Combine all in a food processor and process until moist clumps form . 2. Cover topping and c...

I got this recipe from a friend of mine who has been baking pie in his family for years. He definitely makes one of the best pies I've had so I FaceTimed him when making this crust. I believe it's based off an old Cook's Illustrated pie crust recipe from over a decade ago. Ingredients - 2.5 cups of flour (separated into 1.5 cups and 1 cup) - 1 teaspoon table salt - 2 tablespoons sugar - 12 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices (this is 1.5 sticks of butter) - 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into small bits (if no shortening, you can exchange for butter 1:1, which is what I did) - 1/4 cup vodka - 1/4 cup cold water (can do a little less) Some things I learned from this recipe for an ideal crust: #1 Cold, cold cold - have all the ingredients cold - including the butter, water, and vodka. Prior to starting, place the water or vodka in the freezer or fridge. #2 Visible butter = visible flakiness Flecks of butter when melted wi...

I know this is an incredibly simple recipe - but I am the WORST at remembering recipes so I thought I would write a post on how to make overnight oats. It is a simple, healthy and light breakfast to have but does take a few minutes of prep the night before. Hubby loves this one because it's an alternative to the fast food he gets! Ideal ratios are 1/3 milk, 1/3 yogurt, 1/3  oatmeal, and fruit but you can always add more milk to your desired consistency. Ratios: 1/3 milk 1/3 yogurt 1/3 oatmeal Top with fruit If no yogurt, can do 2:1 milk to oatmeal ratio. 1. Mash up half a banana with a fork and layer the bottom of a mason jar. 2. Add oatmeal, milk or yogurt (or both), chia seeds, and yogurt. Mix it together. 3. Drizzle some honey over the mixture. 4.Top with fruit. 5. Let sit overnight.

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...

Banh Xeo is a savory Vietnamese crepe. There are many instant Banh Xeo pre-made bags out there that are actually quite good! However, in a pinch, you can mix together a home-made version of rice flour, tumeric, and coconut. I believe this recipe is something I will be constantly updating in the future. It's one of those things that you will constantly tweak. I got it off a Vietnamese cooking blog. Some notes: - thought coconut milk taste was a bit strong, may want to add a little bit more water in the future to off set that - consider cooking protein and filling separate from batter, or before, or after batter poured - consider switch to coconut water rather than coconut milk - if no beer, can do all water in the future, club soda, or even sprite Ingredients: 1 cup rice flour 3 tablespoon of cornstarch 1/3 cup of coconut cream (slight coconuty, consider decreasing amount to add more water) 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder 1.5 cup of warm water...

I got this recipe from Blue Apron - of all the blue apron recipes I've tried, this is definitely my favorite! It is incredibly easy to make and easy for a weeknight meal! Pair it with a salad for a delectable meal :) Ingredients - chorizo - we used about 1.3 lbs (this made about 6-8 patties) - mayo - about 2 tablespoons - fig spread - about 1 tablespoon - panko crumbs - we used 1/2 cup or a little more - red onions - sliced red peppers - bread: can do potato buns, brioche buns, or even wheat bread which is all I had - +/- cheese: we used shredded white cheddar cheese because that's all we had in our fridge 1. Combine chorizo with panko crumbs. Depending on the amount of chorizo, you can add more or less panko bread crumbs. No need to add salt because chorizo is salty enough. Add pepper to taste. 2. In a pan over medium heat, add red peppers and onions and cook. Should be about 2-3 minutes. Remove onions and sliced red peppers. 3. In the same pan, add additiona...

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...

We've been doing a lot of baking during this quarantine time. Double Tree recently released their famed cookie recipe and it is great! Definitely a keeper. It's so moist!  DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe Makes 26 cookies ½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks) ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar ¾ cup packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 ¼ cups flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt Pinch cinnamon 2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips --- (we only 2 cups of chocolate and that still worked!) 1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts  1. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  2. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.  3. With mixer ...

This is an easy and delicious Thai coconut soup recipe I found off AllRecipes! Ingredients: - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger - 1 stalk lemon grass, minced - 2 teaspoons red curry paste - 4 cups chicken broth or stock - 3 tablespoons fish sauce - 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (or any sugar) - 3 cams coconut milk - 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms - 1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined - 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice - salt to taste - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste in heated oil for 1 minute. Slowly poor the chicken broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in fish sauce and sugar, simmer for 15 minutes. 2. Stir in coconut milk and mushrooms. Cook until mushroom are soft, about 5 minutes. 3. Add the shrimp. Cook until no longer translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice, season with salt. Garnish with cilantro.  ...

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...

My roommate and I have been working our way through Burma Super Star's famed cookbook. So far, we've been pretty happy with the things we've tried! Burmese food is a fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine. Most of the recipes include pantry items common in Vietnamese and Indian cooking! This dish is very tasty but does take a long time to prepare - about 1 hr which is more time than most of the Vietnamese stuff I make! It supposedly freezes well and once things start cooking, takes minimal effort. Ingredients:  2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 tablespoon paprika ½ teaspoon turmeric 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste, we ended up using half of this. Recommend starting with half and increase more as needed) ½ cup canola oil 3 cups finely diced yellow onion 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 thai chili (optional) 1-2 small potatoes (optional) 1 (13 ½ ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce 1 ½ cups water 1 teaspo...

I was craving a light vinaigrette to go along with a salad so I found this recipe per Ina Garten. It was pretty good, but I added red wine vinaigrette for more flavoring.  Combine 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 cup good olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small glass measuring cup and whisk until combined. Lemon to taste  Add some red wine vinaigrette to taste (a few squirts)  Pepper to taste  Salt is accurate 

Chicken with Mint (Serves 3; or 4 as part of a larger meal) 1 pound ground chicken 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds 2 tablespoons sambal oelek (chile sauce) 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or 1 teaspoon salt (we used sweet soy sauce) 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1/4 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons canola oil 6 to 8 small garlic cloves 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1/2 jalapeno or 2 Thai chilis, chopped 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra sprigs for garnish (optional) 1/4 cup chopped mint 1. In a dry wok or skillet, toast the cumin seeds and mustard seeds until the cumin is fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop, no more than 30 seconds. Transfer to a mortar with a pestle or a coffee grinder used for grinding spices and pulverize into a coarse powder. 2. In a small bowl, mix together the sambal, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. (If not using soy sauce, you may need a pinch more fish sauce.) *note: we used swee...

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=4kLgXqABzYc My roommate made this once and it was very tasty! It's a simple dish that's packed with flavor using mainly pantry items and spices. It's easy to whip up on a busy weeknight. The YouTube link for the instructions is above, it's a little different from the written instructions but the written version is great. Ingredients: PAN MIXTURE *note: for 1 lb of shrimp, I actually recommend *doubling* this pan mixture - these onions cook down really well with the sauces so it helps coat the shrimp. Alternatively, if you are doing 1/2 lb of shrimp, you can stick to this amount. 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped  3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (from a 1-inch piece) 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon prepared chile paste, such as sambal oelek 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, plus a few extra sprigs for garnish Coconut Rice, for serving SHRIMP MARINADE 2...

This recipe was taken from Smitten Kitchen. My roommate made this once and it was amazing! Definitely a keeper.  Makes 24 cupcakes (or one two-layer cake, instructions at end) 2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon table salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups canola oil 4 large eggs 3 cups grated peeled carrots (Shuvani says it's about 2 carrots to 1 cup) 1 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional) 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Line 24 cupcake molds with papers, or butter and flour them. 3. Dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend. 4. Wet ingredients: Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. 5. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins, if using them. Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling 3/...