Vietnamese Green Mango Salad/ Goi Xoai

I'm Vietnamese and I love Vietnamese food. It's my ultimate fave. I love almost all kinds of ethnic foods but even if I wasn't Vietnamese, I think it would still be my favorite. Most people who aren't Vietnamese don't have a clue about what real Vietnamese food is. People tend to think all Vietnamese food is beef noodle soup aka Pho, fried rice or spring rolls. But it's so much more than that - I can testify!

I think this dish is the epitome of why I love Vietnamese food. Our food can be so light and refreshing and often highlights seasonal ingredients. Since it's so damn hot in Southern California right now, this meal is the perfect solution to ending your day with a meal that can be made without slaving over the stove (just the grill for a few minutes). 

Mango is my favorite, so it's probably obvious that I adore this green mango salad. Since the mango is green, it's not too sweet, but delightfully tangy. To freshen it all up, a bunch of fresh herbs are thrown in and the salad gets a bit of bite from some onions. The dressing adds the sweetness that is missing from the mangos and takes it to this whole other dimension. I just love this salad, simply.

Vietnamese Green Mango Salad/ Goi Xoai
Yields: 4 - 6 servings


For the salad:
3 green mangoes, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup dried shallots, fried
1/2 cup vietnamese coriander (rau ram), chopped
1/4 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped
20 medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined


For the sauce: (makes much more than needed for the salad)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lime juice


In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients for the salad. To make the sauce, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the fish sauce, sugar. Boil until the sugar is dissolved, let cool slightly, then add the lime juice. Add more sugar if needed. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with some salt, pepper and olive oil. When the grill is hot, add the shrimp and cook on both sides until done, about 3 minutes each side. When ready to eat, divide the salad among the serving dishes and top with shrimp. Drizzle each serving with 1 - 2 tsp. of the dressing.

Kalbi Spring Rolls

Ah, Korean Kalbi, it's the meat of the gods. Juicy, incredibly flavorful and fatty beyond words. 

I've wanted to make Kalbi spring rolls for I don't even know how long. As you all know, I'm pretty obsessed with spring rolls. They're portable, delicious, refreshing and for the most part, healthy. Ever since I made Japanese inspired spring rolls, the Ahi Tuna Rolls, I knew I'd have to make a Korean inspired spring roll, and here it is!

I think the most challenging part of making these rolls were deciding what kind of dipping sauce to serve  with them. Stuffing them was the easy part: kalbi, check! Kimchi, check! Deliciousness, check! For the dipping sauce, I decided to make a tangy gochujang and lime juice dressing. It reminded me more of a salad dressing but the tanginess was nice with the fatty pieces of kalbi. Next time though, I'll try to make a creamier sauce. Mmmmm.

Mmmmm juicy, grilled Kalbi:

Kalbi Spring Rolls

Yields: 4 - 6 servings

For the spring rolls:

2 lbs. marinated kalbi, grilled

1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 package of rice noodles, cook according to package

1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped

4 green onions, chopped

rice paper

For the dipping sauce:

1 tbsn. gochujang

1 tbsn. sugar

1 tbsn. soy sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted

4 tbsn. fresh lime juice or rice vinegar

To make the dipping sauce, whisk all the ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved and everything is well combined. Add more lime/ vinegar or soy sauce to your liking, set aside. To make the spring rolls, slice the kalbi into bite-sized pieces, set aside. To make rolling easier, set the ingredients out like an assembly line. To assemble, wet one rice paper and lay out on a clean surface (I like to use one and a half sheet for stronger rolls). Add some pieces of kalbi, some lettuce, some kimchi, cooked rice noodles and green onion. Roll by pulling the top towards you covering the fillings, then pull in the sides, then finish by continuing to roll to the bottom. Enjoy with the gochujang sauce!

Com Ga/ Vietnamese Chicken with Mint Rice

Vietnamese Com Ga is probably one of the simplest, homeliest meals of our culture. Simple as it is, it's still one of my favorite meals.

I love how simple everything is, yet there's so much flavor, and the chicken really shines through. That's why it's super important to use free-range chicken in this recipe, because since the chicken is your main ingredient, you really want to use the best quality available. What makes the meal spectacular though, I feel, is the ginger fish sauce! It's sweet, tangy, salty and sooo delicious. Actually almost any kind of fish sauce makes me happy! The mint, cucumbers and marinated onions add great freshness to the dish as well.

The soup is optional but if you've never had fresh chicken stock before, please try this! With the leftover stock, you simply add some fish sauce to season it, then some fresh "Gai Xanh." I'm not sure what the English name of this is but it's similar to bok choy, so you can also substitute that. The broth is just so rich with flavor, it's incredible. I love this meal especially because though it's super healthy, you feel so satisfied after eating it.

Com Ga/ Vietnamese Chicken with Mint Rice

Yields: 4 servings

1 small, whole, free-range chicken

2 cups rice

4 cups chicken stock (reserved from cooking the chicken)

1 cup mint leaves, julienned

1/2 large white onion, sliced

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

3 persian cucumbers, washed and sliced

nuoc mam gung, for serving (recipe below)

For the soup:

gai xanh or vietnamese bok choy (regular bok choy is fine too), roughly chopped

fish sauce, to taste

black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, place the chicken (whole) inside. Fill the pot with enough water to almost cover the chicken. Heat over medium-high heat until the water is boiling, then reduce heat to medium to allow the water to simmer and the chicken to cook, about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest and the water to cool down. Once cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the stock, but DO NOT discard the water. Cut the chicken into small pieces, for easier eating.

In the meantime, put the rice in a large bowl with a few cups of water. Gently swirl your fingers in the bowl to allow the starch to separate from the grains. Once the water becomes white, drain and repeat this process twice more. With each time, the water will get less cloudy. The idea is not to get rid of all the starch, just enough so that the rice will not be too sticky or too dry when cooked. Put the rice in a sieve and drain until the rice is fairly dry. In a rice cooker, combine the rice with 4 cups of chicken stock and cook according to your machine's setting (alternatively, you can also cook this on the stovetop). Right before serving, stir in the mint. You do not want to do this ahead of time because the mint will turn brown.

With the remaining broth, you can either save it for future use or make soup. To make the soup, re-heat the remaining broth over medium heat until just boiling. Add fish sauce, to taste. Add the gai xanh/ Vietnamese bok choy until just wilted. Turn off the heat. Enjoy sprinkled with some black pepper, alongside your Com Ga.

In a medium bowl, combine the onions, vinegar and black pepper. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to allow the vinegar to soften and marinate the onions. To serve, place some rice on a plate. Top with some marinated onions, cucumbers, pieces of chicken and a drizzle of the nuoc mam guon. Enjoy!

Gai Xanh/ Vietnamese Boy Choy:

The ginger-fish sauce concoction & the marinated onions:

Nuoc Mam Gung/ Vietnamese Ginger Fish Sauce

2 - 3 limes, juiced

2 tbsn. fish sauce

2 tbsn. sugar, to taste

2-inch piece of ginger, finely minced

1 red chili, finely diced (optional)

Combine everything until well mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cháo/ Vietnamese Rice Porridge

Cháo is the Vietnamese version of rice porridge, if you're unfamiliar, you might recognize it as congee or jook. Some people think rice porridge is boring, but I happen to think it's comforting. It's warm, creamy and delicious. Oh, and the best part? It's e-a-s-y, which probably is the most comforting thing about it.

Usually, I eat mine with some shredded chicken, maybe some shredded pork and some fried Chinese cruton-like things. I recently saw someone eat it with a poached egg and in my head, an alarm went off, and I knew I had to try it immediately. I love all things egg and this just sounded too good to ignore!

This porridge is as simple as can be. Simply simmer some rice and chicken stock together and it's all done. This is best with homemade chicken stock, but canned or even simply water will do! Let me just say, the poached egg is a fantabulous addition! It adds this extra layer of unbelievable creaminess, mmmm creamy yolk all up in my porridge. Yum yum yum!

Cháo or Vietnamese Rice Porridge

Yields: 1 servings

For the porridge:

1 cup cooked jasmine rice

2 cups chicken stock, homemade is best!

1" piece of ginger

fish sauce, to taste

To serve:

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped

black pepper, to taste

1 large egg, poached (instructions below)

lemon wedges

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and ginger to a boil over medium heat. Add the rice and lower the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer until the rice is soft and the liquid has thickened. Once thickened to your preference, remove the ginger. Taste the porridge, if it is already salted enough from the broth, skip the fish sauce, if it is not, add the fish sauce to your taste. To serve, divide among two bowls. Top each with a poached egg, then garnish with black pepper, green onions and cilantro. Drizzle with the lemon wedge and enjoy!

1. Bring a sauce pot filled with water to just under a boil.

2. If your water has already started to boil, lower the heat until the water is no longer boiling.

3. Crack an egg into a small bowl.

4. Add 1 tbsn. of white vinegar to the water.

5. Slowly drop the egg into the water.

6. Use a spoon to push back the egg whites onto the egg, so that it can form together.

7. Turn off the heat.

8. Cover the pot.

9. Let sit for 4 minutes, then remove the egg with a slotted spoon.

Bo Tai Chanh/ Vietnamese Beef 'Carpaccio'

Since I can remember, for special occasions, my family has always been going to this one restaurant called Favori. It's not the best restaurant in town, but it has always been a tradition, one that we still keep to this day. Anyways, no matter what, two things were always true. First, my sister and I always had to get their delicious pineapple shakes! Second, we always started with the Bo Tai Chanh appetizer, because well, they make it the best and it's one of my absolute favorites!

Well, I've always wanted to make this at home and I've been eyeing The Ravenous Couple's recipe for it for quite some time! Well I've finally made it, and with some improvisations of my own, it turned out to be quite the meal. Basically it's almost like a mix between beef carpaccio and ceviche; thinly sliced beef 'cooked' only by the acidity of either lime or lemon juice. Then, topped and mixed with all kinds of goodness (as you can see below).
The beef is beyond tender, then mixed with an uber refreshing combination of herbs, mixed with a tangy and sweet sauce, and you get the great texture from the toasted peanuts and fried shallots. Also, you can make it spicy if you want to, like I did, by adding tons more jalapeno or Sambal. I didn't have jalapeno or Vietnamese corriander on hand so I used Sambal for spiciness and a mix of cilantro, mint and other herbs.

Mmmmm, see all that red Sambal? That's my favorite!

Mise en place: Vietnamese herbs, fried shallots, fresh shallots, toasted peanuts, cilantro.

I know this looks gross, but it's informative: how the beef should look as it's 'cooking' in the lemon/ lime juice. I like my steak rare, but if you like it cooked more - just marinate it for longer.

Bo Tai Chanh/ Vietnamese Beef 'Carpaccio'

Yields: 2 salad servings, 4 appetizer servings

Adapted from this recipe.

1/2 lb. beef (beef eye round or tenderloin), thinly sliced

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice

1 1/2 tbsn. sugar

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 tbsn. dried shallots (from Asian grocery stores)

2 tbsn. peanuts

2 tbsn. nuoc mam

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch of mint, basil or rau ram (Vietnamese corriander), coarsely chopped

In a large rimmed plate, spread the thinly sliced beef evenly throughout the plate so that it creates one even layer with the meat evenly exposed and not overlapping. In a small bowl mix together the lemon/lime juice and sugar until dissolved. Pour the mixture over the meat evenly and make sure all the meat is covered in the juice. Let the meat 'cook' in the juice in the refrigerator for 20 - 25 minutes (till the done-ness suits you). In the meantime, heat a small pan over medium high heat. Add the peanuts and toast until fragrant and golden brown. In the same pan, add enough oil to create a very shallow pool (about 1/4 cup) and heat. Once hot, add the dried shallots and fry until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel. Once the meat is ready, drain and squeeze any excess juice from the meat. In a bowl, toss together the meat, raw shallots, herbs and nuoc mam until dressed well. Assemble on a plate, then top with the fried shallots and toasted peanuts. Add more nuoc mam, if desired. Enjoy!

Mise en place.

The best mix of textures and flavors, seriously.

Braised Sea Bass Claypot/ Ca Kho To

Of course, you all know I love food. I love baking, I love cooking, I love eating, I love gawking, I love just the smell of it all. My ultimate favorite type of food though, is Vietnamese. It's probably because I am Vietnamese, but hey, we have some good eats.

This dish is one of my absolute favorites! It's fish that is caramelized in a claypot so it's sweet and salty at the same time; the ultimate combination, I think. Traditionally it is made with catfish, but at my work they upscale it and make it with Chilean Sea Bass so I decided to give that a try. It was still just as delicious and uberly buttery and rich. The perfect accompaniment with rice, especially with all that deliciously sweet sauce.
Braised Sea Bass Claypot/ Ca Kho To

Yields: 4 servings

For the caramel:

1/4 cup water

2 tbsn. sugar

For the sauce:

1 tbsn. oil

2 shallots, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup fish sauce

1/2 cup coconut water

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 lb. sea bass filets, about 1/4 inch thick

Black pepper, to taste

3 - 5 dried thai chilis

1 green onion, julienned (for garnish)

Clean the fish filets and pat dry. Rub the filets with black pepper, to taste; set aside. In a medium saucepan, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and lightly brown, about 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and heat over medium heat until begins to bubble and reduces slightly, about 5 - 7 minutes, then turn off the heat and set aside.

In a medium sized pan, combine the sugar and water for the caramel sauce. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and starts to brown. As soon as the sugar mixture turns a light brown, add the filets and sear the fish on each side for 1 - 2 minutes. The sugar mixture should be darker in color and caramelized on the fish filets.

Remove the fish and add to a claypot (which is traditionally used but not necessary) or keep in the same pan. Cover with the braising sauce then add the thai chilis and cover. Cook on medium high heat for 5 - 7 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Top with the green onions and serve with rice. Enjoy!

Salmon & Dill Soup

Not many words today;

Just a lovely, lovely soup.

It's a traditional Vietnamese soup that has a sour taste due to the tamarind powder and tomatoes added. Warm, delicious soup with hearty chunks of salmon and earthy dill. I'd say it almost is perfection.

Put in place:

Dig in by all means!

Salmon & Dill Soup

Yields: 3 - 4 servings

5 cans of sodium free/ low sodium chicken stock

1 tbsn. olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lb. salmon filet, skin removed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tsp. tamarind soup base

Rice noodles, cooked according to package

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup dill, roughly chopped

Fish sauce, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Green onions, sliced thinly lengthwise (optional)

In a large saucepot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add in the salmon pieces, then cover with the broth. Add the tomatoes and tamarind soup base then turn heat on high and bring broth to a boil. Some 'scum' should come up, which you can just remove with a ladle. Once it has come to a boil, you can reduce the heat to a simmer. Just before ready to serve, add the dill and garlic and let heat for a minute. Add fish sauce and black pepper to taste. To serve, place some cooked noodles in a bowl, then top with the soup. Top with some green onions and enjoy!

Salmon Dill Soup - the cinematic version.

What a lovely Sunday to have soup!

Nem Nuong/ Grilled Pork Spring Rolls

I've been on an ongoing spring roll 'kick' recently. I just can't get enough of them! I'm working my way through making every kind imaginable and in existence. My newest conquest? The nem nuong or grilled, cured pork roll. It's delicious and if you live in the Southern California area, you've probably heard of Brodard.

Brodard is a restaurant which is famous for these little rolls. They've perfected it almost down to an art. And to top it off, have created a dipping sauce that no one has ever come close to mastering or even replicating. Now mine are no where near Brodard's, BUT they are still delicious to boot. Served with a traditional 'nuoc cham' they are still a healthy and satisfying lunch.

I found the recipe from The Ravenous Couple, a blog I love! I basically use this blog to dust off my Vietnamese cooking skills, because when I grow up and have a family, I need to learn how to make this stuff! Just because I sadly, cannot speak Vietnamese doesn't mean that all of my culture has to go down the drain! This recipe isn't at all complicated; sure, there are some steps involved but if you take it one at a time, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results AND if you happen to live near a Vietnamese grocery store, they also sell pre-cured pork that you can just grill yourself!

Nem Nuong Cuon/ Spring Rolls with Grilled Pork Patties

Yields: enough for 5 - 8 people

Original recipe can be found here.

For the crispy chive rolls (optional):

Chives

Egg roll wrappers

1 egg

2 tbsn. water

For the nem nuong patties:

2 lbs. ground pork

2 heads of garlic, peeled and separated into cloves (use more or less to your taste)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsn. salt

1 tbsn. pepper

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup water

1 package of rice paper wrappers

Lettuce

Cucumbers, sliced into thin rectangles (1x2 inches)

Mint

Cilantro

Pickled carrots & daikon (optional)

Nuoc Cham, for dipping

First, to make the crispy chive rolls, mix the egg and water and beat well, set aside. Take your chives and cut then in half, to make them short enough to fit inside the egg roll wrapper. Take an egg roll wrapper and place some chives (about 5 - 6) near the top of the paper and then roll downwards to form a cigarette. Use some egg wash at the bottom to seal it all together. Deep fry until golden brown, drain and set aside.

To make the nem nuong patties, using a food processor, process the garlic until it is a fine puree. Combine the pork, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder and water and stir. Add it to the pork and fold in, then chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Form the refrigerated meat mixture into patties or mini sausages (sausages are easier to roll in the spring rolls). Keep a bowl of water handy to keep your hands wet in order to help with forming the meat. Grill the meat until cooked, about 4 - 5 minutes per side.

To make the spring rolls, have all of your veggies ready. Grab a large bowl of warm water and have it ready for the wrappers. Take a rice paper wrapper and moisten in the warm water. Tap off any excess water and then place on a flat surface. Place some lettuce, cucumber, a fried chive roll, and pickled carrot/ daikon slaw near the upper top of the rice paper. Top with some fresh chives, if you have them, and some of the grilled pork. Do not overstuff them or else the rice paper will break. Roll the rice paper over the veggies and tuck the sides in (see tutorial below).

Basil Limeades/ Soda Chanh

This recipe is a twist on the traditional Vietnamese drink called Soda Chanh, which is essentially a carbonated lime-ade. At the restaurant I work at, they add some torn basil leaves on request and it's really delicious.

Don't be thrown off for a loop! I was kind of shocked about the idea too... basil in my lemonade?! Sounds kinda weird to me, but I was intrigued, took a sip and what do you know? I actually liked it, I really, really liked it! I think you guys will like it too! The basil flavor is just a subtle note in the background that adds great depth in flavor. Mint would work well as too, I'll have to try that next time. I love this drink especially in Summer because it's so refreshing but since it's never quite Winter in California, I can enjoy this baby all year round!

Basil Limeades

Yields: about 4 servings

Printable Recipe

For the simple syrup:

1 part water

1 part sugar

1 part simple syrup (1/2 cup)

1 part fresh lime juice (1/2 cup)

5 - 6 parts carbonated water (2 1/2 - 3 cups)

small bunch of basil leaves, torn

To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and store in a container (simple syrup is essentially a 1:1 ratio of water to sugar, so you can make as much or as little as you want). To make the limeades, mix everything together. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Sweet simplicity at its best: