Chả Giò Vietnamese Egg Rolls

I am very excited to share with you one of my dearest recipes passed down from my mom to me. Ever since I was little, I would help her make these delicious egg rolls for special occasions, such as holidays and weddings. I have made some changes, such as using ground beef instead of pork and I have also added minced shrimp to give the egg rolls another dimension. Here is a pictorial step by step recipe for Vietnamese chả giò. I will add the written description soon. So stay tuned...




Egg roll ingredients




Dried black mushrooms, also known as tree/wood ear fungus, called nam meo



Black mushrooms, soaked and thinly sliced



The filling: ground beef, shrimp, onions, scallions, eggs, glass noodles, black mushrooms



The filling



The filling



Frying a sample for taste



Step 1: placing the filling on the wrapper



Step 2: first roll



Step 3: folding the sides of the wrapper into the center



Step 4: egg wash on the tip of the wrapper




Step 5: the final roll






Into the frying pot



Frying the egg rolls



Nước chấm, a Vietnamese "dipping sauce" consisting of fish sauce, fresh minced garlic, lime juice, sugar, water, and chilis



Nước chấm with egg rolls

Creamy Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese with crispy bacon bits

Growing up in a Vietnamese household, the only occasions I got to eat mac and cheese were at the homes of my American friends or at school. It was always a wonderful exotic treat I looked forward to. Mac & Cheese has lost that exoticism now that I'm an adult, but like a lot of other people, it still evokes fond memories of childhood. For this Vietnamese transplant, it is also a sensory evoking experience each time I make and prepare it. It has now become a tradition for me to prepare mac and cheese every Thanksgiving in my own home. Hopefully my mac and cheese will evoke the same feelings of comfort and steaming gooey cheesiness in my own family.

I went through a "Food Network phase" where I was very much into the cooking of Ina Garten, Giada, Bobby Flay, and Mario to name a few. Inspired by their recipes, I changed a few ingredients to my mac and cheese recipe (such as using chicken stock and MILD rather than sharp cheddar) to enhance its flavor, making it more moist, creamy, and smooth. Some mac and cheese dishes tend to be too dry or even sour, results from using the wrong cheese or overcooking. I have a feeling you will like this dish if you give it a try.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 9" by 13" casserole dish and
possibly a 9" by 9" casserole dish)


Chicken stock, elbow pasta, shredded cheese, butter, cream, flour are some of the key ingredients

1 bag of elbow pasta (16 oz)
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour (all purpose)
3 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 whole milk
2 cups of shredded MILD yellow cheddar
2 cups of shredded MILD white cheddar
2 soft dinner rolls, hand shredded (Challah bread)
sugar, salt, pepper
olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cook the pasta al dente, then drain the pasta.

2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


The roux


Adding in the chicken stock


Adding in the cream


Adding in the cheese


Adding in the pasta

3) Béchamel:
We are making a béchamel sauce by starting with a roux,which is a combination of flour and butter. The sauce is the ideal base to melt the cheese to give it that creamy texture. Before you begin, have all your ingredients laid out and ready to use. Once you begin, the process goes pretty fast and you will not have time to measure or prep.

You will need a medium heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, deep iron skillet, or any pot that is heavy, conducts heat well and doesn't have any hot spots. You will also need a wooden spoon, which is ideal for not imparting a metallic flavor to the roux.

Turn the stove on medium high, pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and half of the stick of butter in the pot. When the oil is melted, add the flour in gradually, stirring constantly. When the mixture is smooth, reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring. The mixture will be pale at first, but as the flour browns, the roux will gradually turn the color of peanut butter. Cooking the flour until it browns gives it a nutty taste.

Slowly add in the chicken stock, stirring in 1 cup at a time. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes, then add in the heavy cream and milk. Keep stirring constantly so the sauce stays smooth. Add a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper (keep in mind that the chicken stock and cheese will have salt already). Then slowly stir in the cheese until they are fully incorporated and melted. Fold in the pasta, stir, and pour the mixture into the casserole pans.

4) Using your hands, shred the dinner rolls into a bowl (omit the crust). Melt the rest of the butter (10 sec in the microwave or on the stove) and mix it into the bread. This will keep the bread moist. Sprinkle the top of the mac and cheese with the bread crumbs and some of the shredded yellow and white cheese.


Bread crumbs with melted butter


Topping the mac and cheese with bread crumbs and shredded cheese



5) Bake the mac and cheese in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Enjoy your gooey mac and cheese!


Yummy baked goodness!

Steak Dinner

Everybody loves a good steak, and I have to say, I fell in love with grass fed beef steak. For Father's day, I made a delicious steak dinner for my dad. He enjoyed dinner immensely and it made me so happy to see him smile. I wish I could make this dish for him often, but because I live so far away, I promised that I will share this recipe so that my siblings could make it for him. And of course, I hope that you can take some ideas from my steak recipe to share with your own family.

MARINATING & GRILLING THE STEAKS:

Ribeye (Grass fed, thin cut)
Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Black pepper
Sugar
Garlic powder


Grass fed beef steaks on the grill

Sprinkle each of the seasonings on both side of the steaks. Let them marinate for half an hour at room temperature. Grill for about 3-4 minutes on medium high heat on each side for medium well (less time if you would like your steaks rare). If you do not have access to grilling, you can pan-sear the steaks (about 2 minutes on each side on medium high heat).



BOILED POTATOES: Yukon Gold potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes
Pot of boiling water
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Cut the Yukon potatoes in half or quarters (not too big, not too small). Boil the potatoes in water until they are done (firm, not mushy). Pour out the water and leave the potatoes in the pot. Season with olive oil, a pinch of salt and garlic powder (use soft spatula or your hands to gently mix the ingredients so the potatoes stay intact).


GREEN BEANS: French string beans (skinny beans) also called Haricots verts

French string beans
1 plum tomato, finely diced
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
soy sauce
olive oil
salt
pepper
sugar


Ingredients for the stir fry: green beans, tomatoes and garlic

Wash the beans and boil in hot water for 2 minutes (make sure beans are still crunchy). In a pan, pour in olive oil and sauté garlic, then add the plum tomatoes, and stir. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar. Pour in the green beans, stir, season with soy sauce (start with a drizzle of soy sauce and add more according to taste), stir until all the beans are coated with soy sauce.

Shrimp Salad with Citrus Dressing

Sometimes when I crave greens, I just want a crisp salad topped with citrus dressing. In Vietnamese cuisine, a common salad called gỏi is made with fresh shredded greens, usually papaya or cabbage, topped with prawns, herbs, and roasted peanuts mixed with a vinegar chili dressing made with fish sauce. There are so many versions of gỏi, but I find that most of the time, the best salads are the result of using fresh local ingredients. This past summer, inspired by the abundance of sweet oranges, I came up with a citrus dressing that complimented my shrimp salad quite nicely. I like to share this recipe with you. Of course, you can even add your own local ingredients, including replacing shrimp with crab meat or topping the salad with walnuts for extra crunch.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD:
1 head of butter lettuce (soft leaves), washed and torn to bite size
2 medium carrots, thinly shredded (use peeler)
cherry tomatoes or 1 plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 dozen large shrimps (prawns), deveined and shelled
5 cloves of garlic, minced or garlic powder
half onion, thinly diced
salt
pepper
sugar

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING:


Ingredients for the dressing.

2 large sweet naval oranges, 1 orange cut into wedges, the other squeeze for juice
3-5 tablespoon of rice vinegar (my favorite brand is Marukan)
1 teaspoon of yellow mustard
3-5 tablespoon of olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt
pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Butter lettuce is ideal for this salad because it has more flavor than iceberg or romaine lettuce, and it just melts in your mouth. After washing and tearing the lettuce leaves into the size you prefer, put the shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, orange wedges, and any other greens or toppings you desire.


Fresh orange wedges

2. In a pan, pour a generous amount of olive oil and saute the onions and garlic, then add the shrimp and stir. Season the shrimp with a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar. I usually cover the pan with a lid for a quick minute to ensure that they are thoroughly cooked (do not over cook the shrimp).


Saute shrimps

3. In a bowl, add the juice of the oranges (about half a cup or more), the juice of the lemon, the rice vinegar (start with 3 tablespoon and add more if you want more acidity), the olive oil, yellow mustard and stir with a fork. Flavor with a pinch of salt and pepper.


Citrus dressing

4. Top the salad with the saute shrimps and drizzle with the citrus dressing.

Enjoy...

Phở

When I was in Vietnam years ago, I would wake up to a bowl of phở every morning. Vendors would push their "mini restaurant" carts and bring phở right to my grandparents' doorstep. I guess you can say I was spoiled. And spoiled I am when I visit my parents every summer and winter holidays. Even though I would eat phở for breakfast every morning and on Sundays, I could never get enough of it.

Phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup, is comprised of beef or chicken broth with rice noodles, slices of meat, and topped with lime, basil, bean sprouts and various fresh herbs. Phở has become a huge food crave in many cities, especially after a night of drinking. It is often used as a hangover cure.

I have cravings for phở all the time, so I have learned to make a simple version of phở from my mom. Even though my version is incomparable to what my mom makes, I am proud to have discovered my own way of recreating a national dish that holds a special place in my heart. I also believe that this version will continue to evolve and change for the better. I'd like to think that my own children will have a similar fondness for my own recipe.

Phở requires a good two to three hours of cooking and preparation, and I find that the most enjoyable time to make it is when you have a free day and a big crowd to feed. Also, because there is a lot of prep work involved, it is fun to share the cooking with family and friends. I have fond memories of my sisters and I helping our mom make her phở. I recently got nostalgic for these times when my sister-in-law helped me make phở.

INGREDIENTS: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 3-4 hours (the longer the broth simmers, the better)

BROTH
1 whole chicken (organic free range chicken works best in terms of flavor)
2 packages of beef oxtails
2 packages of beef bones with marrow
2 large yellow onions, halved
2 knobs of fresh ginger root, halved
2 or more tablespoon of salt
2 or more tablespoon of sugar
1 package of beef eye round, very thinly sliced
1-2 packages of phở seasoning (which can be found in most Asian markets)
1-2 cubes of phở bouillon

Asian markets have all the essential ingredients to make phở, and if you are lucky, the owners might even walk you through all the necessary items to purchase. I find it is easier to buy a package of phở seasoning rather than buying each spice individually. The flavor in phở is exotic, made up of spices that are uncommon in Western cooking, yet so unique to Vietnamese cooking. These aromatic spices include star anise, cardamon, cloves, cinnamon, licorices or fennel seeds, and nutmeg.


Hoisin sauce, sriracha, phở seasoning, onion, fresh ginger root

TOPPINGS
green scallions, washed and finely chopped
1 medium onion, halved and very thinly sliced
1 bunch of cilantro, washed and finely chopped
1 bunch of thai basil
1-2 limes, cut into wedges
bean sprouts
hoisin sauce
sriracha (asian red chili sauce)
3 or more packages of rice noodles (fresh found in the freezer section, or dried found on the shelf)





Toppings of green scallions, cilantro, onion slices, and lime

DIRECTIONS:
If you are simply making chicken phở, do not include the oxtail, bone marrow, or beef eye round. Chicken phở takes about one hour to cook and half an hour to prep. My recipe comprises mostly of beef bones, as I feel they give the broth more depth and richness. The longer the bones simmer, the better the broth becomes.

THE BROTH:


Beef bones with marrow and oxtail


Beef bones simmering in the broth


Scooping out the impurities


Putting in the chicken pieces for the last hour


Scooping out the impurities to keep the broth clean and clear


The broth after hours of simmering

1) In a large soup pot, bring half the pot of water to a boil and quickly cook the beef bones and oxtail. Then pour out the "dirty" water and rinse the bones (this keeps the broth clear and decreases the gamey taste and smell of the meat). Put the beef bones back in the clean pot, fill the pot with water until it covers all the bones and bring to a boil. Let the bones simmer on medium high heat. Scoop out any impurities from the bones as they rise to the top of the broth. Once the impurities have disappeared, turn the heat to medium low and let the beef bones simmer for 2-3 hours, with the lid on. Occasionally add more water, making sure the beef bones are always submerged.

2) Put in the whole chicken (you can buy halved chickens as well), add more water to the pot so it covers the chicken, and boil on high heat. Again, scoop the impurities that rise to the top. Let the broth simmer on medium heat for an hour, then take out the chicken for later use (do not overcook the chicken because the meat will dry out). At this time, your broth has been simmering for a total of 3-4 hours. You can continue to let the broth simmer on low heat as you add the rest of the ingredients described in the following steps.

3) Toast the onions and ginger roots in the toaster oven for about 5-10 minutes to intensify their aroma. Then place them in the broth.


Onions and ginger in the toaster oven



4) In a pan, on very low heat, gently toast the phở seasoning from the packages for a couple of minutes to bring out the aromatics. Be careful not to burn the seeds because it would ruin the phở flavor. Pour the toasted seasoning into the cheese cloth bag, tie it up, and place in the broth to simmer.


Toasting the aromatic spices


Putting the toasted aromatics in the cloth bag



5) Start with one tablespoon of salt and sugar, stir, taste, then add more according to desire. Also include 1 cube of the phở bouillon for extra flavor (this is optional).

THE NOODLES AND MEAT TOPPINGS:
1) Fill two-thirds of a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Using a mesh strainer, fill it with a handful of fresh rice noodles and let it boil. For fresh noodles, let it cook for 30 seconds, drain and put in a bowl. For dried noodles, let it cook for 5 or more minutes, tasting it for doneness before putting into bowls.


Preparing the noodles

2) Once all the noodles are cooked, pour out the murky water and bring a fresh pot of water to a boil. Using the mesh strainer, place a handful of beef eye round, and let it cook in the water for half a minute or so. Place meat on top of the noodles that are in the bowls.


Blanching the thin slices of beef

3) Cut the chicken breasts and thighs into slices and place in the bowls as well.



PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1) Top each bowl with cilantro, scallions, and onion slices. Pour the hot phở broth in each bowl, making sure it covers the meat and toppings.

2) Encourage guests to add bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lime, and condiments of hoisin sauce and siracha for extra flavor.


Fresh herbs grown from my garden



Enjoy your wonderful bowl of phở!
You can freeze the leftover broth and make phở for breakfast as well.