classic Vietnamese favorites at home

Split yellow mung beans in the light batter made these Vietnamese crepes or banh xeo quite unique. Traditionally filled with shrimp, other meat like chicken and pork may be substituted. I also used sauteed ground pork cooked with coconut milk. As with many Vietnamese specialties, these crepes were served with beansprouts and fresh herbs like Thai basil and cilantro.

Vietnamese crepe assembly

To complete our Vietnamese meal, I also tried to cook Vietnamese pho for the first time at home. I didn't feel the need to cook it at home before because we used to go to a very good Vietnamese pho restaurant but lately we haven't been there much. I do miss and crave the taste of this popular Vietnamese soup.

A platter of herbs, lime, jalapenos, beansprouts and mushrooms to complete a bowl of pho (shown above). The mushrooms are not traditional but it was a nice addition.

I got 3 pounds of beef marrow soup bones at our local grocery to make the pho. I also got some lean round beef cut for the thinly sliced rare beef that was also essential to complete a bowl of pho. Fresh ginger and a whole onion are usually charred on a hot grill or roasted in the oven. Spices such as star anise, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves were also added to the water. I used the Instant Pot pressure cooker for the broth. I later learned that the broth was best made a day ahead and refrigerated to intensify the flavors. The extra fat was skimmed off the surface before reheating. It was a bit time consuming to make but the result was a full-flavored soup broth.

The most important part of pho is the broth. It's just not right without the classic combination of flavors. Before serving time, simmer the broth. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for a few minutes to soften them. Pour boiling water over the noodles or place in a colander and dip in boiling water for a few minutes until fully cooked. Drain well. To serve, place the cooked noodles in a serving bowl, arrange a few slices of very thinly sliced beef on top then ladle the hot broth into the bowl. Top with beansprouts and lots of fresh herbs. Serve with lime and sliced jalapenos.

This particular recipe for Pressure Cooker Pho from The New York Times was my guide for the ingredients and process to make the pho.

earthy shimeji mushrooms from the Asian market

more bento fun

It was exciting to receive these cute bento accessories (shown below) which I ordered from BentoUSA. There was never a dull moment visiting the website. Such a cute and happy store :-) I had fun browsing the merchandise and ordering was fast and easy.

I immediately started with new bento projects and tried using the fruit and vegetable cutters, rice and egg molds as well as the cute food picks.

layers of pretty cheese flowers 

carrot flower, pasta carbonara in a bright pink bento box

mini spam musubi, meatballs, hotdog tulips...cute panda pick 

I also enjoyed making these "kyaraben" or character bento (shown above and below) using the panda and cat rice molds. It was fun but the results were far from perfect :-) Positioning the nori cut-outs was a bit challenging. A dainty bento food tweezer was the right tool for the job.

panda bear rice with sweet and sour meatballs

a petite bento with steamed vegetables and rice

rice paper rolls

Right after my sous vide experiment which I posted previously, some leftover steaks made it into the beef summer rolls, shown below. Sliced very thinly and layered with julienned carrots, cucumbers, red radishes, red bell pepper and lettuce leaves, they were refreshing and light, perfect little appetizers for hot and humid summer days. I also like cooked vermicelli noodles in them, for additional texture, but always optional. Dried rice papers, sold in most Asian markets and grocery stores, are handy to have in the pantry. To make the rice paper pliable, soak it briefly in warm water then lay it on a clean towel or wood cutting board to get rid of excess water before rolling.

Another version I made later on was with a combination of thinly sliced ripe mango, cucumber, red bell pepper and surimi or imitation crab sticks layered and rolled together with flavored vermicelli noodles. Thanks to the recipe by Chef Hylton Le Roux which I found on youtube. Glad to discover his Market to Master series which I've been watching lately. He's a chef based in Manila who also travel around the country in search of the best regional dishes and food. I get so many tips and ideas from the episodes.

surimi flakes, red bell pepper, cucumber and mango 

Shown above, the seasoned vermicelli noodles and the package of imitation crab I used. The noodles were soaked for a few minutes in boiling water until they softened then drained. Toss with chili sauce (for a spicier version, use sambal oelek), rice vinegar, sesame oil and mirin. The seasoned vermicelli was very tasty and I may never go back to using plain vermicelli for these rice paper rolls. Serve with honey-soy dip.

For the recipe...

ramen at home

my husband's ramen (above) with a touch of sambal oelek

It's exciting that the Japanese ramen craze has invaded big cities in the US over the past few years. I remember growing up in Manila enjoying many variations of it. However, I had one particular Filipino noodle soup favorite popularly called "mami" in Manila which my mother used to make for the family. The fresh egg noodles were store-bought but she would make all the toppings from scratch. These days, our laid back weekend meals at home usually mean very simple cooking involved with instant ramen soups ranking high in our list :-)

We had a chance to visit my favorite Asian market on our way back home from a recent vacation. I was excited to see some fresh vegetables like enoki mushrooms, baby bok choy and fragrant Chinese chives that aren't usually available at the grocery store. They also sell them at a very reasonable price. These vegetables were perfect for ramen.

Shown above, I arranged the cooked ramen noodles, blanched baby bok choy strips, thinly sliced chives, enoki mushrooms and eggs in a bowl. I just rinsed the enoki mushrooms, they didn't have to be blanched. Pour boiling ramen broth over the arranged ingredients. Serve immediately and enjoy!

chicken soba noodle soup

The sudden drop from warm to cooler fall temperature this weekend made me long for some good comforting soup. I wanted something different from the usual creamy chicken noodle soup I make which we call "sopas" in the Philippines. I went online again to search for alternatives and found this Korean version in Maangchi's youtube channel. She made the noodles from scratch but I decided to use some healthier soba noodles which I already have. Instead of adding garlic cloves to the broth, I toasted minced garlic in sesame oil and served it as a condiment instead. The clear chicken broth enhanced with flavors of sesame oil and a touch of garlic was just what I had in mind. The soba was a healthier option to elbow macaroni. My version was actually more of a Korean-Japanese fusion as I also added some mirin (Japanese rice wine) to the broth. We also have a Filipino version of this simply called "chicken mami" which is often paired with "siopao" or steamed buns filled with pork or chicken.

Layer the cooked soba noodles, vegetables sauteed in sesame oil, sliced green onions and shredded chicken in a bowl as shown above. Bring the chicken broth to a rolling boil and slowly pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy the unique flavors of this Asian chicken noodle soup!

 

Additional sliced green onions, toasted garlic with sesame oil, chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds may be served on the side. For a spicy hot version, add sriracha or red pepper flakes.

For the recipe...

Korean braised short ribs

Browsing the meat section at the grocery store one day, I found some flanken-style short ribs which instantly made me think of Korean kalbi and Korean braised short ribs. I've made kalbi once so I decided to try cooking this Korean braised specialty (shown below). Regular cut short ribs may also be used if flanken style is not available. I also mixed in a pound of boneless short ribs for extra meat. Marinating overnight works best to add more flavor before cooking.

I'm glad I used the Instant Pot (shown below) to make this dish. The meat got infused with so much flavor and fall-off- the-bone tender. I've used it many times now.

It's funny when my husband surprised me with this Instant Pot pressure/multi-cooker, I was totally speechless. I've never heard of it before so I was clueless about it. To be honest, I've never pressure-cooked anything before. I remember when I was a kid, my aunt sent my mother a pressure cooker from the US. She never used it but it remained on our kitchen shelf until now. The avocado green finish has become dull and the rubber seal got brittle and broke over the years but it still sits on its permanent spot. I was even hesitant to use a pressure cooker for fear that it may explode. This modern pressure cooker is so much easier to use and it makes the best stews and soups in minutes.

A bowl of sauteed sliced cabbage and carrot strips with sesame oil and a platter of soba noodles completed our meal. Steamed rice may also be served.

For the recipe...

summer drinks

We're supposed to feel the onset of cooler fall weather by now but it's still hot and humid where we are. We may have a few more summer days left to enjoy these cold summer drinks :-) I've just discovered bubble tea (also known as boba milk tea in Asia) and we've also been trying to make Vietnamese coffee lately. We still have to perfect it though.

I've been curious about the popularity of bubble tea. I finally got to try mango bubble tea at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant recently. I just love the chewy black tapioca in the bubble tea. They sell the quick-cooking kind at the Asian store which takes only 5 minutes to cook. Thai instant milk tea is the stuff I use for my bubble tea at home. Other flavors like taro, green tea, honeydew and mango are also available.

Vietnamese iced coffee

This Vietnamese drip-style coffee press (shown below) can be tricky to use. As of now, I'm still figuring out the proper way to regulate the flow. It has to trickle slowly for about 4 minutes to achieve the correct intensity of coffee flavor. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of condensed milk in a tall glass. Pour the coffee over it and stir, then add ice to make a refreshing iced coffee drink. Based on my husband's research, Cafe du Monde is the best brand to use for this.

a taste of Indonesian food

A recent long weekend escape to a favorite destination led to another tasty food discovery. Another off the beaten path restaurant that we will surely be returning to. Tan's Asian Cafe serves Chinese food too but we went there particularly for their Indonesian menu. It was our first time to try Indonesian food and we loved it :-) The flavors are intense and complex, spicy hot but was made less overwhelming with a dose of sweetness and seasonings. My tolerance for spicy food is significantly lower than my husband's but I had no problem with the level of heat in these dishes.

Babi rica-rica, shown above and below, was spicy and very flavorful. In the menu, it's described as Manado pork cooked in a spicy and tangy red "rica-rica" sauce. The pork which was very tender must have been simmered for hours in a traditional blend of spices and seasonings.

Udang Bumbu Bali or Balinese Shrimp, shown above, skewered shrimp served with a rich delicious red sauce (shown below) that's spicy with a hint of sweetness.

I look forward to trying many other items in their menu when we come back. I'm intrigued with their noodles and soups particularly the Soto Ayam. The deep-fried appetizers we sampled were also very good. In the meantime, inspired by our food experience, I tried to recreate a well-loved Indonesian dish called Beef Rendang at home. It's coming up next :-)

cotton soft Japanese cheesecake

I've never made cheesecake before so it took me awhile to gain enough confidence to make this. This was the result of my attempt at making this version popularly called cotton soft Japanese cheesecake. It's also known as souffle cheesecake because of its fluffy and light texture. There are so much information available online so I had no problem researching about it. I went to YouTube, my favorite source of cooking and baking videos, to find demos on making it. As I've mentioned a few times before, the videos are very helpful. It will definitely not be the last time I bake this.

Using just one 8 oz block of cream cheese, this was not heavy and dense at all like regular cheesecakes. Gradually folding the beaten eggwhites into the cream cheese, butter and milk mixture resulted in a light-textured cake dessert.

Cotton soft Japanese cheesecake served with fresh sweet strawberries :-)

(1) The springform pan was greased and lined with parchment paper. (2) Just to make sure the water doesn't seep inside the pan while baking bain marie (hot water bath), wrap it in heavy-duty foil. (3) The light and fluffy mixture and (4) the finished product with very lightly browned top, shown in the pictures below. The technique of folding the beaten eggwhites into the cheesecake batter was very much like that of making chiffon cakes.

Interested in the recipe?

bibimbap ~ Korean mixed rice

This may not be the most authentic bibimbap since I didn't really have the complete ingredients but I tried my best to make up with the presentation :-) Bibimbap is a well-known Korean mixed rice dish. It usually consists of meat and sauteed vegetables then topped with egg. I find the concept very appealing as I've always liked traditional rice dishes like Spanish paella, Southern red beans and rice and many more. My bibimbap version had corn kernels, chopped shitake mushrooms, sliced kale (which I substituted for the spinach), julienned carrots, green and red bell peppers. The dried shitake mushrooms may be soaked overnight. All the vegetables were sauteed in a little sesame and vegetable oil. The colorful mix of vegetables looked quite appetizing arranged on top of the rice. Raw egg may be mixed in with the hot rice but I made fried egg instead, with the yolk still a bit runny. The rice dish may also be transfered and served in a heavy cast iron skillet, then heated over low fire until the underside gets lightly toasted and forms a crust. Just before serving, I sprinkled toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish and additional flavor. Mix the steamed rice, the vegetable toppings and the egg together before eating. Serve with kimchi, hot sauce or sriracha if desired.

For the most flavorful bibimbap meat (shown above), I marinated thinly sliced beef with finely chopped ginger, lots of chopped garlic, soy sauce, a little sesame oil and ground pepper. The beef was very aromatic so I thought it was best to pan-fry them outdoors using our handy electric wok. I fried the beef until well-browned and crispy.

my wok set-up at our screened sunroom :-)

steamed tofu with diced chicken

I was struck by the beautiful presentation of this tofu dish when I first saw it featured in Nyonya Cooking website sometime ago. I knew I had to make it asap. Although having diced chicken in the original recipe, it may be adjusted to make it vegetarian.

Any combination of vegetables will work. For my version, I steamed the tofu with chopped bokchoy. I prepared the block of firm tofu by cutting it in half-inch thick slices. The tofu may be drained of excess water by setting the slices in a colander for a few minutes then laying them out on a flat surface (plate or cutting board will work) on top of papertowels then weighing them down with another small cutting board or plate. I usually do this when pan-frying tofu to at least prevent the oil from splattering. This step may not be necessary when steaming, however, I just followed the directions from Nyonya Cooking.

For the complete recipe and procedure, here's the link to the video and recipe at Nyonya Cooking website. She makes cooking look so easy with her many informative videos, recipes and ideas.

healthy options

Here I go again, after the holidays and all the rich high-calorie foods, trying my best to eat healthier and exercise more :-) I also find myself craving uncomplicated and lighter meals but still satisfying such as these beef and vegetable rolls. They always come to my mind whenever I have leftover beef steak or roast. I like to have a stack of Thai or Vietnamese rice paper wrappers which are so handy to have. They're delicate when dry but can easily be soaked in warm water to soften. The fillings may vary depending on the vegetables preferred. I like to use a colorful combination of thinly julienned carrots, red bell peppers and cucumbers, some lettuce and rice noodles. Some thinly sliced scrambled eggs may also be added to the filling for these Asian Beef Rolls, shown below.

A sweet and sour vinaigrette with rice vinegar and sweet chili or sriracha sauce makes the perfect dip for the rolls. However, another popular version with a mixture of hoisin and sriracha sauce may appeal to those who prefer more intense flavors.

You can't go wrong with a platter of grilled or roasted vegetables as shown below. I used our handy and convenient grill pan to cook some of our favorite vegetables like eggplant, yellow zucchini and portobello mushrooms. Lightly season them with salt and pepper then brush with olive oil just before cooking.

A combination of Greek yogurt, feta cheese and oregano made a healthy Mediterranean-inspired dip or dressing. Leftover grilled vegetables are great tossed in with pasta and also for bruschetta or other flatbreads. Here's to another year of ideas and inspirations for healthy eating!