Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Dumplings (Banh Khuc)

Recipe from Run Away Rice

Ingredients:

for the Dumpling:
2 1/2 cups sticky rice (also called glutinous or sweet rice) + 1/2 tsp salt
1-8 oz package frozen chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups water
1-16 oz bag glutinous rice flour
2 Tbsp rice flour
1 Tbsp canola oil

for the Filling:
1 cup peeled split  mung bean
1/2  tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp oil
1/4 cup finely diced onions
1/2 lb ground chicken
1 tsp fish sauce
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp water

Directions

Put the mung bean and rice into individual bowls.  Rinse each several times until the water is clear and soak overnight.

In a large bowl, add frozen chopped spinach plus 1 cup water.  Microwave spinach on high for 5 minutes.  Remove from microwave and stir spinach breaking up any remaining frozen chunks.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup water and stir together.  Remove any large spinach stems and discard.  Add both kinds of rice flours and oil.  Mix until flour is all incorporated.  Then knead for another 2 minutes forming a soft sticky dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 2 hours.

Rinse the mung bean one more time and drain well.  Put the beans into the rice cooker.  Distribute the beans forming an even layer.  Add salt and water.  Cook until rice cooker button pops up, approximately 25 minutes.  Unplug the rice cooker right away.  Using a flat spoon, mash the beans until they are creamy and you no longer see the individual beans.  Cover and allow to cook for another 10 minutes.  Scoop out the mung bean and place in a bowl.

In a pan over medium heat, add oil and onions and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the ground chicken.  Break the chicken into little pieces while cooking.  Add fish sauce and black pepper.  We are only partially cooking the chicken so stir-fry for no more than 3 minutes.  Add the mung bean and combine with the chicken.  Add water and stir.  The filling should stick together at this point resembling a dough.  Remove from the heat.  Allow to cool slightly, approximately 5 minutes.  The filling is easier to roll when it’s still warm.  Use a tablespoon to scoop out the filling and roll into 20 golf-sized balls.  Wet your hands if they become sticky from rolling the balls.

Rinse the rice.  Use a colander to drain the rice well.  Sprinkle with salt and mix together.

Place steamer paper into the steamer tray or coat with vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray.  Take 1/4 cup of sticky rice and spread a thin layer on the steamer paper.

Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it between your palms and then flatten.  Place the filling ball in the middle and work the dough around the ball.  Roll between your palms several times forming a ball.  Roll the dumpling in the sticky rice until it’s evenly coated.   Place the ball into the steamer tray.  Continue until all dumplings are made.

Steam the dumplings.  After 15 minutes, spray the dumplings with a generous amount of water, flip them and then spray with water again.  Continue steaming for another 15 minutes.

Yields:  20 dumplings

Tips:

In this recipe, I share a shortcut for making the mashed mung beans using a rice cooker.  The traditional way of making these beans is to steam and then put them through a potato ricer.  It’s much easier and faster to cook the beans in the rice cooker. A few notes:  When cooking mung beans the water tends to bubble out of the rice cooker so put a tray or thick towel underneath the rice cooker to catch any spillage.  Also make sure you unplug the rice cooker right after the button pops up so the beans don’t burn and stick to the bottom.

The biggest problem in the past when making these dumplings was the steaming, as the rice always turned out dry and hard. But your advice to flip and spray the dumplings half way through steaming solved that problem. 

CÁ KHO (Caramelized Catfish Steaks with Pineapple Slices)

Recipe by Hollie Phuong-Hong Nguyen, Facebook

FOOL PROOF RECIPE: Bought a whole fish, used the head and tail for the soup and the rest caramelized with pineapple slices. I love pineapple in my fish. Who else makes Cá Kho with pineapple?

RECIPE FOR CÁ KHO:

Here is my simple recipe for making foolproof cá kho. I say foolproof because if you follow this recipe, you pretty much do not have to worry about guessing how much sugar and how much fish sauce to season in order to get that perfect balance flavor. I think that's the part that could be intimidating for some people who have never made this classic braised dish before. However, once you got the technique down, it's actually not that bad. It just takes some trials to get the hang of it. Your technique will get better the more you make it, and before you know it, you may perfect the dish without even realizing it.

Making the simple sauce for seasoning:

• 1 bottle of fish sauce (Squid Brand)
• 3 cups sugar

In a saucepan on medium heat, combine the sugar with the fish sauce and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

When the mixture just comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Skim off the foam if any.

When the sauce is cool, the consistency should be slightly thicken but not too thick.

*Note: This sauce is all you need, besides nước màu, to season your fish. You can store the left over in a glass jar at room temperature or in the fridge and use it later. It lasts for a long time. This sauce can also be used to make many other braised dishes such as Sườn Rim Mặn, Gà Xào Xả Ớt, Gà Xào Gừng, or anything that is similar in technique. Very convenient, right?

Ingredients to make cá kho thơm: 

• 1 whole catfish, cleaned and cut into steaks about 3/4" thick. Save the head and head portions and the tail for soup if prefer.
• 2-3 Tbsp of oil 
• About 2 tsp minced garlic
• About 2 tsp minced scallions
• The above seasoning sauce (amount varies depends on the amount of fish)
• Homemade or store bought nước màu (thick caramel)
• 1/4 fresh pineapple, cut in half lengthwise and sliced to about 1/4" thick
• Ground black pepper

In a large skillet that can fit all your catfish steaks in a single layer for even braising, heat the oil and fry the minced garlic until fragrant.

Add the minced scallions. Mix well with the garlic.

Add the catfish steaks in a single layer. Keep the heat on medium to low.

Then add the seasoning fish sauce mixture you made. The amount you add will all depend on the amount of fish.

So this is the part that you will need to rely on your judgement. For my batch you see in the picture i.e. about 6 large steaks (about 3 lbs), I added about 6 Tbsp of the sauce.

Let the fish simmer on low heat to absorb the sauce for 2-3 minutes.

Then add a few tsp of nước màu. This depends on your visual judgement. Add a little at a time until you see that the color is right. Remember, as the fish simmered and the sauce is reduced, the caramel color will be deepened, so do not add too much or your fish color will be too dark.

Continue to simmer on low heat to caramelization as you can see from my video.

Flip the fish over once if needed for even braising. You can see that the fish has released some juice.

If your seasoning is the right amount (taste it), you can just let the fish juice combined with the seasoning sauce continue to simmer to the right caramelization consistency.

Add your pineapple and simmer to let the pineapple soak in the sauce, and then turn off the heat and it's done.

However, if your seasoning is off (i.e. too much or not enough) by tasting it, then you'll need to either add a little bit of water (if too much seasoning sauce) to lighten the taste or add a little more seasoning sauce (if not enough) to increase the flavor. Use your taste bud as your guide at this point.

Then continue to let it simmer to caramelization. Add the pineapple and let it soak in the sauce. Sprinkle with some ground black pepper. It's done.

*Note: I highly recommend using homemade nước màu if you can make it. This is really the secret that will give your fish the golden brown color that it is. It tastes better, too. I found that store-bought does not produce that golden brown caramel color but rather a dark brown, looks less appealing. The taste definitely can't compared to homemade. I will try to make a video of making homemade nước màu later for those of you who are interested. It is a good and essential staple in your pantry for making those classic Viet braised dishes.

Pumpkin Bread

Recipe from Once Upon A Chef

Makes 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 15-oz can 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby's)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour (alternatively, use a baking spray with flour in it, such as Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and curdled at this point -- that's okay.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
5. Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Fresh out of the oven,the loaves have a deliciously crisp crust. If they last beyond a day, you can toast individual slices to get the same fresh-baked effect.
7. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
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Crab Meat Asparagus Soup

Recipe by Nghi Lhd, Vietnamese Cooking Group, Facebook

Recipe:

Lump crab meat: 6 oz can
Prepare crab meat by using a small pan, add a few drop of oil into the pan. Turn the stove on at Med to High heat, add 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic. Wait for garlic to cook evenly. It takes about 1 to 2 min. Add crab meat into the pan. Add a 2 or 3 drops of sesame oil and some black peppers. Gently Stir them up. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Prepare quail eggs:
I use 2 dozen
Boil quail eggs . Takes about 5 to 10 min. Peel the shells off. Set aside.

Prepare veggies:
Chop 1 lb asparagus into small pieces
Chop 10 baby portobello mushroom into small pieces
Thinly chop green onion and cilantro
Set all veggies aside into separate bowls.


Prepare starch:
Put about 3 tablespoon of corn starch or tapioca starch into a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup of water. Stir it up. Set aside.

Prepare broth:
In a big pot, add 
chicken broth cans: 32 oz
Water: about 5 to 6 cups
Cook at Med heat. Taste it. Add a 1/2 table spoon of salt and half teaspoon sugar if needed.

While this is going, in a bowl, crack 4 chicken eggs. Whisk them up.

Wait for the broth to boil, add asparagus and mushroom in. Add quail eggs in.

Slowly Add starch in and stir the pot until they all blend well.

Wait until the broth boils again. Add crab meat in.

Use a pair of chopstick as a guide to pour chicken eggs in. Slowly pour a thin layer of chicken eggs at a time. As you pour, Move your chopstick around the pot so that the eggs don't lump into 1 big pile.

Add 2 or 3 drops of sesame oil. Stir.

Add chopped green onion and cilantro in. Turn off heat.

Serve warm or hot w fresh black peppers.

Tamarind dipping sauce (Nam Jim)

Recipe by John Stacy, Vietnamese Home Cooking Enthusiasts, Facebook

Pungent Delicious Things... there are many versions of Nam Jim (tamarind dipping sauce). This is my multi purpose version with ripe Kiwis that I think you'll find delicious. Try it when dipping your egg rolls, green mangos and spring rolls etc or eating it with lettuce and mint or drizzled over your fried rice... Enjoy! Umami John

John's Kiwi Tamarind Dipping Sauce:

2 kiwis smashed
1 tablespoon crab paste
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 tablespoons sugar or rock sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar 
1 lime juice 
2 tablespoons water (+/- to your sauce thickness preference)
2-3 Thai chilis minced 
1 tablespoon fresh mint minced
1 tablespoon cilantro minced 
1 tablespoon shallots, white or red onions minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 green onion diced 
1 roma tomato finely minced
Himalayan or Sea Salt to taste 
*optional MSG to taste

Cream Cheese Banana Muffins

Recipe from Moomaw Juli,  Vietnamese Cooking Group, Facebook 

FOR THE BANANA BREAD:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed well
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt or buttermilk
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING: 

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Regular oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F 

Breville Smart Oven: preheat the oven to 325°F 

For banana loaf: Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over on the longer sides then grease the parchment paper with cooking spray. 

For muffins: spray or greased muffin 12 muffins pans with butter or oil or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Set the batter aside.

MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, egg, sugar and flour. (Alternately, use a handheld beater to combine the ingredients.) 

For the banana loaf:

Add 1/3 of the banana bread batter to the prepared loaf pan then alternately add dollops of the cream cheese filling and remaining banana bread batter to the pan. Using a knife, swirl together the mixture.

For the muffin: 1/2 banana batter, some cream cheese batter. Then add more banana batter & top off with more cream cheese batter. Take a fork, swirl to blend the mixture.

For the banana loaf: Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is set. (If the bread is getting too dark around the edges, you can tent the pan with foil and continue baking.) For muffins, bake 28-30 minutes only! 

Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before using the parchment paper overhangs to lift the bread out of the pan and onto a rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

For the muffins, edge around the pan with a silicon knife or plastic knife to release the muffins.

Jamaican curry chicken

Recipe from Tish Johnson, Vietnamese Cooking Group, Facebook

Wash chicken and cup up into small pieces (I like chicken skin so I leave mine on)
1 large onion
4 green onions
3 cloves garlic
6 sprigs thyme
half cup of red & green bell pepper 
Scotch bonnet to your taste (substitute with habanero)

Chop all vegetables up (small) 

Season chicken with 2 tablespoon of all purpose seasoning (if you can get Chief Jamaican curry powder that's my favorite, if you can't, you can use Grace (picture below).

Add 3 tablespoon of curry powder and season overnight with all the vegetables.

Heat up pot, I don't add oil, as the skin will produce oil. I heat my pot up on a high heat , add everything into pot, put on lid keep stirring about every 2 mins, when the chicken has produced it's own juice, reduce to medium heat, add one chicken stock cube, and one cup of water ( or one cup of chicken stock ).

Let the chicken cook till done, about 30 mins. Turn off leave for about 10 mins. 

The grease from the chicken , if you keep the skin on will separate and be on top, take a spoon and spoon it off the top so it's more healthy for you , but that's optional.

Jamaican Chicken Curry

Recipe from Tish Johnson, Vietnamese Cooking Group, Facebook

5 chicken legs and thighs
1 tablespoon of curry powder (Chief curry powder & Goya Adobe all purpose seasoning)*
1 tablespoon of all purpose seasoning 
8 sprigs of thyme, pull it off the stem
5 garlic pieces 
1 onion
3 scallions
5 scotch bonnet peppers (haberno , if u can not get it, adjust to your taste) **
Quarter of cup of chop green pepper
1 tablespoons of black pepper, adjust to your taste

Cut chicken into small pieces, wash , season , marinate over night with the ingredients.

Chop all the vegetables small.

On high heat, in a pot put some olive oil , about a tablespoon, I add a bit of butter too , but you can replace that with olive oil 

Add everything, keep stirring till the onions become soft, then add 3 cups of water, cook on medium heat.

Add one chicken stock cube, if you making coconut rice and beans don't add coconut milk, but if you are eating white rice, add coconut milk, and one cup of water.

*Adjust it to how much you are cooking, I don't measure mines , so I'm giving you it the best I can

**This dish is on the spicy side.  

Chief Curry Powder

This curry powder it the best.

• for every lb of meat use one tablespoon curry powder
• one large onion 
• 5 scallions chop up fine, (but before you chop them up, smash them with the knife, we do that to release the flavor)
• Half a cup of red bell pepper and green bell pepper chopped up small
• scotch bonnet pepper (if you cannot get them you can use habaneroes)
• 8 sprigs of Thyme , you don't have to take it off the steam, but if you like that, take it out at the end when it cooked. If you don't want to do that take chop the thyme up small
• 6 cloves of garlic
• one spoon of all purpose seasoning, if you can get the Jamaican Grace seasoning, will be better but if you can not just use Goya Adobo one.
• black pepper
• Salt to your taste 
• one chicken stock cube

All the vegetables have be chopped up small.

Marinate meat for 24 hrs with everything.

Heat pan with olive oil just to coat pan

On high heat put everything in pot, keep stirring until vegetable become soft

Then add water, reduce to medium heat. Add one chicken stock cube when you add water.

Goat usually takes about 2-3 hrs to cook , you know it's done when meat comes away from the bones.

The water will reduce down, into a sauce. Enjoy.

Sorry could not give you water measurements, I eyeball everything.

Coconut rice and peas (beans)

Recipe from Tish Johnson, Vietnamese Cooking Group, Facebook

Coconut rice and peas (Jamaican)

Get dry beans , soak overnight, boil till the beans are soft.

Wash rice add 3/4 scallions ( smash them like u do lemongrass) to release the flavor cut them into 2 inch slices.

Add 3 by 2 inch of grated fresh coconut, ( the coconut can be froze up to 6 months , the part u don't use ) and about 6 sprigs of thyme , you are not going to eat the thyme, it for flavor.

If you don't want to use dry beans , you can use tinned ones , for that you would put everything in the pot one time with the rice, let boil up , stir, not with spoon , fork or chopsticks, turn down and let finish cooking. 

You don't have to use beans with it , this rice goes very well with spicy foods

Jerk Chicken

Recipe from Tish Johnson, Vietnamese Cooking Group, Facebook

The only jerk seasoning I use is the one in the pic , the rest are no good , the jerk seasoning can be used on everything, and to bring the flavor out it best you grill it on BBQ , you can bake it too, for seafood you stew in the pot , Only seafood should be cooked in the pot not meat

Jerk chicken

5 lbs chicken
1 tablespoons of garlic salt ( use regular garlic if u don't like salt ) 
1 tablespoon of all purpose seasoning (Grace all seasoning or GOYA all purpoe seasoning) 
2 heaped tablespoons of jerk seasoning (Walkerswood)
I added crush red pepper too cus I'm a spice queen

Marinate for 24 hrs , then grill .. 

I recommend that you smoke if you can that brings out the real jerk flavor, but it will taste good even if you can't smoke it.

When you put it on the grill you will have juice left in your container. Don't throw it out, you gonna use it, to put over your meat when it half cooked , jerk get spicier the next day after cooking, my favorite next day meal. Serve with coconut rice and peas.

Chrissy Teigen's famous banana bread recipe

Ingredients: 

2 cups mashed very ripe bananas*

4 eggs

2⁄3 cup canola oil, plus a little more to grease the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more for dusting the pan

2 cups sugar

1 (3.5-ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix**

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 (3.5-ounce) bar dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

Salted butter, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, and oil. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine well BUT GENTLY. I swear this came out differently when I used an aggressive electric mixer. Fold in the coconut and chocolate chunks.

Grease and flour a Bundt pan (that means wipe a little grease all over the inside of the pan, dust it with flour, and tip it upside down to shake out any extra flour). Pour the batter into the pan. (This can also make two 8 × 4-inch loaves, but it’s so much more moist in one Bundt pan!)

Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. (Test it with a toothpick at around 50 minutes.) Let it cool slightly in the pan, then use a butter knife to gently release the cake from the sides of the pan and around the inner circle, then flip it onto a plate.

Let it cool and cut it into slices. Rewarm them and serve them with salty butter!!

*Get six brown bananas. Not four. Not five. Six. You will think you only need five because it looks like enough, but it will not be enough. You will get five, you will mash them, you will be about half an inch short and that makes a difference and you cannot get around it. Trust me.

**I won’t tell you what brand to use, but the right brand rhymes with smello. Don’t use banana-flavored pudding mix. I tried it. It is gross.

Pineapple Banana Nut Bread

Recipe from Just A Pinch . Looks really good! Freezes well too!

Ingredients
2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 c flour
1 tsp each - baking soda & salt
1 c chopped pecans or your favorite
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
2 c smashed banana
1 - 15 oz crushed pineapple - drained
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Spray two 9.5 x 5 bread pans with bakers joy or grease well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nuts.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, banana and pineapple. Make sure it's mixed well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula, only until you no longer see dry ingredients.

Divide batter between two greased 9.5 x 5 bread pans. ( Can also make mini loaves of bread if desired.) I've done both. Baking time will vary, depending on size of pan.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Check center and pick should come out clean.

Let cool for 5 minutes then remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.

Chicken pasta salad

Recipe from Foodmayhem.com

Chicken or Turkey Pasta Salad

Dressing:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pasta Salad:

1 box (1 lb) dry pasta (any shape)
3 cups shredded chicken or turkey
2 large cucumbers, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped scallion
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
Instructions:

1. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and set aside. (I usually do this the night before just to get it out of the way.)
2. Cook pasta as instructed on the box. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3. Toss together pasta, chicken or turkey (is using), cucumber, cilantro, scallion, and sesame seeds. Dress and toss. Serve immediately.

*If you are making it ahead of time or packing to bring, it can all be done a day ahead. Just don’t combine them until you’re ready to serve it.

Cucumber in vinegar and chilli oil

This recipe is from my co-worker Ashley

Sauce for cucumber:

Minced garlic
Soy sauce
Black vinegar 
Sesame oil
Sugar
Chicken broth (just a little)
Chili oil
White pepper
Szechuan peppercorn oil

Notes: add the sesame oil and szechuan oil last.