All posts tagged: easy dinner

Snapper and Mango Empanadas

Snapper and Mango Empanadas

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Of Latin America’s origin, the empanada is a stuffed savory pastry that makes a great appetizer any time. Each part of the world has their own version of empanadas, as you can get very inventive with the filling. Since it’s mango season, I’ve decided to make a snapper and mango version of these special little treats. Enjoy! 1 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 Thai chili (optional, only if you prefer spicy) 1 tsp ground cumin 9 oz snapper boneless skinless filet, cut into small cubes 1 ripe mango, cut into small cubes (same size as the fish cubes) 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 2 eggs, beaten and divided in half 4 oz Gruyère cheese (or Swiss cheese), grated 12 oz pre-rolled pie dough (in the biscuit dough / dairy section) 1. In a small pan, add oil, onion, chili, and cumin. Stir over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Remove from heat and let cool. 2. Once the onion is no longer hot, add fish, mango, cheese, cilantro and half of the …

Beer Battered Calamari

Beer Battered Calamari

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I accidentally found this recipe while I was looking for a salt and pepper squid recipe. I like the idea of adding beer, as it makes the calamari extra crispy. Enjoy! 1 lb fresh or frozen squid, cut into rings (like an onion ring) 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice plus more for serving Salt and pepper 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) 1 cup cold beer Frying oil Parsley leafs to garnish 1. Season your calamari rings with lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Set aside. 2. In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of flour, 1 and 1/2 tsp salt, olive oil and beer. Stir until it becomes a smooth paste. 3. Pour 2 inches of frying oil into pan with high heat. 4. Pour the remaining cup of flour onto a plate. Dip the calamari to the dry flour and coat evenly, then to the better batter, coat evenly. Finally, drop into the hot oil and fry until the batter turns golden brown, …

Soba Noodles with Braised Pork

Soba Noodles with Braised Pork

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I am absolutely hooked on these soba noodles. Unlike rice noodles, soba, which is made from buckwheat, has so much more depth in flavors. My favorite part about this dish is the rich broth. It is a bit sweet from the sugar, but also so fragrant from the five-spice powder. Enjoy! 1 lb of boneless pork (any cut as long as there a little bit of fat in it) 12 cloves garlic, minced finely 6 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp five-spice powder 1 tsp salt 4 tsp sugar 1 tsp ground pepper 6 cups of chicken stock Lettuce and mint 1. Combine garlic, soy sauce, five-spice powder, salt, sugar, black pepper together. Divide mixture into two equal parts. Take one portion and rub well on pork to marinade from 30 minutes to overnight. 2. After marinade, clean the pork free of any garlic. Save the marinade to revisit later. 3. Add 1-inch vegetable oil to large pan and sear the pork both sides on medium high heat. Once the meat browns, discard the oil. 4. …

Caramelized Spare Ribs (Suon Ram Man)

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This is one Vietnamese dish that I can eat everyday! I love bone marrow, and I can’t get enough of the marrow from this braised pork. I prefer to mix some of the sauce with hot steamed rice. Drizzle a bit of sriracha sauce, add some fresh cucumber and let the magic happen. 1 lb pork spare ribs chopped into into 1.5-inch pieces 2 clove of garlic, minced 1 tsp minced shallot 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp chicken stock powder (or buoillon cube) 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp sugar 1/2 cup coconut soda (use water if you can’t find these, but trust me, it is much better with coconut soda) 1 tbsp fish sauce 1. Boil the ribs in plain water for about 3 minutes to reduce the pork smell. Rinse and drain. Pat dry with a paper towel. 2. Mix ribs with garlic, shallot, salt, pepper, chicken stock powder. Let marinade for 30 minutes. 3. To make the caramel sauce, warm oil in a medium pan in medium heat. Add the …

Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sriracha

Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sriracha

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Preparing a home cooked meal for dinner can be challenging, especially for working moms. That is why this is my favorite go-to recipe. Shrimp cooks super fast, so this meal can be done in less than 15 minutes, if you have all your ingredients. The sriracha sauce adds a kick to the dish without overpowering it. I love rice, so I served my shrimp over steamed rice. However, it is also great with pasta. Enjoy! 3 tablespoons butter 3 cloves minced garlic 4 tablespoons Sriracha 1 pound shrimp, cleaned, shells and veins removed (leave the tails for a nicer presentation) 1 tsp anatto powder (optional – this powder will give your shrimp a warm orange color) 1 tablespoon lemon zest Salt and black pepper 2 wedges of lemon Green onions for garnish 1. Add butter to a sautéed pan. Once melted, add garlic and stir until fragrant 2. Add the sriracha to form the sauce 3. Once the sauce starts to boil around the edges, add the shrimp and sautéed 4. Add anatto powder if using. …

Tenderloin Steak Rolled with Prosciutto and Sage

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I love cooking with sage. I love the fragant smell and the earthiness to it. I normally use sage with turkey. The combination reminds me of Fall and of Thanksgiving. Today, I tried sage with beef tenderloin and prosciutto. This is a fun recipe that requires very little time and effort. It makes a great appetizer but you can also serve it as an entree. Enjoy! 2 lbs of beef tenderloin 1/2 of prosciutto, sliced thinly and cut in half lengthwise 1 small bunch of fresh sage leaves 2 carrots, cut into thin, long strips (about 1.5 inches long and 1 cm wide) 2 stalks of green onions, cut into strips about the same size as the carrots (use green parts only) olive oil, salt and pepper Skewers (soak them in water for about 30 minutes before cooking) 1. Use a meat tenderizer to soften the beef. This is great to do after a bad day at work. 2. Slice the beef crosswise to get long, thin strips. You want it long enough to be …

Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (Thit Heo Quay)

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There is nothing like a bowl of crispy pork belly over rice for lunch. The pork is well seasoned in five spice powder, moist and tender while the skin is extra crispy. I served it over steamed rice and poached chinese bok choi. This is one of my favorite recipes, I made this dish yesterday and I already want to make more today. Making crispy pork belly is easier than you think. With this recipe, you’ll never have to buy roasted pork from Chinatown again. 2 lbs skin-on pork belly 3 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp five-spice powder ½ tsp pepper 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tsp white vinegar 1. Clean the pork belly and pat dry with a paper towel. Then make a few scores on the meat side, about 2 cm deep, to help marinate the meat. 2. Mix 1 tsp of salt, add the sugar, five-spice powder, hoisin, and pepper into a paste. 3. Rub the paste onto the meat on all sides except the skin side. Try to keep the …

Vietnamese Crab & Lobster Noodle Soup in Tomato Broth (Bun Rieu Tom Cua)

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If you’ve ever been to a Vietnamese restaurant, you know we love our soups. The most popular Vietnamese noodle soup is, of course, pho. While pho is a national dish, its cousins such as Bun Bo Hue, Hu Tieu, or Bun Rieu deserve just as much attention. I grew up in Vinh Long, Vietnam. For a while, I lived with my grandmother on the country side of Vietnam. My parents and sisters had moved to the city. Because they made this decision in the middle of the year, I had to stay behind with my grandmother to finish the rest of the school semester. I think I was about 9 or 10 years old. Every weekend, I would take the ferry-boat to the city to visit my family, then take the ferry back to my grandma again. My youngest uncle, Cau Ut, was also finishing his high school years and living with my grandma. My grandmother owned a lot of land, which she used partially as rice paddy field. My uncle used to catch a lot …

Thai Dinner ft. Coconut Chicken Soup, Beef Larb, and Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice

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I had a few good friends over for dinner. It so happen, one of my good friends love, no, she’s obsessed, with pineapples. We have tried pineapple fried rice in many different restaurants, but she was always disappointed that it did not come in an actual pineapple, as most restaurant ads suggest. So, to surprise her, I carved out a pineapple to serve my fried rice in. She was impressed. She even kept the pineapple “bowl.” For appetizer, I made beef larb and coconut chicken soup. Recipes for all three items are below. Enjoy! BEEF LARB I have made this dish before using chicken. Here is the recipe once again, using ground beef. 1 lb of ground beef 1/2 thinly sliced red onion 2 small stalks of green onions, chopped A handful of  fresh mint leaves (approximate 1/2 cup), roughly chopped 1/2 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped (avoid using the stems) 3 to 4 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced 3 tablespoon of roasted rice powder 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice Lettuce, cabbage or shrimp chips for …

Rack of Lamb with Vietnamese Miso

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I recently had an opportunity of writing a cookbook review for our local newspaper, the Georgia Asian Times. The given book was The Vietnamese Market Cookbook by Van Tran and Anh Vu. The book inspired me to get back in my kitchen and started cooking more often at home. One of the very first recipes I tested from the book was Shoulder of Lamb with Vietnamese Miso. Instead of lamb shoulder, I used two racks of lamb David and I purchased from Costco. I made it and my toughest critics, my very traditional, very Vietnamese parents, loved it. Truthfully, I’ve always been intimidated by lamb. To me, lamb are usually made by kitchen experts and served in restaurants where table manners are required, and your meal comes with 10 different utensils, each with an unnecessary purpose. Like the lady in the movie Titanic said, just start from the outside and work your way in. Growing up, we never ate lamb. Partly because of the cost, and also because it’s not a common cut of meat in …