Vietnamese - Lemongrass Pork

1 pound boneless pork shoulder, about 1/2 inch thick

Marinade:
2 T sugar
1 T chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion or 1 shallot
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped (approx 3 T)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 T dark (tamari) soy sauce
1 1/2 T fish sauce
1 T canola oil

1. Cut the pork shoulder into pieces about 3 to 4 inches.

2. In a food processor, blend to a fine paste the sugar, garlic, shallot and lemongrass into an electric mini chopper and process to a fine texture.  Add the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil until combined.

3. Add the pork to marinade in a zipcoat well. Cover and set aside at room temperature to marinate for 1 hour. Or, refrigerate up to 24 hours, letting the meat sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to remove some of the chill before grilling.

4. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through.

Easy Marinara Sauce

1 T olive oil
1 pinch of dried pepper flakes
1 T Italian seasoning
One 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
One 15 oz can of tomato sauce
One 6 oz can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of sugar
1 T garlic salt

Heat sauce pan to medium heat. Add olive oil, dried pepper flakes and Italian seasonings.  Allow seasonings to infuse the oil for 45-60 seconds.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar and garlic salt.  Bring to a simmer for twenty minutes.

Simple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked Thai jasmine rice
4 cups water (for rice)
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup Maggi seasoning sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen diced carrots
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3-5 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Instructions:

To rice cooker, add 2 cups uncooked rice and 4 cups water.  Cook until done.  (Can also cook on stove-- follow package directions).  When rice is cooked, set aside until completely cooled. (Sometimes I cook rice the night before and refrigerate it overnight).

In a small bowl, slightly beat eggs and add garlic salt.  Scramble eggs in skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil until just cooked.  Set aside.

In large skillet on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil, cook garlic until golden brown.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add cooled rice, soy sauce, Maggi seasoning sauce, sugar and white pepper.  Mix well.

Defrost peas and carrots in a microwave safe bowl until tender (1-2 minutes on high).  Add to rice.  Lastly, add eggs back into rice.  Gently mix ingredients together.  Serve immediately.

Stir-Fried Garlic Noodles

Ingredients:

8 oz. thinly sliced pork
3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup shredded carrots (I buy mine pre-packaged to save time)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Chinese red pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 package of cappelini noodles
4-6 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use canola oil)

Pork Marinade Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese white pepper salt
1/2 teaspoon Chinese red pepper powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce

Instructions:

In a small bowl, marinate pork (can substitute chicken, beef, or turkey) for at least 1/2 hour in refrigerator.  (I like to marinate it overnight).

Boil cappellini noodles according to package directions (al dente).  Do not over cook.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Heat large skillet (I use non-stick) or wok, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil.  Stir-fry pork until cooked through.   Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add 2 tablespoons oil to same pan, stir-fry garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and green onions.  Add Chinese red pepper powder, salt and sugar.  Cook until vegetables are just tender. (5-7 minutes).  Remove from pan and set aside.

Using the same skillet, on low heat, stir-fry cappellini noodles with 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup oyster sauce. (Might want to add a little more or a little less of these sauces, depending on how salty you want the noodles).  Add the stir-fried pork and vegetables to the noodles.  Toss until warmed through.  Serve immediately.

**This dish can easily be made vegetarian.  Just omit meat and substitute vegetarian stir-fry sauce in place of the oyster sauce.

Pho - Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup

Pho - Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1 - 1/2 lbs ox tail (optional)
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup Vietnamese pho flavoring paste
2 med-lg onion

1 bag of pho rice noodles
4 scallions

4 cups bean sprouts

16-20 sprigs of thai basil (optional)

16-20 sprigs of purple basil (optional)

8-10 sprigs of mint and/or asian mint (optional)

8-10 sprigs of cilantro (optional)

2-4 thai chili peppers (jalapeno can be supplemented)

2 limes

hoison sauce 

srirachi sauce

Directions:
Rinse the chicken with water.  Remove the insides of the chicken.  Place chicken in deep soup pan.  Sear with Olive oil.  Remove chicken, add ox tail into pan and sear on all sides.  Add chicken back into pot with ox tail.  Add enough water to cover the chicken and ox tails.  Cut one onion into patty rings, add to pot.  Add 1/2 the amount of fish sauce and the Vietnamese flavoring paste.  Reserve the remaining fish sauce for later. Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of chicken).  Once your chicken is completely cooked thru, remove chicken, set aside to cool.  

Remove chicken from the bone and shred into large pieces.  Refrigerate chicken pieces.  Add large pieces of bone back into simmering pot with ox tails.  Add remaining fish sauce.  Simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 2 hrs.  Remove from heat.  Remove ox tail and refrigerate.  Remove and toss bones and onions from pot.  Let pot cool.  Skim fat and impurities off top layer.  Repeat as necessary, until soup runs clear.  I suggest using a fine sieve to remove additional small particles.  

Fill a large pot with water.  Bring water to a boil.  Add Rice noodles, bring pot back up to a boil.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until noodles are el dente (slightly undercooked).  Strain noodles in a colander.  Rinse noodles under cool water to remove any excess starch on the noodle, thus preventing the noodles from sticking to each other.  Place a handful (about 1 cup - 1 1/2 cups for each serving) of noodles in a serving bowl.  

Bring soup base up to a boil.  

Cut half moon onion slices, dice thai chili pepper, finely chop scallions, and cut limes into 6 wedges each, set aside.  Place bean sprouts, shredded pieces of chicken/ox tail meat, onion, thai chili pepper, scallions and herbs on top of noodles.  Use as little or as much herbs as you desire.  Add boiling soup base to noodle bowl.

Pho - is complemented with condiments such as, hoison sauce, srirachi sauce, lime wedges and thai chili peppers.

Serves 8 

Garlic Curry Chicken

Ingredients:
Whole Chicken, back bone removed

Marinade:
1 part garlic salt
1 part onion flakes
1 part tumeric
1 part curry powder
1/2 part cumin
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar

Lay chicken flat, forcefully flatten if necessary. Rub the marinade all over chicken. Place in air tight gallon size bag. Add olive oil, fish sauce and sugar. Marinate for a minimum 4 hrs.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover bottom of oven pan in canola oil. Smash 3-5 cloves of garlic. Place oven pan with oil and garlic in the oven during preheat. Once oil is HOT and garlic has been infused into oil, add 1-2 T butter. Set aside garlic. Once butter has melted completely, place the chicken skin side down and sear for 5-10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees. Place the garlic back in the oven pan, in and around the chicken. Bake until juices in chicken run clear. Total time varies depending on size of chicken. Approximately 1 hour.

Spinach/Broccoli Quiche

Ingredients:

3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 slices slab bacon, chopped
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 finely chopped broccoli florets
1/2 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pie crust

Instructions:

In large bowl, mix all ingredients together and pour into a pie crust (I sometimes use Pillsbury brand). Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then turn oven to 375 degrees and bake quiche for an additional 40 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Also, cover crust to prevent burning.

Let quiche rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Super Easy Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 Chicken
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Cup Bullseye Barbecue Sauce

Instructions:

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic powder and black pepper.  Put in an oven safe dish.  Pour barbecue sauce over chicken and cover tightly.  (I use a corning-ware dish).  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.