Mung Beans Dessert (che dau xanh danh)

In Vietnam, this elegant dessert is always served on special occasions, like the New Year or memorial days. It is costly to make. This dessert will not appear on the streets of Saigon being sold by vendors. Because it is very special and too expensive to make for everyday consumption, it has always held a special place in my heart while growing up. I learned how to prepare this dessert as soon as I knew the ingredients are inexpensive and available to me. Even though this dessert is easy and quite cheap to make now in America, it still holds a special in my heart every time I make it because later in life I learned that it was my dad's favorite dessert as well. Now, I will always make this dessert on the day of his passing as a memorial.

Ingredients:
1 cup slit mung beans, skinned, soaked overnight
2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk
3/4  to 1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup bot nep (sweet rice flour)
1 tbs vanilla

Directions:

Mix coconut milk and sweet rice flour together.

Drain the mung beans. Add water and bring to a boil.

Cover the pot and turn the heat off. Mung beans will continue cooking in the covered pot until soft and tender (about 15 minutes). Add sugar and the coconut mixture and cook further for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla. Turn the heat off.

Use a handheld blender to mash the mung beans mixture. Blend the mixture until smooth and thick.

 It can be served hot or cold.

Perfect Bread Machine Baguettes

Most Vietnamese people love the baguette, which is also known as French bread. Making baguettes is quite complex and time-consuming. Therefore, many home cooks like me always feel intimidated when it comes to making this bread. Thanks to the bread machine, I no longer feel that way. After years of looking for a good bread machine baguette recipe, I can finally share one with you here, which is a definite keeper.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tbs oil or butter
3 cups bread flour
1 tbs active dry yeast

Cornmeal and flour for dusting

Directions:
Place all the ingredients (except the cornmeal) in the bread pan in the order listed above. Select the Dough setting and press start.
When the dough cycle is complete and the dough has risen enough, the machine will beep. Turn off the bread machine and remove the dough from the bread pan. Place the dough onto floured countertop.

Shape the dough into 12-inch oblong loaves or 4 small baguettes.

Dust the top of loaves with cornmeal and flour. If using baguette pans, sprinkle the pans with a lot of cornmeal and flour. Place the dough onto the pans.

With a sharp knife or razor blade, slash the top of the baguette straight down the center about 1/2 in deep or make 2 diagonal slashes.

 Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for another hour or until the dough is double in size. A baking sheet can be used if a baguette pan is not available.

Preheat oven set to 450° 15 minutes before the dough is ready to bake. At the bottom of the oven, place a pan filled with hot water (while baking, this will create the steam necessary to produce an authentic, crispy crust). When the baguettes are ready to bake, spray each with water. Open the oven quickly and spray again with water. Place the baguettes into the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the oven quickly and spray with water again and let the baguettes finish baking for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown

 

 

Baked French Fries

Everyone loves French fries. The way to enjoy French fries without feeling so bad is by baking them. This baking method will assure less fat and is very tasty. Before serving these baked fries, save some for yourself; otherwise, they will be gone quickly.
Ingredients:
2 medium baked potatoes, skin on
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Directions:
Wash potatoes and cut them into finger size pieces.
Combine olive oil, garlic, paprika salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add potatoes and coat them well.

In a large baking sheet, spray some more cooking oil. Arrange the potatoes onto the baking sheet in one single layer. Be sure that the potatoes are not touching each other (this will ensure that the potatoes will be crispy).

 Place the potatoes into a preheated oven set to 425° and bake for 40 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, turn the potatoes over,.

Ham and Eggs Potato Casserole

The classic potato casserole never goes out of style. I try using different ingredients to make it interesting and tasty. Always keep it simple by gathering ingredients already available in your kitchen. Using leftover ham, bacon or cheese will work just fine. This recipe can be prepared the night before to make a fantastic Sunday morning breakfast. This one dish can feed a lot of hungry mouths.
Ingredients:
4 medium Idaho potatoes
4 slices of ham
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, Fontina or Mexican mixed cheese)
1 cup red onions, sliced
Salt, black pepper and chili flakes to taste

Directions:
Wash potatoes and cook with the skin on. Do not overcook potatoes. Peel the skin off and slice 1/2 inch thick.
Cut ham into bite-size pieces.
Slice the hard-boiled eggs into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
Mix the marinara sauce with mayonnaise and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

To assemble the dish:
In a baking dish, pour 1/4 cup sauce at the bottom. On top of the sauce, put one layer of potatoes, and then a layer of eggs, a layer of onions, a layer of ham, and a layer of cheese.

 Repeat the same sequence of layering until all the ingredients are used (save some cheese). Finally, top with sauce and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven set to 375° for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Raisin Bread

For a quick snack, nothing is better than a slice of this delicate raisin bread with a hint of cinnamon on a chilly fall afternoon. With a bread machine doing all the work, just sit back and relax to enjoy a good book and appreciate whoever invented this wonderful machine, making life truly simple.  
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs butter
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups bread flour +2 tbs additional flour, if needed
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in the bread pan machine in the order listed above or follow the instruction manual of your machine. Choose the light crust button and press start.
I like to use my oven to bake bread, so I select the dough button and press start. The machine will mix, knead, and finish the dough for the first rise. After rising, remove the dough from the bread pan. Shape dough into the same shape as the loaf pan.

Lightly butter or spray dough with oil. I use a 9" x 5" loaf pan for this recipe.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until the dough is double in size.

Bake in a preheated oven set to 350° for 20 to 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The chocolate chip cookie is an American treat; No matter how old, everyone loves this cookie. Surprise friends when they show up at your house unannounced with this classic cookie because it is simple to make from scratch. You will be loved forever.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soft butter (1 stick)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Combine white sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. With a handheld mixer, beat in the soft
butter until the sugar is well mixed or looks fluffy.

Beat in an egg and continue whisking them together. Add vanilla and the flour mixture until combined. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Mix well.

Use a smallest ice cream scoop about teaspoon size to drop the cookie dough on the baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies become golden brown. This makes about 24 cookies. Double or triple the amount to feed a big crowd

Sweet Rice with Chicken & Chinese Sausage

This is one of many sweet rice recipes being used in Asian cuisines. A version is served at Chinese dim sum restaurants called sweet rice shau mai. The ingredients can be changed to suit the taste of the cook. I like mine and hope you like it too.
Ingredients:
2 cups sweet rice, soaked overnight
2 Chinese sausages
2 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in water
1 egg, beaten
1 chicken breast*
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped sweet onions
2 green onions, sliced
Soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper

Directions:
Drain sweet rice and place into steamer and steam until the rice is cooked (about 15 minutes).
In a skillet over medium heat, add oil. Pour beaten egg into the skillet and make an omelet.
 Remove.

Let It cool and cut into small strips
Slice sausages, chicken breast and soaked mushroom and set aside.
In a skillet, sauté' sausage for 3 minutes.

 Move from the side of the pan and add chicken. Sauté' chicken until golden brown. Season with salt, soy sauce. Remove the chicken and sausage. Keep warm.

In the same pan, add onions, garlic and sugar. Stir onion -garlic mixture until fragrant. Add mushrooms, stirring until mushrooms cook through.

 Bring back sausage-chicken mixture. Mix well. Season again with soy sauce, black pepper.

To serve:
Place sweet rice on a plate. Top with sausage-chicken mixture and a few strips of omelet. Sprinkle with green onions and fried shallots.

*I like to use roasted chicken breast because it makes this dish tastier and cook faster. If using uncooked chicken, marinate the chicken with fish sauce, salt, sugar, and black pepper.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Crab

I had this dish in a Olive Garden® restaurant in Chicago. I fell in love right away. Later on, I tried to find the recipe for stuffed mushrooms and then to make some changes for my taste and budget. The stuffing ingredients can be modified to personal taste and availability – from clams, shrimps or crabs or simply vegetables with celery and carrots.

Ingredients:
12 large button mushrooms
One 6 ounce can crabs
1 egg
1 tbs total of fresh oregano and thyme, finely chopped
1 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup total parmesan cheese, Romano cheese
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
2 green onion, chopped
1 tbs chopped white onions
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup total of parmesan, Romano cheese for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°
Remove the stems of mushrooms and clean out all the mushroom gills. Chop the mushroom stems .Set aside

In a mixing bowl, combine chopped mushroom stems and the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Brush the mushroom caps with melted butter and spoon the filling into each mushroom cap. Use 1 1/2 tsp of the filling for each mushroom.

Butter or spray a baking dish with cooking oil. Place the filled mushrooms onto the baking dish.
 Cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese on top of the mushrooms.

Put it back into the oven and bake until the cheese is slightly melted. Sprikle with chopped parsley.

English Muffins

With help of a bread machine, your friends and family will marvel over your cooking skills for serving them these English muffin. Just avoid telling  them how simple it is to make these muffins, so you can get all the credit for being a good baker.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp vinegar
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
Enough cornmeal for dusting

Directions:
Place all the ingredients, except the cornmeal, in the order listed above in the bread pan machine. Select dough setting, and press start.
Remove the dough from the bread pan after the machine beeps. Place the dough onto a floured countertop.

 With a rolling pin, roll dough out to a 3/8-inch thickness.

Using a 3-inch muffin cutter, cut out muffins.

Reroll the scraps one time and cut additional muffins. Sprinkle cornmeal and flour on a baking sheet and place the muffins on the baking sheet.

 Sprinkle more cornmeal and flour on top of muffins. Cover with a towel.

 Let rise on the countertop until almost doubled in size, about 40 to 60 minutes.
Heat ungreased griddle or cast iron pan on the stove top to medium-high (375°). Then reduce heat to low (275°). Very gently, place the muffins on the griddle and cook them for 10 minutes.

Gently turn them over and increase the heat to high to finish cooking, trying not to deflate them. Cook for 5 more minutes on the other side of the muffins.

Remove the muffins from the griddle and cool on a wire rack. Slit in half with a fork, toast, and serve with butter. The leftovers freeze well in a Ziploc® bag.