Sweet Memory Recipe- Fish with Pineapple And Tomato

When I lived in Chicago, my family used to own a restaurant, the Vietnam Little Home, and it was a beginning of my journey when I first arrived in the United States in July of 1984 from Vietnam. I have so many sweet memories from our family's restaurant from the beginning when all of us were working together trying to create a business in the new country where everything was so unfamiliar to us – the people, the language and the culture. My father worked the early shift as a line cook at the St. Francis Hospital in Evanston and used the remaining hours of his day to shop for all the groceries for the restaurant. My mother was the primary chef in a tiny kitchen but she created so many wonderful dishes. Some of the dishes were from our family traditions but most of them were created during the time we owned the restaurant to suit the tastes of our predominantly Westerner customers. Thinking back at those years, I always feel that those were the best memories that I shared with my family because we all pulled together as a family to make the Vietnam Little Home successful. Working together generated enough income to help pay for the educational expenses of all my brothers and sisters. I will never forget the smile on my father's face when I reported to him that the sales went up on a Friday night. I knew at that moment, our restaurant would have a chance to be successful despite the fact that I did not speak a work of English at that time. The customers continued to support our restaurant because of my mother's recipes, and possibly the unconventional hostess with all her charms – me :-). I will now share one of the recipes for one of the dishes on the menu of the Vietnam Little Home so you can be the judge. Additional VLH recipes will be revealed later.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb white fish fillets, such as catfish, cod, or tilapia
2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 ripe tomato, wedged
2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups celery (use traditional fresh Taro stems)
2 cups fresh okra, sliced diagonally
1 cup white onions, wedged
Broth:
4 cups seafood or chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs lemon juice or tamarind powder
1 tbs tom yum paste
Garnish:
Fresh julienned mint leaves, chopped green onions, and sliced hot chili peppers
Directions:
Cut fish fillets into 4 inch chunks.
In a large pot, place broth and all the seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add fish and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add all the vegetables except the bean sprouts. Bring soup back to a boil and continue cooking for 5 minutes. In a serving bowl, place bean sprouts and ladle soup over them. Sprinkle with mint leaves, green onions, and hot chili peppers.
We served this soup as an appetizer in our restaurant, but it can be served as a main meal as the photo shows with a plate of vegetables and a bowl of cooked rice noodles

Moroccan Chicken In Crockpot

What’s nice about this recipe is how simple the ingredients are and how having total control of the spices used can change this dish to represent any country's cuisine. My recipe here uses a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and cumin, which is typical of the Moroccan cuisine. I love to use a crockpot on a lazy, relaxing day. Browning the chicken before placing them into the crockpot will create more flavor and the aroma is wonderful!
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin removed
2 tbs coconut oil
1 medium sweet white onion, cut into wedges
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp fresh garlic, chopped
1 tbs honey
2 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 can of 14.50 oz stewed tomatoes, puréed'
1/2 cup black or green olives
1/4 cup raisins
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs fresh thyme (optional)

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Directions:
In a nonstick saucepan, add coconut oil. Put chicken in hot oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper until all sides are golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside.

In the same saucepan, add a little more oil. Add onions, ginger, garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in cinnamon, cumin, fresh thyme, and honey and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato puree' and bring to a boil.

Place the browned chicken and carrots into a crockpot and pour the tomato mixture on top.

Turn to high for 3 hours. In the last hour, add olives and raisins. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Easy Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
 1 cup cake mix
2 tbs coconut oil
1/3 cup skim milk

1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven set to 350°. Fill muffin tins with paper muffin liners.
Add chia seeds into the milk and let chia seeds gel for 15 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whisk egg, sugar, and coconut oil until fluffy. Add the milk-chia seeds gel and mix well. Stir in cake mix, vanilla and whisk until combined. Add blueberries into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper muffin liners up to 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Sweet & Sour Fillet of Fish

Everyday, I try to improve my way of cooking by introducing new recipes from myself or that I have been collected from friends or famous chefs. However, most cooks like me will always tweak the recipes a little for our own tastes yet still remain true to the authenticity of the cuisines. The sweet and sour fish recipe presented here is guaranteed to make everyone happy.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz. salmon or cod fillets
Marinade sauce:
2 tbs cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cooking sauce:
1/2 cup water
2 tbs ketchup
2 tbs rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tbs wine
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
Accompany with:
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet white onions
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs minced fresh gingers
1 tbs hot chili paste

Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro

Directions:
Combine the marinade sauce ingredients in a bowl and add the fish. Let fish marinate for 30 minutes
In another bowl, combine the cooking sauce ingredients and mix well.
Spray fish with cooking oil and bake in preheated oven set to 400° for 15 minutes. While the fish is baking, heat 2 tbs coconut oil and stir-fry the accompany with ingredients until fragrant (about 5 inutes). Add the cooking sauce. Cook until thickened. Pour over fish. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro.

Chia-Fruit Juice Jello

The natural fruit juice and gelatin make this jello 100% foolproof and an excellent dessert for either adults or kids. After making this jello at home, you will never buy an already prepared fruit gelatin packet in the market again.
Ingredients:
4 cups of a combination of unsweetened juices (your choice)*
1 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs honey
1 tbs gelatin powder (for firm jello, add another 1/2 tbs)

Garnish with fresh fruit, such as strawberries, grape and blueberries

Directions:
Place chia seeds in 1 cup of unsweetened juice and let it sit for 15 minutes to create a gel. Add the rest of the juice and honey into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in gelatin powder and the chia seeds gel in a cup of juice. Bring it back to a simmer or until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat and pour the gelatin mixture into a serving cup. Let chill for few hours. Serve fruit jello with fresh fruit.

* I use 2 cups of red ruby grapefruit juice and 2 cups of cranberry juice.

Broccoli-Spinach Soup

Soup is the easiest meal to make, but good soup always requires a good broth – either meat, seafood or vegetable. I recommend that every kitchen should always stock different kinds of broth for preparing soup. I love to make my own broth, but nowadays so many commercial broths are very good too. Soup-making does not require a special technique. In most cases, soups can be made several days ahead and reheated before serving. Serving soups for the first course is a way to impress guests and also set the stage for the dishes to come. Using fresh vegetables, like the broccoli-spinach recipe that I will share here, is an example of how to make a quick, healthy, hearty soup. I like to add spinach because I like its vibrant green color and abundant nutrients. Adding green into our diet is always a good thing.
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
2 cups fresh young spinach
1 cup roughly chopped sweet onions
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups good chicken broth
1 cup water, heavy cream or milk*
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with sour cream and cheese (optional)

Directions:
In a 4 qt pot, combine broccoli, broth, water, onions, shallot and garlic over medium heat. Cook until the broccoli is tender (about 5 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat and add spinach. Use hand-held blender to purée until smooth. Return to the pot and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Bring it back to boil. Ladle soup into serving bowl and garnish with sour cream or cheese on top.

* If using heavy cream for this soup, add cream when puréeing soup and then heat until soup starts to simmer.

Everyday Budget Fried Rice

I love fried rice, and it is a signature dish of the Asian cuisine. On any occasion, from a wedding, birthday party, or catering event to a office meeting, fried rice is the number one most requested item on the menu. Fried rice can be very elegant and fancy if served within an eight course meal at a wedding reception or can be very simple with just a few easily accessible ingredients. 
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked brown rice (one day old is best)
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbs olive oil
1 can of 14.5 ounce salmon
1 cup of equal amounts of diced carrots and corn
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup white onions, diced
2 shallots, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce:
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Combine sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Using a sieve, drain and break salmon into chunks with a fork. In a wok over high heat, add oil. Sauté white onions, shallots and garlic until fragrant. Stir-fry eggs until cooked. Add salmon and mix together. Then add some sauce to the salmon-egg mixture. Remove salmon-egg mixture from the wok. Add some oil. Stir in vegetables and cook until the vegetables are wilted. Add cooked rice and the rest of the sauce and return the salmon-egg mixture back to wok. Use a wooden spoon to spread rice all over wok creating a thin layer so the rice can be crunchy (add some oil if needed). Season again with some salt or soy sauce. Throw in the green onions and mix well. Remove from heat and serve.

Marble Cocoa Coffee Cake

Coffee cake, also called breakfast cake, is a most satisfying, easy-to-make cake. Cake mix or all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda (for the leavening agent) can be used and a choice of fruits. The coffee cake which results after following the recipe that I will share here, when served as a dessert with vanilla ice cream, is so moist and delicious that no one could stop eating it. However, do not worry because all the bad fat is being replaced with good fat.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Butter and flour a 9" x 9" tube pan and set aside.
Mix cocoa powder with confectioner's sugar well.
Combine applesauce, milk, and nonfat yogurt in a bowl.
Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl.
Using a stand mixer's beater attachment and mixing bowl, add eggs, sugar, butter and coconut oil. Beat this mixture until light and fluffy. With the machine running, add flour and applesauce mixture together into the egg-butter mixture until combined (use a spatula to scrape the side of the bowl of the machine, if necessary). Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.

 Pour half of the batter into the cocoa powder mixture. Mix well and pour this mixture into the pan.

Use a butter knife to create the marble effect by swirling the two batters together.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Apple-Cranberry Bread

A good combination of fresh-dry fruits and nuts are needed in a daily healthy diet. I am proud to share this recipe here and put the bread machine to good use.
Ingredients:
For the bread:
3/4 cup water
1 egg
1 tbs nonfat dry milk
1 tsp salt
3 tbs sugar
1 tbs coconut oil
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
For the filling:
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry cranberries
1/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup soft butter
1 tsp lemon juice
Egg wash
1 egg
1 tbs water
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Add all the bread ingredients (excluding the filling ingredients) in order listed above to the pan of a bread machine or follow the bread machine's owners manual. Select dough setting and press start. At the end of dough cycle, let dough rise until double in size (the bread machine will beep to indicate that dough is ready). Remove dough onto a lightly floured surface and let rest dough rest 5 minutes before hand-shaping.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling by combining all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.

 Roll out each piece into an elongated rectangular shape.

Fill each piece of dough with equal amounts of filling.

Roll each piece to form a 15 inch long rope.

Line up the 3 ropes parallel to each other.

Starting from the center rope, begin braiding by working from left to right.

 Continue braiding the ropes until reaching the end.

 Press the ends together with your fingers and tuck them neatly under the bottom of the braid to finish.

Place the braid on a buttered baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise again in a warm place for 40 minutes or until double in size.
A basic egg wash will give a shiny, golden look to the crust. To prepare, beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt.

When the dough has finished rising, use a soft brush to gently apply the egg wash to the dough before baking. Preheat oven to 375° and bake bread for 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken In Crockpot

The sweet, tangy teriyaki sauce with slow cooked chicken will melt in your mouth. From now on, forget the takeouts from Chinese fast food restaurants because dinner will be ready soon and will be much healthier.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
1 tbs coconut oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch round coins
1/2 fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped white cabbages
1/2 cup white onions, cut into chunks
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (homemade or store-bought)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbs cornstarch
3 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces

Serve with hot brown rice

Directions:
In a large skillet, sauté chicken in coconut oil, ginger, and garlic for 5 minutes. Season with some salt, pepper and some chili pepper (if you want some heat in this dish).

In a 4 qt crockpot, combine chicken, carrots, pineapple chunks, mushrooms and white onions. After pouring in the teriyaki sauce and chicken broth, cover and turn to high cook for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
Add broccoli and white cabbage to the crockpot in the last 20 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 2 tbs water and pour into the pot. Top with green onions. Stir to combine and serve over brown rice.

Coconut Fish Cutlets

The Asian diet normally includes coconut daily in different shapes and forms. The coconut tree on the Asian continent must have been a gift from God because of its many benefits. Most houses in small villages are built from its branches and leaves. Dried coconut shells are used for serving food. The sweet white meat and juice of young coconuts are delicious and quench the thirst of the Asian people under the hot sun. However, the most amazing benefit comes from the coconut oil when extracted from the old white meat of coconuts – its positive contributions to good health. Rich and creamy coconut oil helps boost metabolism since our bodies use this as energy rather than storing it as fat because coconut oil is a great source of Omega 3. I try to eat healthy everyday, and the most important thing that I can do is to improve my way of cooking and the ingredients I use in my recipes. Even when everyone is so busy these days, good health should never be sacrificed because of a lack of time.. My simple coconut fish cutlets recipe here will prove that eating healthy doesn't take much time.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb firm white fish, tuna or tilapia, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup chopped nuts (your choice)
3 tbs nonfat yogurt
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder

Garnish with mix chopped herbs, dill and cilantro
Avocado cream sauce*
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, cayenne, and black pepper
In another bowl, whisk in mayonnaise, nonfat yogurt, and Dijon mustard. Add fish and mix well.
On a small plate, place shredded coconut and chopped nuts.
Using a slot spoon, remove fish and put them into a Ziploc bag. Pour the panko mixture in the Ziploc bag, seal, and shake to coat fish.
Remove fish from the Ziploc bag and coat them with coconut-nuts mixture, making sure all fish are coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a nonstick pan, add coconut oil and heat until smoking. Drop the fish into the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Turn fish over to brown both sides. The fish is done when the flesh becomes firm and opaque. Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs.

To make avocado cream:
1/2 avocado, peeled and pit removed
1/2 cup milk or haft and haft
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs  mayonnaise
2 tbs non fat yogurt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Place all the ingredients in the bullets machine and blend  well. Refrigerate until ready to use

Simple White Bread

For generations of Americans, white bread has been the choice, but recently it has been criticized for its supposed lack of nutritional value compared with full fiber breads. Unfortunately, the commercially-made white bread is tasteless and without substance. I always prefer white bread because of its softness. The recipe here is for white bread with a thin, chewy crisp crust, which makes it still the choice of bread for generations to come. Investing in a bread machine would definitely be a good choice for making white bread everyday.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
2 tbs nonfat dry milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs soft butter or margarine
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in the pan of a bread machine in the order listed above or follow the instructions of the bread machine manual. Select the dough setting and press start. When the dough has finished mixing, kneading and rising, the machine will beep. Remove the dough from the bread machine and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Butter a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan. Lightly flour both hands to shape dough. Place dough into the prepared loaf pan and top with 1 tbs soft butter. Cover with kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for another 40 minutes or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 375° and bake bread for 30 minutes.

Quinoa-Okra Burgers

Quinoa and okra are good sources of protein to replace meat in our diet. If okra is not available, then 1 cup of any kind of canned beans can be substituted. Changing the way food is consumed daily will protect our hearts and improve our health. This recipe is so easy and delicious, it can be served daily without missing any meat burgers.   
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup okra (soybeans left from making soy milk)
1/4 cup rough chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a sauté pan, add 2 tbs oil. Add garlic, onions and stir (cook for 3 minutes or until fragrant). Add mushrooms and continue to cook mushrooms until soft (about 5 minutes). Stir in corn and all spices. Remove from heat and let it cool off.
In a mixing bowl, combine cooked quinoa, okra, egg and the mushroom-mixture. Add bread crumbs and mix well. Form the quinoa mixture into 6 to 10 flat round patties into the desired amount that you like. Cook quinoa burgers 3 minutes on each side. The patties will flip easily when completely correct. Serve with hamburger buns.

Lemon-Dill Butter Fish Fillets

Fresh herbs, lemon and garlic pair wonderfully with fish; almost effortless for preparation but the result is fantastic. The recipe here is a sample of quick,easy and healthy cooking.
Ingredients:
Two-6 oz talipia fillets
3 tbs olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp zest of lemon
1 tsp sugar
11/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1tsp pepper flake or paprika
1 tbs fresh dill chopped or parsley
Top with
2 tbs butter and more  chopped fresh dill
Directions:
Combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, sugar, salt, black pepper and paprika and mix well.
Place fish onto a baking dish and pour the marinade over fish. Let marinate fish for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 400° and bake fish for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with butter and more chopped fresh herbs

Apple,Oatmeal, Muffins

This is one of my creations using cake mix or any store-bought cake mix will make a healthy, delicious choice of muffins for a quick breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 cup cake mix

1 cup oat meal

3/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup chia seeds gel

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup raisins

1 apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Line the muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

Combine cake mix, oatmeal, nutmeg, cinnamon in a bowl.

In a mixing bowl, whisk egg, sugar, oil and chia seeds gel until combined.

 Stir in flour mixture and whisk in with milk just to combine. Add chopped apples.

 Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tins to 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Amazing Crockpot Italian Chicken

This dish is for busy moms, working women, college students or anyone who just wants to have a good meal without any effort. Try this recipe, and you will be glad that you did. With just a few ingredients and a crockpot, you can sit back and relax .The moist, tender chicken breast will be a sure-fire dinnertime hit, and no one will believe that the crockpot did all the work.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup good tomato sauce (any kind of brand)
1/2 cup chicken stock (homemade is preferred)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sweet white onions, cut 1 inch thick
1 cup mushrooms, slice
2 tbs cornstarch

Serve with hot cooked rice

Directions:
In a bowl, combine tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well.
In a 1 1/2 qt crockpot, layer onions, mushrooms and chicken breasts. Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the chicken breasts.

 Cover and turn the crockpot to the low setting for 5 to 6 hours. After 5 hours or until chicken cooks through, remove chicken and keep warm. Transfer the sauce into the saucepan and stir in cornstarch. Cook until thickened (about 3 minutes). On a serving plate, place hot cooked rice. Top with chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with chopped fresh tarragon

Sizziling Tumeric Fish Fillet

It took me so long to blog this recipe because it requires fresh herbs such as mints, basil, Vietnamese balm (kinh gioi), red perilla (tia to), cilantro, and the main herb that cannot be replaced – fresh dill. This year, I am trying to grow the fresh herbs on my windowsill using a grow light bulb to replace the insufficient amount of sunlight during the winter season in the Northwest. Surprisingly, the result is better than what I had expected. The dill, cilantro, and basil from my windowsill herb garden are enough for serving two people in this recipe. This dish is also very popular in Vietnam and has earned the name, "Cha ca Hanoi", which is the Capital of Vietnam. Tourists flock into the streets because of the gorgeous aroma of this dish that no one can resist. There are so many ways to serve this dish, like the family style with rice paper, red leaf lettuce, rice noodles, roasted peanuts, and all the herbs that are required for this dish. The fish is then marinated with ginger, galangal (same family with ginger), garlic, and turmeric before grilling over charcoal or simply cooked in a cast-iron skillet. Family and friends can get together to drink beer and enjoy this meal, or my version is easy enough to make often as a dinner for two. This is a dish that I am so proud to introduce to Westerners.
Ingredients:
Fish marinade:
1/2 lbs firm-white fish such as Catfish, Monk fish or Tilapia
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp shrimp sauce (optional)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fresh galangal
1 tsp fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbs nonfat yogurt

Cook with:
1/2 cup fresh dill
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sweet white onions, sliced

Accompany with Vietnamese dipping sauce*

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Cooked rice noodles, rice paper, softened with hot water (optional)
Vietnamese vegetables plate (red leaf lettuce and herbs)

Directions:
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl with the fish and marinate for 1 hour.

Place the cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add olive oil. When the heated olive oil smokes, saute  white onions until fragrant;Remove from the skillet.

Add  the marinated fish. Grill fish 3 minutes on each side, Bring cooked onion back and add green onion and dill; Sprinkle with chopped roasted peanut. Bring to the table and serve.

To make dipping sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbs water
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs vinegar
Minced garlic
Chopped red hot chili
Combine ingredients and mix well