Weeknight Seafood Corn Chowder

Using a crockpot to create this quick, weeknight meal here is a meal which will not only save time for busy moms but also allow her to serve her family something fantastic and nutritious.
Equipment:
4 qt crockpot
Bullet blender

Ingredients:
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 small white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into chunks
2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
1 cup red bell pepper (about half of red pepper)
2 cups frozen corn
One 4 oz white fish, such as tilapia, catfish, or cod, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 lb. of shrimp, peeled and deveined (use frozen shrimp to save time)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped (1/4 tsp dry tarragon)
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (1/4 tsp dry oregano)
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup heavy cream or milk (optional)

Directions:
In the crockpot, place onion, carrots, tomato, red bell pepper, frozen corn, and herbs. Add broth and water. Turn heat to low for 6 hours or to high for 4 hours. Remove about half of the soup and puree' in the blender. Return back to the pot. Add shrimp and fish. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for another 15 minutes. Add the cream or milk, stir, and let cook further for 2 minutes. Ladle soup into the serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Cappuccino Bundt Cake

I found this easy cappuccino cake in the All You magazine while waiting for my car to be tuned up. The cake turned out perfect.
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick butter
3 tbs instant coffee
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 cup water
Eggs mixture:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream or nonfat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
Glaze:
4 oz white chocolate, chopped
2 tbs milk
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tbs butter

Directions:
Preheat oven set to 375°. Grease and flour 12 cup Bundt cake pan and set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl, slightly beat the egg mixture ingredients together.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the wet ingredients and bring to simmer, stirring until all are combined and the butter is melted.

 Stir the cocoa/espresso mixture into the flour mixture. Fold the egg mixture into the flour/cocoa mixture.

Put batter into the prepared Bundt cake pan, smoothing the top.

 Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before serving or glazing the cake.

To make glaze: In a heatproof bowl, add chopped chocolate and butter. Place over 1 inch of simmering water over low heat. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and let it cool. Whisk milk and confectioner's sugar together and stir into the chocolate/butter mixture, combining everything well. Drizzle the glaze over cake and sift some cocoa powder on top.

Chicken with Artichoke Hearts & Mushrooms

Weeknight dinners should be done in a simple way, and the moist, flavorful, tender chicken with artichoke hearts and mushrooms dish described below is the one to serve. Doubling or tripling this recipes ingredients will definitely steal the show at any pot luck event.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves, skinless, boneless
1 tbs butter
1 tbs oil
1 cup artichoke hearts, sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbs fresh thyme
1 tbs fresh parsley
1/2 cup white onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
1 tbs caper

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until the chicken turns golden brown (about 5 to 7 min.). Remove cooked chicken from the skillet.
Put onions and garlic into the skillet. Stir and cook for a few minutes or until fragrant. Place artichoke hearts and mushrooms into the skillet. Sauté until mushrooms are brown and tender.

 Return chicken to skillet and then pour in wine, water, and time. Reduce heat to low.

 Simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Stir in capers and simmer for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Minestrone Soup

This is a simply delicious soup with all fresh vegetables and herbs. With a bowl of this filling, healthy soup and a piece of bread, dinner is done. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 tbs butter
2 tbs oil
1 cup chopped
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomato, with liquid
1 can (14.5 oz.) kidney beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained
3 cups mixed vegetables: carrots, cabbage, celery & spinach
1/2 cup corn
1 large potato, cut into cubes
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup orzo pasta
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbs chopped basil or 1 tsp dried basil

Topping: Parmesan cheese for each serving

Directions:
In a large stock pot, heat butter and oil. Add onions and cook until soft (about 3 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomato paste,stir for few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the orzo pasta, corn, and beans. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked. Add the orzo pasta, corn, and beans and cook for another 15 minutes. Season again with salt, if needed. Ladle the soup into a serving bowl and top with Parmesan cheese.

Stir-fried Chicken and Mushrooms

This is one of my mother's creations on the menu of my family restaurant. It was so well received by our customers that I now make this dish frequently in my home because it is so delicious and brings back past sweet memories.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. chicken breasts
2 tbs canola oil
Marinade:
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp cooking wine
Vegetables:
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup celery, sliced diagonally
1/4 cup white onions, sliced
Cooking liquid:
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
Garnish:
3 green onions cut into 1 inch long pieces

Directions:
Slice chicken into bite size pieces and mix with the marinade. Let chicken marinate for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large wok. Stir-fry chicken until the meat turns opaque. Remove chicken. In the same wok, stir-fry white onions until fragrant. Add mushrooms and celery. Stir-fry briefly, about 5minutes. Add cooking liquid and return chicken back into wok. Bring to boil and add green onions. Remove and serve.

Crusty-Baked Fish with Tarragon and Chives

I started to grow some fresh herbs with a grow light on my kitchen windowsill, and it paid off. I get lots of fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, and tarragon. Tarragon, which has a flavor resembling licorice,  is used widely in French and Greek cooking and pairs well with chives and is a perfect accompaniment with fish. I seldom prepared fish with tarragon due to the cost of buying this fresh herb, but now, with the help of a grow light, I always have enough fresh tarragon to cook and chives will thrive in my garden outside all year round here in the Pacific Northwest. It is time to prepare this recipe and marry these two wonderful herbs together. These herbs are not just about flavoring the food but also they have a medicinal history, such as providing vitamins A & C and helping to digest food.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz white fish (your favorite such as cod, tilapia, halibut, orange roughy)
2 tbs melted butter
1/4 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp honey dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbs fresh chopped tarragon
2 tbs fresh chopped chives
1/2 cup Kellogg’s Corn Flakes®, finely crushed

Directions:
Pat dry fish and place onto a baking dish.
Mix melted butter, mustard, salt, lemon juice,  black pepper, and honey in a bowl. Use pastry brush to brush the fish with the butter mixture. Layer fish with fresh tarragon and chives and top with crushed corn flakes. Drizzle a little olive oil on top.
Preheat oven to 375°. Then bake fish for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Braised Tofu and Vegetables In clay pot (dau hu kho chay)

This is one of my family's restaurant recipes for vegetarian. It became a very popular item on the menu. The pineapple gives this dish a tropical-sweet flavor.
Ingredients:
5 oz firm tofu, cut into cubes and deep-fried
2 oz each of white cabbage, red onions, green beans and celery, cut into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
2 oz fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
2 dry shitake mushrooms, soaked in water and sliced (reserve some of soaking liquid)
2 button mushrooms, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Sauce:
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs mushrooms sauce
1 tsp mushroom seasoning
3 tbs canola oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup mushroom soaking liquid

Directions:
Combine sauce in a bowl and set aside.
In clay pot over medium heat, heat oil and add onions and garlic. Stir until fragrant. Add carrots, celery and both mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes and add the rest of the ingredients except the sauce and stir briefly. Cook for two minutes and add the sauce.

 Bring to boil, cover, and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve..

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho Ga)

Vietnamese chicken or beef noodle soup (Pho ga or bo) is the signature soup of Vietnam, and it is sold throughout the country. Since 1975, after the Vietnam war ended, the Vietnamese boat people fled their country with this simple recipe and turned it into a millions dollar business abroad called Pho. Each cook has his/her own secret to make pho perfect and takes a vow to keep the recipe a well hidden family secret generation after generation. After enjoying a bowl of Pho in each restaurant, one can realize a slight difference in the broth and wonder what is the difference in each bowl. However, still no one knows because it is a multimillion dollar business, which helped the Vietnamese boat people to survive and later became successful in foreign countries, and as a result the secret has stayed hidden. Some other Asian countries, such as Laos, Thailand, and China, claim that Pho is its cuisine, but Pho Vietnam has earned its name because of its distinctive way of flavoring the broth. The well-known chain of Pho restaurants among Westerners is Pho Hoa, because Hoa Pho is less traditional and more in line with the Westerner's taste. The difficult-to-please Vietnamese people will agree with the assertion that Pho Hoa is not a real bowl of Pho because the flavor of the soup has a too light, less fatty broth. The Pho Hoa restaurant soup suits the demands of healthy eating in America. Living in America for more than 20 years, I agree with Pho Hoa for making Pho healthier using meats instead of beef bones when making broth. The two main components to make a good Pho are the broth and the spicy bag – cinnamon stick, star anise, fennel seeds, clove, and coriander seeds. Other types of vegetables, such as ginger, shallot, and yellow onions are used to flavor the broth, as well. Adding the spicy bag into the broth and removing it in a timely manner is very important, as well, because it gives the broth just the right amount of flavor but not cloud the broth. Without beef bones, the broth will not have a lot of fat, which is what the Vietnamese people believe beef Pho should contain. I always prefer chicken pho because making it is easier and much healthier. The free-range chicken is preferred for Pho Ga, but if it is not available, regular chicken is fine. The chicken Pho recipe here is very easy to prepare at home so Pho can be made regularly to entertain guests without a sweat.
Ingredients:
12 cups homemade chicken broth (posted on April, 17, 2012)
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
3 tbs fish sauce
One bunch of green onions, white part only
Vegetables:
2 oz fresh ginger, about 3 inch
4 shallots
1 large yellow onion
Spicy bag (use cheesecloth):
1 Saigon cinnamon stick, about 4 inches
4 cloves
4 star anise
2 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
Serving:
2 oz fresh rice noodles, each (banh pho tuoi)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Beans sprouts, basil (que), mints (hung), culantro (ngo gai)
Lime wedges, jalapeno, sliced
Hoisin sauce, hot chili sauce (tuong an Pho)
Vinegar, white or red onions (optional)

Directions:
In a baking pan, place ginger, shallots and yellow onions and broil in the oven until blackened. Remove, peel off the charred skin from all of them. Wrap them in cheesecloth for easy removal after cooking.
In a nonstick pan, dry-roast the spicy bag ingredients until fragrant (about 2 to 3 min.). Wrap this spicy bag in the cheesecloth as well (investing in a large tea bag maker will do the trick).
Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add both the spicy bag and charred vegetable bag into the boiling stock. Turn the heat down to simmer. Add the white part of the green onions into the broth and continue to flavor the broth for 45 minutes. Remove the spicy bag, the vegetable bag, and white parts of green onions. Discard these solids. Season the broth with salt and fish sauce. While the broth is simmering, prepare the chicken breasts by bringing 4 cups of water to boil. Add the meets. Return to boil for 15 minutes, skimming off the foam or scum several times. Cover and turn the heat off . Let the chicken breasts continue to cook in the hot water undisturbed.
Slice the white onions to paper thin and place in a bowl. Before serving, add 3 tbs vinegar on top of the onions if intending to serve as side dish.
Remove chicken breasts and slice into bite-size pieces (about 3 or 4 inches long and 1/4 inch thick)
About 15 minutes before serving, bring 3 quarts of water to boil and add rice noodles for a few seconds and then quickly drain out in colander.

To assemble and serve the chicken Pho.

Distribute the cooked noodles among the bowls (one bowl for each guest). Then top the noodles with chicken breast and a few slices of white onions. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions. Immediately pour the hot broth to cover the ingredients in each bowl. Serve on the side a plate with bean sprouts with all the herbs, lemon wedges, and hoisin-chili sauce.

Fish And Mushrooms à la Grecque

À la Grecque refers to the Greek style of cooking, using olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and spices. These ingredients and technique are similar to any cuisine's poaching technique to cook fish or vegetables. Apply this technique to everyday cooking, which is a very simple and healthy way to enjoy food. I think the ingredients can be changed for individual taste and availabilities and also by adding seafood or go strictly vegetarian. There is no rule for this recipe.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz white firm fish
1 large beefsteak tomato
1/2 lb button mushrooms
Poaching cooking liquid:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (good enough to drink)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic, crushed
4 coriander seeds, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

Garnish with finely chopped parsley

Directions:
Score a cross into the top of tomato. Plunge the tomato into boiling water for 30 seconds. Then drain and peel the skin away from the tomato. Remove the cores and chop the tomato.
In a nonstick pan, put the chopped tomato with all the poaching cooking liquid ingredients listed above the lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover the pan, add mushrooms, and simmer further for an additional 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon and lift out the mushrooms. Place them in a serving place.
Place the fish into the poaching liquid and poach fish for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Lift out the fish and place together with mushrooms.
Boil the cooking liquid rapidly until the liquid is reduced to half of the current volume (might be about 1/2 cup left). Remove the bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Add lemon juice and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed. Pour liquid over fish and mushrooms. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Basic Soup Stock

The secret of making good soup is using a good quality vegetable or meat stock. In my family’s restaurant (Vietnam Little Home), every week my mother made 40 quarts of meat stock. She was so proud of her stock that she believed no restaurant could serve delicious soup or stir-fried dishes like hers. It is quite simple for restaurants to make a good stock because they use the bones left from the preparation of beef, chicken or pork dishes as the base for making good meat stock. My restaurant always had two kinds of stocks, meat stock and vegetable stock, so vegetarian customers had the option to choose. However, the best way to make a delicious soup stock depends on the amount of attention to details and the patience required, such as washing meat bones very well with vinegar and salt, controlling the temperature, skimming the froth, scum, or fat during the simmering stage. Today, commercial stocks are very well made, but in just a minimal amount of time required to make stocks at home, these homemade stocks always taste better. I use my mother's stock recipe, but I made some changes to suit the small kitchen. The way I make basic stock is so easy and without flavoring so that it can be used to make dishes of different cuisines. I believe that cooking should always be simple and fun. In the Vietnamese cuisine, the well-known soup for Westerners is beef or chicken noodle soup (pho bo, ga), which for beginner cooks is often too intimidating for them to try to make at home . To get over this fear, the first thing is to make a good beef or chicken stock. This stock is not just for making Pho but also is the foundation of all kinds of recipes for soups, stews or stir-fried dishes. Last but not least is kombu stock that is the Japanese 's basic stock, and it became the secret of Japanese cooking. What follows is the unveiling of all the stocks with a very simple way to make them.
Basic Meat Stock:
4 lbs. of beef or pork bones Or flank steak
4 lbs. chicken bones or chicken legs and thighs
4 quarts of water (16 cups)
1 oz salt
2 oz rock sugar
1 large onion
2 carrots, cut up


Directions:
Soak bones in a large container filled with 12 cups of water, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup of salt for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wash and dry the bones.
Bring 16 cups of water to a boil. Drop the bones into the hot water and let cook for 5 minutes. This procedure will help to reduce the time necessary for skimming the scum or fat during the simmering stage. Pour the bones into and wash again in cold water.
Bring 16 cups of water to a boil and drop the partly cooked bones into the boiling water. Turn heat to medium low. Skim off the froth, scum, or fat until the broth is clear (about 10 minutes). Add salt and rock sugar and continue to simmer the broth for 3 hours.
Discard the bones. Let the broth cool. Then strain broth through cheesecloth to remove any residue still remaining. Ladle the broth into a container. Cover with lid and freeze for later use.
This basic stock is perfect for making beef noodle soup, also called Hanoi beef noodle soup (Pho bo Hanoi). For healthy version of meat stock, use the meats instead of bones for both of beef and chicken

Chicken stock:
4 to 7 lbs. of whole chicken or the chicken parts, like wings, necks, legs or bones
1 large onion
1 oz fresh ginger, smashed
4 green onions, sliced into 3 inch lengths or 1 large leek
2 carrots, cut up
2 oz rock sugar
1 oz salt

Directions:
In a large soup pot, about 8 quarts, bring 14 cups of water to a boil. Put all the ingredients into the boiling water . Skim off scum and fat . Reduce heat to simmer for 2 hours. Discard the cooked meat and strain stock through cheesecloth. Let it cool off and store broth in refrigerator or freezer.
This stock is used for making chicken noodle soup or Pho Ga, Mien ga.

If making seafood soup or stews, the basic fish stock is made as follows:

4 lbs of fish bones and heads, rinsed, dried and cut into pieces (use white fish, such as cod, milkfish, sole, or pike)
3 tbs butter
2 leeks, white part only
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 oz mushrooms, sliced
Fresh parsley sprigs with stems, fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tbs white peppercorn, crushed
Peel of 1 lemon
2 cups white wine
6 cups water

Directions:
Melt butter in a heavy 8 quart pot over medium heat. Add fish and all the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot. Bring mixture to a slow simmer. Reduce heat to where the liquid barely simmers. Do not let liquid boil, because the broth will be cloudy. Continue skimming foam that rises to the surface as necessary until the stock is rich in flavor, about 30 minutes.
Strain stock through cheesecloth and let it cool off before freezing.


For vegetable and kombu stock as posted on January 2, 2012

Earthy Yogurt-Baked Fish Fillet

This original recipe came from the Indian cuisine. I changed a few spices for my own taste and am very happy with the result. The yogurt, lemon juice, and other spices makes my kitchen a fantastic aromatic, earthy place every time I prepare this dish.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz fish fillets
Spicy mix
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tbs lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp clove powder
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs peanut oil

Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro leaves

Directions:
In mixing bowl combine all the spicy mix ingredients.

Place fish in a baking dish and pour the marinade on top. Let fish marinate in the spicy mixture for 30 minutes. Preheat oven set to 400° and bake fish for 15 minutes. In the last 3 minutes of baking time, sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Simmered Fish in Clay Pot

In Vietnam, savory, delightful fish that cooks in clay pots are well deserved and served throughout the country. Each region, Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon has slightly different tastes while making this dish. In Hanoi, the fish has the flavor of galangal and has a saltier taste. In Hue, this dish is prepared with more hot chilies, garlic, and shallots. Finally, in Saigon it is made more in line with a Westerner's taste. I remember that because this dish was the most ordered in my family's restaurant; We used fish fillets to prepare this fish to cut the time for quick cooking in the restaurant, but for home cooking, any kind of fish with bones can be used and the bones will add more flavor to the dish. I prepared this dish for myself using trout simmering with spicy cooking liquid in a clay pot to make a delightful meal.
Ingredients:
1 medium trout, cut into 3 inch pieces
4 green onions cut into 3 inch lengths
1/2 cup chicken stock
Spicy cooking liquid:
5 shallots, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 dried hot chilies
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tsp molasses*
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup oil

Directions:
In a clay pot over medium heat, add oil and sauté shallots, garlic until fragrant. Stir in dried chilies and molasses. Add the rest of the ingredients of spicy cooking liquid and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Bring to boil and place fish into the clay pot.

 Cover and turn heat to low. Continue simmering the fish for 1 hour.

During the last 15 minutes, simmer the fish uncovered so the liquid is absorbed. Add green onions during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Serve with rice.

*Traditionally, this dish uses a caramelized sugar liquid to add an amber color to the dish; Molasses can be substituted and adds a nice color as well. Add fresh chilies if you want it spicier.

Poule Au Pot - Braise Chicken

Poule Au Pot is chicken cooked in a pot with herbs and vegetables. It is a French dish first served when Henry IV wanted his chicken in one pot for a lazy Sunday meal. I think for a king this dish is not fancy at all. Perhaps he had so many elegant meals during the week, and this dish helped him to unwind while the servants probably had a day off . I am definitely not a queen, but nothing can stop me from enjoying the dish used once served to a king. This dish actually is very simple. The chicken is simply cooked with its own broth, and the vegetables are added in the last few minutes of cooking time and served along with the bird. It is imperative to use a free-range chicken for the best flavor, but it is not required. As common folks, just use whatever is available. Flavor the broth well with fresh herbs and cut the cooking time for the bird to achieve the best result for the Poule Au Pot.
Equipment:
Large pot
Kitchen twine
Cheesecloth

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 1/2 lbs)
1 tsp salt

Broth:
2 cups white wine
10 cups  Water
1 white onion, halved
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs of parsley
10 juniper berries
10 black peppercorns
1 leek,  cut into 2 inch segments

Garnish with:
2 carrots, cut into bite size pieces
2 Yukon potatoes, cut into chunks
2 cups white cabbage

Directions:
Season the chicken with salt and wrap it up with cheesecloth.

 Cooking the chicken in cheesecloth with help it keep its shape. Put into a large pot. Put carrots, celery, leek, white onion, bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns, juniper berries, and garlic into another cheesecloth (this will help to skim off any scum from the broth easily and to remove the pouch of cooked vegetables more easily).

 Cover with white wine and water and bring to a simmering point. Cook on a very low heat for 20 minutes. Season again, if needed. Cover with lid. Turn heat off and let chicken slowly finish cooking in the hot broth. Lift out the chicken and drain on a tray. Discard the cooked vegetables. Add all the garnishes into the pot; Turn the heat on and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
To serve:
Remove the skin from the chicken and carve. Then serve with the cooked vegetables. Strain the cooking liquid and serve as a broth to start the meal. The rest of the broth can be frozen and used later for soup or stock.

Seeds & Nuts Cookies

This basic recipe is for Chinese almond cookies, and they are easy to make. One day when my friend showed up with her kid, I wanted to make these cookies, but I did not have almonds so, and in the house. I replaced almonds with one cup of a mixture of seeds and nuts, and they turned out perfect. Because it is so simple, that I could engage her kid to help, and we had a lot of fun while making these cookies.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, margarine, or shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup total of seeds and nuts (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine water, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl.
Melt butter or margarine and beat in sugar. Beat in egg and baking soda mixture for 3 minutes. Add flour, seeds and nuts mixture and form large dough ball.
Divide large dough into 20 smaller balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Use back of spoon to lightly flatten the cookie balls. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Sweet Breads With Oat Crumbs

I like to make bread for dinner or sometimes with a crunchy topping is well served at breakfast. The oatmeal topping in this recipe adds extra crunchiness that will melt in your mouth.
Ingredients:
The dough
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs shortening
1 tbs chia seeds gel
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp active bread machine yeast
The topping
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tbs all-purpose flour
3 tbs dark brown sugar
1 tbs white sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup soft butter

Directions:
All the ingredients must be at room temperature. Add dough ingredients into the pan of a bread machine in the order listed above. Select the dough setting and press start. After the kneading cycle, let dough rise in the machine. Remove dough from the machine and punch the dough down to remove some air. Let dough rest for 5 minutes before hand-shaping.

Preparing the topping: In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine all the topping ingredients. Mix well. With a fork, cut butter into pea-size pellets. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Place dough in a lightly buttered 9 inch square baking pan. Using the fingertips, gently press the dough to spread it evenly to cover the bottom. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Let rise until double in size.

Preheat oven to 350 °. Make light indentations with fingertips on the surface of risen dough.

Sprinkle evenly the topping over dough. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is lightly browned .

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack completely before cutting into 9 equal squares.

Chicken Cooked In Soy Sauce

A simple cooking liquid, but very tasty, makes this chicken dish so tender and delicious.
Ingredients:
1 lb of chicken breasts and thighs
2 tbs coconut oil or peanut oil
Vegetables:
1 cup Yukon potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces (1 medium size potato)
1 cup carrots, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup white onions, wedges
3 clove garlic, slice
Cooking liquid:
2 cups chicken broth
4 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs sweet dark soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbs dry sherry
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs honey
Thickening sauce:
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions

Directions:
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Heat coconut oil. Fry chicken until golden brown. Remove from the pan. In the same pan, fry the potatoes, carrots, and onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove from pan . Add cooking liquid into the pan and bring to boil
In a stew pot, place chicken, potatoes, and carrots and pour the hot boiling cooking liquid into the stew pot.

 Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes; Mix the thickening and add to the stew pot . Continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions and serve with cooked rice.

Stuffed Baked Salmon Fillet

I like to prepare fish because it is quick and healthy. In my family, we eat salmon almost three or four times a week, and I don't want to use the same salmon recipe in the same week. I shop frequently at Costco, and the stuffed salmon sold there is very good. I created this stuffed salmon recipe to mirror the one at Costco. Because I don't know all the ingredients that are stuffed inside Costco's salmon, I am guessing what they are. It looks like it is stuffed with imitation crab and some bread crumbs. I don't have all the ingredients on hand, but my substitution of mini scallops and shrimp will have the same seafood flavor. The following is my recipe for baked stuffed salmon.
Ingredients:
Four 6 oz salmon fillets
The stuffing:
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1/2 cup mini scallops
1/2 cup shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped minced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
3 green onions, chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder or paprika
Sauce:
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbs olive oil
Dot with 2 tbs butter
Fresh chopped tarragon and parsley

Directions:
Pat dry the salmon and use a sharp knife to slit open the salmon enough for stuffing.
In a nonstick pan, add oil and sautéed white onions and garlic until fragrant. Add celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted. Add shrimp and scallops, stirring for 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Remove from heat and let it cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine egg, cooked rice and green onions. Add cooled shrimp mixture into the rice and mix well. The stuffing is now ready. Divide the stuffing equally into four portions and stuff neatly into salmon. Place stuffed salmon onto a baking dish. Brush salmon all over with sauce using a pastry brush. Then dot the top of salmon with butter. Cover with tin foil and bake salmon in preheated oven set to 400° for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve

Easy Breezy Butter Cake

There is nothing better than a quick, simple basic cake recipe that can be easily converted into a fancier cake for a wedding, graduation party, etc., using different frosting. However, bringing family and friends together for an afternoon tea party with a piece of simple butter cake is special. This easy, basic yellow cake is the most important cake that everyone needs to learn at the beginning of baking.
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
1 to 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup milk

1 cup dried fruit, such as raisins or cherries (if desired)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° and butter and flour a 9" x 9" cake pan.

Sift the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Using a KitchenAid stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add one egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with flour and milk in batches-beginning with flour and ending with flour. Fold in the dried fruit at this time (if using).

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Spicy Fish fillets with Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is another popular recipe from my family's restaurant, the Vietnam Little Home, I scaled down the quantity of ingredients and moderated the recipe into simple instructions for preparing this hearty meal at home. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1/2 lb fish fillets (catfish, sole, blue fish or tilapia), sliced into 2 inch pieces
1 tbs cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt

Vegetable:
1 ripe tomato cut into wedges
1 cup white onions, sliced into thin strips
Spices:
1 tbs fresh chopped ginger
1 tbs garlic, minced
2 dry red chilies

Coating:
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs water
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs all purpose flour

Sauce:
1 tbs cooking wine (dry sherry)
2 tbs ketchup
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs soy sauce

Thickening:
1/2 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch

Garnish with green onions, cilantro

Directions:
Marinate fish with wine and salt for 30 minutes.
Have all the ingredients ready in separate bowls next to the stove. Heat oil for frying. Dredge fish in coating completely.

 Place in the hot oil and fry until brown on both sides (this should take about 5 to 8 minutes).

Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm serving plate. Drain all but 2 tbs of the oil from the pan. Add the spices and then stir for a few seconds or until fragrant. Add the white onions.

 Stir again and add the tomato wedges.

Pour the sauce into a hot wok. Re stir again and bring to boil. Let cook an additional minute or so.

 Add the thickening to the tomato sauce and bring to boil again. Continue to cook sauce until thickened.

Pour over fish and sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve with rice.