Fish Paste Stuffed Tomatoes in Sweet Tomato-Pineapple Sauce

One of my favorite Vietnamese dishes is tomatoes stuffed with meat, tofu, or fish paste. Every time when I make fish paste at home, I like to prepare this dish. This is the perfect blend of seafood and vegetables, and it is a real winner.
Ingredients:
1/2 lbs fish paste (homemade or store-bought)
5 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup white onions, chopped
3 dry mushrooms, soaked in warm water and finely chopped (equals 1/4 cup)
3 button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs fresh dill, chopped
Salt or soy sauce to taste, if needed.
2 tbs oil
1 and 1/2 cups tomatoes-pineapple sauce (recipe follows)

Directions:
Cut off the top of tomatoes and remove each tomato's "jelly", leaving each 1/2 inch thick. Reserve the tomatoes flesh to make the sauce.
In a mixing bowl, combine fish paste, shallot, garlic, white onions, green onions and dill. Mix well and season with salt, pepper or soy sauce, if needed (fish paste is usually already seasoned).
Stuff each tomato with about 2 tbs of fish paste and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, add oil. When oil is hot, place stuffed tomatoes on the pan with the stuffed side down. Cook for 10 minutes and then turn the cooked side up. Stir in white onions and sliced mushrooms. Continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce. Bring to boil and turn the heat to simmer. Cover and continue to cook for 15 more minutes. Season with sugar, lime juice and more soy sauce, if needed. Sprinkle with more fresh dill or cilantro before serving.

Tomato-pineapple sauce (yields about 4 cups):
In a Magic Bullet or other blender, add the reserved flesh tomatoes and 10 oz of pineapple including its juice. After blending, stir in 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbs soy sauce, and 2 tbs sugar. If not using all the sauce, then the sauce can be frozen for later use.

Chocolate Chips Walnut Loaf

Another way to satisfy the sweet tooth is to add semisweet chocolate chips to a homemade nut loaf.
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Others
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup walnut, finely chopped
2 tbs raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and line an 8" x 4.5" x 4" loaf pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle 2 tbs sugar onto pan and tilt to distribute the sugar in an even layer over bottom and sides.

In a mixing bowl, sift the dry ingredients twice and set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add sugar while beating until fluffy. Add egg one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients into the batter in three batches. Fold in chocolate chips, nuts, and raisins.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cassava Cakes--Banh Khoai Mi Nuong

Cassava or yuca are woody shrubs growing natively in South America and is a crop in tropical regions of Southeast Asia. It is a major source of carbohydrates, but really poor in protein. Yuca is a starchy root that is well-suited to feed the hungry. Yuca's sap is considered a minor toxin that could harm the body, so yuca dishes should be prepared with caution. Unfortunately, this starchy root is very delicious and can be prepared in a various ways as an accompaniment for meat dishes or puréed to make soup, like Western creamy potato soup, or it can be used as the stuffing for dumplings. The Cassava root can be turned into tapioca starch or Manioc flour in Brazil; this flour is the main ingredient used to prepare the very well known Brazilian Cheese Bread. Growing up in a poor family, I tasted the cassava in so many delicious dishes that my mother could prepare for us. Baked Yuca cake was one of my mother's ways to reward her children when they got good grades or helped her with chores. My mother always soaked cassava root a few hours before proceeding. But reader, this cake is so wonderful that you will overcome the small risk that might occur :). I have loved this cake and tried my way to include other ingredients to complete this sweet-chewy-tasty cake. Fresh cassava root tastes much better but preparing it is more time-consuming.Thanks to modern technology these days, we can have the frozen cassava ready to prepare this cake in less time, and the result is still fantastic.
Ingredients:
One bag 16 oz frozen cassava, drained and liquid discarded
1 cup cooked mung beans, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweet rice flour (bot nep)
1 tbs vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbs butter or margarine, softened

Directions:
Preheat oven set to 375°. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan with half of soft butter and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and dot with the remaining soft butter. Bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Crispy Baked Fish

I consider myself very disciplined about eating healthy food. However, I always surrender my will when being served fried food of any kind. For my satisfaction and desire for these kinds of meals, nothing is better than using the crunchiness of Kellogg's corn flakes to coat chicken, pork, or fish to bake in the oven. Using this cereal makes for yummy, delicious fish, sealing in its natural juices and keeping it light and flaky as it comes out from the oven.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. of white fish, cod, or tilapia fillets
Spice mix:
1 cup corn flakes
1/4 cup panko
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tbs melted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs fresh lemon zest
Fish marinade:
1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
2 tbs ketchup
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
In a food processor, crush the cereal into fine crumbs. Mix cereal crumbs with the rest of the spices ingredients on a plate and set aside.
In another mixing bowl, combine the fish marinade and mix well. Marinate fish for 30 minutes. Roll fish into the cereal mixture until all sides are covered. Spray a foil lined, 9 inch oval baking dish with cooking oil. Place fish in a single layer onto the prepared baking dish. Spray fish with some cooking oil and bake in preheated oven set to 375° for 10 minutes. Turn fish over and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce: ranch or sweet & sour.

Poggi Kimchi - Napa Cabbage Kimchi

It is truly impossible to talk about the Korean cuisine without mentioning the most important Korean delicacy: Kimchi. Koreans are very proud of this creation, and have developed hundreds of variations of the origianal recipe: from seafood to vegetables. As having lived in an undeveloped country in Southeast Asia, I understand how it is important to preserve the meats or vegetables during the winter months. It is always found that vegetables, if pickled and stored properly, would not just stay edible, but their taste would change over time. Just like other pickled dishes in Asian cuisines, be different stages of fermentation will create different recipes and Korean Kimchi has very much achieved a greater taste as time went by. I never dare to make seafood Kimchi, such as squid, fish or shrimp, leaving that for the professional to do. The simple Poggi Kimchi is the one very much well known for its taste and the way to prepare it. With this Kimchi, one can create Kimchi pancake for breakfast, Kimchi soup, Kimchi Bibimbap or just enjoy it as a side dish.
Ingredients:
1 Napa cabbage (medium size)
2 ounces mustard greens, washed and cut into 2 inch lengths
2 ounces watercress, washed and cut into 2 inch lengths
2 ounces Korean chives, washed and cut into 2 inch lengths
3 scallions, washed and cut into 2 inch lengths
1 small Korean radish, julienned
1/2 cup salt
Sauce:
1/2 cup red pepper powder
1/2 cup sweet rice paste (recipe follows)
1/4 cup salted shrimp
1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup garlic, minced
2 tbs fish sauce
4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups water

Directions:
Napa cabbage Preparation:
Cut the cabbage in four equal portions. Wash under running water. Put the cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle the salt evenly over cabbage leaves. Lift up some bigger leaves of cabbage and sprinkle salt in between. Pour over enough water to cover the cabbage and leave overnight. Drain and wash the cabbage soaked with salt 3 to 4 times under running cold water and put them in a colander to drain for 2 hours.
Making sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until all mix well. Stir in the radishes, watercress, mustard greens, chives and green onions. Cut each portion of the cabbage into 3 inch pieces. Place each amount cabbage into a clean container. Divide the sauce equally. Pour sauce over cabbage in the container. Continue until all the cabbage and the sauce is distributed equally in the container. Make sure to fill up only 80% of the container to avoid any overflow when the Kimchi has fermented. Cover with lid and let sit on the countertop for 24 hours. After 24 hours refrigerate and enjoy Kimchi for months. To quicken the fermenting process, Kimchi can be left at room temperature for 36 hours.

Sweet rice paste:
Put 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup sweet rice flour in a pot. Use a whisk to mix well together. Bring to boil and continue whisking it until the mixture reaches the thickness of a pancake batter. Remove and let it cool before using.

Shirmp-Meatballs Soup with Dill and Tomatoes

With all the soup in different cuisines, I think Vietnamese soup is the more flavorful of all because a basic broth comes with each of the Vietnamese soup recipes. Also, soup in the Vietnamese cuisine serves as an appetizer or its own meal. After eating a bowl of soup, one can feel full and satisfied. The way of making soup in the Vietnamese cuisine is the beginning of a good broth as I always mention throughout my blog, either with meat bones or vegetables. The recipe here is for one of my favorite soups that can be enjoyed by itself or with family meals.
Ingredients:
Shrimp-meatballs:
1 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined
1/2 lbs of ground chicken or pork
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Fresh ginger, chopped about 1 tbs
2 shallots, chopped
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup cornstarch
Broth:
6 cups good chicken broth
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 white onion, cut into wedges
1 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup lemonjuice
3 green onions, chopped
Fish sauce,and salt to tase
Cooked rice noodles or steamed white rice.

Directions:
To make shrimp-meat balls:
Combine all the shrimp-meatballs ingredients in a food processor; Press to process until a paste. Remove and wet your hands to form small balls the size of golf balls.
In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbs oil and partly panfry the formed shrimp-meatballs.

 Remove and set aside.

To make soup:
In a 4 quart pot over medium heat, add broth. Bring to boil and add onion, tomatoes, celery, and shrimp-meatballs. Bring it back to boil for 10 minutes.

Season with salt and fish sauce. Throw in fresh dill,lemon juice and chopped green onions.
To serve:
In each serving bowl, place cooked rice noodles on the bottom. Top with a few shrimp-meatballs, tomatoes, celery and ladle broth over them.

Corn/Avocado/Black Beans Salsa

Here is another twist to enjoy nutritious delicious salsa!

Ingredients:
One 14 oz. can black beans, washed and drained
1 cup frozen white corn, thawed
1 medium ripened avocado, peeled, pit removed and roughly mashed
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbs lime juice
1/4 cup Italian dressing

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving as a side dish.

My Fish Cakes

The fish cake is a dish that almost every cuisine will take claim for as its own from the European countries, throughout Southeast Asia, and to America. Each cuisine has distinctive ingredients to make its fishcake in a very unique way. What I have learned from trying the different tastes of the fishcakes is that I could mix and match the ingredients from each cuisine to prepare the special fish cake presented here. I am very proud to introduce my fish cake recipe that has a taste representative of the world and as always is quick and easy to prepare.
Ingredients:
1 can 15.5 oz salmon, drained and flaked
1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup paneer (Indian cheese) can substitute dry curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup red onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 scallions, green part only
2 tbs chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Oil and butter for pan-frying

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients together accept  panko and mix well. Shape the mixture into 6 or 7 4" x 4" round patties; Cover patties with panko bread crumbs. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a nonstick sauté pan, add oil, butter and heat over medium heat. Carefully drop the patties into the pan and fry each one 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove fried fish patties and place onto a paper towel to absorb the oil. Serve with sweet and sour dipping sauce or some store-bought mango, apple chutney.

Coffee Fruit and Nut Bread

This homemade loaf bread is a simple quick bread made from a recipe in the Maxwell House Coffee Cookbook shown in an old magazine at the doctor's office from which I had a chance to copy. This bread is so good to give as a welcome gift to a new neighbor.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbs instant coffee
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup cranberries
1 tbs butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan
Stir the buttermilk and instant coffee in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

 Stir in the sour cream, eggs and the buttermilk mixture until a stiff dough forms.

 Stir in the nuts and dried fruits. Shape the dough into the size of the loaf pan; Cut an "X" on the top and spread the top with more butter. Sprinkle bout 2 tablespoons of sugar on the top.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 Remove the bread from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices to serve, Wrap in plastic wrap to store.

Grilled Cod with White Wine and Lemon Butter Sauce

Seafood always is a big part of our family meals. I try to create different recipes to change the taste of each dish, if I can. Use the same ingredients that I do. Mix and match the ingredients so it doesn't cost much to prepare. With a few ingredients, this wine-lemon butter sauce is one of the must-have recipes.
Ingredients:
Two 6 oz cod fillets
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 /2 tsp old bay seasoning
White wine sauce:
1/2 cup good white wine
1/4 cup fish stock
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt                               
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onions
1 tbs fresh tarragons
1 tbs fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
Sprinkle cod with salt and paprika. Turn the grill on or use the stove top to grill fish inside. Grill fish 3 to 5 minutes on each side and keep warm.

To make sauce:
In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add oil. Stir in onions, garlic and cook until soft (about 3 minutes). Add white wine, tarragon and simmer. Add fish stock and lemon juice. Cook to reduce sauce. Whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over fish and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Red Velvet-Cocoa Cupcakes

This little cupcake is sure to please big crowds or just two on Valentine's Day.
Ingredients:
1 cupcake mix
2 tbs cocoa
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp red color food dye
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbs chia seeds gel
3 tbs soft butter
1 tsp vanilla
Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup soft butter
2 tbs cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
Or
8 oz store-bought vanilla cream cheese frosting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Fill muffin tins with paper cup liners
Whisk butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and continue whisking. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat well. Pour cake batter into the paper cup liners (2/3 full). Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

To make icing:
Using a handheld mixer, beat all the icing ingredients until smooth and shiny.

Lowfat White Bean Chicken Chili

For those of us who grew up with meat and potatoes, it seems as though a lot has changed since learning that too much animal fat in the diet makes meat eaters unhealthy. Today enjoying leaner meat like turkey or chicken surely will keep the doctor away and make it easier to enjoy our favorite dishes without the guilt. Since chili is a dish very popular with meat eaters, then trying the low fat white beans chicken chili recipe here is sure to satisfy. It is a quick, simple way to make a memorable evening.
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded roasted chicken
4 cups chicken stock
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs butter
One 15 oz can white beans, drained well
1 cup chopped white onions
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tbs fresh thyme
1 tbs fresh oregano
Topped with sour cream, Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a medium pot over medium heat, add oil and butter. Sauté onions for 3 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder. Continue to cook until fragrant. Stir in celery, red pepper, oregano and thyme. Add half of the beans and chicken broth. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Mash the other half of the beans and add into the pot together with cooked chicken. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into a serving bowl. Then top with sour cream and cheese Sprinkle with some cilantro or mints.

Barbecued Pork

The modern Vietnamese cuisine is a marriage of the old and new. Well kept secret recipes from past generations are now beginning to shine together with new dishes created for the increased demands of a changing and well-traveled population outside of Vietnam. Sometimes lengthy preparation time and cooking process is required by the Vietnamese cuisine to create a sophisticated dish used to serve the King and queen can render with new method for busy lifestyle that we are experience now. Homestyle cooking is healthier and frugal at the same time. A few simple ingredients like lemongrass, shallots and garlic can turn chicken, beef or pork into a festive meal. In addition to the street vendors throughout Vietnam, barbecued pork has found its way to become one of the fine dishes at Vietnamese restaurants in America and other countries, as well. I share this recipe once served in my family's restaurant but is scaled down here for home cooks. Simple marinade sauce can be used with pork or any kind of meats to create family meals, or added to a bowl of rice noodle, or make sandwiches. Grill pork over charcoal or broil in oven for a few minutes, and it will disappear as soon as it is placed on the table.
Ingredients:
1 lbs pork butt, sliced into 1/8 inch thick against the grain
3 shallots, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbs lemongrass
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs honey
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs  soy sauce
1/2 tsp five spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp molasses
3 tbs sesame seeds
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Top with scallion oil

Directions:
In the Magic Bullet or other blender, blend shallot, garlic, sugar, honey, and lemongrass. Remove into a mixing bowl. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper, chili, molasses and five spices. Mix well.
In a container, place the pork piece by piece in layers. Spoon the marinade on each layer and sprinkle with sesame seeds as you go. Pour the olive oil on top; Cover and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.
For baking: Preheat oven to 400°. Line baking pan with aluminum foil. Arrange the pork on the foil in overlapping slices (this will help prevent the pork from drying out while baking). Bake for 20 minutes. Turn over to the other side and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

This pork can be grilled on a cast-iron pan with very little oil and butter to make sandwiches (banh mi thit nuong) or served over rice noodle (bun thit nuong).
1) To serve as rice noodle will need: Shredded lettuces, cucumbers, mints, cilantro, basil and daikon-carrots pickles , cooked rice noodles and Vietnamese dipping sauce ( was posted in previous blogs).

2) Vietnamese sandwich: a few slice cucumbers, cilantro pickle carrots, mayonnaise  and baguette

Tofu Salad

This tofu salad is well served at the temples for the great masters or high ranking monks and is highly recommended as the food for body and soul. It is a light, spicy, flavorful dressing, and the fresh ingredients are important when preparing this salad.
Serves two.

Ingredients:
10 ounces of silken tofu, cut into 1 inch squares*
1 cup iceberg lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup English cucumber, cut into matchstick lengths
1 carrot, cut into matchstick lengths
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 tsp chili sauce

Dressing:
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeped and seeded
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
To make the dressing: in A Magic Bullet machine or other blender, blend all the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Toss the lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and bean sprouts in a mixing bowl. Arrange the tofu around (see photo). Divide the chili sauce equally among each tofu square. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve extra dressing on the side.

If silken tofu is not available, quickly make silken tofu as follows:
Bring 5 cups unflavored soy milk to a boil. Add 1 1/2 tsp agar powder. Simmer until the agar powder dissolves. Pour into a 9" x 9" container and let it gel. Cool in the refrigerator before cutting it.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

With or without frosting, these easy cupcakes will grant their maker the title of professional baker.
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
2 cups cake mix
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Wet ingredients:
1 cups white sugar
1/2 cup soft butter, vegetable oil or shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbs hot water
1 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line the muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
In a stand mixer, beat sugar and butter until fluffy (about 4 minutes). Adding one egg at a time; stir in flour alternating with milk and coffee and ending with flour. Fold in chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Pour cake batter 3/4 full into each cupcake liner and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Lemongrass Chicken Soup

As I always say, the way to make a good soup is first to make a good stock. In my family's restaurant, my mother had prepared several broths in advance. The main one was meat broth and a flavor broth for making flavorful soup like lemongrass chicken or beef soup (bun bo hay ga soup). The pleasant heat of chili, the bright tang of lemongrass, ginger, lemon and all fresh herbs such as mints, basil and cilantro will make the complex savory flavor of this broth simply irresistible. This broth, once mastered, will also be used as the basic stock for making famous Thai chicken-mushroom soup or chicken-coconut soup (Tom Kah Kai). There will be no more unsatisfied craving for Thai tom yum soup or quick Vietnamese bun bo hay ga if plenty of this broth is available in the freezer as a quick starter for these soups.

Ingredients:
12 cups quality homemade chicken stock (as posted on April 12/2012)

Flavoring spices
4 stalks of lemongrass, including leaves, bruised
4 basil stems, bruised
4 mint stems, bruised
1/2 inch fresh ginger, sliced
1/2 inch fresh galangal
4 cloves garlic, mashed
2 hot chilies, bruised
1 lemon, cut into half
3 green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
Seasoning:
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt

 Directions:
In a large stock pot, place all the ingredients and bring to boil; Simmer for 1 hour. Remove and discard the solids. Drain the stock through cheesecloth for a clear broth. Now the stock is ready to make soup.
 Simple Thai chicken soup with Straw Mushrooms
4 cups of above broth
2 chicken breasts
15 oz can straw mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced white onions
2 tsp tamarind sauce or lemon juice
Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions

 Directions:

In a small stock spot, bring 2 cup of water to boil and add chicken breasts. Simmer for 10 minutes and skim off the residue that rises up to the surface.

Cover and turn the heat off. Let chicken continues to cook in hot water for 30 minutes. Remove and shred.
Add broth, straw mushrooms and white onions to the stock pot; Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tamarind sauce and season with fish sauce, if needed. Add shredded chicken back into the simmering sauce for a few minutes. Ladle soup into a serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.

Simple Vietnamese noodle soup
4 cups of above broth
2 chicken breasts
2 oz each cooked rice noodles
Sate sauce:
3 tbs corn oil
Shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chopped (about 1 tbs each)
1 tsp chili powder
1 hot chili, chopped
1 tsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp shrimp paste
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Garnish with slice white onions, cilantro and green onions, Vietnamese salad plate
 Directions:
Follow the instructions above to cook chicken breasts. Follow the package instructions to cook the dried rice noodles.
Preparing the sate' sauce: In a nonstick saucepan, heat oil. Add shallots, lemongrass and stir for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 3 more minutes). Add chili powder and tomato paste, stirring until the mixture becomes a red amber color.

Bring broth to a boil and add the sate' sauce into the broth. Season with fish sauce, if needed.

To server: Divide the noodles equally to each serving bowl. Top with shredded chicken and white onions. Pour the hot broth over the chicken. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions. Serve with Vietnamese salad plate (bean sprouts, shredded white cabbage, lettuce, mints and basil)

Steamed Chicken with Vegetables & Mushrooms

It is not because I am Asian, but I think the Asian cuisine is the healthiest cuisine in the world. Their dishes are, in the main, healthy and fresh, utilizing mostly vegetables and lean meats and other amazing spices to great effect. In the last 20 or more years, the Asian markets have started to gain popularity among Westerners since the Vietnamese refugees fled their homeland after the falling of Saigon in 1975; They started their own supermarkets everywhere they settled, and now American supermarkets stock some Asian ingredients too, making it easy to find almost everything needed to create Asian dishes at home. The simple recipe here shows how easy it is to bring the Asian cuisine into everyone's kitchen
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade:
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sake wine (Japanese rice wine)
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp honey
1 tbs fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 garlic, minced
Vegetable:
1/2 lb bok choy or Napa cabbage, separated and cut lengthwise into quarters
1/4 oz dried shitake mushrooms (soaked in water for 30 minutes and reserve the liquid), cut into slices

Thickening:
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken stock

Directions:
Combine the marinade in a nonmetallic dish. Add chicken. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour.

Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper. Place the chicken on top, reserving the marinade.

Bring water to a boil in a large wok, and then place the steamer onto the wok. Cover and steam each side of chicken 6 or 7 minutes. Turn chicken over each time. Top with bok choy and steam for another 5 minutes.

While the chicken and bok choy are cooking, place the reserved marinade, mushrooms and their soaking liquid in a sauce pan; Bring to a boil. Season with salt, black pepper and add the thickening sauce. Then cook further until the sauce thickens. Place chicken and bok choy onto plate and pour sauce over them to serve.

Quinoa Granola Cookies

Lately, quinoa has gained tremendous popularity for its health benefits and oatmeal is right behind. Although I called this a cookie recipe, it is more like making granola bars. The ripened bananas act as a gel agent to combine all the ingredients together without using egg or flour. These are the healthiest cookies that I have ever made and should be proclaimed as the recipe for cleaning both mind and body

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup nuts (such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup prunes
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 ripened bananas, mashed
2 tbs honey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil. Set aside
In a food processor, add all the ingredients, except the mashed bananas. Pulse a few times until well combined. Add mashed bananas and pulse a few times until all ingredients are well mixed. Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into 24 small patties. Place the patties onto the prepared cooking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

 Let it cool completely before storing in a cookie jar.

Apricot-Cranberries Bread

Apricot preserves and cranberries make a good addition to the list of breakfast breads. This bread makes a great gift to friends and family members, or a slice of it can be eaten with a cup of coffee as an enjoyable treat for its maker.
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 tbs oil
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup millet flour (optional)*
2 cups bread flour + 3 tbs more, if needed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a bread machine's pan, except the dried cranberries. Select dough function and press start. About 10 minutes before the kneading cycle is done, add dried cranberries. When dough function is finished, the machine will beep. Remove dough and place onto a lightly floured surface.
Butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan and shape dough into the size of the loaf pan. Spray the top of the dough with cooking oil and cover with a kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a warm place for another 40 minutes or until double in size.

Bake in a preheated oven set to 375° for 25 to 35 minutes.

Add more flour if millet flour is not used.

Shrimps, Crab And Vegetables Cake

In the process of cleaning up and starting fresh every day, I always include cooking as a part of it. Morning is a good time to think about what meals I should prepare for my day. Everything from the kitchen and the recipes should always be simple, fresh, and clean. Food is one of the things that arouse our minds, and whatever we choose to eat will affect both our minds and bodies greatly. For those who do not like to eat meat but are not totally vegetarian, this recipe will have that balance.
Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 cup of imitation crab
1 cup of fresh or frozen corn
1 cup young soybeans
1 carrot, chopped
1/4 cup white onions, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 egg
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs (optional)

Oil for pan frying

Directions:
Place garlic, onions, carrot, young soybeans in a food processor and pulse a few times.

Add shrimp and crab into the vegetable mixture and pulse a few times do not overmix the mixture.

Pour into a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

 Form the shrimp cake into 10 to 12 round patties, about 4 inches in diameter. Roll cake in bread crumbs , if frying. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

There are two ways to finish this recipe:
1- In a nonstick cooking pan over medium heat, add oil. Carefully, place the cake into the hot oil and fry each side for 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from frying pan and place on paper towel to absorb the oil.

2- Place cake into a baking dish and steam over high heat in a double steamer.

Serve with dipping sauce.
Simple dipping sauce can be made by combining 1 tsp minced garlic, chilies, 2 tbs each of sugar, water, 1/4 tsp salt and 4 tbs vinegar. Bring this mixture to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. This dipping sauce is popular in the Asian cuisine. Double or triple sauce and refrigerate for months.