Little Rice Cakes (Banh Beo)

Little rice cakes or banh beo is a Vietnamese dish that comes from Hue in the central part of Vietnam. Each little cake is so delicate that it will melt in your mouth, and its delicious taste will leave you immediately craving another one.  This recipe can be served as vegetarian depending on the fillings of the cake. Sometime, fresh or dried shrimp can be used with the mung bean paste as part of the filling.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour minus 2 tbs rice flour
2 tbs tapioca
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
1 ½ cups hot water
Filling:
1/2 cup dried skinned mung beans, soaked overnight
3 tbs chopped leek
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs soy sauce
1/4 cup water
Scallion oil:
2 green onions, sliced fine
1/4 cup oil
Serve with dipping sauce

Directions:
To make batter:
In a medium bowl, mix rice flour, tapioca flour and salt together. Pour the cold water into the bowl and start stirring until well combined. Slowly add hot water into the flour mixture and continue to stir until well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap for 10 hours or overnight. After 10 hours, the flour will sink into the bottom of the bowl. Pour off the water on top and replace that water with the same amount of warm water and mix well. The batter is ready to make the little rice cakes.
Place a large pot with water over high heat. Place the rice cake mold on top of the pot with the lid on and heat the mold until hot. Spray the mold with some oil and fill each mold with the batter. Cover with the lid and steam the cake for 10 minutes. Remove the steamed rice cakes and unmold them. Place them onto a serving plate. Continue the process until all the batter is finished.

To make the filling:
Steam the mung beans in the steamer over medium heat until soft. Place the cooked mung beans in a blender and blend until the beans become a fine paste.
Heat 1 tbs of oil in a sauté pan and add chopped leek and cook for 3 minutes. Add the bean paste, sugar, soy sauce, black pepper and water. Cook on low heat until all are well combined.

To make scallion oil:
Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a sauce pan. Add green onions and when the oil starts to boil, turn the heat off.

To serve:

Brush each rice cake with scallion oil and top each rice cake with the mung bean filling. Serve with the dipping sauce.

To make the dipping sauce:
1 cup boiling water
1/4 fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs vinegar or lime juice
Add fresh chili, garlic

Stir-Fried Chicken and Sweet Bell Peppers

The colorful sweet bell peppers are not just beautiful to look at but also carry lots of nutrition, such as vitamins A & C and a ton of fiber. A study at the Mayo Clinic suggests that extra fiber will fight against colorectal cancer. The crunchiness of sweet bell peppers is good for snacking and stir-frying dishes with very low calories. I have this easy recipe just to prove it.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb chicken breasts, finely shredded
2 cups shredded tri-colored peppers – red, orange, and yellow
1/2 cup white onions
Oil for stir frying
Marinade:
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs cooking wine
1 tbs cornstarch
Sauce:
1 tbs miso paste
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs soy sauce
1/4 cup water
Thickening:
2 tbs water
1 tsp cornstarch
Garnish: green onions and cilantro

Directions:
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken breasts and 1 tbs of oil to this mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.
Prepare the sauce and the thickening agent in separate bowls and set aside.
Heat 1 tbs of oil. Briefly stir-fry bell peppers with a splash of water to make the peppers crispy. Remove from the wok onto a plate. Clean and dry wok. Then heat 1 tbs of oil and stir-fry white onions and chicken for a few minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add the sauce ingredients, stir, and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Turn the heat to high again and pour the thickening agent into the wok and return the bell peppers with the chicken. Quickly stir and add green onions and chopped cilantro. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Reduced Fat Yogurt Chocolate Cake

I found this recipe in the "Joy of Cooking". I reduced in half the amount of butter originally called for in this recipe and replaced it with coconut oil. This delicious white cake is so easy to make. Some nuts or dried fruit can be added onto this cake.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (instructions below)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs butter (at room temperature)
3 tbs coconut oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Egg white from 2 eggs
1 cup nonfat yogurt (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:
In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a Kitchen Aid® machine, beat butter, coconut oil, and sugar until lightened in color (about 5 minutes). In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, and vanilla and gradually beat in to the sugar mixture. Add the flour mixture in 3 steps, alternating with yogurt in the second step. Continue beating on the low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water and whisk together until smooth. Add to this mixture about 1 cup of the batter and mix well.
Pour the batter into the pan without smoothing the surface and pour the cocoa batter over the plain batter, without smoothing the surface. Bake the cake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Slice a thin knife blade around the cake to detach it from the pan.

Vegetarian Noodle Soup (Bun Hué Chay)

This recipe comes from Hue, located in the central part of Vietnam, and this recipe uses similar ingredients to one that I posted in this blog before. As I often mention in my blog, the fastest way to prepare any kind of soup is by using a good broth. Homemade broth is the way to cut time for making a good soup in half the time. I made a few changes with the ingredients for this soup. This recipe is a good combination of protein and healthy choices of vegetables and is excellent when served on a cold day at a time that we need a comfort food for our soul.

 Ingredients:
10 cups vegetable broth
16 oz tofu
1 cup bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks
2 large tomatoes
1 cup sliced daikon
16 oz combination of fresh mushrooms, such as oyster, king oyster, baby portabella
1 cup chopped white onions
1 cup pineapple
3 tbs fresh minced lemongrass
1 leek, the white part only, washed, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp annato seed
Oil for frying tofu
Salt, black pepper, soy sauce, sugar
Other
Cooked rice noodles as per directions on the packet
Vietnamese vegetable plate
Chopped green onions and cilantro

Directions:
Combine 1 tbs of lemongrass and half of the leek, salt, and pepper into a paste. Drain tofu and cut into bite size pieces. Add the lemongrass-leek paste to the tofu and mix well.
In a sauce pan, heat oil and deep-fry tofu and set aside. Pour off the oil and add 1/4 cup of new oil to the pan. When oil is hot, add remaining lemongrass and leek. Cook on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add chili powder and annatto seed. When the oil turns orange-red, turn the heat off. Drain the oil and discard the lemongrass and leek.
In a soup pot, add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add pineapple, tomatoes, daikon, and bamboo shoots. Bring the broth back to boil and then turn the heat down and let the soup simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. Season the broth with salt.
Heat 3 tbs lemongrass-leek oil in a sauté pan. Add white onions and cook for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add garlic, deep-fried tofu, and mushrooms. Season with salt, sugar, and soy sauce. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
To serve:
Place noodles in the soup bowl. Top with tofu and mushrooms. Pour hot broth over with a few tomatoes, bamboo shoots, pineapple, and daikon. Garnish with green onions, cilantro and accompany the soup with the Vietnamese vegetable plate.

Vegetarian Pâté

Pâté is a cooked paste of meat, poultry, or fish, either baked or steamed in a terrine. This is a French recipe and has become popular throughout the world. Pâté serves as an appetizer with baguette or cracker with cheese. Beef Wellington is one of the well-known dishes and its recipe has pâté as a part of it. I love pâté, but I am not talking about chicken or goose liver pâté. My pâté recipe is created for people who love to eat pâté but want a healthier choice. I use tofu and mushrooms for this recipe, and it has become the most requested from my family and friends.

Ingredients:
16 oz firm tofu, drained
1 lb combination of chopped mushrooms – oyster, baby portabella, button                                                                                
1 leek, the white part, finely chopped
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs cocoa powder
4 tbs powdered milk
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Coconut oil, butter

Directions:
In a sauté pan, heat 1 tbs coconut oil and 1 tbs butter until hot. Add leek, onions and garlic. Stir and cook for a few minutes or until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat or until the liquid is cooked down. Season with salt, soy sauce, and black pepper. Remove from heat and mix with tofu. Place tofu and mushroom mixture in a food processor. Add cocoa powder and powdered milk and blend until smooth. Season the pâté again with salt, and spoon into a terrine or earthenware dish, smoothing the surface. Cover with the plastic wrap and steam over high heat for 15 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap. Slice off about 4 tbs butter and place on top of the pâté.

Steamed Salmon and Mushrooms

Steaming is the most delicate and least demanding of all in Asian cooking techniques. Also, while being inherently simple, steaming accomplishes a great deal for healthy choices of cooking. Steaming also preserves the natural flavors of the ingredients. There are three important requirements for the steaming method to achieve excellent results: first, the water should be boiling before the food is placed in the pot so that it is 'seared" immediately with high heat; second, the food should be well above the water level so that the boiling water doesn't bubble over it; third, the steaming pot or pan should be large enough to contain enough water and provide enough space for the steam to circulate around the food. Most cooks should own a bamboo steamer or a large deep pan that could do the trick as a homemade steamer. My recipe using fillets of fish placed onto a baking dish does not require a large pan. I am very happy with this recipe especially for the simple reason that it creates a dish that is healthy and prepared quickly.

Ingredients:
Two 6 oz salmon fillets
2 cups of a combination of thinly sliced fresh mushrooms – oyster, shitake, and enoki,
1/2 cup white onions, thinly sliced
2 green onions, cut into 1/2 inch-long shreds
Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh ginger, minced
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sake
1 tbs mirin (sweet cooking wine)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs olive oil

Directions:
Place each fish onto the heatproof platter or baking dish. Divide the vegetables equally and place over the fish.
In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Distribute the sauce over the fish.
Place a suitable rack in the center of a wok and fill the pan with boiling water to within 1 inch of the top of the rack. Bring the water to boil again, lower the heat, and place the baking dish on the rack. Cover the wok and steam the fish for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the fish from the wok and serve.

 

Easy Pound Cake

I always believe that baking is culinary magic. Baking has the reputation of being more difficult than cooking. Mastering this task requires both talent and a love for the process. The great baker is attentive to technique, details, and timing and also the measurement of ingredients is extremely important to make a great cake. Luckily for someone like me, some baking recipes can be learned from a book. The pound cake is an example of what an untalented baker can achieve at home. The true pound cake, which is made with equal weights of each key ingredient, for me, is way too heavy for today's healthy taste. I found this recipe and made some changes for my own taste, and the result is fantastic. I can have a few slices of the cake without feeling guilty.

Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour, sifted a few times
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 ½ sticks of butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9” x 5” loaf pan (or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until very creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to beat for an additional two minutes or until lightened in color. Gradually dribble in the egg mixture (about 1/4 cup at a time). Add all the flour in 3 stages, beating on low speed until smooth and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake in the preheat oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the loaf pan.

Fish Stirfry with Teriyaki Sauce

Stirfry is the simple technique used in Asian cooking. Home cooks are eager to lean this method because it is quick and always includes some kind of vegetables. This method starts with the sauce for the dish, such as simply using chicken broth with cornstarch, cooking wine, and soy sauce. I created this recipe to use as little preparation as possible for one primary reason – most people are living in a busy society. Many women have to work to support the family, and they should not have to spent too much of their time just to prepare home-cooked meals for their loved ones. Most grocers now carry well known ready-made sauces to make life easier for women who want to impress her friends.

Ingredients:
Two 6 oz tilapia fillets, cut into big chunks
1 tbs dry sherry or shaoxing wine
2 tbs cornstarch
Sauce
1/2 cup brand name teriyaki sauce
2 tbs lime juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbs mirin (sweet cooking wine)
Vegetables
1 cup button mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white onions, thickly sliced
1/2 cup carrots, thickly sliced
1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced

Garnish with chopped cilantro

Directions:
In a bowl, place fish, cooking wine, and cornstarch. Mix well and marinade for 30 minutes.
In another bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
In a sauté pan, heat 2 tbs olive oil. Add the fish and pan-fry until fish are crispy (2 minutes on each side). Remove fish from pan.
In the same pan, stir-fry white onions for a few minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add carrots and mushrooms. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted. Add green bell peppers and the sauce. Bring to boil. Return the fish back into the boiling sauce. Cook until thickened (about 1 minute). Pour onto a serving plate and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Sweet Potato Raisin Muffins

This morning, I baked a large sweet potato for my breakfast. I finished just half of it, and the other half I used to make sweet sandwich bread. However, I decided to create a muffin using this leftover mashed potato. Cake mix is the perfect ingredient for this quick, healthy muffin that can be served any time of the day.

Ingredients:
1 cup cake mix
1 cup mashed sweet potato
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs chia seeds gel (1/2 tsp seeds added to 2 tbs water)
2 tbs coconut oil
1 egg
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Put paper liners into 8 muffin tin cups.
Put cake mix, nutmeg, and cinnamon into a small bowl, and set aside.
Place egg, sugar, coconut oil and vanilla into another bowl,  and whisk very well. Stir in milk and chia seeds gel. Whisk with a few strokes. Add mashed sweet potato. Stir until well combined. Add cake mix mixture and raisins. Whisk together until smooth.
Spoon batter into the paper liners to about 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

Salmon Baked with Teriyaki Sauce

I did not post any new recipe in the last few weeks because I was so busy helping my brother prepare entertainment and flower arrangements for his wedding. I am back with this simple, semi-homemade dish to warm up my kitchen. Teriyaki sauce is the most popular sauce used in every Japanese, Chinese, and Korean restaurants. The sweet sauce with a hint of ginger and garlic is easily transformed and used with any kind of dishes. I am using a good store-bought brand teriyaki sauce to save time while preparing this recipe.

Ingredients:
Two 6 oz salmon fillets
Sauce
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs mirin (sweet cooking wine)
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 green onions, cut into 3 inches lengths

Directions:
Place each salmon fillet into a baking dish. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Divide the sauce equally and pour over the fish. Marinate the fish for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400° and bake fish for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

 

Banana Muffins with Crumbs Topping

Simple banana muffins with crumbs topping are standouts.

Ingredients:
1 cup cake mix
1 large ripe banana, mashed (about 1 cup)
2 tbs sugar
1/3 cup nonfat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 tbs chia seeds gel (1 tsp chia seeds with 1/4 cup water)
2 tbs coconut oil
Crumbs topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs butter
2 tbs chopped walnuts
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Line 8 muffin tins with muffin tin paper liners and set aside.
Place sugar, chia seeds gel, vanilla, coconut oil, and egg in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Stir in mashed banana and nonfat yogurt. Fold the cake mix into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine crumbs topping ingredients. Top the batter in paper liners with crumbs topping. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until risen, golden, and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool.