Easy Fried Fish Cake-Noodle Soup

Vietnam has a long coastline, so most of the cities that are on the coastline have their own famous soup called "Bánh canh chả cá” or fish soup. "Bánh" means cake, "canh" means soup, and “bánh" in this translation means rice noodles. Nha Trang, Phan Thiết, Phú Quốc, and Vũng Tàu are cities with this soup’s recipe. The type of the rice noodle is medium size and round shape. It is sold in most Vietnamese grocery stores, or Japanese Udon noodles  can be substituted for it. Making these noodles at home is quite simple too. They require equal amounts of rice flour and tapioca starch with some hot water. These ingredients are mixed by hand or with a KitchenAid stand mixer. One regret is that I never had a chance to taste this soup when I was in Vietnam, but by my reading most of the recipes that teach how to make this soup, I am confident to create my own recipe. Some recipes thicken the broth with cornstarch, and some others use clear broth. Even though I describe my soup’s preparation as easy and lazy, the result is fantastic. If you want to make an impression on guests, this soup is the one. They will think that only working all day in the kitchen could produce this kind of meal.

Ingredients:
For the fish cake:
1 lb. fish paste, homemade or store-bought
1 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
For the soup:
8 cups quality chicken broth
2 ripe plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp Korean chili powder
1/2 cup chopped white onions
1/2 tsp sugar
Shallot oil
5 shallots , thinly sliced
1/4 cup oil

1 lb. cooked rice noodles

Garnish with rau ram, cilantro, and green onions

Directions:
To make shallot oil:
In a small sauce pan , add oil and shallots. Fry slowly on medium heat until the shallots are crispy. Drain and reserve the oil for making fish cake.
To make fish cake:
Combine all the fish cake ingredients and mix well.

 In a large sauté pan, add shallot oil and place the fish cake onto the pan. Use a spatula to flatten the fish cake, and fry cake on both sides until golden brown.

 

 

 Let cool before cutting cake into thick slices or any shape that you want.

To make broth:
In a pot, add some oil. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Add Korean chili powder and tomatoes. Stir in sugar and salt. Cook until the tomatoes are softened (about 5 minutes).

Add broth and bring to boil. Add the fish cake and simmer for a few minutes.

 Add noodles and season again with more fish sauce, salt, and black pepper. Bring soup  back to boil. Divide noodles and fish cake equally into each serving bowl. Sprinkle with crispy shallots, cilantro, rau ram, and green onions and ladle the soup broth over them. Serve.

To make Bánh canh:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup tapioca
1 cup hot water (more or less)
1/2 tsp salt
In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, tapioca, and salt. Make a crater in the center and slowly pour in the hot water. Use a wooden spatula to mix well. Cover  the dough with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Roll out dough and cut into long strips (about 6 inch lengths). Add some flour to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Bring a pot of water to boil. Drop the noodles in boiling water; The noodles are cooked when they float on the surface. Use a slotted spoon to remove the noodles and place in cold water.

Sweet Bread with Fresh Fruit

Most of the recipes for sweet bread use dry fruit. I have been making sweet bread and rolls for quite some time and get bored with the same old recipes. Today, I will go out of the ordinary by creating a sweet bread using a combination of fresh fruit. This is yet another remarkable way to use a bread machine that takes the kneading, proofing, and frustration out of baking bread. The end result is a moist, sweet bread that can be sliced and served with jam and butter to satisfy to all people.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups of water and milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
Fillings:
1 cup finely-cut combination of fresh fruit, such as pear, apple, and tangerine 
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
Place all the ingredients except the filling in a bread machine pan. Select dough setting, and press start. When dough has risen long enough, the machine will sound. Remove the dough from bread pan and mix the filling into the dough until all the fillings are mixed with the dough.
Grease a 11” x 6” loaf pan with coconut oil or soft butter. Fold in dough to fit inside the loaf pan with the seam side down. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for a second time (about 40 to 50 minutes or until double in size).
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let bread cool.

 

Pasta Primavera

Primavera in Italian means “spring” and can also refer to spring vegetables. Most Italian pasta dishes are very heavy with lots of cheese and cream sauce, but pasta primavera is very light. Some recipes have chicken, and others add shrimp instead of vegetables only. There are so many ways to prepare this pasta dish – some roast the vegetables and toss the pasta with roasted vegetables. Others stir-fry or steam the vegetables. In the springtime, this pasta dish is so delightful with all kinds of vegetables that available. For a healthy, meatless meal of superior taste, this pasta dish is the one.

Ingredients:
Two cups Penne pasta
1 cup julienne-cut carrots
1 cup green beans
1 cup cut asparagus
1 cup julienne-cut red, green, and yellow peppers
2 button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup onions
1/2 cup pasta water
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add generous amount of salt to the boiling water. Quickly blanch carrots, asparagus, and green beans.

 Remove the vegetables from the boiling water and plunge into cold water to stop cooking further.

 Add penne pasta and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until the penne is “al dente” (soft on the outside and firm in the inside, not mushy). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
In a sauté pan, add olive oil and butter and cook until hot.

 Stir in garlic and chili flakes. Cook until fragrant (stir the garlic so it does not burn).

Stir in onions and Herbs de Province.

 Add fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

 Cook for 3 minutes. Add cooked vegetable and red, yellow, and green peppers.

Stir in the cooked penne and add pasta water. Mix the pasta and vegetables well.

Pour into a serving plate and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and basil. If desired, Parmesan cheese can be added at this point.

Mongolian Fish

The Mongolian cuisine is associated with fat and meats because Mongolians live in a cold climate and they need fat to keep warm. They are close to China, so most of their recipes are influenced by the Chinese cuisine. I love Mongolian beef and Mongolian chicken served in Chinese restaurants. I got the inspiration for my recipe from the PF Chang Mongolian beef dish. It seems the sauce is simple enough to create at home and should go well with other things besides beef. For a healthier recipe I made this one with fish.

Ingredients:
Two 8 oz firm fish fillets, cut into big chunks (cod, tuna, or tilapia)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 cup white onions, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs peanut oil
Sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp pepper flakes
2 tsp sugar or honey
2 tsp cornstarch

Garnish with chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Roll fish in cornstarch and set aside.
In a wok over high heat, add oil. Swirl the wok, add fish, and cook until golden brown. Add ginger, garlic, and white onions. Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the green onions and the sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms

In early springtime, the first vegetable to appear from the ground is asparagus. After long cold winter months, this growth is symbolic of a new beginning and also the fighting of disease as new scientific studies have shown in some articles published recently. Asparagus is one of the best sources of folate. It is loaded with fiber, vitamins A, C, E, and K and packed with antioxidants. Our bodies require folate to replace all the cells lining our digestive tract every few days and all of oxygen-carrying red blood cells every few months. In the springtime, asparagus is in the peak of its season, and usually the least expensive. Some suggest to juice the asparagus to treat cancer patients, and the cancer cells subside tremendously in a few months. With all the wonderful health benefits, the intake of asparagus into our daily meals should not be questioned. Preparing asparagus is very simple. This veggie can be steamed, baked, grilled, or stir-fried with garlic and olive oil, and it serves as a good side dish. According to a new study "one cup of cooked asparagus provides 66% of the daily requirement for folate". So today I will make stir-fried chicken with asparagus and mushrooms. Include asparagus as part of the healthiest way of eating.

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast, sliced
1 tbs cooking wine, dry sherry
1 tbs cornstarch
Vegetables:
About 2 cups asparagus, cut diagonally
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 knob fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 small white onion, sliced
Stir-fry sauce:
1cup chicken broth
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs sherry
1 tbs white rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili paste
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil

Oil for stir-frying

Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro

Directions:
Combine chicken in a bowl and mix cooking wine and cornstarch. Let marinate for one hour.
Prepare stir-fry sauce by combining all the stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Heat 2 tbs of oil. Then stir-fry chicken until no longer pink. Remove.

 Add 1 tsp oil in the same wok and stir-fry white onions, garlic, and ginger, until fragrant.

Add asparagus and mushrooms. Cook until the asparagus and mushrooms are wilted (about 2 minutes).

 Add sauce and chicken, and then stir-fry to mix well.

Add green onions and cilantro. Serve.

EasyTilapia and Lemon Garlic Sauce

Sunday night dinner cannot be easier than using this healthy recipe. It is a few ingredients dressing up Tilapia, but the flavor is unbelievable. The fish can be grilled, pan-fried, or baked, and the side dish is the summer steamed, grilled vegetables, such as squash, green bean,asparagus, broccoli, and carrots.

Ingredients:
Two 8 oz tilapia fillets
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tbs paprika
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs fresh chopped parsley
On the side:
Green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, white onions

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil. Quickly blanch green beans and asparagus in boiling water. Submerge the cooked vegetables in cold water to stop the cooking.
In a sauté pan, add oil, butter, and garlic. Cook on low heat until the garlic is just soft, not brown. Add lemon juice. Pour off the lemon, oil, butter mixture in a small bowl.
Sprinkle fish with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place fish on the same sauté pan and grill on the pan for one minute on each side of fish and top fish with lemon butter oil. Remove from heat and keep warm
In the same pan, add white onions and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Add green beans and asparagus. Season the vegetables with some salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes. This side dish can be steamed.
Place fish a serving plate with the sautéed vegetables. Enjoy.

Stir-Fried Fish Fillet with Vegetables

Vietnamese food is lighter and more refreshing than Thai or Chinese food. Most Vietnamese recipes use fresh vegetables and herbs. The recipe that I will make today has a combination of textures from  asparagus, carrot, and mushrooms. The easy cooking technique of this Vietnamese recipe will encourage even the beginner cook. With the knowledge of a common cook like me, I like to create recipes as easy as I can for myself and someone who just started cooking. This recipe will have a delightful result.

 

Ingredients:

Two 8 oz. fish fillets, such as tuna or tilapia, cut into big chunks

Stir-fry sauce:

2 tbs soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbs vinegar

1 tbs miso paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ginger, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup chicken broth

  

Vegetables:

1 carrot, thickly sliced

1 cup button mushrooms thickly sliced

About 1 cup of asparagus, cut diagonally

1/2 cup white onions

 

Oil for stir-frying

Garnish with green onions and chopped cilantro

 

 

Directions:

Mix the stir-fry sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl. Combine the fish and half of the stir-fry sauce and marinate fish for 1 hour.

Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch carrot and asparagus for a couple of minutes. Plunge them in a cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the color.

In a medium sauté pan, add 2 tbs of peanut oil. Swirl the pan and gently place the fish into the pan. Without the marinade sauce, cooked the fish until brown on both sides. Be careful not to break the fish. Remove and keep warm.

 

 

 

In the same pan, add a little more oil. Add white onions and cook for 1 minute or until soften.

Stir in the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are wilted.

Add the carrot and asparagus and the remaining sauce and the marinade sauce.

Bring to boil. Season with salt, if needed.

 Return the fish to join the vegetables and coat fish well with sauce.

 Sprinkle the green onions and cilantro.

Serve with rice. 

 

Sweet Potato Muffins

I like sweet potatoes for breakfast, and I have made quite different recipes for sweet potatoes, except making muffins, with it. However, this morning I craved sweet potato muffins, with a hint of cinnamon and coconut oil, for my breakfast. Muffins are a good choice for breakfast, but I needed to change a few ingredients that would make my muffins healthier. I had some sweet mashed potatoes leftover from last night. This recipe is so simple to make by using cake mix.

Ingredients:
1 cup of cake mix
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 egg
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs Chia seeds gel
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 tbs raisins
Glazing:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tbs milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Put 7 small muffin tin liners into the muffin tins and set aside.

With a handheld mixer, beat the sugar, egg, coconut oil, Chia seeds gel, and vanilla until Stir in mashed potatoes and cake mix. Mix well.

 Spoon the batter onto the prepared muffin tins up to 3/4 full. Top each muffin with coconut flakes and raisins. Bake muffins in oven for 25 minutes.

Combine the glazing ingredients and mix well. When muffins cool, pour the glazing over muffins and enjoy.

 

 

Fish Balls Soup (Bún Chả Cá Nha Trang)

I got the inspiration for this recipe by reading an article about Nha Trang. This was named by tourists as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I left Vietnam in 1984 and have not been back to visit. My oldest sister, Phương, has a home at Củ Chi, and she has been frequently a tourist in Viet Nam. She told me about Nha Trang and pressed that I should come back and enjoy the city as a tourist of Vietnam. Most of the people living at Nha trang are fisherman. It does not surprise me because Nha Trang has a 3000 kilometer coastline with a white sand beach, and fishing will be the main job at Nha Trang. Like most meals that are created by all of the fresh seafood that are caught each day, the one that I learned is the fish balls soup. My sister talked about this soup and how wonderful it is to enjoy a bowl of soup with knowing that the fish are fresh from the ocean. Even though I have not tasted this soup yet, having read most of the tourists comments about how wonderful this soup is whether served in a restaurant or simply on the street, I believe it is true because of the freshness of the fish and the ambiance. I can imagine myself walking on the white sand beach, feeling the breeze of the ocean on my face and body, and later being fed with a bowl of Bún Chả Cá Nha Trang. Some recipes for this soup are clear broth and some have a red color that comes from anata seeds. Whichever broth is used, it should not change the taste nor the way to prepare this soup. Most of the time, because of the busy lifestyles that we have created for ourselves, we forget that happiness is a small thing. It is right in front of our eyes. We just need to wrap it up and enjoy, and for me making Bún Chả Cá Nha Trang today is a good thing.

Ingredients:
1 lb. fish paste, homemade or store-bought
8 oz tuna fish and tilapia, cut into chunks
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cups pineapple, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 white onion, sliced
8 cups chicken broth

Serve with:
Cooked rice noodles (follow the instructions on the package)
Vietnamese vegetable plate, adding banana blossoms and ong choi
Lemon, fresh hot chili, and fish sauce for dipping
Green onions and cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine fish paste, salt, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, shallots, and chopped green onions and mix well. Roll the fish paste into small balls. Divide the fish balls into two portions and flatten half of the balls into small cakes about 1/4 inch thick.
In a small sauté pan, add some oil and fry the fish balls until golden brown. Remove form the pan.

 

 

In a same sauté pan, add a little more oil, if needed. Sprinkle tuna and tilapia fish with some salt and black pepper. Pan fry them 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside. You can make this step just 5 minutes before the soup is done

In a medium pot over medium heat, add some oil. Add white onion and chopped tomatoes ( take a few wedges of tomatoes and chop them).

Cook until tomatoes are soft, and add some chili flakes to make the red color for the broth. Add the pineapple. Stir and cook for a few minutes so that the pineapple is relieved of its sweetness.

 Add broth to the pot and bring to boil.

Drop the fish balls and the tomatoes into the broth. Bring back to boil and cook for 3 minutes.

 

 

 

Add fried fish balls to the soup. Season the soup with salt and fish sauce. Simmer the soup for another 5 minutes.

To serve the soup:
Place cooked noodles on the bottom of soup bowl. Divide the fried fish equally– some fried fish balls and cooked fish balls – for each guest. Ladle the broth, some tomatoes, and pineapple over the soup bowl. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and cilantro. On the side, serve the Vietnamese vegetables plate and a small bowl of chili dipping sauce.