Fish with Lemon, Garlic, and Butter Sauce

By cooking for quite sometime now, I can say that the garlic, lemon, and butter sauce is the simplest sauce to prepare and goes well with almost anything from seafood to meat or pasta. However, butter is one of the ingredients that I try not to use often because of the fat content. Cutting back the butter and replacing it with more olive oil is the right way to not change the taste of the recipes. This sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed. This is my version of garlic butter sauce. I hope this recipe can be a good contribution to all the lemon, garlic, and butter sauces that are out there in the cooking community. My recipe is low-fat and serves people who carefully watch their diet.

Ingredients:
Two 6 oz. fish fillets – tilapia, sea bass, or tuna
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 sprig of rosemary
For the fish:
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup lemon butter sauce
1/4 cup chopped sweet basil and mints

Garnish with sweet sautéed onions, steamed broccoli, or asparagus

Directions:
In a small sauce pan, add butter and cook on low heat until melted.

 Remove from pan and let cool. In the same pan, add oil, garlic, lemon slices, and rosemary.

Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the garlic and herbs release their fragrance.

 Drain the oil well and mix with the melted butter. Cover with lid and refrigerate.
To make fish:
Heat a sauté or cast iron pan over high temperature. Add a little oil to the pan. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Fry each side about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic in the last minute.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the lemon butter sauce. Pour this sauce over fish, top with fresh chopped herbs, and serve.

Basic Porridge

Porridge or congee is a type of rice soup that the Vietnamese call "cháo". This is an Asian comfort food as is chicken soup for the Westerners. Infants are fed the congee made very plain using water and rice. This is called the basic congee. For older adults, congee is a perfect meal to serve. The secret to create a velvety congee is the combination of sweet rice and regular rice. Also, the cooking time is longer with low heat. In olden days, this soup was cooked in an earthen pot – this pot played a vital role in Vietnam and other Asian societies’ daily life. It was used as a rice cooker, frying pan, boiling pot, or whatever a cook can think of. I think this pot produces a unique aromatic fragrance imparted after cooking and also look very decorative at the table. I love earthen pots. I would love to own one, but I have not purchased one due to the fact that I have not seen an earthen pot that I like yet. To flavor porridge, some cooks add ginger, others add the zest of lemon or tangerine. However, these flavors are for individual preferences and taste. Porridge can be served sweet for breakfast by adding beans and honey or with a savory taste by adding chicken, egg, ground meat, or just vegetables, such as daikon, bok choy, mushrooms, etc.…. I think congee is an easy meal to have when feeling lazy or under the weather. The basic porridge can be eaten with dry fish or meat "ruốc cá, ruốc thịt". Another way to cook congee is overnight or all day in a crockpot.

Ingredients:
The basic congee:
1/4 cup short grain rice, such as jasmine
1/4 cup sweet rice
5 cups water
Salt and pepper for a savory taste
Sugar or honey for sweetness.

Directions:
Mix both types of rice together in a bowl and wash a few times until the water is almost clear. Fully soak the rice for 1 hour at room temperature (this soaking method will cut the cooking time, but it is not necessary). Drain rice before cooking.
Combine water and soaked rice in the pot and bring to boil. Skim off some foam rising to the surface, cover with lid, and turn the heat off. Let rice cook in the hot water for an hour. After an hour, check back and season with salt or sugar. The congee can be cooked another 30 minutes if you feel that the rice needs to cook more.
For easy chicken congee:
Basic congee ingredients, except the water
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups roasted chicken from Costco
2 tbs julienned fresh ginger
Zest of one lemon
Two kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 tbs shallot oil*

Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and crispy shallots

In a pot, add shallot oil. Panfry the soaked rice until the rice looks opaque.

Add broth, lemon zest, ginger, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to boil.

 Skim off any residue that rises to the top. Turn the heat off, cover with lid and let rice cook in hot broth for an hour or more (plan to perform other activities while waiting). After this time, the basic porridge is done cooking.

Shred the chicken and remove the shell from the hard-boiled egg. Cut eggs into half. Add egg and chicken into the porridge.

 Turn the heat on and bring back to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes. Ladle soup in a tureen or serving bowl; Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, and crispy shallots and then serve.

To make shallot oil:
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup sliced shallots

In small sauté pan, cook oil and shallots on low heat until crispy.

Drain oil and pour into a glass jar with lid. The crispy shallots and oil can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks.

Baked Rainbow Trout

I honestly believe that rainbow trout has as many good benefits as salmon, and trout flesh has a milder flavor than salmon. Also, the cost for trout is much more reasonable than salmon, but this factor is not mentioned often when choosing fish recipes. During summer, my herbs garden grows full of different kinds of herbs: marjoram, oregano, basil, parley, mint, and dill. All these herbs are good when preparing rainbow trout. I introduce a simple baked rainbow trout recipe using fresh herbs and lemon. Consuming fish twice a week or as often as possible is a right path to good health.

Ingredients:
Two small rainbow or wild trout
Fresh herbs:
1/2 cup combination of fresh herbs: oregano, parsley, Italian sweet basil, mint, chopped
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 cup white onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
4 green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths (green part only)

Directions:
Gut and clean trout under cold water. Leave the head intact. Wipe dry and set aside.
Use two individual baking dishes or a large baking pan (covered with aluminum foil) that can hold two trout. Drizzle some oil to cover the dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 400°.

Season inside of trout with salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Divide the fresh herbs, garlic, white onions and lemon slices equally and stuff inside trout (leave some lemon slices and onions for a topping).

 

 

 

Drizzle the olive oil on top.

Divide the white wine and pour over fish.

Place into preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily with a sharp knife. 3 minutes before the baking time is finished, top each trout with green onions. Serve with baked potatoes or cooked rice.

Braised Chicken Thighs

When I need to work long hours in my garden, this dish is one of the recipes that I like to prepare. The simple reason is that after the chicken is in the pot, all I have to do is to wait for it to cook slowly. The end result is a fantastic gravy that can be served with mashed potatoes or rice. All the ingredients are easy to find and most of them are always in our kitchen or the garden.

Ingredients:
1 to 2 lbs. chicken thighs
1/4 cup flour
2 tbs canola oil
Seasoning:
1/4 tsp each of paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
1 tbs fresh chopped rosemary
1 tbs fresh chopped marjoram
2 tbs soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbs sugar
6 white mushrooms, each cut into 4 pieces

Garnish with chopped parsley

Directions:
Remove some of the fat and skin of the thighs. Cut thighs into big chunks and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients and flour. Mix well. Add the chicken into the bowl and coat completely. Shake off any excess seasoning and set aside.

In a large sauté pan with lid, add some oil and butter (1 tablespoon of each). Fry chicken on each side for 2 minutes until browned. Remove from pan.

 

 

In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and add onions, garlic, majogram and rosemary. Cook and stir until fragrant (about 3 minutes).

 Return the chicken and add mushrooms.

 Then add broth and wine. Bring to boil. Season with soy sauce and sugar.

Cover with lid and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

 Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Indian Beef Curry

I am confused every time I order curry at an Indian restaurant. It has so many dishes with curry flavor. However, I love curry despite the confusion. I went through many Indian curry recipes – some with coconut milk and others with tomato sauce. I made one with coconut milk and posted the recipe on this blog. Today, I will make this recipe with tomato sauce. Some curry dishes include legumes, such as lentils, and a bowl of rice or nan bread. Eating and cooking in Asia is taken seriously. Therefore, fine tuning the body, both spiritually and physically, is a big part of eating. Indians, especially, have a tradition of combining different seasonings. To make Indian meals, those seasoning play an important role to making the successful dish. Most of the seasonings are very healthy for the body. Even there is a long list of spices, it is worthwhile because of the robust, unique flavor that more than any other cuisines comes from these spices.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 cups beef stock
1 tsp salt
14 oz crushed tomato
2 red onions, chopped
2 tbs ginger and garlic paste
Spices:
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/ 4 tsp ground star anise
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 bay leaves
3 dried hot chilies
One 2-inch cinnamon stick
2 tbs peanut oil
1 tbs butter
1 cup cilantro stems, chopped

Directions:
Melt the butter and oil in a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste and onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring until the onions are softened.

 Add all spice ingredients and cook for 2 minutes or until you can smell the aroma.

Move all the spices off to the side of the casserole dish and add beef.

Brown the beef on all sides.

 Add tomato and stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

 Cover tightly with lid. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

 Check occasionally that the meat still has plenty of stock. Add more water or stock, if necessary.

 

When meat is tender, season with salt and simmer uncovered until the sauce is reduced slightly. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and serve with nan bread or basmati rice.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Potatoes (Thịt Gà Xào Khoai Tây)

Vietnamese people are familiar with stir fried beef with potatoes (Thịt bò xào khoai tây). This dish is one of my favorites because I love potatoes. Unfortunately, I am allergic to beef; therefore, I have to use chicken for this dish. I am very happy with the recipe. To prepare this dish, I bake the potatoes instead of deep frying as some of the recipes call for. This is another way to make this dish with less fat. the ingredients are easy to find and simple to make. Absolutely, guests and family will love this dish.

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts and thighs, boneless and skinless
1 lb. potatoes, peeled, sliced, and cut into thick strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
Other ingredients:
3 green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
1 medium white onion, cut into wedges
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
Chopped cilantro

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Slice chicken into 1/4 inch thick pieces and place into a mixing bowl. Add minced garlic, shallot, cooking wine, and fish sauce. Marinate for 1 hour.
On a baking sheet, spray cooking oil. Without touching each other, arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray cooking oil on top of the potatoes and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until crispy.

Combine the sauce and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, add 2 tbs of peanut oil. Add chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

 

 

 Add white onions and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Add sauce and baked tomatoes. Stir to combine.

 Add green onions and cilantro.

 

Serve with rice.