Banh Chung Chien (Paula Dean Style)

This is really not a recipe, but more of a epiphany. As any good 'ol Vietnamese (or in my case a Chinese whole really appreciates Vietnamese food) knows, banh chung is good, but when you chien it, it gets that much better. Now, if you are able to kick up the chien'ing (Americanized verb tense of a Vietnamese word) process, even better. For this, we can take inspiration from Paula Dean, then queen of adding butter to everything. Using butter to chien the banh chung gives it an additional layer of flavor that

Makes 5 servings (about 4 slices per person)

Ingredients

• 1 5x5 square banh chung (preferably one made by Thi's Ba Noi) sliced into 1/4 in thick slices
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/8 cup cu cai (pickled diakon and carrots) drained
• Sriracha to taste

Directions

1. Using a 12 in skillet, heat butter over medium-high until it stops bubbling
2. Add 4-5 slices to skillet. Cook until golden brown and then turn each slice over and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown.
3. Plate each 3-4 slices topped with the cu cai and Sriracha.

P.S. Thi is going to attempt her own Banh Chung recipe next Tet so stay tune.

Blueberry Vanilla Bean Mochi Cake

My friend Randy recommended this cake so I tried making it last night. If you like mochi, you will love the texture of this cake. It's also very easy to make. I didn't even need to whip out the KitchenAid. I did this one all by hand.

adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Makes one 9X13 pan, or 24 squares

• 1 lb box of Mochiko flour (3 cups equivalent)
• 2 1/2 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 14 oz cans of coconut milk - not lowfat (I used two cans of 13.5 oz)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup of butter) melted and slightly cooled
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
• 1 cup of blueberries, washed and picked over

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mochiko flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup (4 cup capacity), beat eggs, then add coconut milk, melted butter and vanilla bean. Mix together until vanilla bean is well distributed.
4. Carefully pour the wet ingredients over the mochiko flour mixture and whisk until mixture is smooth and uniform in texture.
5. Pour batter into greased 9X13 pan. Carefully smooth out the top. Sprinkle blueberries over entire surface.
6. Bake for 90 minutes, until top is golden brown and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
7. Allow cake to cool for about 30 minutes on a rack, and then carefully flip it out and cut into 24 squares, or the size of your choice. Can store mochi cake for three days, covered.

Avery's Sugar Cookies

I ate these at Jessica's baby shower when she was pregnant with Avery. So I decide to just name them after Avery to distinguish them from the other sugar cookie recipe I have. These are delicious, moist, soft and addicting. The frosting isn't the thin kind that you do a color flow with...even those look cute, they harden up to be too hard. This is a softer frosting so decorating isn't as "clean" but it's delicious to eat. Sometimes you gotta sacrifice "cuteness" for deliciousness. After all, we're talking about food, right?

Sugar Cookies
Yields about 24 cookies | Bakes in 7 minutes

2/3 cup butter, soften
¾ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer, medium to high speed, for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides occasionally. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.
Divide the dough in half. If necessary, cover and chill dough for 30 minutes, or until easy enough to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough out at a time into 1/8 inch thickness or a smidge more. (A thicker cookie will cook up softer and more moist). The key to a successful batch is consistency. Make sure the dough is rolled out evenly and the cookies on each sheet are the same thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into desired shapes. Place 1 (or ½) inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 7 minutes, or until the edges are firm and bottoms (not sides!) are very lightly browned. If the sides of the cookie starts to look golden, take them out before they are overdone or burnt! Transfer to a wire race and let cool. Frost if desired.

Frosting

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 box powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon almond extract (the secret ingredient)

In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter on high for 30 seconds to a minute. Add 1 box of powdered sugar and beat on low until sugar clumps up around butter. Scrape bowl. Slowly add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time to butter and sugar. You may need more or less than 2 tablespoons to get the desired consistency. Continue to beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and almond extract.
Beat thoroughly to incorporate, adjusting vanilla and almond extract to taste.
Note: The more milk used, the wetter the frosting , the longer it will take for your cookies “to set”. It is agood idea to let frosting set up before stacking and plating the cookies (usually an hour or more).

The kids decorating cookies for Santa! -Christmas 2011

Xoi Ga Lap Xuong

We all know Thim 5 is the queen of xoi, and we also know that Anh Hai Mike could whoop this up with his eyes closed..

For those of us who are not Thim 5 or Anh Hai Mike, I've put up this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups Calrose glutinous rice
3 chicken breasts
2 2/3 cups of broth (use the water you've boiled the chicken breasts in)
Green onions
Vegetable oil
Dried onions
3 to 4 Lap Xuong (the fat ones if you're a baller like me)
optional: thick soy sauce


Directions:

1. Soak your rice in water and set aside
2. Boil water with some salt. Add chicken and let it boil for 25 ish minutes until chicken fully cooked. Add a little pepper to the water if you're feeling adventurous.
3. As the chicken is boiling, chop your green onions and put it in a bowl with a little vegetable oil.
4. Chop up your lap xuong (diagonally. just kidding however you want!) and fry those bad boys up until they are goldeny delicious. Set aside.
5. At this point your chicken should be fully boiled. take the breasts out and SAVE THAT WATER. Measure out 2 and 2/3 cups of it.
6. Drain out your rice and put it in a pot with the 2 and 2/3 chicken broth that you have just made. Level out your pot. Bring it to a boil, and once it boils, put your flame on low and put a lid on it. Leave the pot alone for 20 minutes.
7. Shred up your chicken and then dress it up with some pepper, maybe a dash of salt.. and the tiniest bit of thick soy sauce for color and mild flavor.
8. Twiddle your fingers until the xoi is done cooking.
9. Once your xoi is done cooking, spread it out onto a platter of your choice!
10. Evenly distribute your chicken and lap xuong on top of it
11. microwave your bowl of chopped green onions and oil for 30 seconds. Spoon that goodness over the xoi
12. Take your dried onions and top your delicious xoi with it.
13. Take a picture of it and put it on facebook.
14. Brag to all of your friends about your delicious creation!

HOORAY!

Pumpkin Log

We found this recipe in a magazine, and it sounded easy enough for me to try it! The fact that it came out delicious means it was so easy, even I can do it!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2/3 cup pumpkin filling
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese softened

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a 10" x 15.5" cookie sheet. Place wax paper on the pan and grease the paper.

2. Mix together eggs, pumpkin filing, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and flour, and pour into prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. Immediately after removing from oven, turn the cake onto well confectioner's sugared tea towel. Remove wax paper from cake. Roll the cake into the towel lengthwise, and let cool for 1 hour.

4. For the filling; mix together butter, vanilla, confectioner's sugar and cream cheese. Unroll the cake and spread on the filling. Roll the cake back up. Refrigerate until served.

Amaretto Zabaglione

Zabaglione is an Italian dessert that is similar to a custard, but very light and airy with a kick of amaretto and Marsala.

(Custard served cold)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 egg yokes
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup of dry Marsala
• 1/4 cup of amaretto
• cinnamon to top

Directions

1. Prepare double boiler (I use the bowl from a stand mixer and a pot that is large enough to hold the bowl without it touching the water)
2. In the cold bowl, beat egg yokes and sugar until pale yellow
3. Add Marsala and amaretto to egg yoke mixture
4. Put bowl on heat and beat vigorously.  Remove the bowl from the heat periodically while continue mixing to prevent overheating the eggs. Overheating the eggs or heating them up too quickly may cause them to curdle.
5. When the zabaglione reaches 160 degrees, take it off the heat.  The zabaglione should have dramatically increased in volume and should also be much thicker.  The cooking should take about 10 minutes.
6. While warm, spoon into cups or martini glasses and topwith a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Serve immediately.  

The zabaglione can be served cold.  The texture will not be as smooth, but the custard will still be rich, airy, and tasty.

Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu

Based on the original Ma Po Tofu Recipe, this vegetarian version replaces the chicken broth and minced meat with vegetarian-friendly alternatives.   This variant was inspired by a friend who wanted to try Ma Po Tofu, but couldn't eat meat.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb vegetarian minced meat (Vegetarian Minced Meat)

• 1 tbsp fermented dried black beans, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes, rinsed, diced, and mashed
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced and mashed
• 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
• 2 tbsp of scallions thinly sliced +  1 tbsp for garnish
• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of Sambal Oelek (more if you like it spicy)
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 cup of vegetable broth broth
• 1 tbsp neutral flavored oil (e.g. canola oil)

• 1 package of soft tofu, drained, and cut into cubes (You can use silken, but it will be a little harder to work with since soft tofu is slightly firmer)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with equal part water
• 1 dash of sesame oil

Directions:

• Heat a large pan over medium heat and add oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, fermented black beans, and  scallions.  Cook until garlic and ginger is soft, but do not brown.
• Add Sambal Oelek to the pan and cook for a minute. 
• Add vegetarian minced meat to mixture and stir to combine.
• Add vegetable broth pan, soy sauce, and sugar.  Bring mixture to boil.
• Slowly stir in enough cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat a spoon.
• Add tofu and carefully stir mixture until tofu is warmed through being careful not to break the tofu.
• Stir in sesame oil. 
• Serve immediately topped with scallions.