Category: Asian
Five-Spice Chicken Lettuce Wraps
| February 6, 2013 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Poultry, Snacks & Appetizers |
Chinese New Year is this weekend and I’m new year prep mode. Unlike its January 1st counterpart, which is basically about a countdown followed by new years resolutions, Chinese New Year feels so much more celebratory. Typically, the weeks leading up to the new year involves cleaning and de-cluttering, so you can start the new year fresh. By throwing out the trash or the bad luck, you make room for good luck to enter your life.
Every year, my grandma treats the whole family to dinner at a Chinese restaurant (at last count, that would be about 25 to 30 of us that live in town, including her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids). It’s the one time of year that all the amazing cooks in my family don’t actually have to cook (and mess up the kitchen) and can relax and enjoy the festivities instead.
Classic Family Pic: Doesn’t my grandma look so young to have that many grandkids? Five grandkids are missing from the pic because they weren’t born yet. That’s my dad holding me in his lap on the far right.
After dinner, we all go to my parents house where the little ones get red envelopes with lucky money and then we start gambling. I have fond memories of all of us squishing around the table to play blackjack, which is the first card game we all learned to play. My dad is usually the dealer, with his ‘family house rules’ and we have a great time heckling him. And yes the eating continues here too. Usually fried shrimp chips, coffee, and clementines. Savoury, caffeinated, and sweet.
For this recipe, the five-spice powder gives the chicken a distinctly Asian flavour and isn’t actually hot spicy, more earthy and aromatic. The heat factor comes from the Thai bird chilis in the marinade and the toppings. Be careful, sometimes those little guys can be brutally spicy. I always de-seed before adding to the marinade to give it some kick, without being too overpowering.
My nephew is totally the Golden Child in his Chinese New Year outfit. Look at those delicious cheeks!
My niece and my dog Pucci dressed up for Chinese New Year in 2012. Cuteness overload.
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Honestly, this batch of chilis was so spicy, we picked them off the wraps after the photos were taken because they were melting our faces off (the ones in the marinade were perfect). But if you like heat, go for it. You can always leave them on the side and let your guests garnish as they please.
This recipe for lettuce wraps is a hybrid of many different food loves: chili chicken, Peking duck (the second course), and Vietnamese cool rolls. Over the holidays, I watched Jamie Oliver create something similar on TV, though he start plopping on raw tofu and lost me, but I loved his Asian fusion approach. This would be a great meal to put out for a crowd and it’s fun and festive to eat no matter what time of year. An Asian taco of sorts. And like all tacos, make sure to have lots of napkins on hand.
Wishing everyone a New Year full of happiness, health, prosperity and lots of good luck.
Here’s a more recent pic of some of us hamming it up in headpieces my sister brought back from her trip to China. So cute!
PS – I used a julienne peeler to get those pretty shreds of carrot.
Five-Spice Chicken Lettuce Wraps (serves 4 as a main)
Ingredients:
Five-Spice Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 1 to 2 Thai bird chilis, de-seeded and finely minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro/coriander
- 3/4 tsp salt
- canola oil for frying
Lettuce Wraps and Garnishes
- 2 heads of iceberg lettuce
- 2 stalks green onion, finely sliced
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1/4 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- Handful fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
- 2 cups cooked rice noodles (cooked according to package instructions)
- Gluten-free hoisin sauce
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 to 3 Thai bird chilis, finely sliced (optional)
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for chicken except canola oil and stir to combine. Cover and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
- Prepare lettuce wraps. Carefully peel away leaves of lettuce from the head, trying not to tear the leaves, and trim excess ends with kitchen shears. Wash and dry lettuce leaves, and place on platter.
- In large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat, add one tablespoon canola oil. Add half of the chicken to pan and let cook for 2 minutes or until browned. Flip chicken over and cook other side for another 2 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Remove chicken and place on paper towel lined plate. Wipe any brown bits from pan with a clean paper towel and add pan back to heat. Add one tablespoon canola oil and cook remaining chicken.
- Assemble wraps. Place about 1 to 2 ounces of rice noodles inside each lettuce wrap, followed by carrots, cucumber, and chicken. Add remaining garnishes and serve.
Golden Curry
| September 10, 2012 | Filled under Asian, Indian, Main Dishes, Poultry |
How do you get through dinners through the work week? Takeout? Frozen TV dinners? Meals from scratch? I tend to rely on all of the above since I’m not a huge fan of leftovers (exception is yam mein and pizza). Hubby D likes making a big batch Sunday night meal and reheating leftovers during the week, which admittedly cuts down on clean up and cooking. So with that game plan in place, it’s essential to get find meals that taste great as leftovers, and fast and easy curry is the perfect meal.
Some people think of curry as ‘spicy’ with burn-your-face-off type of heat rather than ‘full of flavour and aromatics’. There are so many curries in the world, spices and stews, and every region, culture, and family has their own unique way of preparing it. My family is from India and Pakistan, so our flavours and heat levels are a derrative of those spice-and-heat loving cultures. My mom makes a hearty and healthy vegetable curry with cauliflower, potato, and carrots while my aunts are known for their in-your- face spicy beef curry. As for me, I like to make Thai curries at home by my new fave is this golden curry that is mild yet full of flavour.
This curry is super easy to whip up and gets better as you re-heat it during the week. You can also freeze it and whip it out whenever you feel like some savoury comfort food. An added benefit of this dish is how cost-effective it is. Living gluten-free can rack up a serious grocery bill so finding healthy meals that don’t cost a fortune is a good way to balance the budget. Serve with some basmati rice and enjoy on a Sunday and all through the week.
Golden Curry Recipe (serves 4 to 6)
- 12 chicken thighs, diced
- 2 cups diced onions
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 3 Tablespoons canola oil
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 4 teaspoons curry powder (I used 1 tsp hot Balinese curry powder and 3 tsp regular curry powder)
- 4 teaspoons fresh coriander/cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Heat large cast iron pot or deep sided frying pan on medium-high heat. Add oil and chicken and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine.
- Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine. Add carrots and potatoes and curry powder and stir until all ingredients are evenly coated with curry seasoning.
- Add chicken stock and stir, scraping up any brown bits stuck to bottom of pot. Lower heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice or bread.
Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs
| May 14, 2012 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces & Dips |
Summer is here and so is barbecue season. Sadly, I don’t have access to a barbecue at home – our condo is patio-less. But before you start feeling sorry for me, I DO have a trusty little toaster oven. This essential piece of kitchen equipment makes me feel like I have a double oven like in those fancy home magazines or on The Food Network. It heats up fast and doesn’t raise the temperature in our whole place like the big oven so on summer days when we would be grilling, we rely on our trusty toaster oven to cook up some tasty meals, like my fast flatbread pizza or these Asian-glazed chicken thighs. Plus, we can use it all year-long.
The flavours are sweet, salty, and distinctly Asian flavoured and the mahogany glaze is lip-smackingly good. Now if you don’t have a toaster oven, you can totally use a normal oven or your barbecue. The longer you marinade the meat, the tastier it’ll be, so anywhere from 1 hour to overnight will do the trick. The marinade is super easy and so tasty that you’ll be able to whip this up on a weeknight or make ahead for your next big summer bash. Cold leftovers are great with a salad. The possibilities are endless. Too bad summer isn’t.
PS – You save lots of calories and fat by removing the skin. Just yank it off by pull it over the bone – picture pulling a pant leg inside out (think skinny jeans). Your waistline and arteries will thank you.
Recipe Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 5 to 6 (2 thighs per serving)
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tamari gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (in case of allergies, replace with tamari soy sauce)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili paste (such sambal oelek or sriracha)
- 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 to 12 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
- Cooking spray
- Pinch salt
Directions:
1. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, chile paste, and garlic, stirring until honey dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture into a zip-top plastic bag or dish just large enough for the chicken. Add chicken marinade and seal or cover. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour up to overnight, turning occasionally. Remove chicken, reserving marinade.
2. Pre-heat oven to 425°.Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until syrupy, stirring occasionally. Place chicken on a rack coated with cooking spray, and place rack in a roasting pan. Baste chicken with reserved marinade; sprinkle evenly with salt.
3. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes; baste. Bake an additional 10 minutes; baste. Discard remaining marinade. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until done. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with green onions or fresh coriander to garnish.
Thai Shrimp Skewers
| April 18, 2012 | Filled under Asian, Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers |
I’m always on the hunt for recipes that are a) simple/fast b) delish and c) healthy (and of course gluten-free) and these Thai shrimp skewers get top points in all categories. You can easily make these skewers after a long day of work and commuting (like I did today) or for a crowd at your next BBQ. This recipe is one the fastest and easiest recipes on my entire blog, second only to the Macedonian Mama cocktail, which would be the perfect accompaniment to these tasty shrimp sticks.
Sidenote: foods on sticks make everything taste better / fun-ner to eat. For great ideas, check On a Stick by the amazingly talented food stylist/photographer/blogger Matt Armendariz or check out his blog here (even Martha Stewart is a fan).
Shrimps are great for lots of reasons – they cook up lightning fast, taste great, are high in protein and low in fat. I buy mine frozen, either peeled and cleaned or with the zipperback which basically makes them super easy to peel. To thaw quickly, just immerse in water for a five minutes. I always keep some Mae Ploy curry paste on hand in the fridge; I’ve used red here but green or yellow are great too. It’s amazing how much flavour can be packed into such a tiny amount of curry paste and how versatile it is. You can even brush the paste on sliced vegetables or chicken before grilling, just remember, the more you use, the more intense the flavour and heat will be.
As for portions, you can make as many or as few as you need. The portion above was the perfect amount for one with a salad as a main course, or you could do two shrimps on smaller skewers to serve as hors d’oeuvres. At my family BBQs, my aunts use long skewers and add some peppers and onions to make shrimp kebabs. Anything goes really, and these are always the first to go at any gathering.
Thai Shrimp Skewers (recipe serves one as a main course)
Ingredients:
- 9 raw shrimp, thawed, peeled and patted dry
- 1 tsp Thai curry paste
- Canola oil or cooking spray
- Lime and fresh chopped cilantro, to serve
Special Equipment/Tools: wooden or metal skewers, pastry brush
Directions:
If using BBQ to cook, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using. Thread shrimps onto skewers and brush the shrimps with curry paste. Heat skillet or frying pan to medium high heat and spray with canola oil. Place shrimps onto heated pan and cook on each side for 1 to 2 minutes until pink and cooked through. If using a BBQ, lightly brush the shrimps with canola oil before grilling to prevent sticking. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime.
Miso Soup
| February 26, 2012 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Soup & Sandwiches, Vegetables |
Miso soup can easily be transformed from a restaurant starter into a full meal that’s low in calories and high in comfort. I’m not sure if this is a traditional way to consume miso soup, but for me, it’s a convenient and healthy way to get a lot of veggies and tofu in with minimal effort and time. Plus, the gluten-free buckwheat soba noodles transform this soup into a substantial entrée. So whenever I’m feeling like I need to detox, a little sniffle-y or want dinner in fifteen minutes, this is my go-to meal.
I was inspired to try this at home after reading about it on Heidi Swanson’s über popular food blog 101 Cookbooks. She’s a vegetarian cook/photographer/writer whose online food and recipe journal has led to several cookbooks and a huge following of both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Her post on miso soup offers some great tips on types of miso, ingredient ideas, and several ways to jazz this up (or down) to suit the seasons, your palette and what’s in your fridge. She encourages her readers to use her post as less of a miso soup recipe and “more an encouragement to give it a go in your own kitchen” which is exactly what I did. Thanks Heidi.
Important GF note about soba: Not all soba noodles are gluten-free. Soba are Japanese buckwheat noodles, however, most store-bought packaged soba contains a high wheat flour content. So when shopping for soba, make sure to carefully read the ingredient list and only purchase ones that contain 100% buckwheat flour (which is gluten-free). It’ll be pricier than the ones blended with wheat, but they taste so much better – the buckwheat flavour is what gives soba its unique nutty flavour.
Miso Soup Recipe (Adapted from 101 Cookbooks) Serves 2 or 3
Ingredients
- 3 ounces gluten-free dried soba noodles (100% buckwheat)
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp dried wakame seaweed
- 2 to 4 Tbsp miso paste, to taste (I use organic white miso)
- 2 to 3 ounces of firm or silken tofu cut into 1/2″ cubes (preferably organic)
- A handful of green veggies, such as spinach, watercress or bok choy, washed and trimmed
- 2 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2 green onions, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
Directions
Cook noodles in salted boiling water until al dente, drain and rinse in cold water. Portion into 2 or 3 soup bowls.
In a separate pot, add 4 cups of water and bring to boil. Add mushrooms and bring to boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk miso paste with a tablespoon of boiling water from the pot until smooth. Add wakame and tofu to soup and bring to boil for a few minutes. Add vegetables and remove from heat. Whisk in miso mixture and stir. Taste and if needed, add more miso paste prepared the same way. Ladle soup and vegetables over noodles in soup bowls and garnish with green onions.
Sweet Chili Fried Tofu
| February 14, 2012 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers |
Weeknight routines can be hard, right? Prepping dinner after a long day of juggling work is a challenge for most of us. Truthfully, I’ve had it easy for the last year, but I started a new job a few weeks ago and boy-o-boy, getting used to the grind of commuting and learning a new role / routine has been an exciting yet challenging experience. Luckily, I’ve got a few quick-fire recipes up my sleeve that require only five ingredients that’s ready in minutes.
I’m addicted to Food Network so this recipe is like Rachael Ray’s ’30 Minute Meals’ mixed with Claire Robinson’s ’5 Ingredient Fix’ and a little old school Wok with Yan . (Sidenote: I loved his show – his aprons were so funny. ‘Wok and Roll’, ‘Wok this Way’, and ‘Wok the Heck’ are my faves.) It’s hard to believe that you can bang out such a tasty main course in just 10 minutes, but it’s totally possible after a stop at your local Asian grocery store.
Jarred minced ginger and garlic is a huge time saver, and fried tofu comes bagged and well, pre-fried, so you just need to reheat and brown in the wok. The sweet chili sauce does the rest of the heavy-lifting in the flavour department and little coriander to garnish and some oil to stir fry round-up the ingredient list. So easy that you’ll save that take-out/delivery menu/frozen dinner for another night.
Recipe Sweet Chili Fried Tofu (serves 2 as a main course)
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp minced ginger and garlic, jarred (or 1/2 teaspoon each of fresh minced)
- 1 bag fried tofu
- 2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 to 2 Tbsp Chopped fresh coriander
Directions:
Heat wok or deep-sided frying pan to medium-high heat and add oil. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add fried tofu and stir fry until lightly browned. Add sweet chili sauce and coriander and toss to evenly coat. Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed rice and stir fried vegetables.
To serve as an appetizer, skewer each piece with a cocktail pick and serve on a platter with additional sweet chili sauce for dipping.
Baby Bok Choy with Garlic
| October 12, 2011 | Filled under Asian, Sides, Vegetables |
I had a special request from a friend who loves baby bok choy and wanted to learn how to make it. Growing up in a Chinese household, I take for granted that I sort of learned how to make this just by lurking around the kitchen during dinner time. Some variation of greens stir fried in garlic was a weekly almost daily staple – delicious, inexpensive, healthy and fast. All my fave things rolled into one little dish.
The most important thing about prepping this dish is to wash the vegetables thoroughly. I mean like a zillion times in a big bowl water, dunk these leaves around, swirl, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat. I cut the larger ones in half lengthwise before washing to really allow the grit to come out. Nothing will ruin this dish more than biting into a hunk of dirt.
Second important thing to remember when cooking these greens is the massive shrinkage aka the shrinkage factor. Once cooked, these veggies shrink down to almost one third of the original size so don’t be afraid to cook a seemingly massive amount. Besides, these have almost no calories so you can indulge in big portions without piling on the pounds.
The steaming action helps cook the veggies super fast. See how much it shrinks? Like after George Costanza goes swimming on the classic Seinfeld episode (see here around the 1:45 minute mark). Significant shrinkage. The shrinkage factor. It also applies to leafy green vegetables after stir frying.
Recipe Baby Bok Choy with Garlic (serves 2 as a side)
Ingredients
- 3 cups baby bok choy, washed thoroughly and trimmed
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil
- Water
- pinch salt
- Gluten free tamari soy sauce (optional)
Directions
- Heat a non-stick wok on medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until warm but not smoking. Add the garlic and let sizzle until fragrant but not browned or burnt. Add the vegetables and toss to coat, about 2 minutes.
- Add about 1/4 cup of water and cover with a lid to let steam for about 2 minutes, until vegetables are cooked and wilted down. Remove lid, remove from heat, and add salt to taste. Serve with rice, hot sauce, and gluten free soy sauce (optional).
Mom’s Lemon Chicken
| August 22, 2011 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces & Dips |
A few weeks ago, a well-known food blogger, writer, and mother to two young girls named Jennifer Perillo, suddenly lost her husband Mikey to a massive heart attack. He was helping their daughter ride her bike when his life was tragically and unexpectedly taken away. I cannot imagine her pain and my heart aches at the thought of her loss. Althought I do not know her personally, my eyes still well up when I think about her and her family. Yet she found the strength, just eight days later, to write a touch article here about the importance of family dinners.
I grew up in a family where we sat together for dinner every night. It didn’t matter if we were eating leftovers or takeout or a homecooked favourite, my sister and I would set the table and we all took our respective seats around the table to have our meals. That’s how we learned about each other’s day, shared jokes, vented our grievances, laughed, cried, and celebrated life’s little victories. And now that I’m married and my husband and I live in the city, I find we don’t sit down together as often as I’d like. The hecticness of work, friends, travel, classes, and the sheer grind of it all finds a way into our weekly routine more often than not.
So when he was getting ready to head out on a week-long international business trip, I made sure to take the time to prepare his favourite meals. We had Ah Poh’s Yam Mein one night and my mom’s Lemon Chicken the next. I remember as a kid how special we all felt when my mom would take the time to make lemon chicken and how spoiled they felt when I made my version for them. And so, before D’s big trip, I wanted him to feel spoiled, and lemon chicken it was.
While this dish is fairly simple, it’s not the quickest to whip up (and you know I’m a fan of quick dinners) so give yourself enough time. The chicken needs to be sliced, but you can buy prepped chicken tenders to cut this step. I butterfly the breasts, which just means you cut it horizontally to make the breast thinner. It opens up and make a ‘butterfly’ shape. I used to be so scared of raw chicken, and would wear plastic gloves. But with practice, I’ve toughened up and now it doesn’t freak me out. If you are scared, don’t be - just go for it. Be fearless. Or don’t and buy chicken tenders.
When making breaded chicken, it’s good to set up a dredging station. Dredging is basically the process of creating a dry layer, followed by a wet layer, finished with a crumb layer to create the breading. So here we use cornstarch, egg, and gluten-free bread crumbs. You dip the chicken in cornstarch to coat, then the egg, then the crumbs, shaking off the excess after each ingredient. At the end you have perfectly breaded chicken ready to fry. If you’re sensitive or allergic to eggs, you can substitute egg replacer and it works just fine.
I’m new to food blogging, and am pleasantly suprised to see it’s a supportive community. When news of Jennifer’s loss broke, there was an overwhelming amount of support for her and her family. To help her heal, she asked that people make her husband Mikey’s favourite peanut butter cream pie in celebration of his life. And to share that pie with someone you love. Thousands of people made that Pie for Mikey. It was on CNN. And there’s this lovely video by Todd & Diane that basically sums it all up.
While I didn’t partake in the Pie for Mikey, I will definitely be helping by supporting Bloggers Without Borders – a non-profit organization that is was formed by food bloggers Maggy Three Many Cooks and Erika Pineda-Ghanny of The Ivory Hut to help Jennifer and her girls during this difficult time. I follow Jennifer on twitter and her tweets about insurance and the US healthcare system are both infurating and sad. So if you too would like to help her out, you can donate here. Any amount will help. Jennifer’s grace and strength during this tragedy is inspiring, and as I was making the lemon chicken for D, I remembered her words “Instead of looking at dinnertime as yet another chore, seize it for the gift it really is — a time to come together as a family and talk about your day, say grace or clink glasses and cherish the moment with each bite.”
Recipe for Lemon Chicken – Gluten Free (Serves 2)
Easy Lemon Sauce (Enough for six servings)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2/3 cup water
- Rind from 2 lemons
- 2 Tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 3 Tbsp water (slurry)
Add lemon juice, water, and lemon rinds to a small sauce pan and bring to boil. Add the sugar until and stir until dissolved. To make the slurry, whisk together the cornstarch and water until there are no lumps. Add this to the lemon mixture and stir. Bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened. If sauce is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time until you reach desired consistency. If sauce is to watery, make more slurry and add one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Taste for sweetness (add more sugar if necessary).
Fried Chicken Strips (serves 2)
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 slices
- 1 cup cornstarch or tapioca powder
- 1 egg, beaten (or 1 egg replacement equivalent)
- 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon sliced into 1/4″ rounds (for garnish)
- Canola oil for frying
1. Set up cornstarch, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip one slice of chicken in the cornstarch to coat and shake off excess. Dip in egg to coat and drip off excess. Dip in breadcrumbs to coat and set aside. Continue until all chicken is breaded.
2. In a deep sided pot, pour enough oil so there is at least 2″ of oil. Heat on medium high heat. To test if oil is hot enough to fry, stick a wooden chopstick or handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If you see tiny bubbles floating to the surface of the oil, it’s ready. Remove wooden stick. Add as many pieces of chicken to the oil as you can so that it’s full without being overcrowded (each chicken should have room to move around). Fry on each side for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and place on paper towel lined tray and continue until all chicken is fried.
3. Remove the lemon rinds from the lemon sauce and reheat. On a clean cutting board, slice the chicken into 1″ strips and place on platter. Place lemon rounds on top of chicken for garnish and pour lemon sauce over top. Serve immediately with rice and vegetables.
Viet-Lamb Vermicelli Salad (Bun)
| May 6, 2011 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Meat, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Salads, Sauces & Dips |
I still remember my first time trying bun. Not ‘bun’ like ‘hamburger bun’ or ‘buns of steel’ but ‘bun’ the Vietnamese dish made of vermicelli rice noodles, veggies, fresh herbs and meat. I remember swooning over the fresh ingredients, tasty chicken, and tangy/salty/sweet sauce. It was a work trip to Edmonton, where my doppelganger cousin Mel and her Vietnamese hubby Paul had me over for dinner. Always thoughtful, Paul and Mel knew I was craving some healthy home cooking – and ‘bun’ it was. Paul’s a great cook from a family of great cooks (good going Mel) – I’ve tried bun in restaurants but it’s never as good as the home made version.
I’m no expert on Vietnamese food, but I do know this – it’s delicious and flavourful. Vietnamese food is most commonly associated with pho – a clear beef broth with rice noodles, various cuts of beef or meat, and fresh herbs. Comforting and filling, yet light at the same time, these soupy noodles are normally served in pretty generous portions and are fairly inexpensive (I don’t do beef, so I get the seafood version instead). At home, I find it easier to whip up bun over making pho stock. My version is a slight twist on tradition though - I use a Vietnamese flavoured marinade on lamb steak instead of the usual chicken/pork/seafood.
I marinated the lamb in a variation of a Vietnamese lamb rib recipe from a recent issue of Fine Cooking. I modified the ingredients so they more intensely flavour the meat, and swapped for a lamb steak. The marinade can be whipped up in no time, especially if you have a mini chopper, and would also be great on chicken, steak or pork. And of course, you can always adjust the spice factor with the chili sauce.
In restaurants, bun is normally served with a few shreds of lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, and fresh herbs. I like to up the veggie factor and make it more of a salad. When slicing the carrots and cucumber into matchsticks, first cut into thin slices on the diagonal. Then stack a few slices and cut into matchsticks. PS – They had purple carrots at the farmers market. So rad.
The guac nom sauce is crucial for adding flavour – it’s a perfectly balanced blend of tart (lime), sweet (sugar), salt (fish sauce), and spice (garlic/chili). You just pour it over the veggies, noodles, and meat and dig in.
In terms of plating, I squished everything into a bowl here but the bowls were a bit too small. Now when I make this dish, I prefer using a plate which means no pre-cutting the steak. Any way you slice or serve it, this version of bun is healthy, delicious and perfect for hot summer days. (PS – I don’t claim that this is authentic Vietnamese, just yummy).
Recipe (Serves 2)
Lamb
- 1/3 cup shallot
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp GF soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp canola oil, plus more for cooking
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp chili sauce or Sriracha sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 lamb steaks (about 3/4″ thick)
To make marinade, puree all ingredients except lamb to create a paste. Add marinade and lamb to a container just big enough for the lamb or large zip top bag. Make sure lamb is fully coated with the marinade and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours up to overnight.
Remove lamb from fridge about 10 minutes before ready to cook. Add 2 teaspoons of canola oil to a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Remove excess marinade from the lamb and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest in the pan for 5 minutes until ready to serve.
Guac Nom Sauce
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 tsp chili (optional)
Combine all the ingredients and set aside until ready to serve.
Bun
- 2 cups cooked vermicelli noodles (prepare according to package instructions)
- 1/2 cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup romaine lettuce, shredded
- 1/2 cup radish, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs green onion, finely sliced
- 1/4 coriander leaves
- 2 Tbsp mint leaves
- Chili sauce or sriracha sauce (optional)
- Hoisin sauce (optional)
Place vermicelli in a bowl and arrange half the carrots, cucumber, radishes, and lettuce on top of the noodles. Add sliced lamb and garnish with green onion, coriander and mint. Serve with guac nom sauce – spoon over noodles, rice and vegetables.
Singapore Noodles
| April 28, 2011 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Poultry |
Singapore noodles are spicy rice noodles stir fried with curry powder and veggies. But I heard they don’t actually have Singapore noodles in Singapore? I guess it’s like how in China, they don’t call it ‘Chinese food’, just ‘food’? Have you been to Singapore and had these noodles?
It’s a spicy, simple, easy to make weeknight supper and considering my family is Hakka Chinese from India, these flavours definitely suit my taste buds. You can find it on the menu at most Chinese restaurants, but with this recipe you can make them at home instead – that way you can control the spiciness.
Chopping the veggies and chicken is the most time consuming part of making this whole dish – the cooking time is actally pretty fast. If you plan to make this on a weeknight, prep the veg and chicken the night before and put everything in the fridge. That way when you get home, you can just toss everything in the wok and eat in no time. Oh, and you can add bean sprouts too – they just need a rinse. No chopping = saving time. They didn’t look so fresh when I was shopping so I passed on them.
The noodles don’t take too long to soften (use hot or boiling water to speed up the process).
Coating the raw chicken in some GF tamari soy sauce and cornstarch is a Chinese technique to give the meat a more velvety texture and more flavour. It’s called velveting the meat and you can read more about it here. As for the vermicelli noodles, you can find them in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. In the Asian supermarkets, there are whole aisles dedicated to the different varieties noodles, which can be overwhelming. Don’t stress out – anything that says ‘rice stick’ or ‘vermicelli’ will work.
Recipe (serves 3-4)
Singapore Noodles (Gluten Free)
- 12 oz dried vermicelli rice sticks
- 4 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 organic chicken breasts, thinly sliced across the grain and cut into thin slices
- 1 tsp plus 2 Tbsp GF tamari soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2-3 carrots, cut into 3″ matchsticks
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 3″ matchsticks
- 1 red pepper
- 3 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 3 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Soak vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes in hot water, until softened but not mushy. In a medium bowl, mix the chicken with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and cornstarch and mix until chicken is evenly coated. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large wok on medium-high heat and add half the chicken. Stirfry the chicken until just cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken from wok and repeat with remaining chicken.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to wok and add onions; cook for 2 – 3 minutes until softened. Add carrots, celery and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add drained vermicelli noodles, curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, remaining 2 tablepoons soy sauce, and fish sauce. Toss until well combined – the noodles should be evenly yellow coloured and a bit powdery. Add back the chicken, green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve.
Singapore noodles are spicy rice noodles stir fried with curry powder and veggies. But I heard they don’t actually have Singapore noodles in Singapore? I guess it’s like how in China, they don’t call it ‘Chinese food’, just ‘food’? Have you been to Singapore and had these noodles?
It’s a spicy, simple, easy to make weeknight supper and considering my family is Hakka Chinese from India, these flavours definitely suit my taste buds. You can find it on the menu at most Chinese restaurants, but with this recipe you can make them at home instead – that way you can control the spiciness.
Chopping the veggies and chicken is the most time consuming part of making this whole dish – the cooking time is actally pretty fast. If you plan to make this on a weeknight, prep the veg and chicken the night before and put everything in the fridge. That way when you get home, you can just toss everything in the wok and eat in no time. Oh, and you can add bean sprouts too – they just need a rinse. No chopping = saving time. They didn’t look so fresh when I was shopping so I passed on them.
The noodles don’t take too long to soften (use hot or boiling water to speed up the process).
Coating the raw chicken in some GF tamari soy sauce and cornstarch is a Chinese technique to give the meat a more velvety texture and more flavour. It’s called velveting the meat and you can read more about it here. As for the vermicelli noodles, you can find them in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. In the Asian supermarkets, there are whole aisles dedicated to the different varieties noodles, which can be overwhelming. Don’t stress out – anything that says ‘rice stick’ or ‘vermicelli’ will work.
Recipe (serves 3-4)
Singapore Noodles (Gluten Free)
- 12 oz dried vermicelli rice sticks
- 4 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 organic chicken breasts, thinly sliced across the grain and cut into thin slices
- 1 tsp plus 2 Tbsp GF tamari soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2-3 carrots, cut into 3″ matchsticks
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 3″ matchsticks
- 1 red pepper
- 3 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 3 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Soak vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes in hot water, until softened but not mushy. In a medium bowl, mix the chicken with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and cornstarch and mix until chicken is evenly coated. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large wok on medium-high heat and add half the chicken. Stirfry the chicken until just cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken from wok and repeat with remaining chicken.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to wok and add onions; cook for 2 – 3 minutes until softened. Add carrots, celery and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add drained vermicelli noodles, curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, remaining 2 tablepoons soy sauce, and fish sauce. Toss until well combined – the noodles should be evenly yellow coloured and a bit powdery. Add back the chicken, green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve.
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