Author Archive
Vietnamese Sandwich (Banh Mi Cha Lua)
In Vietnamese, banh mi means bread, so the translation would be sausage sandwich. What makes this unique is what is added to the sandwich such as the pickled carrot and radish. I made these on 21 Nov 2017, excellent flavor, I really like the addition of the pickled carrot and radish. Cha Lua is a fully cooked sausage that is refrigerated when you buy them, so they can be eaten as is right from the fridge. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 baguette, or roll or just sandwich bread
- Vietnamese sausage, sliced lengthwise about ΒΌ inch thick
- cucumber, sliced lengthwise
- pickled carrot and radish, Shortcut
- spring onion, chopped
- fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- mayo
Additional Fillings if Desired
- cheese, sliced
- chilis, sliced lengthwise
- soy sauce
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- I pan fried the sausage, this is optional, in a splash of olive oil and seasoned with lemon pepper.
- Cooked just to brown them up a bit. These are fully cooked when you buy them.
- I used the shortcut to make the pickled carrot and radish.
- Split the baguette or roll, or just use sandwich bread, spread mayo on both pieces, layer on some Vietnamese sausage, then the cucumber, pickled carrot and radish, coriander leaves, spring onions, top with the other half of the bread, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Cook the sliced sausage in soy sauce and black pepper, then add to the roll. 2. Cook the sliced sausage with olive oil and lemon pepper. 3. Use Cha Hue, the peppered version of Cha Lua.
Shortcut: Pickled Carrot and Radish.
Vietnamese Pickled Carrot & Daikon (Δα» Chua)
These are commonly used in banh mi sandwiches, and can be made with any vegetable, and carrot and daikon (white radish) are commonly used. You can use rice vinegar or white vinegar. Rice vinegar is more mild. The carrot and radish is pickled in as little as 30-45 minutes, and stored in the fridge for months. I have added a second method to make these, but takes 1-2 days before they are ready.
Ingredients
First Method
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 medium white radish, julienned
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Β½ teaspoon salt
- ΒΌ-Β½ cup rice vinegar, or white vinegar
Second Method
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 medium white radish, julienned
- 1 empty jar with lid
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh peppercorns
Instructions
First Method
- The measurements are just a guideline, if you are cutting up a large carrot and radish, you may need a bit more sugar, salt, and vinegar.
- Spread out the julienned veggys in a small glass baking dish, sprinkle enough sugar for just a light coating, sprinkle a pinch or two of salt over the veggys, and add the rice vinegar to submerge half of the veggys.
- Every 15 minutes stir the veggys around so the vinegar is mixed in well. In 30 to 45 minutes, you can use, store excess in a jar with all the liquid from dish, and top up to cover them with either more rice vinegar or if you used white vinegar, top up with water to dilute the strength. Store unused in the fridge.
Second Method
- Carrot and white radish (Daikon) julienned and ready for pickling.
- Fill the jar about halfway with very hot water and dissolve the salt in the water. Add part of the peppercorns and vinegar to the hot saltwater and stir.
- Add the julienned carrot and radish to the jar, pack in as much as you can. Add more water as needed to fill the jar and completely cover the carrot and radish.
- Let the jar cool down to room temp, put the lid on and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before use.
Notes
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- Cha Lua Kimbap.
- Vietnamese Sandwich (Banh Mi Cha Lua), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- NΖ°α»c ChαΊ₯m (Vietnamese Vegetarian Fish Sauce).
King Oyster (Eryngii) Mushroom Steaks with Mayo
This is Japanese in origin, and is delicious! Don't be fooled by the name, these are not served with mayo, they are cooked in mayo. I made this on 4 Sep 2017 and was well received by the family. This is an adjust as you need recipe, like if using less mushrooms, use less mayo, etc.
Ingredients
- 6-8 King Oyster mushrooms, small to medium size is best
- 1-2 tablespoons mayo
- 1-2 tablespoons white wine
- black pepper, to taste
- soy sauce, to taste
- dried parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Trim off the root end and rinse the mushrooms and shake off excess water. Slice each one in half lengthwise.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the mayonnaise and the sliced mushrooms. Cook on both sides.
- Pour in the white wine, place a lid over the pan, reduce temp to low, let the mushrooms simmer until wilted, season with black pepper and a drizzle of soy sauce.
- Top with some parsley, serve as a side with rice or pasta.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
King Oyster Mushroom Scallops
This is a pasta dish using King Oyster mushrooms in a light sauce of broth, white wine, and tomatoes. Sounds good.
Ingredients
For the Mushrooms
- 4 King Oyster mushrooms, fresh
- 1 cup vegetable stock, or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 shallot, minced
For the Pasta
- 2 cups cooked pasta, spaghetti or fettuccine
- 1 cup vegetable stock, or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Take your mushrooms and cut just a bit of the root end and discard that. Cut of the top and set those aside. Now take the stem section and cut into 1 inch thick slices, probably 4 slices to each stem. Soak the stem slices in hot water for 1-2 hours, this softens them up a bit. Drain well in a colander, While those are draining, slice the tops and place in the fridge until needed.
For Cooking the Mushrooms
- On medium-high, place the well drained mushroom stems into a skillet. Add broth and white wine to the skillet, getting the liquid to a simmering boil. Allow the mushroom stems to absorb the liquid completely (might take about 12-15 minutes). Please note that they will shrink in size a little once cooked.
- Add the butter, garlic, and shallot, and nicely brown the stems on each side, making sure you don't burn the garlic and shallot. Remove from heat and place the "scallops" on a plate. Keep the garlic and shallots in the pan for the pasta.
For the Pasta
- Add the vegetable broth, wine, and minced garlic to the same skillet and allow to simmer over medium heat until half of the liquid is absorbed.
- Mix in the tomatoes, parsley, sliced mushroom tops, and pepper flakes into the skillet. Simmer for another minute and then add the cooked and drained pasta. Allow the liquid to almost completely absorb, you want the bottom of the pan to be lightly coated with liquid.
- Divide the pasta onto two plates, top with the mushroom "scallops" and garnish more fresh parsley. Serve.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Secret Ingredient Burgers
Not sure how I found this recipe, but it makes sense. Fish sauce is the secret ingredient. I will certainly try this one. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 750 grams ground beef
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 sandwich rolls, OR make from a shortcut
- 2 tablespoons butter, for cooking, or oil
- tomato, slices, as needed
- lettuce leaves, as needed
- dill pickles, sliced, as needed
- ketchup, as needed
- mustard, as needed
- onion, sliced, as needed
- Cheddar cheese, sliced, as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the beef, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Using a fork or your hands, mix gently until just combined, do not over mix or you get a tougher burger.
- Divide the mixture into 4 sections and using your hands, form into patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. Do not pack the beef too tightly or compact it as this will result in tough burgers. Using your thumb, form a slight indent into the center of each patty. Cover the tray with plastic and refrigerate for at least half an hour, or up to a day.
- When ready to cook, remove the burgers from the fridge. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat until quite hot, cast iron would be perfect. Add the butter or oil. Season the burgers with a sprinkle of salt (this helps form a nice crust) and place gently in the pan. They should sizzle violently if the pan is hot enough.
- Cook, flipping every couple of minutes until desired doneness. 10-12 minutes for well done, less if you prefer medium/rare. Do not overcook or the burgers will dry out. Also, do not press down on the burgers while cooking or poke them or pierce them in any way, just let them cook in peace until nicely browned all over.
- If using cheese, add on the top a minute before you remove from the pan.
- Remove the patties from the pan to a plate to rest just for a couple of minutes, meanwhile return the pan to the heat and place your sliced buns in (cut side down) to toast for a bit and soak up all the lovely juices left in the pan from the burgers.
- Assemble the burgers with toppings of your choice. Enjoy.
Notes
Figure about 150 Baht for 750 grams of good beef. For 4 servings, this is about $1.10 per serving.
Shortcut: Hamburger Buns.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Crab Cakes I
These are delicious! I made these on 4 Jan 2022, exactly as written, and used canned crab. Nothing short of perfect, I and the family loved these! Even a grand niece who does not care for seafood, loved the taste of these. Next test will be with imitation crab, then will test again with fresh cooked and picked crab. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2Β½ tablespoons mayo
- 1Β½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, Shortcut
- ΒΌ cup celery, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced
- 500 grams lump crab meat, fresh cooked, canned, frozen cooked, (1 lb)
- Β½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- cooking oil, as needed for frying
- tartar sauce, optional, Shortcut
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl, add the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well.
- Drain and check the crab meat for any shell fragments, add the crab and panko to the wet mixture. (I used four 170 g (6 oz) cans, drained weight is 120 g (4ΒΌ oz) that makes the 480 g (17 oz) which worked perfect for the recipe.
- Gently fold mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat.
- Use a Β½ cup measuring spoon and scoop out mixture Β½ cup, packed, add that to your hands and shape into a ball, place on a large plate and press down and shape the sides to make a patty. You will make 6 cakes using the Β½ cup measuring spoon to measure. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat a large nonstick pan on medium heat and coat with the cooking oil. When oil is hot, place crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.
- Serve with sides of your choice or with tartar sauce or lemon wedges.
Notes
I used canned crab that I shipped from the US, which is actually a product of Indonesia. It is here in the larger western stores for a hefty price as well. I will try this recipe with imitation then fresh cooked and picked crab. For now I will say this is High cost per serving using canned crab, and probably Fair cost per serving using imitation / fresh cooked crab. Crabs from a local fisherman would be the cheapest, buying canned would be costly.
Shortcuts: Old Bay Seasoning, Tartar Sauce.
Tartar Sauce II
Another version of Tartar Sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo
- 1Β½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine everything in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until use.
Notes
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- Tuna Burgers.
- Crab Cakes I, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Khuushuur
This is Mongoliaβs version of a handheld meat pastry. Itβs a circle of wheat flour dough folded in half around a filling of minced or ground or beef, and pan or deep-fried. Sounds good to me, this would be similar to pasty.
Ingredients
- 250 grams flour, wheat or all purpose is fine
- 150 milliliters water
- 400 grams fatty mutton, or fatty beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 3 cups cooking oil, rice bran oil would be good
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C. To make the dough, put the flour in a large bowl then gradually add the water, mixing to a firm dough. Knead lightly for a minute or two, then wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge while you make the filling.
- Mix the meat with the onion, garlic, caraway seeds, and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Take the dough out of the fridge and divide into 16 pieces, then roll one out to a 10 cm (4 inch) diameter circle. Place a couple of heaped teaspoons of the meat mix on half of the circle but away from the edge, then fold one side over the meat. Press the edges together, then fold the sealed edge over again, crimping as you go. Repeat with the remaining meat and dough.
- In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil to around 180 C, or when a piece of bread sizzles and turns golden in less than a minute. Gently lower the khuushuur into the oil in batches of 3 or 4, and cook for around 4 minutes until golden. Once all the khuushuur are cooked, place on a foil lined baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes in the oven, then serve.
Notes
The beef would cost about 100 Baht/500 grams. For 4 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)
This sounds like an excellent sauce. There is many recipes on the internet for this and nearly all claim to be the best. The sauce comes highly recommended by a good friend and is the first recipe he sent me, I will try this one and post results. If you double the batch, don't double the salt, use just 1Β½ tablespoons.
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic, cloves smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- Β½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup oil, neutral tasting oil
- 1 cup olive oil, NOT extra virgin
Instructions
- There is 3 ways to prepare this.
Immersion Blender
- Place everything in a quart-sized jar. Submerge an immersion blender in the mixture to the bottom of the jar. Mix with the blender resting on the bottom of the jar until the ingredients thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Angle the mixer to pull ingredients from the sides of the jar and lift it toward the top to better combine. Continue blending until the mixture reaches a texture similar to mayonnaise.
Electric Mixer
- Mix the garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a mixer to a creamy mix, 20-30 seconds, pour into a mixing bowl. Then use an electric mixer and slowly add in the oil and olive oil in a very narrow stream until the sauce thickens, 2 to 4 minutes.
Blender
- Mix the garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a blender to a creamy mix, 20-30 seconds, then slowly add in the oil and olive oil in a very narrow stream until the sauce thickens, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Serve with grilled meats as a dipping sauce, in a chicken salad sandwich, you get the idea.
Southern Smothered Pork Chops
These sound very good, pan browned then baked in the oven with a nice gravy, on my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons rotisserie seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- cooking oil, as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together rotisserie seasoning, sage, rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper. Season pork chops evenly with 1/2 the mixture.
- To fry the pork chops, there is two methods. 1. Put a large pan on medium high heat. Add 1/2 inch of oil. 2. If you prefer to use less oil, simply sear the chops using only 2 tablespoons of oil. I would say number 1 is truly southern.
- While oil is getting hot, place 1 cup of flour on a plate. Dip all sides of the chops in flour, and tap off any excess.
- Carefully place the chops into the hot oil, and brown on both sides. Adjust the heat as needed. You are browning them, the trick to a juicy pork chop is to brown them then bake in the gravy to cook them through. When browned on both sides, remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Preheat your oven to 190 C, get out a large baking dish.
- Discard the oil from pan and turn heat to medium low. Add in butter. When butter is melted, add in celery, onion, and bell pepper. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- To the skillet whisk in the flour and garlic. Adjust the heat as needed, and continue to cook the roux for 7-10 minutes until golden brown, then gradually add in chicken stock while whisking. Adjust the heat as needed, and allow to come to a boil to thicken. Then add in remaining rotisserie mixture and stir. Remove from heat.
- Place the pork chops in the baking dish in one layer, pour in the gravy from the pan, cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove from oven, serve with mashed potatoes and the gravy spooned over the chop and potatoes.
Notes
The price for pork can vary widely, my preference would be to use pork loin, which is basically a boneless chop and is readily available. Standard Tesco pork loin is about 132 Baht/kilo, Betagrow brand is 300 Baht/kilo, and an open market I cannot price until I get some. For these you have to slice it as well. Going with 132 Baht as an estimate until I make this, for 4 servings, this is about 97 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Rotisserie Seasoning.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.