#RECIPE 9: VEGAN PUMPKIN SOUP

Yes! Pumpkin soup with no cream or milk! Because it's Vietnamese style!

Even it doesn't have cream or milk but I'm sure the creamy texture of it'll make you surprise! I used no parsley but coriander and some kind of Vietnamese herbs called: Ngò gai or Sawleaf and Ngò om or Rice paddy herb. These 2 herbs are usually seen in Southern Pumpkin soup(the soup you eat with hot steamed rice).

The saler at the market always grab them together with the pumpkin so I didn't waste them! They go really well with the pupmkin, especially soup.

You can use the butter nut squash for more chewy texture and replace the pumpkin seeds by the peanut. Actually, Vietnamese people usually cook the peanut in pumpkin soup. You can also add the mushroom as you like. Combine the carrot for more nutrions and nice color.

*) Ingredients:

- 300gr pumpkin
- Pumpkin seeds
- 1 medium size carrot
- 2 leek
- 1/2 medium onion
- Saw leaf and Rice paddy herb
- Coriander
- Olive oil or Vegetable oil
- Vegetble stock
- Salt
- White pepper
- Vietnamese Banh mi or Baguette







*) Cooking

- Peel and wash the pumpkin. Cut into small cubes,Take all the seeds out.
- Peel and wash the carrot also. Slice.
- Peel and wash the onion. Chop well.
- Wash the seeds and drain well. Set aside.
- Slice the leek. Then fragrance them in olive oil in a saucepan. Then add the chopped onion also,
- Add the carrot slice to the saucepan and stir fry them. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Then add the pumpkin cubes also. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Stir fry well.
- Add vegetable stock to the stir fried pumpkin and carrot saucepan. Cook in medium high heat until boil. Reduce to low heat and start to simmer. Lift on.
- When the pumpkin and carrot turn soft. Use a hand mixer to mash them. If it's too thick. Add more vegetable stock( around 2-4 TBSP). Cook again until boil. Seasoning again to your taste.
- Add some olive oil in a skillet. Then add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle some salt.Toast them until fragrance.
- Wash and drain the herbs. Then chop.
- Toast the Bánh mì slices with olive oil and a little bit salt.
- Serve the soup with some olive oil drizzle, white pepper. Sprinkle the herbs and toasted pumpkin seeds. Dip the toasted Banh mi.

#RECIPE 8: VEGAN TOFU WITH CURRY SAUCE, STIR-FRIED WATER SPINACH WITH CHILLI JAM AND GREEN MUSTARD LEAVES WITH GINGER SOUP

Today is vegan day in Lunar calendar. I went to the market and saw the meat was very cheap and there was more vegetable stores appeared. Not only the vegetable ones, but also the tofu and vegan protein stores showed up today.

I bought some big leeks, minced lemon grass, red bell pepper and some green vegetable at my favorite grocery store. At first, I intended to cook the vegan version of Canh cà bung(eggplant, perrila leaves and tomato soup) but I changed my mind to more green stuffs meal. So it's turn out the main course is Tofu with curry sauce and the soup is green mustard leaves with ginger soup and stir-fried water spinach with my home made chilli jam. Everything is super quick-easy dishes to cook but super delicious!

These dishes are all Vietnamese. And in Vietnamese vegan cuisine culture, we don't use the spring onion, shallots or garlic but replace them by the leek. If you're not the real vegetarian, you still can use garlic and shallots! I served them in the tradional way: with hot steamed rice but you can served the Tofu dish with rice-noodle or egg-noodle as your taste.

For the Tofu with curry sauce

*)Ingredients:

- 2 slides of Tofu- cut into cubes and deep fry them.

- 1TBSP curry powder

- 1/2 the white part of the leek- minced

- 1 medium size red bell pepper

- 1 medium size cucumber

- 1TBSP minced lemon grass

- 1tsp minced chillies

- 100ml milk or coconut milk

- 4TBSP water

- 2TBSP sugar

- 2TBSP olive oil or vegetable oil

- Salt, mushroom seasoning stock,  Pepper

*)Cooking:

- Wash and drained well all the vegetable: leek, bell pepper and cucumber.

- Cut the bell pepper and cucumber into cubes.

- Mix the curry powder with 4TBSP water

- In one hot pan, pour in the olive oil and fragrance the minced leek, lemon grass and chillies. Turn off the heat. Then pour in the milk(or coconut milk), the curry liquid, a pinch of salt, sugar and mushroom seasoning stock. Seasoning to your taste.

- Turn on the heat. Add the tofu cubes in. When the tofu are well-coated, add in the bell pepper and cucumber. Take off the heat and add some pepper.

Stir-fried water spinach with chilli jam

*)Ingredients:

- Water spinach(as much as you want)

- 1/2 the white part of the leek, minced

- 1/2- 1tsp Chilli jam

- Salt, mushroom seasoning stock

*)Cooking

- Wash and drain well the water spinach

- Quick blanch the water spinach in hot boiled - salted water

- Fragrance the minced leek in a pan, then add the water spinach in. Quick stir until they turn soft. Add in the chilli jam, mix well then season with salt and mushroom seasoning stock. Take off the heat.

- You can squizz some lime juice in the water spinach when serve.

Green mustard leaves with ginger root soup

*) Ingredients:

- Green mustard leaves(as much as you want)

- 1/2 - 1 small ginger root

- Salt, mushroom seasoning stock

*) Cooking

- Wash and drain the mustard leaves. Then cut them into 3cm pieces.

- Peel the wash the ginger root. Then slice and smash them( just quick smash, not into puree)

- Boiling the water, then add salt and the ginger root. When it boils again, add the mustard leaves. When it boils again, turn off the heat.

#Recipe 5: Gà nấu pa-tê(Chicken cooked with liver pa té)

It sounds weird right? Actually, this dish is kind of "party" food. The Southern people usally cook it for birthday, funeral, celebration,... And you know what? Chicken cooked with liver pa té is my childhood dish included chicken curry or chicken ragout. Because it tasty, it has CHICKEN(yes, kids love chicken), potato, the richness from the homemade liver pa té and the lovely broth to dip with the Bánh mì(bread).

You can replace the chicken with beef if you wanted. I use chicken cause it's heathier. But remember to use the pressure-cooker to cook the beef for tenderness.

*) Nguyên liệu
- 700gr thịt gà đùi chặt khúc(có thể thay bằng nạm bò)
- Pa-tê gan 100-150gr( pa-tê nhà làm còn nhiêu đây nên xài hết). Mua pa-tê hộp thì dùng 1 hộp.
- 300gr khoai tây
- 200gr cà rốt
- 1 củ hành tây
- 10 nhánh tiêu xanh
- Nước dừa tươi 1 trái
- 2M bơ lạt
- 5M cà chua hộp
- 2M hành tỏi băm
- 1/2m ngũ vị hương
- 1m nước tương
- Muối, tiêu, đường, hạt nêm, bột ngọt
- Ngò gai, húng quế, húng lủi, chanh, ớt
- Dùng kèm Bánh mì

*) Cách làm
- Ướp thịt gà với 2M hành tỏi băm, 1m muối, 1M đường, 1m hạt nêm, 1/2m ngũ vị hương, 1m tiêu, 1m nước tương, 1m bột ngọt.
- Cà rốt, khoai tây cắt khối vừa nhau. Khoai tây chiên sơ.
- Đập dập số tiêu xanh
- Hành tây cắt hột lựu
- Ngò gai cắt khúc nhỏ.
- Phi thơm hành tỏi và 2/3 lượng tiêu xanh đập giập, cho gà vào đảo săn. Cho cà chua hộp vào đảo cùng gà 1 chút rồi cho nước dừa tươi vào. Đậy nắp.
- Khi gà gần mềm, cho cà rốt vào nấu chung. Cho khoai tây vào nấu đến khi khoai tây, cà rốt mềm.
- Trong 1 cái chảo khác, cho dầu. Khi dầu nóng, cho bơ vào, phi thơm hành tây cắt  hột lựu rồi cho số tiêu xanh còn lại vào xào chung cho thơm. Cho pa-tê vào xào thơm. Trút pa-tê sang nồi gà. Tắt bếp.
- Rắc ngò gai, dùng kèm bánh mì, muối tiêu chanh ớt.

*Lưu ý: Nếu thay bằng thịt bò thì phải nấu bằng nồi áp suất.

*) Ingredients

- 700gr chicken chunks
- 100-150gr liver pa té
- 300gr potato
- 200gr carrot
- 1 onion
- 10 sticks of green pepper corns
- Juice from 1 fresh coconut or cococ rico
- 2TBSP butter
- 1/2tsp five-spices powder
- 2TBSP mince shallots and garlic
- 1tsp soy sauce
- 5TBSP tomato paste
- Salt, pepper, chicken stock, sugar
- Culantro, lime, chillies
- Served with Bánh mì(or Bread or sandwiches)

*) Cooking

- Marinade the chicken chunks with: minced shallots and garlic, chicken stock, salt, sugar, pepper, five-spices powder and soy sauce.
- Carrots and potatoes cut in chunks, same size. Saute the potatoes. Chop the culantro. Chop the onion.
- Saute the mince shallots, garlic and 2/3 crushed green pepper corns. Then add in and stir-fry the chicken chunks. Then add the tomato paste and keep stir-fry a little bit more. Then pour in the fresh coconut juice or coco rico. Cover the lid.
- When the chicken started to tender, add the carrots in, cook until tender, then add the potatoes.
- In a small sauce pan, add oil and butter, saute the chopped onion and the rest of green pepper corns. Add the liver pate in and stir-fry until everythings is  dissolved.
- Pour the liver pate to the chicken broth, carrots and potatoes cooker. Turn off the heat. Sprinke some chopped culantro.
- Served with Bánh mì(dip it in the broth), salt+pepper with lime juice and chillies.

*Note: Use the PRESSURE COOKER if you replace the chicken by the BEEF. 

#Recipe 4: Mì Quảng( Quang Noodle soup)

This presentable dish is from the Quang Nam province- in central VietNam. Its golden/ yellow color of the pork, shrimps or chicken is from the organic tumeric or tumeric powder. You can also top it with anything you like, like chicken or pork and shrimps.

I didn't like this dish before. Maybe because it tastes different and bland everytime I tried. One time, I tried Mi Quang at a street-vendor, in the middle of the market near my house and absolutey love it! With the authentic plating: a little broth, pork cooked right, small shrimp was sweet and I could taste the whole shells! Then the fish-sauce with chillies and baby green vegetable dipping... Everything created a perfect bowl of Mi Quang ever!

In my opinion, the most important ingredients are: baby green vegetable(or Cải baby), peanut, a spicy- minced chilli fish sauce with crunchy rice paper. Not like many other Viet noodle soups, the broth is not to much, just a little and tasted a little bit salty from the good- quality fish sauce. A delicious Central dish you must try!

The recipe is both in English and Vietnamese. Enjoy!

*) Nguyên liệu( khoảng 3 người ăn)

- 300gr sợi mì Quảng(trắng hay vàng tùy bạn nha. Mình thấy màu trắng có vẻ ngon hơn. Ở nước ngoài không có thì thay bằng sợi phở. Nếu thích ra chất Quảng thì bạn trụng sợi phở trong nước có pha bột nghệ).
- 100gr tôm nhỏ
- 300gr thịt gà chặt khúc
- Củ nén
- 1-2 quả trứng gà luộc hoặc 8-10 trái trứng cút luộc.
- 1M dầu điều
- 1/2M nghệ tươi băm nhỏ
- 1m bột nghệ
- 1m sả băm
- 1m bột ngọt
- 1m đường
- 1/2m muối
- 2m hạt nêm
- 1m tiêu
- 1M hành tỏi băm
- 2M nước mắm ngon thiệt ngonnn
- Nước dùng
- Hành lá
- Ớt hiểm xanh, đỏ
- Bắp chuối bào, giá, rau sống, bạc hà. QUAN TRỌNG NHẤT: Cải baby.
- Bánh đa nướng
- Đậu phộng rang đập bể

*) Ingredients(Served about 3):

- 300gr Quảng noodle( You can also replace it with Phở noodle. Then poached it in hot water wit tumeric powder to get the golden/ yellow color. Or just use the white one).
- 100gr small shrimps(the shrimps you can eat the shells).
- 300gr chicken chunks
- Chives or Củ nén(You can use the shallots and galic instead but this is required). View the Củ nén here
- 1-2 hard-boiled egg or 8-10 hard-boiled quail eggs.
- 1TBSP Annatto seed oil
- 1/2TBSP fresh minced tumeric root.
- 1tsp tumeric powder
- 1tsp minced lemongrass
- 1tsp monosodium glutamate(optional)
- 1tsp sugar
- 1/2tsp salt
- 2tsp chicken stock
- 1tsp pepper
- 1TBSP minced garlic and shallots
- 2TBSP good-quality fish sauce
- Chicken broth or pork broth
- Spring onion
- Sherded banana blossom, beansprout, Vietnamese herbs, Thai-basil, Thai-mint, Baby green vegetable
- Crunchy charcoal- grilled rice paper
- Half-crushed peanut


*) Cách làm

- Bạn làm sạch tôm bằng cách cắt bỏ đầu, chân và ngạnh nhọn ở đuôi. Rửa sạch qua nước muối và rượu trắng.
- Thịt gà rửa sạch, chà xát với muối hột.



- Pha gia vị ướp: Trộn nghệ tươi băm, hành tỏi băm, bột nghệ, đường, tiêu, muối, hạt nêm, dầu điều. Một nửa ướp vào tôm cùng với đầu hành trắng băm. Một nửa gia vị ướp gà pha thêm nước mắm+ sả và tẩm ướp đều vào phần thịt gà.
- Củ nén, hành tím, tỏi băm đập dập. Hành lá cắt khúc nhỏ.

- Các loại rau sống lặt rửa sạch
- Pha nước mắm ngon với ớt hiểm xanh(hoặc đỏ) băm.
- Phi thơm củ nén, hành tỏi với dầu phụng(dầu đậu phộng). Dầu thực vật ok.
- Trút tôm vào xào săn vừa chín tới thì trút riêng ra đĩa.
- Cho tiếp gà vào chảo xào săn. Sau đó đổ nước dùng xâm xấp gà và kho đến khi gà thấm gia vị. Lúc này cũng trút luôn trứng cút vào kho cùng gà. Không kho đến khi cạn như ăn với cơm nhé. Nêm lại nước dùng gà hơi mặn đậm với hạt nêm và nước mắm.

- Xếp rau sống- mì- tôm- gà- trứng- hành lá. Chỉ chan 1 đến 1/2 vá nước dùng xâm xấp. Không chan đầy như các loại bún, mì phở khác. Rắc đậu phộng lên mặt.
- Dùng kèm rau cải baby, bạc hà, rau sống, bánh đa ngon ơi là ngon. Chấm thịt gà với chén mắm ớt cay pha.

*) Cooking:

- Cut off the heads, legs and the sharpen tails near the tails of the shrimps. Then wash them clean with salted water and white-wine.
- Wash the chicken chunks. Then scrub them with sea salt.
- Let the shrimps and chicken dry.
- Mixing the Mì Quảng seasoning: Mix the fresh minced tumeric root, tumeric powder, minced shallots and garlic, sugar, pepper, salt, chicken stock, annatto seed oil together. Half of them use to marinade the shrimps with some minced white part of the spring onion. The rest you add 2TBSP fish-sauce+ minced lemongrass in and marinade the chicken. Now can you see the gorgeous color?
- Mash the Củ nén(chives), shallots and garlic. Chop the green part of spring onion.
- Wash all the vegetable and herbs.
- Mix the good quality fish sauce with spicy minced chilli.
- Saute the Củ nén, shallots and garlic with peanut oil. Vegetable oil or olive oil is also ok, but it turns out more Mì Quảng with peanut oil.
- Stir- fry the shrimps till them turn red. Just quick stir and don't make it over cooked. Take them out.
- Then, in that pan, saute the chicken chunks also. Pour the chicken stock/ pork stock or water in, just enough to cover the chicken. Cook for a few minute when the broth absorb to the chicken. Add the eggs in too. Season it again with fish sauce and chicken stock. Remember the broth must be a little bit salty.
- Plate the herbs- noodle- shrimps-chicken- eggs- chopped spring onion. Then add a little bit broth in(about1/3 cup of broth). Sprinkle some crushed peanut.
- Dip the chicken in chilli- fish sauce. Eat with baby green vegetable and crunchy rice-paper.

Recipe #2: Xôi nếp than (Vietnamese black sticky rice with mung bean spread)

The South - West of Viet Nam own many many great sweet sticky rice dishes. And I'm a huge fan of them! Totally!

 The recipe today sounds strange to somebody. But trust me, it's worth a try and also a great choice for VEGAN! 

Vietnamese people love it for a breakfast.

You'll need (Serve from 2 to 3)

- 1/3 cup black sticky rice
- 1/4 cup regular white sticky rice
- 1/3 cup mung bean
- 1+1/2 TBSP Sugar
- 300ml coconut milk
- Some sesame
- Some peanuts
- Spring onion
- Vegatable oil
- Salt, sugar
- Shreds of coconut

Cooking:

1. Mix the black and white sticky rice in a large bowl.
2. Rinse and soak them over night.
3. Also rinse the mung bean and soak them over night or at least 4 hours.
4. Drain out the mix- sticky rice and mung bean
5. Make the mung bean spread: Put all the mung bean in a small pan. Then pour water in. Cook on medium until they are soft and the water runs out. Pour 200ml coconut milk in and continue to cook. Seasoning with 1+1/2 TBSP sugar. When they getting thicken, use a spoon or a spatula to mash them into paste (Image).

 

6. Mix in 1/4 tsp salt in the sticky rice.Put all the sticky rice into a steamer. Make a hole center and steam them. Ocassionally drizzle 2-3 TBSP coconut milk in the sticky rice.

7. Cooking and seasoning the remaining coconut milk with a little bit salt and sugar.
8. Mix the toasted and mashed seasame and peanuts with salt and sugar as your taste.
9. Drizzle some vegetable oil in the chopped spring onion. Microwave it 30 seconds.
10. Plating it: The sticky rice. Then spread the mung bean paste. The cooked coconut milk. The oiled- spring onion. Top with the mixing of sesame, peanuts, salt and sugar and the shreds of coconut. You're done! Enjoy!

You can watch the short clips for tutorial on my Instagram.

Bon appettit!

Recipe #1: Tép rang nước cốt dừa (Slow braised small shrimps in coconut milk)

Hey guys, this is my first authentic Vietnamese recipe. It's orginal from the South-West of Viet Nam. This dish is simple, rustic and rich from the main ingredient: Coconut milk.

You can also serve this with any green herbs or vegetable you like. Better with an hot bowl of steamed rice. The local people even cook the rice in coconut juice. Fanstatic, right?

Now you need (Served around 2-3):

• 200gr small shrimps ( DO NOT REMOVE THE SHELL)
• 1 cup of coconut milk (better using the fresh one but coconut milk from can is still ok)
• Fish sauce
• Pepper
• Sugar
• Chicken stock
• Garlic, shallots
• Spring onion (green onion)
• Cucumber to serve

Cooking:

- Remove the heads, tails and legs of the shirmps. Wash them 2-3 times in salted water. Drain them well.
- Marinade: 1/2tsp chicken stock, 1/2tsp pepper, garlic, shallots and the white part of the spring onion. Let them in the fridge about 20-30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in pan. Stir fry the shallots, garlic  until fragrance. Then stir fry  the shrimps in that pan.
- When the shirmps turn red. Pouring the coconut milk in. Turn the heat to HIGH. Then, when the coconut milk starting to boil, reduce it to LOW. Let it simmer until the coconut milk thicken and dry out. Add sugar( season it a little bit sweet). Seasoning it again with fish sauce and chicken stock as your taste.
- Turn off the heat. Sprinkle some pepper and the green part of spring onion. You're done!


As a coconut craving monster. This dish is absolutely my favorite if all time. The crunchy of the shrimps and the richness from the coconut milk... Uhmmm, no one can resist!

If you wanted to see the tutorial clips for this dish. Go to my Instagram.

Bon appettit!