Xôi Nếp Than (Black Sticky Rice with Mung Beans and Coconut)

Imagine a cross between sticky rice and brown rice, this is what the texture of black sticky rice is like. It's chewy but is not mussy fully of body in every bite.

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cup black sticky rice
-1/2 cup mung beans (peeled and split)
-1/2 cup sugar
-grated coconut (as much as you like)
-4 tbs sesame seeds
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tbs sugar

What to Do:
Rinse rice and soak in water overnight. Do the same with the mung beans. Next morning, cook rice in a rice cooker as you would cook normal rice. While rice is cooking, steam the mung beans (or boil) until tender. Mash the beans and add sugar, stir fry over medium heat until thickened. Toast the sesame seeds and mix with salt and 1 tbs sugar. Serve rice as a snack with the mung bean paste, grated coconut and toasted sesame seeds.

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Thịt Chiên Xí Muội (Sour Plum and Ginger Pork Chop)

East meets West...in this dish I married the american porkchop with chinese sour plum to give it a tangy twist. The addition of ginger gives it a kick at every corner.

Ingredients:
-4 pork chops (approx 1 1/2 lbs)
-3 chinese sour plums (xí muội aka preserved plums)
-1 thumb size piece of ginger
-2 tbs sugar (more or less depending on plums)
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1 clove garlic
-pinch 5 spice powder
-1/3 cup cooking wine or orange juice

What to Do:
Mince ginger, plum and garlic mix with sugar, salt, pepper and 5 spice. Rub seasonings on the chops and rest for at least 1/2 hour. Pan fry the chops until golden and remove onto a serving plate. Deglaze the frying pan with a little wine and reduce to make ginger plum sauce. Drizzle the sauce on the chops before serving. Serve with steamed veggies.

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Đậu Que Xào Xả Ớt (Spicy Lemongrass Greenbeans)

Ingredients:
-1/2 lb fresh tender greenbeans
-1 tsp oil
-2 tsp soy sauce
-1 thai chili
-3 tbs mince lemongrass
-sugar and salt to taste
-toasted sesame seeds

What to Do:
Heat oil in a pan, add soy sauce, lemongrass and mince chili, add beans and about 3 tbs water. Stir fry over high heat until water evaporates, add sugar and salt to taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Note:
Can replace beans with fried tofu to make spicy leamongrass tofu.

***Because my vegetarian dishes are prepared with “Buddhist Laws” in mind; besides not using meats and animal products, I do not use garlic, onions, leeks, chives, or any type of alcohol. However, if your main goal is to just avoid meats, feel free to add the any of the ingredients mentioned above to spice up you dishes.***

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Chè Thái (Thai Style Tong Sui)

There are two ways to make this dish, Vietnamese style and authentic Thai style.

Ingredients:
-1 can longan
-1 can jackfruit with toddy palm seed
-1 jar of coconut jelly (nata de coco)
-1/4 cup phổ tai (dried seaweed, optional)
-1/2 cup corn (if making Thai style)
-1 tsp pomelo/mali flower flavor (if making Thai style)
-1 tsp powdered agar agar
-1 cup water or pandan juice
-pandan flavoring (if using water)
-fresh milk or cream

What to Do:
Boil together agar agar with water and pandan flavoring or pandan juice. Pour mixture into a shallow pan and allow to set before cutting into small pieces. Nuke corn in the microwave for 3 mins and cool. Rinse and soak seaweed in water, cut into thin strips. Open longan, jackfruit and toddy palmseed, can coconut jelly cans and drain 1/2 the water in each can. Finally, mix everything together and add milk or cream to taste, serve cold.

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Canh Bông Cải Chay (Vegan Cauliflower Soup)

Ingredients:
-1/2 head cauliflower
-1 carrot
-2 pieces gluten or fried tofu
-1 apple
-salt and sugar to taste

What to Do:
Cut cauliflower and carrots into bite size pieces. Boil together apple and carrots to make broth for about 15 mins. Remove apples and add cauliflower and sliced gluten or tofu boil until cauliflower is tender add salt and sugar to taste.

***Because my vegetarian dishes are prepared with “Buddhist Laws” in mind; besides not using meats and animal products, I do not use garlic, onions, leeks, chives, or any type of alcohol. However, if your main goal is to just avoid meats, feel free to add the any of the ingredients mentioned above to spice up you dishes.***

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Đậu Phọng Luộc (Boiled Peanuts)

Ingredients:
-1lb dried raw peanuts
-water
-1/2 cup sugar
-3 tbs salt

What to Do:
Wash peanuts and soak in water overnight. Next morning rinse the peanuts and boil with salt until tender (about 1/2 - 1 hour). Once tender, add the sugar and simmer for another 15-20 mins.

Note:
Only add sugar when the peanuts are tender.

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Bánh Mì Hấp (Steamed Baguettes)

Ingredients:
-1 loaf old baguette (the older the better)
-1/2 lb ground beef
-1 large onion
-4 cloves garlic
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp sugar
-1 tsp oil
-lettuce leaves and assorted fresh herbs
-basic fish sauce
-fresh bean sprouts and cucumber slices
-sour stuff
-onion oil (optional)
-toasted peanuts (crushed)

What to Do:
Cut baguette in half lengthwise. Give the bread a quick dip in water and steam over high heat for 10mins. Meanwhile, dice onions and mince garlic. Fry garlic in oil until fragrant, add beef and brown over high heat, drain the fat and add the onions, salt, and sugar to taste. Stir fry until onions are cooked.

To Serve:
Use scissors to cut steamed baguette into thin strips and arrange on a plate, top with stir fried beef, onion oil, and peanuts. Use a lettuce leaf as your “wrapper” to wrap together a slice of bread, beef filling, herbs, bean sprouts, sour stuff and cucumber slices. Give the roll a dip in fish sauce before taking a bite. This dish is served as seen in the picture, the diner wraps as they eat. Another serving option is to mix together everything in a bowl much like a salad.

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