From the archives, another Vietnam-composed recipe. This makes a biiig pot of stew, and I have no idea how many calories. Add coconut milk (nuoc cot dua) in addition to water for a creamier product.
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
3 onions (note: all quantities are "to taste" - I certainly don't have a scale or anything, I just cup up as much as looks right. That said, the recipe as I made it serves at least 8, I think.)
4 yams, small-ish. Mine were kinda ropey. I dunno.
3 potatos, medium-sized.
2 carrots
6 bananas (very small - probably about 1.5 or 2 regular bananas)
peanuts
chili pepper
1. cut everything up into edible-sized pieces. Heat oil. Add garlic and chilli pepper. [if you have something like dried shitakes, you might add them now too. mm, that would be good.]
2. When garlic smells enticing, add onions and stir a while, until they begin to look cooked.
3. Add potatos and yams and carrots. Wait a few moments. Add bananas and peanuts.
4. Put in about 3 inches of water and cover it [add coconut milk at this point if you want]. Walk away and leave it cook, stirring about every 5-7 minutes or so to keep it from burning. When the veg is cooked, turn down the heat and add curry powder, paprika, cinnamon, salt, etc until it is spicy enough for whatever purposes you may have.
5. Serve with more peanuts on top, with soy sauce optional. Mmm, soy sauce.
That's it. It's really easy, probably requires about 40 minutes cooking time on a regular stove (ours is a small dragon and doesn't hold with that "cooking time" nonsense. This cooked in about 15 minutes total.
You may want to add more root vegetables if you can find them - turnips, parsnips, whatever. Or plantains. That might be fun. I think it might be nice with apple too, but apples here are expensive and not really great.
18 October 2007
14 October 2007
Bun Chay Hue
I wrote this recipe while I was visiting a friend in Vung Tau. I did not actually enjoy Vung Tau much, but it was nice to be able to cook.
It was originally supposed to be a Vietnamese dish called Bun Bo Hue, except vegetarian, "So I can't put bo (beef) in it," I told the woman in the market.
"Then it's not Bun Bo Hue," she said. But it is good. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 carrot
2 potatoes
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2-3 spring onions (scallions? yes.)
hot pepper to taste
lemon grass
various herbs - basil, mint, cilantro, also banana flower stalks if you can get them (they're a lovely purple colour), turmuric, ginger
1 block tofu (firm/Chinese preferably, cut into smallish cubes and fried)
1 kg bun noodles (if you cannot get bun, rice noodles will probably work.)*
1. Cut up the tofu and (stir) fry it until it's crispy on the outside. Set aside.
2. Cut up the carrot, hot pepper, potatoes, spring onions, cilantro, basil and mint. Fill a big pot with water (about as much as you want to have soup - maybe 2/3 full? 1/3+1/4? I don't know.) Add the veg and the herbs and some salt. Bruise the lemon grass and stick it in. Leave it to become stock, stirring occasionally. You could use cabbage too I guess. Whatever floats your boat. Or you could cheat and use bullion. If I were making it again in the US I probably would.
3. Cut up the onion, garlic, turmeric, and ginger. Put a smallish (omelet-type pan) on the stove and add oil. Put in some spices (I've no idea what they were, since they were mostly unlabeled. Lets pretend one was anatto. Another one was cinnamon (that's not pretend, that one I know.) Stir them around in the oil a bit, then add the onion/garlic/turmeric/ginger. Stir fry that until it smells very nice and then scoop it out (with a slotted spoon) and plop it into the soup (which should be coming to a boil around now) leaving the oil behind.
4. Put the tofu in the omelet pan and mix it around. You may wish to salt it. And don't forget to keep stirring the soup!
5. Add some salt and soy sauce to the soup, it's getting lonely. Take out the lemon grass, it has done its task (this is why you BRUISED it instead of chopping it up, right?)
6. Turn off the omelet pan. If you are using rice noodles, add them to the soup. If you have fresh (pre-cooked) bun, put a handful in each bowl that you are going to serve.
7. When noodles are ready, add the tofu, salt, pepper, soy sauce, etc. to the broth.
8. Serve in a bowl with chopped up greens on it (basil, mint, banana stems, sprouts if you want, etc) and hot sauce and soy sauce as desired. Yay.
I think it's quite good, though if I had some vegetable bullion that would be slightly better - make a richer broth. Try not to eat the bits of hot pepper, they're quite hot.
*Note on bun: these are thin, soft Vietnamese noodles sold pre-cooked in the markets here. They're typically translated as "rice vermicelli", so that would be the most obvious substitution to make. Japanese noodles like udon or soba would probably also be interesting - less authentic, but the dish isn't terribly authentic to start with. It's important to remember when using them that they absorb water like nothing else, so don't just plop them all in the soup, as you'll wind up with a pot of slightly salty noodles and nothing else.
1 carrot
2 potatoes
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2-3 spring onions (scallions? yes.)
hot pepper to taste
lemon grass
various herbs - basil, mint, cilantro, also banana flower stalks if you can get them (they're a lovely purple colour), turmuric, ginger
1 block tofu (firm/Chinese preferably, cut into smallish cubes and fried)
1 kg bun noodles (if you cannot get bun, rice noodles will probably work.)*
1. Cut up the tofu and (stir) fry it until it's crispy on the outside. Set aside.
2. Cut up the carrot, hot pepper, potatoes, spring onions, cilantro, basil and mint. Fill a big pot with water (about as much as you want to have soup - maybe 2/3 full? 1/3+1/4? I don't know.) Add the veg and the herbs and some salt. Bruise the lemon grass and stick it in. Leave it to become stock, stirring occasionally. You could use cabbage too I guess. Whatever floats your boat. Or you could cheat and use bullion. If I were making it again in the US I probably would.
3. Cut up the onion, garlic, turmeric, and ginger. Put a smallish (omelet-type pan) on the stove and add oil. Put in some spices (I've no idea what they were, since they were mostly unlabeled. Lets pretend one was anatto. Another one was cinnamon (that's not pretend, that one I know.) Stir them around in the oil a bit, then add the onion/garlic/turmeric/ginger. Stir fry that until it smells very nice and then scoop it out (with a slotted spoon) and plop it into the soup (which should be coming to a boil around now) leaving the oil behind.
4. Put the tofu in the omelet pan and mix it around. You may wish to salt it. And don't forget to keep stirring the soup!
5. Add some salt and soy sauce to the soup, it's getting lonely. Take out the lemon grass, it has done its task (this is why you BRUISED it instead of chopping it up, right?)
6. Turn off the omelet pan. If you are using rice noodles, add them to the soup. If you have fresh (pre-cooked) bun, put a handful in each bowl that you are going to serve.
7. When noodles are ready, add the tofu, salt, pepper, soy sauce, etc. to the broth.
8. Serve in a bowl with chopped up greens on it (basil, mint, banana stems, sprouts if you want, etc) and hot sauce and soy sauce as desired. Yay.
I think it's quite good, though if I had some vegetable bullion that would be slightly better - make a richer broth. Try not to eat the bits of hot pepper, they're quite hot.
*Note on bun: these are thin, soft Vietnamese noodles sold pre-cooked in the markets here. They're typically translated as "rice vermicelli", so that would be the most obvious substitution to make. Japanese noodles like udon or soba would probably also be interesting - less authentic, but the dish isn't terribly authentic to start with. It's important to remember when using them that they absorb water like nothing else, so don't just plop them all in the soup, as you'll wind up with a pot of slightly salty noodles and nothing else.
11 October 2007
Rice Lentil Pilaf
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized sweet potato
1/2 c. brown rice
1/2 c. lentils
1/3 c. orzo
garlic
~2 tsp. margarine
spices to taste
1. Wash lentils and rice, wash and chop sweet potato. Put rice, lentils, garlic, margarine, and sweet potato in a pot with 2 c. water. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down and cover, stirring occasionally.
2. After about 10 minutes, add the orzo and more water.
3. Leave it alone until it's cooked, about another 10 minutes. BUT BE CAREFUL: if you are using a thin bottomed sauce pan (as I was) it is likely to burn as the water cooks off, so be careful and keep an eye on it (like I didn't).
4. Season with salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper, paprika. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Yay. Makes about 5 servings, 150 calories each.
1 medium-sized sweet potato
1/2 c. brown rice
1/2 c. lentils
1/3 c. orzo
garlic
~2 tsp. margarine
spices to taste
1. Wash lentils and rice, wash and chop sweet potato. Put rice, lentils, garlic, margarine, and sweet potato in a pot with 2 c. water. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down and cover, stirring occasionally.
2. After about 10 minutes, add the orzo and more water.
3. Leave it alone until it's cooked, about another 10 minutes. BUT BE CAREFUL: if you are using a thin bottomed sauce pan (as I was) it is likely to burn as the water cooks off, so be careful and keep an eye on it (like I didn't).
4. Season with salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper, paprika. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Yay. Makes about 5 servings, 150 calories each.
10 October 2007
Pad Thai
I am in a hurry, but here is Pad Thai for Daniel and Claire:
Ingrediants:
half a block of tofu
7 oz of rice noodles
oil
garlic
about 1/3 c. green onions, cut up into appetizing lengths
1/2 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. mushroom sauce (or veg stir fry sauce is what I think the bottle calls it. It's still mushroom sauce.)
1 egg, beaten
some bean sprouts
3 T. water
1. Put oil in pan and heat with garlic until it smells nice (you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, sesame oil, it doesn't much matter). Slice the tofu into small, thinnish slices and stirfry until it turns brown.
2. This is where you'd add meat if you were using meat. But I don't.
3. Mix in a bowl the water, soy sauce, sugar, and mushroom sauce. Set aside.
4. When the tofu is cooked, put in the egg and scramble it around.
5. Add the soy sauce-sugar mixture.
6. Put in the noodles. Add some water and cover until cooked. You may need to add more water, so keep it on hand.
7. When noodles are cooked, readjust the seasoning; I recommend adding more sugar, soy sauce, and probably some hot pepper too. You may also want salt.
8. Add bean sprouts and onions and turn off heat. Garnish with ground peanuts, chilli powder, brown sugar, more bean sprouts, and lime juice to taste.
Easy peasy, right? Serves about 4, roughly 250 calories/serving.
When readjusting for more people, remember to cut the tofu thin. Cooking the rice noodles seperately may be necessary.
I'm off to work.
(This morning when I tried to post this, blogger said, "Do you mean DELORT?" and ate it, but now I find it exists again in whole form. Weird.)
Ingrediants:
half a block of tofu
7 oz of rice noodles
oil
garlic
about 1/3 c. green onions, cut up into appetizing lengths
1/2 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. mushroom sauce (or veg stir fry sauce is what I think the bottle calls it. It's still mushroom sauce.)
1 egg, beaten
some bean sprouts
3 T. water
1. Put oil in pan and heat with garlic until it smells nice (you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, sesame oil, it doesn't much matter). Slice the tofu into small, thinnish slices and stirfry until it turns brown.
2. This is where you'd add meat if you were using meat. But I don't.
3. Mix in a bowl the water, soy sauce, sugar, and mushroom sauce. Set aside.
4. When the tofu is cooked, put in the egg and scramble it around.
5. Add the soy sauce-sugar mixture.
6. Put in the noodles. Add some water and cover until cooked. You may need to add more water, so keep it on hand.
7. When noodles are cooked, readjust the seasoning; I recommend adding more sugar, soy sauce, and probably some hot pepper too. You may also want salt.
8. Add bean sprouts and onions and turn off heat. Garnish with ground peanuts, chilli powder, brown sugar, more bean sprouts, and lime juice to taste.
Easy peasy, right? Serves about 4, roughly 250 calories/serving.
When readjusting for more people, remember to cut the tofu thin. Cooking the rice noodles seperately may be necessary.
I'm off to work.
(This morning when I tried to post this, blogger said, "Do you mean DELORT?" and ate it, but now I find it exists again in whole form. Weird.)
07 October 2007
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I'm transferring some older posts over here before I shut down my other blog, because I don't want to lose them (and I like the utility of having recipes online so I can access them from other people's houses, which seems to be where I do most of my cooking.
So, this recipe was adapted from Cook's online.
So, this recipe was adapted from Cook's online.
1 c. margerine. Suppose butter would also work. Room temp or fridge temp, not frozen.
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
(cinnamon and nutmeg to taste)
1 1/2 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal
lots of chocolate chips. The recipe called for "12 oz. semi-sweet" but I pretty much threw in handfuls of whatever was lying about until it was about the right ratio of cookie dough to chips.
Preheat oven to 375* F. Mix everything in order (whisk is good, pastry cutter also would be useful for the initial mixing of the butter). Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet, cook for 10 minutes.
Notes: I made them rather large - scooped with a teaspoon but I couldn't really make them small, and I got 45 cookies. I cut the salt a bit because of the margerine, but in retrospect I wouldn't do that again. Use a biggish bowl if you're mixing them by hand, because it comes out to be quite a lot to mix. A mix of milk and semi-sweet chocolate is nice if you're not vegan (I will try this without eggs next time maybe). I can't think of any more notes at the moment.
They were quite tasty and well received, except by my youngest brother who claimed I had adulterated good chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal. I told him he was free to stop eating them, and he said, "Right," and kept on. I'm not giving much weight to his critique under the circumstances.
(originally posted 8/8/07)
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
(cinnamon and nutmeg to taste)
1 1/2 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal
lots of chocolate chips. The recipe called for "12 oz. semi-sweet" but I pretty much threw in handfuls of whatever was lying about until it was about the right ratio of cookie dough to chips.
Preheat oven to 375* F. Mix everything in order (whisk is good, pastry cutter also would be useful for the initial mixing of the butter). Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet, cook for 10 minutes.
Notes: I made them rather large - scooped with a teaspoon but I couldn't really make them small, and I got 45 cookies. I cut the salt a bit because of the margerine, but in retrospect I wouldn't do that again. Use a biggish bowl if you're mixing them by hand, because it comes out to be quite a lot to mix. A mix of milk and semi-sweet chocolate is nice if you're not vegan (I will try this without eggs next time maybe). I can't think of any more notes at the moment.
They were quite tasty and well received, except by my youngest brother who claimed I had adulterated good chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal. I told him he was free to stop eating them, and he said, "Right," and kept on. I'm not giving much weight to his critique under the circumstances.
(originally posted 8/8/07)
06 October 2007
We're all recipe blogging now
Except for me, because I am recipe-comicing.
I will eventually post some more stuff, but not now, because I've been sitting down for too long today.
I will eventually post some more stuff, but not now, because I've been sitting down for too long today.
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