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Mango Avocado Salsa

5/18/2015

3 Comments

 
Ingredients

       1 ripe mango
      1 ripe avocado
      1 tomato (plum tomato is best)
      1 clove of garlic, very fine minced
      1 shallot (or 1/4 of a small red onion), chopped
      1/2 tablespoon of lime juice
      1 sprig green onion (scallion), chopped
      3-5 sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped)
      1/4 teaspoon of flaked pepper
      1/4 teaspoon of salt (more or less depends on your salty taste bud).

Methods
  • take the tomato skin of.
  • cut mango and avocado into cubes.
  • Mix everything together.
3 Comments

Gnocchi from leftover mashed potatoes

5/14/2015

2 Comments

 
Ingredients
  
   2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
   1 cup all purpose flour
   1 egg
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
   1/4 teaspoon paprika

Methods

  •  Spread half amount of flour on a working surface
  •  Leftover potatoes go on top of the flour
  • Create a well with the potato then crack the egg in the middle, add salt, garlic powder and paprika then whisk the egg with a folk (you can whisk it separately, I just don't like too many dirty dishes to do after)
  • Cover the top with the rest of the mashed potatoes
  • Use your hand or spatula to fold the dough.
  • Fold the dough until everything is well mixed. Add more flour if it is too wet (but do not over flour it or it will turn dry when cooked)
  •  Roll the dough into a long rope (you can divide the dough into 2 or more smaller balls to roll).
  •  Cut into pieces and place them on top of the flour coated surface.
  •  Cook them in boiling water with a little salt for taste until they float, take them out and let them drip.
  •  Pan sear them if you want some extra crunch.

What to serve with?

     Normally you can serve gnocchi with marinara sauce or use them in soup.
     I put them in taco as a starch element to replace rice. It works well and my kids love it. 


   
2 Comments

Yogurt, cucumber dipping sauce

3/18/2015

0 Comments

 
    Using this yogurt relish as a dipping sauce for Chicken Tandoori is the best. I personal use this dish to dip anything in it. The reason I love it so much is because it is healthy, feels good to eat and more importantly, it adds both nutritional value and flavor to all meals that I serve it with. You can keep this relish dish in the fridge up to 4 days.

Ingredients:

1/2 pint plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 inch cucumber peeled and grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Methods:
 
  •  Stir the yogurt with a spoon until it smooth.
  •   Add salt and cayenne pepper.
  •   Fold in grated cucumber and chopped mint.
  •   Cover and refrigerate for at least half hour before serving (for the purpose of all ingredients is to blend flavors)  
0 Comments

Tandoori - Style Chicken

3/11/2015

3 Comments

 
Tandoori-Style Chicken is an Indian dish that is very healthy and tasty. Nothing better than eating a piece of good chicken and knowing that it is healthy for you. Gluten free, low in fat and packed with spice. I served this dish with mint cucumber yogurt dip (which I will share later on another post), rice and stir-fried green beans.

Ingredients
    For the first step of marinade
2 pounds of skinned, boned chicken thighs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lime juice 
    For the second step of marinade
2 cups of fat free plain yogurt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped (optional)
1 piece of fresh ginger (about 1 inch) chopped
1/4 piece of jalapeno pepper seeded, chopped
2 teaspoon garam masala
 
Methods
Fist step
  • Cut the chicken thighs into equal sizes.
  • Mix salt and lime juice together.
  • Pour into the meat, mix well and cover with saran wrap.
  • Set aside and prepare the second step of marinade.

Second step
  • Mix all the rest of the ingredients together. Put them into the blender and blend well.
  • Pour the mixture into the meat that marinated with salt and lime juice.
  • Cover up and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Note: You can let it sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours (ideally for working mom or dad who also cook, right?)

Cooking
  • Turn the oven on broil.
  • Place the meat into to the broil pan (has holes in it for the juice to drip down, and also has the pan to hold the juice) in one layer.
  • Put the broil pan on the top shelve.
  • Bake for 10 minutes each sides.
Serve with rice, mint cucumber yogurt dip and vegetable dish.
3 Comments

Stir-Fried Green Beans

3/9/2015

2 Comments

 
      Having 2 kids helps me understand how difficult it is to convince children to love eating vegetables. It takes time, effort and patient for children to volunteer to eat healthy. However, in my experience, most of the children I know do not reject stir fried green beans. So, I am here today introducing you to the method of cooking green beans that are healthy but still crispy and tasty, and both adults and children love it.

Ingredients:
      1 pound green beans
      1 pot of water (about 3 cups)
       2 gloves of garlic
       1 head of shallot (optional)
       2 table spoons of olive oil
       salt and pepper to taste.

Methods
  • Heat up the water until boiling point. Add 2 teaspoons of salt.
  • Add green beans and wait until the water to be at the boiling point again. Let it boil for 2 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare a big bowl with cold water and ice.
  • After the green beans boil for 2 minutes, discard the hot water and put the green beans in the icy-cold water. Wait until the green beans and completely cold. This method helps keep the green beans to stay beautifully green and crunchy.
  • While waiting for the green beans to be cold, chop the garlic and shallots. Heat up a frying pan in medium heat and add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Stir in the garlic and shallot until brown. Now, rinse the green beans and add to the frying pan. Stir fry the green beans on high medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.


 
2 Comments

Bun Bo Hue (Spicy beef noodle soup)

3/5/2015

3 Comments

 
      Nothing better than a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. I love cooking soup in the winter for two purposes. The first one is to deliver goodness, healthy and plenty of liquid for the body. Secondly, it makes sense to cook soup which takes a long time, and helps to warm up the house.
      For that reason, today, a very cold and snowy day I cooked a very special beef noodle soup for my family and here I am sharing the recipes as well as method of cooking it.
                
                                              Recipes


Broth base
    Ingredients
      4 pounds pork neck bones
      1 beef shank (about 3 pounds)
       2 pounds oxtail (preference, you don't see it in the picture because I didn't have it)        2 to 6 lemongrass stalks (again, I only had 2 left but it works out fine)
       8 quarts of water  
       5 shallots
       5 pieces of fresh ginger
       5 white parts of scallion (spring onions)
       1/2 cup of salt
        1 table spoon of rock sugar 
     Methods
        In a large pot, put all the bones, beef shank, oxtail and cover it with water. Bring everything to a boil and let it boil for 2-4 minutes. Discard the water and rinse the bone and meat with cold running water.
        Place the bone and meat back to the pot and cover with 8 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Skim off scum on top and reduce the heat to medium.
         Meanwhile, char the ginger, lemon grass, scallions and shallots. Put everything including the salt and rock sugar into the stock and let it simmer for at least 2 hours until the beef shank is soft and tender.
         Broth
           Ingredients
                    3 tablespoons of olive oil
                     2 teaspoons minced garlic
                    2 tablespoons fine chopped lemongrass (from 2 stalks)
                    2 teaspoons sweet paprika
                    3 teaspoon annatto seeds
                     0-4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (I omit it here because my kids cannot eat spicy)
                               I make the spicy chili paste separately and add it to my own taste)

          Methods
               Heat up a frying pan with olive oil. Add annatto seeds for about 1 minute until the annatto seeds produce a beautiful reddish color. Discard the seeds. Keep the oil back in the same frying pan. Add chopped lemongrass, stir it for about 1 minute and then add garlic, paprika and chili pepper flakes if you want to add it in (prepare to cough like you never cough in you life because of the combination of heat, oil and spiciness).
                 Put the cooked spice and herbs into the broth base that still simmering. Cook for half more hour.
                 After 2 and half hour of simmering in medium heat. Take out the beef shank, neck bone, oxtail and dip the meat into a cold ice water to keep the meat color nicely.
                 Discard the lemongrass, shallots, gingers in the broth. Add more salt and rock sugar as your desire. The broth now re ready to serve.
                
           Last steps

                 Ingredients
                   1 bag of rice noddle
                      1 pot of cold water
                      1 teaspoon of salt
                      1 bag of bean sprouts
                      3 spring onions
                       Thai basil
                       Sawtooth herb leaves (optional)

                     Methods
                       Boil water and add rice noddle with salt. Cook like pasta cooking method for 15-17 minutes. Rinse the noodle in cold running water. Let it sits until all the water is gone.
                       Chop all the herbs.
                       Slice the meat after cooled down in the ice water bath
 
                     Garnish
                        In a serving bowl, place the noodle in the bottom. On top, place meat, bean sprouts and herbs.
                       Pour the boiling broth to the bowl enough to cover. Serve immediately.
3 Comments

Gluten free Cassava (Yuca) cake 

3/3/2015

4 Comments

 
Sprouts is offering to sell cassava cake which is completely free from using wheat flour and butter. The cake is rich in fiber - made with grated cassava and coconut milk for richness. There are many versions of cassava cake but here I am happy to share the most healthy and safest way for people who choose to be gluten free or who is suffering from celiac disease.

Ingredients

   2 cups of grated cassava
  2/3 cup of granule sugar
   175 ml (almost 1/2 can) coconut milk
   1 tablespoon of canola oil
    1 1/2 cups of coconut flakes
    1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond extract)
     pinch of salt

Methods

     Preheat the oven to 350 F
     Spray a 9 inches round cake pan with oil.
     Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper
    In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
     Pour the mix into the cake pan, smooth the top.
     Put the cake in the middle rack of the oven
     Bake for 60 minutes.
Take the cake out of the oven and wait until its half-way cool. Flip the cake to take it out of the baking pan let it rest. The cake is best to be cut and served cold with warm coconut milk (which I will post in the future post)

Note: Because I do not use egg in this recipe, the cake is not golden on the top. My trick is after 60 minutes, brush the top of the cake with milk and put the cake to the top rack and turn the oven onto broil. Broil for 2 to 3 minute until the cake turns to the color of your preference.
   
4 Comments

Starting a food blog!

3/1/2015

119 Comments

 
Hi everybody.  I would like to start a food blog where I can share my experience with cooking food, shopping for food....and any other food related adventures.  Stay tuned
119 Comments

    Author

    Duong Morris, Owner and Chef of Sprouts, Vietnamese Cuisine

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