Bánh Xèo

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  Ingredients

  Crepe Batter

  ·         Rice flour -- 1 cup

  ·         Sugar -- 1/2 teaspoon

  ·         Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon

  ·         Turmeric -- 1/4 teaspoon

  ·         Coconut milk -- 1 cup

  ·         Water -- about 1/2 cup

  
  

  Filling

  ·         Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons

  ·         Shallots or scallions, minced -- 2-3 tablespoons

  ·         Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves

  ·         Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 3/4 pound

  ·         Fish sauce -- 2-3 tablespoons

  ·         Salt -- to taste

  ·         Mung bean sprouts -- 1 pound

  
  

  Salad

  ·         Green leaf or romaine lettuce, cleaned and separated into individual leaves -- 1 head

  ·         Cilantro -- 1 bunch

  ·         Mint -- 1 bunch

  ·         Nuoc cham dipping sauce -- 1 recipe

  
  

  Method

  
  

  1.     In a large bowl, mix together the rice flour, sugar, salt and turmeric. Beat in the coconut milk to make a thick batter, then slowly beat in enough water to make a thin crepe batter. Set aside to rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

  2.     Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high flame and add shallots or scallions and garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes without browning. Add the shrimp and sauté for another 3-4 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the fish sauce and salt to season. Remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside.

  3.     Wipe out the sauté pan and reheat over medium flame. Add a small amount of oil. Stir the crepe batter well and pour 1/2 cup batter into the saute pan. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Lay 3 or 4 of the cooked shrimp over one half of the crepe and then sprinkle a small handful of sprouts over the shrimp. When the the middle of the crepe looks cooked through and the edges of the crepe begin to brown, fold the crepe over to cover the filling and side onto a plate. Hold in a warm oven as you finish the rest of the crepes.

  4.     To serve the crepes, arrange the lettuce and herbs on a large platter. Give each diner his own individual crepe with a small bowl of nuoc cham dipping sauce. Each diner takes a leaf of lettuce, breaks off a piece of crepe and places it in the leaf along with a few sprigs of the herbs. The leaf is then rolled up, dipped in the sauce and eaten.

Soup of the Day!

With the cold weather in MN, good old fashion Chili is the best way to warm up and enjoy the day. Try this recipe to jump start your day!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/8 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute chicken until browned. Remove, and set aside. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in chicken, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.

Korean Kimchi

Ingredients

• 2 heads Napa cabbage
• 1 1/4 cups sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 small white onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 5 tablespoons Korean chile powder

Directions

1. Cut the cabbages in half lengthwise and trim the ends. Rinse and cut into pieces about 2 inch square. Place the cabbage into large resealable bags and sprinkle salt on the leaves so they are evenly coated. Use your hands to rub the salt in to the leaves. Seal the bags and leave at room temperature for 6 hours.
2. Rinse the salt from the cabbage leaves and then drain and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place the cabbage in a large container with a tight fitting lid. Stir in the fish sauce, green onions, white onion, garlic, sugar and ginger. Sprinkle the Korean chile powder over the mixture. Wear plastic gloves to protect your hands and rub the chile powder into the cabbage leaves until evenly coated. Seal the container and set in a cool dry place. Leave undisturbed for 4 days. Refrigerate before serving, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month (if it lasts that long!).

Korean Kimchi Stew

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 3 cups napa cabbage Kim Chee, brine reserved
• 2 cups cubed fully cooked luncheon meat (e.g. Spam)
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, stir together the water, kim chee, reserved kim chee brine, Spam, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Simmer, for 20 minutes or until the kim chee cabbage is translucent and soft.

Vietnamese Pho

Ingredients

• 5 pounds beef knuckle, with meat
• 2 pounds beef oxtail
• 1 white (daikon) radish, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 ounces whole star anise pods
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 slice fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
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• 1 1/2 pounds dried flat rice noodles
• 1/2 pound frozen beef sirloin
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• TOPPINGS:
• sriracha hot pepper sauce
• hoisin sauce
• thinly sliced onion
• chopped fresh cilantro
• bean sprouts (mung beans)
• sweet Thai basil
• thinly sliced green onion
• limes, quartered

Directions

1. Place the beef knuckle in a very large (9 quart or more) pot. Season with salt, and fill pot with 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 hours.
2. Skim fat from the surface of the soup, and add the oxtail, radish and onions. Tie the anise pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns and ginger in a cheesecloth or place in a spice bag; add to the soup. Stir in sugar, salt and fish sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 4 more hours (the longer, the better). At the end of cooking, taste, and add salt as needed. Strain broth, and return to the pot to keep at a simmer. Discard spices and bones. Reserve meat from the beef knuckle for other uses if desired.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes, then cook in boiling water until soft, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Slice the frozen beef paper thin. The meat must be thin enough to cook instantly.
4. Place some noodles into each bowl, and top with a few raw beef slices. Ladle boiling broth over the beef and noodles in the bowl. Serve with hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce on the side. Set onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, green onions, and lime out at the table for individuals to add toppings to their liking.

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