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This is called BANH XEO.  "Xeo" means “sizzling”,  also known as sizzling Saigon crepes. Vegetable oil is used to make my banh xeo, but traditionally, it’s made with lard. To eat, just wrap it with a lettuce leaf and herbs (Thai basil, Perilla herb, mint leaves) and then dip in "nuoc cham", Vietnamese dipping sauce made of fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. The same with fish sause for springrolls - click here  http://cloudyhn.webs.com/apps/blog/show/3091682-vietnamese-spring-rolls       

Batter: make about 15-18

11/2 cups plain rice flour

1/4 tsp ground turmenic powder

1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

vegetable oil for cooking  

Fillings:

350g pork tenderloin, thinly sliced

350g small raw jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and sliced in half lengthwise

3 cups bean sprouts

1 head tender lettuce (I like to use Boston lettuce)

1 medium size carrot, peeled and cut into thin sticks

1 small cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced into half-rounds

Fresh mints.

Sweet, sour and spicy fish sauce for serving     

Cooking:

In mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients for batter, add coconut milk slowly and whisk together untill smooth. Set the batter aside.   

Use preheated on high heat frying pan, heat 1 to 2 tsp of oil then add pork in, stir-fry for 3 minutes or until cooked. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Repeat the same fir shrimp but shorter time because shrimp cooked really fast - just need 1-2 minutes.

Again with bean sprouts for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Toss the bean sprouts with cooked pork and shrimp in the bowl.  

Heat 1 tsp of oil in an 6 to 8-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of batter (or less if you want a thinner crepe) while tilting and swirling of the frying pan. Remember doing quickly to cover evenly the frying pan's surface. Cook the crepr for 3-5 minutes or until the edge lifts and the crepe is crisp as you desire. Spread 1/2 cup of stir-fried ingredients on one half of the crepe but away from the edge. Fold the other half over the filling and transfer to a plate.

Repeat with the remaining batter.  

To eat, you can cut the crepe into 3-4 pieces then place in center of a lettuce leaf. Optional to add carrot sticks, cucumber and mint leaves. Dip with Sweet,sour and Spicy Fish Sauce. 

Sweet,sour and Spicy Fish Sauce :     

In a small bowl put in 1 cup of water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp fish sauce, garlics, 1tbsp vinagar, 1 queeze lime juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together, and taste. It will be soft sweet and sour taste. You can throw in a bit of very thin shredded carrots.

Can put 1/2 tsp chilli sauce also (optional)   

TIP  

Be sure to use plain rice flour instead of "Sitcky" or "glutinous" rice flour for this crepe recipe. 

Hope you enjoy it. Please let me know if you try and the result.   

   More than just Sewing" - Cloudyhn

Come on ... Summer is coming. I am just kidding. Spring's just beginning.

But this salad recipe is one of my favourites. I hope you will love love love it.

One thing I would like you pay attention is the mango you choose.

If it is still green, very firm and sour it needs more sugar and time to absorb.

But if you don’t want to use a lot of sugar, you should select the mango that is a little bit tender or soft (orange color inside). Then it takes less time to absorb.

                              MANGO SALADS WITH CASHEWS

                                                                                                        For 6 servings

You need:

• 2 big mangos
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar (If mangos are sweet use less sugar)
• 1 lime for juice (2 tbsp)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon small chopped fresh coriander
• Cashews (or peanut) break in half
• Salt, ground black pepper, a small clove of garlic minced

Red pepper, green pepper washed, cut out the center and seeds, cut long thin (5/8-inch)stripes, a pinch of salt, then mix it and set aside for 15’.

Meanwhile, Mangos peeled, thin sliced then cut long, small stripes.

Mix red pepper, green pepper and mangos in salad bowl with sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar and garlic. Cool in refrigerator about 30’ .

Before serving, mix salads with coriander, sblack pepper, pread cashews on top.

    More than just sewing - Cloudyhn

Soup made from scratch can't be beat for an easy, nutritious meal. The tortilla chips become almost like noodles, making this like a Mexican version of classic chicken noodle soup.

Prepare: 10 min.          Cook: 20-25 min.           Serving: 4 - 6

Ingredience:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 each: onion and sweet red pepper, diced
• 2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 tomato paste
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cup milk
• 12 oz boneless skinless chicken, cut into 3/4" pieces
• 1 cup broken corn tortilla chips (prefer: baked)
• 1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
• 5  cherry tomato, cut in quarter
• 1/2 cup shredded Canadian Monterey Jack cheese
• chopped fresh coriander, salt and hot pepper sauce (optional)

Direction:

1. In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, red pepper and chilli powder, cook for about 5 min or until softened. Stir in chicken stock and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Whisk flour into milk and stir into pot; stir in chicken. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 10 min or until soup is slightly thickened and chicken  is no longer pink inside.

2. Stir in tortilla chips and corn, cook for 2 min or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and hot pepper sauce . Sprinkle each serving with tomatoes, cheese and corriander.

My opinion: I prefer adding tortilla just before eating time. I enjoy the crispy chips in soup.

ENJOY!!!!

                        More than just sewing - Cloudyhn

PHO is very popular in Vietnam. Another word is one of Vietnamese signatures to the world. Here is the recipe... for whoever likes Vietnamese Foods

Ingredients                               Serving : 8

• 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

• 5 cloves of garlics

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

• 1 piece fresh ginger root

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 tablespoon salt,

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• 1 1/2 pounds dried flat rice noodles

• 1/2 pound frozen beef sirloin

TOPPINGS:

• Hot chilli pepper sauce

• Hoisin sauce

• Thinly sliced yellow or white onion

• Chopped fresh cilantro

• Bean sprouts (mung beans)

• Sweet Thai basil

• Thinly sliced green onion

• Limes, quartered or 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

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 Chilli pepper 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.

Enjoy!!!

   More than just sewing - Cloudyhn

  Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground pork (can use ground beef, chicken, or seafood combined like shrimps and crabs)
• 2 dried round mushrooms (optional), fine chopped
• 2 dried fungus, fine chopped
• 100g cellophane noodles: deep in warm water till soften, drained and cut 1 inch length
• 1/2 cup fine chop onions
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 3 cup of bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup of chopped green onions and cilantro
• 2 cloves of fine chopped garlics
• salt, black pepper, five spice, 4 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 lime
• 1 egg
• 20 - 30 spring rolls wraps (rice wraps or egg flour wrap)

Preparing

In a big mixing bowl: put together ground pork, mushrooms, fungus, onions, carrots, green onions and cilantro, noodles then a 1 tsp salt , 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp five spice, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp garlic. Mix well together.  To avoid creat juice in srping mixing, bean sprouts and egg will be added just before wrapping.

Wrapping

If you use round rice wrap. Prepare a bowl of warm water. Add 1 tbsp of sugar in water. Deep 1 wrap at a time in sugar water for 5 seconds, take out and lay on cutting board or flat plate. Wait for 10 seconds then put the filling in, very gently roll the wrap to avoid breaking . The rice paper is sealed itself.

If you use yellow flour wrap it will be easier for wrapping as well as frying. Usually available as frozen wrap in grocery stores. Though do not need sugar water. Take out from fridger just 1 hour before wrapping. Separate each sheet then wrap.

Frying

To avoid bursting, do as quick a you can for each roll, do not put too much filling, leave a little bit air inside the roll because air created during frying time. Also control and maitain a moderately low oil temperature (325oF) Leave the rolls fry for 5-10 minutes or till the wraps golden and cryspy. Take the rolls out and put standing on the wire rack , let the oil dripping down.

Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl put in 1 cup of water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp fish sauce, garlics, 1tbsp vinagar, 1 queeze lime juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together, and taste. It will be soft sweet and sour taste. You can throw in a bit of very thin shredded carrots.

Can put 1/2 tsp chilli sauce also (optional)