Chicken Pho

Ingredients

Charred aromatics:

• 1 tbsp oil , vegetable or canola (or other plain oil)
• 2 onions , halved (skin on fine)
• 2" piece of ginger 
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 6 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 bell pepper, finely sliced
• 1.5 lb chicken thighs

Pho Soup Broth:

• 2 quarts water
• 1 small bunch cilantro (Note 2)
• 5 star anise pods (was short in photo & video!)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 8 tsp fish sauce
• 6 tsp white sugar
• 1 spoon of chicken bouillon

Noodle Bowls:

• 12 oz dried rice noodles

Toppings - help yourself

• 1 can bean sprouts (Note 3)
• 1 small bunch cilantro (Note 4)
• 2 limes , cut into 4 wedges
• Sriracha
• Jalapeno chillies , finely sliced

Instructions

BROTH:

• Saute onion & ginger - Heat oil in a 6 litre / 6 quart pot (Note 5) over high heat. Place ginger and onion facedown, leave undisturbed for 2 minutes until they blacken. Turn and leave for another 2 minutes.
• Put everything in pot - Add water and remaining Broth ingredients EXCEPT salt. Bring it a simmer, then lower heat so it's simmering VERY gently with the lid on, but open a crack (Note 6).
• Simmer gently 1.5 hours. Scoop off scum (dirty foam) that rises to surface once or twice during the simmering.
• Strain & measure - Remove chicken, then strain broth into a clean pot - you should have 1.5 litres / 1.5 quarts. If you have more, simmer to reduce. If less, top it up with water.
• Salt broth - Add salt, bring broth to a gentle simmer. Broth should be slightly on the salty side - it dilutes when you add the noodles.
• Keep broth warm until ready to serve
• Shred chicken meat, discard bones and skin. (Note 6 Leftover Chicken ideas)

ASSEMBLING:

• Place Toppings out on the table.
• Reheat chicken (can briefly dunk in broth!).
• Prepare noodles per packet directions, just prior to serving. Drain very well (excess water dilutes broth).
• Place noodle in bowls. Top with chicken, ladle over 375ml / 1.5 cups broth. Sprinkle with green onion.
• Pile on Toppings of choice, add a squeeze of lime into the broth. Consume immediately!

Notes

1. Chicken - or a whole chicken. Don't reduce chicken weight, you will lack flavour in broth. If you're short, throw in a wing or drumstick etc to make up the weight.

Can't shortcut this with breast or boneless thigh - need to use skin on chicken with bone in so it can withstand the cook time, and also dark meat imparts way more flavour into broth.

2. Coriander/cilantro - small bunch quantity: if you bundled it all up, it should roughly equal 1 1/2 cups. Around 5cm/2" diameter around base, 20cm/8" tall (you can chop most leaves off to use for topping, and use stems plus some leaves for broth)

3. Bean sprouts - tend to be a bit floppy and smelly from non Asian stores. To perk them up, put in container, cover in water, refrigerate 12 hours. Drain, let dry then use per recipe. If you change water daily, beansprouts will keep for a week using this storage method.

4. Herbs - these 3 herbs are a classic combination for pho. If you have 2 of three, it's still going to seem like an authentic eating experience. If I really had to only pick one, I'd choose either coriander or Thai Basil. Thai Basil can be substituted with normal basil (but not if it's the only herb you're using).

5. Pot - don't use a cast iron pot as the base will be charred and you may need to scrub. Pot should be at least 6 litres/quarts big. If it's smaller, you can hold back some water and add it as the chicken shrinks/water evaporates (been there, done that!)

6. Clear broth - gentle simmer and scooping off scum is the path to a lovely clear broth!

7. Leftover chicken - you won't even use half the chicken for the Pho. Chicken nicely infused with Asian flavours, so use it for things like: fried rice, Chinese Chicken Salad, Vietnamese Noodle Salad, Peanut Noodle Salad, Chinese Corn Soup, or toss it into a Chicken Stir Fry or Stir Fried Noodles.

8. QUICK Pho using store bought chicken stock - follow recipe but make following changes:

• Do not use thighs, use 500g/1lb chicken breast instead
• Use 6 cups low sodium chicken stock + 1 cup water (instead of just water)
• Reduce fish sauce to 3 tsp, use NO salt
• Char onion & ginger per recipe
• Put all spices, stock and water in pot with breast. Simmer 10 min until breast cooked, remove and shred
• Simmer remaining liquid for 30 min with lid open ajar, reduce to 1.5L/1.5Qt. Strain, proceed with recipe (except NO extra salt in broth).

9. Servings - this will make 4 generous size servings (1.5 cups broth per person, makes a dinner size serving for a person with a very good appetite), 5 sensible servings, or 6 lighter servings (good for a light lunch).

10. Storage - make the broth and freeze for 3 months, or refrigerate up to 5 days. Reheat until piping hot. Do not be tempted to scoop off chicken fat that firms up in fridge - it's essential for flavour in broth and mouthfeel!

All toppings and noodles must be made fresh.

11. Nutrition is per serving, assuming 4 generous servings. I've had to make an educated estimate of the calories from the chicken, noting that while we extract the flavor and some of the fat into the broth, most of the chicken recipe is not used in the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 501cal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1486mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg

Another great recipe by recipetineats.com

French Toast Casserole

 This a modification of a commonly found online recipe a la Carol.

Ingredients:

For 1 serving:

• 2 pieces of Dave's bread
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup soy milk or milk
• 1/6 tsp vanilla
• 4 tsp maple syrup
• Cinnamon to taste
• 1/2 cup fruit

For 6 servings:

• 10 pieces of bread
• 6 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Cinnamon to taste 
• 2 cups frozen or canned fruit
• 1 can of Oregon cherries, drained
• 1/2 cup of frozen berries, thawed in microwave

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Tear the bread into smaller pieces and add to small container for one serving or 9 x 13 for 6 servings.
3. Mix egg and all other liquids besides fruit.
4. Dribble fruit evenly over the bread.
5. Pour egg mixture over all of the eggs and push down to make sure they are all soaked.
6. Baking
1. For one serving, 25-35 minutes
2. For six servings, 60 minutes.

Nuoc Cham Sauce

 This is a modification of the original recipe for Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs to make the sauce alone.

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes (hot as you like)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Steps:

1. Add all ingredients together in small bowl.
2. You're done.

Miang Kam Sauce

This is the modification of our original Miang Kam recipe, just to make the sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup shredded dried coconut
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1-2 Tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup water

Steps:

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan together. 
2. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure all the ingredients are well blended and the sauce as smooth as possible. 
3. Transfer to a sauce bowl and allow to cool to room temperature before using. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs

Versions of these meatballs appear all over Vietnam and Thailand, where they are usually skewered and grilled over an open flame. Delicious though they are, our pan-fried version removes the need for either skewers or an open flame. It also allows us to wrap them in lettuce cups and eat them with our hands, which we love. These are lovely as a group snack, with everyone making up their own wraps; they also work with blanched rice vermicelli noodles, tossed with the salad, herbs and dipping sauce.

Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4

For the meatballs
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped (50g)
30g coriander, leaves picked and stems finely chopped
10g mint leaves, finely chopped, plus a few extra leaves to serve
1½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
Salt and ground white pepper
100g leftover cooked rice
500g ground chicken

For the nuoc cham sauce:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small red bird’s eye chilli, roughly sliced
1 large mild red chilli, roughly sliced
¼ tsp flaky sea salt
2 tbsp roughly chopped palm sugar, or caster sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

To serve
1.5 heads of romaine lettuce, leaves separated
½ cucumber, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400* F.

Put the first six ingredients for the meatballs in a medium bowl, add a quarter-teaspoon of salt and three-quarters of a teaspoon of ground white pepper, then stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the rice and chicken, mix well, then form into about 24 roughly 1 oz balls. Flatten each ball slightly, then place on a baking tray and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the nuoc cham. Put the garlic, chillies and flaky salt in a mortar and pound to a wet paste: the chillies won’t break down completely. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, then transfer to a screw-top jar. Seal, shake vigorously, then put in the fridge until ready to serve. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, put everything in a food processor and pulse until the chillies and garlic are broken up.

When ready to serve, prepare the salad platter by stacking the lettuce cups on the side and strewing the cucumber and reserved herb leaves around and about. Pour the nuoc cham into small serving bowls, so each person has their own little dipping sauce.

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

 

Total: 30 mins, plus 6 to 10 hrs cooking time

Ingredients (10)

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

Summary

The easiest and, arguably, tenderest pulled pork comes out of the slow cooker. Here, we coat pork shoulder with a spice rub of dark brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon, then cook it on a bed of garlic and onions moistened with chicken broth. Six to ten hours later, the juiciest pork imaginable is ready to be shredded and served atop Pulled Pork Nachos, or in a sandwich with your favorite Barbecue Sauce (for the best version ever, make your own Hamburger Buns). This no-fuss, versatile recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, and the leftovers—should you have any—freeze well.

Instructions

1. Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
2. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.
3. If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Panko crusted honey mustard salmon

An assertive fish like salmon can handle mustard’s bold flavor. Top the fish with honey for freshness and breadcrumbs for crunch.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Difficulty: Easy
• Total: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for coating the foil
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 (20-ounce) skin-on salmon fillet (1 1/4 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons panko

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat an area about the size of the fish with olive oil; set aside.
2. Place the measured oil, mustard, and parsley in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Lay the salmon on the foil, skin side down, and season it generously with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the mustard mixture all over the top. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the mustard mixture until it’s completely covered, then gently pat to get the panko to adhere.
3. Bake the fish for 12 to 15 minutes, then check for doneness. The center should spring back to the touch and the breadcrumbs should be golden brown. If it’s not ready, return the fish to the oven for a few minutes more. If the fish is ready but the breadcrumbs aren’t browned, broil about 2 minutes more or until golden brown.