Vietnamese – TasteFood

Lemongrass and Garlic Skirt Steak with Sesame Noodles

September 13, 2017September 16, 2018by Lynda Balslev3 Comments

One Dish Dinner: Vietnamese Skirt Steak Noodles

There is something infinitely satisfying about presenting a complete dinner heaped on one platter. The arrangement suggests a family-style feast. It’s a fun method for casual dining, which allows everyone to dig into a balanced meal combining meat, greens, and grains, or in this case, noodles.

This Vietnamese-inspired recipe embraces budget friendly skirt steak, a flavorful cut of meat that loves a good marinade, piled over a tangle of Asian noodles. A sweet and sour marinade is perfumed with lemongrass, a key ingredient in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, which infuses the meat with flavor and spice. The longer the beef marinates the better the flavor, but that’s the only time consuming step in making this dish, which requires little effort – only advance planning to allow for marinating.

Lemongrass, also known as citronella, is a commonly used to flavor stir-fries, marinades, and curries. It looks like a woody spring onion and has a uniquely fragrant lemon-floral flavor concentrated in the oils in the centers of its stalk. For the purpose of a marinade, the stalk need only be sliced to release its flavor. For other dishes where the lemongrass is eaten, the outer stalks should be removed and the center stalks minced or pounded to a paste. Lemongrass is sold in the fresh produce section of well-stocked supermarkets or Asian markets. If you can’t find fresh lemongrass in the produce section, it’s also sold as jarred paste. Simply add 1 tablespoon of the paste to the marinade. The other marinade and dressing ingredients are available in the international section of grocery stores and in Asian supermarkets. Once the ingredients are on hand, this dish comes together quickly for a family-friendly weeknight dinner that will have everyone reaching for seconds.

Lemongrass and Garlic Skirt Steak with Sesame Noodles

Serves 4
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes (plus marinating time)
Marinating Time: 2 to 24 hours

Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, outer leaves removed, stalk thinly sliced (or 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste)
1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steak
8 ounces Vietnamese wheat noodles, Chinese egg noodles, or ramen

Dressing:
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha or hot sauce

Vegetable oil for pan frying

Garnishes:
1 to 2 red or green jalapeño chile peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and/or torn mint leaves
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Lime wedges

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Slice the skirt steak on the diagonal against the grain into 1-inch strips. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate at for least 2 hours or up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.

2. Cook the noodles until al dente per manufacturer’s instructions. Drain and transfer to a bowl. While the noodles are cooking, whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the drained noodles and toss to thoroughly coat.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and add to the skillet, in batches if necessary, without overcrowding the pan. (The steak may also be grilled over direct medium-high heat.) Discard the marinade. Sear the steak on both sides until cooked to your desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat.

4. To serve, spread the noodles on a serving platter or in a shallow serving bowl. Arrange the skirt steak strips over the noodles and scatter the chile peppers, cilantro, mint, and sesame seeds over and around the steak. Garnish with the lime wedges and drizzle the remaining sauce over the steak and noodles. Serve warm.

Asian, Chicken, Condiment, Sandwich, Uncategorized, Video

Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe and Video #NationalSandwichDay

November 1, 2016July 22, 2018by Lynda Balslev3 Comments

November 3rd is National Sandwich Day, and why not? The humble and satisfying sandwich, originally constructed as a vehicle for leftovers and efficient hands-on eating, has roots in nearly every culture. From classic American PB&J (peanut butter and jelly, for those of you who may ask), to hoagies and burgers, wraps and clubs, pockets and panini, and tartines and smørrebrød (which are fancier ways to say “open-face”), there is a version of a sandwich for every cuisine and appetite.

So, in honor of #NationalSandwichDay (and as a welcome diversion from the increasingly discordant politics and punditry in the last week of the Presidential campaign) I submit to you a delectable recipe and video for Chicken Banh Mi, guaranteed to whisk you away from the news cycle, at least for lunch. Banh Mi is the Vietnamese rendition of a sandwich with French sensibilities: French baguette, paté, and mayonnaise meet Asian spiced meats, chiles, pickles, and cilantro – a creation influenced by the lengthy colonization of Vietnam by France. (Even the origin of this sandwich can’t escape politics.) The key to a good banh mi is the perfect flavor balance of spicy, salty, sweet, and piquant, matched by a satisfying blend of textures – crusty tender baguette, bright herbs, crunchy pickles, and a creamy sweet-spicy mayo sauce.

Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich

The meat fillings in banh mi can vary from pork to chicken, duck, tofu, paté, or sausage. For a quick and light preparation, I often use chicken. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Marinade:
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each about 6 ounces, pounded to an even thickness, about 1/2-inch thick.

Pickled Vegetables:
1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks
1 (4-inch) daikon, peeled, cut into matchsticks
1 (4-inch) English cucumber, seeded, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

Spicy Mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Sriracha

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 small hero rolls or 1 large soft baguette, cut into four (4-inch) sections, split
4 Boston lettuce leaves
1 to 2 jalapeños, sliced
1 bunch fresh mint
1 bunch fresh cilantro

1. Whisk the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the chicken in a small baking dish, pour the marinade over and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours).
2. Combine the pickled vegetable ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the vegetables until the sugar and salt dissolve, and the vegetables release their juices and begin to soften. Pour in the vinegar and let stand for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours). Drain before using.
3. Whisk the spicy mayo ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until use.
4. Preheat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil to the skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade, place in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides and thoroughly cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest while you toast the bread, then thinly slice.
4. In the same skillet (do not wipe it out), toast the rolls, cut-side down until lightly marked and crusty, about 2 minutes, without turning, adding a little oil if necessary.
5. To assemble, spread about 1 tablespoon mayo on each cut side of each roll. Lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom half, then top with chicken, the pickled vegetables, jalapeños, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

Video produced by Food Guru Channel and TasteFood

Breads, Pasta, Rice, Grains, Chicken, gluten-free, Main Course, Soups and Stews

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup – Easy Pho

March 7, 2016July 22, 2018by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

Are you a fan of Pho? If you’ve never had it, Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup. It consists of a mountain of slurp-worthy rice noodles swimming in a rich and aromatic broth fortified with proteins such as chicken, beef, or tofu. The bonus is the garnishes – a cornucopia of fresh herbs, chiles, lime, and sprouts to scatter over the top, with squirts of hot sauce and hoisin for good measure. Pho is intoxicatingly good, highly addictive, and a perfect remedy to fight a cold or simply satisfy a craving for Asian spice and heat. Once you taste it, you’re likely hooked.

The key to an authentic pho lies in its broth, a time consuming affair best left to the weekend when you have the freedom to fill your home with exotic aromas, while a whole chicken or beef bones slowly cook, and the stock reduces to a flavorful soul-satisfying intensity. The challenge – as cravings go – is that sometimes you just want pho – now – when it’s not a weekend, when it’s an hour before dinner on a busy weeknight, when you’ve just arrived home, only leftovers are in the fridge – and the nearest Vietnamese takeaway is in the next county.

Here is a solution – an inauthentic version I call easy pho, or, more cutely, faux pho. Instead of making the stock from scratch, I use a good quality store-bought stock and embellish it with aromatics. It saves a lot of time, and is a perfect quick fix for a simple, healthy, and crave-satiating weeknight dinner.

Easy Pho – Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe is especially easy to make when you have leftover chicken in the fridge, otherwise you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store, or quickly poach a couple of chicken breasts. Serves 4>

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 (2-inch) knob of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
6 cloves
2 star anise
1 (2-inch) stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
1 pound cooked chicken meat, shredded
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Garnishes:
Sliced red or green jalapeño chiles
Mung bean sprouts
Fresh mint or Thai basil sprigs
Lime wedges
Sriracha and Hoisin sauce

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and sauté until fragrant and the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cloves, star anise, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and peppercorns and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock, fish sauce, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. While the soup is simmering, cook and drain the noodles according to package directions.
3. Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot. Add the chicken to the soup and simmer over medium-low until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more fish sauce, sugar or salt to taste.
4. Divide the noodles between large serving bowls. Sprinkle an even amount of scallions and cilantro over the noodles. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Serve with the garnishes.

Main Course, Marinades, Meat, Pasta

Thai Marinated Skirt Steak with Sesame Noodles and Cilantro

January 26, 2014July 24, 2017by Lynda Balslev16 Comments

This Asian-inspired recipe embraces budget friendly skirt steak, a flavorful cut of meat that loves a good marinade, piled over a tangle of noodles. A sweet and sour marinade is perfumed with lemongrass, a key ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, which infuses the meat with flavor and spice. The longer the beef marinates the better the flavor, but that’s the only time consuming step in making this dish, which requires little effort – only advance planning.

Lemongrass, also known as citronella, is commonly used to flavor stir-fries, marinades, and curries. It looks like a woody spring onion and has a uniquely fragrant lemon-floral flavor concentrated in the oils in the centers of its stalk. For the purpose of a marinade, the stalk need only be sliced to release its flavor. For other dishes where the lemongrass is eaten, the outer stalks should be removed and the center stalks minced or pounded to a paste. Lemongrass is sold in the fresh produce section of Asian markets or well-stocked supermarketsand the other marinade and dressing ingredients are available in the international section of well-stocked grocery stores and in Asian supermarkets.

If you can’t find fresh lemongrass in the produce section, it’s also sold as a jarred paste. Simply add 1 tablespoon of the paste to the marinade. Once the ingredients are on hand, this dish comes together quickly for a family-friendly weeknight dinner that will have everyone reaching for seconds.

Thai Marinated Skirt Steak with Sesame Noodles
Serves 4

Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, outer leaves removed, stalk finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steak
8 ounces Vietnamese wheat noodles, Chinese egg noodles, or ramen

Dressing:
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha or hot sauce

Vegetable oil for pan frying

Garnishes:
2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 red or green jalapeño chili pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and/or torn mint leaves
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Lime wedges

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Slice the skirt steak on the diagonal against the grain into 1-inch strips. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate at for least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before proceeding with recipe.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the skirt steak in batches without overcrowding the pan. (The steak may also be grilled over direct medium-high heat.) Sear the steak on both sides until cooked to your desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat.

4. To serve, spread the noodles on a serving platter or in a shallow serving bowl. Arrange the skirt steak strips over the noodles and scatter the chile pepper, cilantro, mint, and sesame seeds over and around the steak. Garnish with the lime wedges and drizzle the remaining sauce over the steak and noodles. Serve warm.