Hanoi-Style Pork and Chicken Vermicelli Soup (Bún Chả Hà Nội)

Ah, our jobs keep us too busy to travel in the near future. Instead, Joe and I whipped up a savory bowl of this traditional soup from Hanoi. According to Vietnamese chef Eric Nguyen, this is popular street food in found only in that northern city. People eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We simplified his original recipe in the cookbook My Vietnam by using chili-garlic paste instead of a bird's eye chili, and instead of pork terrine, we added tofu that we needed to use up. This was fresh-tasting and satisfying, and the leftovers were just as good.

Ingredients

8 cups hot chicken broth
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili-garlic paste
2 tsp salt
3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
3 oz pork fillet, cut into matchstick slices
4 oz firm tofu, cubed
9 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp green onions, cut into matchstick slices
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 cup mung bean sprouts
Shrimp paste, to taste

Directions

In a large pot, stir together the chicken broth, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, chili-garlic paste, and salt. Bring to a boil, then drop in the chicken, tofu, and pork. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the meat and tofu to a bowl and keep it warm; keep the broth simmering until ready to serve.

Cook the vermicelli according to package directions, until it is barely tender. Rinse in cold water and allow it to drain, stirring to prevent it from sticking. Add a little oil if the noodles start to clump - rice noodles can be very sticky.

Slightly beat the eggs. Place a large non-stick frying pan on the stove and warm the oil. Pour about 1/4 of the egg into the pan in a thin layer. Cook for one minute, until just set, then flip it over and cook the other side. The egg should be very tender. Slide the egg off onto a cutting board. Repeat with the rest of the egg mixture, stacking the egg "pancakes" on the cutting board. Then roll the egg stack into a cylinder and cut it into thin slices.

Ladle the broth into each person's bowl. At the table, let each guest add vermicelli, then the meats, then the egg strips. If desired, stir a little shrimp paste into the bowl. Top with green onions, mint, and bean sprouts, and provide extra fish sauce for dipping. Store leftovers separately so that the tofu and rice vermicelli don't get gummy by soaking in the broth.

Serves 4-6.

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Curried Pumpkin Hummus

As well as pumpkin, you can also use any kind of winter squash in this recipe. Those slightly sweet fall squashes pair naturally with Indian spices like curry powder, ginger, and coconut milk. If you use a squash like butternut or acorn, just quarter it, scoop out the seeds, and microwave the pieces for 15-18 minutes, until it's tender. Let it cool a bit before measuring out 2 cups of squash into the food processor.

Serve this hot with naan and cucumber-yogurt raita sauce, and you have a healthy Meatless Monday meal. Skip the yogurt, and it's vegan, too!

P.S. The toasted pumpkin seeds in this recipe are shelled; we buy them from the grocery store that way. I've never shelled my own but I don't think I'd want to. Sometimes you can find these in ethnic aisles of grocery stores, labeled as "pepitas".

Ingredients

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2 tbsp sweet curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 Thai chili pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup light coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan until slightly browned and fragrant.

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and process on high until smooth and creamy. If you like a little texture to your hummus, reserve 1/4 cup garbanzos, add them towards the end of the processing time, and blend them until the mixture is just a little chunky.

Put the hummus in a saucepan and heat until steaming hot, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and top with extra roasted pumpkin seeds, if desired, and serve with naan, pita bread or wedges, or crackers.

Makes about 4 cups of hummus.

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Ricotta and Chard Gnocchi

Angela loves this simple gnocchi soup - ricotta and chard gnocchi in chicken broth.

We were lucky enough to take cooking classes in Italy with people who shared authentic recipes passed down through generations in theif family. One recipe was this ricotta and chard version of gnocchi - a little different than the tender flour or potato dumplings we've had before.

These delicately-flavored dumplings are fairly easy to make and freeze well. You can serve them with melted butter and Parmesan cheese, a meat or tomato sauce, or cooked in chicken broth, which is Angela’s favorite.

A few years ago, we grew multi-colored chard with yellow, white, orange, and red stems and our vegetable garden was gorgeous to look at. We were surprised to see how many re-seeded for the next couple of years. Spinach, kale, or arugula is a good substitute for chard. If you use frozen, make sure you drain it well before using.

Ingredients

1 lb. Chard, spinach, or arugula, rinsed, and stems removed
1 ½ cups low-fat ricotta
2 beaten eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp black truffle salt
1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 cups flour
1 tsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
2 quarts broth, meat gravy, or marinara sauce

Instructions

Finely chop the greens. Add ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and combine the ingredients.

Spread flour on work surface and dust your hands with flour. Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball with your hands. Continue rolling, dusting your hands and the work surface frequently, until all the mixture is used.

Pour the oil into a large frying pan and lightly brown the gnocchi balls, stirring frequently but gently. In another pot, bring the sauce or broth to a boil, reduce heat, and add all the gnocchi. Cook for 3-5 minutes, making sure the gnudi do not stick to each other.

You can serve this with additional Parmesan cheese if you like. We never seem to get enough of that cheese!

Serves 6.

Note: if you are going to freeze the gnocchi, cook them in boiling salted water 3-5 minutes, drain and let cool, and then place in labeled freezer bags.

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Pot Roast Paprikash and Hungarian Pilaf

Joe whipped up some Hungarian-style rice pilaf to go along with this. Though we cooked this in the oven, it would work well in a slow cooker, too. When you get home from work, the house will smell amazing, and the rice takes less than 30 minutes to make. It's a Sunday dinner kind of dish for a weekday timetable!

Ingredients

2 pounds beef rump roast
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
14 1/2-ounce can beef broth
2 cups yellow onions, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins
1 cup red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounce carton low-fat sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Rice

1 cup long grain rice

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

Directions

Trim the fat off the meat and cut it into quarters.

If using a slow cooker, place the meat in the cooker and sprinkle with the paprika. Top with tomatoes, broth, onions, carrots, and sweet peppers. Cook for 10 hours on low heat or 4-6 hours on high heat.

If using the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees. Brown the meat on all sides, then sprinkle with the paprika. Add the  tomatoes, broth, onions, carrots, and sweet peppers. Bring to a boil, then cover, and place in the middle rack of the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

To make the rice, heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the rice and stir until it turns white and slightly toasted. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender. Add the stock, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is evaporated.

When the meat is tender and flaky, put it on a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Skim any fat from the sauce, put the meat and sauce into a saucepan. Whisk together the water and cornstarch, then bring it to a boil and cook 15 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the sour cream and heat on low for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve over the rice.

Serves 4-6.

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Szechwan Hot and Sour Soup

Joe's test of a good Asian restaurant is the quality of their Sichuan hot and sour soup, so I gave him a kitchen challenge: impress me with your version of hot and sour soup. Oh, and I've been craving Thai shrimp spring rolls, can you do anything to help?

He exceeded my expectations.

I hear that this soup is one of those concoctions that can cure a cold, or just make you feel a whole lot better while you're eating it. Maybe we should start a new category for medicinal recipes.

Ingredients

1/3 lb pork
1 tbsp dried wood ear mushrooms
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup bamboo shoots
1 small carrot
3 oz. tofu
1 green onion
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tbsp (30ml) Sichuan preserved vegetables, or 2 tbsp chili-garlic paste
5 cups pork broth
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 eggs


Garnish:
Red pepper flakes
Sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Instructions

Place the pork, salt, and woodear mushrooms into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until cooked, about 30 minutes. Reserve the cooking liquid, adding more if necessary to make the 5 cups of broth you'll need at the end.

Cut the pork, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, scallion, carrot, and Sichuan preserved vegetables into matchstick slices. Add to the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.

Whisk together the cornstarch, soy sauce, and vinegar, then slowly stir into the broth. Whisk the eggs.
Pour them in a thin stream into the soup while stirring the broth, so that it forms flaky threads as it swirls into the soup.

Serve in single bowls with the garnishes on the side for the diners to add as they choose.

Serves 4-6.

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