Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Gỏi cuốn) 越式春捲

My family enjoys dining out at Vietnamese restaurants.  One of our favorite appetizers is this Vietnamese Summer Roll.  Check out my step by step video tutorial above to learn how to make them.



Vietnamese Summer Rolls are very light and refreshing.  Definitely a healthier choice when compared to the deep fried egg rolls.  The fillings usually consist of many different types of vegetables, herbs, a choice of protein (I’m using shrimps today), and some bean threads or rice noodles.  The veggies are usually raw and the protein is cooked in boiling water.  Therefore, the flavor is rather mild.  That’s why, they are usually served with a flavorful dipping sauce.



In my video tutorial, I’ll show you how to make both the Peanut Dipping sauce, and the Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce to accompany these delightful Summer Rolls.



The Peanut Dipping Sauce consists of Hoisin Sauce, many describe it as the Asian version of B.B.Q. sauce.  It’s super easy to prepare and tastes very rich and earthy.  It’s one of the classic sauce to pair with these Vietnamese Summer Rolls.



I personally love the Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce better.  I simply love spicy food, plus, this sauce is super refreshing.  In my video, I used both the Sambal Chili Paste and a chopped Thai Chili.  But if you prefer a milder taste, you can skip the Thai Chili and just use Sambal.  It’s not too spicy at all and packed with wonderful aroma that you won’t get from other chili sauce!



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and tutorial.  Stay tuned for more fun and delicious next week!

Ingredients used:
Rice Paper (Click here for more information)
Hoisin Sauce (Click here for more information)
Creamy Peanut Butter (Click here for more information)
Fish Sauce (Click here for more information)
Sambal Chili Paste (Click here for more information)
Bean Threads (Click here for more information)

Homemade Ketchup and Roasted Garlic Mayo--Two Must-Have Sauces

My Kids love Ketchup.  Well, in fact, I haven't met a kid who doesn't like Ketchup, period.  Have you?  I know many parents concern about the High Fructose Corn Syrup as an ingredient in most of the store bought brands.  What's the solution?  Of course I created my own.  Not only this Homemade Ketchup version contains only natural ingredients (those that you can pronounce), it’s also super easy to make.  Another bonus is that it tastes way better than the bottled ones.  For me, I'm not always a Ketchup person, so, for dipping options, I also created this Roasted Garlic Mayo.  Guess what?  I'm sharing both recipes with you today.




This Homemade Ketchup and Roasted Garlic Mayo are two must-have sauces that you want to have in your fridge at all times.  They are versatile sauces that compliment well with so many ingredients. 



Want to check out how I made them?  Follow me to the kitchen.

Here’s are the steps to prepare the Homemade Ketchup:

1) Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan.
2) Sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant. 
3) Then add the red pepper flakes.
4) Followed by the apple cider vinegar.
5) Then, add the tomato paste, salt, brown sugar, bay leave, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder.  Let it simmer uncover for 30 minutes. 
6) The sauce will thicken and it’s ready.  You can puree it in a blender for a smoother texture or leave it as is.  I love it a little chunky like this.





Super simple, right?  Store it well in the fridge and the ketchup shall last for 7 to 10 days….that is, if you don’t finish it sooner.  You can also portion it out and freeze part of it so a batch lasts longer.

Up next, let me show you how to roast the garlic to make the decadent Roasted Garlic Mayo.
1) Cut the whole head of garlic side way.
2) Place it on a foil and drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt on top.
3) Wrap it up and bake in the 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes.
4) The garlic will be super soft and fragrant.  You won’t be able to trace any pungent garlic flavor at all.  They turned into these sweet, tender and irresistible jewels after roasting.  When it’s cool enough to handle, simply squeeze the flash out from the skin.  Smash them with a fork and whisk in Japanese Mayo, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper and your Roasted Garlic Mayo Sauce is ready.




I hope you like the two homemade sauces that I’m sharing with you today.  Stay tuned for the next blog post to find out what I serve these sauces with.  You definitely don’t want to miss it.  I promise they will be easy to prepare, healthy, fun and wonderful for entertaining guests. 

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)—A Quick and Easy Recipe

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) is one of the Chinese dishes that I make all the time.  It’s a quick and easy weeknight dish that’s packed with wonderful flavors and nutrients.  It’s totally my kind of comfort food.  Many of my friends and readers had been asking me to post more easy, Asian, savory recipes so they can prepare for their families.  So here we go, my friends.    Best of all, this is one satisfying dish to prepare that won’t break the bank!  Forget about the take-outs.  You’ll have this on your family table before you finish placing an order over the phone! 



There are a few tips about Chinese stir-fry.  It’s quick, easy, and everything cook in a rather fast pace over high-heat.  So, the key is to have all the ingredients pre-prepped.  That way, the ingredients are ready whenever you need to add them to the wok/frying pan.  Don’t worry, you don’t necessarily need a wok to make Chinese stir-fry.  In this particular recipe, I prefer a non-stick pan over the wok. 
One of the main ingredient for Mapo Tofu is the chili sauce.  Different recipes might call for different type of chili sauce.  I personally prefer this (see below) Chili Bean Sauce (ToBan Djan 辣豆瓣醬).  It’s made with chili and fermented soy beans.  The fermented soy beans add a wonderful depth of flavor that you can’t get from the regular chili sauce.  



Of course another main ingredient in Mapo Tofo is the Tofu.  There are many choices and brands out there.  I grew up with the Vitasoy brand when I was in Hong Kong, so it’s my choice of Tofu whenever they are available.  When cooking Mapo Tofu, I personally prefer to use Silken Tofu.  Silken Tofu, as it’s name suggested, is silky, smooth, velvety and melt in your mouth kind of tofu.  It’s also very fragile.  As suggested on the package, it’s better to use in cold dishes, such as salad, soup, or steaming.  These types of recipes/cooking methods require less stirring.

On the other hand, my hubby always prefers the Soft Tofu, it said “soft” on the package, but actually it’s pretty firm.  If you get it with any other brand, it’s the “firm” one that you want to use.  As suggested on the package, this type of Tofu is good with cooking methods of pan fry or stir fry because the firmer texture in this tofu can withstand the mixing and stirring in the pan without falling apart.  Firm tofu also has a stronger tofu taste because it contains less water.  So, the choice is yours, there’s no right or wrong Tofu.    I almost always use firm tofu for Mapo Tofu now, since that’s what 'the Boss' prefers. 



As you can see from the pictures below, the tofu holds its shape pretty well even after all the stirring.  So, I guess 'the Boss' is right in his choice of tofu.   



Are you ready to get into the kitchen with me?  It’s going to be quick, I promise.  So, here’s what I did:

1) In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients of the Mapo Tofu sauce together until sugar dissolved and there’s no lump from the corn starch, set aside.
2)  The fresh tofu usually packed with a bit of water, drain it well.
3) Cut them into 1/2-inch cubes.  This will be a good time to chop the green onions, if using.
4) Heat a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat.



5) Sauté pork until golden brown and cooked through; with a wooden spoon/spatula, break ground pork into small pieces when browning.
6) When the ground pork is cooked through, pour the Mapo Tofu sauce into the meat, stir well and cook until the sauce is thicken, about 2 minutes. The sauce will be thick, do NOT attempt to add any water.  After the tofu is in, it’ll create enough sauce, trust me on this one. 
7) Fold in tofu and be careful not to break them up too much.
8) When tofu is heated through, remove from heat and stir in green onions.



See, quick and easy right?  This sauce is simple and divine!  So, stop spending/wasting $3+ for a small package of Mapo Tofu sauce when you can easily make your own at home.  I used to spend that money for the longest time, until I realized how easy it is to create the sauce from scratch.  The good thing about building the sauce from scratch is that you'd know exactly the ingredients that were used.



I make this for my kids all the time, minus the chili sauce.  So, I always double the ingredients and make one that’s non-spicy for the kids.  It’s just as wonderful.



If there are any particular Asian dishes that you would love me to post on the blog, feel free to leave a comment or email me directly. 

Beef Sukiyaki—With Pictorial

The very first time I’ve ever tasted a Beef Sukiyaki, it was way back in my Junior High School years when I was still living in Hong Kong.  I attended one of my good friends’ birthday party and her Mom prepared this memorable dish for all of us.  It was the best sukiyaki I’ve ever tasted.  The best, even until now.  I have to say, my own version came pretty closed to hers, but there was something sentimental about the very first time that I had this dish.  It was my very first time attending a friend’s birthday patty without my parents’ present.  That was something huge, at least, it was something huge for me back then.



Sukiyaki is a Japanese winter dish of soup, or stew, prepared and served in the nabemono (Japanese hot pot) style.  It consists of meat, usually thinly sliced beef, which is slowly cooked at the table, along with other vegetables and ingredients, in a shallow iron pot.  The sukiyaki sauce usually contains a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Before being eaten, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs. 



“Hot pots” (or Chinese style fondue) are very popular in Asian cuisine, especially in the winter.  They are slightly different than sukiyaki. Instead of having a sauce for the base, Chinese style hot pots use varieties of soup base, usually chicken stock, beef stocks, or herbal soup as it’s base for cooking.  Then, the cooked ingredients are dipped into a bowl of raw beaten eggs with soy sauce (and chili oil if you like it spicy).  I grew up having hot pots every winter with my family.  It’s the best family-style kind of meal.  We gather around the table, mingle, and cook together as we eat, often for hours.  It’s the best way to spend quality time together, in my opinion.  Not to mention, super easy to prepare as well.  All you need to do is to get the the soup base and other ingredients ready.  Then, everyone cook whatever they like to eat at the table-side.    



Want to join me in the kitchen to see how I prepare the Beef Sukiyaki?  Come on over.

1) Remove the stems of the shitake mushrooms, it’s much easier to do so when the mushrooms are still dry.

2) Rinse and soak in the hottest tab water until soften (about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on thickness).

3) Thinly sliced the carrot and cut the preferred shape with a small cookie cutter.

4) Trim off, and discard the roots of the enoki mushrooms, wash, drain and set aside.



5) This is the package of the Yam noodles that I’ve got.  Very healthy and naturally gluten free.  Very low in calories as well.  I have no idea why they are called yam cakes on the package though.

6) A close look at the yam noodles.  They are rolled up in small bite size bundles.  Cute and convenience.

7) I used some fried soybean curd this time.  You can use firm tofu if you like.

8) Last but not least, I’ve got some wonderful quality of Kobe Beef!  Juicy and tender.  So decadent. 



9) In a medium nabemono, clay pot, or sauce pan, bring the water, soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and sesame oil to a boil. Add the soften shitake mushrooms, cabbage and carrot, cook until almost cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Then add the Bok Choy, soy bean curd, enoki mushrooms and yam noodles into the pot until the liquid comes up to a boil again. When ready to serve, add the sliced beef into the pot. Remove from heat, sprinkle green onion on top and enjoy. (This part can/should be done at the dining table with a portable stove.)



My hubby was able to join me for lunch when I prepared this Beef Sukiyaki the other day.  It was warm and wonderful.  We really enjoyed this Beef Sukiyaki.  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.  Have fun cooking and stay warm.

Classic Pesto—With a Secret Ingredient

I adore pesto.  I think it’s a sauce that I love so much, but haven’t really showcased it on my blog, as much as I should have been.  Pesto is a sauce that originated in northern Italy.  The traditional ingredients of pesto consist of garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan Cheese).  It’s such a versatile sauce that you can put it on…well, almost anything that your heart desires.  I've been making pesto for a while and use it on many of my recipes.  Those recipes are rather simple ones and that’s the main reason why I haven’t post them on my blog.  But I think it’s about time to do so.  And I have a secret.  A secret ingredient to keep your pesto vibrantly green and pretty.



Yup, the mighty lemon is my secret ingredient.  The acid from the lemon not only adds freshness and flavor to your pesto, but also keeping it bright green instead of turning brown with the oxidation.  Try it, you’ll be amazed how beautiful your pesto can stay bright green in your fridge even after a week.  That is, if they even last that long in there without heading straight to your dishes and happy tummies. 



It’s super simple to make.  So, try this recipe out instead of buying a jar from the store the next time you want to add pesto to your recipes.  You’re going to love the homemade version.  Below is a list of things you can do with your pesto.


Pesto Serving Suggestions:

1) Spread on toasts and sandwiches, hm…yum!
2) Toss with hot pasta, scrumptious!
3) Wrap in rolls and buns, stay tuned on the future blog post.  You don’t want to miss this one.
4) Use as a sauce on pizza…can’t wait to make this!
5) Top a dollop on hot grilled steak, fish or chicken.
6) Marinade shrimps or chicken before roasting or grilling.
7) Use as a dressing on salad.
8) Dollop on a bowl of hot soup to add more flavors.
9) Fill your omelet with pesto, mushroom, cheese, etc. You’re very welcome!
10) Add some to bake with your favorite hot dips.