Seafood & Chorizo Paella

I made this dish a few month ago for my dear friend Diana and her Fiancée Phil.  They drove all the way up from Long Beach for a visit, so I wanted to offer them something really special.  What I love about this dish is that it is simple and it feeds a lot of people! It's essentially a "one pot" dish. Everything goes into one large pan but the real work is in the shopping and the prep... so be prepared!

For this recipe I basically scoured the internet for all different types of Paella recipes.  They come in so many variation that it's hard to pick just one.  I basically combined the ingredients I liked most and came up with my own special recipe.  This is the second time that I have made this dish, so I was able to modify and perfect it the second time around.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon olive oil
4 large chicken thigh
1/2 lbs Chorizo (usually found in markets like Whole Foods. Can be substituted w/ another spicy sausage)
1/4 lbs shrimp
1/4 lbs squid
1/4 lbs clams (manilla clams are good)
1/2 lbs mussels
1 head of garlic (separated, peeled and chopped)
1 tomato finely chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoon flat leaf parsley (garnish)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch saffron threads
2 cups paella rice
1 quart chicken broth

Directions:
1. Heat a large pan over medium-heat and coat with olive oil.  Add 1 tbs of garlic and the chicken thigh.  Cook the chicken thigh for 4-5 minutes on one side and turn-over and do the same to the other side. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

2. Re-heat the pan again  on medium-heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add another half table spoon of garlic, mussel, squid, shrimp and clams. Cover for about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. Re-heat pan once again and add another tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the rest of the garlic and chorizo. Cook for about 3 minutes.  Add the tomato, red bell pepper and paprika.  Stir for a bit and then add the 2 cups of paella rice.  Stir the rice so it is nicely coated with oil and vegetables.

4.  In a separate small pot, heat the chicken stock to a simmer and add the safron. When safron is dissolved, ladle stock to cover the entire paella rice.  Let it simmer down and ladle in more stock to cover the rice again.  Do this over and over until rice is cooked.   This should take about 35-45 minutes.

5. When rice is cooked, give it a little stir. Lay the chicken on thighs on top of the rice and then lay the seafood all around the chicken thigh.

6. Cover at low-heat for another 10 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Crispy Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Crepe (Banh Xeo)

Banh Xeo also known as "Vietnamese Crepe" is another dish that I grew up with in our Chinese/Cambodian household.  I thought it was a Cambodian dish, but after thorough research it looks like the Cambodians might have borrowed from the Vietnamese and the Vietnamese borrowed from the French. Southeast Asia was called "French Indochina" for a good 67 years due to French occupation and although they took over our country, they did introduce foods like the baguette and crepe.

Banh Xeo in our house is equivalent to a steak dinner in a typical American household, we only had it on rare occasions and it's always everyones favorite.  The batter is a bit of a challenge to master and you'll probably mess up a few times, but after some practice you should be able to obtain a good consistency and they will turn out perfect!  Eating Banh Xeo is  always an interactive activity similar to that of hot pot or Korean BBQ.  You have to basically assemble your own lettuce cups and dip it in the Nouc Cham (fish sauce). I enjoy it most with Vietnamese fresh herbs (as seen in picture above).  The combination of the crispy crepe, juicy shrimp and pork, fresh herbs all wrapped up in a crunchy lettuce wrap will make any taste bud want to do a little dance!

Ingredients:

Crepes
1 cup rice flour (or you can purchase the brand pictured below at your local Southeast Asian market)
1 cup water
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (usually included if you by the rice flour brand pictured below)
pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for frying

Filling
1/4 lbs ground pork
1/4 lbs shrimp (if not small, chop into smaller pieces)
1 medium yellow onion sliced into 1/8" thickness
2 clove garlic (minced)
2 cups bean sprouts

Wrap
Lettuce Leaves (Preferably leafy ones like Red Leaf Lettuce)
Fresh Herbs such as Mint, Thai Basil, Vietnamese Coriander Leaves (please see earlier post for detailed descriptions of these herbs)
1 cucumber sliced in to 1/4" thickness

Directions:
1. In a large bowl whisk together the rice flour, turmeric powder and salt.  Add water, egg, coconut milk and whisk until smooth.  Let the batter stand for about 10-15 minutes.

2. Heat up a non-stick skillet (approx 10") over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.  Put in the garlic, onions and ground pork.  Stir for about a minute and then add the shrimp.  Stir fry until pork and shrimp are about half done.  Remove the pork and shrimp filling from skillet and set aside in a bowl.

3. Return to the skillet and add another 1 tablespoon of oil.  Ladle 1/2 cup of batter into the skillet and swirl the batter until the bottom of skillet is evenly coasted.  Cover the pan for 1 minute until the edges are lightly brown.  Once edges are brown and a bit crispy, use a rubber spatula to lightly lift batter from the bottom of the pan.  If batter lifts off easily off the pan, then it is nicely cooked.

4.  Ladle 1/2 a cup of pork and shrimp filling into one half of the batter like an omelet. Top it off with some fresh bean sprouts and fold the other half of batter like an omelet. Let it sit for about 1 minute and remove from skillet with a wide plastic spatula.

5. Repeat this several times until you run out of batter.  This recipe will make about 3 large crepes.

6. Clean all the lettuce, herbs and cucumbers.  When ready to eat, place wrap ingredients next the crepe for easy assemble. Dip into Fish Sauce and enjoy! *Please see below for fish sauce (aka: Nuoc cham or Tuc Triey).

Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese name) or Tuc Triey (Cambodian name): Fish Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 lemon juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 clove garlic (finely minced)
1 birds eye chili (finely chopped)
*optional - roasted peanuts (chopped)
Directions:
1. In a sauce pan add sugar, water, lemon juice, fish sauce until completely dissolved.
2. Add minced garlic and chopped birds eye chili.
3. When ready to serve, pour each person a small bowl full of sauce.  Add peanuts if desired.

Rice Flour can be bought at your local Southeast Asian Market.  This brand will include the turmeric powder. 

Prepare the shrimp, garlic, bean sprouts and onion.

Batter well mixed.

Stir fry the garlic, onion, ground pork and shrimp.

Ladle 1/2 cup of batter into oiled skillet. 

Place the pork & shrimp filling on half of the crepe. Don't forget to top off with fresh bean sprouts before folding over!

Give it a nice fold

Viola!

Ready to eat... 

Pumpkin Season = Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast!

With the abundance of "Pumpkin Puree" during the holiday season, I decided to make Pumpkin Pancakes with Honey Nutmeg Butter for breakfast this morning.  The pancakes came out nice and fluffy yet still moist and yummy! The perfect breakfast for a Sunday before Thanksgiving!

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon butter (melted and cooled)
1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

Instructions:
1) Combine all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar in a medium bowl.
2) In a separate smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, egg, milk, vanilla and cooled melted butter. Whisk until smooth.
3) Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold until they are nicely combined, but do not need to be too smooth. Having a few lumps here and there is good. 4) Heat cast iron skillet or pan over medium-high heat for about 3 mins.  Lightly butter the pan. Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter for one pancake. Drop in a few walnuts into the batter on the pan. Cook until golden brown and flip to the other side.

Honey-Nutmeg Butter

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt

Instructions:
1. Cream the butter with honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon until slightly fluffy and even. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate for about 30 mins. Take out of fridge and give it another mix and they will be ready to use.

Yummy Bibimbop

Bibimbop (BEE-beem-bop) is one of my all-time favorite Korean cuisine.  After doing some research i.e. reading different recipes and watching cooking videos, I realized it's not impossible to make at home. A bonus for me is living in K-Town and having access to the best Korean markets.  This dish can be made in a pan and transferred to a bowl, but since my local Korean market carry authentic hot stone bowls, I decided to cook the rice right in it instead of transferring rice from a rice cooker.  Another advantage of the hot stone bowl is the ability to obtain the nice crispy rice on the bottom of the bowl.  Because the rice continues to cook in the bowl even after its been taken off the burner, by the time you finish eating and reach the bottom of the clay bowl, the rice will be nice and crispy with  a light toasty aroma!

Ingredients:

Steamed white rice

Bulgogi Beef (Sweet marinated beef.  A short cut is to purchase at your local Korean market)

1 carrot, julienned

Cooked bean sprouts,steamed or sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

Cooked spinach,  steamed or sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

Cooked squash, steamed or sauteed in little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced and sauteed in sesame oil and seasons with salt

1 egg, cooked over easy

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Soysauce, to taste

Gochuchang Paste (Can be found in your local Korean market. See picture below)

Instructions:

1) Cook the meat (Bulgogi) in small pan and set aside. 

2) Cook rice in a rice cooker or in a hot stone bowl as seen in the picture. 

3) If cooking rice in rice cooker, transfer rice into a large slightly shallow bowl.  Place Bulgogi (with juices from cooked meat) and veggies on top of the rice. Place separately so you can see each ingredient nicely arranged on the rice. 

4) Fry the egg over easy and place it on top of everything. 

5) Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil and soysauce. 

When ready to eat, mix all ingredients together with some Gougchang paste to taste.  

 Prepare vegetables by cutting and setting aside. 

 Steam or sautee all vegetables and lightly season with sesame oil and salt.

 Arrange vegetables and meat in a way where you can see everything beautifully in the bowl. 

Fry the egg over easy. 

 This is how the bowl should look before the egg is placed on top. 

 This is "Gochuchang Paste" found in your local Korean Market. 

Bibimbap is best accompanied by small side dishes such as Kimchi, pickles and bean sprouts. 

Cambodian Peppered Beef Watercress & Tamarind Shrimp Soup

Peppered Beef on a bed of Watercress & Red Onions

Tamarind shrimp soup with squash, tomato, and pinapples  

What a yummy duo!

This dish is great with a bowl of white rice or brown rice. A lemon-garlic-pepper sauce can also accommodate the peppered beef for the ultimate flavor explosion. 

Ingredients:

1) Watercress - 1 bunch washed and dry

2) thinly sliced red onion - use about half

3) thinly sliced beef (I like to buy a good cut like a rib-eye) - for 2-3 people about a half a pound.

4) 1 tablespoon Canola or veg oil

4) Oyster Sauce - 3 tablespoon

5) Fish Sauce -1 teaspoon

6) Sugar - 1/2 tablespoon

7) Garlic - 5-6 cloves minced (reserve half for marinade and half to fry in pan)

9) Ground Pepper -1 tsp (use more until you can see on every piece of meat)

10) Miran (rice wine vinegar) - 1/2 tablespoon

11) Water - 1/2 cup

12) Cornstarch - 1/2 tablespoon

Instruction:

1. Start the marinade for the meat by placing the Oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, garlic (half of the reserve), ground pepper and Miran in a bowl. Mix well and give it a little taste. 

2. Place the thinly sliced beef into the marinade. Leave in the fridge for 20-30 min.

3. While meat is marinating layout clean watercress on a large plate

4. place thinly sliced onions on top of watercress in a nice arrangement. Set aside for a bit. 

5. In a small bowl pour in the 1/2 cup water and dissolve the 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir and set a side for a moment. (Do this just a few minutes before meat is ready to be cooked)

6. Heat a large pan or wok with oil and throw in the half of the reserved garlic. Give it a quick stir to bring out the garlic aroma but be careful not to burn. 

7. Pour the meat and marinade into the pan/wok and cook for a few minutes until meat is cooked. This is where you can add additional pepper if meat is not peppery enough from marinade. If not salty enough, this is a good time to add either a little more fish sauce or salt. 

8. When meat is close to being cooked, place the cornstarch water mixture in. Stir well. 

9. You should have more sauce now with a semi-think consistency. 

10. Turn off heat and gently pour the entire content of the pan onto the watercress and red onions. Make sure to get the liquid marinade is all around the watercress salad and not just the center. 

Lime & Pepper dipping sauce

1) 2 lime (juiced)

2) Ground Pepper -1/3 teaspoon 

3) minced garlic -3-4 cloves minced

5) sugar - 1 teaspoon

6) splash of fish sauce -approx 1/2 teaspoon

Instruction:

1. In a small bowl mix the lime, ground pepper, minced garlic, sugar and fish sauce. 

Best way to eat:

Watercress is really bitter, so try to eat get some marinade juice on the watercress with piece of meat and ladle a spoonful of lime and pepper dipping sauce on top. This is best served with white rice. Enjoy and I would love to hear how it turned out!

Grilled Shrimp Salad w/ Coconut Lime Dressing

For a warm summer day, there is nothing better than a crisp light salad.  This salad combines classic Cambodian inspired ingredients with a Western presentation.  Grilled shrimp with fresh herbs and tropical fruit are topped off with a yummy coconut lime juice dressing. This recipe is both simple and beautiful to look at. 

Ingredients:
12-14 large or medium shrimp (shell removed, tail can be left on)
1 firm (nearly ripe) mango
generous handful of herbs such as basil, mint and cilantro
1/4 cup sliced red onions
3 cups washed Romain lettuce


Marinade for Shrimp
4 tbsp. oyster sauce 
2 tsp. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic minced 
2 tbsp. cilantro, minced
3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice


Coconut-Lime Dressing
1/2 coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fish sauce
3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 tbsp. dried crush chili flakes
2 tbsp. brown sugar


Cooking directions:
1. Place shrimp and mango in a bowl. Stir marinade ingredients together in a separate bowl or cup and pour over shrimp and mango. Toss gently and and set aside to marinate while you prep the salad. 
2. Take a small jar and place all dressing ingredients in the jar. Put on the lid and give it a good shake. Taste and add more of what ever you think it needs.
3. Place Romain lettuce in a large bowl. Toss in the the handful of herbs and sliced red onions. Set aside.
4. Skewer the marinated shrimp and fruit onto wooden bamboo sticks.
5. Lightly oil grill and place skewers on grill for 5-8 minutes per side. Shrimp is cooked when it is pinked and plump.
6. Serve the hot shrimp and fruit skewer over the cool salad and top with a generous amount of the dressing. 

Vegetarian Rice Vermicelli Bowl (Cambodian/Vietnamese)

The best thing about Cambodian food is that it is an integration of all South East Asian food.  One of Cambodia's closest neighbor is Vietnam. My mother used to make some variation of a Vietnamese dish when I was growing up and I always thought they were Cambodian cuisines.  Little did I know that she was borrowing tastes and flavors from our neighbor. Since the countries are so close together they share almost identical agriculture and eco-system, thus producing the same types of ingredients.

Fresh Vietnamese herbs are one of my favorite things to eat.  I love the aroma, crispness and freshness of the herbs. There are many variation of fresh herbs, basil and mint being the most well known. The lesser known herbs are Fish Mint, which has a slight fish aroma and taste. This doesn't sound appetizing, but the taste of the Fish Mint mixed with the noodles, fried shallots and other ingredients is tantalizing. Vietnamese Coriander is another fresh mint I like to use. It is more slender and longer than the Fish Mint and has a spicy with a hint of cilantro taste.

Essentially, my inspiration for tonights meal was Fresh Vietnamese herbs.  With the weather getting warmer and the desire to look good in a bikini, I wanted to cook something fresh, light and refreshing which is exactly what this dish offered. The picture below is a vegetarian bowl, but you can add all sort of meats and seafood to the recipe.

*Ingredients & Instructions to come shortly.

Utah's Teo Chew Egg Noodle Soup

My brother Utah came up the the great idea of having guest bloggers on my site. This blog was originally established as a way for me to document traditional home cooking from my Cambodian and Teo Chew heritage.  Having my brother contribute recipes of dishes he remembers from our childhood is so very befitting! I encourage any family members and friends to submit recipes. I would love to incorporate your favorite dishes and share old memories together.

This is a Teo Chew style noodle soup.  You might be wondering what is Teo Chew and why is it different from plain old Chinese? There is a great difference. Most Teo Chew people are displaced Southern Chinese folks who immigrated to all different parts of South East Asia. The original region in China that the Teo Chew people inhabited was very different from the rest of  China. They had their own distinctive food, language and traditions. When almost the entire population of this group immigrated to South East Asia they blended their already distinctive flavors and ingredients with that of the South East Asian flavors and ingredients. Although it no longer exist, most of the heritage from that region is carried on through immigrants living all across South East Asia. Over time, the blend of South East Asian flavors and Chinese flavors combined to make something rare and unique.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1 package uncooked egg noodles (wide or thin)

1 can chicken broth

1.5 cup water

1 pinch of salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic (diced)

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

2 stacks diced green onions

1/2 lbs Bok Choy

1 package *Vietnamese pork patty (you can subsitute w/ beef or fish balls)

*Vietnamese pork patty is popular amongst the South East Asian community. They are processed pork meat that is pre-cooked. They are yummy, convenient and can be used in many soup dishes.

Cooking directions:

Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Add the egg noodles. When the noodles float to the top (about 30 seconds), rinse in cold water, drain and set aside. 

Slice the pork patty into thin slices. In your serving bowl, throw in the patty slices along with the bean sprouts. Portion out the cooked noodles and add them to the bowls.

In a medium pot, heat some oil and saute the diced garlic till it is golden brown. Add the water and chicken broth and let is simmer. I usually add 1 parts broth and 1 parts water. Add the salt, sugar and msg (optional). Add the soy sauce to taste. Add the green onions and bok choy.  You don't want to let the veggies cook too long. I usually turn off the heat before adding them. 

Happy eating,

Utah Iev

Spicy Miso Ramen

 

This is a simple and easy recipe for anyone who wants to try a hand at making homemade Japanese ramen.  I made this dish this evening and it was a real crowd pleaser! A large bowl of ramen is great on a cold wintry day, when you want something warm and yummy in your tummy!  (Recipe adapted from  Rasa Malaysia w/ a few variations)

Ingredients:

Fresh Ramen noodles (for two)

4 cups water

4 tablespoons white miso paste

4 tablespoon chili oil

1/2 teaspoon hondashi (Bonito Fish Soup Stock) 

1 lbs white mushrooms (sliced in half)

2 hard boiled eggs

1/2 can corn kernels

1 Narutomaki (Japanese fish cake w/ pink swirl)

1 stalk scallion (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (pound with mortar and pestle until fine or find any other method to mash it until its fine and powdery)

Season roasted seaweed (cut into strips)

Toasted shallots (can be bought pre-made in a jar at any Asian market)

Cooking Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil and add 4 tablespoon of white miso paste, hondashi, eggs, sliced mushrooms and finely ground sesame seeds. 

2. Bring the soup base to a boil and reduce heat and let it simmer for about 10 mins. 

3. Add the chili oil.

4. Blanch the ramen noodles in a pot of boiling water until they are cooked. Rinse with cold running water, drain and set aside. 

5. In a large bowl, add the noodles and then top it with the hard-boiled egg (sliced into half), nartomaki, corn kernels, roasted seaweed, chopped scallion and toasted shallots. Pour the miso soup into the bowl and add the roasted seaweeds. Serve immediately. 

 

Scrumpcious Eggplant Lasagna

I've only made lasagna once in my life and I butchered it terribly.  It took me a long time to muster up enough courage to attempt it again, but on a lazy Sunday with time on my side, I decided to give it another go.  This time around I had the proper tool and knowledge to finally do it right.  It came out delicious and much lighter than your usual meat lasagna. I found this recipe by Danny Boome, but modified it a bit. Most of the time eggplant is used in replacement for lasagna noodles/panels for people who are vegan or on a low/no carb diets. I just wanted to make lasagna without meat, so I figured I would use traditional lasagna noodles in conjunction with the eggplant. No meat, but the eggplant gave the lasagna a hearty and robust taste. 

Ingredients
1 box dried lasagna
6 cup water
2 large eggplants, sliced (3/4" thick length wise)
5 tbs olive oil
coarse salt & fresh ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 (15-ounce) whole milk ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 cup Parmesan (divided)
2 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves
2 cup Marinara sauce (see below for recipe)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on two baking pans.
2. Brush each slice off eggplant with olive oil (approx 3 tbs of olive oil). Sprinkle salt and pepper and do the same for the other side.
3. Roast eggplant until soft and golden. Turn slices half way through (bake for about 25 mins).
4. Bring a large pot of boiling water to a rolling boil (about 6 cups).  Add a dash of salt and 6 lasagna noodles into boiling water. Cook uncovered until al dente. Drain water when done.
5. In medium skillet add remaining 2 tbs olive oil and sliced mushrooms and chopped garlic (about 5 mins until mushroom is soft). Once mushroom is cook set it aside and let it cool.
6. In a large bowl add the ricotta, eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, oregano, mushrooms, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Brush an 8" rectangular baking dish with oil.
7. Ladle a few spoonful of Marinara sauce in the baking dish and lay 2 pieces of lasagna side by side. Add 2 slices of eggplant on each lasagna panel. Layer on the ricotta mixture. Ladle more sauce on top of ricotta mixture. Add another layer of lasagna panels, eggplant, ricotta mixture and Marina sauce. Add the last two lasagna panel and ladle sauce to completely cover lasagna.
8. Sprinkle the remainder of the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (optional to add 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese).
9. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Marina Sauce

Ingredients
5 clove garlic
course salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 tbs tomato paste
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tbs chopped oregano leaves
1 (28-ounce) can Roasted Crush tomatoes

Instruction
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Peel 5 cloves garlic and place them in a square of foil. Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle approx 2 tablespoon olive oil. Create a leak proof pouch and roast for 25 mins directly on oven rack at 400 degrees.
3. In medium sauce pan, saute onions and carrots with the oil.  Add tomato paste and stir well. Cook off the tomato past (about 5 mins). When vegetables are soften add the roasted garlic, salt, pepper, basil, oregano and stir together until incorporated. Pour in the tomatoes. Fill the empty can with water (almost to the top, but not full)
4. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, uncovered. Stir and taste occasionally. (carrots and onions are supposed to sweeten the sauce, but if it is too tart, add 1 teaspoon of sugar).
5. Once sauce has been simmering for 1 hour and has thicken. Remove from heat and pour into blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Fried Potato Tacos & Mexican Cold Bean Salad

Cooking for vegetarian's can be a challenge, but it shouldn't stop you from making what you would typically make.  I like to substitute meat with an ingredient that can give the same hearty and substantial feeling that meat can give you. For my tacos, I've replaced the meat with potatoes. I've had potato tacos in the past and they were always mushy and somewhat bland, so I fried mine to give it a meat like crisp and sprinkled it with taco seasoning.  I accompanied my tacos with a Mexican Cold Bean Salad.  The acidity and zest of the salad really compliment the tacos nicely.

Ingredients for Potato Tacos:

6-8 small corn tortillas
1 Idaho large potatoes 
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 bunch green onions
2 tbs grated Mexican cheese
dollop of sour cream -to taste
1 taco seasoning mix
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 small pad of butter
1 avocado

Instructions:
1.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2. Dice tomatoes and green onions and set aside
2. heat skillet and place potatoes into vegetable oil
3. once potatoes are coated in oil, sprinkle some taco seasoning onto potatoes. Be careful not to sprinkle too much. They can get very salty, so taste along the way to make sure it is not over seasoned.
4. Once potatoes are golden brown and crispy, sprinkle the chopped green onions in the skillet.
5. Remove potatoes from skillet and drain oil by laying them in paper towels.
6. Heat another flat skillet on medium heat.
7. Place a small pad of butter in skillet and lay tortilla in skillet. Flip the tortilla so that it is soft and a bit toasty on each side.
8. Remove tortilla and place a pile of potatoes in each tortilla. Place the diced tomatoes on top of the potatoes.  Add avocado, sour cream and hot sauce.

Ingredients for Mexican Cold Bean Salad:

1 (15 ounce) black beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) kidney beans rinsed and drained
1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 a red bell pepper, chopped
1 can of corn, drained
1 small red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 red wine vinegar
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tbs white sugar
1 tbs salt - add to taste
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tbs ground cumin
1/2 tbs ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground chili powder
dash of hot sauce

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, corn, and red onion.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vineger, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin and black pepper.  Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.
3. Poor olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

Indian Summer

I used to be intimidated by Indian cooking and never thought I would be able to pull it off.  I finally got over that fear and just picked up a bunch of spices and played with them.  Once I got familiar with the spices, I was on a roll.  I'm still a novice with Indian and have plenty more to learn, but if you are looking for a beginners recipe, I highly recommend trying one of these. I served all three dishes for dinner one evening and it really came together nicely.  The Roasted Eggplant dish compliments the Chicken Curry, and the Mint Chutney  adds a refreshing taste to both the dishes. The meal is best served with Basmati rice and Naan bread.  I didn't have any Naan bread, and I haven't figured out how to make it yet, so I substitute with toasted pita and it was just as delicious!


Indian Chicken & Red Potato Curry

Ingrediants

1 package of chicken thigh or breast (approx 2.5 lbs) cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces

4 small red potatos - cut into 1 1/2 -2 inch pieces

1 tbs olive oil 

3 cloves of garlic

1 grated 1" ginger piece

1 cup water

1/4 cup yogurt

2-3 tbs tomato sauce

2 bay leaves

5 whole cloves

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp sugar

2-3 sprig of cilantro for garnish

 

  

Cooking Instructions

Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic, grated ginger, chicken and potatos. Brown the chicken and reduce heat to medium and cover for about 15 mins. Mix 1 cup water, 1/4 cup yogurt and 2-3 tablespoon of tomato sauce in separate bowl and set it aside for a bit.  Come back to the chicken and add all the spices (2 bay leaves, 5 whole cloves, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric power, 1 tsp curry power, 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp sugar). Add the water, yogurt and tomato sauce mixture into the skillet. Let it come to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cover for an additional 15 mins. Garnish with a few sprigs of coarsely chopped cilantro on top.

The aromatic sent of spices in  your house is an indication that the dish is ready.  If the sauce has not thicken a bit after 15 mins, uncover it and leave on low simmer for another 5 mins.  Should be ready to serve when potatoes are tender and sauce is slightly thickened.  I like to accompany this dish with Basmati rice.  Naan bread would be a nice touch, but if you do not have you can always substitute with some toasted pita bread.

Indian Roasted Eggplant

Ingredients

3-4  Chinese eggplants depending on size, approx 2 1/2 lbs total (I prefer Chinese eggplant because they are smaller and easier to cook and has a nicer flavor than Western eggplant).

1 medium brown onion, chopped

2 tbs canola oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

3 tsp coriander

3 tsp cumin

2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1" piece of ginger, grated

1 small jalapeno, chopped (opt)

14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup spinach (opt)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Cooking Instructions

Broil eggplant in oven until the skin is charred on the outside and the pulp is nice and soft in the inside.  You can usually tell when the eggplant is ready by the aromatic roasted smell.  Remove skin and set aside in a colander to remove excess moisture. In the meantime, add 2 tbs canola oil, chopped onions and 2 tsp salt into a medium size pot over high heat.  Cook until onions are golden brown and a translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno.  Stir for a while and then add sugar and spices (1 tsp sugar, 3 tsp coriander, 3 tsp cumin, 2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cayenne). Cook until you get a nice fragrant.  Stir in eggplant and can of roasted tomatoes (including the juice). Cook until liquid has evaporated and you have a thick consistency.  Reduce the heat a bit. This may take up to 20 mins.  When close to done, stir in the chickpeas, spinach and cilantro.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients

1 cup yogurt (Trader Joe's Plain Organic Yogurt is my favorite to use)

1 bunch coriander leaves

3/4 bunch of mint leaves

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 1" ginger piece, grated

2-3 tbs water

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp amchur powder (find at local Indian market)

1/4 of small jalapeno (opt)

2 tsp salt (to taste)

 

Cooking Instructions

Set aside yogurt and blend all other ingredients in a blender or food processor. When well blended, add mixture into the yogurt. Mix well and you may add salt if it is still bland.  Don't make the mistake of blending the yogurt in the blender.  You will not have the desired thick consistency that makes the Chutney so nice and refreshing.

The Art of Cooking

The art of cooking is about layering, mixing, and creating flavors.  Ingredients become the paint and you become the artist.

I'm no professional chef or feel that I have any exceptional cooking skill.  I stumbled upon cooking because as a youth, I became tired of the Cambodian and Teo Chew food my mother prepared.  Western food was seldom cooked in our household and the only time I experienced it was at the school cafeteria or at a friend's house.  Inspiration often came from dining at friend's homes.  I was always too shy to ask for recipes or how the dish was prepared, so I became observant of what I was eating.  I picked the meal apart with my eyes, identified the ingredients visually and identified the ingredients with the taste in my mouth.  I would return home to try to replicate the meal for my brother and sister.  To my surprise, it always came out pretty good and sometimes even better than what I had originally.

It is ironic that my start in cooking came from the need to experience something different from Cambodian and Teo Chew food.  Now, I enjoy eating and cooking Cambodian and Teo Chew food more than ever.  Having filled that yearning of having all sorts of Western food since my ability to drive, I have come to appreciate the bold and exotic flavors of Cambodian cuisine and the simplicity of  Teo Chew dishes.  I'm so thankful for my cultural background because it has helped me gain such a large flavor pallet and a true appreciation for every kind of food.  My goal is to create a few signature dishes from every region in the world.  Although most of the recipes found in this journal will be from South East Asia, I'll occasionally dabble into other parts of the world through inspiration from friends, family, restaurants and the infinite food programs I watch.

I hope friends and family will cook a few dishes from this blog, but most of all it is a way for me to document and preserve a lot of the Cambodian cooking my mother has taught me.  Storing it in my head won't do me any good, so this is a great opportunity to have it down in writing and share it with anyone who is interested.

Enjoy and happy cooking!