Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls or Summer Rolls

Part of my Vietnamese cravings! And this is so easy to make and real refreshing appetizer to have.

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
150g rice vermicelli,cooked and drained
Rice Wrappers
200g Large shrimps, peeled,deveined and cooked
Fresh Thai basil leaves
Fresh Mint leaves
Fresh Coriander
Carrots, finely julliane
Bean sprouts

Dip
4 tsp Fish sauce
2 tbsp Fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic,crushed
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 Fresh red chilli, chopped finely

(Optional dip)
3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp finely chopped peanuts

• Filled a large bowl with warm water and dip one wrapper into the hot water until soften. 
• Lay wrapper flat, in a row across the center place shrimp halves, a bit of the vermicelli, carrot, bean sprouts, basil, mint, coriander.Leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side.
• Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl mix the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chilli.
• In another bowl mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.
• Serve spring rolls with the fish sauce or mixture of both.

Pho (Vietnamese Beef & Rice Noodle Soup)

After coming back from  Brisbane, Australia. I had the cravings for some good Vietnamese food. As when i was there i could pretty much get my hands on good Vietnamese food easily there. But coming back to Holland that was tough. So i thought to myself why not give it a go and i did. And i was pretty happy with the results!

Pho


For broth
1 1/2kg Oxtail; cut into 11/2 to 2 inch pieces and fat trimmed
3 inch Piece of Ginger, unpeeled
1 Large onion
1/3 cup Fish sauce
8 Whole star anise
5 Whole cloves
3 inch Cinnamon stick
1 tsp Fennel seed
3 Bay leaves

Garnish
500g Flat rice noodles
2 Bunches Spring onions, Sliced thin
Fresh coriander
Fresh Thai basil
Bean Sprouts or Mung bean sprouts
Limes, cut into wedges
Red chilli paste or fresh red chilli, sliced
500g Filet mignon, trimmed of fat and sliced very thinly

• Put Oxtail into a large stockpot and add enough water to cover the bones by 4 inches. Bring to a full boil and then lower the heat to a rapid simmer. Skim the scum that rises to the surface.
• Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a baking sheet and char them under the grill until lightly blacked. Turned them over halfway through cooking. When cool enough to handle rinse the onion and ginger under cold running water, using a knife to scrape away the charred surface.
• Cut the ginger to 3 pieces and toss it and the onion halves into the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce.
• Put the star anise,clove and cinnamon sticks in a small skillet and toast them till you smell the aroma.Place the toasted spices and fennel seeds to a small cheesecloth and bundle it with a long piece of kitchen twine.
• Add spice bundle to the broth along with the bay leaves.
• Let the broth simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally.After 3 hrs remove the spice bundle, onion,bay leaves and ginger from pot and discard. Remove oxtail from pot and set aside.
• Let the broth continue to simmer.When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and return the broth. 
• Continue to simmer until the broth is rich and flavorful, add more fish sauce or salt if needed.
• Meanwhile soak the rice noodles in hot water before cooking. Arrange the herbs, bean sprouts and lime wedges on a plate.
• Cook the noodles as directed on the pack.
• Before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Divide the noodles, arrange the slices of raw filet and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth. Serve along with the herb garnish.

Recipe is adapted from Nguyen Thi Thai Moreland

Kedgeree

I recently made one of my all time favorite dish Kedgeree. For those who ask what is that well it is a dish consisting of cooked flaked fish, boiled rice, coriander, hard-boiled egg, curry powder, butter or cream and occasionally sultanas.

Kedgeree is one of many breakfast dish that, in the days before refrigeration, converted yesterday's leftovers into hearty and appealing breakfast dishes, of which bubble and squeak is probably best known.

But you know this dish is so good that you can really eat it anytime of the day and its a great party dish as its so quick and easy to make.


Kedgeree
serves 4


Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
250g Basmati rice
500g Firm white fish fillets, with skin off and bones removed
100g Fresh prawns,peeled and devined (Optional)
4 large eggs
2 Bay leaves
1 Fresh red chilli (Optional)
Bunch of fresh coriander
1 large Brown onion
2 Lemons
Olive oil
3 Tablespoon of Patak's or any brand of your choice Tikka Masala or  Madras curry paste
1 cup of Frozen peas or fresh
Natural yoghurt, to serve (Optional )

Prep for the Kedgeree

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add fish,eggs and bay leaves to the pan and turn the pan to simmer. Cook for about 6 minutes.
• Cook the rice according to how it should be and add a pinch of salt to it.
• Finely slice the chilli if using, pick the coriander leaves and roughly chopped the stalks.
• Peel, halve the and finely slice the onion. Cut the lemons in half.

Cooking your Kedgeree

• Put a large casserole - type pan on medium heat with couple of  lugs of olive oil, add onion, chilli and coriander stalks and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the curry paste and peas, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• After the fish and eggs have had their 6 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove then from pan to plate. 
• Flake the fish up to nicely big chunks.
• Let the eggs cool down and then peel the shells away. Add the cooked rice to the onion mixture and followed by the fish and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
• Gently stir everything together and check seasoning.
• Cut the eggs to quarters. Set aside for serving.

To Serve

• Sprinkle over coriander leaves, hard boiled egg and serve with some natural yogurt and a wedge lime or lemon for squeezing over.

My recipe is an adaptation from Jamie's Ministry of food.