New: December 2019
From: https://nordicfoodliving.com/risalamande-danish-rice-dessert/

The original recipe was an insane amount, so this is a halved version.
Ingredients
Rice pudding
0.5 cup (1.125 dl) short-grained white rice (pudding rice)
50 mL water
0.5 L milk
0.5 vanilla beans (the seeds)
1 t je ne sais quoi
Risalamande

75 g almonds
1 tbsp sugar
1 cups (250 mL) heavy cream
0.5 can cherry sauce (for topping, get the type from trader joes)

Instructions
Danish rice pudding (The Risalamande version)
In a saucepan; add rice and water. Heat up and let it boil for about 2 minutes.
Add the milk to the pudding and heat up until boiling under constantly stirring.
Add the seeds from the vanilla beans. This is done by slicing the vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds using a knife. Mix the vanilla with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Also, add the empty vanilla beans to the pudding (they still have a lot of flavor).

Let the pudding simmer under a lid at low heat. The rice has a tendency to burn to the saucepan so remember to stir regularly. Let it simmer for about 35 minutes.
Remove the empty vanilla beans. The rice pudding is now done. Let it cool in the fridge before you proceed to make the Risalamande. You can with advantage make this rice pudding the day in advance.

Risalamande
Heat some water until boiling point and pour it in a small bowl. Add the almonds and let them soak in the hot water for about 5-7 minutes. One-by-one take the almonds up and press them between two fingers so that the peel separates from the almond. Add more hot water if needed. It should be easy to skin the almonds.
Coarsely chop the almonds and mix them with the cold rice pudding.

In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream into whipped cream and gently mix the it with the rice pudding. The Risalamande is now done. Put it in the fridge until serving.

Notes: Serve the Risalamande with some warm cherry sauce. If you want to play the traditional Danish almond-game (mandelgave), leave a whole almond without the peel in the Risalamande - who ever gets the whole almond wins a small prize.


Original:
Ingredients
Rice pudding
1 cup (2.25 dl) short-grained white rice (pudding rice)
100 mL water
1 L milk
2 vanilla beans (the seeds)
Risalamande

150 g almonds
2 tbsp sugar
~2 cups (500 mL) heavy cream
1 can cherry sauce (for topping)

Marcella Hazen's Zucchini, Onion, and Basil Frittata
New: December 2019

oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 (or 2.5) medium zucchini (used 3 the first time, over flowed)
5 eggs (used 6 the first time, over flowed)
butter

Salt, pepper

Use 8 inch cast iron

Kartofler  (Danish Style Potatoes)
New: December 2019

6 large potatoes
1⁄2 cup butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash white pepper


Boil potatoes. Cool, peel and slice 1/4-inch thick. Set aside.
Melt butter in frying pan. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes or as long as needed, turning potatoes to brown both sides.
Add remaining ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes longer.

Adapted from: https://www.food.com/recipe/kartofler-danish-style-potatoes-136227

Flæskesteg (Danish Christmas Pork Roast)

New: December 2019

1 kg Boneless pork roast with rind
coarse salt
5 dried bay leaves (I used 14 with 2 kg of pork)

1. Use a sharp knife to cut long deep grooves in the rind of the pork roast. The grooves should be about 5 mm (1/5 inch) apart. Make sure to make deep grooves in the rind but do not cut into the actually meat.
2. Rub the entire roast thoroughly with coarse salt. Especially, make sure that you get lots of salt in the grooves. (TIP: rub salt on when you're ready to put it on the oven, not early)
3. Place 3-6 dried bay leaves in the grooves - this can be omitted if you do not have any. (TIP: push them really far down into the grooves, otherwise they will get burnt at the end)
4.Place the roast on a rack with a roasting pan underneath. In the roasting pan; add 1/2 liter (2 cups) of water and some sliced carrots and onions. This water with the vegetables can later be used to make a nice gravy. Make sure that the roast is lying in a horizontal position. You can use a ball of aluminium foil under the roast to level it. If you do not do this you risk that the rind gets an uneven color or get burned.
5.Preheat the oven to 225 C (440 F) and cook the roast for 15 minutes.
6.Turn down the heat to 200 C (400 F) and continue cooking.
When the core temperature is 57 C (135 F) turn on the grill function in the oven. This make sure that the rind gets nice and crisp. Keep an eye on the roast so that you don't burn it.
7.The roast is done when the core temperature is 65 C (150 F). It takes about 1.5 hours to reach this temperature. If the water evaporates during the cooking, you should add some extra.
8.When the roast is done; take it out of the oven. Let it rest for about 15 minutes or eat it right away. Cut the roast in slices at each groove.
9. If you want to make a nice gravy; drain the vegetables form the water and pour it in a sauce pan. Add some heavy cream and some brown gravy coloring. Add salt to taste.




Adapted from:

https://nordicfoodliving.com/danish-roast-pork-with-crackling-flaeskesteg/


Tip 1; When preparing this pork roast you need to cut deep grooves in the rind about 5mm (1/5 inch) apart. In this step it is important that the grooves are deep but do not goes all the way down to the actual meat.

Tip 2; It is also important the you add plenty of salt on the rind and down in-between the grooves. If you do not add enough salt you risk that the rind do not get nice and crisp.


Tip 3; finally, is important that the roast is lying in a horizontal position when cooking it in the oven. This makes sure that the rind is cooking evenly, so you do not risk that one end is burned and the other is under cooked.

Buttery Poppy Seed Hamantaschen

Ingredients
COOKIES:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon zest (i used lemon instead of orange bc david doens't like orange)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1-5 tsp water (if needed)

FILLING:
8 oz whole unground poppy seeds (1 1/2 cups-- this is over 2 spice jars so get it in bulk!)
.5 sticks of unsalted butter
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten


1. Slice 1.5 sticks of butter into chunks and put in kitchen aid
2. Add 2/3c sugar and cream
3. Add 1 egg, 1 t vanilla, 1 t lemon zest and beat.
4. Add 2.25 c flour and .25 t salt. Stir by hand (otherwise will get a poof with the kitchen aid) until incorporated and then mix until a crumbly dough is formed. Don't overwork.
5. Form into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap or put in a tight tupperware and chill in fridge for 3 hrs to overnight. (THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO MAKE THE FILLING)
6. Roll out on floured surface until 1/4 in thick
7. Flip over and keep rolling until 1/8 in thick
8. Use a 3 in biscuit cutter (a WIDE mouth mason jar is precisely 3 inches) to cut out dough in circles. (re roll and recycle old dough obviously)
9. Spoon 1 t filling into each cookie
10. Fold into triangles as directed below in otherwebsite
11. Bake on cookie sheet at 350 for about 15-20 min but watch em bc they burn fast.

Filling
1. You're supposed to grid the poppy seeds but i just skip it bc my spice grinder always smells like chilies and indian spices
2. Melt .5 sticks of butter in sauce pan on medium
3. Add 1 c milk, 3/4 c sugar, 1/4 c honey, 1/4 t salt. Stir until dissolved
4. Beat eggs in a medium heat proof bowl. Scoop out hot butter/sugar mixture and slowly drizzle 1 cup into the eggs while beating to temper (I use the 1/4 c measure bc it's dirty anyway).
5. Slowly add all the egg mixture back to the hot sauce pan
6. Cook while whisking for 3-5 more minutes until the mixture thickens to cover the back of a spoon and turns lighter yellow



Adapted from:
https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/buttery-hamantaschen/

Crustless Pumpkin Pie Bites
New: October 2019

Makes ~12.  It doesn't expand a lot, so you can really fill the top of the muffin tins.

INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 t vanilla extract
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
Whipped cream, (optional)


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 ˚C and  cupcake tray with paper liners.

BEAT 2 eggs lightly, add 3/4 c of white sugar and continue beating until light. Add 1 t cinnamon, 1 t vanilla extract, 0.5 t sal, ginger, cloves (and extra pumpkin pie spice or cardamom or nutmeg if desired).

Slowly add in evaporated milk and finally pumpkin and stir until everything is well mixed.

Spoon into muffin tray.

BAKE for about 5 minutes at 425, then turn down to 350 and bake for another 20 min or so, honestly there's a huge margin of error so do whatever.

COOL slowly down slowly (e.g. not the fridge) otherwise they'll crack.

Ingredients (probably double)

Marinade
1 lbs (450 g) skinless boneless breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)

Coating
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon cayenne powder (*Footnote 1)
1 teaspoon ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns (*Footnote 2)
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Spice mix (*Footnote 3)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (and more to garnish)
1 to 3 cups whole dried red Sichuan chilies (*Footnote 4)
2 tablespoons Sichuan chili flakes
1 teaspoon sugar

Cook
1/3 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
5 garlic cloves , thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger , grated
4 green onions , roughly chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro for garnish (Optional)

Instructions
Combine chicken pieces, Shaoxing wine, and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix well and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. If you're planning to marinate the chicken longer, cover with plastic wrap and transfer to fridge overnight.

Add cornstarch, cayenne powder, ground Sichuan pepper and salt in a large sealable bag. Shake to mix well.

Mix all the spice mix ingredients in a big bowl.

Mix ginger, garlic, and green onion in a small bowl.

When you’re ready to cook, drain the chicken pieces and discard the marinating liquid. Transfer the chicken pieces into the bag with the cornstarch mixture, and shake until they are lightly coated.
Heat a wok (or a large deep skillet) over medium-high heat until wisps of smoke start to rise. Add oil.
When oil is hot, spread out the chicken pieces without overlapping (do in batches if needed). Use a pair of tongs or chopsticks to separate the chicken pieces, and allow the chicken to grill undisturbed. When the bottom of the chicken turns golden brown, flip to cook the other side until golden. Stir a few times to make sure the surface of the chicken is evenly cooked.

Remove your pan from the stove, turn to medium heat, then transfer the cooked chicken to a large plate. This step will let your hot pan cool off a bit, so you won't burn anything later.

You should still have some oil in the pan. If not, add 2 tablespoons oil.

Add the Sichuan peppercorns. Cook and stir until the color turns dark brown. Remove them from the pan and save for later. (*Footnote 6)

Add the garlic, ginger and green onions. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Stir-fry vigorously from now on, as you don't want anything to burn. Add the bowl of spice mix with the peppers. Quickly stir until the peppers just turn a bit darker without turning black.

Add back the chicken. Cook and stir until well mixed. Remove the pan from stove and transfer everything to a plate with chili peppers prominently displayed. Top with cilantro for garnish, if using.
Serve hot (and ‘hot’!) over steamed white rice as a main.

Notes
1. The original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon cayenne chili powder and 1 tablespoon roasted ground peppercorns, which can produce a very hot dish depending on the product you use. I reduced the amount and the result was great for my taste. Note: you need to increase or decrease both spices, so the flavor of the dish stays balanced.
2. Although many Sichuan recipes suggest dry toasting Sichuan peppercorns and grinding them, I personally prefer to cook them in a bit of oil until turned brown, drain the oil, then grind the Sichuan peppercorns. It eliminates the raw numbing zing and gives it a more rounded aroma. The peppers will be less potent so you can use more to add fragrance.
3. In the original recipe, Taylor followed the authentic way of cooking, adding each spice separately so the different types of peppers are toasted just to the right degree. However I found this process very challenging on an electric stove without burning anything, so I decided to mix the spices and add them all at once.
4. Choose fat and large chili peppers that have a milder taste. If you cannot find Sichuan chili peppers, you can alternatively use Korean chili peppers. Do not use Thai Bird’s eye chili peppers. I know 3 cups sounds like a LOT of peppers if you cook the dish the authentic way. Alternatively you can use 1 cup chili peppers, which affects the dish’s appearance but not the taste.
5. You might need to cook the chicken in two batches if using a smaller pan.
In China, whole Sichuan peppercorns are always left in the dish. However you do need to pick them out of the dish when eating because it’s not very pleasant if you accidentally bite into them -- I infused the peppercorns in the oil and then removed them. Do not throw away the cooked Sichuan peppercorns; instead, blot the residual oil with paper towels and grind them into powder. Store in the fridge and use in any recipe that calls for toasted ground peppercorns.

https://omnivorescookbook.com/mala-chicken/

Wild Blackberry Pie





New: August 2019

Prepare Butter flaky (all butter) pie crust

FILLING
2 pints blackberries (1 1/2 pounds-- i used 1 lb 10 oz, next time i would do even a little more)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (can add 1 Tb cornstarch too)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (Yuzu when available!)
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes (skipped this oops!)
TOP:
1 egg yolk, beaten

Step 1 
In a bowl, stir the blackberries with the sugar, flour and lemon juice, scrape into the prepared pie crust and sprinkle the butter cubes on top.

Step 2 
Brush the overhanging pastry with water and carefully set the top crust over the berry filling (i like cutting it with ravioli cutter and weaving a lattice). Press the edges of the dough together and trim the overhang to 1 inch. Fold the edge under itself and crimp decoratively.

Step 3   
Bake the pie in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the bottom crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling. MAKE SURE TO PUT DRIP PAN UNDERNEATH. If necessary, cover the edge with foil for the last few minutes (15-30) of baking. Let the pie cool for at least 4 hours before serving.

Adapted from: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/marilyn-batalis-blackberry-pie

Pad Kra Pao (Pad Gaprao) Chicken Stir-Fry with Holy Basil
Yield: 4-6 Servings


Ingredients
10-20 Thai chilies, or to taste
10 cloves garlic
2 spur chilies or another mild, red pepper, chopped
1 cup long beans, cut into short pieces
1 small onion, diced
1.3 lbs chicken, coarsely ground
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1.5 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp black soy sauce
4 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 ½  cup holy basil leaves, loosely packed (use regular basil, NOT thai)
Vegetable oil, as needed
2–3 eggs (1 per person)

Jasmine rice for serving


Instructions

1. Pound Thai chilies into a fine paste.
2. Add garlic and spur chilies and pound into a rough paste.
3. Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, black soy sauce, water and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar.
4. In a wok or a large saute pan, saute the garlic-chili paste in a little vegetable oil over medium high heat until the garlic starts to turn golden.
5. Add chicken and toss until they’re no longer in big clumps. Add the sauce and continue tossing until the chicken is almost done.
6. Add onions and long beans; toss until the chicken is done.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the holy basil.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

For the fried egg:
1. Heat about 1 cm of vegetable oil in a small non-stick pan or a wok over medium high heat.
2. Once the oil is hot (you want the oil very hot, especially if you like runny yolk), crack the egg directly into the pan and let it fry until the edges are browned and bubbly.
3. Serve the stir-fry over rice and top it with the fried egg. Drizzle a little of the prik nam pla over the egg and enjoy!


NOTES:
Prik Nam Pla (condiment for seasoning the egg, optional): Mix together some fish sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, chopped Thai chilies, and chopped garlic.
Note: If you don’t have holy basil, Thai basil will work fine; however, I have found that regular Italian basil actually has a more similar flavour to holy basil than Thai basil does, so that will work as well!

Doubled original recipe.
From: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/holy-basil-stir-fry/
Author: Pailin Chongchitnant 

We ate this at the peony something in Bellevue in July 2019.
Tried to remake it. I think we have the seafood and vegetables correct, but the sauce will take some tries.

Ingredients

2 cups chicken broth
2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
2 tomatoes, cut in half crosswise
5 tomatillos, cut in half crosswise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 head garlic, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried thyme
3 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (look for mexican chocolate discs)
1 cup chicken broth (optional)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Toast guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chipotle chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth.

2. Heat 2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into a blender.

3. Toast tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth and chiles

4. Allow the chiles and tortillas to soak, fully submerged, in the chicken broth until softened, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth.

5. Cook tomatoes and tomatillos in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until soft and blackened, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tomatoes in the blender with the chile puree.

6. Melt lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries; cook and stir until onions are soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add onion mixture to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth.

7. Pour chile puree into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chocolate, chicken broth (optional), sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.

Adapted from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/223261/authentic-mole-sauce/

New: July 2019
(original recipe did not have enough spice or vegetables, this is my modified version)

Marinade:
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into thin slices
1 medium yellow/orange pepper, cut into thin slices
1 medium green pepper, cut into thin slices
1 bunch green onions, cut into thin slices
1 chopped white onion

6 flour/corn tortillas (8 inches), warmed
Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese, taco sauce, salsa, guacamole and sour cream


1. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice and seasonings; add the chicken. Turn to coat; cover. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours (or at room temp for even shorter)
2. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, saute peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm. May have to do in batches.
3. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. In the same skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-6 minutes. Return pepper mixture to pan; heat through.
4. Spoon filling down the center of tortillas; fold in half. If desired, serve with toppings.


From: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/flavorful-chicken-fajitas/

New July 2019

(First time made it with 1 poblano, 1 habanero, 2 serranos and 2 jalapenos bu it was way too spicy. Modified recipe is below)


Mi abuelita’s recipe for salsa or guacamole
Ingredients (makes ~1 L) *values are approximate and can be adjusted for taste*
1 lb tomatillos (Peel back the husks to assess quality)
~2-4 tablespoons of chopped onions (or about 2 slices of an onion)
1 garlic clove
Fresh cilantro (a few stalks)

Peppers:
2 poblanos (roasted)
2 serranos
2 jalapeños
(other combos below)

Pepper
Salt
Cumin (not too much, can easily overpower)
Oregano (dry typically)
1-2 Limes


1. Remove the husk from the tomatillos and wash with water (they may be sticky). Grab the tomatillo by the base of the stem to remove, which should remove the stem and husk in one movement.
2. Place the tomatillos stem-side-down in the medium sauce pan. Add enough water to cover halfway.
3. Cook the tomatillos using medium heat until the side of the tomatillos that is touching the pan just begins to yellow. Flip and cook the other side (each side takes ~2-5 min when water is hot enough). Blenders will also heat the tomatillos, so make sure to only slightly cook them to avoid overheating with the blender. If you are not going to use a blender, then you can cook the tomatillos longer (until all sides are a bit yellowed) to make them softer and juicier. Still try to avoid overcooking.
4. To fire-roast the poblano, place the poblano directly on the grills of a gas stove or directly on the coals of a barbecue. Make sure it is engulfed by the flames. After 0.5-1 min, the skin should be charred; flip to cook other side. This adds a lot of good flavor. Would not recommend charring the other peppers, unless you like capsaicin gas choking your house.
5. In food processor, first chop the not-so-wet onion, garlic, and peppers. Next add lime and tomatillos. Finally add cilantro and spices (salt, cumin, oregano, more lime).


Also worthwhile to look at: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tomatillo_salsa_verde/



Original Recipe:

Banana Bread

This recipe literally has over 10,000 reviews on all recipes. Obviously it's good.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used self-rising bc it was all I had once and it was fine)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick, once I melted it by accident and it was fine)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (I usually use 4)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan (I've skipped this and lining it with aluminum foils works great).

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. (Stir just to moisten is the most important step-- don't over stir!)

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Adapted from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20144/banana-banana-bread/

Gỏi cuốn (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

This recipe was originally supposed to have pork too. I don't think it added much and it was a pain to make.

1 lbs shrimp
1 bag of rice vermicelli (fresh stuff in pink bag was really good)
Assortment of lettuce, bean sprouts, sorrel, perilla, garlic chive and/or mint
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 to 1-1/2 cups water or shrimp stock (from boiling the shrimp)
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
Toasted peanuts for garnish (optional)


INSTRUCTIONS
Boil water, add shrimp. Cook on medium high until shrimp turns opaque (or white/orange/pink). Remove from pot and rinse thoroughly (keep the stock water). Halve along the vein side. Set aside.

Thoroughly wash all the vegetables. Set aside.

Cook rice vermicelli per package instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Assemble the rolls: First wet the rice paper lightly. On one end of the rice paper, add a bed of noodles, then an assortment of greens, then pork (3 slices). Towards the other end of the rice paper, lay out the shrimp (3 slices). Start rolling up the noodle end, tightly tucking in the filling as you roll up. Tuck in the sides when you are half-way through rolling. Continue to roll up the shrimp. Putting the shrimp towards the end of the rice paper allows you to see the shrimpy goodness through the rolls, which makes it more appetizing.

In a small sauce pan, heat up vegetable oil. Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant. Add hoisin sauce and peanut butter. Whisk until smooth. Add water or pshrimp stock. Cook on low until you get the desired consistency. Add Sriracha for a spicy kick and garnish with toasted peanuts.

Adapted from: http://www.vickypham.com/blog/vietnamese-spring-rolls-goi-cuon
Here is the recipe for the crunch rolls inside: https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/make-tamarind-trees-delicious-spring-rolls-at-home/
And here's the relavant part:
8 8-inch square egg roll sheets (wheat wrappers, often found in the frozen section)
1. Make the signature crispy egg roll tubes for the spring rolls. If using frozen egg roll sheets, allow them to come to room temperature. Roll each egg roll sheet as tightly as possible and deep fry at 350 degrees (or fry in a skillet on medium-high heat in an inch of vegetable oil) until golden brown. Set aside.

New: July 2019
North Vietnamese (Hanoi) Food
(GRILLED PORK, RICE VERMICELLI NOODLES IN SWEET & SOUR DIPPING SAUCE)

INGREDIENTS

A. Vietnamese Caramel Sauce

5 T sugar
0.5 C + 2 Thot water


B. Grilled Pork

1 lb. pork shoulder or pork belly (choose a fatty piece to prevent the meat from drying out while being grilled)
450 grams (1 lb.) minced pork (similarly, choose minced pork with at least 10% fat)
50 grams shallots (about 6 – 8 shallots)
15 grams garlic (3 – 5 cloves)
Fish sauce
Oyster sauce
C. Side Pickles

400 grams green papaya, carrots, kohlrabi
25 grams (2 tbsp) sugar
15 ml (1 tbsp) rice vinegar or lemon juice
¾ tsp salt
Fresh herbs to serve: coriander, perilla, lettuce, Vietnamese balm, …
D. Dipping sauce and Noodles

Dipping sauce (nước chấm in Vietnamese) is an essential condiment in Vietnamese cuisine, and usually consists of fish sauce, sugar, lime juice/lemon juice/rice vinegar, water and minced garlic and chilli to taste. My preferred ratio for a perfect nước chấm bún chả is 1 sugar : 2/3 acid : 1 fish sauce : 7 water.

25 grams (1.5 tbsp) sugar
15 – 18 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice/rice vinegar
175 ml (3/4 cup) water
15 – 20 ml (1 – 1.5 tbsp) fish sauce
Garlic, chilli, black pepper – to taste
1.5 kg fresh rice vermicelli noodles or 0.5 kg dried rice vermicelli noodles




#1. Make carpal sauce
put 1/2 c water and sugar in pan let boi, turn yellow, then turn heat too low. add .5 c + 2 T water, cool to room temp


#2. Marinate Pork (2 hrs)
Slice Pork as thinly as you can (freezing helps but it optional).
Mince 8 Shallots and 5 cloves garlic

Add half the shallots and half the garlic to the sliced pork. Add 1.5 T fish sauce 1 T oyster sauce 5 T caramel sauce. Mix and set aside at room temp for 2 hrs

Add other half to ground pork. Add 1.5 T fish sauce 1 T oyster sauce 3 T caramel sauce. Mix and set aside at room temp for 2 hrs.


#3. Make Dipping sauce.
Add 2 T sugar, 3.5 T lemon juice. 3/4 c water. Stir to dissolve. 1 T fish sauce. Mix well and taste to make sure its not too salty. Good to make 2-3 hrs in advance so flavors develop.

#4. Prepare salad.
Peel and slice 2 Carrots thinly. (Green papaya if desired). Add 1 T sugar, mix well and let sit for 30 minutes. Add 0.5 T lemon juice, a dash of salt. Let sit for 1 hour.

#5. Grill pork.
Ideally spread thinnly on perforated tray, make patties of minced pork. Brush oil on top before cooking. Grill at 400 for 30-35 min (other recipes said 10-15 min!). Flip, brush oil. Keep Grilling until done. Can finish with broiler.

#6. Make noodles.
Put in boiling water until soft. Drain. then soak in hot water for 1-2 more minutes. Drain and shake well.

#7. Prep dipping sauce
Mince 3 cloves garlic, warm up dipping sauce. Transfer sauce to bowl add garlic and pepper.

#8. Serving
In bowl add salad, sauce, meat, noodles, greens.



http://www.ricenflour.com/recipe/how-to-make-bun-cha-recipe-vietnamese-grilled-pork-rice-vermicelli/

Chả Cá Lã
Cha Ca
Vietnamese

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

For the marinade:
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 cloves of garlic
1 large shallot
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1-inch piece fresh ginger
½ teaspoon lemon juice (a substitute for mẻ unless you can find it at a local Vietnamese grocery store)
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon shrimp paste (optional)

For the sauce:
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 Thai chili
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the dish:
1 pound of lingcod, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large bunch of dill, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, sliced into strips
1 bunch of green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
A handful of peanuts
Thin rice noodles
Fresh vegetables and herbs such as lettuce, Thai basil, cilantro, and radish


Preparation:
To make the marinade: Use a garlic press to mince garlic, shallot, and ginger, or chop everything well by hand. Mix this trio of aromatics with turmeric, lemon juice (or mẻ) and fish sauce to form a paste; add olive oil and stir. Add fish and marinate for at least two hours.

To make the sauce: Use a pestle and mortar to crush garlic and chili together into a paste, or mince well on a chopping board. Add fish sauce and sugar and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Add water and lemon juice. A perfect dipping sauce should be well balanced with savory, sweet, and lightly sour flavors. Set sauce aside.

To assemble the dish: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with. Add onions and dill and sautée for about one minute, until fragrant but not too soft.

Move the onion and dill mixture to the edge of the skillet to form a large well in the middle. If the pan seems dry, add ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Add pieces of fish to the middle of the skillet and let each side crisp up for about 3-4 minutes per side.


Cook rice noodles per package instructions. Assemble plate with noodles and fish topped with onions and dill. Add a ladle of sauce and top with peanuts and fresh herbs.

From: https://explorepartsunknown.com/seattle/recipe-cha-ca-la-vong/