Spaghetti squash is something I’ve seen online and social media for YEARS that caught my interest. My girlfriend was actually craving spaghetti squash carbonara this week, so I finally gave in and wanted to see what the fuss was about. There are paleo and other ‘cleaner’ spaghetti squash recipes you could make instead, but if you want to indulge, this is…
There are LOTS of fresh veggies in many vietnamese dishes, wouldn’t you agree? Any time you have a wrap, or something being dipped into sauce, it’s almost a given fresh lettuce or herbs will be a part of it. And in how many other types of soups do you order and pretty much expect a side of bean sprouts or…
This recipe for fried & stuffed tofu in tomato sauce is a meatified version of the popular Vietnamese dish of tofu in tomato sauce (or Đậu hũ dồn thịt sốt cà chua). That version is great, and probably the one I’ve had more of, however, the version you’re going to make in this post is more substantial–enough that you don’t…
The tộ in cá kho tộ refers to the clay pot this dish is traditionally prepared in. I don’t have any spare clay pots on hand and I bet most of you aren’t going to have it either so we’re going to cheat a bit and make this in a good ol’ fashioned non-stick pan. Mom’s old restaurant served cá kho in a…
This is love in a bowl. If you’ve had bún thịt nướng you know what I’m talking about. You have your sweet bits, sour bits, caramelization, some crunch, and aromatic herbs in a single, colorful arrangement. Depending in which restaurant you order your grilled pork with noodles (bún thịt nướng), you’ll find that it’s presented in different ways. For the…
I never thought I’d be craving a vegetable soup. Until now. In fact, I have strong memories as a kid, really hating the taste of tomatoes. Tomatoes even in a burgers were crossing the line. During my weekly piano lessons, my teacher would throw back a little bottle of V8 vegetable juice, leaving her breath with the wretched smell of…
Snacking on chả giò (egg rolls) plain is fine if you’re in a rush, but sometimes I need something more substantial. Plus I get to pat myself on the back for actually eating some greens. Bún chả giò is one good way to handle that. The bowl is lined with fresh shredded lettuce at the bottom, then topped with just rice vermicelli and…
Lu rou fan, or stewed pork with rice, is a very common dish in Taiwan. The pork is seasoned and stewed until very tender and served over rice. Meat that’s stewed like this is fork-tender, something I really like. It’s a simple and satisfying dish considered comfort food by many. It is very similar to the Vietnamese thit heo kho in…
I’ve had the chance to try different recipes of ga kho back at home. When I think about “thit kho” (caramelized meats) from my family’s meals, it covers a lot of dishes. Whether it be fish steaks, poultry, beef, hunks of pork, or sausage; everything has a version of the caramelized cooking method.And why not? Caramelization creates a delicious sauce…
Here’s a dish I enjoyed a lot growing up. It’s a very simple fried tofu and tomato dish (Dau Sot Ca Chua) that is one of my fav comfort foods! A version I had occasionally was tofu filled with ground pork too. As a kid I ate the meatless version on this page a lot, but never even considered the work my parents…
