During the summer, Mom’s friend always hooks it up with fresh veggies and herbs from her garden. One of my favorite things I will never say no to accepting is opo squash. I love making Canh Bầu with it for the girls. Opo Squash, bầu, is super nutritious and delicious. If you’ve never tasted it,… Continue Reading →
Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Soup with Catfish (Canh Chua Cá Bông Lau)
Growing up in a Vietnamese household, family dinner time was really important in my family. No matter how busy my parents were from work, (even when they worked multiple jobs), they always found time to cook up delicious Vietnamese home-cooked meals for my siblings and me. One of my favorite family-style meals included Canh Chua… Continue Reading →
Canh Rau Den (Vietnamese Amaranth Soup)
Every time I eat canh, I think back on some of the best childhood food memories I have of mom cooking my favorite family-style meals for dinner. The traditional family-style meals we ate always included at least one savory braised protein dish, a bowl of hearty green canh, and a pot of freshly cooked steamed… Continue Reading →
Chrysanthemum Soup (Canh Tan O)
In my house, I always stress the importance of eating veggies. I do this all the time to the girls, without trying to be annoying of course. Why? Because it is healthy for you and it helps you POOP! The girls have bought into this belief and blame lack of veggies for any bad poops… Continue Reading →
Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Udon Noodle Soup (Banh Canh)
When you think of popular Vietnamese noodle soups, what’s the first thing that pops up in your head? Pho, right? Well, in Phu Quoc, my parents’ hometown in Vietnam, Banh Canh, a.k.a. Vietnamese Udon Noodle Soup is king. This is what I remember seeing most people eat on a daily basis when I visited Phu… Continue Reading →
Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup (Canh Kho Qua)
I never knew researching bitter melon could be so interesting and informative. Besides being just a bitter vegetable, I learned that there are health benefits eating bitter melon which includes helping improve diabetic and toxemia conditions. It is also known for being good for your skin and is packed with tons of nutrients and minerals. … Continue Reading →
Gà Muối ớt Chiên (Fried Salted Chicken)
Gà muối ớt chiên, fried salt, and chili chicken is the perfect protein to serve for Vietnamese family-style meals which include steamed jasmine rice, canh (Vietnamese soups), and/or stir-fried veggies. So quick, simple, and flavor-packed. My mom made something very similar with pork belly, but chicken is the healthier option and still packed with so… Continue Reading →
Vietnamese Braised Catfish (Cá Kho Tộ)
One of my favorite family-style meal dishes is Cá Kho Tộ, Vietnamese braised catfish. The braised catfish is savory and sweet from the fish sauce and sugar marinade and simmered to a rich and sticky icky goodness. The fish tastes super flavorful, delicate, and tender and soaks up all the flavors from the marinade. So… Continue Reading →
Vegetarian Broth
If you’re in a time crunch and don’t have time and/or energy to simmer chicken/beef/pork bones for 4-6 hours, this recipe allows you to still extract tons of fresh flavor from a few fruits and vegetables to create a robust veggie broth in a fraction of the time. This vegetarian broth serves as the base… Continue Reading →