Chicken stuffed with crawfish étouffée

Every time we go to Houston, Texas we would stop by Don's Specialty Meat and load up on boudin and their crackling to nibble on during our ride. This trip we grabbed a few of these chicken to try... OMG it is delicious and easy to make. This is awesome for those days that you have tons to do and no prep time. All you need to do is throw a salad together or a bag of veggies in the microwave.

I DID NOT  follow the direction on the package. What I did was put mines in a baking dish. I seasoned mines a little with some Tony's Chachere and garlic powder. I wanted the chicken to be salty so we can eat it with steam green beans and corn on the cob. 

Next I cut out the thread and drizzle with a little olive oil... Bake at 350 COVERED for 1 hour then UNCOVERED for 30 minutes... I also added a pat of butter on too so the skin can be nice and crispy!! 

Enjoy!! 

Banh Bo Nuong

Banh Bo Nuong (Honeycomb Cake) 

Ingredients: 

1 can coconut milk (13 oz) 

2 Cup white sugar 

3 Tablespoon Pandan extract 

In a sauce pan over medium heat add these 3 ingredients and cook it all up until the sugar is dissolved. REMEMBER to continually stir. Once it's the sugar is all dissolved..take off heat and set aside to cool. 

Preheat oven at 350 

In another large mixing bowl..shifting all these dry ingredients. 

2 Cup  Flour (tapiacoa flour) 

2 pink envelope of the baking powder (can be found in the baking aisle of the Asian market) 

1 TBS rice flour (clear package with the red writing) 

At room temperature -- 8 eggs 

Beat by hand until nicely incorporated. 

***Spray your nonstick bundt pan with some cooking spray. Remember to spray really well. 

Once the 8 eggs has been beaten next add it to the dry ingredients and mix well. Once your sugar solution is cool ..slowly drizzle it into the egg and flour mixture. 

Next pour into prepared bundt pan and bake at 350 for 1 hr. 

Pork Eggrolls

I usually make eggroll and put in the freezer so when I am craving some all I have to do is take out a ziploc bag and throw it in the fryer. This time I tried a new recipe that my sister in law was telling me about. I used TARO roots.


INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds of GROUND PORK
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 cup shredded TARO ROOTS
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cup soften vermicelli noodles (I soak in a bowl of warm water then drain and cut them into 1inch length)
1/2 cup of softened shredded wood ear mushroom (need to soak in some luke warm water--according to package)
2 TSP minced garlic
2 TSP fish sauce
1 TSP garlic powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 eggs



****2 PACKS of spring roll pastry (25 paper per package)

***OILS for deep frying
1 EXTRA egg white for sealing the egg roll paper

Directions:
1. In a LARGE BOWL mix all the ingredients together.

2. Separate the paper from the package--they are usually stick together so you have to peel them apart. Be very careful that you don't tear the paper. Next dip 1 corner of the paper in the egg whites.

3. Lay the sheet of paper on a flat surface and spread about a TABLESPOON full of the filling in the other corner of the paper.

4. Fold the bottom end and then the sides to wrap up the fillings.

5. Roll up firmly and place the rolls seam sides down until frying.

6. Deep fry the egg rolls at 350 F until the egg rolls are golden and crisp. Serve with fish sauce (nuoc man) dipping sauce or Sweet Chili Sauce.

Spring Roll paper (25 per package) 

Peel and chopped (Taro Roots) you can find at the local asian market 

                               Vermicelli Noodles 

                                       Filling

Filling in the corner of the paper and egg white for sealing 

            the ends of the paper

Favorite Friday

There are days when I don't have time to marinate and cook a full meal so usually I keep some of these ready items in my freezer. I just discover these salmon that are individually wrap. You can cook them in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. Throw them in the oven or on the stove/grill.

Then serve on top of a salad or with rice or mash potatoes. 

It's very flavorful!! 

I got them in the freezer section at Costco for around $15.00. 

Poppyseed Chicken Salad

Usually during the weekdays I like to eat something light or a sandwich since its usually just Vivi and I at home. So every chance I get to stop by Costco I would grab a rotisserie chicken and a box of the croissant and a container of purple grapes. Since the grapes and ROTISSERIE is a staple at my house. I love this recipe because its not HEAVY because there is no mayonnaise.  


Ingredients: 

1 rotisserie chicken (shredded) 

1/2 bottle of poppyseed dressing 

1/2 C  of pecans 

1  C of sliced purple grapes

***Salt/ pepper or Tony Chachere's 

Direction:
1. First shredded the rotisserie chicken and put into a large bowl.

2. Cut the PURPLE grapes in halves and then put in the bowl with the shredded chicken. Pour the pecans halves in the bowl and POUR the POPPY seed dressing over and mix well. I like add some cracked pepper and a dash of Tony Chachere's.

3. Serve with some buttered CROISSANT.

ENJOY!!!

Spring Roll and Dipping Sauce

I think Spring Roll is one of the easiest food to make and very FULLFILLING. You can basically use anything that you have on hand and it still taste great.

SPRING ROLL 

Ingredients: 
1 lb of Pork Loin
16 big Shrimp (boiled, peeled, devein and cut in half--that is why I like to use the large shrimp)
1 bag vermicelli noodle
Plain omelet--cut into thin little stripes
Romaine Lettuce
Cucumber--cut into thin long stripe
Bean Sprout
Mint Leaves
Cilantro

RICE Paper

Direction: 
1. Cook the pork by boiling them then drain and slice very THINLY. Cook the shrimp in boiling water until pink..peel and devein and CUT IN HALF.

2. Cook the Vermicelli noodle according to package.

3. Soften the rice paper by dipping it into some luke warm water--one sheet at a time then lay it on a slat surface (I usually lay it on a plate)

4. Next start to build your roll. Start by placing some lettuce then vermicelli noodle, pork and veggies on the side (corner) nearest to you.

5. Roll the rice paper away from you like a burrito.

ENJOY!!!

Bean Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Cup Water
1 small Onion--finely CHOPPED
4 Clove of GARLIC MINCED
1/2 Cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 Cup Bean Sauce ( they have many variety sold at the store--I just used the PLAIN bean sauce, but I have used the one with GARLIC)
1/4 Cup Sugar
3 Tbsp CREAMY peanut BUTTER
****CRUSHED peanut ---use to sprinkle on top


Direction:
In a NONSTICK sauce pan over medium low heat with a little oil ...cook the onion and garlic until translucent. Next mix all the other ingredients into the sauce pan and CONTINUE to STIR until everything is MIX.  Remember to KEEP and EYE on it for it will burn very easy....cook for about 5 minutes and continuing  to stir. Take off heat and let cool and serve up with some crushed PEANUT on top. I usually add some srirache on top also....because I like a little HEAT.

Variety of RICE PAPER 

Sliced omelette( just plain egg with a dash of salt), Shrimp, Pork and the BEAN dipping sauce 

Shrimp and Pork 

Vermicelli Noodle, Shrimp, lettuce, egg, cucumber 

Finished PRODUCT with Bean Dipping Sauce