Category: Main Dishes

Sourdough Crunchy Granola

My friend gave me her sourdough starter in January 2023 and it has been a whirlwind experience of learning to bake with it...and keep it alive. The Vietnamese do not use sourdough as much...at least not that I can recall even though we ate a lot of bread. It was mainly french bread. And it … Continue reading Sourdough Crunchy Granola

Black Beans & Sticky Rice (Xôi Đậu Đen)

I've been cleaning out our house like a mad woman and in the process found two Provident Pantry cans full of dried black beans. I'm not talking about the normal can size you buy in the grocery store. I'm talking about two #10 cans filled with dried black beans. That's a lot of black beans!!! … Continue reading Black Beans & Sticky Rice (Xôi Đậu Đen)

Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Rolls)

It has been a while since my last post. Our summer was super busy but fun. We did a little bit of everything. We went to camps, picked strawberries, visited a dairy farm, enjoyed fresh cow milk, and roamed the woods for wild berries. Now that things are getting into a routine, I find myself … Continue reading Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Rolls)

Ginger Chicken & Green Beans

Ginger is a common ingredient used in Vietnamese cooking. My mom swears it. She said when she had me, she ate a lot of ginger to keep her healthy. She claims that ginger helps her digest the food in her stomach. We use it in everything, tea, cooking and even candy. So when I saw … Continue reading Ginger Chicken & Green Beans

5 Spice Chicken & Cabbage (Gà với Bắp Cải)

I was looking forward to the holidays hoping to get some time to create new dishes, but it was quite contrary 🤣. We were up and out the door by 8am and didn't return home until 7pm. And by that time spending hours in the kitchen was not going to happen. So I turned to … Continue reading 5 Spice Chicken & Cabbage (Gà với Bắp Cải)

Chicken & Rice (Cơm Gà)

Chicken and rice is a ubiquitous dish. Different countries have different version of chicken and rice. The most famous chicken and rice dish in Vietnam is the Cơm Gà Hồi An. Traditionally the chicken and rice dish is composed of boiled chicken served alongside pickled carrots and daikon, shredded papaya, sweet chili sauce and sticky … Continue reading Chicken & Rice (Cơm Gà)

Caramelized Chicken (Gà Kho)

Growing up in Vietnam, we didn't eat much chicken because it was more expensive compared to beef or pork. We also didn't grocery shop for a week or month worth of food. We grocery shop everyday. So when I moved here, I was pleasantly surprised to find that chicken is more affordable and I don't … Continue reading Caramelized Chicken (Gà Kho)

Apple Cider Pulled Pork (Xả Xíu)

Is it me or does it seem like the kids here get a lot of breaks from school? 🤣 There's Fall Break, break between Christmas, and New Year's, and Spring Break. I don't remember having that many week-long breaks in schools in Vietnam. What I do remember clearly is that my school days were half … Continue reading Apple Cider Pulled Pork (Xả Xíu)

Coconut Ginger Chicken

An old colleague told me once that a stay at home mom doesn't know how to manage her time, and I used to agree with that until now. Since becoming a stay at home mom, I've learned that I do need to manage my time...plan my day, just like I did at work. That is … Continue reading Coconut Ginger Chicken

Egg & Cabbage Stir Fry (Bắp Cải Xào Trứng)

When I was trying to decide what to make for this week's post, I wanted to do something simple, yet delicious with the ingredients I have in the fridge. I love to use the same ingredients in multiple dishes mainly for convenience and cost purposes. Since I had some green cabbage leftover from a week … Continue reading Egg & Cabbage Stir Fry (Bắp Cải Xào Trứng)