Category Archives: Pasta and Rice

VERMICELLI BOWLS WITH VIETNAMESE GRILLED PORK

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Who’s ready to go bowling?  Vermicelli bowls, that is.  These are going to be right up your alley.  (You didn’t think I was going to spare you bad bowling puns, did you?)

OK, let’s get the ball rolling.  Start with dried vermicelli — rice or bean thread — found in the asian aisle of most grocery stores.  This bean thread one is the one we like to use:

Use one bundle for each vermicelli bowl, and perhaps throw in an extra bundle for good measure.  Place the bundles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Allow the noodles to soak about 5 minutes until soft and pliable, while you prepare the other ingredients.  Transfer to a colander, rinse with cool water, and drain.

For the base, I like to mix together shredded romaine lettuce, red cabbage, Thai basil, and mint to keep it interesting and colorful.  For each serving, use about 1 cup romaine, 1/4 cup of red cabbage, and 1 tablespoon each coarsely chopped Thai basil and mint.  Place a heaping cup of the mix in each serving bowl:

Top with noodles:

Now comes the fun part, when you get to customize the bowls to your liking — you can top your bowls with julienned cucumbers, bean sprouts, lime slices, chopped salted peanuts, cilantro, green onion, sliced jalapeños — whatever tickles your fancy — and of course, the pickled carrots and daikon that you prepared.  And, don’t forget to add a protein!  The first time we made these we used boiled shrimp and it was surprisingly good.

Can’t imagine I’d strike out with grilled tofu or chicken, either.  But the protein that bowled us over is Vietnamese Grilled Pork (recipe follows).  We’ve made it both on the grill and broiled in the oven, and although the grilled one is the hands-down winner, the broiled one was still delicious and works fine for those who don’t have access to a grill.

Grilled on left, broiled on right

Serve your vermicelli bowls accompanied by a small bowl (about 1/4 cup per person) of Vietnamese Fish Sauce Dipping Sauce to pour over everything.

The recipe for Vietnamese Grilled Pork isn’t difficult, but does require about an hour to marinate.  If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to help keep them from burning.  Pro tip — partially freeze the pork to make it easier to thinly slice. 

I wasn’t familiar with sweet or thick soy sauce, but I was happy to find it in the asian aisle at the grocery store.  It’s thick, like molasses, and sweet, and it’s worth seeking out:

Strike while the grill is hot, get that pork marinating, and get ready to enjoy a delicious vermicelli bowl.

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VIETNAMESE GRILLED PORK
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Ingredients
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (preferably Three Crabs brand)
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (also called thick soy sauce)
  • 1 pound pork tenderloin
Instructions
  1. Mix together all ingredients except pork in a large bowl. Slice pork into thin slices (easiest if partially frozen) and add to marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Meanwhile, if using wooden skewers, soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat grill or broiler. Skewer the pork, and grill or broil until pork is cooked through and marinade has caramelized and is a deep brown color.

 

Skewered and ready for the grill

Grilled and ready to go bowling

 

 

FRIED RICE

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I bought these Chinese foo dogs at an estate sale:

Also known as guardian lions, I hoped they would help protect my palace from harmful spirits and people.  So far, so good.

Foo dogs, which originated in China, are thought to resemble chow chows and shih tzus. They were often found in front of palaces and temples.  They’re meant to be displayed in pairs, one female (representing yin) and one male (representing yang).

After nearly a month of kids and their significant others in and out of the house over the holidays, the last one headed back to college today.  To which I say, “oh foo.”  Inspired by the foo dogs, and the upcoming Chinese New Year, I made fried rice, one of the first dishes I showed my son how to make, and a favorite of his.

This fried rice is easy to make and is best made with leftover rice.  We add whatever protein we have on hand — cooked chicken, Canadian bacon, or, on this occasion, roast pork from a shop in Chinatown.

Other than soy sauce and sesame oil, the only other seasoning is black bean garlic sauce:

Have everything handy, and this comes together in about 15 minutes.

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FRIED RICE
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Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ c. diced chicken, Canadian bacon, roast pork, or any combination
  • 1 small onion, diced (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon black bean garlic sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg and cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for 1 minute more. Remove egg from skillet, coarsely chop, and set aside.
  2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add the chicken, Canadian bacon, or roast pork, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to brown slightly. Add the onion and stir fry for approximately 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the peas and carrots, rice, soy sauce, black bean garlic sauce, and sesame oil, and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, until thoroughly combined and heated through. Stir in the reserved egg and serve hot.

Better than take out
Oh foo, no one to share it with