Vietnamese Food any Day
Andrea Nguyen
Serves 4
Takes 30 Minutes
Marinated Beef
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon recently ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, put through a press or minced and mashed
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1-1/2 pounds beefsteak, such as bottom sirloin (tri-tip) or New York strip, trimmed and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
Salad
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion or shallot
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar or honey
2 pinches fine sea salt
About 4 grinds black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
4 cups lightly packed watercress, baby arugula, or other salad greens
¼ cup fresh mint, basil, or other herb leaves, torn (optional)
6 to 8 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
A deliciously quirky combo of warm cubes of seared steak atop cool salad, this classic is traditionally considered a special-occasion dish in Vietnam, where beefsteak is a luxury. Given that, cooks cleverly cut the meat into smaller pieces to imbue it with flavor, cook it quickly, and serve it to a crowd. The name in Vietnamese, thit bo luc lac, refers to the back-and-forth shaking (luc lac) of the skillet as the beef (thit bo) cooks. Shaking beef is a Viet restaurant favorite, and a cinch to make at home.
For the steak, choose well-marbled pieces. When the beef hits the greens, they wilt slightly and the beef juices and dressing blend together into a tangy sauce, which is great spooned over rice or other grains.
To prepare the beef In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, corn starch, pepper, garlic, 1-1/2 tablespoons of the oyster sauce, the sauce, and fish sauce. Taste and, if a saltier finish is needed, add up to 1-1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce. Add the beef, toss to coat well, and let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature. Keep the canola oil nearly
To make the salad Rinse the onion in a strainer under cold running water for about 10 seconds, then set aside. In a large bowl (suitable for tossing the salad), whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, water. Add the onion, top with the watercress, and, if you wish, add the mint and tomatoes, but don't toss.
Set a large skillet that can get very hot (such as carbon steel or cast iron) over high heat and add enough of the canola oil to film the bottom. When the oil is shimmering, carefully add the beef, spreading it out in one layer, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan every 30 to 60 seconds to sear the beef on all sides; it should be medium rare, (if you want to minimize mess, cover the pan with a splatter guard, and flip the meat with a spatula.) Remove from! the heat.
Quickly toss the salad and transfer everything, including the dressing, to a platter or serving dish. Pile the cooked beef and its juices on top and serve immediately. At the table, ceremoniously combine all the ingredients and invite diners to dive in.
Sheet-Pan Roasted Salmon Niçoise Salad
New York Times
Here, the classic French salad becomes an elegant dinner, with mustard-glazed salmon in place of tuna, roasted vegetables and jammy eggs served over a jumble of salad greens tossed with a red-wine vinaigrette. Roasting the vegetables, rather than serving some steamed and some raw as you would for a traditional Niçoise, gives this dish great texture and a delicious contrast of temperatures. The vegetables and salmon are roasted on a single sheet pan, making this an elevated take on the one-dish dinner — fit for company and easy enough for a weeknight.
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 servings
1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1¼ teaspoons black pepper
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 anchovy fillet, minced (optional)
6 ounces haricots verts or green beans, trimmed
1½ cups cherry tomatoes
½ cup pitted olives, preferably Niçoise or Kalamata
4 (6-ounce) center-cut, skin-on salmon fillets
5 ounces tender salad greens, like baby red and green leaf lettuce
PREPARATION
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place a rack near the top of the oven. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss. Arrange the potatoes so the cut sides are facing down and roast for 20 minutes.
2. While the potatoes roast, fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the eggs and cook over medium heat for exactly 6 minutes. Remove the eggs, and when they are cool enough to handle, peel and quarter them.
3. Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, the garlic, anchovy (if using), ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
4. Add the haricots verts, tomatoes and olives to the sheet pan with the potatoes, along with 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Using tongs, toss well, then move the vegetables to the sides to create space in the center of the sheet pan. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and place them, skin-side down, in the center of the sheet pan.
5. Brush fillets with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast on the top rack in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to lightly brown the salmon. (If you don’t have a broiler, roast salmon for an additional 2 to 3 minutes instead.) The salmon should flake easily and be just cooked in the center.
6. Add the greens to the large bowl with the dressing, and toss gently. Place greens on a large platter, leaving a narrow border at the platter's edges. Place the salmon fillets in the middle of the platter, then arrange the roasted vegetables and eggs around them. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
When I saw this recipe for Bloody Mary Tomato Salad, I knew we would have to make it. How could I resist? This is a Salad you should try if you like spicy Bloody Marys. It is tangy way to serve Tomatoes when they are at their summer peak.
Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
New York Times
A Bloody Mary is more than a hangover cure or acceptable brunch tipple; it is also an excellent example of precise and intentional ingredient pairings. There’s tart tomato, balanced with crisp celery, pepped up with piquant hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper, then rounded out with lemon. These elements are the inspiration for a simple summer tomato salad, sans the vodka, of course. A brief pickle in lemon juice softens the celery and takes the bite out of the onions. This salad is vegan so rather than Worcestershire, which contains anchovies, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar are used to deliver that same umami and tang. (Vegetarians and vegans, remember this combination for other recipes that ask for Worcestershire!). Serve on its own, with bread to mop up the tasty juices, or toss it through pasta and serve as a salad. This salad will keep and will taste just as good (or even better) the next day.
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 servings
FOR THE SALAD
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 small red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from ½ small lemon)
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2 pounds ripe tomatoes (any variety), cut into roughly 1 to 2-inch pieces
½ teaspoon black pepper
Handful of chopped parsley
FOR THE DRESSING
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1½ to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
1 clove garlic, grated
½ teaspoon celery salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
PREPARATION
1. Place celery and red onion in a bowl, and add lemon juice, sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss and leave to soften for 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad.
2. To make the dressing, combine the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, garlic, celery salt and olive oil in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Tip the celery and red onions into a colander and allow to drain. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
4. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and add the celery and onion. Add the dressing, along with the black pepper; stir gently to combine. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. To serve, top with parsley.
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Roast Chickens with Plums
New York Times
This recipe, which roasts two chickens at the same time, has been engineered to feed a crowd. It's no harder than roasting one chicken. The birds get rubbed down with a garlicky sumac spice rub brightened with lemon zest. Then, as they cook, their fragrant drippings season sliced plums roasting in the pan underneath them, which caramelize into a fruity, chutney-like sauce. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d rather but be sure to reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. For two chickens you need the higher heat so they both crisp properly, but for only one chicken, slightly lower heat keeps the plums from burning.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
For The Chicken
2 large lemons
2 tablespoons ground sumac
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1t easpoon allspice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 chickens, 4 to 4½ pounds each
1 bunch thyme, more for garnish
For The Plums
2¼ pounds plums, halved or quartered if large
4 shallots, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 bay leaf, torn in ha
Preparation
1. Grate the zest from the lemons and place in a small bowl. Set aside the zested lemons.
2. Stir sumac, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice into the lemon zest. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic. The mixture should feel like wet sand. Rub it all over the chickens, including inside the cavity.
3. Divide thyme bunch in half and place in the chicken cavities. Place chickens on a roasting rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
4. When ready to roast, let chickens come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
5. In a large roasting pan, toss together plums, shallots, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and 2 tablespoons water. Spread out plum mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place chickens on the rack over the plums in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from reserved lemon and mix it with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle this over the chicken, then continue to roast until the birds are golden-skinned and cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.
7. Let chickens rest, covered lightly with foil, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the plums and more thyme for garnish.
Watermelon and Feta Salad was a perfect side to serve for our annual July 4th Bar-B-Que. It is a real treat. Everyone loved it. We were lucky that this year the melons are exceptional. Maybe a benefit of global warming.
Watermelon and feta
Plenty
Yotam Otttolenghi
This you must eat on the beach, or at least outdoors, on a hot day, with the sun's rays unobstructed. It reminds me of hot sweaty nights on the seafront in Tel Aviv, when everyone is out enjoying beer, loud music and often a heated conversation. The sweet juiciness of the watermelon and the crumbly saltiness of the feta give this salad all its character. So make sure you choose the best possible of both.
Serves 4
10 oz feta
4-1/2 cups large chunks of watermelon
3/4 cup basil leaves
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
olive oil
Slice the feta into large but thin pieces, or just break it by hand into rough chunks.
Arrange all the ingredients, except the olive oil, on a platter, mixing them up a little. Drizzle over some oil and serve at once.
Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread
New York Times
This lightly sweet cornbread has a crunchy, buttery crust, which comes from baking it in a hot skillet. If you have a cast-iron pan, this is the time to use it. The heavy, heat-retaining material will give you the darkest color (which equals the most flavor). But any large ovenproof skillet will work. And if you don’t have a skillet big enough to hold all the batter, you can either halve the recipe or bake the cornbread in 9-by-13-inch pan. (Brown the butter first in a saucepan.) Your bread won’t have the same dark crust, but the moist crumb flavored with brown butter and maple syrup is ample recompense.
Yield:12 servings
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup maple syrup
2¼ cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1½ cups yellow cornmeal, fine or medium-coarse grind
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½teaspoon baking soda
PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. On the stovetop, in a 11- or 12-inch skillet (ovenproof and preferably cast-iron), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan to lightly coat sides and bottom, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep nut brown. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn.)
2. Pour brown butter into a large bowl. (Do not wipe out the pan.) Whisk the maple syrup into the butter, then whisk in buttermilk. The mixture should be cool to the touch; if not, let cool before whisking in the eggs. Then whisk in the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
3. If the skillet is no longer hot (cast iron retains heat longer than other metals), reheat it briefly on the stove for a few minutes. Scrape batter back into it. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into it emerges clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the skillet for 10 minutes before slicing.
Salted Margarita Bars
New York Times
This edible cocktail is an ideal party dessert, mingling all the fun of a margarita — and its salted rim — with the efficiency of a slab pie. Key lime pie’s boozier, saltier cousin, it comes together quickly and maintains its consistency when frozen, making it a great make-ahead treat for a barbecue or a trip to the beach. Any tequila will work, but blanco is preferred for its milder taste. Don’t make the curd more than 10 minutes in advance, as the lime juice will start to thicken it, which could affect the bake.
Yield:16 bars
FOR THE CRUST
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan
About 40 saltine crackers (from one 4-ounce/113-gram sleeve)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE FILLING
2 teaspoons lime zest plus ½ cup juice (from about 4 limes)
¼ cup tequila (preferably blanco)
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
Pinch of kosher salt
5 large egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Flaky salt, for finishing
PREPARATION
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter (or use the wrapper from your stick of butter). Line the buttered pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. (This will help you pull the bars out of the pan easily.)
2. Prepare the crust: In a food processor, pulse the saltines until ground like coarse sand. (Alternatively, place them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.) It’s OK if there are a few larger pieces. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt, and pulse a few more times until all the crumbs are evenly saturated (or mix to combine in a medium bowl). Pour the mixture into the lined pan, press into an even layer and freeze for about 15 minutes.
3. After the crust has chilled, bake it until fragrant and golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
4. While the crust cools, make the filling: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur and salt.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add the tequila-lime mixture to the yolk mixture, whisk to combine, then pour into the prepared crust. (It’s OK if the crust is not yet completely cool.) You may be tempted to prepare the curd earlier, but don’t do so more than 10 minutes before baking, as the lime juice will start to thicken it, which could affect the bake.
6. Bake 15 to 17 minutes until the curd is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center.
7. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, then freeze for at least 2 hours.
8. After freezing, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with flaky salt, cut into 16 bars and serve right away. Store leftovers in the freezer. Cheers!
