Slow Cooker Pho Ga

While I was growing up, my mom hardly ever made pho at home. She usually brought it from restaurants in to-go containers with everything separate: broth, noodles, meat, veggie toppings. When pho started to become popular in high school and college, my friends started asking me if I knew how to make it. I asked my mom and she it was really time consuming and, quite frankly, she didn't have the patience to make it herself, let alone teach me. Awesome. I figured it wasn't a big deal since there was no shortage of Vietnamese restaurants in Orange County.

Now that I live in Baltimore, the pho craze is just starting to grow around here but none of the restaurants I've tried have really hit the spot. Recently, I started looking up recipes and saw what my mom meant when she said it was time consuming: first, you have to roast an onion and a piece of ginger over an open flame until it's charred, and you also have to toast all the spices (including coriander seeds, star anise, and cinnamon) in a hot pan. Then you parboil the bones, throw away the water with the impurities, and simmer the bones again with the onion and ginger and spices for several hours. I started thinking, wouldn't it be easier to make it in the slow cooker? My mom agreed it was probably feasible and basically said "Let me know how it goes, good luck!"

Ingredients:

1 cut-up organic chicken (I used a pack of bone-in breasts and drumsticks)
1 Pho Pasteur spice bag
1 white or yellow onion
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 package of rice noodles (banh pho)
Toppings as desired: hoisin sauce, Sriracha, mung bean sprouts, mint, thai basil, lime, sliced green onions, thinly sliced white onion

Ginger dipping sauce (optional)
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup of water (my fish sauce was super strong, you may not need this much water)
2 tsp of lime juice
Thai chiles (optional)

Directions for broth and meat:
1. Cover chicken with water in a stockpot and bring to a rolling boil for about 5 minutes to allow impurities and foam to form at the top. Remove chicken and discard this water.

2. While waiting for the chicken to cool a little, cut the onion in half and char each side over an open flame such as a gas stove or grill. Repeat with piece of ginger.

3. The chicken should have at least partially cooked, enough to cut it off the bones. Cover chicken meat with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for later. Remove bones and place in a crockpot, then cover with water and add spice packet and grilled onion and ginger. Cook on low at least 8 hours or overnight.

4. Discard onion, spice bag, and chicken bones. If you have a lot of patience, you can cool the broth afterwards and put it in the fridge overnight to be able to skim the fat off the top. I didn't.

5. Add fish sauce and salt to the broth to taste. I saved this until the end because I didn't want my whole house to smell like fish sauce! You'll thank me later for this.

6. Transfer broth to a large stockpot on the stove and heat to a simmer. Drop in the chicken meat to poach in the broth for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Remove meat from pot and slice when cooled.

Directions for dipping sauce (if using):
1. Combine ingredients for dipping sauce in a small tupperware or jar and refrigerate at least 1 hour to let flavors develop.

Directions for noodles:
1. Fill a large pot with hot (NOT boiling) water and soak rice noodle package according to instructions, usually 8-10 minutes or until pliable but not completely soft.

2. Drain water from noodles, then fill pot again and this time bring water to a rolling boil. Once water is boiling, drop the noodles in for literally less than 10 seconds, then drain or remove noodles and rinse in cold water. This cooks them but keeps them from getting mushy when you add broth!

Assembly:
1. Place noodles in a bowl, then top with chicken. Add hot, steamy broth and any other toppings that you enjoy (I'm somewhat of a minimalist here). Use the dipping sauce to dip pieces of chicken in before slurping them down with noodles and hot broth. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Maryland Crab Soup

For the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner, we had friends and family over to watch the Blue Angels air show and have a crab feast on the roof. It was a long but really fun weekend. The crabs were freshly steamed and sold by the bushel in west Baltimore (not for the faint of heart). It was great because there were a few out-of-towners who had never picked crabs before, so they had plenty of help.

When we set the crabs out, I asked people who weren't eating the legs or claws to set them aside for me in a separate bag. Well, the bag inevitably got mixed with trash so I ended up picking a few of the last crabs and saving the meat. It took about 4 or 5 crabs but I had a very nice pile of lump meat to put in the Maryland crab soup I planned to make.

I was exhausted at the end of the weekend but still determined to make the soup, so I threw the legs into my crockpot with half an onion and some carrots and covered them with water to make the stock. It turns out, that was key to making the soup taste authentic. When all was said and done, my boyfriend said "this tastes like Maryland crab soup." Coming from him, that meant it was a winner!

Ingredients:

For Seafood Stock
2 dozen crab legs and claws
1/2 medium onion
1 cup carrots, sliced thick
2 tsp chicken bullion or soup base
6 cups water

For the rest of the soup
1 pound lump crab meat
1 bag frozen soup veggies containing okra, lima beans, potatoes, onion, carrots, celery
2 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
Tabasco sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. Place seafood stock ingredients in a large crockpot and cook on high for 8 to 10 hours.

2. Remove crab legs and claws, onion, and carrots from the pot. You can pull out the meat to add to the lump meat and cut up the onions and carrots for the soup, if you wish. I discarded my stock vegetables because there were enough in the frozen soup veggie bag already.

3. Add canned tomatoes (along with "juice") and veggies and cook on low for an additional 8 hours.

4. Add lump crab meat and a dash of Tabasco sauce just before serving. Serve with crackers if you wish.

Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee)

It's been quite a long hiatus, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking (well... at least part of the time). I've moved into a house with a big kitchen made some pretty good stuff recently so there will be a lot to post soon. Plus, it's grilling season! Woohoo! Tonight I'm going to attempt to make lobster tails since they were so cheap at Harris Teeter ($5.99 each). Steam, bake, or grill? I haven't decided for sure, but I'm thinking the crab meat that I also got for $7 off will make a nice stuffing. Also, I just got a julienne slicer so I'm hoping to experiment with zucchini and cucumber noodles soon. Maybe I'll make a salad to go with that delicious lobster tail ... mmmm.

For now, I leave you with a simple recipe: Vietnamese Iced Coffee (ca phe sua da). I've tried unsuccessfully to use the drip method, probably because my drip coffee filter isn't very good. Recently, a friend told me he was making cold brew coffee by putting the ground coffee and cold water in a french press overnight to create a concentrate. It takes some planning ahead, but I tried it last week and it was a success! Add about 2 tablespoons some condensed milk (Longevity brand is best) and plenty of ice (crushed, preferably) and you have yourself a highly caffeinated, refreshing drink. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup of Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee grounds
4 cups of cold water
Longevity brand condensed milk (to taste)
Ice

Directions:
1. In a french press, add 4 cups water to 1 cup coffee grounds and stir. Put lid on but do not push plunger down. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
2. Push plunger down as far as it will go to keep the coffee from brewing any further. Pour about 6 oz of coffee over about 2 tablespoons of condensed milk in a cup.
3. Fill cup with ice. You want more ice so that it will help dilute the coffee as it melts. This coffee concentrate is VERY STRONG. Do not attempt to drink it black, you may end up in the hospital! (Just kidding, but seriously ... don't try it.)

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Winter is coming ... actually it's basically here. We got 2 days of snow and slush already in Baltimore, which means fall (aka pumpkin season) is over. Luckily, I stocked up on canned pumpkin early in the season, so I have plenty to last me throughout the year! And what better day to try a new baking recipe than a snow day?

I originally planned to make a French toast bake, but realized I didn't have enough eggs. I watch Chopped on Food Network all the time and they're always making French toast or bread pudding for dessert, so I figured I could tweak the recipe to make bread pudding instead! I think the bread loaf I used was a little on the small side, so it ended up having to stay in the oven longer to make it less mushy. Once it was done though, it was delicious! You can eat it plain or topped with maple syrup or some sort of glaze (I enjoyed it plain).

Ingredients:
1 loaf of whole wheat bread, diced into 1" cubes
1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
4 eggs
2 cups milk ( I used Silk's pumpkin spice soy milk, whaaaat)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin spice blend, divided

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking or casserole dish and fill with diced bread.

2. Combine last 5 ingredients and 1 tsp of pumpkin spice in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth.

3. Pour pumpkin mixture over bread and gently mix with a spatula to evenly distribute. Top with the remaining teaspoon of pumpkin spice.

4. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Bacon Topped Meatloaf Muffins

I've recently found that besides shopping, one of the only other things that makes me feel better is cooking. I love the feeling of sharing something delicious with other people, especially when it gets everyone sharing and talking about their memories. My boyfriend has been asking for meatloaf for a while now, but the only meatloaf I have memories of is from a microwave TV dinner. Not very appetizing or healthy!

I adapted this recipe from Skinnytaste, where I make most of my meals from. This recipe is kind of a hybrid of several meatloaf recipes, and the result was a hit. My boyfriend even asked me to make it again for a tailgate, where 3 dozen of these muffins were gone in about 15 minutes. I used lean ground turkey, plus zucchini and oatmeal as healthy fillers. And the muffin tin provides portion control!  The bacon kept the meatloaf moist, but provided a little indulgence. Add some sambal or other hot sauce to the glaze for an extra kick.

Ingredients:
1.3 lbs of 99% ground turkey
2/3 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed and drained
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 egg
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 onion, diced or grated
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as sriracha or sambal oelek (optional)
4 slices of center cut bacon
Olive oil for cooking, salt and pepper for seasoning

1. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until onions are translucent and garlic is golden brown (put onions in first for 3-5 minutes, then add garlic so it doesn't burn)

3. Remove garlic and onions from heat. Mix them in a bowl with  the first 4 ingredients and the 1/4 cup of ketchup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Mix the remaining 2 tbsp of ketchup, worcestershire, and hot sauce (if using) and set aside.

5. Fill greased muffin tin with ground turkey mixture. You can fill the muffin cups to the top, but don't pack it in.

6. Cut bacon into 2-3" strips (big enough to cover the muffins) and top each meatloaf muffin with 1-2 pieces.

7. Brush ketchup/worcestershire/hot sauce gaze over bacon. Bake for 25 minutes or until bacon is brown and glaze looks caramelized.

Makes 10 medium-sized muffins. Adapted from Skinnytaste.com

Spaghetti Carbonara with Asparagus ribbons

I bought some asparagus at the farmer's market last weekend since I love asparagus and was so glad to see them back in season. However, they only had giant asparagus stalks that were way too thick to eat whole or even cut up. I remembered trying to make an asparagus with pasta recipe last year that didn't turn out quite right, and decided to try it again but with shaved asparagus ribbons instead of chopped asparagus. The result was great, although I think I would use a wider, flatter noodle than spaghetti next time. The asparagus allowed me to cut back on noodles but still gave a nice crunch. I tried using a vegetable peeler to make the ribbons, but I think a mandoline is necessary for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus, cleaned and trimmed
7 oz dry spaghetti (about half a box)
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Shaved or shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions for al dente, reserving 1 cup pasta water and draining the rest.
2.  Shave asparagus with mandoline into extra thin slices, being careful not to cut yourself on the super sharp blade!
3.  Heat oil in a pan on medium and add minced garlic, stirring until lightly golden.
4. Add asparagus ribbons to pan and sautee for about 7 minutes or until asparagus is pliable but not limp (depends how thin you cut them). Make sure to stir often and coat the asparagus in oil so it cooks evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Add drained pasta to pan and mix thoroughly with asparagus for about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add egg yolks, then mix again until evenly distributed.
6. Season with salt and pepper, and served topped with parmesan cheese and lemon zest.

Note: carbonara is in quotes because it is supposed to have bacon in it, which I was out of but would probably make this dish delicious!

Bun bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup)

My favorite Vietnamese food is probably bun bo Hue, a spicy beef noodle soup that I find much more comforting than pho. However, it's also less popular and therefore harder to find a good bowl outside of Little Saigon (or my mother's kitchen). I never even dreamed of making it until my mom found a bun bo paste at a Vietnamese grocery store , so we tried using it and adding some extra spices. The result was very good, what my mom described as "80% the real thing." Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tray beef shank (2 lean slices)
1 pork hock
4 cups of water
4 tablespoons of bun bo paste
1 lemongrass stalk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 white onion
1 package of rice vermicelli, prepared according to package instructions
sliced green onion, cilantro, mint, lime wedges, thai chile for garnish

Directions:
1. Salt the beef shank and pork hock, then simmer in 4 cups of water for about 1 hour.

2. Remove meat and slice around bone. You can discard the bone or save it for when you add everything back into the pot.

3. Skim the fat off the top of the broth. If you have the time, you can put the pot in the refrigerator overnight so the fat rises to the top and solidifies, then just remove it with a spoon. Re-heat the broth by simmering if you do this.

4. Bruise the lemongrass stalk or slice in half lengthwise and add to broth.

5. Mix the paste/soup base with the cooked meat and add back to the pot along with fish sauce.

6. Simmer for about 1 hour. Serve with rice vermicelli topped with garnishes to taste.

I'd like to try this in a slow cooker but I haven't figured out the conversions yet. My mom's guess was to use 4 cups of boiling water and pour it over the meat in the slow cooker, then cook on low for about 2 hours.
Also, nutritional info to follow if I can find it.