French Toast Batter

• 6 thick slices bread
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salisbury Steak

Servings: 6

    1 (10 1/2 ounce) can campbells French onion soup
    1 1/2 lbs ground beef
    1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
    1 egg
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper , to taste
    1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    1/4 cup ketchup
    1 -3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce , to taste
    1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
    1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper.
2. Shape into 6 oval patties.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties.
4. Pour off excess fat.
5. In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth.
6. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder.
7. Pour over meat in skillet.
8. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

From: http://www.food.com/recipe/the-very-best-salisbury-steak-56694

Bahn Mi

Banh Mi Sandwich

For each sandwich:

1 petit baguette roll or a 7-inch section cut from a regular length baguette
Mayonnaise
Maggi Seasoning sauce or soy sauce
Your choice of boldly-flavored meat or tofu, sliced and at room temperature
3 or 4 thin seeded cucumber strips, pickling or English variety preferred
2 or 3 cilantro sprigs, roughly chopped
3 or 4 thin jalapeño pepper slices
Daikon and Carrot Pickle (Do chua)

1. Slit the bread lengthwise, and then use your fingers or a bread knife to hollow out the insides, making a trough in both halves. Discard the insides or save it for another use, such as breadcrumbs. If necessary, crisp up the bread in a toaster oven preheated to 325ºF, and then let it cool for a minute before proceeding.

2. Generously spreading the inside with mayonnaise. Drizzle in some Maggi Seasoning sauce or soy sauce. Start from the bottom portion of bread to layer in the remaining ingredients. (As with all sandwiches, you’ll eventually develop an order for layering the filling so as to maximize the interaction between flavors and textures.) Close the sandwich, cut it in half crosswise for easy eating, and enjoy.

Daikon and Carrot Pickle (Do Chua)
 
Variations of the include adding tangy-sweet-pungent pickled shallots (cu kieu)

Makes about 3 cups
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 pound daikons, each no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
1  1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup lukewarm water

1. Place the carrot and daikons in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Use your hands to knead the vegetables for about 3 minutes, expelling the water from them. They will soften and liquid will pool at the bottom of the bowl. Stop kneading when you can bend a piece of daikon so that the ends touch but the daikon does not break. The vegetables should have lost about one-fourth of their volume. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then press gently to expel extra water. Return the vegetables to the bowl if you plan to eat them soon, or transfer them to a 1-quart jar for longer storage.

2. To make the brine, in a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, the vinegar, and the water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the vegetables. The brine should cover the vegetables. Let the vegetables marinate in the brine for at least 1 hour before eating. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Beyond that point, they get tired.

(From: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog)

Five-Spice Chicken for Banh Mi

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam)*
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons five-spice powder*
• 2 whole star anise,** ground in spice mill
• 6 large skinless boneless chicken thighs (breast/

To Marinate Chicken:

Mix first 8 ingredients of chicken marinade together and put into a 13x9x2 inch-baking dish. Add chicken; turn to coat. Let marinade at room temperature for 1 hour. Turn often.

Preheat Broiler. Cook chicken approx. 6-minutes per side. Check that meat isn’t pink inside before removing from heat. Transfer to plate; tent with foil to keep the meat warm. When ready to serve, slice.

(from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vietnamese-Sandwiches-with-Five-Spice-Chicken-233499)

Spicy Lime Mayonnaise
¼ cup favorite mayon
juice of one lime
Sriracha hot sauce (to taste) 1-3 teaspoons should do it!

(From: http://www.foodwoolf.com)

Vietnamese Restaurant-Style Grilled Lemongrass Pork (Thit Heo Nuong Xa)


Serves 4
1 pound boneless pork shoulder steak, about 1/2 inch thick

Marinade:
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons granulated or light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped shallot or yellow onion
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped (3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dark (black) soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oil

1. Cut the pork shoulder steak into pieces about 3 to 4 inches big. Set aside.
2. Put the sugar, garlic, shallot and lemongrass into an electric mini chopper and process to a fine texture. (Or, mince the garlic, shallot, and lemongrass individually, put them into a bowl, and add the sugar.) Add the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil and process to combine well. Aim for a relatively smooth texture. The marinade will be chocolate brown. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the pork, and turn to coat well. Cover and set aside at room temperature to marinate for 1 hour. Or, refrigerate up to 24 hours, letting the meat sit out at room temperature for 45 minutes to remove some of the chill before grilling.
4. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through. Nick with a knife to test. Transfer to a plate, loosely cover with foil or an inverted bowl for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

(From: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog)

Chinese Sizzling Rice Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 large dried black mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 medium (about 6 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 slice ginger
• 1/4 cup barbequed pork (or cooked ham)
• 4 ounces shrimp
• 1/4 cup Bamboo shoots
• 1/4 cup Sliced Carrots
• Peas
• 5 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 cup reserved mushroom soaking liquid
• 1 TB dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few drops sesame oil
• Crispy Rice (see directions for recipe)
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Preparation:

Soak mushrooms in hot water for about 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and reserve 1 cup for the soup. Cut mushrooms into quarters. Cut the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots into thin slices.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the chicken and slice ginger and briefly blanch the chicken, just until it changes color. Drain and cut the chicken into thin slices.

  Bring the chicken stock or broth and the reserved mushroom liquid to a boil. Add the chicken and pork, shrimp and the vegetables. Let simmer for a few minutes, then add the soy sauce, sherry, and the salt and pepper. Drizzle with the sesame oil. Bring back to a boil and then let simmer for a few more minutes. Place the soup in a large serving bowl and keep warm.

  Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready, add the Crispy Rice. Deep-fry until it puffs and turns brown, then drain on paper towels.

  Add the rice to the soup at the table, so that guests can hear the rice make popping sounds when added to the broth.

        To Make Crispy Rice

  Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: 8 - 10 squares

Rinse 1 cup of long or medium grain rice.
   In a pot, add 1 1/2 cups water (1 1/4 cups for medium grain rice) to the rice and bring to a boil.
   Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from burner and allow to cool.
  While rice is cooling, preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  Place the rice on a baking sheet, making sure that it is about, but no more than, 1/4-inch thick.
  Bake the rice for 50 - 55 minutes, until it is dry.
  Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.
Store in a canister until needed. Do not freeze. 

Cantonese Barbeque Pork

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 slices fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 4 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

1. In bowl, stir together sherry, ginger root, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, soy sauce, white sugar, sugar, hoisin sauce, ketchup and cinnamon.
2. Cut pork into 5x2 inch strips. Place strips flat in a shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over pork strips. Let pork marinate at least 6 hours in refrigerator.
3. Drain, reserving marinade. Mix honey and 3 tablespoon reserved marinade in a small bowl; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Fill a shallow roasting pan with water and place in bottom of oven. Carefully place pork strips on a roasting rack above roasting pan so all sides are exposed to heat. If you don't have a roasting rack, insert the curved end of an S-shaped hook, paper clip, or drapery hook in pork strips and hang them from the top shelf.
5. Roast for 30 minutes. Baste pork strips with honey mixture. Roast 15 minutes and baste again. Roast 10 minutes longer or until pork strips are crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. 

From Food.com (and Epicurious?)

Blintz

For wrapper batter

• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For filling

• 1 1/2 cups farmer cheese
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preparation

Make wrapper batter:
In a blender blend wrapper batter ingredients and let stand 30 minutes.

In an 8-inch skillet, preferable non-stick, melt half of butter over moderately high heat. Pour in enough batter to just coat the bottom of skillet, swirling, and cook, undisturbed, until top is set and bottom in golden (do not turn wrapper over). Transfer wrapper to paper towels in one layer, golden side down. Make more wrappers with remaining butter and batter. 

Make filling:
In a food processor, blend cheeses, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. If necessary, add flour to thicken filling.

Preheat oven to 250°F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put 3 tablespoons filling in center of each wrapper and fold opposite sides of wrapper over filling until sides barely touch. Fold in ends to completely enclose filling, forming packets, and arrange, seams sides down, on baking sheet. Make more blintzes with remaining filling and wrappers. Bake blintzes, covered loosely with foil, until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Cheese-Blintzes-14303#ixzz1oAzPjFra