Vietnamese Barbecue Pork Skewers

Pretty simple yet unique. Fun to make and eat.

Skewers:
1 lb. ground pork
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup minced lemon grass (only bulb portion)

a dozen or so 6-8 inch bamboo skewers

Sauce:
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup sliced green onion
roughly chunked lemon grass remnants
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Mix spices into meat, allow to stand for 30 minutes. In a small pan, heat cooking oil and green onions and extra lemon grass pieces.

I scoop out the meat with the scoop the same size as my meatballs. Form the meat into finger shapes, then run a skewer up through it. Lay the skewers into a shallow baking dish. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

When skewers are done baking, spoon the cooked onions over them. Serve.

I served over glass noodles. These are easily found at the grocery, in the Asian section. Boil them for 5 minutes and drain.

Gather all ingredients.

Cut root end off lemongrass, and cut bulb end from the grassy tops. 

Roughly chop with knife.

Use a chopper to finely mince lemongrass. You'll need 1/4 cup of minced lemongrass. 

You want it as fine as you can get it. 

Add all spices to ground pork.

Mix well. Allow to stand for 15 minutes or so, to let the flavors meld. 

I measure out a large meatball amount. 

Form meatball around a bamboo skewer. 

Try to make them about the same size so they cook evenly. 

Lay out single layer in a baking dish. 

Form all the meat into sausage shape and...

Push skewer into each piece. 

Making cucumber salad for a side dish. 

Cut bulb end off the rest of your lemongrass pieces. 

Heat oil, sliced green onions and lemongrass pieces in small saucepan. 

Simmer until the onions are cooked. 

Asian Glass noodles. 

This is a great alternative to the usual pasta choices.

It only takes 5 minutes in boiling water to get these cooked. 

Skewers are done, remove from oven after about 20 minutes. 

Spoon the hot, cooked onion mixture over the skewers. You can also put sauce over skewers once they are on the plate, allowing sauce to spill onto noodles.  

Glass noodles are done, can you see how transparent they are? 

Drain well. 

Scoop some noodles onto the plates. 

The onion sauce can be scooped over the noodles too. 

What a wonderful dinner! 

Asian Broiled Salmon

A naturally low calorie dinner idea. Adding a pinch of brown sugar or a splash of orange juice brightens the flavor, but also adds to the calories.

1.5 - 2 lbs skinless salmon fillets

Marinade:
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 Tablespoons dry sherry
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon parsley
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Mix your marinade and pour over fish in a baking dish that can go under the broiler. Turning a couple of times, allow the fish to marinade in the sauce for 15-30 minutes.

Place dish 3 inches under broiler, and broil for 5 minutes. Turn fish over and broil another 5 minutes.

I served over buckwheat noodles with our favorite bonito sauce. On the side, I had cut-up tomatoes with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a veggie.

This is probably about 1. 5 pounds of pink salmon.

I'm cutting them into 4 pieces. Not only will it fit better in the pan, but they'll be easier to turn over, and there are 4 of us! Magic! LOL!

Lay the fillets single layer in your baking dish.

Pour over the marinade, after stirring it up one last time so everything is suspended in the liquid.

Allow to sit for 15 minutes or so.

Turning over a time or two.

Time is almost up and the fish is about ready to go into the broiler. So, I start my buckwheat noodles now. They only take a few minutes to cook.

Salmon has been in for 5 minutes. I've taken it out so I can turn the fillets over. 5 more minutes on the other side and they'll be done.

Noodles are done, too. Time to drain and add Bonito Sauce. :)

MMmm. Sauce for the noodles. Our favorite!

Salmon is done too! Let's eat!

Broiled salmon, buckwheat noodles, and tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

YUM!

Hot and Sour Soup

I have been urging David to get into cooking. A boy shouldn't leave home and not be able to feed himself. This is what he chose to make, so I looked up my recipe and here it goes! 

We quadrupled this recipe for the family. This recipe makes 5 cups, roughly two big servings...

6 medium dried black mushrooms

1/4lb. boneless pork loin (we used ground pork)

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

4-6 ounces tofu, cubed

*****

4 cups chicken broth

3 Tablespoons white vinegar (we used a bit more, adjust to taste later)

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoots

*****

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons cold water

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons chopped green onions

2 teaspoons red pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (see picture)

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Soak mushrooms in hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drains and slice thin, discarding stems and tough pieces. 

Trim fat from pork loin, and shred meat. Toss meat with 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce. Allow to sit for 15 minutes as you prepare the soup base. 

Heat broth, vinegar, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce. Once it's hot, add bamboo shoots, mushrooms, bean curd, and meat. Continue to keep hot. 

Mix together the 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and water and the white pepper. Stir into soup. Bring to boiling and slowly pour in beaten eggs, pulling the egg part with a fork as it hits the hot broth and cooks, making strings. 

Stir in onions, pepper sauce and sesame oil.  Enjoy!!

Looks who's cooking!

Getting the ingredients ready.

Cornstarch, white pepper.

Cornstarch and water with pepper.

Doesn't that look good already? It's just the broth with bamboo shoots, soy and mushrooms that I soaked and thinly sliced. I get those mushrooms in early so they can continue to soften. 

Broth is simmering. I used ground pork, not shredded pork loin, so I am breaking off pieces into the pot so they are almost like mini meatballs of the pork mixture.

They float as they cook.

Keep it stirring, David.

Sesame Oil and Hot Pepper Sauce.

Adding in ingredients. Here is the cubed tofu.

The cornstarch mixture goes in.

The cornstarch mixture gives the soup it's recognizable translucent looking broth.

Stirring in the beaten eggs.

Green onions

Last touch, the pepper sauce and oil.

Last few minutes to cook the onions and it's done! David can't wait to eat!

David, you did a GREAT job!!! It's tastes incredible!