Vietnamese Comfort Food

Vietnamese Inspired Rice Porridge with Chicken (and maybe a Poached Egg)

Ingredients:

Porridge:

• ½ Cup Thai Jasmine Rice
• 1/3 (about 4~5 oz) Grilled Chicken Breast
• 1/8 small head of nappa cabbage
• Small piece of ginger
• 4 cubes frozen cilantro or fresh equivalent (not pictured)
• Salt and Pepper
• Chopped green onion for garnish
• An egg per serving (optional)

Soy-Lime Sauce:

• Lime juice from half a lime
• A couple tablespoons soy sauce (I used low sodium)
• A tablespoon sugar
•  I’m assuming most people have normal sugar lying around

Porridge:
1) Boil about six cups of water and add rice.

Side note I:You want around 10~12x the amount of rice you plan to cook.

2) Add chopped up cilantro and ginger. Stir occasionally for about an hour.

3) Add salt and pepper.

Sauce:
1) Combine lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar.

Poaching an egg:
1) Boil water and then reduce to a simmer, add a bit of vinegar.
Side note II: Vinegar is optional. It helps eggs to remain together, but not necessary.

2) Take a utensil and create a whirlpool with the water.
Side note III: This make is so that when you drop the egg in, the whirlpool will contain the egg in the center instead of spreading out.

3) Quickly drop the egg in the water.

4) With a slotted spoon pull out the egg after 2~4 minutes.

Plating:

Ladle porridge in bowl. Layer with chopped nappa cabbage, grilled chicken, poached egg and green onions. Pour a small amount of sauce over it.

Cost breakdown:

Porridge:

• Jasmine Rice: $1.32/4= $0.33
• Chicken: $1.19 x 0.33= $0.39
• Nappa Cabbage:  $0.52/8= $0.07
• Ginger: $0.20/5= $0.04
• Cilantro: $0.39/28= $0.015 $0.015x4= $0.06
• Green onion:$0.25/4= $0.06

Sauce:

• Soy Sauce: $3.19/20= $0.16 $0.16x2= $0.32
• Lime: $0.10/2= $0.05

Optional Poached Egg:

• $2.79/12= $0.23

Total (without Poached Egg): $0.33+$0.39+$0.07+$0.04+$0.06+$0.06+$0.32+$0.05= $1.32
Total per serving (without Poached Egg): $1.32/3= $0.43
Total per serving (with Poached Egg): 0.43+$0.23= $0.66

Asian (?) Pork Stew

One pot wonder dish.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound pork ribs
• 2 medium russet potatoes
• 2 small/medium carrots
• ¼ small head nappa cabbage
• 1 tomato
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• ½ cup Thai Jasmine Rice
• a large chunk of ginger
• a few stalks of green onion

1) Chop up potatoes and carrots

2) Take a small pot of boiling water and dump potatoes, carrots, and pork in.

3) Once potatoes and carrots have softened and pork is cooked add tomato sauce and rice.

4) Grade/chop up ginger, add to pot.

5) Roughly chop green onion and nappa cabbage. Add to pot.

6) Once rice is cooked through, stew is done. Serve and enjoy!

Cost breakdown:

• ½ lb pork ribs: $2.11/2= $1.05
• Potatoes: $0.06x2= $0.12
• Carrots: $0.07x2= $0.14
• Nappa Cabbage: $0.52/4= $0.13
• Tomato: $0.25
• Tomato sauce: $0.69
• Jasmine Rice: $1.32/2= $0.66
• Ginger: around $0.40
• Green onion: $0.25/3= $0.08

Total: $1.05+$0.12+$0.14+$0.13+$0.25+$0.69+$0.66+$0.40+$0.08= $2.21
Total per serving: $2.21/3 maybe 4, $0.50~$0.70 per serving

Curried Beef Empanadas

My brother has a theory that every culture has a dish where meat is cooked inside some kind of dough. I think he might be onto something.

Today I went for curried beef empanadas! Aka, another Bisquick recipe (feels like I haven’t had one in a while, no?)

Ingredients:

• ¼ lb beef
• 1 potato
• ½ onion
• 2 gloves garlic
• 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder
• 1/8 small head of napa cabbage
• 1/3 cup milk (not pictured)
• 2 cups Bisquick
• ½ cup of boiling water

Side note I: I forgot I was going to use some shiitake mushroom, so I didn’t. It’d probably be good though.

1) Peel and slice potato into small cubes.

2) Mince onion and garlic.

3) Shred cabbage.

4) In a small skillet, cook garlic, onion, and garlic. Cook until potatoes are cooked through.

5) Add beef.

6) Add cabbage.

7) Add curry powder.

8) Add milk (to smooth out the flavor of the curry mixture).

9) Set beef mixture aside and allow to cool.

10) Mix Bisquick with hot water. Roll into a ball. Add more bisquick if too watery.

11) Cut into about six equal parts. I had a little of stuffing left over so I would try and get seven parts.

12) Spread dough out into about 2 ½~ 3 inch diameters.

13) Fill each with a heaping tablespoon or so of the meat mixture.

14) Seal off each empanada.

15) Coat the bottom of a pan with oil/butter/cooking spray to prevent stickage. I also brushed each empanada with some melted butter to make them brown pretty.

16) Cook for about 20~30 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown.

Cost breakdown:

• ¼ lb beef: $2.69/2= $1.34
• 1 potato: $0.06
• ½ onion: $0.20/2= $0.10
• 2 gloves garlic: $0.03x2= $0.06
• 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder: $0.05
• 1/8 small head of napa cabbage: $0.52/8= $0.07
• 1/3 cup milk (not pictured): $0.30/3= $0.10
• 2 cups Bisquick: $0.15x6= $0.90

Total: $1.34+$0.06+$0.10+$0.06+$0.05+$0.07+$0.10+$0.90= $2.68
Total per empanada: $2.68/6= $0.45 each

Shopping Part Tres y Quatro

Shopping… Again. I also went twice within the span of a few days.

Protein:

• Ground beef: 0.53 lbs @ $4.99/lb= $2.69

Produce:

• Watermelon: 2.64 lbs @ $0.39/lb= $1.03
• Onions: 1.45 lbs @ $0.49/lb= $0.71 (three onions)
• Green Onion: $0.25
• Napa Cabbage: 0.88 lbs @ $0.59/lb= $0.52
• Garlic: 0.2 lbs @ $2.39/lb= $0.48
• Limes: 2 @ $0.10/each= $0.20
• Carrots: 1lb @ $0.59/lb= $0.59
• Roma Tomatoes: 0.45 lb @ $1.09= $0.49 (two tomatoes)
• Tomato Paste: $0.79
• Tomato Sauce x2: $0.69 each ($1.38 total)
• Seasoning:
• Curry Powder:  0.06 lbs @ $6.29/lb= $0.38
• Italian Seasoning: 0.04 lbs @ $8.00/lb= $0.32
• Chili Flakes: 0.02 lbs @ $7.95/lb= $0.16

Starch:

• Jasmine Rice: 0.9 lbs @ $1.39= $1.32

Other:

• Peanut Butter: $1.88

Total: $13.19
Total so far: $55+$32.51+$14.18+$13.19= $114.88

I still wish I was Southern (but really).

So… Within my friend group it’s no secret that I love Popeye’s (but really, it’s the best fast-food fried chicken that you can get) and one of the reasons why I love Popeye’s is their red beans and rice.

But I thought I could do one better.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound of Pork ribs
• 1 Cup red Beans
• 1 Cup long grain rice
• ½ red bell pepper
• ½ onion
• a few stalks of celery
• ¼ can of tomato sauce 
• Italian Seasoning
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Salt and Pepper

Side note I: If I was doing this the right way, I would be using ham hocks. But I couldn’t justify buying the extraordinary quantity that each package of ham hocks was in. I just don’t need that much. So I decided to use ribs instead since they still have bones (which is where the yummiest meat is on almost all animals) and a decent amount of fat that will lend flavor to the final product.

1) Chop up garlic and the holy trinity.
Side note II: I really should rename this since I always use the trinity in conjunction with garlic. The holy quad?

2) In a skillet cook the holy quad until vegetables are sweating and give off a beautiful smell (hence the vegetables being called aromatics). 

3) Add the pork pieces and brown off all of the edges.

4) In a pot take some oil (I used some butter) to toast the rice.

5) Add the holy quad and browned off pork.

6) Add red beans.

7) Add as much boiling water as needed to cook the rice through. Consistently stir.

8) Add tomato sauce and a generous helping of Italian seasoning as well as salt and pepper.

9) Once cooked, let simmer to allow flavors to develop.

10) Serve.

Cost breakdown:

• ½ lb of pork spare rib: $2.11/2= $1.05
• 1 cup red beans: $0.97/3= $0.32
• 1 cup long grain rice: $0.57
• ½ red bell pepper: $0.25/2= $0.12
• ½ onion: $0.20/2= $0.10
• Celery: $0.89/4= $0.22
• ¼ can tomato sauce: $0.99/2= $0.25
• Garlic: $0.03x3= $0.09

Total: $1.05+$0.32+$0.57+$0.12+$0.10+$0.22+$0.25+$0.09=$2.72
Cost per serving: $2.72/4? 5? 6? I’m not sure how much this should have served but I ate this for about three days straight. This will serve a lot of people. Or last a long time. Trust me. 

I'm fancy, huh?

Those fancy-shmancy chefs deconstruct things all the time, right? Well I wanted to fancy-shmancy. So I decided to deconstruct chili!

• ¼ lb of ground pork
• ½ can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 can of tomato sauce
• New Mexico Chili powder (but any chili powder would work)
• ½ onion
• a few stalks of celery
• 3~4 cloves of garlic
• ½ red bell pepper (any color will work)
• 1 cup of black beans
• Salt and pepper
• Polenta Cakes from Chicken Cacciatore that I froze 

1) If you bought dried beans like me, take the steps necessary rehydrate them. If not, beans out of a can are totally fine.

2) Dice up garlic, celery, bell pepper, and onion. There should be about an equal amount of the latter three. Side note I: These three aromatics are commonly called the Holy Trinity of Southern/Cajun/Creole cooking, an alternative to the French mirepoix of celery, carrots, and onions.

3) In a skillet heat oil, and add garlic and the holy trinity.

4) Add salt and pepper.

5) In a bowl take the holy trinity and mix with black beans. Mash. Mash a lot. Form into patties (I got three). Form the patties to be about the same size as your polenta cakes.

6) In a separate bowl add ground pork, diced tomatoes (remember to drain excess water), salt, pepper, and chili powder. Also form into patties.

7) Heat two skillets. Add a little oil. Cook pork patties through. Cook bean patties to warm up and until they get a slight char on the edges.

8) In a sauce pan heat tomato sauce with chili powder.

9) Plate and serve!

Cost breakdown:

• ¼ lb of ground pork: $1.64/2= $0.82
• ½ can of diced tomatoes: $1.19= $0.60
• 1/4 can of tomato sauce: $0.99/4= $0.25
• 1 cup of black beans: $0.76/3 $0.25
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper:  $0.25/2= $0.12
• 4 cloves of garlic: $0.48/18= $0.03
•  $0.03x4= $0.12
• ½ Onion= $0.20/2= $0.10
• Celery: $0.89/4= $0.22
• Polenta: $0.30x 3= $0.90 (Check chicken cacciatore for full cost breakdown)

Total: $0.82+$0.60+$0.25+$0.25+$0.12+$0.12+$0.10+$0.22+$0.90= $3.38
Total per serving: $3.38/3= $1.12 per serving

Shrimp and Potatoes Au Gratin (Scalloped Potatoes)

Usually I make my au gratin with macaroni but since I didn't have any I figured I'd use potatoes, since I did have those.

• 1/3 lb Shrimp
• 3~4 Russet potatoes depending on size
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons Bisquick mix
• ½ onion (not pictured)
• 2~3 cups milk
• Salt and Pepper
• ¼ ~ 1/3 block of mozzarella (not pictured)
• Green onions for garnish

1) Peel potatoes and slice with ¼ inch width

2) Boil potatoes for about 10~15 minutes or until soft with a fork.

3) If shrimp is not, peel and de-vein.

4)In a skillet melt butter.

5) Chop onion and add to butter. Cook until onions start sweating.

6) Add Bisquick mix. Keep stirring until flour toasts to a nutty brown color.

7) Add shrimp, cook until shrimp gets a pretty pink color.

8) Add about a cup of milk, allow mixture to thicken.

9) Add more milk. Keep adding milk until combination gets a cream like consistency. Add salt and pepper.

10) In a baking pan layer potatoes and roux as if you are making lasagna.

11) On the final layer top with mozzarella and green onions.

12) Bake in an oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Cost breakdown:

• Shrimp: 0.33 lbs at $5.49/lb= $1.81
• Potatoes: 3 x $0.06/each= $0.18
• Butter: $0.72/8= $0.09/tablespoon 
• $0.09 x2= $0.18
• Bisquick: [2/(16/3)] x $0.15= $0.04 
• 1/3 of a cup is 5 1/3 tablespoons, or 16/3 tablespoons
• Onion: $0.20 x ½= $0.10
• Milk: $0.30 x 2.5= $0.75
• Mozzarella: $2.89/4= 0.72

Total: $1.81+ $0.18+ $0.18+ $0.04+ $0.10+ $0.75+ $0.72= $3.78

Total per serving: $3.78/4= $0.95

I went shopping last week (again)!

My friend and I went to a Chinese grocery store Thursday afternoon, 99 Ranch Market. I enjoy going here because their meat and seafood selection is notoriously cheaper than most places. This is important to me since protein is infamously the most expensive part of my budget.

Here’s what I bought:

• 0.96 lbs of Pork Spare Rib @ $2.19/lb for $2.11
• 1.2 lbs of 51/60 Headcount White Shrimp @ $5.49/lb for $6.53
• This kind of annoyed me since I only asked for one pound. I feel like it wouldn’t of been that hard to skim a fifth of a pound from what the person gave me.
• 0.2 lbs of ginger at $0.99/lb for $0.20
• I know I just bought some ginger at Berkeley Bowl but I couldn’t resist buying more since it was so much cheaper.
• 0.56 lbs of Shiitake Mushroom at $5.99/lb for $3.35
• 1 package mung bean thread/noodles $1.99

Total: $2.11+ $6.53+ $0.20+ $3.35+ $1.99= $14.18

Okay…
$55+ $32.51+ $14.18= $101.69

So… I went over $100. Lol. Argh. I guess I should try and see how far the food in my fridge will last me for the next week. We’ll see when I go to grocery shopping again.  

Took a Little Vacay...

But boys (and girls) I'm baaaaaack.


Not really. In reality I started work.

I've still been cooking but was too exhausted to post. But I'm back!!! With a backlog of wayyyyy too much to post.

Ready for the food post frenzy?

Let's go.

Cioppino

I. Love. Cioppino. So. Much.
But it’d be so damn expensive to actually make.

Here’s my simplified version.
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• ½ pound calamari
• 4 fillets anchovy (about 1/3 of a can)
• ½ can tomato sauce
• ½ can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup milk
• A handful of basil.
• Like the cilantro, I cut and froze my basil in water. I used two cubes.
• Salt and pepper

1) Clean and cut calamari into bite size chunks.

2) Heat some oil in a skillet and cook calamari until tender. About 5 minutes (don’t forget to salt and pepper).

3) In a small pot combine tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

4) After tomatoes are heated add calamari.

5) Chop anchovy into small pieces.

6) Add salt, pepper, basil, and anchovy.

7) Add milk. Let come to a simmer.

8) Serve.

Side note I: I served it with a biscuit but a slice of French or sourdough bread would be great too.

Cost breakdown:

• Calamari: $2.49/lb x ½ lb= $1.25
• Anchovy: $1.59/3= $0.53
• Tomato Sauce: $0.99/2= $0.50
• Diced Tomatoes: $1.19/2= $0.60
• Milk: $2.39/8= $0.30 
• $0.30/2= $0.15
• Basil: $0.99/14= $0.07 
• $0.07x2= $0.14
• Biscuit: $0.10 (See http://foodieambitions.blogspot.com/2013/06/im-southern-not-really-but-i-wish-i-was.html for full breakdown)

Total: $1.25+ $0.53+ $0.50+ $0.60+ $0.15+ $0.14= $3.17
Total per serving: $3.17/2= $1.59 per serving
Per serving+ Biscuit: $1.59+$0.10= $1.69

"Pasta" with Cabbage and Anchovy

I was looking through a food magazine and I thought something like this would be delicious and simple to make.

Ingredients:

• ¼ head (small) cabbage
• 4 anchovy fillets (about 1/3 of the can)
• 18 wontons 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Side note I: When I went to Target I couldn’t help but pick up a pack of butter. I love butter. And butter loves me. 
• Salt and Pepper

1) Take wontons and cut into ¼ inch strips. 

Side note II: Admittedly, it might be easier for most people just buy some dried pasta. Although I thought the end product tasted good, the “pasta” did stick together after I boiled it.

2) Cut cabbage into ¼ inch chunks.

3) In a large skillet heat butter and pour about a ½~1 tablespoon of olive oil from the anchovies into the pan.

Cook cabbage. While cabbage cook take anchovy fillets and cut into small pieces.

4) Add anchovy into skillet.

5) Taste. Then salt and pepper.
Side note III: It’s important to taste because there’s a bunch of salt in the anchovies. If you don’t taste you may be wayyyyy over salting your dish than need be.

6) While cabbage and anchovy cooks, quickly cook pasta. Only 3~4 minutes.

7) Drain pasta and add to skillet.

8) Serve.

Cost breakdown:

• Cabbage: $0.78/4= $0.20
• Wontons: $0.02 x 18= $0.36
• Anchovy: $1.59/3= $0.53
• Butter: $2.88/4 sticks= $0.72
•  $0.72/8= $0.09

Total: $0.20+$0.36+$0.53+$0.08= $1.17

Two. Ingredient. Chocolate. (Cup)Cake.

Two ingredients.
Seriously.
P.s. I bought chocolate at CVS just so that I could make this. Lol.

• 160 grams of Chocolate
• In the case of these 120 gram Hershey Symphony Milk Chocolate bars, that's an entire bar plus six segments
• 3 Eggs
• yolks and whites separated

The entire instructions can be found here, courtesy of Ochikoren on YouTube.

For those who don't want to watch the video:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Use a mixer whip the egg whites to make meringue until soft peaks form. Basically this means aerate the hell out of the egg whites. 

3) In a double boiler melt chocolate until smooth.

4) Mix melted chocolate with egg yolks.

5) Mix in a third of the meringue.

6) Carefully fold in the rest of the meringue half at a time. 

7) Either transfer to a cake pan (I didn't have one, lol) or into a cupcake pan.

8) Lightly tap the cake pan against counter to remove excess air bubbles.

9) Bake for 30-40 minutes.

10) Let cool before serving.

Optional: Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Cost Breakdown:

• Chocolate: $1.50 x 22/16= $2.06
• Eggs: $2.79/12= $0.23 
• $0.23 x 3= $0.69

Total: $2.06+ $0.69= $2.75 for either a whole cake
OR
$2.75/7 cupcakes= $0.39 per cupcake

Citrus Slaw with Chicken

I wanted something easy and fresh. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Chicken (about ½ cup- ¾ cup)
• 1/8 of a head of cabbage
• 1 carrot
• ½ lime
• 1 orange
• 2 block of cilantro
• Salt and Pepper

Side note I: I hate that when I buy a bunch of cilantro I always end up throwing a way a bunch. I saw online that you can take cilantro and freeze it in water so that’s what I did with all of it. It ended up filling two ice trays.

1) Unfreeze cilantro and drain (or use fresh).

2) Shred cabbage and carrot.

3) Toss together cilantro, cabbage, carrot, and chicken together.

4) Add salt and pepper.

5) Squeeze lime juice over mixture.
Side note II: Before you cut your lime, apply pressure and roll over a counter to increase juice. You can also microwave it for about 15 seconds. You can also use a juicer/poke the flesh of the lime to increase juice yield.

6) Segment orange and toss with the rest.

7) Serve.

Cost breakdown:

• Chicken: We’ve been over my chicken meat picked from my broth carcass. I’m not doing that math. Lol.
• Cabbage: $0.78/8= $0.10
• Carrots: $0.59/8= $0.07
• Lime: $0.15/2= $0.08
• Orange: $1.19/5= $0.24
• Cilantro: $0.39/28= $0.015 
• $0.015x2= $0.03

Total: $0.10+$0.07+$0.08+$0.24+$0.03=$0.52

Calamari Risotto

I’ve always wanted to make risotto and my friend was coming over for dinner so I thought this was the perfect chance. I think that seafood is a little bit of a luxury, so I tagged it as $plurge. Lol.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Squid Calamari
• ¾ Onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup Arborio Rice
• 4-5 cups stock/broth (not pictured)
• Olive Oil
• Green Onion for Garnish (Optional)

1) If calamari isn’t clean, clean calamari. Set aside legs for another day. Cut into ½ inch bites.

2) Chop up garlic. Set half aside.

3) In a pan pour enough olive oil to coat. Heat. Then add garlic and calamari. Cook until calamari is tender to the bite. Shouldn’t be longer than 4~5 minutes.

4) Set calamari aside.

5) Mince onion.

6) Heat broth/stock until boiling.
Side note I: I used the chicken broth I made a few days ago. It was frozen so I had to melt it down. I also added some more water since it was such a concentrated solution.

7) In same pan heat more oil, add garlic and onion.

8) When onion has turned translucent, add rice.

9) Once rice is toasted add about 1 cup of broth at a time. Stir constantly.

10) After broth is absorbed, add another cup of broth. Repeat process until rice is cooked to al dente.

11) Fold calamari back in.

12) Plate and add chopped green onion for garnish.

Cost Breakdown:

• Calamari: 1lb @ $2.49
• Arborio Rice: 1 cup (about ½ lb) $1.27
• Garlic: $0.48/18= $0.06 
• $0.06 x4= $0.24
• Onion: $0.20 x ¾ =$0.15
• Broth: $2.08 x ¾ = $1.56 (See this post for full break down)

Total: $2.49+ $1.27+ $0.24+ $0.15+ $1.56= $5.71
Total per Serving (2~3) = $5.71/2= $2.86/serving OR $5.71/3= $1.90/serving

Side note II: This was a little much for two people. I think it could’ve realistically fed three people.