Fabulous Asian finger food in Vietnam

Hi from Vietnam
I loved the simple food - very little meat compared with the vegetables and with subtle Asian flavours of lemongrass with chilli allowing the essence of the produce to shine through.  

Also loved the traditional spicy side dishes, which can transform an ordinary dish such as an omelette at breakfast into the sublime.

I've dug up my Womens Weekly Vietnamese cookbook from the past and am revisiting some amazing tastes.  Clara


Despite the varied landscape of Vietnam, all of the cuisine contains this brilliant balance of aromatics, heat, sweetness, sourness, and fish-sauciness. As with other Asian cuisines, it's all about the yin and yang; the sweet and the salty, the cooling and the warming, the fresh and the fermented.
The food of the north is heavily influenced by China with its stir-fries and noodle-based soups. As you move south, there's more flavour-blending with nearby Thailand and Cambodia. The tropical climate down south also sustains more rice paddies, coconut groves, jackfruit trees, and herb gardens. The food in southern Vietnam is typically sweeter: sweeter broths for pho, more palm sugar used in savoury dishes, and those popular taffy-like coconut candies made with coconut cream. A basic introduction to Vietnamese food by Erin Zimmer

Ha Long Bay overnight stay on a junk

Working up an appetite for breakfast and lunch 

First of many amazing spring rolls made
on the boat. Wonderful presentation. 

Street food tour in Hanoi - pork with crackle - seriously good!

Hunting  and gathering 

Local Saigon prawns -
 a delicacy when pickled and bottled. Coconut sweets and wine etc

Snake wine, bravely tasted by me.  Tasted like Grappa
 and would be good for cleaning the silver.

Ok with snake around my neck until it MOVED!!!

Safe food and good Australian wine also available!!
Lovely holiday thanks.

Butterflied prawns a sizzling ALFRESCO success

This is a fantastic way to serve prawns as they look elegant and are easy to eat whereas many other methods of peeling and eating unshelled prawns cooked on the BBQ can be tricky.

Butterflied  prawns

Serves 4

20-24 medium to large whole green prawns.  To prepare, remove heads with a small knife. Trim legs with kitchen scissors. With a small, sharp knife, remove heads, trim legs and  split in half lengthways not quite all the way through. Remove intestinal tract. Lay prawn on a flat surface, shell side up. Using your fingers, press prawn flat.

Sauce - In a small saucepan, cook 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup white vinegar, until syrupy - add 1 red chilli, seeded and sliced finely, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp fish sauce and 1/4 cup lime juice.

Preheat barbecue flat plate to high and cook prawns flesh side down for 2 mins turn and cook for 1 min. Place onto a platter and drizzle with sauce.  

Oven baked Asian crab cakes with chilli dipping sauce

Thai crab cakes with chilli dipping sauce perfect as a starter or as finger food.
 Because they are baked, they can be eaten hot or at room temperature.
 For the chilli dipping sauce

4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

juice ½ lime

½ finger-length chunk of cucumber, seeds scraped out, flesh finely chopped

Two 170g / 6oz cans crabmeat, drained                        
2 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 large egg or 2 small eggs beaten
2 tbsp plain flour
2 spring onions - finely chopped
50 g uncooked green beans, chopped finely (opt)

Preheat oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4. Mix together crabmeat, onion, curry paste, ginger, coriander and fish sauce in a bowl. Stir in the egg and beans then sprinkle the flour over and mix well to combine.
Shape the mixture into 16 small fish cakes and place onto a cookie sheet lightly coated with vegetable oil or covered with foil. Press down gently on each ball to form a cake. Bake until crab cakes are golden brown on each side, about 20 minutes, turning over half way through.
Makes 16

Alternative salsa
Spicy Mango Salsa
1 mango, peeled and flesh chopped

Juice of 1 lime
1 or 2 tbsp  sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Combine and chill until ready to serve.  Will keep for up to 12 hours.

 

 

It would be great to receive your feedback or suggestions. Click on "0 comments". You can choose 'anonomous' from the drop down menu if you don't have a google account. Or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au

 

Asian Chicken Bites herald in the Year of the Dragon

We're off to a Chinese New Year party tonight to herald in the Year of the Dragon.  In China, it's known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name so we need to dress in bright colours.  I've got a chinese jacket which I bought from Vinnies for a 'Host a Murder' Party so I think I'll wear that.

龍 Dragon

辰 Chen

February 5, 2000

January 23, 2012

February 10, 2024

Asian Chicken Bites
These tasty little chicken balls are ideal for party / finger food.  I hope the dragon likes them!
500g minced chicken
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tbsp ginger finely grated

1 to 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1  birdseye chilli finely chopped and/or 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 spring onions finely chopped or 1 onion
1/4 bunch coriander finely chopped
1 egg white, beaten (you can use the whole egg if desired)
Soy sauce to taste
squeeze of lemon juice
Vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients then roll into small balls, (using damp hands to assist this process.)  Pan fry in oil until golden, or for a lighter dish, arrange chicken in a baking dish, on baking paper and cook in a hot to moderate oven for approx 20 minutes until turning golden. (For best results start with a hot oven and turn down a little after 10 minutes)  Makes approx 30  bite sized balls.  Serve with a squeeze of lemon and garnish with coriander or mint. 

Party Time means tantalising finger food!

Party time!   Bring out the skewers, light the BBQ and tantalise your tastebuds with the flavours of seafood, chilli and lime.   I buy frozen prawns in 1 kg / 2lb packets - such a quick, convenient meal to serve with a salad.

Chilli and lime skewered prawns

Serves 6 as as  a lunch dish or entree
36 green prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined
lime halves to serve
Marinade - combine
2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, chopped
5cm / 2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime  or 2 tbsp lime juice

Soak 12 bamboo skewers or disposable wooden chopsticks in cold water for at least 30 minutes.
Marinate the prawns for 30 minutes.  Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue on medium-high heat. Thread 3 prawns onto each skewer and grill for 2 minutes each side or until just cooked. Serve with chilli lime dipping sauce and lime halves to squeeze.

 

Finger food reigns at party time.

December Babies coming up

Party Time
Finger food reigns!
Keeping in contact with friends has to be the most rewarding and important action we take. These are the people who grow older with us, who understand us, who don't look at us with critical eyes cos - yes 'Times they are achanging' and will ever change.  

I'll let the videos tell the story of how we all get together each year - but the secret is to share - finger food is my answer - the women bring a plate of finger food and guys bring drinks. No stress just fun.

Clara

ps G and I are doing  Koftas  and Prawns on skewers as in http://fitinyourjeanscuisine.blogspot.com/2011/11/koftas-make-great-party-food.html (Finger food - scroll down)
"Slip another shrimp on the barbie" says Paul Hogan  (or go to Seafood Mains on right side and scroll down).  Picnic food works well at parties as well. 

2010

2009

2007 / 2008

Filled crisp wonton cases make perfect finger food

A versatile and different finger food or entre idea.  Seafood, such as prawns also works well.  Duck or Chicken Wontons
• Makes 20




Mini muffin tins make perfect moulds for crisp wonton cases.  


20 wonton wrappers -  these are available frozen in large super markets (thaw before use) or fresh at Asian Specialty stores and are very versatile.  They generally come in packets of approximately 40 so freeze the remainder in a sealed plastic bag for later use.
oil spray
2 cups finely shredded roast duck or chicken
To moisten duck or chicken, 3 tbsp oyster or hoisin sauce to which you can add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and 1 tsp mirin or sake or make your own Chinese plum sauce - see recipe below
4 tbsp finely chopped coriander


HEAT oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).
Press wonton wrappers into mini muffin tins.
Spray or brush with oil to lightly coat. Bake for 15 minutes until pale gold and crisp.
Remove from oven and cooL
Mix warmed shredded duck or chicken with sauce and coriander. Use mixture to fill wonton cases.
Alternative - Plum Sauce
Throw  6  destoned plums into a pan with 3 tablespoons of sugar, a  pinch of five-spice, a  tablespoons of soy sauce, a pinch of chilli powder and a splash of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer until you get a nice shiny pulp.
Remove the plum skins if you want to, and put aside to cool before tasting to check the seasoning.