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Posted on April 18, 2020 by Katie

My husband suggested that for 2020 that I continue with my CƠM GIA ĐÌNH (FAMILY DINNER) menus for the blog.  It was very well received last year and I got so busy with the move that forgot to pick it up back up.  After being quarantined for days and eating all different kind of food, we all wanted some comforting Vietnamese dishes.  I had a jar of pickled mustard greens ready to eat so I decided to make soup with some spare ribs.  It turned out very well and fast thanks to the Instant Pot.

This menu #5 is very simple with just Caramelized Pork Belly with Quail Eggs and Pickled Mustard Greens and Spare Ribs Soup.  Both dishes were prepared the night before after the kids went to bed so the next day I had time to fry some bananas (chuoi chien) for dessert!  I hope you will enjoy this simple menu and I will be back with more ideas soon!  Stay well and healthy!

Recipes:

Canh Dưa Cải Chua Nấu Sườn Instant Pot (Pickled Mustard Greens with Spare Ribs Soup)

Thịt Ba Chỉ Kho Trứng Cút Instant Pot (Caramelized Pork Belly with Quail Eggs)

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Pickled Mustard Green (Day 1) Pickled Mustard Greens (Dưa Cải Chua)

 

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Posted on March 29, 2020 by Katie

I’m calling it a new recipe but it’s actually a really old one.  I joined the Vietnamese Instant Pot Facebook page in Spring 2017.  I think that following Summer was when this recipe came about.  Everyone on that page was making Mango Sticky Rice using their Instant Pot around that time!

The taste is very much like at Thai restaurants we have been to.  You could substitute granulated sugar with palm sugar for this recipe.  I honestly couldn’t tell the difference but I know traditionally this Mango Sticky Rice is made with palm sugar.

Recipe: Xôi Xoài Instant Pot (Mango Sticky Rice)

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Posted on February 26, 2020 by Katie

Most time I pull my hair out trying to come up with recipes to test for Instant Pot or to simply figure out what to cook for dinner that the family would enjoy.  I would walk through my local Asian grocery store aisles to aisles looking at different ingredients to draw inspirations.  A few days ago I came across a package of blue crab claws in the Seafood Department for $1.49.  These were the broke off claws from the fresh blue crabs that they were selling.  I know the store, as usual, were trying to make every penny they could get so they bagged those claws up hoping someone would buy.  To me it’s a bargain since crab claws make great broth!

So I took the claws home and turned it into this poor man’s version of Bánh Canh Tôm Cua.  It’s the poor man’s version because I’m using claws instead of real crab meat.  The claws added texture to the simple pork broth and made the bowl looks irresistible.  I hope you will give this recipe a try!  Meanwhile I will hunt for more bargain ingredients for the next recipe!!!

Recipe: Bánh Canh Tôm Cua Instant Pot

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Posted on February 6, 2020 by Katie

If you grew up in Vietnam like I did you would probably remember all the wonderful snacks that we eat at breakfast before heading to school.  A lot of them involve sticky rice, one of which that is very memorable to me is Xôi Bắp Nhão.  It was served wrapped in banana leaves, and the “spoon” was the hard part of a Pandan leaf.

The words “Xôi Bắp” mean corn sticky rice, and the word “Nhão” can roughly be translated as “mushy” (sorry my Vietnamese isn’t great and my English isn’t good either!).  So after searching online for awhile I found no translation for this snack item, so I’m going to call it “Mushy” Corn Sticky Rice… LOL.  If you guys have a better name for it please feel free to let me know!

Normally this snack takes awhile to make and you have to babysit the stove to make sure the bottom doesn’t scorched.  With using the Instant Pot, it’s super easy.  NO SOAKING AHEAD OF TIME IS NEEDED!  Today I literally put all ingredients into the IP and went for a bike ride around the neighborhood.  When I came back the IP was already at full NPR.  It cannot get any easier.  I hope you guys will give this recipe a try!

Recipe: Xôi Bắp Nhão Instant Pot (Vietnamese “Mushy” Corn Sticky Rice)

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Posted on January 27, 2020 by Katie

Wow… my first blog post in ages!  The 2nd half of 2019 was a bit of a blur for me as we went through a complete kitchen renovation.  It was so painful but the end result was well worth it.  Stay tuned for photos of my new kitchen which I love so much that I’ve been cooking up a storm since December!

Happy Lunar New Year to those who are celebrating!  I wish you all a properous Year of the Rat with good health and much happiness.  In our Vietnamese culture Tết (Lunar New Year) is the biggest holiday of the year.  I tell my non-Vietnamese friends that Tết is the equivalent of Christmas celebration in the US.  There are a few traditional dishes that Vietnamese people prepare for the new year.  These dishes can be enjoyed year round but due to the high cost for the ingredients and the time it takes to make, Vietnamese people tend to save them for Tết.  I remember vividly that Mom and Grandma would stay up late to cook the Caramelized Pork and Stuffed Bitter Mellon.  Days before Tết they would start the process of pickling Mustard Greens and Bean Sprouts.  These dishes were used as offerings for our ancestors which my Mom still do so here in the US.  Here are links to the traditional dishes cooked via the Instant Pot to save you some time:

Thit Kho Tau IP (Caramelized Pork and Eggs)
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I have Thit Kho Tau  for quite awhile on the blog.  It’s 1 of the most popular recipes on here beside Pho Bo.  This year I decided to add large/tiger shrimps to add another layer of flavor.  The amended the recipe to include directions for adding optional items such as shrimps and fried tofu.
Thịt Kho Tàu Instant Pot (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs)

Kho Qua Ham IP (Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup)

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Khổ Qua Hầm Giò Sống Instant Pot (Pork Paste Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup)Khổ Qua Hầm Giò Sống Instant Pot (Pork Paste Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup)

Dua Chua (Pickled Mustard Greens)

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Pickled Mustard Greens (Dưa Cải Chua)

Dua Gia (Pickled Bean Spouts)

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Pickled Bean Sprouts (Dưa Giá)

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Posted on August 7, 2019 by Katie

We recently moved out of the house that I planted so many lemongrass bushes.  Those lemongrass plants are still thriving so the new tenant asked me how they should cook it?  Lemongrass chicken came to mind as it’s the easiest way to cook/use lemongrass.  I brought over to them Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken made with the IP for dinner one night and they loved it!

I’m sharing this same IP Lemongrass Chicken recipe and hope you will like it too!  Previously, I added a Lemongrass Chicken recipe but it was non-IP and I used chicken breast instead of drumsticks.  My preference is bone-in chicken for this dish.  The coco rico sauce is thick and addictive.  The downside to this dish is that you’ll consume so much rice!

Recipe: Đùi Gà Kho Xả Instant Pot (Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken)

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– Katie

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