Wash the water spinach and cut off about 4-5 inches of the tougher parts of the stem, leaving the skinnier parts and the leaves behind. Let dry completely.

Heat up the oil in a wok to medium high heat and sautee the garlic to release the fragrance, about a minute.

Add in the water spinach and start stirring with a pair of tongs to evenly wilt the spinach. This will take about 3 minutes or so. Season with the fish sauce to taste and then remove, getting rid of the excess liquids left behind.

• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Quickly grill beef on hot grill until slightly charred and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

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Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.

2. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.

3. Remove chicken.

4. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.

5. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.

6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

7. Serve over hot rice and ENJOY.

You can judge how good a Pho soup is by how much concentrated flavor is packed in the broth while still retaining a clean, uncloudy, clear broth.  I like my Pho without Sriracha hot sauce or Hoisin sauce….I really enjoy the purity of the chicken broth without anything to hide its flavor and aroma.

There are 2 very important steps to a clear but intense broth – 1) parboiling the chicken to get rid of the impurities 2) charring the ginger and onion for a naturally sweet, robust flavor.

A note on fish sauce – I prefer the Three Crabs brand. There are other brands of fish sauce. They include the Octopus brand, fish, etc. Choose a fish sauce light in color…it should look like brewed tea. Anything darker than that (looking like Coca Cola) is inferior quality. Three Crabs fish sauce contains gluten, please check labels if you are making GF substitutions.

======================

1 whole organic chicken (4-5lbs)
1 whole onion, unpeeled and cut in half
3-inch chunk of ginger, unpeeled

(A) Broth spices
2 tbl whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 tbl sugar (or rock sugar)
2 tbl fish sauce
small bunch of cilantro stems only, tied in bunch with twine

(B) Accompaniments at table
1 lb dried rice noodles (about 1/4″ wide)
2 cups bean sprouts, washed & tails pinched off
cilantro tops – leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup shaved red onions
1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha hot sauce
Hoisin sauce
sliced chili

Place ginger and onion on a small baking sheet. The top of the onion should be about 4″ from the oven’s heating element. Set to broil on high for 15 minutes. Turn the onion and ginger occasionally, to get an even char. The skin should get dark and the onion/ginger should get soft. After cooling, rub to get the charred skin off the onion and use a butter knife to scrape the skin off the ginger. Slice ginger into thick slices.
In a large stockpot, fill with water and boil. With a sharp cleaver, carve the chicken breast meat off and reserve. With the rest of chicken whacking hard through the bones to get sections about 3″ big. The more bone that is exposed, the more marrow that gets in the broth (translation: rich, flavorful). You can even whack several places along the bone just to expose more marrow. When the water boils, add chicken sections (not breast) and boil on high for 5 minutes. You’ll see lots of foam and “stuff’ come up to the surface. Drain, rinse your chicken of the scum and wash your pot thoroughly. Refill with about 4 quarts of clean, cold water.

Add chicken, chicken breast meat, onion, ginger and all of (A) in the pot and cover. Turn heat to high – let it come to boil, then immediately turn heat to low. Prop lid up so that steam can escape. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts, shred with your fingers when cooled and set aside (you’ll serve shredded chicken breast with the finished soup). With a large spoon, skim the surface of any impurities in the broth. Skimming every 20 minutes ensures a clear broth. Simmer a total of 1-1/2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce and or sugar.

Strain the broth, discard solids. Prepare noodles as per directions on package. Ladle broth, add shredded chicken breast and soft noodles in each bowl. Have (B) ingredients set at table for each person to add to their bowl.

=========================================================

Here is another recipe that will serve 8.

Serves 8

Broth
2 yellow onions, about 1 pound total, unpeeled
Chubby 4-inch section fresh ginger, unpeeled
1 chicken, 4 pounds, excess fat and tail removed
3 pounds chicken backs, necks, or other bony chicken parts
5 quarts water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1-inch chunk rock sugar* (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet for about 1 minute until fragrant
4 whole cloves
1 small or 1/2 large bunch cilantro (bound stems about 1 inch in diameter)

Bowls
1 1/2–2 pounds small flat rice noodles (bánh phở), dried or fresh
Cooked chicken, at room temperature
1 yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained
3 or 4 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leafy tops only
Black pepper

Optional garnishes
3 cups bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound)
10 to 12 sprigs mint (húng) 10 to 12 sprigs Thai basil* (húng quế)
12 to 15 fresh culantro* (ngò gai) leaves
2 or 3 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced
2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges

Make the pho broth
1. Place the onions and ginger directly on the cooking grate of a medium-hot charcoal or gas grill (as pictured, to the right) or a gas stove with a medium flame, or on a medium-hot burner of an electric stove. Let the skin burn (if you’re working indoors, turn on the exhaust fan and open a window), using tongs to rotate onion and ginger occasionally and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin.

After 15 minutes, the onions and ginger will have softened slightly and become sweetly fragrant. There may even be some bubbling. You do not have to blacken the entire surface. When amply charred, remove from the heat and let cool.

2. Rinse the cooled onions under warm running water, rubbing off the charred skin. Trim off and discard the blackened root and stem ends. Use a vegetable peeler, paring knife, or the edge of a teaspoon to remove the ginger skin. Hold it under warm water to wash off any blackened bits. Halve the ginger lengthwise and bruise lightly with the broad side of a cleaver or chef’s knife.  Set the onions and ginger aside.

3. Rinse the chicken under cool water. Detach each wing by bending it back and cutting it off at the shoulder joint. Add the wings and neck, if included, to the chicken parts. If the heart, gizzard, and liver have been included, discard them or save for another use. (Some cooks like to simmer the heart and gizzard in water and slice them for adding to the noodle bowls.) Set the wingless chicken aside.

4. Remove and discard any loose pieces of fat from the chicken parts. Wielding a heavy cleaver designed for chopping bones, whack the bones to break them partway or all the way through, making the cuts at 1- to 2-inch intervals, depending on the size of the part. This exposes the marrow, which enriches the broth.

5. To achieve a clear broth, you must first parboil and rinse the chicken parts. Put them in a stockpot (about 12-quart capacity) and add cold water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes to release the impurities. Dump the chicken parts and water into the sink (make sure it is clean), and then rinse the parts with water to wash off any clinging residue. Quickly scrub the stockpot clean and return the chicken parts to the pot. Put the chicken into the pot, breast side up.

6. Pour in the water and snuggle the chicken in between the parts so that it is covered with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Use a ladle or large, shallow spoon to skim off any scum that rises to the top. Add the onions, ginger, salt, fish sauce, rock sugar, coriander seeds, cloves, and cilantro and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

At this point, the chicken is cooked; its flesh should feel firm yet still yield a bit to the touch. Use a pair of tongs to grab the chicken and transfer it to a large bowl. Flush the chicken with cold water and drain well, then it set aside for 15 to 20 minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, keep the broth at a steady simmer.

7. When chicken can be handled, use a knife to remove each breast half and the whole legs (thigh and drumstick). Don’t cut these pieces further, or they’ll lose their succulence. Set aside on a plate to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before assembling the bowls.

8. Return the leftover carcass to the stockpot and adjust the heat to simmer the broth gently for another 11/2 hours. Avoid a hard boil, or the broth will turn cloudy.

9. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve (or a coarse-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth) positioned over a pot. Discard the solids. Use a ladle to skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you like. (To make this task easier, you can cool the broth, refrigerate overnight, lift off the solidified fat, and then reheat before continuing.) Taste and adjust the flavor with additional salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. There should be about 4 quarts (16 cups) broth.

Assemble the pho bowls
10. If using dried noodles, cover them with hot tap water and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are pliable and opaque. Drain in a colander. If using fresh rice noodles, untangle them, place in a colander, and rinse briefly under cold running water.

11. Cut the cooked chicken into slices about 1/4 inch thick, cutting the meat off the bone as necessary. If you don’t want to eat the skin, discard it first. Set the chicken aside. Ready the yellow onion, scallions, cilantro, and pepper for adding to the bowls. Arrange the garnishes on a plate and put on the table.

12. To ensure good timing, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls. (For an extra treat, drop in any unused white scallion sections and let them poach in the broth. Add the poached white scallion sections (called hành chần) to a few lucky bowls when ladling out the broth.) At the same time, fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.

For each bowl, place a portion of the noodles on a vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water. As soon as they have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10 to 20 seconds), pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl. If you like, once you have finished blanching the noodles, you can blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds. They should wilt slightly but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnishes.

13. Top each bowl of noodles with chicken, arranging the slices flat. Place a mound of yellow onion in the center and then shower some scallion and cilantro on top. Finish with a sprinkle of pepper.

14. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a rolling boil. Do a final tasting and make any last-minute flavor adjustments. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients. Serve immediately with the garnishes.

Phở is served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles (called bánh phở’) in clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations feature tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken  leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs. “With the lot” (made with chicken broth and all or most of the shop’s chicken and cattle offerings, including chicken hearts and livers and beef tripe and tendons) is known as phở đặc biệt (specialty phở).[2]

The broth is generally made by simmering beef (and sometimes chicken) bones, oxtails, flank steak, charred onion, and spices, taking several hours to prepare. Seasonings can include Saigon cinnamon or other kinds of cinnamon as alternatives (may use stick or powder), star anise, roasted ginger, black cardamom, coriander  seed, fennel  seed and clove.

Vietnamese dishes are meals typically served with lots of greens, herbs, vegetables and various other accompaniments such as dipping sauces, hot and spicy pastes, and flavor enhancements such as a squeeze of lime or lemon. The dish is garnished with ingredients such as green onions, white onions, coriander, Thai basil (húng quế) (should not be confused with sweet basil – Vietnamese: húng chó or húng dổi), fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon or lime wedges, bean sprouts, and cilantro (ngò rí) or culantro (ngò gai). Although cilantro and culantro have similar names and similar flavors, they are completely different plants.

Several ingredients do not come with phở’ but can be ordered by request. Extra beef fat in broth or nuoc beo can be ordered and comes with scallions to sweeten it. A popular side dish ordered upon request is hanh dam, or vinegared white onions.

Source: Wikipedia

Pho’s recip

-from the Food Network

Ingredients

For the broth:

• 4 pounds Oxtails; cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces and trimmed of fat
• 3-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled
• 1 large onion, halved and unpeeled
• 1/3 cup nuoc mam (fish sauce)
• 8 whole star anise
• 5 whole cloves
• 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3 bay leaves

For the garnish:

• 1 pound 1/4-inch rice noodles
• 2 bunches scallions, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup basil, approximately, whole fresh plants (minus roots) if possible
• 1 1/2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 3 large limes, cut into wedges and seeds removed
• Red chile paste or sliced fresh hot chilies (optional)
• 3/4 pounds filet mignon, trimmed of fat and sliced very thin

Directions

Put the oxtails into a large stockpot and add enough water to cover the bones by 4 inches (about 2 gallons). Bring to a full boil and then lower the heat to a rapid simmer. Skim the scum that rises to the surface.

Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a baking sheet and char them under the broiler until lightly blackened, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through cooking. When cool enough to handle, rinse the onion and ginger under running water, using a knife to scrape away some of the charred surface. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and toss it and the onion halves into the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce.

Put the star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a small skillet and toast them on top of a stove burner over medium heat. Turn the spices a couple of times until they’re slightly darkened (3 to 4 minutes) and until you smell their aroma. Put the toasted spices and fennel seeds in a small square of double thick cheesecloth and tie the bundle with a long piece of kitchen twine. Add the spice bundle and the bay leaves to the broth, tying the end of the twine to the pot handle for easy retrieval.

Let the broth simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally. After 4 hours, remove the spice bundle, onion, bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtails from the pot and set aside. Let the broth continue to simmer. When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and return the bones to the broth. Continue simmering, uncovered, until the broth is rich and flavorful, about 1 hour. Taste the broth and add more salt or fish sauce as needed.

Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Arrange the sliced scallions, cilantro, parsley, basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chiles on a platter in separate piles.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the drained rice noodles. Give the noodles a quick stir and cook until tender but firm, about 1 minute. Rice noodles can quickly become gummy, so don’t let them overcook. Drain the noodles. Warm 6 large bowls by rinsing them with hot water and divide the noodles among the bowls.

Just before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Arrange the slices of raw filet and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth. Serve immediately, along with the platters of garnish.

Đây là giai đoạn ko kém phần quan trọng để làm bánh thành công , và cũng có thể nói đây cũng là bí quyết để làm thành công bánh trung thu.

1 kg đường cát
1 kg nước lã
4 muỗng cà phê nước cốt chanh
2 muỗng cà phê nước tro tàu.

Cho nước tro tàu và 2 muỗng cà phê nước lã vào cái chén quậy cho đều.
Cho đường và nước vào soong quậy tan, bắt lên bếp nấu lửa to chừng 25 phút, rồi cho nước cốt chanh vào rồi nấu tiếp 15 phút nữa mới cho chén hổn hợp nước tro tàu & nước vào. Để cho nước đường sôi đều lên và để nước đường rút laị chỉ còn 1kg4 là được ( ko tính lượng của cái soong ). Nhắc xuống để nguội , rồi đổ vào 1 cái hủ bằng thủy tinh sạch để ở chổ thoáng mát cất từ 1 tuần đến 1-2 năm ( ko cần để tủ lạnh ) mới đem ra xài. Đây là bí quyết để làm bánh trung thu thành công.

Trong khi nấu nước đường, ko nên quậy.

Với lượng nước đường này làm được 30 cái bánh 250gr.

Giai đoạn 2:

* Vỏ bánh : cho 12 bánh cỡ 250 grs / bánh

550grs bột mì (All purpose Flour)
1 muỗng cà phê nước tro tàu
440 grs nước đường
80 grs dầu ăn
1 tsp cà phê mật ong
2 tsp cà phê rượu thơm (Hennessy)

Rửa tay thật sạch.

Bỏ nước đường vào thau, cho nước tro tàu, rượu thơm, mật ong vào quậy đều. Cho bột vào , dùng tay nhồi cho kỹ mịn (or standmixer)

Để bột ở trạng thái vừa nhảo, để bột nghỉ 45 phút , khi nào bột ở trạng thái ko dính nữa là được.

Bột sau khi ủ, đem cân chia 90 g mỗi phần rồi dùng dầu veggie (or Canola) thoa vào tay rồi vo tròn lại.

Chú ý : Bột ko nên nghỉ lâu quá để tránh tình trạng bị dai, khô , nứt

* Nhân :

Tùy sở thích của mọi người mà làm , có thể làm trước 1-2 ngày

Thịt gà ướp dầu mè dầu hào đường tiêu nướng để nguội
4 cái lạp xưởng luộc xong đem chiên sơ rồi cắt hột lựu
100 gr Mứt bí
100 gr mứt khoai lang
30 gr Trần bì (vỏ quít)
30 gr mứt tắc
30 gr mứt gừng
50 gr Mè rang
100 gr Hạt hướng dương
50 gr Hạt điều
50 gr Pencan
50 gr Almond
Chà bông cắt nhuyễn (Trà không có xá xíu nên chơi chà bông … hihihi)

Xong trộn tất cả lại cho 100gr bột bánh dẽo vô thau nhân

Nước đường nấu theo phân lượng : 500gr đường + 450gr nước. Nếu không thích ngọt thì xài corn syrup thế cho nước đường, để nguội rồi rưới vô từ từ trộn nhân tới khi nhân dẻo là được .

Cho 2 muỗng cà fê rượu ngon (Hennessy) trộn lên xong đem sên nhân, sên 1 đổi thì để thiệt nguội qua ngày sau mơi đóng bánh .

Trứng lấy lòng đỏ ngâm rượu với miếng gừng khoãng ngón tay cái, đem đập dập rồi cho chút nước, vắt bỏ cái, khoãng 20 phút, xong cho vô cái dĩa trét dầu & chút đường rồi đậy lại đem hấp 10 phút .

Nhận bánh bằng dầu, không dùng bột sẽ làm cho vỏ bánh moist không bị khô .

Tính 1 phần bột thì 2 phần nhân vo tròn . Nếu đóng bánh khuôn vuông thì nhận cục nhân vô khuôn, ép thiệt chặt cho có hình vuông .

Lấy bột vỏ đè bẹp ở dạng hình tròn cán mỏng để viên nhân đã vo tròn vô chính giữa, dùng tay xoay tròn, vừa xoay vừa kéo bột lên bao quanh phần nhân.

Thoa dầu vào khuôn rồi nhận bánh, dùng tay đè, ấn đều lên mặt.

Nhận bánh khuôn vuông thì xếp bột lên 4 thành bánh, rứt fần dư phủ lên trên mặt bánh, nhận chặt xuống khuôn .

Khi lấy bánh ra xếp lên vĩ nướng đã thoa dầu sẵn, lấy kim đâm mặt bánh để khi nướng bánh không bị nứt

Hâm nóng sẳn lò nướng trước 10 phút @ 375F

Đem nướng ở tầng dưới ở 350-375F (tuỳ theo độ nóng của lò, set khoãng 10 phút rồi coi bánh vàng tới độ nào mà chỉnh nhiệt độ lò cho thích hợp, coi chừng cháy đáy bánh)

Nướng khoãng 10 phút lấy bánh ra để nguội khoãng 5 phút rồi lấy bình xịt nước tắm từng cái bánh, xịt thiệt nhiều nước cho bánh mềm .

Chờ bánh khô ráo nươ’c thì cho vào lò nướng ở tầng giữa 10 phút .

Bánh vừa vàng tới thì lấy bánh ra chờ nguội 1 chút thì làm áo bánh

*** Hổn hợp phết mặt bánh : 1 trứng gà + 1 lòng đỏ hột vịt đánh cho thật tơi, chế chút nước màu vào để cho trứng có màu hơi nâu, xong lượt qua cái rây khít .

*Dùng cọ phết trứng chầm chậm trên mặt, tránh phất qua phất lại, trứng sẽ sủi bọt, sẽ ko đẹp. Và ko nên phết dày trứng quá, nướng khó chín, phết mỏng quá, bánh sẽ ko có màu đẹp.

Đem nướng 10 phút nữa, lấy ra phết thêm lớp dầu rồi nướng 10 phút .

Kéo vĩ bánh ra ngoài 1 chút, mở oven hờ hờ rồi để vậy cho tới khi bánh nguội thì mới đem bánh ra ngoài hẵn . Wrap từng cái bánh lại để 2 ngày thì bánh tươm dầu ra vỏ mềm ăn mới được ngon .

2 c. all-purpose flour
4 tbsp. Crisco
8 tbsp. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt

PART B:

1 c. all-purpose flour
4 tbsp. Crisco

FILLING (BEAN PASTE) :

2 c. beans, cooked and mashed
3/4 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out Part A; spread Part B over Part A. Roll as cinnamon roll, wrap up from one end and flatten with rolling pin. Roll and stand on end, flatten again with rolling pin. Roll up and slice into 20 pieces.

Flatten into rounds with thumb and fingers, place some filling in center and fold all sides under to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and brush tops with lightly beaten egg yolk. Bake for 20 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Tops may be decorated by using the blunt end of a chop-stick dipped in red food dye. Makes 20 moon-cakes.

Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2-cup non-fat dried milk powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar 1/2 cup solid shortening, melted and cooled
1 egg yolk , lightly beaten

1. Mix lotus seed paste and walnuts together in a bowl; set aside.

2. Sift flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat eggs on medium speed until light and lemon colored. Add sugar; beat for 10 minutes or until mixture falls in a thick ribbon. Add melted shortening; mix lightly. With a spatula, fold in flour mixture. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board; knead for 1 minute or until smooth and satiny. Divide dough in half; roll each half into a log. Cut each log into 12 equal pieces.

3. To shape each moon cake, roll a piece of dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured board to make a 4-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place 1 tablespoon of lotus seed paste mixture in center of dough circle. Fold in sides of dough to completely enclose filling; press edges to seal. Lightly flour inside of moon cake press with 2-1/2 inch diameter cups. Place moon cake, seam side up, in mold; flatten dough to conform to shape of mold. Bang one end of mold lightly on work surface to dislodge moon cake. Place cake on ungreased baking sheet. Repeat to shape remaining cakes. Brush tops with egg yolk.

4. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool.