Sunday

Banh Mi (My version of the Vietnamese sandwich)



My version of the popular Vietnamese sandwich is
a cross-cultural version. 

You see, I no longer live in an area with a sizable
Vietnamese population, and  I miss 
my favorite Vietnamese foods. 
But none are to to be found within a 2+ hour drive from my home. :(

What's a girl to do??

Well, improvise!

Not exactly authentic, but close enough for
my tastes and the bonus is, this one uses
a favorite of mine Carnitas which I normally
have on hand in the freezer. 


Carnitas:
A Mexican dish of little pieces of simmered and browned pork.
Usually just seasoned with salt (and maybe some
black pepper). I love carnitas!

Carnitas, also lend themselves to a number
of other recipes . . .
 So when I make a batch I always make extra as the meat
 freezes and reheats beautifully, it can be tucked 
into a warm tortilla, & topped with salsa for a satisfying snack or meal, 
I've also used it as a filling for enchiladas, burritos and tamales, etc.  
And you can shred the pork and add your favorite BBQ sauce,
 while you reheat it,  it is a very flavorful filling in
pulled pork sandwiches.


*~*~*~*~*






For my adulterated version of Banh Mi, 
I shredded the  carnitas and added just a bit of water
 to keep the meat moist while heating in a pan on the stovetop, 
and also added a bit of Asian-style sauce. 
 
I used Mr. Yoshida's original sauce --
I just added a little while warming the meat .
Taste and add more sauce (and water)  if necessary, 
until you are pleased with the flavor (and juiciness!)

Note: It doesn't take much of Mr. Y's because the sauce is concentrated. 

The traditional sandwich garnishes are  Du Chua 
sweet/sour pickled vegetables (usually carrots and daikon) and
slivered green onions, cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeño,
sliced cucumber, mayonnaise or butter (I like mayo best here),
and sometimes a drizzle of soy sauce (not necessary if using another
Asian-style sauce.)

 For the authentic "Special" version a slather of 
liver pate is spread on the roll.

 For my garnishes  I didn't bother to pickle the carrots or radishes 
(Instead of daikon I used garden-variety red radishes 
because that's what's most readily available here.)
I love cilantro so I added lots, but just leave it out if you don't care for it.

Ummmm!  So good!!
It made me very happy to (almost) duplicate one of
my favorite Vietnamese meals. 
If you can find good Banh Mi nearby ~ LUCKY YOU!

If not, this version will likely satisfy your craving. :D 

Oh! And rather than pork, you can also make Banh Mi with a number of
other fillings. You can find an variety of other meat (and non-meat) ideas
Here.  ~


Thank you for coming by for a visit today.

Blessings!  ~ mari xo




*Disclosure per FTC requirements: 
I received no compensation for mentioning Mr. Yoshida's brand sauce.



Tuesday

Chunky Potato and Ham Chowder



*Sigh*

Despite a few teases of Spring during the past couple
of weeks, we're back in the thick of wet, cold
weather this week.


Drawing upon some staples from the pantry and the refrigerator, 
this old-time favorite soup seemed just the perfect
dinner to chase the end-of-day chills away.


It's easy to put together, kind on the budget too
with just a few ingredients* (and BONUS . . .just one
pot to wash.)


*Here is all you need:

A couple of strips of bacon
olive oil
chopped onion
Russet (baking/starchy) potatoes
a bay leaf
Chicken broth or stock
Diced ham
some milk or cream
Salt and pepper


Add your favorite garnishes and you can
have a satisfying meal on the table in about 45 minutes ~ 


I always make extra as it keeps well for a couple of
days in the refrigerator and seems even more
flavorful when reheated the second or third day.

Once you make it, you'll probably not need
to refer to the "recipe" again.

If you would like a printable copy of how
to make it, you'll find the recipe. . . Here.


Bon Appetit!

Please come join us for Foodie Friday~
Click here.


xo~m.


 

Monday

Scones: Butternut Squash with Cinnamon Icing (Sage is optional)



Whenever possible I love to incorporate the herbs 
from my garden into the food I make, so when I
came across this recipe for Butternut Squash with
Sage from "Food 52"  I knew I wanted to try it.

Because they are not overly sweet they
make a good addition to holiday dinners
 alongside roast turkey, or ham...
(You can omit the cinnamon icing  and just brush with 
cream & garnish the top of each scone with a sage leaf.)

The great thing is, these scones are actually better
if you mix and shape them in advance and freeze them,
then bake from frozen ~ so they are ready at
a moments notice if needed.





I've made them both with the sage, and without ~ Predictably,
those who aren't fond of sage or those who are not fond of 
somewhat unconventional flavor combinations 
prefer the scones without the sage.  I happen to love
the flavor of sage, and I liked them both ways.





The addition of the butternut squash puree helped keep
these scones more moist, and a little more cake-like than
traditional all-butter scones. As with most scones they
the texture and flavor is best while still warm from the 
oven.
 
However, I never let a cold or day-old scone go to
waste . . .  Although they are too fragile to stand-up to toasting 
in a traditional electric pop-up toaster, you can just split them 
as you would an English Muffin and toast or broil in an oven, 
or toaster oven... and little pat of butter doesn't hurt, either. ;)


If you give them a try, I hope you like them!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today. :)



Blessings,
~mari xo



A Sampling of my food . . .

Subscribe:

 Subscribe in a reader...or

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner