Homemade Chicken Pho Recipe

We love Vietnamese noodle soup (pho).  We used to go out to eat it quite regularly, so I decided to save some money and come up with a pho recipe of my own.  This recipe is fantastic.  I usually make it after I roast a whole chicken (Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe).  My house smells amazing when I make the pho broth!  It's so easy to make, too.  This soup can be made from mostly pantry and fridge items, with only a few fresh ingredients needed for the garnish.  The spice combination is so fragrant, and we think this pho tastes better than some of the chicken pho we've had at restaurants.

Homemade Chicken Pho Recipe

For the soup:

8 cups water
All of the leftover chicken bones and skin from a roasted whole chicken
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp + 1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp salt
10 whole cloves
5 whole star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick

6 oz package of rice noodles
1 cooked chicken breast
Handful of cilantro

For the garnish:

Lime
Several fresh basil stalks
Crisp chili oil or Sriracha
Hoisin sauce

In a large pot over High heat, add the leftover chicken carcass, skin, and bones, the water, fish sauce, sugar, salt, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick.  Bring it to a boil, then cover it and turn the heat down to Low.  Simmer it for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours.  When the time is up, let it cool, then strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer.   This recipe yeilds about 7 cups of pho broth.  3-1/2 cups of broth will make small bowls of pho for up to 4 people, or large bowls of pho for 2 people, and you can freeze the other half for later.

Before putting the soup together, soak the rice noodles in hot water for about 15 minutes.  I found the best way to do this is to put the noodles in a large pot, covered with cold water, then turn the heat up to High and set the timer for 15 minutes.  While the noodles are soaking, slice the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, chop a handful of cilantro leaves, halve and quarter a lime, and wash and dry the basil stalks.  Put the basil and lime slices on a plate for garnishing the soup.  Set out the crisp chili oil or Sriracha and hoisin sauce.  Reheat the broth to boiling.

When the 15 minutes are up for the rice noodles, I turn off the heat, drain the water from the noodles, then put equal amounts of noodles in the bowls, topped with a generous helping of sliced cooked chicken.  I next fill the bowls with hot pho broth (being sure to cover the noodles and chicken), add a small amount of cilantro leaves, and serve it with the basil, lime, chili oil or Sriracha, and hoisin sauce on the side.  Bean sprouts, jalapeno pepper slices, and sliced white onion are also common garnish for pho soup.  Enjoy!

Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe (Vegan)

Richard introduced me to making a simple chopped cucumber salad with seasoned rice vinegar many, many years ago. We love it as a side dish with pizza. A little while ago I decided to add more flavors and texture to it and spice it up a bit by adding carrots and cilantro to the salad and hoisin sauce and chili paste to the dressing. This is now our favorite cucumber salad. The dressing is amazing! It's tangy, slightly sweet, and spicy all in one. The cilantro adds great flavor and the carrots add a great crunch. This is a great party appetizer, and goes wonderfully with pizza.

Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe

1 medium to large cucumber
1 medium to large carrot
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (about half a bunch)
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce

Peel, de-seed, and chop the cucumber into bite-sized cubes. Peel and julienne the carrot into 1 inch matchstick-size pieces. Rough chop the chilantro leaves. Put the cucumber, carrot and cilantro into a mixing bowl. In a 1 cup measuring cup, add the seasoned rice vinegar, the Sambal Oelek and hoisin sauce. Use a small whisk to mix it all together. Pour it over the salad and mix gently with a spoon until all of the cucumbers and carrots have been mixed with the dressing. You can cover it with plastic wrap, refrigerate it and serve it later, or you can serve it right away. Serves 2 to 3 people as a side dish.

Super Simple Chili Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe

I make this sauce at pho (Vietamese noodle soup) restaurants to eat with my pho and Vietnamese sandwiches. Hoisin sauce and chili paste are usually always available at the table at these restaurants. It is the best dipping sauce! The perfect mixture of spicy and sweet. I bought hoisin sauce and chili paste in the Asian section of my grocery store so Richard and I could eat it at home with roasted chicken and panko-crusted fried cod when we're in the mood for an Asian flair to our meal.

Super Simple Chili Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe

Hoisin Sauce
Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste

In a small bowl, mix 1 part hoisin sauce with 1 part chili paste until thoroughly combined. Goes great with chicken, fish, Mu Shu chicken or pork, egg rolls, or anything you want to add a spicy/sweet Asian flavor to.

Sesame Ginger Marinade for Fish Recipe

I've been wanting a new way to cook cod these days, and decided to come up with an Asian marinade for it. My goal was to use ingredients I readily have in my fridge and pantry, and for a marinade that was a little sweet so Sam would like it. After a few tries, I came up with a great combination of flavors (savory, sweet, and tangy) that work great with fish and that my family loves.

Sesame Ginger Marinade for Fish Recipe

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp light agave nectar
1 tsp rice vinegar (not rice wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp ground ginger spice
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Pinch of black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together. Lay your fish in a single layer in a pan and pour the marinade over it. Turn the fish over so the marinade covers both sides. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before you grill the fish. This recipe makes a little over 1/4 cup of marinade.

Egg-free Fried Rice Recipe

Richard and I love fried rice, but we can't order it at Chinese restaurants because of Sam's egg-white sensitivity. I decided to make my own egg-free version using ingredients I readily have in my fridge and pantry. The sesame oil and soy sauce flavor the rice beautifully, and the ham makes it extra tasty. This is a great side dish!

Egg-Free Fried Rice Recipe

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped sugar snap peas (a handful or so of whole snap peas)
1/2 cup diced carrot (1 - 2 carrots)
1/2 cup diced ham lunchmeat (5 or 6 slices stacked)
Olive oil

1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
Pepper to taste

First, cook the brown rice. In a medium pot add the rice and the water. Turn the heat up to High. When the mixture comes to a boil, put a lid on it, lower the heat to Low, and simmer it for 45 minutes. When the rice is done, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the cooked rice and gently mix it in.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the peas, carrots and ham. Wash and dry the snap peas. Cut the ends off of each pea, then cut each pea into 4 or 5 pieces. Wash, dry and peel the carrot(s). Dice the carrot(s) into small pieces. Combine the peas and carrots into one bowl. Stack the ham slices and dice the ham into small pieces like the carrots. Keep the ham separate from the peas and carrots. Refrigerate the peas and carrots and ham until the rice is done and you're ready to make the fried rice.

To make the fried rice, spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat the skillet to Med. High and add the peas and carrots. Drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and saute them for a few minutes. When they start to brown, add the ham and saute the ham with the peas and carrots for a couple of minutes. Next, drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the vegetables and ham, then add the cooked brown rice and use a spatula to combine everything together. Pepper to taste. Fry the rice mixture in the pan for a few minutes, moving it with your spatula constantly, then turn the heat to Low until you're ready to serve it. Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish.

Sesame Chow Mein Noodles Recipe (Vegan)

We love the vegetarian chow mein noodles we get at dim sum restaurants. I decided to make my own version of chow mein noodles at home without using soy sauce or green onions (since I'm sensitive to them), but instead using sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds to flavor the noodles. These chow mein noodles go great with grilled or fried fish.

Sesame Chow Mein Noodles Recipe

1/2 of a 6 oz. package Sun Luck brand Chuka Soba Chow Mein Noodles
1 tbsp Sun Luck Pure Sesame Oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Salt and pepper

Start a medium pot of water to boil over High heat. Add the chow mein noodles and a dash of salt and let them boil for 3 minutes. On another burner, start a skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to Medium heat. When the noodles are done boiling, drain the noodles and add them to the skillet. Add the sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to taste, and stir fry the noodles for 3 minutes. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a side dish.