Guest post: Vietnamese grilled pork with rice vermicelli

My kids call this scrumptious all-in-one meal "Vietnamese pork bowl." It's a crowd pleaser: gluten and dairy free, vegetable gateway for picky eaters, straightforward preparation, and its three-hour process is done in spurts with lots of interstitial free time to pull apart brawling children—and oh my goodness is it delicious. Even my picky son with autism can be coaxed into nibbling on one of the carrot sticks. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Serves 4 - 6

Marinade
8 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
5 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
ground black pepper to taste

Sauce (nuoc cham)
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of 1 large lime
5 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup water
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

2 pounds pork shoulder (pork loin works but compromises awesomeness)
8 oz rice vermicelli/sen mee/maifun
1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
5 tbsp cilantro, Thai basil, mint (any combination), chopped

1. Place pork in the freezer for sixty minutes to firm it for slicing. (Frozen pork can be slightly defrosted in microwave and sliced immediately).
2. While the pork is freezing, mix the marinade ingredients and set aside.
3. Remove pork from freezer, cut into 1/4" slices, then place in a gallon ziploc bag.
4. Pour marinade into pork bag, shake to cover all surfaces, squeeze out excess air, and seal. Marinate in fridge for one hour (you can leave it overnight, but one hour is sufficient).
5. Mix the sauce ingredients together and put in fridge until needed.
6. Julienne carrot and cucumber, and chop herbs.
   
7. Optional: Place leftover mint, cucumber, or lime in a pitcher of ice water to impress any guests or soothe yourself with a spa-like visual.
8. Optional: Reserve a couple of carrot sticks and tell your child with the self-limited diet that they will get a bite of cookie or other preferred food for each bite of said carrot sticks.
9. When the pork has 30 marinating minutes left, boil a large pot of water. Add the vermicelli/sen mee/maifun noodles and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until tender. Drain the noodles, rinse, and set aside.
10. Fetch the pork. Grill it until it is cooked through but not overcooked, 5 - 10 min. (This is an excellent time to deep-six any fantasies about Viking ranges with built-in grill tops, as they require two hours of cleanup. I recommend a nice grilling pan, Weber, cast-iron skillet, or George Foreman-style plug-in grill.)
11. Divide up and pile noodles in individual bowls; top with vegetables, then pork, then herbs. Ladle sauce/nuoc cham over each bowl. Those who can take it should top with chili paste or Sriracha.
12. Enjoy everyone's exclamations of pleasure and delight.

Adapted from Serious Eats
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Guest blogger Shannon Des Roches Rosa serves a hot home-cooked dinner six days out of seven, if you include take-and-bake Costco pizza on Wednesdays.

TC's mom's chicken with crunchy rice

I've become increasingly--sometimes annoyingly--obsessed over what I buy and prepare for my family to eat. I'm more and more about local, organic, whole foods. I'm less and less about additive-laden convenience foods.

But, sometimes? You need to fall back on one of those you-could-make-it-in-your-sleep-and-it's-just-as-good-every-time recipes. Especially one of those you-could-make-it-in-your-sleep-etc. recipes that your mom always made for you when you were a kid.

And the truth of the matter is? Sometimes, those comfort foods require a can of Campbell's Cream of Somethingorother. (Yes, Campbell's. I actually make pretty much every soup I eat these days from scratch, but when I don't, it's Campbell's--for no reason other than that it's what my mom always used. Substitute another brand at your own risk.) And so you buy it, and you use it, and you love it--and you just don't look at the list of ingredients. It's better that way.

Now, I'm not going to claim that this is the most delicious recipe you'll ever taste. But it's easy, and it's good. Hell, it's butter and rice and chicken and Cream of Somethingorother soup. How could it not be good?


Actually, it's really, really, realllllllly good.

TC's Mom's Chicken with Crunchy Rice

• 3 chicken breasts (because that's what fits in my baking pan)
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 can of cream of somethingorother soup (Mom used cream of mushroom, but my family objects to mushrooms, though I think in the photo of up there you'll see I sneaked them in by using cream of chicken and mushrooms)
• 1/2 can of water
• butter

[Note: My mom used to also include a package of Lipton Onion Soup in the mix described in step #2, and would sprinkle paprika over the top to give it all some color before popping it into the oven. I don't do either of these things, but you're welcome to give it a try.]

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a casserole or baking dish.

2. Mix together rice, soup and water in the baking/casserole dish. Place chicken on top of mixture. Plop (I can't think of a better way to describe it) dabs/dots of butter on top of the chicken and the rice/liquid.

3. Cook, uncovered, for about an hour and fifteen minutes, or until the rice around the chicken is browned and crunchy on top.

See what I mean? Couldn't be easier.

By the way...While this may be the first of my mom's recipes I'll be sharing here, it absolutely won't be the last. Coming up some time this month, in fact, will be both her latke recipe, and her chicken soup with matzoh balls recipe. Which, to be honest, are also her mother's recipes--i.e., my grandmother's recipes. And possibly even my great-grandmother's recipes. (And my aunt will be leaving the full genealogy of these recipes in the comment section in five, four, three...)

The chicken with crunchy rice, though? I'm pretty sure that one originated with my mom. And if I hear otherwise, I'll be sure to let you know.

So what recipes do you guys make that were handed down to you from your mom or dad or further back? How much of what you cook for your kids (or yourself) is the same as what you were fed as a child?

GFCF Spaghetti and meatballs

This past weekend my younger daughter turned 3 years old. She requested her favorite dish: spaghetti! For her that means a plate of plain spaghetti with Parmesan cheese. For the rest of us, it meant the classic spaghetti and meatballs.

About 15 years ago, someone in my family stumbled across a little Italian cookbook that has turned out to have some of the best recipes ever in it. It was so loved, that my mother bought nearly every good friend and family member a copy.

I have made more than a dozen recipes from this cookbook, and each one has been superb.

I decided to use the meatball recipe from this now out-of-print cookbook, and modify it to be free of both gluten and casein.

Because this was for a party with other guests besides just my immediate family, I was a bit nervous about how the meatballs would taste with the modifications. I'm happy to say they turned out delicious and were scarfed up right away.

To compensate for omitting the Parmesan cheese in the original recipe, I mixed Italian sausage with the ground chuck. The Italian sausage added extra flavor and "covered" for the missing Parmesan cheese.

For the gluten free bread crumbs, I used two-day-old gluten free bread that I ran through the food processor to make bread crumbs. I think it would be fine to use regular GF bread without making bread crumbs though.

Below is the original recipe and my GFCF modifications are in parentheses.

Spaghetti and Meatballs (serves 6-8)
1 1/2 cups torn crustless Italian bread (gluten free bread crumbs)
1/4 cup milk (rice milk)
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck (50% GFCF Italian Sausage)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (omit)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
2 tsp oregano

In a large bowl, combine bread and milk. Let stand 5 minutes to soften bread. Add meat, eggs, 3 Tbsp parsley, Parmesan cheese (or not if making dairy free), half the garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Blend to mix well (I used my hands). Form into 2-inch meatballs.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add meatballs and cook over a medium-high heat, turning, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

In large Dutch oven, heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add remaining garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes, wine, water and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. (The longer this simmers, the better. 45 minutes is the minimum.)

Before serving, add oregano and remaining parsley to sauce. Serve over spaghetti.

Unfortunately it was a little chaotic trying to pull all this together for a dinner party of 10 people, so I did not take any pictures of the final product. And to give you an idea of how good it was: there weren't any leftovers for me to take a picture of either!

Acorn squash with apple stuffing

I really love squash. So when I was looking for something to replace sweet potatoes at our Thanksgiving table this year, I decided to go with acorn squash. It's not that I don't like sweet potatoes, I do. But the thing about Thanksgiving is this: the turkey is a given. The stuffing, a must-have. So when it comes to the other sides, I like to change things around from year to year.

This recipe was really easy to execute and it's certainly one that can be improvised depending on what you have on hand. It was delicious with the turkey, but I also think it would pair nicely with pork. Here's what you need to get started:

2 acorn squash
2-3 apples, chopped
approximately 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar (depends how sweet you want it)
dash of cinammon
dash of nutmeg
small handful of sliced almonds (or nuts of your choice)
butter

Wash the squash and then cut each in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and fibers.

Place the squash face down in a baking dish that has about an inch of water in the bottom. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.

While the squash is baking, wash and chop the apples. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts. Set aside.

When the squash come out of the oven, turn them over and fill with the apple mixture. Top each with a pat (or two!) of butter and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Black Friday leftover "stoup"

Whether you brine it, bag it, baste it or use the kind with the pop-up timer, there's one fairly universal constant about Thanksgiving turkey —there's almost always leftovers.  Ditto for the sweet potatoes, the creamed onions and the green bean casserole... nearly all the side dishes you can imagine.  The age old question always seems to come down to this: to sandwich or not to sandwich and what to do with the leftovers?

Now, I love a good turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwich as much as anyone— mmm, open faced on some thick, hearty rolls or biscuits and covered in gravy? Delicious, but not always practical.  Especially when you're in a hurry or you've been out shopping all day at the Black Friday sales.  The last thing you want to think about after fighting the crowds all day is having to prepare a hot meal, right?  And, somehow, making up a plate of leftovers and warming it in the microwave just isn't very appealing.  Well, okay, sometimes it is; but not this time!

With just a few minutes of effort, and a lot of holiday leftovers, you can make a meal that's hearty and filling.  Best of all, it's simple to make and simple to clean up.

Ingredients:
Leftovers —whatever you want to toss in the pot (or slow cooker; this makes an awesome slow cooker meal).  Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes, corn, green beans...whatever makes you happy.  Do not add cranberry yet.

Gravy.  If you don't have any gravy leftover, don't worry, you can always make some right in the pot.  Just whisk together cold water and the flour or thickener of your choice (GF, whole wheat, cornstarch, etc.), pour it into the pot with all the leftovers.

Add water, gravy and/or chicken broth to make a nice soup base.  Make it as thick or as soupy as you like.  Just remember, the liquid will cook down in a pot on the stove while it will not in a crock pot.

Simmer until the flavors are nicely blended —or until you've finished your shopping (or football watching).  If you're using a crock pot, you could set it going for two hours on high or three to four hours on low and have a nice hot "stoup."

Stir in cranberry and serve with fresh hot biscuits.

Easy peasy.  And so good!

What creative things have you done with your Thanksgiving leftovers?

(Ed. note: Sadly, I did not cook the meal this year so I have no leftovers to make yummy stoup.  Nor do I have any photographs to share.  Use your very vivid imagination to picture a smörgåsbord of leftovers simmering joyfully in your pot.)

Crackling Cauliflower

I'm big into tradition. Something about the tried and true really speaks to me, makes me feel warm, makes me feel secure. And so my Thanksgiving table will look like a lot of Thanksgiving tables around the country, with turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes...you expect it, we'll have it.

But, at the same time, I like to spice things up a little bit every now and then. And this year, I'm going to spice them up with cauliflower.

Cauliflower? I can hear you snicker from here. Oh, ye of little faith. Pull up a chair, and let me tell you a little bit about how cauliflower--this cauliflower--can totally ROCK your Thanksgiving table.

A quick note on this recipe: A friend sent it to me--well, actually, to a mailing list I've been part of for almost a decade--earlier this year, and it immediately became my go-to potluck (and now Thanksgiving) recipe, with a few modifications, which I'll note below. My friend, in turn, got it from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook. So it's a little bit of a 'telephone' recipe, having undergone more than one pass-along to get to you. I don't think it's any the worse for wear, though!

Crackling Cauliflower

2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets [The original recipe had 1 large head or about 6 cups, but I didn't think that made enough for my purposes, so I more-or-less doubled the cauliflower, and then upped the amounts of the rest of the recipe. I'm giving you those upped amounts below.]

1-1/2 cup diced red onions [I've used both white and yellow onions as well, and they've been fine.]

1/2 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 Tablespoon garam masala

1 Tablespoon fennel seeds [The first time I made this, I only had anise seed, and it turned out fine. There is a difference, but it's not enough to make a big impact on this recipe.]

1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes [I didn't up this amount, because I'm not a big fan of this kind of heat; you may want to double it.]

1 Tablespoon salt [This is actually a somewhat salty recipe; you may want to start with less, and add more later if you feel it needs it. This actually goes for all the spices here; it's a pretty spicy recipe, and you may personally want to tone it down a bit.]

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest [My friend says she never bothers with this, but since I have lemons growing in my backyard, I usually include it. I definitely don't think this is a do-or-die ingredient.]

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Put everything except peas and cilantro in a large bowl and toss until the cauliflower with the rest of the ingredients.

Pour into a large baking pan and roast for 30-45 minutes, until the cauliflower is crisp-tender and golden-brown, turning the cauliflower every 10 minutes or so, so that it will cook evenly. (The original recipe says to cook for only 25-30 minutes, but I don't think that's enough, especially when you double the recipe. I also don't find that it browns quite so much, though it does pick up a yellow hue from the spices. Your mileage may vary.)

When done, place the cauliflower in a large serving bowl. Mix in the peas and cilantro, and serve. Watch everyone's socks get knocked off.

So, that should pretty much do it for our first Thanksgiving here at (Never) Too Many Cooks. (Well, almost. Check in tomorrow for the great leftovers recipe Niksmom's been taunting me with, but refusing to give me in advance. Brat.) Please let us know what you try, what you like, what you think. Actually, let us know about anything you put on your table that shakes things up, even if it didn't come from here.

We're all ears. (And tongues and lips and jaws and teeth and bulging bellies...)

Sweet potato souffle

I have a embarrassingly funny sweet potato story.

Growing up I swore I didn't like sweet potatoes. Truthfully, though, I never tried them. Orange potatoes? Ick, I thought.

When I was about 25-26, it was November and at work we were having a department lunch meeting. I grabbed a piece of pumpkin pie and was noshing away. Hmm, this tastes different.

So I comment, out loud, to everyone, "This is the funniest tasting pumpkin pie I've ever had."

The crotchety old department secretary pipes up (equally as loud), "That's because you're eating sweet potato pie."

The rooms bursts into laughter. I turned 3 shades of red!

But I've been a fan of sweet potatoes ever since!!

This is arguably my favorite Thanksgiving side dish (squash casserole runs a close second). I always want to make an extra batch to ensure that there is plenty for leftovers the next day.

Sweet Potato Souffle
2 lbs mashed sweet potatoes (about 3 cups)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

Topping
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp flour*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecan

Preheat oven to 350.

With a mixer, mix all of the souffle ingredients together and place in a 2 quart souffle dish.

Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of souffle.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

*For a gluten-free version of the nut topping, use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour. I have not ever done this, but I'm going to give it a try. If you'd like a tested GF nut topping recipe, click here: All-Purpose Crumb Topping. (I have not tried it, but I've never been disappointed in any of her recipes.)

To make recipe dairy free, substitute dairy free buttery spread in place of the butter.