Cha Ca La Vong is the National Dish of Hanoi. It’s a popular turmeric and dill seasoned fish dish in Vietnam. Although Cha Ca La Vong is popular in Vietnam it’s hard to find and seldom offered in Metro Phoenix Vietnamese Restaurants. I didn’t think my husband would eat this dish in fish so I tried to make it in cauliflower since it’s a vegetable that transforms into anything. Ummmmm it’s very aromatic…your house will smell amazing if you make this dish. Hanoi fish is usually served with rice noodles but I think this cauliflower would also be great with any kind of plain rice. The last time I ate this dish I was taught how to eat it by the Vietnamese restaurant owner……….You use leaves and gather up the fish with rice noodles and minty herbs and dip your little bundle in fish sauce and add peanuts…..It was delicious…..and such a great dish. I know most people don’t know about it. I had this as a side dish a few nights and the rest I tossed with noodles and pulled chicken and it was also delicious that way. It came out so delicious my husband said he would eat it in a fish version.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

1 very large cauliflower or two small – break down into florets ….(if your cauliflower isn’t big enough this will turn out slightly over seasoned) (I used two very small cauliflowers a white and a green)

1/2 medium sweet onion – rough chopped

1 red bell pepper – rough chopped

2 teaspoons turmeric

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 shallot – ground to paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon fish sauce (I used Red Boat..other brands are much stronger)

2 Tablespoons grated ginger

4 Tablesppons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Thai Chili Peppers – fine chopped (came out a bit spicy maybe you only want one?)

1/4 cup fresh dill – chopped

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

2 Tablespoons Thai Basil – torn

2 Tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems ) – torn

1 radish – sliced paper thin

Directions

Set oven to 375 degrees f.

Add to a large mixing bowl the cauliflower, onions and bell pepper and set to the side.

In a small mixing bowl add the turmeric, garlic, shallot, sugar, salt, fish sauce, ginger, olive oil, lemon juice and Thai Chili. Mix well and then add to the large bowl of vegetables and mix well.

Once the vegetables are well coated pour them onto baking sheet(s) in a single layer with a little space around the vegetables. They go in the preheated 375 degree F oven until cooked and a little brown. (it took 30 minutes in my oven…but ovens do differ and my vegetables could be cut smaller or bigger than yours so it might differ)

About 5 minutes before done add the peanuts.

When done and ready to serve add the dill, scallions, Thai basil, cilantro and radish.

Suggested to serve with rice noodles or rice and grilled meat or no meat.

This dish is really delicious !

This recipe is slightly inspired by Multi Award Winning Chef Rick Bayless. I was watching him on TV using masa flour mixed with water. Then he just rolled it out…He put a leaf on it for flavor that I can’t get near me and then he spread refried beans on it and somehow made it into nice rectangular cube shapes. I think he called them some sort of Tamales? So I took the idea and rolled mesa flour dough spread with beans and rolled it like a jelly roll and stuffed them into Anaheim peppers for flavor. Then they got topped with salsa. In a little while latter I had these really cool Refried Bean Tamale Style Peppers. For serving they were topped with a little cojita cheese and some fresh cilantro. You can even bump it up a level by pouring your favorite Mexican Style Stewed Meat over it. This was this easy dish that really can wow people.

Ingredients for 4 servings

1 cup masa flour (NO SUBSTITUTIONS…..it won’t come out and won’t taste right either)

3/4 cup water

8 Tablespoons refried beans (about 3/4 can)

4 Anaheim peppers – slit the middle and cut across the stem so you can remove membrane with seeds and it also makes it easier to insert masa roll)

1 cup salsa

4 Tablespoons cojita cheese – crumbled

4 teaspoons fresh cilantro – (torn leaves)

Directions

Set oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix one cup masa flour and 3/4 cup water and mix well and then knead well. Cut the dough in half and in half again. Make each quarter into a dough ball.

Get out a rolling mat.

Over the mat pull out a piece of plastic wrap and place it on the mat.

Place one dough ball on the plastic wrap and flatten it the best you can with your hands. Go over it a little bit with a rolling pin to get it better. Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried across the flattened masa dough. Use the plastic wrap to help pull up the dough to help you make this into a jelly roll shape.

Roll it all the way and place in pepper…..Don’t worry if it crumbles…it will turn out great! Repeat till you’re done. Place peppers on a baking sheet.

Cover each pepper with salsa.

Cover baking with foil. This goes in a preheated 400 degree F over for 30 minutes and then gets uncovered and goes back in for about 15 minutes to brown some.

Then you top it with a little cojita cheese and a little fresh cilantro.

When you cut it open it looks like this.

Yummy Delish! It taste Forking Great! Everyone will love this and it was Forking EZ too!

Next one came out prettier…

After I made the Arroz Con Pollo I was thinking that this was easy quick and delicious. Why don’t I make more chicken this way. So here is Mediterranean Style Chicken. Just brown the chicken on all sides and put to the side. (you can do in either a fry pan or just broil) You add the drippings from the pan and sauté the vegetables till soft add two cups of broth bring to boil, shut off heat add Israeli Couscous pour into pan, add back chicken, cover and an hour or so later you have a pretty nice Forking EZ delicious meal! Since I wrote this recipe I noticed that timings do differ greatly. It’s necessary to use a thermometer when you make this dish. The chicken must have reached at least 165 degrees F……….but I prefer the chicken to reach 180 degrees……it’s more fall apart tender and a lot of stuff I don’t like melts out. I also need to note by cooking the chicken this was the skin will not be crisp enough for most people to eat but the chicken will come out delicious and tender.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

4 lbs chicken quarters (I used three large quarters)

salt to taste (for browning chicken)

pepper to taste (for browning chicken)

granulated garlic to taste (for browning chicken)

1 cup celery – chopped

1 cup bell pepper – chopped (I used assorted)

1 large onion – chopped

4 carrots – chopped

13 garlic cloves – chopped fine

1 Tablespoon soup base – chicken or vegetable (this is instead of salt)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

15oz can tomatoes plus a little water to clean out can

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 small sprig fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

6 oz Israeli Couscous

1/4 cup fresh parley leaves (only leaves) – chopped to finish

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Chicken needs to be salt, peppered and also coated with a little granulated garlic. You can brown in a large fry pan or broil in the oven. Put chicken to the side. Use some of the drippings to fry up the vegetables in a sauce pot.

Put sauce pot on medium high heat and add the celery, bell pepper, onion, carrots, garlic, soup base, black pepper. Stir and cover loosely with foil. A few minutes later stir some more and cover again. When soft add tomatoes with the small amount of water (to clean out can), red pepper flakes and bring to boil and shut off when boiling. Add rosemary, basil, oregano and couscous. Pour in baking dish or pan and add back the chicken and cover tight with foil. This goes in a preheated 350 degree oven on the middle rack until chicken is done. The chicken must reach at least 165 degrees F to be safe to eat. (I prefer the chicken to be at least 180 degrees F….) Check dish in one hour but it might take up to two hours depending on your dish, oven and other items that might be in the oven that will slow the cooking process down.

Finish with fresh parsley.

Serve. The chicken will be moist and delicious and the pan will be full of Delicious couscous mixed with vegetables.

Enjoy! Everyone will enjoy this dish.

Lately I’m on a roll browning up chicken quarters, cooking up vegetables adding a starch and about an hour or so later we get a delicious meal with flavorful moist tender delicious chicken that’s a complete meal. Actually these EZ one pan recipes make about 6 meals. This one is a bit spicy …….like a 3.5 out of five…….but super Forking Delicious! You can add any rice you like but they all come out different. Here I used green rice and it came out like South West Risotto…….but that is because it’s a short rice. If you use long grain rice it will come out more traditional. This came out Forking amazing…..It actually surprised me. In these dishes I do note the chicken skin won’t be crispy enough for most people to eat but the chicken will be moist and delicious! The other thing I need to note is that ovens do differ and the timing can differ. You really need to use a thermometer and make sure your chicken has reached at least 165 degrees F. (but I prefer my dark meat chicken more cooked to at least 180 F so all the stuff melts out)

Ingredients for about 6 servings

4 lbs chicken leg quarters (3 big quarters) ((really anywhere between 3 something – 4lbs)

salt to taste for chicken (the way you normally salt your chicken)

ground pepper to taste for chicken (the way you normally pepper your chicken)

granulated garlic for the chicken (about double the amount of salt you used)

1 cup celery – chopped

1 cup green pepper – any green pepper you like! they all have different flavors (I used shishito)

1 large onion – chopped

4 jalapeños – chopped (or adjust to your liking)

4 carrots – peeled – chopped

15 garlic cloves – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon soup base (instead of added salt) (vegetable or chicken)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups water

1 cup rice either long grain or green rice (these kind I’ve tested out)

.o7 oz fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems…looked like about 1/2 cup) – chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley (for finishing)

2 Tablespoons scallions – chopped (for finishing)

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Chicken quarters get sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic to taste on both sides. You have a choice and can brown in a pan, or broil in a pan because you need the drippings. After you brown up the chicken put it to the side and use some of drippings to cook up your vegetables. (you need this to infuse flavors)

In a sauce pot on medium high heat with drippings add the celery, green pepper, onions, jalapeños, carrots, garlic, soup base, black pepper, cumin, chili powder and oregano. Stir and loosely cover with foil. Stir a few minutes later and loosely cover again. Repeat. Add two cups water and bring to a boil. Then shut off heat. Add the rice and cilantro. Mix. Pour into baking dish or pan and add the chicken and cover tight with foil. Put in your preheated 350 degree oven. This will be done in about an hour or so… (oven timing may indeed differ….rice needs to be cooked and please check chicken with thermometer and it needs to be at least 165 degrees F. to be safe to eat. (I like my dark meat chicken to at least be at 180 F)

When done finish with fresh chopped parsley and scallions.

Serve and enjoy!

Enjoy! Sorry this photo isn’t the best but the dish really does taste Forking Great!