"Vhun" Jello/Coconut Milk Dessert

Ingredients for first layer:

1 cup water

1 Tbsp Agar Powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients for second layer:

1 Tbsp Agar Powder

1/2 cup water

2 cans of 5.6 oz coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Direction:

First layer: Pour all ingredients from first layer into a medium size pot. Stir. Turn on high heat. Stir occasionally until boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a medium size pan. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Second layer: Same process, pour all ingredients from second layer in a medium size pot, can use the same pot over again. Stir and mix it well. Turn on heat, stir occasionally, let boil. Remove from heat. Pour sauce over the first layer. Let cool for about 1 hour, or to expedite the process, put in refrigerator. You can cut diagonally to serve.

Pandan Sticky Rice & Black Sesame Seed Dessert

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pandan extract
1/2 cup water
2 cans of 5.6 oz coconut milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups cooked sticky rice

2 Tbsp roasted black sesame seeds

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Direction:
Put all ingredients in a medium size pot. Cook over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a baking pan, spread mixture evenly and sprinkle roasted black sesame seeds over rice. Let cool for several hours. To serve: cut into small blocks and sprinkle shredded coconut over rice.

"Laab" Spicy Beef Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb lean beef, can replace with any type of meat, lightly sprinkle with salt, broil in oven, about 3 minutes on each side, let cool, thinly sliced (makes about 2 cups)

4 lime leaves, paper-thin sliced

4 mint sprigs, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/2 Tbsp kha, thinly sliced or 1/4 tsp ground dried kha (also known as galanga)

3 red Thai chili, and/or half jalapeno, thinly sliced

1Tbsp and 1 tsp fresh lime juice

1Tbsp and 1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp ground roasted rice

1/2 tsp ground chili flakes

1 shallot, paper-thin sliced

Direction:

In a medium size bowl, lightly toss all ingredients together. Serve over any type of lettuce.

**Thanks to my new good friend, Sherry, who is also a military spouse, and who was kind enough to help me write down the recipe while I prepared it.

Egg Roll

Ingredients:

2 cups or 1 lb ground pork (can substitute with any type of ground meat)

1 package of egg roll wrappers. It comes in 20 to 30 sheets, in frozen food section.

1/2 cup black mushroom, soak at least an hour, drain, chopped

1 small bundle glass noodle (also known as bean thread noodle), soak for an hour, drain, cut into 1-inch

1 cup cabbage, shredded

3 eggs, reserve one egg yolk in a small bowl as a sealant

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

1 Tbsp garlic, chopped

1 big head onion, chopped

1 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Direction:

In a medium size bowl, add all ingredients together. Mix well.

How to roll an egg roll: Peel off one sheet of egg roll wrapper one at a time. Lay a wrapper on a clean surface, place a spoonfull of mixture in the corner of the wrapper. Spread the mixture length wise, about 2-3 inches, then pick up the corner edge of the wrapper and start to roll it up. Once you come to the middle of the wrapper, fold both sides, and start to roll till the end. Before you reach the end of the roll, brush your finger over egg yolk and place the egg yolk on the tip of wrapper, this would act as an adhesive to seal the roll.

In a wok or frying pan, heat oil on medium. Once it's hot, carefully place an egg roll in the pan/wok. Try not to over crowd it. Remove from heat once it turns golden.

Serve with sweet chili dipping sauce.

To serve as "Egg Roll / Lettuce Wrap" cut them into small pieces, and wrap them with lettuce, cumber, cilantro, mint, tomatoes, bean sprout, and dip in sweet chili sauce.

Yum Shrimp and Squid (salad)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

4 red chili, thinly sliced

1/2 cup white mushroom, cooked for 7 mins, rinse, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup glass noodle, soaked for 1 hr, boiled for 1 min then pour into strainer

1/2 Tbsp lime leaves, thinly sliced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp lemon grass, thinly sliced

1/2 carrot, shredded

2 1/2 cups shrimp and squid, boiled 5-7 mins, drained, let cool

1 1/2 Tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 Tsp sugar

Direction:

In a small bowl, mix together fish sauce, lime juice, salt, and sugar.

In a salad bowl, lightly toss all ingredients together. Serve with roasted ground peanut and lime wedge.

Crab and Yellow Curry

Ingredients:

2 lbs Dungeon crab, cut into 4 pieces, take apart legs

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp dry yellow curry

1/2 tsp black bean sauce

3 cloves crushed garlic

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 big head onion, thinly sliced

1 small ginger, thinly sliced

2 small red chili pepper, seeded, thinly sliced

1 egg

4 green onion, 1-inch cut

Direction:

In a wok or pan, saute garlic and shallot until golden brown. Add crab, sugar, salt, black bean sauce, and yellow curry. Stir, cover with lid for about 10 minutes. If too dry, just add about 1 or 2 Tbsp of water. Don't add too much water at one time.

Push ingredients to one side of the pan and drop in the cracked egg, scrambled. Add the rest of ingredients, stir for about 2 minutes, remove from heat.

Stir Fry Chicken and Vegetables W/Oyster Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup chicken, thinly sliced

1 bag of mixed vegetables, see pic, or you can replace with any of your favorites

1 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil

3 cloves crushed garlic

3 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1/2 tsp salt

In a separate small bowl: mix together 1 Tbsp corn starch and 3 Tsp water.

Direction:

In a wok or a pan, heat oil, saute garlic until golden brown. Add chicken, salt, and cook for about 7 mins, until chicken is cooked. Add vegetables and Oyster Sauce. Cook for about 4 mins.

Pour corn starch and water mixture to the bottom of pan and stir into other mixture for about 3 mins. Remove from heat. Sprinkle black pepper over stir fry. Serve with cooked rice.