Bo Bun Recipe (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Bowl)

I have to admit that since my husband Lulu is a vegetarian, I eat way less meat than I used to. So when I have a chance to share a meal with a fellow meat eater, I make the most of it. Bò bún is one of my favorite meat dishes, and I often find myself making it when there's company. It's a one-dish meal composed of hot beef served with cold salad and noodles.

It's the perfect quick and easy meal that can be prepped in advance. Now if I could only get Lulu to eat it with me...

Bun Bo Nuong Recipe (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Bowl)

This weekend, we had a lot of company, so we prepared one of my favorite party recipes: bún bò nướng. This one-dish meal is the kitchen sink dish of Vietnamese cuisine. Tender, boneless beef is grilled and topped with mở hành (onion oil). Then the steak is thinly sliced and served with room-temperature vermicelli rice noodles, roasted peanuts, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts and mint. But we didn't stop the feast there; I added bánh cuốn (steamed roll cakes), fried sweet potato and shrimp (bánh tôm chiên dòn) and bì (shredded meat).

The whole bowl is flavored and drizzled with nước mắm chấm (fish sauce) and eaten with chopsticks. Give it a try and you'll want to eat this everyday!

The winner of this week's giveaway is Amanda O. (please contact me back so I can get your mailing address). Congratulations and I hope you enjoy using my first cookbook about gourmet potato dishes as much I did developing the recipes!

Bo Xao Xa Ot Recipe (Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef)

Bún thịt bò xào xả ớt (chile lemongrass beef noodles) is one of my favorite Vietnamese "casual" everyday meals. I like the way lemongrass is used to spice things up in this Vietnamese classic. Tender, boneless stir-fried beef is cooked with fresh lemongrass, freshly chopped chile peppers and onions. The meat is served in a bowl filled with cold vermicelli rice noodles, roasted peanuts, fresh vegetables (usually cucumber and pickled carrots), fresh Vietnamese herbs and soy bean sprouts. The entire dish is drizzled with mixed herbed fish sauce as seasoning.

The cooking time is very fast, and call me crazy but I love the sound of the sizzling pan. I stir-fried the beef, but on hotter days, you could also thread the meat into skewers and grill them.

Note: Glossary of relevant Vietnamese cooking terms.

Bún = noodles

Thịt bò = beef

Thịt = meat

Xào = stir fry

Xả = lemongrass

Ớt = chile