Mi Xao Ca Ri Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Stir Fry Recipe)

We had Vietnamese chicken curry earlier this week, so I used the leftovers to make this delicious chicken and tofu dish (mì xào cà ri gà). I have an aversion to wasting food, but that doesn't mean that the second life you breathe into a dish has to be any less wonderful than the original creation.

I shredded the chicken from the curry dish and made a stir-fry adding cubed tofu and vegetables available this season. To complete the meal, I added egg noodles. The dish couldn't be simpler to make, and it will work whether you have meat, poultry or seafood.

Mi Do Bien Recipe (Seafood Noodle Soup Recipe)

It's been windy and cloudy in the Bay Area and we just changed all the comforters and blankets, so everyone is comfy and cozy in their beds. Having hearty, warm meals helps out a lot during the rest of the day, and being Vietnamese, I can’t think of anything heartier than soup. Soup is probably the quintessential comfort food in Vietnamese cuisine. I’ve made many types in the past, and today I created a Vietnamese egg noodle soup with seafood, called mì đồ biển.

The soup consists of flavorful fish stock with fresh egg noodles, shrimp, quail eggs, baby squid and halibut (or any white fish). It is completed with Chinese chives (called hẹ in Vietnamese) and green onions.

Duck Noodle Soup Recipe

Roasted duck soup combines succulent roast duck with an incredibly flavorful broth. I cook the roasted duck remnants with beef bones and let them simmer for hours until the broth is sweet and delicious. I then complete the soup phở-style. By that, I mean, egg noodles are quickly boiled, then covered with the broth. The soup is finished with pieces of roasted duck, steamed bok choy and bean sprouts for extra crunch.

To me, the key to making great soup is to focus on the broth. It takes a lot of patience to get the flavor of the broth just right, but I think it's so worth it.

Chicken Chow Mein Noodles

I prepare Chicken Chow Mein with king mushrooms, tofu, broccoli, sugar snap peas, green beans, carrots and red bell peppers. The dish couldn't be simpler to make, and is definitely a family favorite. It's a great alternative to pasta, and it's an excellent way to make use of leftovers. I often combine the leftover chicken from my poulet roti with whatever vegetables we have on hand.

Chow Mein is one of the few dishes I can cook where it's very easy to make both vegetarian and meat versions simultaneously. I just set aside a portion of the dish before I add chicken to the rest.