Chao Ca Recipe (Fish Congee)

Cháo cá (Vietnamese for fish congee) is Aria's favorite dish these days. At one and a half years old now, she's able to eat pretty much anything and everything. But don't be fooled by its appearance; rice congee isn't only meant for babies. Cháo is a very popular meal in Asia; I personally love it too. 

In this version of congee I cook rice in fish stock until it becomes a thickened soup. I like to make small portions at a time by adding thinly sliced white flaky fish, ginger, onions and cilantro at the last minute. The key to flavorful fish congee is to use the freshest products available.

Baked Fish with Peach Relish

Here's probably the easiest baked fish recipe. Swai fillet (catfish) is seasoned with Bellindora seasoning, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Then, it's pan-seared with a combination of olive oil and butter and transferred to the oven until fully cooked. I use the combination of fats so that the butter doesn't burn. Right before the end of the cooking time, peach relish is spread over the fish to add a sweet and acidic flavor to the fish.

The peach relish is made with canned peaches, a lot of Italian parsley, pickled spring onions, Bellindora balsamic peach vinegar and red mini sweet peppers. It adds a brightness and freshness to the dish. I can't wait for peach season to make the dish again with fresh fruit!

Banh Mi Fish Taco Recipe

These fish tacos are filled with grilled halibut, cilantro lime rice, salsa verde, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, carrot and daikon (the Vietnamese flair in these tacos) and finally a dollop of Mexican sour cream. 

After completing my second cookbook, (shameless plug: don't forget to pre-order my Banh Mi cookbook), I've been professing my love for the Vietnamese sandwiches to whomever I meet on Twitter. Last weekend, I came across the most wonderful idea from a Texan food & wine festival through Chef David Bull from Austin: Banh Mi Tacos. In my second cookbook, I kept everything fairly traditional by sticking to straight, authentic recipes for the Vietnamese baguette, đồ chua (pickled carrots and daikon) and Vietnamese-style meat. But what I love most is the way we can get inspired from a certain type of cuisine and come up with new, creative dishes.  

California Sushi Rolls and Tuna and Salmon Sushi

If you love football as much as my husband Lulu does, and also happen to be a 49ers fan, you were probably frantically jumping up and down and screaming for joy as they made it to the Super Bowl last week. Lulu has been looking forward to this since they lost in overtime in last year's NFC Championship game. To be honest, I have no clue what any of those words mean, but I've heard Lulu say them on several occasions.

What I do know is food and I've concocted a week's worth of  recipe ideas in honor of the Superbowl and the San Franciso 49ers. I may not know a first down from a field goal, but preparing fun party food for friends and family is a great way for me to get involved.

To kickoff our week of SF-friendly Super Bowl foods, here's a combination of California rolls (avocado crab cucumber) and tuna (freshly caught by our neighbor Tom) and salmon sushi. It's super easy; all you need is fresh ingredients and ready-cooked sushi rice. You can make several rolls in advance, and cut them throughout the party as your guests work their way through them. The other nice thing about sushi as party food is that you can easily make different fillings depending on you and your guests' preferences and dietary restrictions.

Pan-Fried Kingfish Recipe

If you look back at the seafood recipes I've posted, you'll see that I love deep-fried fish. Whenever fresh pieces are available at the market, I don't hesitate to cook one to golden perfection, and today I found a beautiful yellowtail kingfish. I marinated it with a lot of fresh garlic, ground fennel, soy sauce, parsley and lemon juice, then transferred it into a combination of garlic powder and flour. The whole fish was pan-fried until crispy golden and placed on quenelles of smoky, spiced eggplant  mash. 

I accompanied the kingfish with sautéed angel hair pasta. Making this dish is effortless and doesn't require a lot of time. Enjoy the bounty of seafood that's available at your local market!