Chao Chay Recipe (Vietnamese Vegetarian Rice Soup)

We just stored all the holiday decorations and a new celebration is already upon us. Tết, the Asian New year is coming up in two weeks! I haven't bought cherry blossom flowers yet or decorated the house with red, but I’ll get to it soon. The other thing is that at the beginning of the year (Lunar calendar), it is auspicious to eat vegetarian food (ăn chay) on the last day of the previous year and first day of New Year. I recently made a delicious cháo bò (beef rice porridge), and I’ve created a vegetarian version to serve to the family.

Rice porridge is a typical Asian comfort food. I made this dish with tofu, carrots, daikon radishes, beech mushrooms and peas. Not only is it vegetarian, but it's also very healthy, which fits my New Year's resolution perfectly. I'm still trying to shed the extra baby weight! I'm going to be sharing a few Asian vegetarian dishes for you to try over the next few days, so come back soon!

Rice Recipes (+ Zojirushi Giveaway)

As an Asian person, rice is a staple in our house. So owning a rice cooker is essential. I've owned a Zojirushi rice cooker for several years, and it is the best one I’ve ever used. It has a permanent place on my kitchen counter, so it's a good thing the exterior design is very pretty.

With this machine, you can cook a wide range of foods, thanks to the numerous setting from plain jasmine rice to sushi rice, brown rice, rice soup or even steamed potatoes and steamed cakes. It keeps rice warm for several hours after it's cooked without drying it out. That’s really important to me, because even though we all try to eat together every day, it often doesn’t happen because of everyone’s crazy schedule.

My Zojirushi rice cooker has a simple interface so it's very easy to program the machine to make perfect rice. The provided measuring cup and marks on the side of the cooking pot to indicate the correct amount of water needed make the system virtually foolproof. Perhaps the best part about it is how easy it is to clean, especially with the non-stick cooking insert. As an added bonus, the power cord is retractable, which keeps my kitchen counter neat.

Our friends at Zojirushi have kindly offered one of their Umami rice cookers for today’s giveaway (valued at $275!). For a chance to win, just enter on the 25 Days of Giveaways page. And to get you inspired to cook rice for your next meal, I’ve compiled some of my favorite rice recipes below. Enjoy!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "$275 Zojirushi Rice Cooker #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Mache Pesto Risotto Recipe (+Giveaway)

Remember when I said I always have pesto prepared in advance and stored in the freezer? This recipe doesn't require a lot of effort if you already have pesto on hand. Today I made risotto with my favorite pesto recipe, made with mâche leaves. In case you’re not familiar, mâche, or lamb's ear lettuce, is a small-leaved, brightly-colored green. It has a mild but very distinct flavor.

First, I cooked Carnaroli rice with vegetable stock until tender. Once the rice absorbed all the liquid, I added the mache pesto, caramelized onions and Parmesan shavings. This simple recipe makes a quick and easy comfort food fix in less than 40 minutes.



Today's giveaway is an assortment of all four varieties of HK Anderson pretzels. They are crisper than any brand of pretzels I've ever had. HK Anderson have been making these crunchy treats since 1888. I really like the thin-shelled ones filled with peanut butter. Being French, I didn't grow up with peanut butter and this is one of the few ways I enjoy them. For a chance to win, just enter on the 25 Days of Giveaways page.

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and HK Anderson pretzels or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Pretzels #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @hkpretzel: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Ginger Lemon Cake Recipe (+Giveaway)

I tend to bake a lot more during the holidays. Unlike cooking, where recipes can be loosely interpreted and still come out great, baking is about being accurate and using the precise amount of the specific ingredients called for. That puts even more emphasis on selecting the best of the limited ingredients you have control over, whether it's flour, eggs or butter. To that end, my pantry is always stocked with various Bob's Red Mill products, and today one lucky PhamFatale reader is going to receive a $50 gift certificate from Bob!

Today I made an almond cake flavored with ginger and lemon-flavored white chocolate. The main ingredient is almond meal, which makes the dessert gluten-free. Since it's the holidays, I splurged on more decadent elements by topping the cake with a ginger lemon whipped cream and garnished it with sliced almonds as a reminder of the flavor of the cake. Who am I kidding? If you’re a regular reader you know I don’t need much of an excuse to tend towards the decadent!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Bob's Red Mill, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Bob's Red Mill $50 Gift Certificate #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @Bobs_Red_Mill: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Marshmallow Popcorn Treat Yogurt Parfait Recipe (+ Giveaway)

479° Popcorn is my favorite snack of the moment. The packaging is fun and creative and needless to say this gourmet organic popcorn is awesome. I could finish an entire bag on my own. 479° Popcorn is a San Francisco company that features a very interesting array of flavors such as Fleur de Sel Caramel, Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt, Black Truffle, Chipotle Caramel + Almonds, Ginger Sesame Caramel, Madras Curry Coconut + Cashews, Pimenton de la Vera and Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar. The design is so original it makes the perfect holiday gift box. One of my husband's little sisters is obsessed with popcorn, and her birthday is coming up in a few weeks, so we're planning on buying her weight in 479° popcorn as a present. OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration!


I love experimenting with just about anything, so I created marshmallow treats with their Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar-flavored popcorn. I made a yogurt parfait and incorporated the sweet treats as a substitute for granola. This recipe is flavored according to the season; I used mandarin wedges and orange and cranberry sauce. You could adapt it with what you like of course. You don't have to create these cups for breakfast or dessert (or whenever you eat parfaits); just savoring 479° Popcorn by itself is perfectly reasonable.

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and 479° Popcorn, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Sweet Tooth Gift Pack #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @479Popcorn: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar flavored popcorn.