Creamy Wild rice and Chicken Soup

This creamy chicken soup has high calorie with protein and vegetable balanced with whole grain .

It has very nice nutrition with healthy ingredients bind together to make patients' re-gaining their energy.

 Small serving amount could be counted for the  elderly who are going through tough medical treatments.

For the children who need energy from their sickness, this soup is easy to digest with decent amount of protein , vegetable and and whole grains.


 This soup  could be kept in air tight container for 3 or 4 days in the fridge for later days breakfast or snack on the cold days.

Creamy Wild rice and Chicken Soup (  Serve 4 )

Ingredients

1 Lb.                 Chicken ( Boneless, Skinless)
1 cup                Wild rice and Brown rice blend
3 Tbsp              Butter
3 cloves            Garlics ( Fine chopped)
1/2 cup             Onion ( Chopped)
1/2 cup             Celery ( Chopped)
1/2 cup             Carrot ( Chopped)
2 leaves            Dried Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp.             Fresh Thyme leaves (  fine chopped ) ( 1/2 tbsp. if using with dried thyme)
4 cups /32 oz.    Chicken Broth
16 oz.               Heavy whipping cream ( May use Half and Half milk for Health concern)
3 Tbsp              Flour
2 Tbsp              White wine

Cooking Instructions

1.  ( For the rice) Cook the rice blend with 3 or 4 cups of water till soft and tender.


For the Soup

1.  Cut the chicken into small pieces as you like 1/4 inch cube will be nice size.

2.  Melt the butter in the 8 Qt. soup dutch oven or (any pot that fit 8 qt of water) on the stove with medium high heat.

3. Add the chopped Onion, Carrot an Celery into the pan and cook with medium heat till all onions are translucent.

4. Add fine chopped garlic and thyme into the pan stir for 3 minute.

5. Add the cut chicken pieces into the pan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Add the White wine and stir with all ingredients for 5 minutes.

7. Add the  flour into the pan , stir gently to the bottom of the pan to cook through the flour and mix it well. Keep on stirring to blend in all the ingredients together.

8. Then pour all the cooked rice, Chicken Broth into the soup pot ,add bay leaves cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

10. Finally, add the cream ( or ) milk into the pan, cover with the lid and let it simmer for 15 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

11. Garnish with fine chopped parsley on top and enjoy this creamy soup together with toasted french baguette.

( Note: Every soup will be taste better next day after cooking because of its flavor releases evenly )
May also use half and half milk instead of using heavy whipping cream.

Scrambled Eggs with Herb and Cheese ( optional Sunday Brunch!)

This flavorful scrambled eggs recipe is the favorite breakfast for my family on the weekends.
You can cut down the butter by using olive oil or canola oil.
This recipe is really good for the children too.

Herb and Cheese Scrambled Eggs (One serving)

Ingredients

3           Eggs
1 tsp.     Boursin garlic and herb cheese
1 tsp.     Finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp.  Black pepper
1/8 tsp.  Salt (according to taste)
1 Tbsp   Butter or Olive oil

Instructions

1. Crack all the eggs into a bowl.
2. Add all the ingredients except the oil into that bowl.
3. Stir with whisk or fork to make sure the herbs and cheese blend well.
4. Use a non-stick skillet on the stove with medium-high heat.
5. Add butter or oil into the pan.
6. Make sure all the oil or melted butter coat the bottom of the pan well.
7. Pour all the egg mixture into the pan slowly and let it sit for 30 sec.
8. Use a spatula to fold the egg nicely to cook through all the liquid.
9. After cooking through all the liquid from the egg mixture, you may stop cooking since it is ready to eat.
10. For those who prefer the egg to be a golden color. They may cook for a little more to their preference.

(Note: Hotel style french scrambled eggs should be soft and a little runny.)
You may also substitute the plain cream cheese with garlic powder if you can not find the brand listed above.

Myanmar National Food ( Mont Hin Ngar )

Myanmar National Dish ( Mont Hin Ngar)

One weekend morning, my son asked: " Mom, when can I eat Mont Hin Ngar ?? ".

I was really pleased to hear that my son who was born in Singapore and grew up in America asking seriously about the food that we always eat as breakfast in Burma ( Myanmar).

"Mont Hin Ngar" is the most popular dish that has its identity as Myanmar's traditional food in this planet. Oh! I might use a really big word but that food is really big deal for most of Myanmar to die for.  Everybody from Myanmar who stay in the foreign country will always appreciate having this special dish.

In Burma (Myanmar), that special breakfast is always available everywhere such as big name tea shop, street corner shops, markets and gourmet Mont Hin Ngar shops with their own famous identity with different creativity.

You must be so curious what is so special about this food!
"Mont Hin Ngar" is the rice noodle soup dish with very flavorful ingredients and herbs that blend together cooking with fish fillet. The typical soup or gravy should be simmered for hours to get the good quality soup. The result always shows depending on how you cook, the way you cook, and your patience is also very important.

Let's talk about recipes to cook this dish. You may add two or three times for those ingredients if you want to serve more than two people.

Mont Hin Ngar ( Thin Rice Noodle with Fish Gravy Soup)
( Serve two )

1 lb.         Fish fillet (boneless) ( Good with either Catfish or Tilapia fillet )
2 stalks     Lemongrass
1 tbsp.      Fine Chopped Ginger
2 tsp.        Black Pepper
1 tsp         Turmeric Powder
3 tbsp       Fine Chopped Garlic
2 tsp         Chili powder
1/2 cup     Roasted Rice Powder ( available in Asian Grocery Store)
1/4 cup     Roasted Chick Pea flour ( Raw  chickpea flour from Indian Grocery Store)
5 tbsp       Fish Sauce
2 count     Hard Boiled Egg
2 tbsp       Fine Chopped Peanut ( Optional)
1 cup        1/2 inch square cut onion
1 tsp         brown sugar or palm sugar
3 tbsp       Oil ( canola, vegetable or peanut oil)

Instructions

1. Poach the fish fillet with fish sauce, salt, 1 tsp. pepper, turmeric powder and lemongrass ( pounded raw part) for 30 minutes in a cup of water with medium heat.

Lemongrass:   Cut about two inches in the root part, finely chop  and set aside
                      Pound the top part for the poached fish.

2. In the 4 Qt pan, add the oil and let it warm with medium heat on the stove top.
3. Add chopped (ginger, lemongrass, garlic) and Chili powder with a pinch of turmeric powder
   stir-fry for 3 minute (or) fragrant. (Note: time may vary because of heat and thickness    of the pan)
4. Add the poached fish (should be drained from the liquid) and stir fry with medium-low heat. Add pepper and garlic powder if it is available. ( optional to kill the fishy smell)
5. You need to work with patience for stir frying that fish till all moisture from the fish is gone.
6. Mix roasted rice powder and roasted bean powder together with 3 cups of water in the bowl,  set aside.
7. When the fish mixture is fragrant (don't use high heat), Pour all the mixture of  No. 6 (Mixture of powders) and stir well to mix everything blend in together in the pan.
Cover the pot with lid and let it simmer with medium-high heat.
8. When the soup starts boiling, stir with the wooden spatula to the bottom of the pot not to get burnt flavor. (rice powder and bean powder could be stick to the bottom of the pot) You may need to stir frequently to get a nice result.
9. Add chopped onion, drained liquid from the poached fish, (sliced hard boiled egg)
10. Add the ground peanut and brown sugar.
11. Season with salt and add the fish bouillon (flavor enhancer) for taste.
12. Let the pot simmer for another hour to make sure all the onions have softened and soup is blending in with all flavors.
13. Boil the rice stick by following the direction from the packet. make sure soften to eat and drain. Rinse the drained noodle with cold water to get the perfect noodles.
14. In the bowl, add one hand full of noodle and pour the soup on top of the noodle.
15. Topping: sliced hard boiled egg, chopped cilantro, lime juice (optional for sour taste),
16. Fried fish cake, fried Asian donut (Yau Char Kwai) and crispy chickpea fritters are a nice optional accompaniment or better delicacy.

(Note: You may add more water two to three cups if the soup thickens as evaporated by boiling for long hours.)

Boiled or Steamed Vatana Bean

How to make Steamed Vatana Bean??

Last week, I posted the recipe for fried rice with steamed Vatana Bean.
Here is the instruction to make the steamed bean.
In Burmese, we called it ( Pe Pyoat). In Burma ( Myanmar), we could conveniently buy any street corner or in the market.
As we live abroad, we need to know how to make perfectly boiled white Vatana bean.
After several times of trial and error, this is the recipe I could share for Every mom ( from Burma ) or anybody who wants to try making it at home.
It is really easy as 1..2..3...

We can buy that Vatana bean from any Indian groceries since that bean also plays the part of their vegetarian diet.

Boiled or Stemmed Vatana Bean

Instruction

1. Soak 5 cups of Vatana Bean in the Bowl overnight ( water should be at least one inch above the beans)

2. Next day, drain all water and spread the bean in a strainer cover with soaked cheese cloth.

3. You may need to sprinkle some water from time to time if the cloth is dry. Keep it cover it for two days.

4. After two days, see if the beans are sprouting well.

5. In warm weather countries, we may need only one day for sprouting.

6. In cold weather countries,  we need to wait 2 days to get the well-sprouted bean.

7. When the beans are ready to be cooked, we may need a 5qt pressure cooker with the steamer insert to get it perfectly cooked.

8. We may use the rice cooker, but the beans may be mushy. ( as your choice)

9. Mix the bean with crushed palm sugar ( 3Tbsp) and 3 tsp of salt .

10. Put all bean in the steamer insert with 3 cups of water.

11. Make sure tighten the pot and lock for your safety.

12. Boil the pot with medium heat and set the timer for 45 minutes.

After 45 minute, turn off the heat. release the pressure before opening the pot.
Note: Do not open the pot immediately after releasing the pressure! You might get severe scalds.
We may enjoy the steamed bean right away. Or we may also store in the freezer for a few months.
We may also mix steam bean with salt and olive oil to eat with Naan Bread ( Indian Tandoori Naan Bread).

Before Steaming ( Sprouted Vatana Bean)

After Steamed Vatana Bean

Happy Cooking! ENJOY!

Sunday Brunch!

Weekend Breakfast

Saturday and Sundays are always family time for everybody . For us, we usually wake up late. We start our day with very nice Brunch . So for this special brunch, I always prepare the fried rice with Vatana Bean for both of us since we grew up with that meal as one of everyday breakfast meal option in Burma (Myanmar).  

Burmese Vatana Bean Fried Rice 

1 count shallot peeled and chopped

2 clove of garlic

1Qt Cooked Rice( Cooled)

2 Eggs

1⁄2 Pint of Boiled Vatana bean

4 Tbs Canola oil

Instruction:

1. In the stir fry skillet (non stick prefered) add oil and cook the egg ( either sunny side up or over easy as you like) set it aside. Two serving( cook the egg two times is there is two eggs). Stove should be set to Medium heat. After taking out the egg from the pan, add chopped onion and garlic to the remaining oil. you may add one more Tbs of oil if you want.

2. When the onion is translucent and garlic start to get fragrant , Add the cooled rice and stir well to mix with onion and garlic.

3. When the rice coated well with oil and onion and garlic you may add vatana bean to the rice. If it is frozen bean, you may need to warm it in microwave till soft .

4. Season with salt and pepper as your taste.

5. Tips: You may add 1 tsp of fish sauce to the rice and cook another 5 minute to cook that fish sauce flavor. ( only if you want fish sauce flavor)