Categories
Vietnamese

Keto Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowls – Fresh, Vibrant, Herbaceous Noodle Salad

KETO BUN CHA GIO

TINGZ

Ingredients

Keto Glass Noodles
Keto Nuoc Cham
Keto Cha Gio
▸ Romaine Lettuce
▸ Cucumber
▸ Peanuts
▸ Mint
▸ Cilantro

PicKLED DAIKON + Radish

▸ 1 C Daikon or Korean Radish
▸ 1 Small Carrot
▸ 1.5 C Water
▸ ¼ C Rice or White Distilled Vinegar
▸ 20 Drops Lakanto Monk Fruit Extracts
▸ 1 tsp Salt

Tools

Cutting Board
Knife
▸ Mason Jar
Measuring Cups
Plastic Gloves
Cast Iron or Pan
▸ Spatula

Optional

▸ Vietnamese Perilla
▸ Vietnamese Mint

The tools for this recipe that are linked above are all conveniently found in my Amazon Storefront.

SWOON

This Vietnamese noodle salad is summer time in a bowl! It’s fresh and light but oh-so-flavorful and leaves you 1000% satisfied. With so many textural elements, each bite is never boring and as found in most Vietnamese dishes, the flavors are delicate and perfectly balanced. Each bite leaves you wanting more and more. You are absolutely going to love this. Please please give this a try!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Julienne daikon and carrot and place in a mason jar along with water, vinegar, Lakanto and salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
  2. Shred lettuce and thinly slice cucumber.
  3. Roast and crush (or don’t… I forgot. Oops!) peanuts.
  4. Shape Keto Cha Gio into patties and pan fry in a neutral oil (I like avocado oil) or put some of the Keto Cha Gio mix inside 1/6th of a sheet of Cut Da Carb (see picture below) then roll up and deep fry until inside is cooked.

5. In a big bowl (think pho bowl), assemble your Keto Bun Cha Gio starting with a bed of crunchy shredded lettuce, place a loose ball of Keto Glass Noodles in the middle of your bowl. Add some cucumber slices, pickled daikon and carrot, and herbs along the edge of your bowl. Add your Keto Cha Gio, top with peanuts and serve with a generous side of Keto Nuoc Cham.

6. Pour in your Keto Nuoc Cham and mix everything thoroughly! Make sure all the noodles are covered in the sauce and enjoy!

Tag me @jihaekwon_ so I cannot wait to see your creations #goodfoodonlyclub!!

Jihae Kwon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Categories
Korean

Keto Spicy Pork Bulgogi – Your New FAVORITE Marinated KBBQ Meat!!

KETO DWEJI BULGOGI

TINGZ

Ingredients

▸ 2 lbs Thinly Sliced Pork Butt*
▸ 2 T Bragg’s Coconut Aminos*
▸ 3 T Coconut Secrets*
▸ 1 T Sesame Oil
▸ 1/2 C + 2 T Lakanto Golden or Classic
▸ 15 Garlic Cloves
▸ 1/3 C Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper Flakes)
▸ 1 Large Onion
▸ 5 Green Onions
▸ 1 T Sesame Seeds

Tools

Cutting Board
Knife
Mixing Bowl
Measuring Cups
Plastic Gloves
Cast Iron or Pan
Wooden Spoon

Optional

▸ Butter Lettuce
▸ Korean Perilla Leaf
▸ Green Leaf
▸ Kimchi

The ingredients for this recipe that are linked above are all conveniently found under Spicy Pork Bulgogi in my Amazon Storefront.

Jihae Kwon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

SWOON

It’s spicy and sweet and has a bit of smoky flavor from that char. You’re gonna love. Pleas be sure to read the notes down below!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a mixing bowl, add Bragg’s Coconut Aminos, Coconut Secrets, sesame oil, Lakanto, gochugaru, sesame seeds and mix thoroughly.
  2. Slice onion, chop green onion and mince garlic. Reserve some green onion for garnish, but add the rest to the mixing bowl.
  3. Add thinly sliced pork butt to the bowl and thoroughly mix everything together. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  4. While the meat is marinating, you can wash your ssam (lettuce, perilla leaf, etc.) and make any *banchan you’d like!
  5. Heat up cast iron, pan or grill. Put spicy pork bulgogi on once your surface is nice and hot. Resist the urge to touch the meat for a good thirty seconds to one minute. We want a little char on there! Yeah baby!
  6. Serve alongside your ssam and banchan or with some caulirice if that’s your thing!

NOTES

Banchan are the small side dishes that are served alongside your Korean meals– I have a shmoll playlist with super easy banchan if you’re interested here.

If you only have Bragg’s Coconut Aminos and not Coconut Secrets, use 3 Ts of Bragg’s + 1 extra tsp of Lakanto.

If you only have Coconut Secrets and no Bragg’s use 3 T Coconut Secrets + 1 tsp salt.

I like to make a big batch all at once and put them into Ziplock freezer bags. I label the bag with a name and date, add some of the marinated meats and flatten them out so that the Ziplock bag is about ¾-1” thick, stack and place in the freezer. This way, on any given weekday I can pull out a baggie, run it under some warm water for a couple minutes and cook it up fresh. Because of the way it was stored flat, it should thaw very quickly. I like to use this method of storage often! It’s also a very efficient way to use the space in your freezer.

Tag me @jihaekwon_ so I cannot wait to see your creations #goodfoodonlyclub!!

Categories
Vietnamese

Vietnamese Spring Roll in a Bowl – The BEST Weeknight Meal!

KETO CHA GIO

TINGZ

Ingredients

▸ 1/2 lb Keto Glass Noodles
▸ Keto Nuoc Cham
▸ 1/4 C Wood Ear Mushroom
▸ 1 Small Carrot
▸ 1 Small Onion
▸ 2 Small Shallots
▸ 3-4 Green Onions
▸ 10 Garlic Cloves
▸ 15 Medium Sized Shrimp
▸ 1 lb Ground Pork
▸ 1 tsp Salt or to Taste
▸ 25 Grinds of Pepper Mill
▸ 1/8 – 1/4 C Lakanto Golden or Classic
▸ 3 Medium or 2 Large Eggs

Tools

Cutting Board
Knife
Julienne Peeler
Mixing Bowl
Measuring Cups
Plastic Gloves
Kitchen Shears
Cast Iron or Pan
Wooden Spoon

Optional

▸ Napa Cabbage
▸ Mint
▸ Cilantro
▸ Vietnamese Perilla
▸ Vietnamese Mint
▸ Rau Ram

The ingredients and tools for this recipe that are linked above are all conveniently found under Vietnamese Springroll in a Bowl in my Amazon Storefront.

Jihae Kwon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

SWOON

MAKE THIS. And make a double– no! Triple batch!!! See notes section below to see how I store and keep for super easy weeknight meals and all the different ways to use this incredible recipe. OMG YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE ME!!!

This dish starts with a base of pork and shrimp, a match-made in foodie heaven, and when you add pretty much every type of allium: garlic, onions, shallot and green onion to the mix, you already know it’s going to be CRAZY! Some shredded carrot for some mild sweetness. Wood ear mushroom and keto glass noodles round out the party with fun textural elements! Wood ear mushroom has a unique crunchy texture and keto glass noodles lend a soft, slippery mouthfeel. Top it with some umamiful keto nuoc cham and serve it alongside fresh, gorgeous herbs (optional, but like, kinda not). You will die.

Aside from ALL DAT FLAVA, look at that ingredients list! LOOK AT IT! Full of all those “science science, science science really good stuff” things– meat and veg! And other than the small amount of monk fruit sweetener (which some might consider clean and even medicinal in China), it’s ALL WHOLE FOODS. SO EXCITING!

Seriously though, the delicate combination of flavors found in many Vietnamese dishes is so special and when learned to appreciate– can only result in an everlasting love affair with this country’s incredible dishes. You will love it. Please give this a try.

Vietnamese Spring Roll in a Bowl with a side of Keto Nuoc Cham
Photo Credit: Karen Khoun

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Prepare your Keto Glass Noodles and cover your wood ear mushroom with boiling or very hot tap water.
  2. Julienne carrots and place in the mixing bowl.
  3. Chop onion, shallots, green onions and garlic and add to the mixing bowl.
  4. Drain water from wood ear mushroom and julienne and add to the mixing bowl.
  5. Chop shrimp until sticky and pasty and add to the mixing bowl.
  6. Snip glass noodles into 1” pieces with scissors straight into the mixing bowl.
  7. Add salt, pepper, Lakanto and eggs.
  8. Mix thoroughly by hand.
  9. Heat up cast iron skillet or pan, add a bit of avocado oil and add mixture.
  10. Add napa cabbage if you’d like.
  11. Leave everything alone for a good 45 seconds and allow it to brown and develop flavor before flipping or stirring.
  12. Drizzle with keto nuoc cham and serve with your favorite herbs or leafy greens and enjoy. Omg. I’m so excited for you.

NOTES

I like to make a big batch all at once and put them into Ziplock freezer bags. I label the bag with a name and date, add some of the mixture and flatten them out so that the Ziplock bag is about ¾-1” thick, stack and place in the freezer. This way, on any given weekday I can pull out a baggie, run it under some warm water for a couple minutes and cook it up fresh. Because of the way it was stored flat, it should thaw very quickly. I like to use this method of storage often! It’s also a very efficient way to use the space in your freezer.

There are endless ways to eat this incredible mix, but here are a few ideas!

  • Place mixture in Cut Da Carb, roll up and deep fry, for a very close-to-the-actual version of Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Roll– not in a bowl)
  • Form the mixture into patties to cook like burgers
  • Roll them into balls and throw them into the air fryer
  • Use is as a taco filling on your favorite low carb tortilla or lettuce boat
  • Put an egg on it! Put an egg on everything! lol
  • Actually, make that a kai dao egg. 😉
  • Add them to your Bun Thit Nuong – Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowl (recipe coming next week!)

Get creative!! You’re the keto boss!! Tag me @jihaekwon_ so I cannot wait to see your creations #goodfoodonlyclub!!

Categories
Vietnamese

The BEST Keto Vietnamese Dipping Sauce for Chicken Wings + More!

KETO NUOC CHAM

TINGZ

Ingredients

▸ 3 Thai Chili Peppers
▸ 5 Garlic
▸ 1/4 C Lime Juice
▸ 1 C Water
▸ 1/4 C Fish Sauce
▸ 20 Drops Lakanto Monkfruit Extract

The ingredients and tools for this recipe that are linked above are all conveniently found under Nuoc Cham in my Amazon Storefront.

Jihae Kwon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

SWOON

Nuoc Cham or Vietnamese Dipping Sauce is an essential condiment to every Vietnamese households. It really is the perfect, delicate, harmonious combination of sweet, umami, salty, and acid and can really elevate a dish (level up! level up!). I always like to bring my little mason jar with me to Buffalo Wild Wings on Tuesdays like the money-saving, sauce boss I am and dip my extra-crispy naked wings into this this umamiful goodness. Share it with your cute, little server (Hi Mitch!) and maybe he’ll help you out when the Blazers are in the playoffs on a Tuesday and there’s a really really long wait. 😉

It’s also a must when eating bun thit nuong (Vietnamese vermicelli bowls), cha gio (Vietnamese spring rolls)– recipes coming soon, banh xeo (Vietnamese savory shrimp and pork crepe), goi ga (Vietnamese chicken and cabbage salad), and more. 

Vietnamese Spring Roll in a Bowl with a side of Keto Nuoc Cham
Photo Credit: Karen Khoun

It truly is so special and I really think you will love it. Please make it, purse it (I like to put it in my mason jar and then also a ziplock bag because… fish sauce), snap a pic and tag me on IG @jihaekwon_ and enjoy it with your chicken wings! 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a mortar and pestle pound your garlic and Thai chili peppers until there are no big chunks. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust to how your liking. 🙂

If you don’t own a mortar and pestle, no worries! Finely chop your garlic and Thai chili peppers and add all of your ingredients into a bowl.