Gold Bags -Thung Thong (ถุงทอง)

These gold or money bags are one of the most delicious Thai appetizers. This good fortune dish can be served on special occasions. I also make my little gorgeous purses in advance and serve them on Thanksgiving. These crisp pastry tiny bags have a coriander-flavoured and tasty filling. They are such a prefect snack or starter. Let's me tell you how I make them!

Ingredients: Serves 10-15 

2 pounds ground pork 
15 prawns, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped
8 oz water chestnuts, drained and chopped 
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 
4 scallions, chopped
pinch of salt and pepper 
2 packages spring roll sheets, thawed if frozen  
5 spring onions or chives, use only green parts for tying the bags 
canola or vegetable oil for frying 
sweet, chili dipping sauce 

cilantro paste: 
handful of cilantro stems or 3 roots 
1/2 teaspoon whole white pepper  
4 garlic cloves
Using a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, whole white pepper, and cilantro stems together into a smooth paste.  

Directions:

To make the filling, in a large bowl, add pork, shrimp, cilantro paste, spring onions, water chestnuts, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and mix well. Marinate the filling at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 

To make spring onion ties, using only the green parts and soak in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and add ice and let it cool. Then pat scallions dry on paper towels. 

To make the gold bags, place spring roll sheet on the cutting board and place one tablespoon of filling in the middle of each sheet and brush the edge with egg wash to seal if necessary. Form it into a sack shape. Tie attractively with the drained scallion tops. I also cut the top of the bags with scissor to make the sack shape. 

Heat the oil for frying in a wok or saucepan to 375 F, then frying the gold bags in batches until crispy and golden brown. Lift out and drain on the paper towels. Serve hot with the sweet chili dipping sauce. You also can warm the gold bags in the oven and to make sure that the filling is completely cooked. Enjoy ka!  

Our Thai Appetizers on Thanksgiving ka!

  

Linguine with Italian Sausage

When time's at a premium, you just have to find a simple and quick but yet fabulous meal to serve your loved ones. I love pasta and already have all of these ingredients on hand. It's also raining for several days already, so let's have some fun cooking ka!  

Ingredients: Serves 3

8 oz uncooked linguine (I use only a half of a box of pasta) 
1 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices (I use sweet and hot sausages)
1 medium onion, chopped 
2 tomatoes, chopped 
1 cup chopped green beans  
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin stripes
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into thin stripes 
5 garlic cloves, minced 
7 green olives, chopped 
1/2 cup Marinara sauce 
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
Kosher salt
ground black pepper 
Italian seasoning  
chopped fresh parsley 
grated Parmesan cheese 

Directions: 

Cook linguine according to package directions, I also add salt and cook about 8-9 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain off the excess water. 
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add olive oil and cook sausages until browned and set aside. Then cut into 1/2 inch slices. 
Stir in onions, garlic, red bell peppers, green peppers, and green beans over medium heat until veggies are tender. Stir in chopped tomatoes and sliced sausages until meat is no longer pink. When pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pan. Add chopped olives and marinara sauce and season it with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and toss well. You also can add pasta water, if desired. Serve hot and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy ka! 

Enjoy ka! 

Chicken Soup - ซุปไก่

Hi there! How was your Thanksgiving? This year we had such a wonderful time with family. And I have so much to be thankful for. However, I missed my blog and wanted to update my recipes asap. Unfortunately, I was not feeling well yesterday so I decided to make myself a chicken soup. As a result, I feel much better today and am very happy about it. There are several ingredients in this superior chicken soup. Let's me tell you how I make it. 

Ingredients: 

1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
12 cups water
2 onions, cut and quartered 
3 celery stalks, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
3 carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
2 tomatoes, cut and quartered   
5 garlic cloves, crushed 
11/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce 
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
salt and ground pepper to taste
dill or chopped parsley 

Directions:

Bring chicken, water, salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, and worcestershire sauce to a boil in a large stockpot. Skim foam. Add celery, onions, carrots and garlic. Reduce heat. Simmer and partially covered for 40 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer, partially covered about 30 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper to taste. You also can remove meat from bones and cut into bite-size pieces. Serve hot and garnish with dill or chopped parsley. Enjoy ka! 

This amazing soup made my day!

  

Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce

Following tradition, Thanksgiving feast in North America is not complete without cranberry sauce. The sweet to tart flavor pair perfectly with roasted turkey. In the United Kingdom, cranberry sauce is also often eaten in conjunction with turkey for Christmas. 

In the mean time, I have found many cranberry sauce recipes but I wanted to follow one of my favorite chefs Ree Drummond. I really like her show, The Pioneer Woman and recently got her cookbook as a present on my birthday. This simple cranberry sauce has a few main ingredients such as cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and cinnamon. However, I always add other components in order to create my own signature dish. Let's get started!

Ingredients: 

1 bag or 12 ounces fresh cranberries 
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon orange zest 
1 teaspoon minced ginger 
1/4 cup dried cranberries 
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 
1 stick cinnamon

Directions: 

Pick through the cranberries and discard any that look mushy. 
Rinse the remaining well, add cranberries to a 1/4 cup and place the least in a saucepan with sugar, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, ginger, honey, cinnamon stick. Stir well and place the pan over medium heat. Cook about 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries all be popped. Then sprinkle a 1/4 cup of fresh cranberries and stir well for few minutes. The sauce will look liquidy but when it cools, the sauce will be thicken up. Remove the cinnamon stick and after the sauce has cooled you may add additional 2 tablespoons orange juice if desire thinner texture. 
Then store the sauce in the jar and keep it in the refrigerator. It can be served chilled or at room temperature. Happy Thanksgiving ka! 

Enjoy ka!

    

Olivie Salad - Салат “Оливье”

Olivie Salad is one of my favorite salads that my husband has always been making. This recipe came from his family that has passed down from generations. It also has been one of traditional Russian dishes that used to be made for holidays or special occasions. Thanksgiving is coming  up this week, and it would be wonderful to make it ahead and to get a delicious meal on the table in no time.

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, diced  
5 medium carrots, boiled, peeled, diced  
5 eggs, boiled, peeled, diced  
1 can peas, well-drained   
4 cucumber pickles with dill, diced  
10 petite cucumber pickles with dill, diced  
1 cup mayonnaise  
1/2 cup sour cream 
10 slices turkey bologna, diced  
1/2 smoked turkey sausage, diced  
salt and black pepper to taste 
pinch of garlic and onion powder 
dill for garnish 

These are salad ingredients ka. 

I also double the recipe. 

Directions 

Boil potatoes and carrots in a separate pots because the cooking time is different depending on the size of vegetables. Drain water and leave them until cool and peel.
Boil eggs until hard-boiled about 10-12 minutes and drain the hot water from the saucepan and leave them in cold or ice water and peel. 
Drain peas well and dice potatoes, carrots, eggs, bolona, sausage, and pickles into 1/4 inch dice. 

To make a salad dressing

In a bowl, mix mayo, sour cream and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste. Check seasonings.  

Pour the dressing in a large mixing bowl with other ingredients and mix well. If you want to make ahead, chop all ingredients and store them in the refrigerator. Then add the dressing several hours before serving. This way you won't have water that comes from vegetables. 

Enjoy ka!