Char Siu (Barbecue Pork) Vermicelli

A salad of crisp vegetables and lettuce with noodles and pork all brought together with a sweet, salty, spicy, and sour sauce.

Vermicelli is one of my go to quick meals.  I've written about it before in my Vermicelli Salad where I used slices of left over Prime Rib.  You can use just about any leftover meat, or even tofu, you have and like but Char Siu is my absolute favorite.  We have found a great brand of Char Siu at  CostCo and it comes in a big package that we split into 3 or 4 smaller packs and keep in the freezer.  I just pop one of these packs into the refrigerator the night before then slice it when thawed and we have enough for about 4 servings of vermicelli.

For the noodles I always try to keep some thin bean thread or rice noodles in the pantry.  These cook in no time.  I usually just put them in a big bowl, pour boiling water over them and let them sit for about 10 minutes.  Once the noodles have softened I drain and rinse them in cold water.  Leftover noodles are fine refrigerated for a day or two in a sealed container.

The vegetables are very simple.  Just wash them and cut them however you like.  I use sprouts, lettuce, carrots, sometimes cucumbers, and jalapenos (for my husband).  Then you have your herbs.  You can use them or not depending on your own personal tastes but I think they add a little something to the dish.  Thai basil is my favorite and what I usually use, but mint, cilantro, and green onions are also good options and/or additions.

Most important is the sauce Nuoc Cham.  It is a great combination of flavors salty, sweet, sour and spicy and it helps add flavor to the noodles and keeps them from sticking together.  I love this stuff and am so happy I now know how to make it.  I like to add my julienned carrots to the sauce and let them soak in it for even more deliciousness.  Making the Nuoc Cham is probably the most time consuming part of this meal but it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare.  Nuoc Cham can be made the night before and refrigerated until ready to use.  It tastes even better the longer it sits.  I've kept it refrigerated for about a week before (I don't know how long it actually lasts because we use it up rather quickly).

Char Siu Vermicelli

Ingredients:

Char Siu (barbecue pork), sliced
Lettuce, torn
Sprouts
Thin rice noodles (or bean thread noodles), cooked and rinsed
Carrots, julienned
Thai basil
Nuoc Cham
Cucumbers, sliced (optional)
Jalapenos, sliced (optional)
Green onions, sliced (optional)
Mint leaves (optional)
Cilantro (optional)

It's real simple just sit every thing out and let each person make their own salad.

I like to put sprouts and lettuce in first.  Then, noodles, pork (cold is fine but you can heat it if you prefer), carrots (and other veggies), and herbs.  Lastly I pour a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham over everything.

The hardest part for me is getting everything to fit in the bowl.  I've been looking for some really big serving bowls but haven't been able to find any yet that I like.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Two Cup, Teach Me, Lou Lou Girls, Full Plate, Cook Craft Share, Eat Create, Freedom, Foodie Friends, See ya in the Gumbo, Merry Mon, Best of the Weekend


Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...

Pork Fried Rice

Simple fried rice made with leftovers and char siu (Chinese BBQ pork).

When ever I make rice I always make extra.  The leftover rice is great for another quick meal of fried rice.  Fried rice is a great way to use all kinds of leftovers and clean out your refrigerator.  For this fried rice I had leftover green bean stir fry, carrots and celery (that had been in my fridge a while), and char siu.  None of the ingredients would have been enough for a meal on their own, but put together it made a great meal for two with enough left for one lunch.

My favorite thing about fried rice is that it seems almost free.  Everything used has been part of other meals.  The char siu wasn't a leftover, I had some in my freezer, but you could use any pork, chicken, beef, or shrimp that you have on hand.  Be creative, fried rice is hard to mess up.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp veg oil
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, slivered
~1 cup green beans
~ 2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cup pork, bite sized
dash of soy sauce

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.  Pour in oil and then add the ginger and garlic.  Stir fry breifly until fragrant then add the onions, carrots, and celery.

Continue stir frying for a couple of minutes and then add the pork and green beans (both of these are already cooked they just need to be reheated).  Stir for about a minute then add the rice.

Stir quickly and break up any rice that is sticking together.  Add a dash of soy sauce for some salt and color (the green beans had plenty of sauce on them, that was 2 parts hoisin and 1 part soy sauce) and stir fry until everything is mixed and heated (only a couple of minutes more).  I still haven't figured out how to keep some of the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan but it''s not much and as long as you soak your pan for a few minutes the clean up isn't too difficult.

Makes 3 servings.  Enjoy.

Read more ...