This homemade taco seasoning brings authentic flavors to your dishes without the added sodium and artificial additives often found in store-bought packets. By making it at home, you ensure a healthier and fresher version tailored to your taste preferences. My taco seasoning is made with ingredients including cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, and this mix is not just reserved for tacos. Its versatility extends to sprinkling over vegetables, blending into soups, and spicing up grilled meats.
2 Hungry Birds - Tina
2 Hungry Birds - Tina
We love good food and on our site, we will be sharing delicious recipes, all tried, tested, and tasted. Follow along for kitchen adventures around the world, and learn how to cook delicious, authentic food. Many of the recipes have been passed down through generations (grandma food is the best!), and there are videos to help you recreate everything you see, in your own kitchen. We don’t want fancy kitchen gadgets and difficult-to-find ingredients to scare you off, so we always suggest substitutes and easier ways of doing things, whenever possible, without compromising on tastiness. We want cooking to be fun, and we want you to start cooking too!
Recipe: Bánh mì thịt nướng (Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chop)
bánh mìthịt nướng (Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chop) is my favorite kind of sandwich. It was created in Vietnam during French colonial rule, and has influences from both cultures. The sandwich is typically made with French baguette and pâté, with different variants of Vietnamese meats and ingredients as the filling. The banh mi ‘thit nuong’ (grilled pork chop), however, is at the top of my list.
Unfortunately you can’t just whip this one up on the spot, as it demands a little preparation at least one day in advance. The meat is best marinated the day before, and the ‘do chua’ (pickled daikon and carrots) can be made the day before as well – but will be better if it is made the week before.
I usually marinade a bunch of pork chops, have them for dinner the first day, and then use the leftovers for sandwiches the following day.
The do chua is generally amazing with rice and meat dishes, and it lasts for about a month in the refrigerator, leaving you plenty of time to nibble.
The picture below is a banh mi stand right around the corner of my grandmother’s house. This woman arrives early every morning and sits there all day long in the blazing hot sun.
Recipe: Bánh mì thịt nướng (Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chop)
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Lunch, sandwichCuisine: Vietnam2
sandwichesbánh mìthịt nướng (Vietnamese sandwich with grilled pork chop) is my favorite kind of sandwich. It was created in Vietnam during French colonial rule, and has influences from both cultures. The sandwich is typically made with French baguette and pâté, with different variants of Vietnamese meats and ingredients as the filling. The banh mi ‘thit nuong’ (grilled pork chop), however, is at the top of my list.
Ingredients
1 1 thit nuong pork chop, grilled and sliced into smaller pieces
Do chua – pickled daikon and carrots
2 2 sandwich-sized baguettes, the light and fluffy kind
1 tablespoon 1 mayonnaise
A couple of sprigs of cilantro
1 1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced crosswise into smaller pieces
¼ ¼ English cucumber, cut into sticks
Directions
- Slice the sandwich bread halfway lengthwise.
- Spread some mayo on each side of the sandwich and lay the thit nuong evenly on the bottom of the sandwich.
- Add cilantro, jalapeno, cucumber, and do chua on top and close the sandwich. Wrap some sandwich paper around one end for easy eating.
The traditional way of making thit nuong is to cut the meat into 2-3 inch strips, then marinade the meat and grill it in between two wire baskets over a charcoal grill. The marinade consists of caramelized sugar syrup (nuoc mau) and fish sauce, two cooking essentials in the Vietnamese kitchen.
The fish sauce is very salty (and a bit smelly), but it has a lot of flavor. I often add a few dashes to my chicken, pork, and shrimp instead of salt and a little bit of sugar to get the protein crispy.
There are a bunch of traditional Vietnamese dishes where thit nuong is included, but here are a few of my favorites:
• Rice with grilled meat (‘com thit nuong’ as seen on the top picture)
• The Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi thit nuong)
• Angel hair rice noodles with grilled pork, served with lettuce for wrapping (banh hoi thit heo nuong)
As a city-dweller I am not privileged to have a garden with an outdoor grill, so unfortunately I have to make this in my oven. For this I use pork chops, which are on the more fatty side. If you do have a charcoal grill, you can make it the traditional way and use pork butt or shoulder instead.
Recipe: Vietnamese THỊT NƯỚNG (CARAMELIZED GRILLED PORK)
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: DinnerCuisine: Vietnam4
servingsThe traditional way of making thit nuong is to cut the meat into 2-3 inch strips, then marinade the meat and grill it in between two wire baskets over a charcoal grill. The marinade consists of caramelized sugar syrup (nuoc mau) and fish sauce, two cooking essentials in the Vietnamese kitchen.
Ingredients
2 lbs 2 900 grams) pork chops (or 1 ½ lbs. (680 grams) pork butt or shoulder, thinly sliced to about ¼ inch thick)
¼ cup ¼ (60 ml) lemongrass, minced
¼ cup ¼ (60 ml) sugar
1 tablespoon 1 ground pepper
2 tablespoons 2 fish sauce
3 tablespoons 3 sesame oil
3 3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
3 3 small shallots, minced
1 tablespoon 1 nuoc mau (Vietnamese caramel syrup)
Directions
- Prepare the marinade with the above ingredients and coat the meat to marinade for at least 1-2 hours or for more enhanced taste the day before.
- For oven: Set the oven to broil or grill and place the meat on a grilling rack right under the heating element. Broil/grill a few minutes on each side.
For charcoal grill: lay out the meat in between two wire baskets and grill for a few minutes on each side.
As a regular accouterment of Vietnamese cuisine, pickled daikon and carrots are great as a little side nibble with your rice and meat dishes or as an addition to your salad. The crunchy texture, and sweet and sour taste adds that extra little touch to your meal. You might have tried a Vietnamese ‘banh mi’ sandwich before, and this is one of the essential ingredients to complete the full banh mi experience.
Notes
The pickled daikon and carrots are usually thinly shredded, but while I was growing up, my mum also made them in coin-sized slices for easier enjoyment. At home we used to eat them straight from the jar like Americans eat their pickles.
The pickled daikon and carrots are ready to be eaten the next day, but the flavor will enhance over time. It will last about 4-6 weeks sealed in the refrigerator.
Recipe: Do Chua – Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: PicklesCuisine: Vietnam1
large jarAs a regular accouterment of Vietnamese cuisine, pickled daikon and carrots are great as a little side nibble with your rice and meat dishes or as an addition to your salad. The crunchy texture, and sweet and sour taste adds that extra little touch to your meal. You might have tried a Vietnamese ‘banh mi’ sandwich before, and this is one of the essential ingredients to complete the full banh mi experience.
Ingredients
- Vegetables
1 lb 1 (450 g) daikon, julienne shredded
1 lb 1 (450 g) carrots, julienne shredded
2 teaspoons 2 sugar
1 teaspoon 1 salt
10 whole 10 peppercorns
- Pickling Liquid
2 cups 2 boiled water
1 cup 1 sugar
2 ½ cups 2 ½ white vinegar
Directions
- Julienne cut the daikon and carrots. You can use a julienne slicing tool or cut them crosswise into 2 ½-inch (6 cm) long segments, and then again into ¼-inch (1/2 cm) thick strips.
- In a large bowl, hand-toss the daikon and carrots together with sugar and salt until the vegetables begin to soften. As a test, the vegetables are soft enough once you can bend a piece of daikon without it breaking.
- Transfer the vegetables to a colander, rinse with cold water and let drain.
- Make the pickled liquid by mixing boiled water, sugar, and vinegar together. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the pickled liquid cool off.
- Add the vegetables and peppercorns until they are packed tightly into a 2 quart (2 liter) jar, and pour the pickled liquid over to cover. Seal the jar and put it in the refrigerator.
When I first moved to New York, I realized how much I missed Danish bread. It was kind of frightening to me that store bought bread would not get moldy for more than a month, whereas bread in Denmark would typically only last 4 to 5 days. This is the trade off in convenience with processed foods, but it is also the reason why I started baking my own breads.
Danish rugbrød (rye bread) is a dark rectangular loaf of bread, and is denser than the normal rye bread you will find in most stores. Filled with grains and dietary fiber, it is low in fat and contains no oil or refined sugar, which makes this bread very healthy and filling. Because of the density of the bread, the Danes don’t eat the rugbrød in a traditional American sandwich format, but rather as an open-faced sandwich.
You might have seen me post some of the recipes that go very well with rugbrød. We also call it smørrebrød.
The recipe is based on sourdough, which has a distinguished flavor and also helps to keep the rugbrød naturally fresh for a longer period. Although it is easy to make, be aware that the sourdough takes 4 days before it can be used for baking.
My friend Anne H. passed me the best recipe that I have ever tried, so you have her to thank for sharing. The following recipe is reduced to one loaf instead of two, since I prefer to eat my bread as fresh as possible, and I altered it slightly by adding pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
The bread needs to be completely cool before you can slice it.
*To keep your bread fresh wrap the bread tightly in a clean dish towel and leave it in a dry place at room temperature. The kitchen counter is perfect. Wrapping the bread can keep your bread fresh for a week.
Recipe: Danish Rugbrød (rye bread)
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: BakingCuisine: Denmark1
loafThe recipe is based on sourdough, which has a distinguished flavor and also helps to keep the rugbrød naturally fresh for a longer period. Although it is easy to make, be aware that the sourdough takes 4 days before it can be used for baking.
Ingredients
- Day 1
105 g 105 rye flour
1½ dL 1½ water
8 g 8 dry yeast
- Day 2
- Day 4
3¼ dL 3¼ water or (93 grams malt beer and 233 grams water-this will give the rye bread a nice brown color)
150 g 150 all-purpose flour
137 g 137 rye flour
10 g 10 salt
35 g 35 flax seeds
45 g 45 sunflower seeds
45 g 45 pumpkin seeds (pepitas) + a little extra for the bottom of the loaf
125 g 125 cracked rye
1 tablespoon 1 honey
Sourdough
Directions
- To prepare the sourdough, mix the Day 1 ingredients in a bowl and cover with a plate. Let the mixture sit at room temperature on your kitchen counter.
- On day 2, add the Day 2 ingredients and stir. Let the mixture sit for two more days, stirring each day.
- On day 4, mix all the Day 4 ingredients (including the sour dough) in a large bowl.
- Grease a bread pan with oil and toss some pepitas in the bottom of the pan (this optional step allows the bread to come out with a beautiful bottom covered with pepitas). Pour the dough in the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise on your kitchen counter for about 6 hours or until the dough reaches the edge of the pan.
- Brush the rye bread with a mix of oil and water and bake for 1 hour and 5 min at 200°C / 390°F in the middle rack of your oven.
- Brush the rye bread with a mix of oil and water and bake for 1 hour and 5 min at 200°C / 390°F in the middle rack of your oven.
With colder weather around the corner, hot meals are on my mind. I recently whipped up this hot spicy coconut chicken curry dish when my neighbor stopped by with her son to get out of the blowing wind and cold rain. It is perfect for a cozy night indoors.
Recipe: Coconut Chicken Curry
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Dinner4
servingsWith colder weather around the corner, hot meals are on my mind. I recently whipped up this hot spicy coconut chicken curry dish when my neighbor stopped by with her son to get out of the blowing wind and cold rain. It is perfect for a cozy night indoors.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons 2 olive oil
12 oz 12 antibiotics-free and organic free-range chicken breast
1 1 medium carrot, diced
1 1 medium onion, sliced
1½ teaspoons 1½ fresh ginger, minced
2-3 cloves 2-3 garlic, minced
1 teaspoon 1 curry powder
1 teaspoon 1 ground cumin
1 teaspoon 1 chili powder
1 can 1 (14oz) coconut milk
1 tablespoon 1 curry paste (red or green)
1 teaspoon 1 salt
1 can 1 garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch 1 Swiss chard, cleaned, stems removed, and roughly chopped
Directions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium high heat and add the chicken. Cook until the chicken has seared on the outside.
- Add the carrots, and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the onion and ginger, sauté for another 2 minutes, and then add the garlic, curry, cumin and chili powder. Stir and let the spices toast for a minute, and then add the coconut milk. Fill the coconut milk can with water and add it in the pot. Let the mixture simmer for about 20 min.
- Add the chickpeas and Swiss chard to the pot and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve the chicken curry steaming hot with a bowl of rice.
These little gluten-free energy balls are great, when you are craving for something sweet. Grab a ball or two after a workout or in the afternoon, when you need a little pick-me-up. They are made without added processed sugar, with the sweetness added from dates, shredded coconut, and dark chocolate. They are really easy to make and if you have kids, they can help you roll them up and eat them during the process:)
You can make these any time – they only have 6 ingredients.
Recipe: Gluten free Chocolate Balls
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Snacks, CandyThese little gluten-free energy balls are great if you are craving for something sweet. They are made without added processed sugar, with the sweetness added from dates, shredded coconut, and dark chocolate. They are really easy to make and if you have kids, they can help you roll them up and eat them during the process:)
You can make these any time – they only have 6 ingredients.
Ingredients
260 g 260 Medjool dates
75 g 75 almond flour
6 g 6 cacao powder
25 g 25 oats
150 g 150 dark chocolate (70% cacao or greater)
200 g 200 unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions
- Pit the Medjool dates and cut them up roughly with a knife.
- Put the dates in a bowl with almond flour, cacao powder and oats. Use your hands to mix and gather everything into a big ball, and then reshape into smaller balls about ¾-inch, continuing until there is nothing left.
- Melt the chocolate by first bringing about 1 inch of water in a small saucepan to boil. Then rest a larger diameter heat-proof bowl on top of the saucepan; making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the saucepan. Add chocolate to the bowl, and stir occasionally as the chocolate softens. Remove the bowl from the heat when there are only a few chunks left.
- Place the shredded coconut in a wide bowl.
- Use a spoon to dip the small date balls into the chocolate on at a time, transferring each one to the bowl of shredded coconut. Roll and cover each ball with coconut, and transfer to a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. Continue until all balls are covered with chocolate and shredded coconut.
- Transfer the balls to the refrigerator and let the chocolate harden. Once they harden, they are ready to be enjoyed anytime. You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
My little boy had a long picky eating period and right until he turned one he completely denied using his own fingers to eat and he only wanted to eat from a spoon. When he started walking just a week after his first birthday he decided to be independent and wanted to do everything himself. It was a game changer for me, as I suddenly needed to rethink how to cook baby finger food instead of his usual soups and purees. His usual breakfast was yogurt or oatmeal and since that wasn’t good enough anymore I decided to make a healthier version of pancakes that was less sweet and had no added sugar. I added chia seeds, flax seeds and oats like I would do in his usual bowl of yogurt and I used very ripe bananas to keep the pancakes naturally sweet. My boy loved them right away and so did my husband:)
The recipe makes 5-6 small pancakes so double the portion if you are a big pancake eater.
Healthy Banana Pancakes
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Dessert, Breakfast5-6
pancakesIngredients
- Dry ingredients
¼ cup ¼ (35 grams) whole wheat flour
¾ cup ¾ (100 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons 2 (7 grams) baking powder
¼ cup ¼ (23 grams) oats
1 tablespoon 1 (8 grams) chia seeds
1 tablespoon 1 (10 grams) flax seed
¼ teaspoon ¼ salt
¼ teaspoon ¼ ground cardamom
- Wet ingredients
1 1 egg (whipped)
2 2 ripe bananas
1 cup 1 milk
1 tablespoon 1 agave
- For frying
1 tablespoon 1 sunflower oil
Directions
- Combine the dry ingredients together in a small bowl
- In a separate bigger bowl mix the wet ingredients together.
- Slowly stir and combine the flour mixture into the banana mixture. The batter will be a bit lumpy.
- Heat a pan on medium high heat and lightly grease it with oil. Use about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Turn the pancake until golden brown on each side and serve the pancakes while hot.
I have served these appetizers to friends a few times before dinner, and I can tell you they were a hit. They pair especially well with a little chilled sparkling or white wine.
This is quite an easy recipe that requires no cooking. It looks impressive and is pretty tasty as well. I am sure that my husband could eat a couple dozen of these – no matter how many you make there will never be enough.
Recipe: Mango Prosciutto Rolls
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Appetizers, Snacks20
rollsI have served these appetizers to friends a few times before dinner, and I can tell you they were a hit. They pair especially well with a little chilled sparkling or white wine.
Ingredients
1½ tablespoons 1½ olive oil
A pinch of lemon zest
½ teaspoon ½ lemon juice
A pinch of cracked pepper
10 slices 10 prosciutto
1 handful 1 arugula
1 1 mango, cut into small sticks
A few mint sprigs
Directions
- Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and cracked pepper in a small bowl
- Cut the prosciutto slices in half. Brush each prosciutto piece lightly with the lemon oil mixture, and then place two mango sticks, a little arugula, and two mint leaves onto one end of each prosciutto piece. Roll the prosciutto tightly (but carefully) to create a roll. Tuck the prosciutto end underneath and brush again with lemon oil (this will prevent the prosciutto from drying up and will also make them taste better).
- Lay out each roll side-by-side on a nice serving tray, and serve these hors d’oeuvres with chilled sparkling or white wine.
Some people eat chicken soup when they are sick. But growing up, whenever I was sick my mom use to make chao, a Vietnamese rice soup.
I remembered the chao recipe awhile back when my husband got really sick. Aside from making him feel better, he really loved the soup. Now every time he’s sick he asks me to make it – I’m pretty sure he would eat this on a regular basis if given the chance.
The soup is very basic with just a few ingredients, which is sometimes all you want when you are sick. My mother told me that the key was serving the soup boiling hot with lots of cracked white pepper to make you sweat and help your body fight the sickness. Apparently she was right, because I always felt better afterwards.
Making the soup is easy, but my mom has a few pointers. It is better to chop up the meat yourself instead of buying it pre-ground, as the texture is better and the broth comes out more clear and clean. Also, toasting the rice before cooking adds a nice flavor and texture to the rice grains.
Notes
If you want to make a luxury edition of this soup you can add a few pork bones or ribs for a more flavorful broth. If you want to add more vegetables in the soup small diced carrots and celery adds a nice flavor as well.
Mama’s Sick Soup – Vietnamese Chao
Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Recipes, Vietnamese4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIf you want to make a luxury edition of this soup you can add a few pork bones or ribs for a more flavorful broth. If you want to add more vegetables in the soup small diced carrots and celery adds a nice flavor as well.
Ingredients
¼ cup ¼ white rice (jasmine or basmati)
1 1 pork chop or a chicken breast
Ground black pepper and salt
1 tablespoon 1 sunflower oil
1 1 medium onion, skin peeled off
1 inch 1 fresh ginger, whole piece
1 1 potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
40 oz 40 (1200 ml) water
2 tablespoons 2 fish sauce
- Toppings
Cilantro
Scallions
Crisp fried shallots or onions
A pinch of Chili flakes
Cracked white pepper
Directions
- Heat a small frying pan and toss the rice in. Toast the rice until the rice grains brown.
- While the rice is toasting, beat/chop the pork (or chicken) with a knife. Use the knife like a meat tenderizer. Don’t cut the meat all the way through but keep beating the meat with the knife until the pork start to fall apart like ground meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat some oil in a medium pot over medium heat and sauté the meat until almost cooked. 4. Add the toasted rice, whole onion, ginger, diced potato and water to the pot. Bring to a simmer for about 30-40 min covered.
- Add the fish sauce, and add more salt and black pepper to taste, if needed. Remove the ginger and onion.
- Serve the soup hot in a bowl and sprinkle with cilantro, scallion, crisp fried onions, chili flakes and plenty of cracked white pepper.