Name: Recipe: Do Chua - Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) daikon, julienne shredded; 1 lb (450 g) carrots, julienne shredded; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 10 whole peppercorns; 2 cups boiled water; 1 cup sugar; 2 ½ cups white vinegar

Recipe: Do Chua – Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 17, 2023

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: Vietnam

Servings

large jar

Ingredients

US Metric

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.

Recipe: Danish Rugbrød (rye bread)

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 15, 2023

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: Denmark

Servings

loaf

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.

Recipe: Coconut Chicken Curry

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 15, 2023

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: Dinner

Servings

servings

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.

Recipe: Gluten free Chocolate Balls

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 14, 2023

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, Candy

These 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.

Recipe: Healthy Banana Pancakes

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 13, 2023

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, Breakfast

Servings

5-6

pancakes

Ingredients

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.

Recipe: Mango Prosciutto Rolls

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 9, 2023

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, Snacks

Servings

rolls

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.

Ingredients

US Metric

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.

Recipe: Lemon Curd

2 Hungry Birds - Sanne on July 9, 2023

Lemon curd is a delightful, tangy spread, perfect for adding a burst of citrus flavor to a variety of baked goods and desserts. The velvety texture and the vibrant taste make lemon curd an ideal companion for scones, biscuits, or crackers, but you can also use it as a filling for tarts, cakes, or pastries, or simply spoon it over yogurt or ice cream for a delicious, zesty twist.

Lemon curd can be stored in the refrigerator for 7-10 days, and while it is tempting to save it for special occasions, don’t hesitate to use this versatile spread to bring a touch of sunshine to everyday meals. Making your own lemon curd is surprisingly straightforward, and the result is a treat that far surpasses any store-bought version.

Recipe: Lemon Curd

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds Course: jams and spreads

Servings

small jar

Lemon curd is a delightful, tangy spread, perfect for adding a burst of citrus flavor to a variety of baked goods and desserts. The velvety texture and the vibrant taste make lemon curd an ideal companion for scones, biscuits, or toast, but you can also use it as a filling for tarts, cakes, or pastries, or simply spoon it over yogurt or ice cream for a delicious, zesty twist.

Ingredients

US Metric

1 tablespoon 1 finely grated zest (~ 1 lemon)
4 4 egg yolks
½ cup ½ lemon juice (juice from 1-2 lemons)
½ cup ½ sugar
¾ stick ¾ butter

Directions

Whisk the egg yolks in a saucepan. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. Whisk together until the mixture is well combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat, and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Continue to cook the mixture over low heat while stirring until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Whisk constantly to prevent the yolks from curdling.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring after each addition until the butter is completely melted and incorporated into the mixture.
Transfer the lemon curd to a jar or a bowl.

Recipe: Multi-seed crackers with whipped ricotta and lemon curd

2 Hungry Birds - Sanne on July 9, 2023

Sanne: I usually eat multi-seed crackers with cheese or with savory spreads, but the other day, I decided to stir it up a bit, literally speaking, and had the crackers with whipped ricotta and lemon curd. Tangy lemon curd, creamy ricotta and savory, crunchy multi-seed crackers, – this is a great snack for when you are craving something sweet, but not too sweet, along with your favorite cup of tea.

Curious about making your own lemon curd? Here is my recipe (mitziemee.com) >>

The Rye + Sea Salt multi-seed crackers from Hungry Bird Eats are particularly good for this recipe, but you can use any type of savory multi-seed crackers.

Multi-seed crackers with whipped ricotta and lemon curd

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Sanne Course: Snacks

Servings

crackers

I usually eat multi-seed crackers with cheese or with savory spreads, but the other day, I decided to stir it up a bit, literally speaking, and had the crackers with whipped ricotta and lemon curd. Tangy lemon curd, creamy ricotta and savory, crunchy multi-seed crackers, – this is a great snack for when you are craving something sweet, but not too sweet, along with your favorite cup of tea.

Ingredients

US Metric

12 12 multi-seed crackers
1 cup 1 ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons 4 lemon curd
Lemon balm leaves for decoration

Directions

Prepare the whipped ricotta: In a mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese. Using a hand mixer or a whisk, whip the ricotta until it becomes light and fluffy. This will take about 2-3 minutes of mixing.
Assemble the crackers: Take a Rye + Sea Salt cracker from the pack and spread a generous amount of whipped ricotta on top.
Spoon a small dollop of lemon curd on the ricotta layer.
Garnish and serve: Place a fresh lemon balm leaf on each cracker for decoration. Arrange the prepared crackers on a serving plate. Serve with your favorite cup of tea or lemonade.

Recipe: Mama’s Sick Soup – Vietnamese Chao

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 7, 2023

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, Vietnamese

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

US Metric

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.

Recipe: Mushroom and Leek Frittata

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 5, 2023

I have never been a big lover of scrambled eggs – they are usually too plain for me. So when I cook eggs, I make frittatas, which are easy to make and have a wonderful flavor.

A frittata is perfect to make when you have friends over for brunch, which I quite often do. Stick it in the oven, and voila! You don’t even have to be in the kitchen while you are entertaining your friends, and the outcome is a beautiful egg dish. In fact, frittatas are so easy to make that you don’t even need a recipe, as long as you have some eggs and a few vegetables to sauté (or even just some herbs)

The photo in this post is of a frittata that was in the oven for a little longer than I intended, since my guests all arrived late. The frittata was still amazing, but I prefer cooking it a little less to create small pockets of melting cheese, which are fabulously mouth melting.

Recipe: Mushroom and Leek Frittata

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

Servings

servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons 2 olive oil
6-8 oz 6-8 white button mushrooms, sliced
1 1 large leek, chopped
¼ cup ¼ milk
3 3 scallions, chopped (save a bit for garnish)
4 oz 4 white sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch squares
Salt and pepper
A pinch of thyme

Directions

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil until hot and then add the mushrooms. Sauté until lightly browned, then add salt and pepper and keep sautéing until he mushrooms are well done.
Add the leeks and sauté until edges are slightly charred. Let the vegetables cool off a bit.
In a large bowl, whip the eggs and milk together with salt, pepper and thyme. Add the sautéed vegetables, scallions and cheddar cheese.
Pour the eggs and vegetable mixture in a quiche dish and bake in the oven at 390 °F (200°C) until the top is slightly browned and the egg mixture is baked.
Sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately.