Revealing the golden key to creating delicious recipes

 

Delicious Fresh Ingredients - Key Step for Perfect Cooking Recipes

A delicious cooking recipe not only requires precise seasoning, proper ingredient combination but also heavily depends on the choice of ingredients. Additionally, many nutritionists emphasize that food with signs of mold, not fresh, or stored for too long can significantly impact health. Therefore, there are some small tips to facilitate a smooth, quick, and effective selection process:

Tips for Choosing Fresh Fish

There are various types of fish available in different forms such as canned, whole, fillets, fresh live fish, etc. Choosing fresh ingredients is often considered the golden key to unlocking a delicious cooking recipe:

• Fresh fish eyes should have no signs of cloudiness, be clear and bulging.
• For scaled fish, ensure the scales are vibrant, well-layered, and not missing.
• Scale-less fish are considered fresh when their skin is smooth, without unusual or faded colors.
• Fresh fish usually has firm, elastic flesh. If pressed and the flesh feels soft, with a pale color, it may not be as tasty.
• Checking the gills is an easy way to determine the freshness of fish. If the gills have turned dark and lost their cherry red color, it is advisable not to buy.
• When choosing fish fillets, make sure they are fresh by observing normal color, a sense of firm elasticity, not soft, and no signs of peeling skin.

 

Methods for Choosing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Choosing fruits and vegetables has become familiar to many women. However, some may feel uncertain about selecting fresh and delicious produce. Here are some tips:

• Select fresh and intact fruits and vegetables, avoiding those with signs of crushing, overly plump, or unusually large size.
• Color is one of the signs to identify the freshness of fruits and vegetables. Choose those with natural colors, without signs of yellowing.
• Avoid overly dark or shiny colors for leafy greens, as they may have been treated with growth enhancers.
• For root vegetables, choose those with a natural origin, not too large, and with natural colors.

 

 

Most Applied Tips for Choosing Meat

To ensure quality, freshness, and reasonable prices for meat, housewives can refer to and apply the following techniques:

• When choosing frozen meat, opt for pieces that are firm, compact, and show no signs of softness.
• The color of the meat should not be dull; it should be even. Avoid those with unusual colors, including appearing in meat pieces.
• Especially, avoid buying meat with abnormal smells and colors, including signs of spoilage and chemical odors.
• Choose meat from establishments with listed prices or check market prices before buying to avoid price hikes.

 

 

Suggestions for Some Everyday Meal Recipes

The family meal plays an important role in our lives. Therefore, many people dedicate specific times of the day to choose and prepare quality, tasty dishes. Below are some delicious cooking recipes that make up a well-rounded meal. You won't have to worry about "what to eat today" and how to prepare it.

Some Delicious Braised Dish Recipes

Braised dishes are often a staple, popular dish in every meal across the North, Central, and South regions. They can be varied in many forms, but all must be rich, appealing in color. Here are a couple of recipes:

Pepper Braised Carp - Stimulating the Palate

This hearty dish requires several ingredients such as carp, chili, peppercorns, onions, garlic, herbs, spices, etc. Additionally, to enhance the appeal of the dish, choose a suitable clay pot for braising the fish. Follow these steps:

• Prepare the carp by removing scales, tail, guts, and cleaning thoroughly. If the belly contains eggs, keep them. Marinate the fish with pre-prepared spices such as fish sauce, seasoning powder, MSG, etc., and let it marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Clean the herbs, chop them into small pieces; chop purple onions and garlic; remove the stems from the chili and peppercorns, wash them, and keep the fruits intact.
• After preparing the ingredients, sauté the purple onions, garlic, and chili powder, then turn off the heat to cool. Place the pre-prepared clay pot on the stove, add about 1.5 tablespoons of sugar and stir evenly until the sugar is melted, creating a beautiful amber color (you can add a small bowl of filtered water to easily mix with the fish and eggs).
• Wait for the sugar-water mixture to cool, layer the carp in the pot, and add all the sautéed onions, garlic, peppercorns to the bottom of the pot under low heat until the fish sauce thickens, and the color becomes attractive.

 

 

Braised Pork with Eggs - Easy to Prepare

Braised pork with eggs is an easy-to-prepare dish that takes less time and is loved by many for its delicious, fatty, and mouth-watering taste. To achieve a well-rounded taste, the cooking recipe must initially ensure sufficient ingredients for this dish, including pork belly, duck eggs, spices (sugar, pepper, salt, fish sauce), chili peppers, and purple onions. The simple cooking process is as follows:

• Clean the pork and cut it into small squares about 5cm in size. Chop purple onions and chili peppers.
• Boil the pork in boiling water for about 1 minute; during this process, add a small amount of salt. Then rinse it again with water to help the dish have a beautiful color, and the broth will not be cloudy.
• Boil the duck eggs, peel them, and make cuts on the eggshells to allow the seasoning to penetrate evenly, giving a richer taste.
• Create color for the dish by igniting a small fire, adding 2 small tablespoons of sugar to the pot, and continuously stirring until the sugar is dissolved, creating an attractive cockroach color (you can add a small bowl of filtered water to easily mix with the pork and eggs).
• Wait for the sugar-water mixture to cool, mix it evenly with the chopped purple onions and add all to the marinated pork and eggs for about 1 hour.
• Finally, put all the marinated pork and eggs on the stove, simmer with low heat for about 45 to 60 minutes, then turn off the heat. During the cooking process, add water at the meat level to make the dish flavorful and prevent burning.

 

 

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken - Flavorful and Distinctive Dish

This is a popular dish in the Central and Southern regions of Vietnam, prepared with chicken and various spices such as pepper, garlic, chili, creating a distinctive and irresistibly delicious aroma.

• Cut the chicken into small pieces, marinate for about 30 minutes with spices such as garlic, pepper, chili, shallots, fish sauce, etc.
• Heat oil in a pan until hot, reduce the heat, add finely chopped shallots and garlic, sauté until golden brown. Then add the marinated chicken, stir-fry over low heat until the meat firms up, emitting a fragrant aroma.
• Once the chicken edges start to brown, add coconut water, season to taste, and simmer until the chicken is tender.

 

Delicious Cooking Formula for Soups

Soup is an indispensable dish in every Vietnamese family's meal. Depending on preferences, it can be prepared in various ways. Here are three simple yet enticing soup recipes.

Colorful and Nutritious Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soup is loved for its attractive colors, ease of consumption, and nutritional richness. The simple cooking process is as follows:

• For a delicious cooking formula with vegetable soup, choose ingredients such as pork ribs, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, purple onions, mushrooms, etc.
• After preparing the ingredients, clean and slice the vegetables and mushrooms appropriately, cut the pork ribs into sections, marinate them with seasonings like fish sauce, broth mix, pepper, salt.
• Heat oil in a pan with a suitable amount, sauté finely chopped purple onions, and add the marinated pork ribs, stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add water, simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, and add the prepared mixture of vegetables and mushrooms. Continue cooking until everything is soft, and the soup is aromatic.
• After turning off the heat, season to taste, add fresh herbs (cilantro, green onions, basil, etc.), and enjoy.

 

Bitter Melon (Bitter Gourd) Stuffed with Meat - Nutritious and Delicious

This is not only a common dish for daily meals but also a choice for special occasions and celebrations. The ingredients are usually simple, including bitter melon, ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, quail eggs, spices, and herbs.

Cut the bitter melon into segments, remove the seeds, wash thoroughly, and stuff with the ground meat mixture. Boil water (you can use coconut water instead of plain water), season to taste, and simmer the bitter melon for about 30 to 45 minutes. Once cooked, add fresh herbs like cilantro for a delightful experience.

 

Seaweed Soup with Mushrooms - Light and Refreshing

Seaweed and mushrooms are both delicious and nutrient-rich foods. Therefore, many people choose them for their daily meals. The cooking process for this dish is quick and straightforward:

• Purchase seaweed in the right quantity, wash and drain it. Slice carrots thinly, cut wood ear mushrooms into small pieces, and tofu into small cubes.
• Sauté minced garlic in cooking oil, add seaweed and stir for 4 to 6 minutes. Then add boiling water. Next, add the tofu, carrots, and wood ear mushrooms, simmer until all ingredients are soft, season to taste, and turn off the heat.

 

In addition to the above dishes, depending on preferences, needs, and creativity, you can combine ingredients and cook in your own style to create the most delicious meals. Some simple cooking techniques commonly applied include frying, baking, steaming, boiling, etc.