So my first week at Texas A&M, I was helping a friend from high school move in and his mother took us out to Phở John’s in College Station. I fell in love with the food and the management. What was truly a joy for me was, they would stay open for students who showed up ten minutes before closing. I loved bringing friends to have their first experience with Vietnamese food. This is a simple, healthy, fresh dish that I love. Enjoy.

Vermicelli with Charboiled Chicken

1 lb chicken (white or dark), cut in small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/8 cup vegetable oil
2 cups lettuce of choice, torn in to large pieces
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1 cup carrot, julienned
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup rice vermicelli, uncooked
Salt and pepper to taste

Nước chấm | Spicy Sweet Fish Sauce

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil

1. In a bowl, mix the nước chấm ingredients and set aside.
2. In another bowl, combine the chicken, shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil. Set aside to marinate for 15-30 minutes.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add the carrots and blanch for about 30 seconds. Remove them to a bowl of cold water, drain, and set aside.
3. Place the rice vermicelli in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let it sit for five minutes or until almost soft. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
4. Add equal amounts of the carrots, sprouts and lettuce to each serving bowls. Place equal amounts of rice noodles on top of the vegetables.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan over high flame. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook quickly until cooked through. Place the chicken in the bowls to cover about 1/3 of the noodles. Place the cucumber over another 1/3 of the noodles. Place the cilantro and mint over the remaining 1/3.
6. Sprinkle peanuts over all and serve with nước chấm to be poured over the noodles to taste.

Variations

Sources:
Whats4Eats (Bún Thịt Nướng recipe)
RecipeZaar

Pad Gai Grapao (Basil Chicken)

1 lb ground or minced raw chicken
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 shallots, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp peanut oil
2 tsp black soy sauce
1 cup fresh holy basil (can substitute other type of basil)
6-12 Thai chilies (I used peppers I could find like jalapeño and cacho de cabra)
1-2 tbsp Fish Sauce, to taste
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp palm sugar

1. In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic, shallots, and chilies together.
2. Heat the peanut oil in a wok and swirl it to coat the surface.
3. Briefly (ten seconds) stir-fry this chili-garlic-shallot paste to bring out the flavor and aroma.
4. Add the chicken and stir-fry for a minute or two, until most of the chicken has started to change color and is no longer pink. 5. Continually stir the ingredients.
6. Sprinkle the soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for 15-20 seconds.
7. Add fresh basil leaves, palm sugar, oyster sauce, and fish sauce to taste. Stir-fry and mix well.
8. Stir-fry another half a minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the dish hot over jasmine rice and a fried egg on top.

Note: The smaller the chicken is cut, the greater the surface area to coat with the flavors of the herbs and sauces, and the more flavorful the stir-fry will be.

Sources:
Kasma Loha-unchit
simply-thai.com
ThaiTable.com (illustrated)

Last week was superb. I bought some plants (cherry tomato, basil, and P. de M. pepper) and things started to look up. Tuesday afternoon, the team headed south of Santiago to Los Alamos for three days of relaxation. Oh man it was nice. It was the first place I had been in Chile with water slides, so we had a blast throwing our bodies down the two chutes. Although, I am paying for it now. I banged my head with one of the boys as we rode together and my back is scratched and bruised from hitting dry spots and flying through the air with hard landings. Between the slides, pools, gorgeous nature, disc golf games, devos, homemade food (yellow curry chicken, curry puffs, and fish tacos), and great company it was probably the best team retreat I have been on in my time here. It was the Deans’ last team retreat so after a thrilling game of Charades on our last night, we had an adjective bombardment - saying words that represented Mark, Denise, and the Deans collectively. It was quite good.

Well the day after, I decided to continue on the pain ride and went out with my friends Kani, Andrés, and Paul for a hike in the Andes that butt Santiago. After starting off with the idea to go on a new route, the heat and aridness changed our minds. We judged to go on the tried-and-true path that leads to waterfalls and natural pools. Near the first signs of flowing water were huge blackberry bushes. Oh so good. It takes a few hour to get to the last waterfall. We got off the path..err..lost the path a few times, but eventually arrived. It’s Texas-in-August hot sometimes so frigid ice melt is quite nice. I slipped in an attempt to get to the guys for a group shot and cut open my left foot under the ankle. SO the transit back home - three buses passing me by and having to walk home for ten or more blocks - was not the most comfortable; in the end it was a good time to talk with the Lord.

Yesterday was spent throwing down some new sod in Jeff and Penne’s (my current home) yard. In the evening, the two went out and I, after putting their son Caleb to bed, made fantastic Gai Pad Grapao. It was SPIIIICY, but delicious. Recipe to follow this post.

School has started back up, so things should be picking up with the youth back in Santiago. My prayer is to join God in the work he has already begun and not make my own plans.