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Saigon Crepes – Banh Xeo

I’m always looking for new things to eat and cook. I tried these at a restaurant and decided to give them a go. I little research, a little playing, and I came up with some Saigon crepes that were pretty close to what I ate -We’ll be having them again!

saigon

What is a Saigon Crepe?

Saigon crepes are a Vietnamese [1] street food. The crispy crepes are typically filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and green onions – and sometimes mushrooms. Each crepe is wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

They are served with a sweet, savory and salty nuoc cham – a Vietnamese dipping sauce. Not only are they delicious, they are easy to make!

Make the nuoc cham first – 

Mix the sugar with the warm water in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended.

Many of the ingredients are available in the Asian section of the market (or on Amazon!)

Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it, at least a couple of hours. It will help all the flavors meld together.

Be sure to bring it to room temperature before you use it.

You can also buy the sauce premade  –

Making and serving the crepes – 

Mix all the crepe batter ingredients together in a medium bowl. Allow it to rest at least one hour before you use it.

saigon

Ready to eat? Get all the ingredients together and prepped.

Start by cooking the onions and mushrooms in 2 Tablespoons of oil. Gently cook until they are starting to soften.

Add the shrimp and pork and cook until the shrimp is just starting to turn pink, about 3 minutes.

Remove it all from the heat and set aside.

Heat a skillet and add 1 Tablespoon of oil.

Pour 1/4 of the crepe batter (about 1/3 cup) to the pan and swirl it to spread it out to a thin pancake. Let it cook for about 1 minutes on medium-high heat.

Add 1/4 of the vegetable and meat mixture, 1/4 of the bean sprouts and 1/4 of the green onions. Cover and cook for another minutes. The shrimp should be pink, but the sprouts should still have some crunch.

saigon

Gently fold the crepe in half and set on a heated plate. Continue until all four crepes are made. If you are making a lot, put them on a rack in the oven on warm. The rack will keep them crispy.

Lay each crepe on a fresh lettuce leaf. Wrap the leaf around the crepe

and serve with dipping sauce. I cut each crepe in half, so one whole crepe is a serving.

saigon

NOTE: the first one almost always does not come out! I just set it aside and we ate it – but it wasn’t as pretty as the others! There is enough batter to make four good crepes and one not so good (first) one.

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 7 votes
Print [2]
Saigon Crepes - Banh Xeo

Crispy crepes made of rice flour and filled with vegetables, shrimp and pork. The dipping sauce is delicious combination of sweet, savory and salty.

Course: Main Course, main dish, Snack
Cuisine: Street food, Vietnamese
Keyword: bean spouts, fish sauce, green onion, lime juice, onion, pork, rice flour, shrimp
Servings: 4 crepes (with enough for the not so good first one)
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
Nuoc cham - Dipping sauce
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce (Available in the Asian section of the market)
  • 1 teaspoon crushed garlic (about 1 large clove)
  • 1 Tablespoon minced red onion
  • 1 Tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
Crepe Batter
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated white sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk (save the rest of the can for your coffee!!)
The Rest of the Crepe
  • 6 Tablespoons olive oil (Just a little more than 1/3 cup)
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 cup oyster mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 to 3/4 pound raw shrimp - peeled, cleaned and cut into large chunks
  • 1/2 cup cooked pork, chopped
  • 3 to 4 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
  • 3 to 4 cups mung bean sprouts
  • 8 large lettuce leaves - use a leaf type lettuce, not iceberg
Instructions
nuoc cham - dipping sauce
  1. Mix the sugar with the warm water in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended.

  2. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it, at least a couple of hours. It will help all the flavors meld together.

  3. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before you use it. 

The Batter
  1. Mix all the crepe batter ingredients together in a medium bowl.

    Allow it to rest at least one hour before you use it.

Making the crepes -
  1. Start by cooking the onions and mushrooms in 2 Tablespoons of oil. Gently cook until they are starting to soften.

  2. Add the shrimp and pork and cook until the shrimp is just starting to turn pink, about 3 minutes.

  3. Remove it all from the heat and set aside. 

  4. Heat a skillet and add 1 Tablespoon of oil.

  5. Pour 1/4 of the crepe batter (about 1/3 cup) to the pan and swirl it to spread it out to a thin pancake. Let it cook for about 1 minutes on medium-high heat.

  6. Add 1/4 of the vegetable and meat mixture, 1/4 of the bean sprouts and 1/4 of the green onions. Cover and cook for another minutes. The shrimp should be pink, but the sprouts should still have some crunch.

  7. Gently fold the crepe in half and set on a heated plate. Continue until all four crepes are made. If you are making a lot, put them on a rack in the oven on warm. The rack will keep them crispy.

  8. Lay each crepe on a fresh lettuce leaf. Wrap the leaf around the crepe and serve with dipping sauce. 

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

 

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Dealing with IBS? Here Are 5 Delicious SIBO Recipes

Posted By HelenFern On In Informational | 2 Comments

Dealing with IBS can be challenging because there is a long list of foods to stay away from. Every now and then, you probably ask yourself, what is safe to eat?

IBS

The good news is you do have options, in fact, you have plenty of safe recipes to avoid triggering unwanted episodes. Here are a few delicious recipes to keep IBS under control.

Pumpkin pie oatmeal

Rich in nutrients and delicious, this pumpkin pie oatmeal makes a perfect breakfast or brunch. Plus, it is ready in no time.

You only need a few ingredients:

Mix the milk and oats and stir. Get the mix in a saucepan over medium heat and let it boil while you stir.

Once it starts boiling, reduce heat to a minimum and simmer. Stir every now and then until you reach the perfect thickness for your taste.

Combine everything else except the pecans in a different saucepan and stir until the mix is warm enough.

Mix the dishes, top with pecans, and enjoy.

 

We know that eating healthy can be challenging, especially if you don’t enjoy cooking that much. This is why we wrote a guide that will show you how to eat healthy and delicious recipes all throughout the year. Click here [6] to check it out!

Variety of Dishes

Quinoa porridge

The key to preparing healthy SIBO diets [7] is to focus on foods that have protein and are easy to digest. This recipe has it both! Rich in protein, numerous vitamins, and minerals, this quinoa porridge is fulfilling and provides a feeling of satiety. You can get it done in half an hour only.

So, what do you need?

Heat up a saucepan at medium heat, then add the quinoa and cinnamon. Cook until everything is roasted and stir continuously. It should take about three or four minutes.

Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce it to low heat. Cook until you obtain a thick paste. Porridge should be well done, and grains must be tender. It should take about 25 minutes.

You can add more water if you need to, and make sure you stir every minute to avoid burning the mix.

Leek and tomato frittata

This frittata makes a great brunch or lunch and requires about 45 minutes to prepare.

You do not need too many ingredients either:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit until you prepare the mix.

Get a nonstick skillet that can go in the oven too. Heat the olive oil and add the leeks, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for not more than five minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and cook for another couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, in a different bowl, you can beat the whites with salt and pepper, then whisk in the yolks.

Brush the skillet with a bit of olive oil, and add the eggs and more vegetables, as well as the cheese. Cook over medium heat for about three minutes.

Transfer everything to the oven and bake for 15 or 20 minutes.

 

Rainbow wrap

This rainbow wrap is delicious, refreshing, and packed with vitamins.

Here is what you need:

Prepare the sauce by mixing together the peanut butter, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, and ground ginger.

Cut the thick parts at the base of collard leaves and slice them longways.

Put a bit of sauce in the middle of a wrap, then top it with other ingredients in a nicely arranged design. Roll and keep everything tight. Slice the wrap and enjoy smaller pieces.

 

Pineapple ice cream

Looking for a dessert? This pineapple ice cream takes five minutes to make.

Here is what you need:

Get all the ingredients in a blender and work on them until you have a smooth mixture.

 

Bottom line, this list should trigger your imagination and give you some great ideas for different meals of the day. Obviously, there are plenty of options out there, so use your creativity to combine foods that you are actually allowed to eat.

Savory Herbed & Cheesy Waffles – A Perfect Brunch

Posted By HelenFern On In Breakfast,Brunch,Main dish,Meatless | 6 Comments

Are you looking for an easy brunch dish for Easter or Mother’s Day? This one is delicious. A savory waffle [11] with herbs and cheese, topped with an egg and a little herbed Greek yogurt (or sour cream).

savory

And you can make a big batch and freeze them. Heat them up in a toaster or the oven – wonderful.

Here’s How to Do it:

Start by heating the waffle iron. I use a Belgian waffle maker because the holes are deeper. Belgian waffles aren’t all sweet – this one is savory.

Mix the yogurt with 1/4 of the herbs. Set aside.

Next, mix all the dry ingredients into a large bowl using a small whisk.

Stir in the herbs and cheese and coat them with the flour mixture.

Slowly pour in the milk, then the butter and last the egg, whisking to fully blend all the ingredients.

Lightly oil the waffle maker with olive oil on both sides. Pour a full cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron. If you are using a regular iron, use just enough to fill all the irons.

Cook on the iron until it’s crispy and golden brown.

Carefully remove from the iron to an oven-proof plate and keep warm in the oven.  Fry the eggs to your preference. Over-medium or over-easy keeps the yolk runny. When you break it open onto the waffle it’s almost as good as the butter.

Serve the waffles topped with some grated cheese,

melted butter, a fried egg and

savory

a dollop of herbed yogurt. Garnish with a little parsley and crispy fried sage leaves.

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 6 votes
savory
Print [12]
Savory Herbed & Cheese Waffles

A savory waffle with herbs and cheese, topped with an egg and herbed cream. An easy brunch.

Course: Breakfast, brunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian
Keyword: brunch, cheese, egg, gruyere, savory, vegetarian, waffle
Servings: 4 large waffles
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
  • 1 cup grated gruyere cheese, plus extra for garnish
  • 1-1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogur or sour cream
  • sage and parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions
  1. Start by heating the waffle iron. I use a Belgian waffle maker because the holes are deeper. Belgian waffles aren't all sweet - this one is savory.

  2. Mix the yogurt with 1/4 of the herbs. Set aside. 

  3. Next, mix all the dry ingredients into a large bowl using a small whisk.

  4. Stir in the herbs and cheese and coat them with the flour mixture.

  5. Slowly pour in the milk, then the butter and last the egg, whisking to fully blend all the ingredients.

  6. Lightly oil the waffle maker with olive oil on both sides. Pour a full cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron. If you are using a regular iron, use just enough to fill all the irons.

  7. Cook on the iron until it's crispy and golden brown.

  8. Carefully remove from the iron to an oven-proof plate and keep warm in the oven.  Fry the eggs to your preference. Over-medium or over-easy keeps the yolk runny. When you break it open onto the waffle it's almost as good as the butter.

  9. Serve the waffles topped with melted butter, a fried egg and a dollop of herbed yogurt. Garnish with a little parsley and crispy fried sage leaves. 

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

 

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!


Bologna and Pickle Spread – Throw Back Thursday!

Posted By HelenFern On In Appetizers,Sandwich | 2 Comments

I remember when I was a kid, my mom would buy a chub of bologna and run it through the meat grinder with some pickles – nothing else. We would use it as a sandwich spread or mix in some mustard and mayo and put it on crackers. And I loved it! But where did this dish come from?

bologna

There seems to be as many stories as there are variations of this meat – also referred to by some as monkey meat, but unless you buy monkey bologna, there is no primate in this.

What I can tell you is it seems to have started during the depression when meat was scarce. Many home cooks looked for ways to stretch the meat budget and this was one of them. Not only was bologna [16] an inexpensive meat to buy, the pickles stretched it even further.

Some people put mayonnaise, miracle whip or homemade dressing into the mix, but my mom simply used pickles and bologna. And it’s a wonderful as I remember it!

Here’s How to Do it:

You can use a meat grinder or a food processor. I used the latter.

bologna

You simply put both ingredients in and process until it’s relatively smooth but a little gritty.

Chill at least overnight to give the flavors a chance to meld.

Serve it with some crackers and maybe a little bit of mustard.

Or make a sandwich.

Put mustard on one slice of bread and mayo on the other.

Put in some of the spread and top with iceberg lettuce. It has to be the crispy, refreshing iceberg.

White bread was typically used, but sometimes we’d get a treat and have it on dark rye!

Delicious! Now go on out and get some bologna and pickles and process up a batch!!

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

bologna
Print [17]
Bologna & Pickle Spread

A vintage recipe with variations found from family to family and place to place.

Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, depression era, Vintage
Keyword: bologna, pickles, vintage
Servings: 2 cups
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
  • 12 oz Bologna (I prefer all beef)
  • 1-1/2 cups dill pickle chunks (or any sour pickle)
  • Bread for sandwiches or crackers for spread
  • a little mustard and/or mayo on the side.
Instructions
  1. Put both ingredients in and process until it's relatively smooth but a little gritty.

  2. Chill at least overnight to give the flavors a chance to meld.

  3. Serve it with some crackers and maybe a little bit of mustard.

  4. Or make a sandwich.

    Put mustard on one slice of bread and mayo on the other.

    Put in some of the spread and top with iceberg lettuce. It has to be the crispy, refreshing iceberg.

    White bread was typically used, but sometimes we'd get a treat and have it on dark rye!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

bologna

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!


Personal Nachos with Spicy Guacamole

Posted By HelenFern On In Appetizers,Condiments,Main dish | 4 Comments

It’s National Nachos day! And Saturday the 14th is National Spicy Guacamole day. What great days to combine!

Rumor has it that after a long day of shopping, a group of U.S. army wives stationed in Mexico, stopped into a restaurant after the kitchen had closed. They asked is they could please have a snack, so Nacho, the head waiter, went into the kitchen and heated up some tostada fried into triangles with cheese and slices of jalapeño and served it with sauce. The women loved it and often ordered the “Nacho special”.

And what goes better to dip them in? Why guacamole [21], of course!

Here is a great recipe that creates a dish of nachos for each person! Everyone can choose their own topping if they want – like I love jalapeños, my husband does not.

personal nachos

And to dip them in – that flavorful avocado dip, guacamole – spicy guacamole!

Here’s how you do it!

Start by lightly oiling the pans and pre-heating the oven to 350° – Prepare all the toppings.

nachos

Next, cook the beef. Brown it in a heavy skillet on medium heat. Mince the chipotle and it with all the remaining spices and the adobo sauce to the skillet with the meat. Simmer gently adding water as needed for about 20 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, place the peppers on the grill, in the broiler or in a heavy skillet or grill pan. Grill until skins are charred.

Place them in a paper bag and let them sit for about 15 to 20 minutes to cool.

Now build your nachos. Everyone wants to get some topping on every single bite. Bare chips are not acceptable!!

Set a loose layer of chips on the bottom.

Add a layer of each topping.

nachos

Add a few chips on top of that and layer more toppings.

Go as high as you like! I did two layers, but I think I could have eaten three!

Place the pans on the center rack in the oven with a cookie sheet on the rack below. The cookie sheet is to catch anything that drips out of the pan so it doesn’t go onto the oven.

While the nachos are baking, make the guacamole.

Rinse the peppers under cold water and gently rub the skins off. You can clean out the seeds now or leave them for a spicier guac.

Place all of the ingredients into a marble mortar and mash everything together with the pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, the back of a spoon in a deep bowl will work.

Take the nachos from the oven and garnish with green salsa, sour cream and avocado slices.

nachos

Portion the guacamole into individual bowls

and serve with hot nachos! We at them for dinner.

nachos

5 from 1 vote
nachos
Print [22]
Personal Nachos with Spicy Guacamole

Individual pans of nachos with personalized toppings, served with spicy guacamole made the traditional way.

Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course, main dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: avocado, beef, cheese, chipotle, jalepeno, serrano, tortilla chips
Servings: 4 people (about)
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
Nachos
  • 6 cups tortilla chips (about - depends on how much you eat and how big your pan is!
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
Spicy Guacamole
  • 1 medium serrano pepper roasted
  • 1 large jalapeño  roasted
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 large lime, juiced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced, white onion
  • 2 medium avocados
Toppings
  • shredded cheese
  • black beans or pinto beans
  • black olives
  • sliced, pickled jalapeño 
  • chopped onion
  • parsley or cilantro
Instructions
  1. Start by lightly oiling the pans and pre-heating the oven to 350° - Prepare all the toppings.

  2. Next, cook the beef. Brown it in a heavy skillet on medium heat. Mince the chipotle and it with all the remaining spices and the adobo sauce to the skillet with the meat. Simmer gently adding water as needed for about 20 minutes.

  3. While the meat is cooking, place the peppers on the grill, in the broiler or in a heavy skillet or grill pan. Grill until skins are charred.

  4. Place them in a paper bag and let them sit for about 15 to 20 minutes to cool.

  5. Now build your nachos. Everyone wants to get some topping on every single bite. Bare chips are not acceptable!! 

  6. Set a loose layer of chips on the bottom.

  7. Add a layer of each topping.

  8. Add a few chips on top of that and layer more toppings.

  9. Go as high as you like! I did two layers, but I think I could have eaten three!

  10. Place the pans on the center rack in the oven with a cookie sheet on the rack below. The cookie sheet is to catch anything that drips out of the pan so it doesn't go onto the oven.

  11. While the nachos are baking, make the guacamole.

  12. Rinse the peppers under cold water and gently rub the skins off. You can clean out the seeds now or leave them for a spicier guac.

  13. Place all of the ingredients into a marble mortar and mash everything together with the pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, the back of a spoon in a deep bowl will work.

  14. Take the nachos from the oven and garnish with green salsa, sour cream and avocado slices.

  15. Portion the guacamole into individual bowls and serve with hot nachos! We at them for dinner. 

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!