No special ingredients required

I think Vietnamese food is some of the most delicious and healthy cuisines in the world. Here’s a Vietnamese noodle salad that, believe it or not, is entirely made with ingredients you can buy right here in Rockdale.

Vietnamese-Style Pepper Chicken Noodle Bowl

4 chicken thigh fillets

1 pkg dried rice vermicelli noodles 1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 3.5-oz bag baby spinach leaves

Sliced cucumber, to serve

Finely julienned carrot, to serve

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed or finely chopped

Roughly torn mint leaves, to serve

Marinade:

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Nuoc cham dressing:

3 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp white vinegar 2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp lime juice

1 jalapeño, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs with the marinade ingredients. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

For the nuoc cham dressing, place the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside for later.

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked. Drain and rinse until cool. Divide among serving bowls.

Heat the oil on a large grill plate or in a frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook 3-4 minutes on the first side or until lovely and golden. Turn the chicken over and reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and slice the chicken.

To serve, arrange the baby spinach, cucumber and carrot on top of the noodles. Top with chicken slices. Spoon over a generous amount of the nuoc cham dressing. Top with the crushed peanuts and mint leaves and serve.

—kwc—

Mom came home from bridge club the other night with some giant squash and zucchini. She made something more healthy with them, but I’ve had this recipe saved for a while. And there will be plenty more squash and zucchini I predict.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Au Gratin

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion thinly sliced

1 small zucchini sliced in rounds 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick

1 small yellow squash sliced in rounds 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick

2 large cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan 1 cup shredded smoked

1 cup shredded smoked Gouda

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until the edges start to brown approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for additional 1 minute. Add cream and simmer until bubbly and starting to thicken. Slowly stir in Parmesan. Add zucchini and yellow squash and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with smoked Gouda and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.