Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch white pepper (in a pinch you could use black pepper)
1 tsp parsley, dry
1 tsp thyme, dry
1 tbsp finely minced shallots
1/2 cup olive oil (about 1 1/2 to 2 time lemon juice amount)

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a lidded container and shake well then pour over your salad.

Great on Spinach Salad or try over roasted Brussels sprouts!

January 26, 2012December 16, 2017

Chicken with Yellow Pepper and Mushrooms

Part II of Chicken for every day of the week

See more quick and easy, yet no chance of boring chicken recipes here

Could you use more quick week night meals? Maybe? Well, this one is just as quick as you need at the end of a long day, yet it’s tantalizing flavor will tempt even picky eaters. It takes all of 15 minutes to make, if you got all your duckies lined up 😉 So chop and mix everything before you start and you’re ready to rock the kitchen!

Pounding the chicken until it is an even 1/4″ thickness ensures quick and even cooking, saving time and energy. Using a spice mix to rub or sprinkle on the chicken let’s you build flavor without having to add a lot of salt or spend hours roasting and basting. And using white wine, well, ask the French on that one, it works. The alcohol evaporates before this dish ever gets on your plate, but you could definitely use broth or water instead.

Did I tell you about my new magnificent skillet??? It’s got a slick white ceramic coating, I think I am in love 🙂

The spice mix makes more than what you need for this recipe you can use it on chicken, salmon and it’s awesome on pork chops too.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 skinless boneless chicken breast half
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 dash ground pepper (white or black)
1 pinch oregano
1 pinch cilantro
1/2 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1/4 tsp lemon peel
1/4 cup white wine or water
1/4 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced ( I used Shiitake and Maitake, but any mix of mushrooms would work)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp thyme

Directions

In a small bowl, mix cumin through cilantro, set aside
Pound the chicken breast flat in between two layers of cling wrap, using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pot. (Don’t do this after 10, or your neighbors might not like you anymore)
Remove top layer of cling wrap, sprinkle the top of the chicken with the spice mixture
In a skillet, heat a teaspoon oil over medium high, add the chicken, seasoned side down, removing the other layer of wrap from the top, then season that side as well. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly browned on the bottom.
Flip chicken over, add the garlic to the pan (next to the chicken) and cook for about a minute until starting to look golden, then add the lemon peel, mushrooms, bell pepper and thyme.
Cook for 2 minutes, so some of the juices release, then add the wine, cover the pan and give it another 2 minutes, uncover and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated.
Et voilà! Yummy dinner!

January 24, 2012December 16, 2017

Paprika Coriander Chicken

Paprika Coriander Glazed Chicken Breast (shown with red and golden beets)

Part I of the series: Chicken for every day of the week!

Chicken, the easy way out, right? When you just don’t feel like putting that much effort into your dinner, there’s nothing easier or quicker to cook. And let’s face it what else is as perfect of a ‘canvas’ for different flavor as mild chicken?

Each one of these recipe’s makes 2 servings, so make ahead as lunches for the week, something I started doing lately, since there are days when I simply don’t have any time to cook something and end up, you guessed it, eating less than healthy or worse, not at all. Not good, not good, at least not when you’re trying to get back to eating small meals every three hours to have more balanced energy and leave the Christmas pounds behind in January.

This one can be made in the pan or the oven, your preference really. It tastes delicious with steamed red and golden beets and some broccoli…

Ingredients

1 chicken breast half
1 1/2 tsp paprika, mild/sweet
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, whole
1 tbsp lemon juice, preferably fresh squeezed
1 1/2 tsp raw honey
1/8 tsp salt

Directions

Pound the chicken breast between two sheets of clear wrap, using a meat mallet or bottom of a pot
For the glaze, crush the coriander seeds in a mortar using a pestle, until roughly ground
In a small bowl combine crushed coriander, salt, paprika, lemon juice and honey and stir to combine
Stovetop: Heat oil in a skillet over medium or
Remove top layer of cling wrap from flattened chicken, and spread half of the glaze over the surface using the back of a spoon, then pick up and flip over into the pan, removing the second layer of cling wrap as you do so.
Spread the remaining glaze over top of chicken in the pan, cook until bottom is nicely browned, about 2-3 minutes, flip over, cook 1 minute then add 1/4 cup water to prevent from getting too dark and dry, cook until cooked through about another 2 minutes.

Oven: preheat oven to 400°F and line a small baking sheet with foil
Place the chicken on the sheet, then spread half the glaze over the top, reserve the rest to re-apply once the chicken is done
Bake 15-20 minutes depending on thickness, or until chicken breast is cooked all the way through, remove from oven and spread the remainder of the glaze over the chicken before serving.

January 24, 2012December 16, 2017

Portable Chicken Meatball ‘Muffins’

Chicken Turkey Meatball Muffins

I came to thinking about this the other day. Can you name a snack that would deliver protein versus carbs, just one thought, on top of your head, …nothing? Right, thought so. Short of protein bars (mostly containing sugar=CARBS and soy), there really isn’t much we ‘snack’ on that would fall into this category. So when I came across a recipe for a turkey meatloaf a light went on, and I tinkered around in the kitchen until I came up with this variation.

I’ve made two versions so far, one with chicken breast meat and venison, (all ground) the other with turkey thigh meat and chicken thigh meat with the addition of vegetable.

Chicken Venison Meatball Muffins, (I think I added some jalapeno, see the green?)

I notice using breast meat and venison makes the muffins denser, the second version is a bit softer and juicier due to either using only thigh meat, or the additional vegetables. For vegetables I used the pulp from my juicer. I like having fresh squeezed vegetable juice in my diet, since the micro nutrient content of fresh homemade vegetable juice is out of this world, but having no compost, feel bad throwing out the dry pulp that is left over. Well, I stuck it in these and let me tell ya, it tastes awesome! If you don’t have a juicer, I am sure you could just shred and/or blend some vegetables, if juicy, squeeze in some paper towels and reduce the egg whites a bit or add some additional oats. Have not tried that, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work.

Meatballs to go, now who wouldn’t love that??

Eat them cold or microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm up. You could also put them on a salad as a protein addition, if you like.

Chicken Venison Meatball Snackie

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground chicken thigh meat
1 lb ground turkey thigh meat
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (optional)
1 cup liquid egg whites (about 5-6)
2 tsp paprika, sweet
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp chipotle* pepper, ground (optional, makes it spicy, yum!)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme

* if you don’t have chipotle pepper, use cayenne

Chicken Turkey Vegetable Meatball Muffins

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground chicken meat (I used breast meat)
1 lb ground venison (which is always lean, you know, no junk food or CAFO’s in nature)
1 cup mixed vegetable pulp (I used a mix of celery,kale, kohlrabi, carrot and golden beet)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup liquid egg whites (about 5-6)
2 tsp paprika, sweet
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp chipotle pepper, ground (optional, makes it spicy, yum!)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F
Place meat, egg whites (if using, vegetable pulp and quinoa as well) and oats together in a large bowl.
Mix the spices and salt in a small dish, add to the large bowl and mix into the meat using a fork until well incorporated.
Line a muffin pan with (jumbo) muffin cups or grease well
Form into 12 balls, about baseball sized and place in muffin pan
Bake 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.
Cook in muffin pan for 5 minutes, then place on cooling rack
Keep in the fridge or freeze for later use

Each chicken venison muffin has 20 g protein, 3 g fat, and 5 g carbs, 123 calories

Each chicken turkey muffin has 18.3 g protein, 5.3 g fat, and 8.3 g carbs (includes fiber from the vegetable pulp) 156 cal (with Quinoa 18.8 g protein)

January 16, 2012December 16, 2017

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Winter and all I seem to be eating lately is cabbage, in its various forms. Like Sauerkraut, or this Napa, Kumquat Salad, or Turkey Cabbage Rolls, or Lemony Brussels Sprouts, the list goes on… For versatility of use, the Brassica family of veggies is almost unsurpassed. I am just saying, ‘almost’ because there might be something else out there that I have not come across yet 🙂

For the Braised Brussels Sprouts, I added just a bit of Speck and some Thyme Garlic Basting oil for flavor, the rest of the dish is accomplished by the main player, the Brussels sprouts. If you’re worried, the flavor here is not strong, the braising really mellows the flavor and brings out an almost creamy quality in this lovely vegetable.

This is soooo good, I think I could live on it for the rest of my life!

Ingredients

1 lb Brussels Sprouts, cleaned
2″ piece of thick cut Speck (or Bacon, 1/4″ thick by 2″ long)
2-3 tblsp garlic thyme basting oil
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Cut the cleaned Brussels Sprouts into 3-4 slices, (usually I cut from top to stem, length wise, so they don’t totally fall apart, but as you can see in the pictures it works the other way, too)
Dice the Speck piece into stick and then into 1/4″ cubes
Heat a skillet over medium, add the Speck or bacon bits and cook for a minute or until the fatty parts begin to look transparent and start releasing some of the fat. (If you use bacon, there most likely is more fat on the bits and you could reduce the amount of basting oil you add)
Add the Garlic Thyme Basting Oil
Add the Brussels Sprouts and stir. Cook 2-3 minutes, then add 1/4 cup water and cover the pan. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the Brussels sprouts are tender (Depending on your taste, you can cook them until they still have a bit of a bite to them or cook further until creamy soft)
Uncover, season with salt, stir to combine and serve!

Serves 3-4 as a side dish (depending on love of Brussels Sprouts, here it’s more like 3)

January 15, 2012December 16, 2017

Napa, Kumquat and Asian Pear Salad with Cashews

Unless I am warm I am not drawn to cold foods, so in the colder months it can be a challenge to get exited about eating raw vegetables or salads. Unless I am working out or running and my body temperature goes up, me and salad are not usually friends this time of year. So in order to make me want to eat cold things like raw vegetables, it has to be pretty special, texture, taste, all of it. This a little unusual salad combines crunchy Napa Cabbage, citrusy (is that a word, really?) Kumquats and crispy fresh Asian Pears along with cashews into an explosion of flavor without too much of the weight you too often find in rich winter salads. The dressing is simple and light and accentuates the sweetness of the Kumquats with a refreshing lime dressing.

If you’ve never tried Kumquats, you’re in for a treat. They are an about pecan sized member of the citrus family, but the whole fruit is edible, including the shell which is not bitter (like in an orange for example).

Crispy salad with creamy cashews, yummy!

Ingredients

1/2 of a small Napa Cabbage
1 Asian Pear
6 Kumquats
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 lime, juice and pulp only
2 tblsp olive oil

Directions

Cut Napa cabbage into 1/2 wide slices.
Core and slice Asian pear thinly.
Slice kumquats into 1/8″ thick slivers, remove any seeds and reserve Amy juices.
In a large salad bowl, combine Napa, Asian pear, kumquats and juices.
Juice the lime into the same bowl.
Toss to combine.
Drizzle the olive oil over top and sprinkle with cashews.

January 10, 2012December 16, 2017

Colorful Vegetable Soup with Celery Root

Celery Root or Celeriac is what we use back home as winter vegetable for soups, salads, stews, you name it. It’s cheap, readily available and has a great flavor both raw and cooked. You could most definitely use regular green celery, which has a bit more of a pungent flavor, compared to the almost a bit nutty or earthy flavor of the root crop.

Cerliac

Making vegetable soup from scratch could not be easier, and I am giving you a basic recipe that can be made in as many variations as there are cooks.

For this particular soup I chose colorful veggies, and I am foregoing the usual potato for the sake of the ‘getting lean in the new year’ and all the paleo eaters out there and I am using, as I just said, celery root instead, which has a much lower Glycemic Index (GI) than a potato. choosing vegetables (and foods in general that are low on the glycemic scale keeps you full longer, therefore helping to control your appetite. In very simple words (yes there is more to it, but I’ll spare you) the idea behind the glycemic index is to measure how quickly a particular food affects your blood sugar/insulin response, meaning how quickly the sugars in it get digested and find their way into your blood stream.

Alright, now that we fed the brain, let’s look at our tummy 🙂

Ingredients

1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 celery root, peeled and cut into chunks
3-4 large tomatoes, diced * see note
2 carrots, diced
1/4 to 1/2 a head of cauliflower, separated into florets (depending ont he size of the cauliflower you get)
1/4 of a head of a medium savoy cabbage, cut into chunks (or use some leaves off a large one)
4-5 stalks Swiss Chard, chopped(any color you like, rainbow colors look pretty)
1 tsp salt

* I used frozen ones from my Garden in the summer: when they are at the peak of ripeness, just chop and put in zip top bags for soup in the winter. Alternately you could use a can of no salt added diced tomatoes)

Makes one 3 1/2 qt pot full

Directions

In a stock pot (mine is 3 1/2 qts, or so it says on the bottom) heat one tablespoon on olive or coconut oil over medium, then add the onions,a dn cook until translucent but not brown
Add the celery and carrots, stir and cook until the onions are beginning to brown
Add the tomatoes, with any juice that collected on the cutting board (if using frozen, partially thaw in the fridge overnight) stir and allow to cook 5 minutes to allow some of the juices to come out
Add water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, then add the cauliflower and chopped Swiss Chard, bring to a boil again,then reduce the heat, add the salt and simmer until celery, carrot and cauliflower are tender when pierced with a fork.
Serve hot with some crackers or a slice of rustic bread, or enjoy as a first course.

To make this your own:

Instead of celeriac, use 2-3 stalks of celery and a medium potato
Use kale instead of Swiss Chard (but remove the tough stems)
Use spinach, but add right before serving into individual bowls, ladle hot soup over
Don’t like cabbage? Leave it out
Instead of cabbage and kale, use thin cut or quartered Brussel sprouts
Add green beans or snow peas towards the end of cooking time
Leave out the tomatoes
Go through your fridge, anything vegetable can most likely be used up in your yummy soup, the potions are endless 🙂

January 9, 2012December 16, 2017

Green Power Watercress Omelet

I know many resolutions for the new year are to get fitter and be healthier. What kind of New Years resolution did you come up with? Well instead of resolutions and radical changes, how about something more playful? Here’s a New Years challenge for you: Instead of cutting out things in your daily diet and feeling deprived, start with adding nutritiously dense foods! I am challenging you to incorporate more greens into your diet, and here is a great way to start, if you are not quite ready yet to steam or saute kale, collard greens or water cress.

Watercress, a leafy green native to Europe, has edible leaves and stems, but I find that I do not enjoy the stems as much as I could. I tried it as salad, addition to soups, but those crunchy stems I just can’t get used to. So…. besides puréed soups, what to do? In comes my blender and the Green Power Omelet !

Oh yeah, it’s wicked green, (trust me, you can’t really tell from the picture) and the odd thing in there, you ask? I added some ‘free form’ meatballs from a jalapeño chicken sausage for extra flavor

Some of the ‘goodness in watercress:

Fresh cress has more concentration of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) than some fruits and vegetables. 100 g of leaves provide 47 mg or 72% of RDA of vitamin C. As an anti-oxidant, vitamin C helps to quench free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) through its reduction potential properties. Lab studies suggests that regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps maintain normal connective tissue, prevent iron deficiency, and also helps body develop resistance against infectious agents by boosting immunity.

It is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K
; 100 g provides over 200% of daily recommended intake. Vitamin K has potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet helps limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Cress is also excellent source of vitamin-A
and flavonoids anti-oxidants like ß carotene
, lutein and zeaxanthin.

It is also rich in B-complex group of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid that are essential for optimum cellular metabolic functions.

It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Calcium is required as bone/teeth mineral and in the regulation of heart and skeletal muscle activity.

Watercress (Nasturtium officianale), fresh,
raw leaves, Nutrition value per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)

See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients:
Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	11 kcal	<1%
Carbohydrates	1.29 g	1%
Protein	2.30 g	4%
Total Fat	0.10 g	0.5%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	0.5 g	1%
Vitamins
Folates	9 mcg	2%
Niacin	0.200 mg	1%
Pantothenic acid	0.310 mg	6%
Pyridoxine	0.129 mg	10%
Riboflavin	0.120 mg	9%
Thiamin	0.090 mg	7.5%
Vitamin A	3191 IU	106%
Vitamin C	43 mg	72%
Vitamin E	1.0 mg	7%
Vitamin K	250 mcg	208%
Electrolytes
Sodium	41 mg	3%
Potassium	330 mg	7%
Minerals
Calcium	120 mg	12%
Copper	0.077 mg	8.5%
Iron	0.20 mg	2.5%
Magnesium	21 mg	5%
Manganese	0.244 mg	11%
Phosphorus	60 mg	8%
Selenium	0.9 mcg	1.5%
Zinc	0.11 mg	1%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-ß	1914 mcg	—
Carotene-α	0 mcg	—
Lutein-zeaxanthin	5767 mcg	—

Now that I bored you all with just how good it is for you, on to the recipe! (Be warned the color is unreal, it looks like you put food coloring in there when you’re done!)

Ingredients

3 egg whites + 1 egg (or 5 egg whites)
1 good handful fresh watercress

Directions

Add the watercress to blender, add eggs, pulse until combined and the greens have been emulsified (You may have to push the watercress down as necessary with a spatula so it can get chopped up before it will all blend)
Heat a skillet over medium, add a tsp coconut oil (or oil of choice), swirl to coat the pan then add the green goodness from your blender
Cover and cook until firm.
Enjoy and feel good about your self for all the greens you already ate 🙂

January 8, 2012December 16, 2017

Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)

One of my favorite Thai Salads has to be Som Tum. Ever since my brother had me over for dinner one night and made this super delicious and fiery hot salad I have been hooked. (and he was nice enough to share the perfect recipe he brought back from Thailand the summer after the big Tsunami)

I like it equally with green papaya or green mango, the latter giving it a bit more of a tart flavor. You can find green (unripe) papaya at Asian food specialty stores, the regular grocery store will only carry ripe ones, yes they also look green outside, but have turned ‘fruit’ on the inside, and we need them to be ‘vegetable’ for this. ( They look white or slightly green after they are peeled, if the papaya is pinkish or the mango yellow, it’s too ripe and soft for this and the flavor is different)

I have adapted the original recipe a bit to adjust for our non Teflon coated tongues and intestinal tracts. The original recipe is so hot, it should have a name like Ten Thousand Chile salad or Eternal Purgatory salad. When my brother first made this we made steamed sticky rice to go along with it, to douse the fire. My version is still hot and you are most welcome to add more chillies if you like. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. I have also adjusted the preparation method (normally the salad is made in a big earthenware mortar ) and left out the dried shrimp, which are pretty hard to find and are a pretty foreign item for most folks here, although they are deliciously crispy and a bit salty, kinda like chips 😉

Ingredients

1 green papaya (or mango, see note)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 cups diced string beans or snake beans (if your papaya is big, you can use 1 1/2 cups)
2 plum tomatoes, on the unripe side, diced
3/4 cup raw, shelled peanuts
2-3 Thai chilies ( the original asks for 9!!!)

Dressing

2 tbsp Palm sugar
8-10 tbsp fresh lime juice (from experience that’s about 5 small or 3 large limes)
4 tbsp Fish Sauce
optional: Cilantro, sliced Kaffir Lime leaves and dried shrimp for garnish

Directions

Dry roast peanuts in a skillet or alternately in the oven or toaster oven until slightly brown, set aside to cool
Halve the papaya, seed and peel, then slice into a big bowl using a julienne cutter. (If you don’t have a julienne cutter, you can grate the papaya)
Using mortar and pestle, crush half of the roasted peanuts, then add the chilies and garlic and mash together.
Combine the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add sauce to mashed spices, mash all of it a bit more to mix flavors, then add to the julienned papaya and mix well
Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and crush the remaining peanut and server alongside to top the salad as desired.

Note: If using a green mango, you can reduce the lime juice by 3 tablespoons since the mango has a tartness of its own.

January 4, 2012December 16, 2017

Phở Bò – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup

Happy New Year everybody!

Wishing you all a super wonderful 2012 filled with happiness, prosperity, health, friendship and love!

Since this is my first post this year, I wanted to make something a bit different. But when it’s cold like it is now (at my house the thermometer reads 18°F right now brrrr), the only thing to do is make some yummy soup, right? But since it’s early January and everybody is trying to eat lighter and healthier, a stew or thick soup did not seem like the way to go and anyway, I like to be reminded of warmer days or at least warmer parts of the world and since I have some time between chores (cleaning the house has to be done this year too, really?) I am making myself Pho, Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup from scratch.

You could, to save time, use beef stock and simmer the spices in that for a while, but truly the flavor of homemade stock, made with beef marrow bones, slow simmered for hours is beyond compare. Although I do wonder if this could be transferred to the slow cooker to make itself while you’re at work… I might try that next time 🙂

I forgot to add lime until I sat down to eat…

Traditionally , or I should say normally in restaurants, this soup is clear and very lean since the fat gets skimmed off while the flavorful broth is cooking, but you could leave some of the fat in the soup like I did, for the cold winter weather’s sake.

If you’ve ever had this in a restaurant, you might be familiar with the washtub sized bowls one gets served. I am not kidding, seriously big enough to wash your head in, and no one I have ever been to a Vietnamese restaurant with has EVER been able to finish one of those, and there were a few hungry guys amongst those counted not just dainty ladies. So that said, the recipe makes enough for 6 to 8 meals, the lower number for bigger bowls, the bigger number for more normal appetites.

Ingredients

Stock:

2 lb beef marrow bones
1 lb beef brisket or other cheaper cut of meat
3 medium shallots, unpeeled
4 cloves
1 1/2 tsp black pepper corns, whole
3 green cardamom pods
4-5 star anise pods
2 pieces of cinnamon, 3″
1 ginger, 2″ piece
cheesecloth or ‘bouquet garni’/spice bag
1/4 to 1/2 cup nuoc mam (fish sauce) or 3 tsp to 1 tbsp salt

Garnish:

1 pd sirloin or flank steak or filet (whatever your budget allows, this should be a nicer cut than what you use for the broth), placed in the freezer for 30 minutes
1 pd Rice Noodles or Rice sticks, flat, size medium (about 1/4″ wide)
4 handful bean sprouts (about 1 lb?)
4-6 sprigs Thai or Vietnamese Basil
4-6 sprigs Mint leaves
4-6 sprigs Cilantro
red Thai chile peppers, (they are HOT), sliced
1-2 Limes, cut into wedges
3-4 Scallions, sliced

Directions

Rinse the bones with cold water, then place in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and blanch for 10 minutes
Drain, rinse the bones and clean the pot then return the blanched bones to the same pot, add 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil, skim off any fat and foam that forms on the surface.
Add another 2-4 quarts of water and return to a boil, again skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface.
In the meantime, stud the shallots with the cloves, and roast both the ginger and the shallots either by holding them over the gas burner until blackened in spots or by placing under a broiler. Place the spices, ginger and shallots inside the muslin spice bag (alternately using two layers of dampened cheesecloth, wrap all the spices and tie shut with kitchen twine).
Place the spice bag in the stock pot with the bones and simmer for 1 hour. Then remove the bag and discard.
Remove the brisket and set aside.
Return to a simmer and cook, uncovered 4-5 hours, adding water as necessary to maintain the water level and making sure to keep the bones covered at the minimum.
In the meantime, after placing in the freezer for 30 minutes slice the flank steak paper thin against the grain, also slice the reserved meat paper thin, set aside.
When the broth is ready, remove and discard all of the bones. Strain broth through a colander or strainer, lined with a double layer of dampened cheese cloth into a clean pot.
Return to heat and add the fish sauce or salt, bring to a boil then reduce the heat and keep the soup at barely a simmer while you are getting everything else ready.
Soak the rice noodles in very hot water until softened (takes about 15-20 minutes)
Divide the softened rice noodles among 6 to 8 large soup bowls, top with the sliced meats.
Bring the soup to a rolling boil then ladle the soup directly over the meat in each bowl, cooking it instantly.
Garnish with a handful of bean sprouts, some scallions and a lime wedge.
Let everyone garnish their own soup to their liking with additional mint, basil and cilantro leaves, sliced red chile peppers.

You can also make a large batch of broth and freeze some for later. I use quart size zip top bags that I sit inside a square container, fill with soup, freeze and remove the bag from the container. Stacks easy since it is square in its frozen shape. When you’re in the mood for some Pho, you just have to get the steak sliced, get all the garnish ready: sprouts, herbs, chile, lime and rice noodles.