Author: A Petite Mama

Main Dish

Thai Beef Basil

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thai beef basil

Who loves a quick, easy, and delicious meal? This Thai Beef basil recipe is easy and takes less than 30 minutes to cook. It is flavorful and delicious.

Consuming basil has some benefits. It has anti-inflammatory qualities and is a potent antibacterial. It may contain compounds that fight the effects of aging and help reduce stress.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 shallots, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce 
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 cup Thai basil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Crushed peanuts (optional)
  • Mint (optional)
  • Bell peppers (optional)



Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients: dice the shallots, minced garlic, and slice the green onions and red pepper.

In a medium skillet, cook garlic until fragrant. Stir in the ground beef until cook. Drain the excess oil. 

Stir in shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce. Cook for 2 minutes then add in the basils. Let it cool until basil starts to welt. Remove from the stove. 

Add salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with green onions and red peppers. 

Serve with a side of sticky rice or rice. 

thai beef basil


thai beef basil
Print Recipe

Thai Beef Basil

Prep Time3 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time23 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 1 shallots diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper sliced
  • 1 tsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1 cup Thai basil
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • crushed peanuts optional
  • Mint optional
  • Bell peppers optional

Instructions

  • Prepare the ingredients: dice the shallots, minced garlic, and slice the green onions and red pepper.
  • In a medium skillet, cook garlic until fragrant. Stir in the ground beef until cook. Drain the excess oil.
  • Stir in shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce. Cook for 2 minutes then add in the basils. Let it cool until basil starts to welt. Remove from the stove.
  • Add salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with green onions and red peppers.
  • Serve with a side of sticky rice or rice.
Desserts

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

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key lime cheesecake bars

Key lime cheesecake bars are perfect for spring and summer time. It is smooth, creamy, and delicious. If you love key lime pie and cheesecake then you have to try this recipe. 

Ingredients: 

Crust

  • 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Fillings

  • 1 can (14 oz) sweet condensed milk
  • 1 pack (8 oz) of cream cheese
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp lime zest 
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup lime juice

Toppings (optional)

  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • Whipped cream
  • Limes



Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with crushed graham crackers, sugar, and salt.

Line a 13×9 inch pan with parchment paper. Press crumbs evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place it in the oven and bake it for 5 minutes. 

Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the condensed milk, eye yolks, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix until combined. 

Pour the filling on top of the crust. Spread it evenly. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and let it cool down. Sprinkle remaining lime zest. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. 

Cut it into squares and serve. For extras, store it in an airtight container using parchment for each layer so it won’t stick together.

key lime cheesecake bars
Print Recipe

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Crust
  • 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 stick butter melted
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Fillings
  • 1 can sweet condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 1 pack of cream cheese (8 oz)
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp lime zest
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Lime Juice
  • Toppings (optional)
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • Whipped Cream
  • Limes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with crushed graham crackers, sugar, and salt.
  • Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper. Press crumbs evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place it in the oven and bake it for 5 minutes.
  • Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the condensed milk, eye yolks, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix until combined.
  • Pour the filling on top of the crust. Spread it evenly. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and let it cool down. Sprinkle remaining lime zest. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
  • Cut it into squares and serve.
  • For extras, store it in an airtight container using parchment for each layer so it won't stick together.
Main Dish

Purple Sticky Rice

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Purple sticky rice are glutinous rice that turns a violet color once cooked. Black sweet rice is mixed with white sticky rice to achieve this violet color. Not only does it look beautiful and appealing, it taste delicious as well. You can eat sticky rice in place of rice. It’s a popular dish for gatherings.

Ingredients: 

  • 4 cups white Sticky rice (glutinous rice)
  • 1 cup black sticky rice (sweet rice)

Instructions:

In a big bowl soak the white sticky rice in hot water. In a medium pot, boil 3 cups of water with the black sticky rice for 30 minutes. Stir every 5-10 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour the black sticky rice with the white sticky rice. Stir well and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.



Put the steamer pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Drain and pour the sticky rice into a steamer basket. Put the basket on top of the steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Stir and let it steam for 15 minutes. Pour 1 cup of water over the rice and stir again. Steam it again until soft. 

To make regular white sticky rice, you can soak the sticky rice overnight or a couple of hours before. Then steam the rice following my direction above. Enjoy! 

purple sticky rice
Print Recipe

Purple Sticky Rice

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups White Sticky rice (glutinous rice)
  • 1 cup Black sticky rice (sweet rice)

Instructions

  • In a big bowl soak the white sticky rice in hot water. In a medium pot, boil 3 cups of water with the black sticky rice for 30 minutes. Stir every 5-10 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour the black sticky rice with the white sticky rice. Stir well and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
  • Put the steamer pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Drain and pour the sticky rice into a steamer basket. Put the basket on top of the steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Stir and let it steam for 15 minutes. Pour 1 cup of water over the rice and stir again. Steam it again until soft.
  • To make regular white sticky rice, you can soak the sticky rice overnight or a couple of hours before. Then steam the rice following my direction above. Enjoy!
Sauces

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

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Sweet and spicy peanut dipping sauce is flavorful, spicy, and so good. It goes well with egg rolls, steamed rice rolls, spring rolls, and noodles. I like to dip my egg rolls and spring rolls. With steamed rice rolls I like to drizzle it on top. This sauce adds some extra flavors to

sweet and spicy peanut dipping sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 Thai chili peppers, minced
  • ¼ cup Sweet and Chili sauce
  • 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 garlic cloves minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp crushed peanuts
  • 1 tbsp Cilantro
  • 1 tsp Lime juice
  • 1 tsp Fish Sauce
  • Optional: 1 tsp soy sauce



Directions:

Minced the peppers and garlic. Set it aside. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, water, sweet and chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce. Stir well. Add in the peppers, garlic, crushed peanuts, and cilantro. Stir well and enjoy!

If you have left overs, store it in a tight container in the fridge. It doesn’t need to be heat up before dipping again.

sweet and spicy peanut dipping sauce

sweet and spicy peanut dipping sauce
Print Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2-3 Thai chili peppers, minced
  • 1/4 Cup Sweet and Chili sauce
  • 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Water
  • 1 garlic cloves minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp crushed peanuts
  • 1 tbsp Cilantro
  • 1 tsp Lime Juice
  • 1 tsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 tsp Soy Sauce Optional

Instructions

  • Minced the peppers and garlic. Set it aside. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, water, sweet and chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce. Stir well. Add in the peppers, garlic, crushed peanuts, and cilantro. Stir well and enjoy!
  • If you have left overs, store it in a tight container in the fridge. It doesn't need to be heat up before dipping again.

Appetizers

Steamed Rice Cakes (Ncuav Sawv)

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Steamed rice cakes are sweet, soft, and fluffy. They are also known as steamed honeycomb cakes, ncuav sawv, and banh bo hap. The inside of these cakes have a honeycomb texture. I remembered walking into a Vietnamese store and they would sell these near the cashier line. Once in awhile I would get one and it was delicious. It taste best when it’s fresh and warm. My husband likes it when it when cools down. If not store properly, these cakes will get hard.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of rice flour (16 oz)
  • 1 ½ cup of tapioca starch
  • 1 pack of active dry yeast
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • Food color (optional)



 

Directions: 

In a small pot, dissolve the sugar in coconut milk on low heat. Bring to a boil then turn off. Set aside to cool down.

Mix all the dry ingredients. Add 2 cups of warm water then knead the dough for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and sugar mixture to the dough. Stir until there’s no more lumps. Cover and let it sit for about 2 hours.

After 2 hours put the mixture in steam containers. I use silicon cupcakes holders for mine. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to absorb the moisture. Steam for 8-10 minutes. You will know it’s done when the top starts to rip.

Leftovers can be stored in a tight container and refrigerate. When you want to eat, just heat it up in a microwave for 30 seconds or steam it again for 1 minute.

Steamed Rice Cakes

Steamed Rice Cakes
Print Recipe

Steamed Rice Cakes (Ncuav Sawv)

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 30 Make

Ingredients

  • 1 Bag Rice Flour
  • 1 1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
  • 1 Pack Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 cup Warm Water
  • 1 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 Can Coconut Milk
  • Food Coloring (Optional)

Instructions

  • In a small pot, dissolve the sugar in coconut milk on low heat. Bring to a boil then turn off. Set aside to cool down.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients. Add 2 cups of warm water then knead the dough for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and sugar mixture to the dough. Stir until there's no more lumps. Cover and let it sit for about 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours put the mixture in steam containers. I use silicon cupcakes holders for mine. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to absorb the moisture. Steam for 8-10 minutes. You will know it's done when the top starts to rip.
  • Leftovers can be stored in a tight container and refrigerate. When you want to eat, just heat it up in a microwave for 30 seconds or steam it again for 1 minute.Â