Nguyen in the Kitchen

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Recipe Index 2

Breakfast Recipes View All

  • Vegan Chocolate Crepes

  • Sweet Potato Toast

  • Cloud Eggs

Dessert Recipes

Vegetarian Recipes View All

  • Buddha’s Hand Kohakutou

  • Fall Carrot Soufflé

  • Asian Pear Baumkuchen

About Me

About Me

Howdy! My name is Carol, and my creative outlet is cooking. When I'm in a kitchen, the combination of creating, problem-solving, science, art, and food is thrilling. I don't like to label what I am, what I do, or what I eat, and instead lean towards what feels right. #LiveLove #SpreadLove

Latest Posts

Buddha’s Hand Kohakutou

December 2, 2020

Fall Carrot Soufflé

December 1, 2020

Asian Pear Baumkuchen

November 20, 2020

Follow @ the_carolnguyen

Twisted pumpkin scallion buns! I recently brought Twisted pumpkin scallion buns! I recently brought home a cute pumpkin that has been waiting to transform into something great. I originally planned to make a stuffed pan fried bun, but came across a recipe for scallion flower rolls by @red.house.spice . The fluffy layers speckled with bits of green onion were so enticing, and her combination of yeast + baking powder to reduce rise time is a wonderful tip! I wanted to use her recipe and technique as the base of this idea, and incorporate fresh steamed pumpkin to add flavor and color. The result is truly a lovely savory bun. I tossed in some curly green onions to resemble a pumpkin patch. In the future, I may add 1-2 annatto seeds into the hot scallion oil to intensify color to the filling. I’ll make sure to put this recipe up soon, because it’s one of my favorites so far! #veganrecipes #plantbased #pumpkin #steamedbun #panfried #scallion #greenonion #pumpkinpatch #fallrecipes #yeastyboys
Squid Games onigiri. My sweetheart and I recently Squid Games onigiri. My sweetheart and I recently finished this series, and it left a lasting effect - mostly emotional - and graphic images have been running through my nightmares. I was immediately inspired and have been waiting to make this recipe to resemble the masked guards. It gave me quite a bit of trouble, I couldn’t find the correct vermicelli near me, the black rice was not sticky enough, and the beet rice was too sticky to make perfect circles… all fun challenges to overcome. I ended up driving half an hour away to get the noodles, added a ratio of 1:4 sweet sticky rice to black rice to get it to work, and I used a shot glass to create the perfect circular void in the second layer. The filling is simply roasted tomatoes and garlic, and when you bite into it, it resembles… well, you get it. This was entertaining, and a great way to start Halloween cooking! #veganrecipes #plantbased #squidgame #squidgamerecipes #forbiddenblackrice #beetrice #vermicelli #halloweenrecipes
Watermelon mooncakes and pumpkin spice latte moonc Watermelon mooncakes and pumpkin spice latte mooncakes. I had a difficult time saying good bye to summer, and decided to try something different to help me transition into fall. These 2 iconic seasonal flavors are not traditional for mooncakes, but I was inspired by the final weekends spent poolside with my amazing neighbors, and the undeniable allure of autumn. The base of these were butter beans (lima beans), cooked down with sugar and a little oil into a smooth paste, and flavored with either a reduced watermelon pulp plus poppy seeds combo or classic pumpkin, instant espresso, and pie spices. The results were pretty good! It was definitely a fun experiment, educational, but very time consuming. However, I now have a better idea on how to incorporate new ingredients into mooncakes for the future. #midautumnfestival #mooncake #plantbased #veganrecipes #psl #watermelon #pumpkin #pumpkinspice #pumpkinspicelatte
Soon after reaching our first major milestone this Soon after reaching our first major milestone this year, we decided to strive for another. And now we are able to check off that box as well! We have found a beautiful blank canvas in which to create new memories with our fur babies. While I am mournful to be leaving my tiny condo and surrounding neighbors after 11 years, I’m excited to see how this next stage plays out. We are grateful to our amazing friends and team - @leticiarealty and @ikonmortgage - for helping us close on our new home. How apt that our new neighborhood is named Lovedale! ❤️
Watermelon jam. We found ourselves swimming in a s Watermelon jam. We found ourselves swimming in a surplus of watermelon juice, and there are only so many cocktails, smoothies, and salad dressings we can make. Why not turn it into jam? Melon jams are more common across Europe and Asia, and are warmer, almost caramelly versions of their fresh origins. Since watermelons are already very sweet, it requires a low sugar pectin such as Pomona’s Universal Pectin. This spreadable summer in a jar was enjoyed on top of toast and peanut butter with poppy seeds and fresh sliced strawberries. #veganrecipes #plantbased #watermelon #homemadejam #jam #summerflavor #watermelonjam
Watermelon sugar… cubes. This summer, we consume Watermelon sugar… cubes. This summer, we consumed our weight in watermelons and even cubed/froze some to enjoy off season. In the past, I’ve incorporated vanilla, mint, lavender, and citrus zest into gourmet sugar cubes. This time, I used fresh watermelon juice to moisten the sugar before pressing it into the molds. A second layer was infused with lime zest to create a delicate green tint. The end result is very elegant in color and flavor, which was perfect when paired with my light green tea. Full disclosure, this was definitely for the gram, and I do not encourage anyone to spend this much time making sugar cubes. However, it was fun playing around with this technique! #veganrecipes #plantbased #watermelon #watermelonsugar #gourmetsugarcubes #teatime #tea #tealover #teaparty #sugar
Wild rice horchata! It’s been super hot in Texas Wild rice horchata! It’s been super hot in Texas lately, and horchata is an absolutely lovely refreshing drink to help one cool down. @floatingleaffoods wild rice blend, almonds, and cinnamon are soaked overnight in water, and then blended with fresh water and a little coconut milk for added richness. The whole mixture is then strained and sweetened with sugar and vanilla - mine happens to be a super special organic Grade A Tahitian vanilla, a homemade gift from a dear friend. Most of the blends by Floating Leaf are sprouted for easier digestion and bioavailability of nutrients. This sweet treat is gluten-free, high in fiber, the rice was produced using sustainable practices, and supports and partners with local First Nations harvesters of wild rice. It’s available in Texas at @wholefoods and other retailers. Check out my stories for the process! #eatwildrice #floatingleaffoods #wildrice #plantbased #veganrecipes #horchata #glutenfree #cinnamon
Puffed Wild Rice Crackers. As I play around with d Puffed Wild Rice Crackers. As I play around with different ways to cook rice, I recall many fun snacks that include puffed rice as a textural component. 2 that immediately come to mind are Vietnamese com chay and Thai khao tang. They are served as crispy snack vehicles for salty, savory, and/or sweet toppings. Rice is very dense and has little internal moisture, therefore it requires parboiling, drying, and then frying to achieve the delightfully airy and crisp texture. I used the @floatingleaffoods jasmine Thai trio and served them with a small diced salad of fresh cucumbers, pickled daikon, and roasted beets. This rice was grown using sustainable practices, and is a great source of plant protein - available at #wholefoods in Texas and other retailers. Check out my stories for the process! #eatwildrice #floatingleaffoods #ricecrackers #plantbased #veganrecipes #wildrice #glutenfree
Tricolor Wild Rice Mushroom Crepes! Checked and tr Tricolor Wild Rice Mushroom Crepes! Checked and triple-checked, the @floatingleaffoods pancake and waffle mix is vegan and gluten-free! The ingredients list a bunch of starches and flax meal, so I knew it would be ideal for super crispy crepes similar to banh xeo. The batter was created using 1 cup of almond milk and a pinch of salt to every 1/4 cup of mix. I did this 3x, 2 of the batches used almond milk that was naturally colored with blanched kale and steamed beets. Due to flax meal’s ability to hold water, the batter does bloat and needs help to cook thin and all the way through. To do this, I made a crepe spreader using a 0.5" dowel and bamboo skewer, but also had success using an offset spatula. The results were super crispy crepes that remained so for several hours! Since wild rice is a great source of plant protein, not much was needed for these to be filling. I spread each crepe with a spoon of mushroom pate, played around with folding, and topped it with sliced and roasted fingerling potatoes, roasted mushrooms, a bit of the blanched kale, and sliced scallions. I can't wait to see what else I can do with this mix, and I'm happy that it's easily available at @WholeFoods in Texas and other retailers. Check out my stories for the process! #eatwildrice #veganrecipes #plantbased #savorycrepes #vegancrepes #mushroom #kale #glutenfree #floatingleaffoods
CORRECTION: Of their many gluten-free and inherent CORRECTION: Of their many gluten-free and inherently vegan products, I chose to use the one product that is neither. So while this pasta does not fall under those restrictions, it’s still very tasty and y’all should still try it (if diet allows)! . Apologies for my long hiatus! I am finally getting back to recipe development. We experienced some gluten sensitivity recently and began substituting our carbs, so I'm excited to try a few new (to me) ingredients such as Wild Rice Blends from @floatingleaffoods. They are a 4th generation family-owned business and have a wide variety of premium wild rice and wild rice products, conveniently available at @WholeFoods in Texas and other retailers. Today, it's the organic macaroni with hemp oil, tossed with a simple "ratatouille" (in quotes because I omitted eggplant and included carrots). The pasta is interesting in that it has a very course appearance, likely to help sauces cling to its shape. After grating the carrot, it was added in raw for textural diversity. Everything was topped with fried shallots before serving to give every bite a crunchy, savory finish. Check out my stories for the process! #eatwildrice #macaroni #pasta #ratatouille #floatingleaffoods
I am missing this person something fierce today. N I am missing this person something fierce today. Not only is she the funnest person I know, she is the most kind, considerate, and caring, with a big appetite for good food, friendships, and extraordinary adventures. Knowing she’d be out of town on my actual birthday, @lifewithluwan planned a crazy party for me the weekend prior, and even sent a surprise on the actual day. Words cannot express how much my em means to me, and I can’t wait until you return. 🥰 Swipe for a Cantonese serenade 🎶!
I am so proud to be in the company of many caring I am so proud to be in the company of many caring and giving women, who support the education of elementary and high school refugee children. In less than 2 weeks, we were able to raise almost $1,300 to purchase school supplies and fill +300 backpacks for the @refugeeservicesoftexas - Dallas, all from private individuals. Shout out to @SuperDollarPlusDallas for helping us source many supplies locally, @sundaysupperfoundation for the USB drives, and @officedepot for their last minute assistance in school supplies as well. This past Saturday was busy picking up and sorting items, loading and unloading 4 packed cars, and stuffing backpacks. Thank you @padmalatha for your vision in putting this together, and all my wonderful lady loves who are proof that "big things happen here" in Dallas.
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