Happiness is...Egg Foo Young

Egg Foo Young at Ballard Mandarin

Egg Foo Young has got to be my favorite American Chinese dish.

What's not like?  Eggs? Vegetables? Sauce? It's a triumvirate of tastiness! 

In fact, I had it for Christmas dinner at Ballard Mandarin Restaurant, and was never more happy.

Another fact, it was well worth the 45 minute wait where they kept bringing us platters of Egg Foo Young and right before we could dig in the platter would be pulled away because our teeny-tiny waiter kept giving food to the wrong tables, but that's another story...

Fact three, my two favorite Chinese Restaurant Lounges have Egg Foo Young on the Bar Menu and super cheap Happy Hour drink prices.

Egg Foo Young at Louie's Cuisine of China

Louie's Cuisine of China, in Ballard, has a lounge where you step over the threshold and *poof* you are transported right smack dab in the 1970's. Rattan furniture, stone fireplace, mirrored wall, disco floor...

But, it's the Egg Foo Young (and cheap drinks) that keeps me coming back.

They deep fry it here, so it's golden and crispy
on the outside and souffle like on the inside.

The traditional brown sauce is thick but not heavy, and not too salty.

Shrimps Egg Foo Young at Peking House

Peking House Restaurant, in Shoreline, is a great place to go for a drink after work (especially since it is 5 minutes from work).

The lounge is large and worn in, but the bartender pours a stiff drink and the Shrimps Egg Foo Young is always good.

Loaded with big shrimps and crispy vegetables, this egg pancake is large enough for 2-3 people to share, and I like that they serve the sesame infused sauce on the side.

All that said, my only gripe with Egg Foo Young in general is that it is only ever served Family Style.

So, if you are a single and want Egg Foo Young you must be prepared to eat a lot of Egg Foo Young! I'm pretty certain that eating 6-8 eggs in one sitting is not going to be good for you.

Truth be told I had never made Egg Foo Young at home. For some reason I always assume anything Chinese is going to be difficult to make, and it's just best to get it in a restaurant.

But Egg Foo Young is just and omelette! A stinking veggie or meat omelette!

Now that I have figured this out I am equipped to make my favorite dish all the time, and it is just as good as any restaurant could make. Well, except for the deep fried version at Louie's. I haven't figured that one out yet...

Egg Foo Young for 1

For the Omelette:
1 T. Vegetable Oil, for frying
1/2 c. Fried Tofu, in julienned strips*
1/4 c. Bean Sprouts**
1/4 c. Celery, diced small
1/4 c. Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
Pinch of Kosher Salt
2-3 Eggs, scrambled (hungry or really hungry)

In a small bowl, mix together the Fried Tofu, Bean Sprouts, Celery, Yellow Onion, and Kosher Salt.

Stir the scrambled Eggs into the vegetable mixture and set aside.

For the Sauce:
1/4 c. Chicken Broth ~or~ Vegetable Broth
1 1/2 t. Soy Sauce
1/2 t. Cornstarch
1 1/2 t. Water
1/2 t. toasted Sesame Oil
Small Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

In a small cup combine the Chicken Broth and Soy Sauce together; set aside.

Place the Cornstarch and Water in a small cup; stir to combine and set aside.

Have at the ready the Sesame Oil and Cayenne Pepper.

Heat Vegetable Oil in a small non-stick skillet over med-high heat.

Add the Vegetable/Egg mixture to the hot pan; reduce heat a little, stir briefly then let cook for 3 minutes, so that the eggs start to set and get golden brown. Flip omelette over and cook for another 2 minutes until eggs are cook to your liking. Transfer to a plate.

Add the Chicken Broth/Soy Sauce mix directly into the hot skillet and bring to a boil. Slowly add in the Cornstarch/Water slurry (you will need to re`stir before adding), stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in the Sesame Oil and Cayenne Pepper and pour directly over the waiting omelette. EAT!

*You could also use diced Ham, BBQ Pork, shredded Chicken, cooked Shrimps, or cooked ground Pork. I just needed to use up some Tofu...

**You have tons of options for veggie add~ins! Green Onions, Bamboo Shoots, Mushrooms, and shredded Carrots are all delicious. Peas! Peas would be good in this...

So easy! The eggs are fluffy and the veggies remain crispy.  A light and savory meal I no longer have to go out to a Chinese Restaurant to get.

I bet bacon would be good...

Happiness is...Banh Mi Pizza

One of my favorite things in the whole world is a Banh Mi Sandwich. That wonderful Vietnamese baguette filled with lovely things like Roasted Pork, Fried Tofu, Liver Pate, Pickled Daikon, flavorful sauces, and liberally topped with fresh herbs like Cilanto, Mint, and Basil.  So Light.  So Fresh.  So Yummy.

Well, yesterday at work we were taste testing some Banh Mi Sandwiches.  They. Were. Terrible.  Too much sauce.  Indistinguishable meat.  Just because you throw some pickled carrot and fresh cilantro on a roll (which was awesome), that doesn't make it a Banh Mi.  So Disappointed.


Now all I want is a good Banh Mi Sandwich!

But unfortunately I had a ton of leftovers at home and so I forced myself to be good and eat at home.

But it got me thinking...

1. About how good a Banh Mi Sandwich would be.

2. Could I make one at home?

3. What variations of Banh Mi are there?

I realized, I really don't want to make Banh Mi at home.  I enjoy going out to discover new spots to enjoy this delicious paper wrapped sandwich.  You could call it a hobby...

Pizza! I love making pizza at home, and how good would a Banh Mi one be? Awesome, me thinks!

Here's what I came up with:

Banh Mi Pizza

1 1 lb. frozen Pizza Dough Ball ~or~ your favorite Pizza Crust of choice
1/4 c. Sriracha Mayonnaise
1/2 lb. Fried Tofu, sliced (you could use sliced Chicken, Beef, or Pork, whatever...)
1 c. quick pickled shredded Carrots (White Vinegar, Sugar, Soy Sauce)
1/2 c. pickled Daikon Radish, julienned
1-2 fresh Jalapenos, sliced
1/4 c. Peanut Sauce
1/2-1 c. Fresh Herbs (I used a mix of Thai Basil, Mint, and Cilantro)

Preheat Oven to 425˚

Stretch ~or~ roll out your Pizza Dough on a baking sheet.

I always turn my baking sheet upside-down because it makes it easier to slide off later.

You could spread a little cornmeal on the pan if you are afraid of sticking. My pan is well seasoned...

Spread the Sriracha Mayonnaise over the crust, like you would pizza sauce.


Sriracha Mayonnaise:
 1/4 c. Mayonnaise ~or~ Veganaise
 1-3 T. Sriracha Sauce*, to taste

Place both ingredients in a small bowl and combine well.

*I like the one with the Rooster on the package.


Top the pizza with sliced Fried Tofu, pickled Carrots & Daikon, and sliced Jalapeño.

I only added 1 sliced jalapeño, but add as much as you can handle.

This was the first time I used a store bought pickled Daikon, and though it was good, I think next time I would quick pickle some fresh daikon, like I did the carrots.

I do like how colorful this pizza looks right now.

Drizzle a scant 1/4 c. of Peanut Sauce over the top of the pizza. 

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 c. creamy Peanut Butter
1 T. fresh Lime Juice
1 T. Soy Sauce
1 T. Sugar
2 t. Sriracha Sauce
1/2 t. fresh Garlic, minced
1/2 t. toasted Sesame Oil
1/4 c. Hot Water

Place all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Whisk well until combined and smooth.
Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, if too thick.

Makes 3/4-1 cup sauce

Place the pizza in the  preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, until the crust is crispy and golden brown.

Let the pizza cool a few minutes before topping with the Fresh Herbs.

I don't even chop the herbs up, I just pick them off the stems. Except for the cilantro, the stems are tender and delicious.

I love this pizza, it's light and flavorful, and I can't wait to make it again.