Canh Bap Cai Tom Thit (Vietnamese Cabbage Soup)

In a traditional Vietnamese meal, some type vegetable soup, or "canh", usually accompanies the meal as side dish to help wash down the rice and salty main dishes. This soup can be a side dish or can be consumed with rice as a whole meal by itself. Made with cabbage, shrimp, and ground pork, this soup is simple to make, refreshing, and can be enjoyed at any time of year.

10 cups of chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb lean ground pork
6 gloves of garlic
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp ground pepper
1 medium sized green cabbage, cleaned, leaves separated, and cut into 2-inch strips
4 scallions, sliced

1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large stockpot
2. In a food processor, mince the shrimp and garlic together. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and mix in the ground pork, black pepper, and 1 tbsp of fish sauce.
3. Add the shrimp and pork mixture to the stockpot in large teaspoon-size lumps one lump at a time. Let boil for another two minutes.
4. Add the cabbage strips and the remaining fish sauce and cook for five minute.
5. Lower the heat to a simmer for another five minutes. Stir in sliced scallions and serve immediately.

Orange Ginger Wings

3 lbs. chicken wings
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
cooking spray

Mix the brown sugar, ginger, orange peel, orange juice, and soy sauce in a bowl until the brown sugar is disolved. Marinade the wings in this mixture for at least 4 hours. I like to marinade all my meat in a ziplock bag so that the marinade is absorb evenly. If you use a ziplock bag, make sure to flip the bag half way through the marination time.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spary. Evenly spread the wings on the baking sheet, and lightly spray them with additional cooking spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Turn half-way through the cooking time.