Holiday season is here!
From now on, the holiday season is more meaningful to me: for having him in my life, share with me the joys and the sorrows, and I’m grateful for that. Since only two of us, we decide to do something non-traditional with food that we’ve been craved for (just like Thanksgiving because we can’t finish a whole turkey, LOL). With that in mind, I think it’s also a good time to make a collection of what can be on the table for gathering nights, with a vibe of multi-culture menu (yep, a new breeze to holiday’s dinners). (Link of the recipe is in each title)
Appetizer
Freestyle Vietnamese crab soup
One of my savory dishes of all time is Vietnamese-style crab soup. It is considered as snack or appetizer in restaurant or gathering parties. Just basic ingredients could also make it stand out. And it’s so simple that any of us can make it delicious to our own style. Aside from crabs, shrimp, scallops and chicken are great alternatives and for vegetarian version, mushroom is “the chosen one”.
Snacks/Shareables
Sweet & spicy fried tofu
The sweet & spicy fried tofu that I once made on the occasion of Diwali 2020 for my Indian friends is a good vegetarian shareable. The recipe was inspired from Mangchi’s recipes. The tofu was deep fried, then coated with the hot sauce made from gochujang (Korean chili sauce) and honey. You can totally make it vegan by replacing honey with rice syrup. And don’t forget to top with some spring onions as garnish. If you find it spicy, wrap with some lettuce and enjoy it.
Crab rangoon (or crab puffs)
My boyfriend’s favorite crab rangoon is definitely great for shareable! Making them at home is very easy, and we can totally make it “cheaper but (way) better” than restaurants! Go well with sweet chili sauce.
Vegetarian rangoon
It’s mushroom puffs, a vegetarian version of crab rangoon to treat my vegetarian friends. Simple and delicious. And using vegan cream cheese, you can totally make this recipe vegan. Similar to the crab rangoons, the mushroom puffs also go well with sweet chili sauce.
Vietnamese sweet & salty chicken
The Sweet & salty chicken wings are usually found in the Appetizer section in Vietnamese restaurant in the US and definitely a shareable one (a.k.a wing party!). It’s delicious that you will want lick your fingers. If you use chicken thighs or drumsticks, you can turn this dish into main course. And yeah, it’s a recipe inspired from my dear grandmother!
Look forward to next year’s post, when I have more recipes added to this list!