Popovers with blueberry jam

中文： 空心松饼

I wrote this popover recipe a couple years ago.  It was one of our favorite weekend breakfasts back then.   And now it is still our top choice for weekend breakfast. O(∩_∩)O~

Sometimes my husband volunteers to make these popovers.  So that you should know it simple and easy it is!

With a cup of freshly brewed coffee, sunny side up eggs and a few crispy bacon strips, this is a perfect Sunday brunch. 

Ingredients：

2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
a pinch of salt
melted butter or oil spray for greasing the baking pan

Directions：

You will need a popover pan for baking.  Muffin pan doesn’t work as well as popover pan.  Trust me; I tried. O(∩_∩)O~

Place the popover pan in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 425F/218C.  It is important that the pan is preheated too.

In a big cup or bowl, add all the ingredients.

With a hand blender, blend all ingredients together until the batter is runny and smooth.  If you don’t have a hand blender, a regular blender would work just as well.

Get the popover pan out of oven, spray or brush with oil or melted butter.

Pour the batter evenly and quickly.  Send back to oven and bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until popovers are puffy and golden brown.

It is fun to watch how they puff in the oven.

Serve immediately.  The moisture from inside of the popovers may make them mushy and chewy if you let them sit too long in the plate.

The recipe is for two people.  If you have more than two dining together, consider doubling the ingredients in the recipe.

We love to have the popovers with honey or jam.  They are so great together!

Rice and Chinese cured pork belly

中文： 腊肉香菇锅仔饭

There is a winter tradition in my hometown that every family is going to make cured pork and pork sausages.  It is such a big deal that the all family members are recruited to help around.  From planning, ingredients shopping, chopping, dicing, mixing to stuffing, it is a traditional family activity and celebration. 

Although every family has its own secret ingredients when making cured pork, they all taste very good.  The pork develop deeper and richer pork flavor after marinating and curing over time.  If you have no idea what they taste like, just imagine the Spanish prosciutto with a touch of rice wine.  

Most people don’t do that from scratch any more.  Whenever they crave for cured pork or pork sausage, all they need to do is to make a quick trip to nearest market where you can find all the ingredients and people to make them at a very affordable price.

Michigan has long cold winter, and it is perfect for making cured pork.

I love to make cured pork with pork belly.

You should be able to find cured pork in almost any Asian grocery store. 

Ingredients：

1 cup medium grain rice
water needed to cook the rice according to the instructions on rice package
1 piece of cured pork belly (weighs between 1/2 to 1 pound)
4 to 6 fresh shitake mushrooms (you can use the rehydrated dry shitake mushrooms when the fresh ones are not available)
4 to 6 baby bok choy (I don’t have any left in refrigerator, so I use spinach instead)

For the sauce：

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 to 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 to 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions：

The most authentic ones are cooked in Chinese clay pots.  I broke mine years ago.  So I use cast iron pot to cook it.  The result is fantastic too!

In a 3 quart Le Creusetcast iron Dutch oven, add rice and water.  Heat over high heat until it boils.

Rinse the cured pork belly under running cold water.  Pat dry with paper towel.  With a sharp knife, slice it.

Clean the shitake mushroom under running water or with a damp paper towel.  Cut each mushroom into 4 to 5 pieces. 

When water in cast iron pot start to reduce and you can see holes appearing on top, add sliced cured pork and shitake mushrooms.

Cover it up and reduce the heat to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat but don’t rush to life the lid.  Allow it to rest for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse and drain well the baby bok choy.  Blanch in boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds and then immerse in icy cold water for 10 seconds.  Drain well.

The rice is ready

The cured pork belly is semi transparent.  The rice absorbs the rich meaty nutty flavor from pork and shitake mushrooms.

Mix soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl.

Pour over the rice

Add baby bok choy/ spinach.

Mix with a wooden spoon.

Bon Appetit！O(∩_∩)O~

Savory Chinese Crepe

中文： Crepe版煎饼果子

Savory Chinese crepes are widely popular in mainland China.  They are usually sold by food trucks or food vendors.  One crepe can be done in a couple minutes from start to finish.  It is tasty and cooked really fast so that it is a lot of people’s breakfast or late night snack food on the go.

The traditional authentic version of savory Chinese crepe batter calls for mung bean flour and a few other secret ingredients like beef broth.  I substitute with French crepe batter.  It is equally delicious if not better. And it is simpler and easier O(∩_∩)O~

Crepe ingredients (makes 8 to 9):

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crispy thin crackers (make 14 to 16):

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crepe seasoning and toppings：

Crispy thin crackers
eggs
chopped cilantro
chopped green onion
sweet bean sauce
fermented tofu sauce
sriracha chili sauce
white sesame seeds

Directions：

Just like cooking French crepe, you will need a large cast iron skillet and a crepe spreader.  I use a 12 inches cast iron skillet which is perfect for making crepes. I found it in a local cookware store years ago.  What a pity they don’t make them the same way anymore.

My crepe spreader is custom made just for me!  (Yes, my husband made it.)

I start with making crispy thin crackers.  You can use wonton wrapper instead.  After being deep fried, wonton wrapper taste great too.

Mix together flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Gradually add water while whisking with a wooden spoon.  When everything starts to come together, knead with hands for a couple minutes; and then transfer to a well-dust wooden board; and knead until the dough ball is smooth and elastic.

Wrap with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Flatten the ball of dough with a large rolling pin.  And then feed it through the pasta roller for KitchenAid stand mixer for several times.  At the one last time, set the thickness to 5.

Cut the dough sheet into 5 by 3 inches pieces.  Make a couple cuts in the middle of each piece to prevent puffing during deep frying process.

Deep fried in vegetable oil until both sides are golden brown.  Remember, wonton wrapper is a good substitute here if you don’t want to make everything from scratch.

Drain and cool them

You can store any extra crispy crackers in a sealed ziploc bag and they should last for about a week at room temperature.

Here are the sweet bean sauce, fermented tofu sauce and siracha chili sauce needed in this recipe.

Mix flour, milk, egg and salt in a blender until the batter is smooth.

Heat the cast iron skillet over medium low heat.

Spray the pan with oil and then wipe it with paper towel.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons batter.

Spread it thinly and evenly with crepe spreader.

I am behind the camera.  So it means my husband is cooking! O(∩_∩)O~

Add an egg

Spread it too

Top with white sesame seeds, chopped green onion and cilantro.

Flip the whole crepe with a spatula.

Brush with fermented tofu sauce.  I like to use silicone brushes because I can just toss them into the dish washer when I am done.  How convenient is that!

Brush with sweet bean sauce. There is no rule of how much of what should be added.  You can add the seasoning just to your own taste.

Add siracha chili sauce

Add a crispy cracker to the center

Fold from one side

And then the other side

Fold one more time in the middle

Now you have a savory Chinese crepe! bon appetit!

And I made this one O(∩_∩)O~

Beef Noodle Soup with Beef Shank and Tendon

中文： 清汤牛肉牛筋面

I enjoy making all kinds of soup from scratch at home.  They are great right off the stove.  Sometimes I use them as the soup base for Asian hot pot.  Most times I use them to use noodle soup and rice noodle soup.

The picture above is beef rice noodle soup.  And the picture below is beef noodle soup.  Can you tell the difference? O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients for beef soup:

2 to 3 pounds of beef shank
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of beef tendon
2 to 3 star anises
2 to 3 tablespoon rice cooking wine
1 small piece of ginger root, smashed with knife
4 to 5 dried chili peppers , cut into small pieces
8 to 10 black peppercorns
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 black cardamom pot
2 to 3 cloves
1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 to 3 pieces of dried rhizome/ dried ginger slices
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4teaspoon ground white pepper
chopped cilantro
a few drops of sesame oil
chili oil sauce
water for stewing
salt to taste

Ingredients for noodle：

1 cup of bread flour
1/4 cup of water
a pinch of salt

Directions：

Soak both beef tendon and shank in cold water for at least an hour.  Change the water twice in between.

Here are the spices for beef soup: star anises, dried peppers, black peppercorns, dried rhizome/ dried ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, black cardamom pot, bay leaves and cloves.  Wrap them with a piece of coffee filter paper.

Tie it up

In a 5.75 quart Staub cast iron pot, add water, beef tendon and shank, rice cooking wine, spice bag and ginger root.

Heat the cast iron pot over high heat.  When the soup comes to boil, remove the white gray bubbles on the top with a spoon.

Cover with lid and reduce to simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Beef tendon might need longer time to cook.

In the last 15 minutes cooking, add salt, sugar and ground white pepper to taste.

Now we have a pot of wonderful beef soup.

When the soup is being stewed, I make the noodle.

In a medium bowl, add bread flour, water and salt.  Whisk with a pair of chopsticks or a wood spoon.  When everything starts to come together, transfer the dough to a dusted wooden board. 

Knead with hands until the dough is smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Flatten the ball of dough with a large rolling pin.  And then feed it through the pasta roller for KitchenAid stand mixer for several times.  At the one last time, set the thickness to 3.

Remove the roller, and put on the spaghetti cutter. 

Run the thin dough sheet through pasta cutter.

I do enjoy this moment.

What to do next is pretty easy and simple because most of the hard work is done by now.

Cook the fresh noodle in a large pot of boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds.  Drain well and add it a medium bowl, along with beef soup, sliced beef shank and tendon, a couple teaspoons of chili oil sauce, chopped cilantro and sesame oil.

The beef tendon and shank are sliced hot so they are kind of impossible to slice thinly.

The next morning, I made another bowl of beef rice noodle soup exactly the same way.  I allow the beef shank and tenon to completely chill in the refrigerator before slicing them.  Now they look much better in the soup. O(∩_∩)O~

Time to enjoy!

Pan-fried Chinese Buns with Pork and Shiitake Mushrooms Filling

中文：生煎全麦香菇肉包

Got some really good and fresh shiitake mushrooms during my last grocery trip near Detroit.  I use some to make pan-fried Chinese buns with pork.  And they are fantastic! O(∩_∩)O~

Vinegar and chili sauce is a popular dipping sauce for pan-fried buns.  It is refreshing and enhances the flavors.

Ingredients for the bun dough：

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 to 2 tablespoons gluten flour
1/2 to 1/3 cup of warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoon oil
 

For pork and shiitake mushrooms filling：

2/3 to 1 cup ground pork
6 large fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1tablespoon rice cooking wine
4 to 6 tablespoons chicken stock/ water
a pinch of freshly ground ginger
salt to taste

For pan-frying：

2 to 4 tablespoons oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup of water
chopped green onion
white sesame seeds
 

Directions：

The dough takes longer time to make so I start with bun dough.

In the stand mixer mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, gluten flour, sugar and salt.  Mix them with hand or a whisk. 

Make a well in the middle of the flour.  Add warm water; sprinkle with yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes. 

Stand mixer kneads the dough at speed 2 until the dough is smooth and elastic.  It takes between 10 to 15 minutes.

Cover the bowl with lid. The dough proofs for 25 to 35 minutes.  It doesn’t have to double in size.  

When waiting for the dough to be ready, I make the pork and shiitake mushrooms filling.

In a medium mixing bowl, add ground pork, soy sauce, ground white pepper, oyster sauce, sugar, rice cooking wine, ground ginger and salt.  Mix them well.  The best tool to do this is a pair of chop sticks.

When whisking with chop sticks, slowly add chicken stock/ water.  Don’t worry about the filling getting too thin.  Ground pork will absorb the liquid. 

Clean the shiitake mushroom with a damp towel or rinse them under running if there is a lot of dirt.  Pat day with kitchen towel and add to food processor.

Chop finely

Add to the pork and mix well again.

Gently knead the dough to get rid of any large air bubbles.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for another 10 minutes.

Evenly divide the dough into small pieces.  I like to make small buns so I divide it into 28 small pieces of dough.

Press down the dough with palm.  With a small rolling pin, roll the dough edge thin.

Add two to three tablespoons of pork filling to the center.

Wrap it up

Repeat the process until all 28 are done.

Cover them with plastic wrap and proof for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat a 12 inches cast iron skillet over medium high heat. 

Add oil and then the buns.  Pan fry for about 1 minute.  Add water and cover with lid.

When the water is almost gone, which takes between 6 to 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium low.  Cook for another 4 to 6 minutes.  It will cook buns bottom to be golden brown, crispy, crunchy and yummy. 

Serve immediately with bottom side up. 

In winter time, I like to serve with the cast iron skillet so that they would stay hot for longer time.

They go really great with sweet rice vinegar and chili sauce!