Multi-grain Blueberry Pancakes

中文菜谱： 蓝莓杂粮PANCAKE

Summer is my favorite season in Michigan because of the blueberries!  

It is our tradition to go blueberry picking in a nearby local blueberry farm.

The blueberry season is just starting.  You can see there are many more berries to come. 

The blueberry season is just starting.  You can see there are many more berries to come. 

We each pick a full bucket.

Now let’s cook some multi-grain blueberry pancakes!

Ingredients：

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup multi-grain flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil/ melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3  to 1cup fresh blueberries
honey/ maple syrup
powdered sugar

* I grind my own multi-grain flour.  It is posted before.

Directions：

Add egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract to a big measuring cup or bowl. 

Whisk together

Shit together all purpose flour, multi-grain flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. 

Add shifted flour to the egg milk mixture.  Whisk just until the dry flour is gone.  Don’t over mix because the more you whisk, the more gluten will form, and the chewier your pancakes will get.

Add fresh blueberrie

Heat the griddle to 350. 

Add batter.  We are using a non-stick griddle so I skip oil spray.  If you use a cast iron griddle or stainless steel pan, oil spray will be a life saver! O(∩_∩)O~ 

Let them cook on one side until you see a lot of bubbles, flip the pancakes.  It takes about more or less than one minute.

Top the pancakes with powder sugar, more fresh blueberries and honey or maple syrup O(∩_∩)O~

Thin Vegetable Pancakes

中文菜谱： 马齿苋杂粮煎饼

Portulaca oleracea might be considered as weed by most people in America.  But it is served as edible vegetable in Asian countries.  

It has a slight sour taste.   When cooked, it has similar sliminess like okra.  So I usually chop it up and add to pancakes.

Ingredients：

1 egg
2/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup of multi whole grain flour (I grind my own multi grain flour:)
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 handful of portulaca oleracea
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
sriracha sauce  (optional)

Directions：

Rinse the portulaca oleracea under cold running water.  Drain well and chop coarsely. 

In a medium bowl, add egg, milk, oil, multi grain flour, flour, salt and pepper. 

Whisk everything together and add chopped portulaca olerace

Mix well again with a whisk

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Spray with oil and add 1/4 batter.  Spread it as thinly as possible with a crepe spreader or spatula. 

When the bottom side is golden brown, flip the pancake over.  Cook until the other side is golden brown too

I usually make 4 to 5 pancakes out of the ingredients listed above.  They are perfect for a quick and nutritious breakfast.

Sriracha sauce pairs well with almost everything! O(∩_∩)O~ 

Boiled Lobsters

中文菜谱： 水煮龙虾

We love lobsters.  Who doesn’t?   Whenever we buy fresh lobsters, I always go with steaming or boiling with minimum seasoning.  It is the best way to taste lobster’s natural flavors.  

Ingredients:

2 lobsters
5 quarts cold water
4 to 5 tablespoon sea salt

Butter dipping sauce：

3 to 4 tablespoons butter
3 to 4 cloves of garlic
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
1/2 lemon

Directions：

Clean the lobsters.

Fill a large cast iron pot with water.  Add sea salt. Heat over high heat until it boils.

Add lobsters.

One lobster is 1.5 pounds.  It needs 8 to 9 minutes boiling time.  The other one is smaller, about 1.2 pounds.  So it needs to boil for 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the bigger one first.

One and half minutes later, add the smaller one.  

Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add butter.

Peel and mince the garlic gloves.  Add it to the pan, along with freshly ground black pepper and salt. 

30 seconds to 1 minute later, remove the skillet from heat.  Transfer the garlic butter sauce into a small dipping bowl. 

The lobsters are ready too. 

The black plate is actually a pizza plate.

He hates to deal with whole lobster.  Fine, I will do it.

Twist the tail off.  With a pair of sharp scissors, cut it open and reveal the lobster meat inside. 

Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Dip in the butter sauce. 

With a nut cracker, crack open the claws.  

Dip in the butter sauce too.  The fondue/ butter warmer can keep the butter warm the whole dinner time. 

Why does the same lobster look so much smaller in his hand?  O(∩_∩)O~

Cheesesteak Sandwich

中文菜谱： Cheesesteak 三明治

During our last trip to Philadelphia, we had some really awesome Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.  I decide to create my own version of Philly cheesesteak at home.  Although they are are not done in the authentic way, they surely taste as good as I expected! O(∩_∩)O~

Ok, it is a little bit embarrassing.  I forgot to buy steaks and I didn’t notice that until I was about to slice the meat.  So I substituted with chuckeye roast beef.  Not bad at all!

Ingredients：

1 to 1 1/2 pounds steak (I substitute with chuckeye roast beef)
4 oz cheddar cheese, sliced
1/2onion， thinly sliced
oil for grilling
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 bread rolls (authentic Philly cheesesteak calls for hoagie or torpedo rolls.  I can’t find it in local grocery store and I substitute with Italian rolls)
1 to 2 teaspoons of softened butter

sauce： (well, I develop the sauce according to our own preference)

Chicken stock
soy sauce
sugar
oyster sauce
sesame oil

Directions：

Thaw the frozen beef overnight in fridge. Thinly slice it with a meat slicer .

Preheat the grill with a thick cast iron griddle in the center to 425F/218C

Add some oil and then add thinly sliced beef.

Scramble and brown the beef on the griddle with a spatula or tong.

Add thinly sliced onion.

Sauté together

Add sauce and spread the cheese slices on top

Cut the bread open and spread with butter.  Toast on the grill for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Cover the grill with its lid.  The cheese will melt faster and more evenly.

The grill is really hot.  So we have to use a spatula to stuff the bread

Stuff as much meat as you like O(∩_∩)O~

It is not authentic cheese steak, but it is definitely a great sandwich! O(∩_∩)O~

Rice Dumplings Wrapped in Bamboo Leaves (Zongzi)

中文菜谱: 五花肉碗豆粽子

Today is the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.  According to tradition, we eat rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves!

Rice dumplings come in many different shapes with all kinds of different fillings.  The one thing remains the same is the key ingredient: sweet rice.  Maybe it is more appropriate to call it sweet rice dumplings? O(∩_∩)O~

I use sweet rice, split peas and pork belly; simple but they bring tons of flavors.

Ingredients：

2 to 2 1/2 pounds sweet rice
1 1/2 pounds yellow split peas
dried bamboo leaves
2 to 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 cup soy sauce
salt to taste
water
 

For the pork filling：

3 pounds pork belly
1 to 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/4 to 1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
3 to 4 tablespoon rice cooking wine
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4  to 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
salt to taste

Directions：

Cut the pork belly into 1 by 2 inches cubes.  Add dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, rice cooking wine, ground white pepper, five spice powder and salt.  Mix well and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Bamboos leaves are available in most Asian grocery stores.

Soak them for 4 to 5 hours; rinse well under running water and then blanch them in boiling water.  and now they are ready to wrap!

Add sweet rice along with seasonings to a large bowl.  Add water just to cover the rice.  Let them sit for a couple hours.

Soak the peas for a couple hours too

Fold every two bamboo leaves into a cone shape; add a tablespoon sweet rice.

Add one piece of pork belly

Add a tablespoon of peas

Add another couple tablespoons of sweet rice

Wrap it up

Tie up

Cook the dumplings in simmering boiling water for two hours before serving.

The listed ingredients here shall yield between 55 to 65 dumplings

They will be one of the most unique dumplings you have ever tried.  After two hours simmering, the sweet rice and pea will just melt in your mouth.  The pork inside is very tender and juicy. 

Mission accomplished! O(∩_∩)O~