Pancakes from Scratch!

I used to make pancake from a box because I didn't know better.  When I started into baking, I started to wonder, why make it from a box (I don't want to name it here but all who made it from a box should know the brand name) when it's actually very easy to make from scratch as my pantry already have all the ingredients?  This recipe is a keeper recipe for me, never from a box again.

My girls were bugging me to make pancakes for them.  So, pancake is an occasional treat for them as they loved it.  I served it with cinnamon sugar and pure honey as I was out of maple syrup.  I could probably make my own brown sugar syrup to go with it too eh? 

Soft, light, fluffy and delicious pancakes from scratch!  

Stir-Fried Chili Sweet Potatoes

While shopping at my Asian market recently, I spotted a white flesh sweet potatoes.  It interested me because frankly I don't think I have eaten this before.  So, I bought 4 to try.  I used one to cook with my brown rice but I didn't really like it as it was not as sweet as the orange and purple ones.  So, I had to find another way of cooking it.  Since it's white, it resembled potato a lot, so I julienned it thinly and cooked it like people would do with potatoes.

Not bad I would say but a bit spicy with the dried chili pepper as I was suffering from sore throat so the chili pepper was a bad idea.  If not, it would be good with rice.  It's a bit crunchy.

White flesh sweet potatoes

Fast Kimchi

I admitted lots of time that I don't fancy kimchi.  I guess the kimchi that I tasted before were aged kimchi and too sourish or pungent for me.  However recently I tried a kimchi that was not too sourish and it was okay for me, in fact I quite liked it.  I have been reading a lot about the benefits of eating kimchi and since finding that there was a kimchi that I liked, I really wanted to make it myself because I could adjust the seasonings.

Kimchi is fermented vegetable that said to promote intestinal health by feeding the friendly bacterias that live in your intestines.  It nourishes them so that they can out number the bad bacteria that find their way into the gut.  Thus promotes gut health and increase your overall immune system.  It is also anti-oxidant and rich in Vitamin C and carotene.  You can do a search on the Internet to read more about the benefits of eating kimchi if you are interested in learning more.

This is a fast kimchi because I don't fancy aged kimchi.  I added sugar because I liked it sweet.  I also don't want to make too much because I am the only one that consume this in my household and also I don't like to keep it for too long in the refrigerator, even though kimchi should be able to keep for a very long time.  It turned out well for me and I couldn't resist to eat a little bit during lunch and dinner times.  I guess it won't last long in my fridge.

Meatless Meal

Another picture of my meatless meal.  I have stir-fried wood ear fungus/ black fungus, stir-fry white sweet potatoes with dried chili peppers and stir-fry baby bok choy.  Recipes of each dish will be coming up in an individual post later.

If you have any meatless meal picture, please do share it in my Facebook page as I would love to see yours as well. :) 

Instant Korean Jjajang Noodle

I like Korean Jjajang noodle or Jajangmyeon.  I made it several times using the recipe here.  But I found a quicker way to enjoy the jajangmyeon that is to use the instant jjajang noodle.  The instant one tasted just as delicious.  Just add extra fresh ingredients to make it more nutritious.   I bought this at H-mart and I think you should be able to find it at any Korean supermarkets.

How the package looks like.

Stir Fried Pea Sprouts

I loved pea sprouts!!  This veggie is not cheap if we were to order it in a Chinese restaurant.  It costs about $12 per plate.  Other veggie is about $8.  It is more expensive then other vegetable.  I paid $3 to $4 for a box and it served one plate like the above picture.  So, instead of ordering this veggie in the restaurant, I usually cook it at home for less than $5.

I usually cut the sprouts in half with a scissor as I found it to be easier to cook and eat.  It also need quite a bit of oil to stir-fry this veggie, or else it will leave you with the unpleasant raw taste.  If you master cooking this veggie at home, it can save you some money.  :-P

Whole Wheat Fruit Cake Mix Cookies

I am making my own cookies and bread for my family.  This is one of the cookies that I made for my girls.  My girls like this a lot and this is my second batch.  I will probably keep making this until I finish the container of the fruit cake mix that I have.  This recipe is almost the same as my whole wheat and oats cookies recipe except I added the fruit cake mix and needs minor adjustment.  Very easy, no mixer required.  Just a bowl, a hand held whisk and a spatula.

This cookie is crispy with a chewy bite from the fruit cake mix.  While baking with the fruit cake mix, I learned that you shouldn't over bake your cookie or else the fruit cake mix will become hard instead of chewy. 

If you have a container of fruit cake mix some where, why not give this recipe a try?

5 Spice Powder Ham Chim Peng (Asian Fried Bread)

I tried the sweet one with the red bean filling earlier but I had the soft spot for the savory 5-spice powder ham chim peng.  While looking through my recipes for the pumpkin cake recipe, I came across the red bean paste ham chim peng recipe and I immediately craved for the savory ham chim peng.   Reading through the recipe, I thought I could make it work with the savory ham chim peng.  My mind was set and I set to work the next day.

Glad to say that it was not bad at all considering the steps were very straight forward and easy.  Crispy on the outside and soft inside with hint of saltiness and 5-spice powder.  We had enough for lunch, snack and breakfast the next day.

Crispy on the outside and soft inside

Stir-Fried Tofu with Chayote

I fell in love with chayote once I tried it.  So, I have been buying it quite frequently because chayote is a nutritious veggie.  I mentioned about the nutrition in my previous or first post about chayote, please refer back to my old post (under vegetable) to read about it if you are interested.

The above dish is easy and super delicious.  I just substituted the chicken breast with tofu for my meatless meal.  All you need for this dish is a bottle of Lee Kum Kee's Chu Hou Sauce.  I just ran out of this sauce and I have been to two Asian supermarkets and couldn't find it.  *cry*  I guess I had to make another trip to a different Asian supermarket up in Denver to search for it.  I dislike how the Asian market here is not quick in restocking their products or sometimes they just stop ordering it.  *sigh*

Healthy Buns (Whole Wheat, Oats, Millet, Black Sesame Seeds Buns)

I started making my own bread again knowing that it would not have any artificial stuffs added to it.  I called this "Healthy Bun" because it is pretty healthy as I used whole wheat flour, a little bread flour, old fashioned rolled oats, millet, black sesame seeds, milk, butter, brown sugar, salt and yeast.  The ingredients that I am familiar with without any scientific name.

This bun is soft and remain soft.  Since this is homemade, it is best eaten within 2 days at room temperature (you have to check for spoilage after 3rd days) .  Otherwise, freeze it and just take out the amount you want to defroze it on the counter top.  Mostly 30 minutes should be sufficient to defroze it, or for faster speed, use a microwave.  I eat mine with organic jam and my daughters prefer theirs with Nutella.

This recipe makes about 21-22 buns, depending on the size you shape it.  I put out the amount we eat for breakfast at room temperature in an air-tight container and freeze the rest.  Just take out what I want the night before and have it the next morning.