Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Turkey / Canadian Bacon and Egg Lavash Roll Sandwich

I don't know what happened to my Canon PowerShot camera back in January.  It stopped allowing me to view the subjects from the LCD panel.  It was in a middle of a KENDO family's New Years Dinner Party.  Murphy's law with my camera.  Always something seems  to go wrong on the day of important picture day.  Luckily I had my new NIKON 35mm to take its place.   I was about to throw away the PowerShot.  After all, it has been faithfully taking millions of photos since my grandson was born.  It's time, I thought.  Focusing through its viewing window was terrible.  It drops the subjects out of the grid, if you didn't remember to shoot the subject about 1/3 way down.  But one day, as a final resort, I took out its manual.  Took three hours to read through page after page, hoping to find out what had happened.  Then, there is one Single button on the camera that I have never touched that is labeled "DISP" was the answer.  As soon as I pressed it, LCD display lit up.  All this time, I thought it meant "Dispose" the shots taken, beside the Trash can icon, so I have never touched it.  But that was the answer... beside the point that a rubber band has been holding the battery compartment tight and all parts are dusty.   So some of the pictures were delayed to be uploaded and so did the food blog upkeeping.   But here they are.  Even though I noticed the majority of the visitors are only interested in the Pandan Chiffon Cake or Japanese Cheesecake, etc.   As I have explained to all before, this blog site is dedicated mainly for my family, and your visits are greatly appreciated.  As far as I know everyone in my Favorites are so far advance in their cooking that I am quite happy to learn from them.

So, this sandwich is made from a flat bread that is as large as Poster size.  It's called Lavash.  I found it at Koreana Plaza Market in Rancho Cordova where it sells variety of multinational food selection.  Out of curiosity, I purchased it, and found out that it is a large sheet of flat bread.  So, here and there, I enjoyed it in morning by toasting part of it and spread butter, then, honey; and I also made this sandwich roll.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Sliced Turkey Meat - brush with Olive Oil and grilled in George Foreman's Hamburger Grill
Canadian Bacon  brown them in the grill, too.
Salad >> out of Prepackaged Kale Mix purchased at COSTCO
Poppy salad dressing that came with the salad mix
Hard boiled eggs - sliced
Pepperchini
Lavash flat bread - small 1/4 section
I love George Foreman's Hamburger Grill (counter top).  It's my favorite kitchen tool.  Use it to brown the turkey meat and bacon.
The rest is all up to your imagination to stack them up on the Lavash.   Dress up. Roll up.  And Enjoy!


 (*as you can see the camera is out of focus point without the LCD display system turned on.)

MITARE YAKI DANGO 2014 for the Party Dessert/Snack

This one was served at the gatherings of fellow Kendo mates.   We had a great time together.  And I brought the MITARE YAKI DANGO as desert/snack.
DANGO Ingredients:

250 g SHIRATAMAKO  Glutinous sweet rice

200 - 250  ml  hot water

**The amount of water depends on the type/process of Glutinous Sweet Rice you purchased.     *But Not the regular "Rice Flour".

**Start out with 150 ml of hot water, add more as you mix.  The dough should be as soft as ear lobe or marshmallow.)

Set a large bowl of water with strainer and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.

Roll out the dough into a long rope and cut into 1 to 2 inch chunk.  Then, roll it between your palms to form into balls.     Place all the balls into rolling boiling water.   
They will sink.  Stir to let loose from the bottom of the pot.   Boiling water would calm down.
Cook till water comes to rolling boil again.   Control the heat, if needed to prevent liquid from boiling over the pot.  But keep steady boiling point.  
Cook for 1 minute longer.  Take one out to test.  Is the center cooked?  Translucent all way around?  Then, Done.   Remove from heat and dunk into a strainer over a large bowl of cold water.
Put three DANGO into a skewer.
Slow roast/grill on top - directly over a grill or on a non-stick pan.   Carefully not to let each strand touch each other.   When a bit of 'grill' marking is set on the DANGO proceed to spin MITARE around it.
MITARE Ingredient:

Sugar 100 g

Soy Sauce 50 mil

MIRIN 30 ml

Water 180 ml

KATAKURIKO (Potato starch) 20 g

Mix all liquid together, but saving 1/4 C to mix with KATAKURIKO.  Then, add the starch slur into the liquid mixture cook over medium low heat.

Stir continuously with Heat Proof spatula over medium low heat.  Liquid will evaporate quite a bit and thickens.     This process might take as long as 30 minutes

Note:  MITARE must be cooked until it is so thick that it would stick and cover the slippery heat proof spatula as you see on this photo.  Otherwise, the syrup would drip off the DANGO.

Take spoon and scoop the syrup, then, start wrapping the DANGO in one hand and the MITARE in the other spoon.  Spin around and around until all surface of the DANGO is covered. 
If you ever wanted to start a new lifetime sport, come and check us out at Sacramento Kendo Dojo/Club

Then, you might be lucky to have one of this at our next party.



MITARASHI DANGO 2012 revisited

This particular YAKI DANGO (grilled DANGO) with MITARASHI (sweet teriyaki style flavored syrup) was made back in December 31st of 2013 for the New Year Welcome.  I was too busy and forgot to post this that turned out beautifully and best of all tasted great and enjoyed by everyone.
Click on the images to read comment on it for the Techniques.   The recipes are the same from previous posting at http://rockdavinci.blogspot.com/2010/06/pollys-mitarashi-yaki-dango.html
DANGO Ingredients:
250 g SHIRATAMAKO  Glutinous sweet rice
200 - 250  ml  hot water
**The amount of water depends on the type/process of Glutinous Sweet Rice you purchased.     *But Not the regular "Rice Flour".
**Start out with 150 ml of hot water, add more as you mix.  The dough should be as soft as ear lobe or marshmallow.)

 

MITARE Ingredient:
Sugar 100 g
Soy Sauce 50 mil
MIRIN 30 ml
Water 180 ml
KATAKURIKO (Potato starch) 20 g

Mix all liquid together, but saving 1/4 C to mix with KATAKURIKO.  Then, add the starch slur into the liquid mixture cook over medium low heat.
Stir continuously with Heat Proof spatula over medium low heat.  Liquid will evaporate quite a bit and thickens.     This process might take as long as 30 minutes
Note:  MITARASHI must be cooked until it is so thick that it would stick and cover the slippery heat proof spatula as you see on this photo.  Otherwise, the syrup would drip off the DANGO.

Take spoon and scoop the syrup, then, start wrapping the DANGO in one hand and the MITARASHI in the other spoon.  Spin around and around until all surface of the DANGO is covered. 

Friday, February 21, 2014

Polly's Easy Morning Crepes filled with Banana

I got so tired of just watching some of the beautiful crepes filled with heavenly fluffy whip cream, and it's time for action to make my own.   I was concerned with overly feeding myself with heavy whip cream... to stay on low calories, I skipped the heavy cream.

Ingredients:
Hand beat 2 large Organic eggs in a bowl.
1/2 C of whole milk
Add 1 tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract
pinch of salt
1/4 C of All Purpose Flour to start - Non-bromated, unbleached.  Keep1/3 C extra flour shifted and set aside - just in case the mixture is watery and you need add more.   
6 TB of butter
1 to 2 large banana
Fruit preserves of your choice

After beating the eggs in a bowl, add vanilla; then a pinch of salt.
Add the flour like this>>> Shift the flour again over the egg mixture with one hand and mixing the flour in with the other hand.
Make sure there is no large chunks of unmixed flour.

The texture is thin, but not watery.  If it is watery, shift some more flour in - just enough until the texture of custard that coats the back of the spoon is achieved.

Heat the flat pan.   Medium low.   Add 2 TB of butter.
Pour the crepe mixture from Outer Circle, then, ending in center with a ladle..... if this doesn't work out for you, just pour it in center of the pan.
The batter on the pan is very thin.
Let it brown - 6 min at medium low to low heat.
Loosen the edge as it gets brown.
Insert a long spatula and flip it over.   Let it brown for 6 min >> this all depends on your gas stove's BTU.  So do a visual checking.
Transfer to a plate.
Slice banana.
Sprinkle crepe with powder sugar.
Arrange banana on crepe.
Roll the crepe.
Sprinkle more powder sugar before serving.
Add fruits preserve, if desired.
Bon Appetite!


 
 

 

CHERIMOYA - Tropical Fruits Wonder

This is Cherimoya.   It is also known as soursop, ... I think.   I call it MAANG GAO.... somthing like that.  Anyone who lived in Viet-Nam or in warm climate countries know this wonderful tangy sweet fruits.  Here in California, this particular Organic Cherimoya is priced at $7.99/lb.   This one costed me $8.95.     Many of my friends have never heard of it or have seen it at the local market but never ever bought one because they don't know what it is, and it is sooo expensive compared to other tropical fruits.   So, here is a demonstration of what it is.

How to eat it:
When I bought it, it was rock hard.
I placed it in a brown paper bag for 3 days.   Checking it every day.  By 4th evening, it was ready - soft to touch.... like avocado would be.  But don't let it sat till it is mush soft - yak!  it will taste fermented.... unless that is your intention.    Wash the exterior gently with water and salt or fruit cleanser, if you have one.
Pull open the fruits or use a knife to slice it open.
It is filled with sweet tangy nodules with black seed.
I just scoop it out and ate it.
Saved all the seeds to test planting.   Left the seeds in shallow dish with some water.   Some of them already has a tail/root growing.  After two weeks in the kitchen and since our weather here in Sacramento is so crazily dry, I transferred them into a pot of soil in a hot house in my garden.  Hope they will sprout wonderfully and be able to replace the other one that got frost bitten after 9 years of care.   All my fault.  :-(






After removing seeds, you can make a great tasting Cherimoya smoothies.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

TSON YEOU BIEN - Chinese Green Onion Pancake # 3

So, after the second test, this third one is made with:
1 Cup of flour, 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Mix them together first.  Then, add 6 Tablespoon of tap water.
Knead for 10 minutes.
Rest 10 minutes.
Divide the dough in to halves.
Roll out one of the dough.
Spread sesame oil with a pastry brush.
Sprinkle with salt.
Spread a handful of chopped green onions.
Roll and fold.  Rest 10 minutes.
Roll it out.
Fry in 3 Tablespoon of oil over medium low heat WITHOUT Lid for 6 minutes.
Turn it over and fry over medium low heat without lid for 6 minutes.
Remove.
Slice and serve.
Result? hmmm.   Still not quite the I made it when I was a kid.  Nevertheless, still very tasty.


 
 
 
(Cover and Rest 10 minutes then, roll out.)