Homemade Preserved radish/Chai Poh 自制菜脯

Back home whenever mom/grandma makes porridge/congee, there will definitely be a plate of preserved radish  omelette.

A lot of the preserved radish/Chai poh sold in the market are imported, if you read the label printed on the packaging, the ingredients listed include -- “traces of nitrates”, “E211 (sodium benzoate)”, “E975 (saccharine)” and many other ingredients that I can't even pronounce. It is just making one wonders what is the implication of those chemical stuff and how they make their ways into this traditional treat.

The Radishes sold in the Asian market were really fresh and tasty around end April/May this year, with 29 cents a lbs and plenty of cold/dry air and sunshine.
I can't help but to bring some home to make homemade preserved radish.

小时候妈妈或外婆煮粥的时候通常都菜桌上都会有一道菜脯煎蛋。菜脯/萝卜干是一个非常平民的食材，可以拿来做很多不同的小吃和菜肴。

市场上卖的菜脯/萝卜干大多是进口的，如果你看菜脯包装上列出的材料的话，就会发现市售的菜脯用了很多的化学添加物，多吃还真的对身体不好哦！

过去农耕时代，菜脯是萝卜盛产时把萝卜腌制起来方便保存的一个做法，我想既然过去可以在家做菜脯，现在当然也可以在家自己制作菜脯罗！

四五月时我们这里的亚洲超市萝卜打折，一磅才两毛九。而且四五月的天气很适合制作菜脯，所以我就买了十几磅的大萝卜，自己制作好吃的菜脯。

Braised Long Bean Noodles 豆角/豇豆焖面

I love Flat Bean Braised Noodles and made it many times, it is quick and very nutritious, an easy one pot meal for the family and could be done in under 30 minutes!

I made this favourite dish today using Long bean and carrot, it turned out even better in taste! I will most likely do this more often in future!

我超喜欢吃扁豆焖面，也经常做。平时工作比较忙碌的时候回家焖上这个面，从开始准备到吃上饭也就半个小时左右，还蔬菜、蛋白质和碳水化合物都有了。而且非常好吃哦！

这一次用豆角和胡萝卜焖这个面，更美味。下次除了扁豆，我应该会经常做豆角焖面了哦！

Sugary triangle buns 糖三角

In the old days, when there is extra dough, while making meat/vegetable steamed buns, the housewives will use sugar as the filling. These buns are made into triangle shape to differentiate from the other buns with different kind of fillings.

The kids in the house normally liked the sugar filling buns much more than the meat/veggie ones. I have added some roasted black sesame powder in my fillings, it is much tastier than just sugar and flour!

包子是中国北方许多家庭喜爱的主食，以前做包子时如果有多余的面团，妈妈们会加点糖和面粉做内馅做这款糖三角。

糖馅的包子做成三角型是为了方便辨识馅料，这款包子孩子们很爱吃。

天热，俊宝没什么胃口，我就给他做了这款糖三角，加了点烤香的黑芝麻磨成的粉，味道更香。

Chinese Toon Sauce Fried Rice 香椿酱炒饭

I made Chinese Toon Sauce with Chinese Toon young leaves I collected from my friend's backyard not long ago. 

My first use of it was to make this fried rice, the taste is very unique and almost galicky. I like it very much!

之前把从朋友家收集来的香椿嫩叶一大半做了香椿酱，一小半做了香椿煎蛋。

香椿酱先拿来做了这个炒饭，香椿独特的香味让炒饭很美味，让人吃了还想再吃。

Purslane Salad，Chinese Style 凉拌马齿苋

Purslane is a succulent annual trailing plant that grows in many places and it thrives in poor soil. You can find them in almost any places with full sunshine, roadsides, disturbed land and most likely your backyard!

It can be eaten as a cooked vegetable and is great to use in salads, soups, stews or any dish you wish to sprinkle it over. Purslane is antibacterial, antiscorbutic, depurative, diuretic and febrifuge. The leaves are a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which prevents heart attacks and strengthens the immune system.

I collected some purslane from the riverside one afternoon when I was strolling around and made this salad for lunch later on.

马齿苋是一个常见的野菜，生长于田野间，大路边，甚至于墙角下都可能有它的踪影。

“马齿苋”是“马苋菜”的同义词。 属于马齿科一年生肉质草本植物，学名“马齿苋”，民间俗称“马蜂菜”，是一种特色野菜。因其生命力极强，又有“长寿菜”之称。

马苋菜为药食两用植物，全草可供药用，有清热利湿、解毒消肿、消炎、止渴、利尿作用；种子可明目，可作兽药和农药；嫩茎叶可作蔬菜，味酸，也可作饲料。

前两天散步时发现一堆马齿苋，摘了一大把回家做了凉拌马齿苋，很好吃哦！

Blue Pea Flower Ice Cubes in Milk 蝶豆花冰牛奶

I made Blue Chai and Natural Blue Soda using the butterfly pea flower my mom sent before. I then freeze some of the unsweetened blue chai in a cute dinosaur ice cube box and use it as to serve with some cold milk for my son's play date, it is so cute and beautiful that all kids enjoyed it thoroughly.

前阵子我用娘家给我准备的蝶豆花干做了消暑健康的蓝花/蝶豆花茶 和 梦幻蝶豆花饮料。

我把剩下不加糖和柠檬汁的蓝花/蝶豆花茶倒到可爱的恐龙制冰盒里做成了可爱的蓝恐龙冰块。

在俊宝的小朋友们来家里玩的时候加到冰牛奶里给孩子们喝，颜色好看又可爱，小朋友们都和喜欢哦！

How to grow bean sprouts at home 在家自己发豆芽

Mung bean sprout is one very common ingredient for cooking back home. I like to use it in my stir fry noodle/rice noodle dishes. The shop bought bean sprouts are sometimes not fresh and turned bad within days before I could use them.

I started growing my own bean sprouts at home using an old kettle at first. I then progressed to using just a normal bowl with a lid, the lid should be slightly heavy and covers most if not all of the beans.

I have since able to grow very healthy and delicious sprouts at home.

绿豆芽是家乡许多美食的最佳佐料，是个百搭。我很喜欢炒面、米粉什么的用豆芽做佐料，可有个问题一直困扰着我，每次超市买的豆芽要是两天内不吃完很快就烂掉了，而且有时超市里的豆芽看着也不怎么新鲜，所以还是自己发的豆芽吃着新鲜，还放心。

我刚开始发豆芽的时候还用过旧水壶，篮子+纱布啥的。后来有一次在油管上看见一位农村妈妈用大钢盆加个锅盖发出来的豆芽特别直特别好看，从此以后我发豆芽就只用大盆加个锅盖了。

答应了朋友圈里的朋友们要把发豆芽的过程写个帖子分享。今晚趁爷儿俩已经熟睡了，我就静静地写个帖子吧！

Chinese Toon Sauce 【香椿酱】

I send my son to a friend's house for a playdate sometimes in the beginning of May and she asked if I want some Chinese Toon (香椿) -- a species of Toona 

where its young leaves are extensively used as a vegetable in China. The young leaves have a floral, yet onion-like flavor. It is widely used as flavoring agent in vegetarian/vegan dishes in China.

I immediately seize the opportunity and harvest a bunch of Chinese Toon from her backyard. I came home and made this Sauce which can then make into many delicious dishes later.

五月初的时候有一天带儿子到朋友Katie家和她儿子玩，一进门她就问我要不要香椿叶，然后递了一把剪刀给我。我马上就跑到她家后院剪了一把的香椿嫩叶，这可是我想了很久的美食哪！

当晚回家我就做了这个香椿酱，冷藏了可以留着慢慢吃。