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。

Bird Nest with Snow Pear 【冰糖雪梨炖燕窝】

My mom saw my Bird Nest with Red Dates and Gingko and Bird Nest on Chicken Congee earlier and told me her friend likes to make bird nest with Snow Pear. It sounded like a really good recipe and I made it few days ago and had to make it again in two days, it is really that delicious!

我妈早前看见我做的冰糖红枣白果燕窝和燕窝鸡丝粥 ，就说她有个朋友喜欢用雪梨炖燕窝，味道很好也非常滋润。我听了觉得这个做法真的很不错，某天下午就做了这个冰糖雪梨炖燕窝，我能说这是我吃过最棒的燕窝糖水吗？

Aam Papad/Mango Fruit Roll-Ups 【日晒芒果卷】

The weather forecast is showing a 3 day continuation of hot sunny days, I make sure to take advantage of the power of nature and sun-dried a couple of snacks for us. 

The Ataulfo mangoes I bought this time were not very sweet, maybe it is still early in the season, together with the Sun-dried Sweet Potatoes I posted earlier, I also made this Mango roll ups.

It turned out so tasty the whole family likes it!

今年美东的夏天来的比较晚，一直到上一周天气才升温到九十华氏度以上。上周看见气象预测里说了会有连续三天的九十度高温艳阳天，正适合利用阳光进行食物脱水和日晒。  

于是和之前上过帖子的日晒红薯干一起，我还晒了这款日晒芒果卷，两天半晒出QQ甜甜很有嚼劲的芒果卷，装瓶密封就是很健康又美味的零食啦！

Sun-dried Sweet Potatoes【日晒红薯干】

The summer came rather late this year, not until last week that we started experiencing the temperature above 90s F. Since the weather forecast is showing a 3 days continuation of hot sunny days, I make sure to take advantage of the power of nature and sun-dried a couple of snacks for us.

The first one I made was this Sun-dried Sweet potatoes that is a very famous healthy snack in Fujian Province, where my ancestors are from. It took me 2 and 1/2 days and it turned out so sweet and yummy! Just like the ones that I had in Fujian years back.

今年美东的夏天来的比较晚，一直到上一周天气才升温到九十华氏度以上。上周看见气象预测里说了会有连续三天的九十度高温艳阳天，正适合利用阳光进行食物脱水和日晒。

于是我就晒了一批红薯干，两天半就晒出QQ甜甜很有嚼劲的红薯干，装瓶密封就是很健康又美味的零食啦！

Jia Xing Meat Dumplings 【嘉兴鲜肉粽】

"Jiaxing zongzi" (嘉兴粽子): It is one famous kind of zongzi in mainland China named after the city Jiaxing. The filling is typically pork but also can be mung beans, red beans or salted duck eggs.

I made a small batch of this Jia Xing dumplings specifically for a friend from Nanjing, this is the kind of dumplings she grew up eating, I am glad that I did as it turned out so good and I am very glad to learn again one more dumplings recipe.

这款嘉兴肉粽是为一位南京朋友做的，是她心心念念的家乡味，这款粽子我是第一次做，出来的效果很是不错，味道很好哦！

“嘉兴粽子”是浙江嘉兴特色传统名点，具有悠久历史。嘉兴粽子以糯而不糊，肥而不腻，香糯可口，咸甜适中而著称。尤以鲜肉粽最为出名，被誉为“粽子之王”。嘉兴粽子因其滋味鲜美，携带、食用方便而备受广大旅游者厚爱，有“东方快餐”之称。

资料来源--http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%98%89%E5%85%B4%E7%B2%BD%E5%AD%90

Bird Nest on Chicken Congee 【燕窝鸡丝粥】

I made Bird Nest with Red Dates and Gingko earlier as dessert earlier and have a few more pieces of bird nests left. I wanted to make a savory version of bird nest soup and the thought of Chicken Congee came to my mind.

Since I have some organic chicken at home, I made this congee for lunch and shared with my friend, she too agrees that it is yummy.

前几天泡的燕窝一半做了冰糖红枣白果燕窝 ，剩下的我想做成咸口味的燕窝粥。家里有刚买的有机鸡肉，于是我做了这个燕窝鸡丝粥约了朋友一起吃，味道很是不错哦!

Cantonese Style Dumplings 【广式咸肉粽】

It was Dumpling/Dragon Festival last week, it is a tradition at home to make some dumplings (glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) during the season.

This year I started the festival with this Cantonese Style of Dumplings which have moong beans in it and tasted though different than the type of Bak Zhang that  I am used to and loved, it is still one  of my favourites.

今年端午节前一直想着要裹点粽子过节，材料都买好了，却一直等到端午节当天才有时间裹，虽然闽南烧肉粽是每年一定要裹的家乡味。

今年所裹的第一款肉粽却是这款港式/广式肉粽，它是我很喜欢的一款肉粽，也是俊干妈的家乡味，裹好分一半给俊干爹干妈过节。