Panna Cotta with Blueberry and Strawberry Syrup 藍莓/草莓糖漿奶凍

Starting in June, it is the season of berries. I brought the girls to strawberry u-pick farm for fresh strawberries and bought big box of fresh Blueberries from farm as well. Since the berries cannot keep their freshness for long, I need to either frozen them or use them. I made some berries syrup. I can use these syrup for dessert as well as berries milkshake. This is a recipe of Panna Cotta serves with berries syrup. Yum!!!

 Blueberry and Strawberry Syrup (Make ahead)

Left is blueberry syrup and right one is strawberry syrup

 Ingredients (can make 1 cup of syrup)

• 2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (pic 1)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cup water

Pic 1,3 &4 are using blueberries and pic 2 is strawberries

Method

In a small saucepan, heat blueberries, sugar (pic 2)and water over medium high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low, you can also mashed the berries with a potato masher and let simmer for 10-15 minutes to reduce  until it is thickens slightly(pic 3). Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer if desired(pic 4). Refrigerate.

This recipe will also work with strawberries, blackberries, and cherries.

Panna Cotta Recipe:

Ingredients: (10-12 ramekins)

1/2 cup Whole Milk
3 cups Whipping cream
3/4 cup Sugar
1.5 tbsp Gelatin + 4 Tbsp milk
2tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pour 4 tbsp milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, stir together the 3 cups heavy cream,  1/2 cup milk and sugar, and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, watching carefully, as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into individual ramekin dishes.
3. Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before serving. Pour berries syrup before serving. 

To make Blueberry milk, you just need 1 cup of milk + 2-3 tbsp blueberry syrup, mix well.

Sushi Rice 壽司飯

Summer holiday begins. My kids have not much to do during the day. And they want to make some sushi for lunch by themselves. Well in my opinion, it is always cheaper and easier to dine out for sushi. It is not cheap to buy the sashimi at supermarket. But it sounds like a good family activity and they can use make their own lunch! Of course as a mom, I will need to do all the preparation such as cooking the sushi rice and cutting the sashimi before they can actually wrap the roll or make the sushi. Here is the recipe for cooking the sushi rice. I can make 4 maki rolls and 12-14 pieces of individual sushi.

 

Ingredients: (serve 4)

2 cups short-grain Japanese rice
2 cups water

1/4 cup (or 4tbsp) rice vinegar
3tbsp sugar
1tsp salt

Directions:

1. Rinse the rice 5 times, until the water become clear then drain in a colander.
2. Cook the rice in a rice cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, in a medium saucepan, combine the rice with 2 cups of cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sake-mash vinegar, rice vinegar, sugar and salt and warm over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
4. Transfer the rice to a very large bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the seasoned vinegar all over the rice: Drizzle onto a spatula while waving the spatula back and forth. Using a slicing motion with the spatula, gently separate the rice grains while mixing in the seasoning. Fan the rice while mixing it to help it dry. Wipe down any stray grains from the side of the bowl. Cover the rice with a damp towel to keep warm.

 

Mango Mille Crêpes Cake 法式芒果千層蛋糕

Mango Mille Crêpes make 8" cake, about 20-22 crepes per Mille crepe cake

Recipe

For the crepes

6 eggs (room temperature)

1000ml  milk (take out from fridge and stand for a while)

300g all purpose flour

90g melted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Lightly whisk eggs, add in milk, vanilla and melted butter, sift in flour and combine well.

2.Strain and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, this allows the gluten in the flour a chance to relax.

3. Place a 8-inch nonstick pan over low heat.

4. Add a ladle of crepe batter and quickly tilt the pan to coat the entire surface evenly in a thin layer and pour the excess of batter. (Pic 1)

5. While cooking, trim off the excess crepe at the area where the batter was pour out.

6. Cook only one side until golden (less than 1min) and remove crepe by lifting it by the edges.

7. Continue cooking the rest of the crepes, stacking up the crepes as you work.

Recipe

For the mango cream

300g non-dairy whipping cream

300g fresh mango puree (about 2 mango)

5tbsp mango concentrated

1tbsp icing sugar

1tbsp lemon juice 

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream and icing sugar on high speed until thick and stiff.

2. Blend Mango into puree. (Pic 2. ) Add in the rest of ingredients, combine well with whipping cream and chill in the refrigerator. (Pic 3)

To assemble Mille Crêpes

1. Using a spatula or pastry scraper, spread a thin layer of mango cream on the first crepe.

2. Repeat the layers to make a stack of 20-22. (Pic4)

3. Chill for overnight. Serve cold.

4. Dust the top with icing sugar and decorate with mango slices, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.ca/2011/03/mango-mille-crepe-fruity-march.html

可丽饼材料：
面粉 300克
鸡蛋 6粒
牛奶 1公升
溶化牛油 90克
香草油 2茶勺


奶油馅
打发植物性奶油 300克
芒果泥 300克
浓缩芒果汁 5大匙
糖粉 1 茶勺



做法：
1。 在面粉中间开窝，加入蛋，用打蛋器慢慢搅匀，加入牛奶,香草油 和溶化牛油，直到所有面粉搅 匀, 过滤并盖上保鲜纸冷藏过夜。

2。隔天将面糊恢复至室温， 取一8寸不粘平底锅烧热，搽少许牛油或油，用勺子舀取面糊， 以最快的速度轻轻摆动平底锅，让面糊可以薄薄地布满一个 圈，用中小火慢慢煎再翻面，一片片 煎至面糊完为止。(圖1)

3。奶油馅的材料搅拌均匀。(圖 2&3)

4。 将 已放涼的可丽饼抹上一 层芒果鲜奶油，再盖上一层可丽饼，继续重复以上抹酱及盖可丽饼重叠的动作，共20张左右，高度可随意(圖4&5)，（可在最后一层抹上芒果 鲜奶油后铺满芒果粒），再盖上最后一片可丽饼，接着在最上层抹上一 层浓缩芒果汁，放入冰箱冷藏一夜后才切片享用。

Chinese recipe adapted from : http://ahmok33.blogspot.ca/2010/05/mango-mille-crepe-cake.html

Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup 泰式紅咖喱椰奶湯

  

INGREDIENTS: (serve 8)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

5 pieces of fresh ginger (or galangal)

1 shallot

2 kaffir-lime leaves

2 stalk lemon grass, chopped into small pieces

1 tbsp red curry paste (according to personal taste)

5 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)

2 cans coconut milk

1/2 pound white mushrooms sliced

1 red bell pepper sliced

1 green bell pepper sliced

8 mussels (you can put shrimp or other seafood)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

salt to taste

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chopped lemongrass, shallot, ginger, lime leaf and 1/4 cup cilantro into small pieces. (Pic 1&2). Grind ginger, shallot, lemongrass and lime leaf in food processor(Pic 3&4). Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, shallot and lime leaf mixture with curry paste in the heated oil for 1 minute. 

2 Slowly pour the chicken broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce and palm sugar; simmer for 15 minutes. 

3. Stir in the coconut milk, red pepper, green pepper, 1/2 cup cilantro and mushrooms; cook and stir until all veggies are soft, about 5 minutes.

4.  Add the mussel/shrimp/seafood; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice; season with salt; garnish with remaining 1/4cup of cilantro.