Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes

Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 beaten egg

1 cup blueberry yogurt

1/2 cup water
1 cup blueberries

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp margarine for cooking

Grease griddle with 1 tbsp oil and preheat to around 375 F or better.

A little cooking science:

you know when your griddle is hot enough to start cooking the pancakes when you can drop a few drops of water on the griddle and they don’t evaporate right away. Instead they scurry around the surface of the hot griddle riding on a thin layer of water vapor before finally evaporating. This is called the Leidenfrost effect.

Mix together salt, flour, baking powder, and the sugar. Next, add egg, yogurt, 1 tbsp of oil and stir until well blended. Melt margarine on griddle or pan. Pour about ¼ cup portions of pancake batter on griddle.

A little bit more on temperature:

If your griddle or pan is too cold the pancakes will be tough and slightly chewy and of course take longer to cook. If your grill is way too hot it will burn on the bottom making a crust on the outside. If you are making many batches of pancakes you might want to remove the pan every 3 or so batches, wipe it out and bring back to the correct temperature.

Turn when golden brown, small bubbles should start developing around the edges and in the center of the pancakes. Right before you flip the pancakes, drop blueberries on the pancake. After flipping, cook until golden brown. Serve with warm maple syrup or blueberry compote (basically, fruit cooked in water, sugar, and quite possibly some flavored alcohol and spices). The great thing about using yogurt is you can infuse many flavors into the pancakes. You could make, apple, peach, strawberry, pineapple, vanilla, or even chocolate pancakes. I also find that the pancakes seem more tender and fluffy using the yogurt.

Crispy Pork Belly Sliders

Today's recipe is Pork Belly. In the picture I have a pork belly slider, dipping sauce and a cold pork belly cubes with noodles. The little sandwiches are my favorite.

Crispy Pork Belly Sliders

2 lb fresh pork belly

Wet Rub for the pork belly

3 tbsp Soy sauce

¼ cup olive oil

3 tbsp sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Dry Rub for the pork belly

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ cup sea salt

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp light brown sugar

Other necessary items and ingredients

2 shallow dishes

1 small bowl

2 qt of chicken or vegetable stock

plastic wrap and aluminum foil

baking pan

small buns of choice, I made small sesame coated knot rolls. Dinner rolls make great slider buns.

olive oil for sautéing

Preparation: Mix the wet rub well and store in shallow dish. Mix the dry rub well and store in a small bowl. Place the pork belly in the wet rub and turn to coat. Make sure you coat all surfaces well with the rub. Cover the shallow dish with wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Find a shallow baking dish and set aside—ensure that the pork belly can easily fit in the dish. Remove the pork belly from the wet rub and rub generously with the dry rub. Don’t be afraid to use every bit of rub to pack the pork belly. Wrap the pork belly with plastic wrap and place in the baking dish. Set the pork belly in the refrigerator for 2 full days.

Pre-heat the oven to 200F. Remove the pork belly after 2 days and lightly wash off any excess dry rub. Place the pork belly in baking dish and cover with chicken or vegetable stock. Cover dish with aluminum foil and cook for 6 hours in the oven. Vent the dish and place in refrigerator to cool. Turn the oven to broil. When cool enough to handle place the belly on a cutting board and cut into 2 to 3 inch cubes then place on paper towels to soak up moisture. Heat 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium/high. Sear all sides of the pork belly except the top. Remove the cubes from the pan and transfer to the baking pan fat side up and place in the oven for no more than 2 minutes. You are just crisping up the fatty side of the pork belly. I have to admit I could just eat the pork from that point on and be well satisfied. It’s a definite calorie and fat splurge but well worth the time and effort. Slice off shorter grain slices from the cubes for the sandwich. Prepare your bun as you like it—toasted, buttered, steamed or just plain. I made a dipping sauce using 3 tbsp Tamari, 2 to three drops of sesame oil, 1tsp garlic in oil, a dash of sugar, green onions, pepper, and crushed red pepper. I also topped my sandwich with a little quick slaw using cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, salt, sugar, soy sauce, julienne red pepper, mayonnaise, pepper, and sesame oil.

I’m definitely not the best photographer so bear with me on my pictures.

I've been thinking about starting this blog for way too long. I enjoy creating new dishes or adding my two cents worth to other recipes. Most of all I enjoy learning and teaching. I work for a large grocery chain in the culinary department as a trainer. I have a super job. I get to teach people to bake, cook, decorate cakes, make candy as well as a lot of other integral parts of the fresh foods we sell. It's very gratifying to help someone and have a little light bulb go off in their head. I also hold fast that it if you want to be a great teacher, you have to always be willing to learn new things and be a constant student. This blog is my take on life, recipes, cooking, teaching, and never-ending study in the art of food. I hope you enjoy my posts and I do look forward to your comments, questions, and your input in the direction we travel. Keep one thing in mind in your cooking adventures: It's your kitchen--don't be afraid of it. Fearless cooking is how you grow and learn.