Breakfast for Breakfast and Lunch and Dinner?

I love breakfast food. It's probably one of the most comforting things besides rice smothered in a savory sauce with meat and vegetables, pasta or any other carbohydrate you can think of when you think of a rainy day, a bit of a sad atmosphere and the need for filling food that's easy and fast.

As it's block weekend, the day before blocks in fact, breakfast for dinner is a must. But a lack of ingredients is a bit of a set back. Luckily, there are good friends who will help you buy a rasher of bacon when you're craving it and brown sugar is just as good as white if you're out.

So, turn on the stove and start making breakfast wherever and whenever it is.

Brown Sugar Pancakes

3/4 cup AP flour
3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
2 tbls brown sugar (you can use white if you want but I ran out. It's preblocks - no one has groceries)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbls oil (or melted butter if you wish)
1 egg
dash of vanilla

Mix everything together in a bowl, some lumps are okay. Heat a pan over medium heat and brush with a bit of oil or butter. When the pan is hot, pour the batter. I made 3 large pancakes about 7 inch wide. I suggest smaller pancakes for those who don't want them as big. Bubbles will begin to appear on the surface of the batter, when the bottom is brown, flip and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes. You can keep them warm in a 200 degree oven if you're making a lot. Smother in maple syrup and butter and consume.

I made a few slices of bacon to go with the pancakes. :)

Chong Yao Beng 葱油饼 (Chinese Green Onion Pancakes)

Every so often, I feel homesick and start craving everything I don't usually eat. Even bao (chinese buns) of all types begin to sound appealing. There's something about making my own chinese food from scratch with a deficiency of proper ingredients that makes the process more worthwhile and the final product yummier than anything store-bought.

Since so many people have asked, this is as good a time as any to post up the recipe. Keep in mind, it's more of a guideline as opposed to a true recipe since amounts of water and flour are more of a ratio as opposed to an amount.
Chong Yao Beng
(approx - 2:1 ratio of flour to hot water)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup hot water
A dash of salt
1 cup of chopped green onions/scallions
Sesame oil

Place flour and salt in a bowl. Heat water until a low simmer is achieved. Pour 1 cup into the flour mixture and mix with a spoon. The water helps the dough begin to form gluten before you even start mixing/kneading. When the dough begins to form, you can abandon the spoon and use your hands. Add more flour or water depending on the wetness/dryness of the dough. You want it to hold together without being overly sticky. This is a very forgiving recipe.

Tear off a small ball and roll out into 4-5 inch circle. Rub with a little sesame oil and scatter green onions on top of the circle. Roll up, pressing lightly to make a tight tube. Starting at one end, curl up the tube into a snail shape.Taking the palm of your hand, flatten the coil into about 3/4 cm thickness. Some of the onions may poke through the dough as it gets thinner. Don't worry about this too much. The thicker the pancake, the longer it'll take to pan fry and the chewier the texture.

When all of the pancakes are formed, heat a nonstick skillet with about a tablespoon of oil. If you want a nicer color, use sesame oil. Vegetable oil will give less color but is healthier. Panfry until cooked through, flipping the pancake after about 3-4 minutes. The dough will begin to look clear before turning opaque as it cooks. Continue until all of the pancakes have been cooked. You can also form the pancakes and fry them as you go.

If you want to make a dipping sauce, I combined a bit of chili-garlic sauce, sesame oil, fried scallions leftover from the pancakes, soy sauce, pepper to taste.