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I’m always looking for new things to serve the boys for breakfast and I came across this recipe on the Internet. If there’s one thing in our house that gets a unanimous thumbs up, it’s breakfast pancakes. I usually make these pancakes for breakfast, but this morning I had some extra time before heading to Mass so I tried this new recipe. As expected, the chocolate pancakes received four sets of thumbs-up!
On their own, the pancakes are not terribly sweet. They sweeten up nicely with a fine dusting of powdered sugar, and that’s how the boys like them. Two of the boys had butter and a little sugar on them and two had them with sugar only. I think a little maple syrup would be a nice addition as well. Next time I make these, I’m going to add an extra egg white and see what that does to them. One of my sons is a poor eater so I’m always on the lookout for new ways to get extra protein into him. I’ll let you know if the modification works. I think I’m going to use whole wheat flour next time as well. My boys aren’t big fans of whole wheat flour, but the chocolate in this recipe will cover it nicely. I don’t think they’ll have any idea!
Chocolate Pancakes
Adapted from RecipeZaar #54002
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar for dusting (~3 tablespoons or to taste)
In a small bowl, combine milk, egg and butter; whisk until blended. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add milk mixture; whisk just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.)
Heat griddle over medium heat until hot. (When griddle is ready, drops of water will sizzle, then evaporate.) For each pancake, pour a scant 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Cook 1-2 minutes or until batter is set around edges. Carefully turn over pancake; cook 1-2 minutes or until pancakes are cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter. Sprinkle pancakes with powdered sugar; serve warm.
Yield: ~10 pancakes
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My sister Gail sent me this recipe. She made it for a potluck dinner and told me that everyone loved it. I’ve made it twice now for dinner parties and plates have ended up clean every time I served it. The dressing tastes like a tangy yogurt – it’s definitely on the sweet side, but I like my dressings sweet. The bacon is a really nice addition (in my book, you can’t go wrong with bacon in any recipe). Its saltiness complements the sweet dressing and fruit nicely. All in all the flavors go together very well. Try it if you’re looking for a different salad, or something a little fancier to serve to company.
I found that the proportions for the dressing made more than I needed, but you can save the extra for future salads.
Pear Salad with Raspberry Cream
Southern Living, December 2000
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 firm, ripe pears
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 head Bibb lettuce, washed, dried and torn
1 small head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
Whisk together first 4 ingredients. Set dressing aside.
Peel pears, if desired; slice pears. Brush with lemon juice.
Arrange lettuce on 4 plates. Arrange pears over lettuce. Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with cheese, bacon, and raspberries.
Yield: 4 servings
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I have a cookbook called Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, and I have flipped through it many times without taking much notice of this recipe. It didn’t come with a picture, and the name turned me off. Honey Wheat? Yuck. Boy was I wrong! These cookies are delicious and very reminiscent of Nilla Wafers. They’re crunchy on the outside and softer on the inside and the lemon zest gives them a nice little tangy punch.
Two of my four boys loved these. One wouldn’t touch them because he saw me rolling them in wheat germ before they baked. I’d hate to tell him how many muffins/cookies he loves that have wheat germ in them. I hate when the boys make judgments about food based on looks alone.
These are very simple to make. Next time I make them I’m going to try to add another teaspoon of lemon zest to the recipe. I really love the lemony flavor that the cookies have, and I think I’d even like a little more. When you press these cookies down with a glass before baking, get the bottom of the glass wet if the cookies are sticking to it. The moisture will prevent the cookies from sticking to the glass so much.
Try one of these with a cup of tea. Yum!
Honey-Wheat Cookies
From Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 stick(8 tablespoons)unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg
Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup of the wheat germ, the baking powder and salt. Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, run the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist. Add the butter and, using the paddle or whisk attachment of a hand mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until creamy or smooth. Add the honey and beat for another minute or two. Add the egg and beat for about 2 minutes more, until you have a smooth, light , fluffy mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 2 portions, mixing only until each addition disappears. Scrape the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap well. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.
Getting ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Put the remaining 1/2 cup wheat germ into a bowl. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and, working with a spoonful of it at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 1-inch balls. Drop each ball into the wheat germ and turn to coat, then place the balls on one of the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between them(these don’t spread much). Use your palm or the bottom of a glass to gently flatten each cookie. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are just firm to the touch. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.
Storing: The cookies will keep at room temperature for about 3 days or wrapped airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Yield: ~36 cookies
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I love cauliflower in the winter, and have made it a number of different ways, but I’m always on the lookout for a new way to serve it. I made this last night and served it as a side dish with marinated pork tenderloin. I can honestly say that they were both delicious in their own right, but I shouldn’t have served them together. They didn’t go together at all! When I tried this tart between bites of pork tenderloin, I appreciated its taste but immediately knew that it should be served as the main course with a nice green salad on the side. It seemed perfect for a brunch. It’s incredibly rich, but oh so delicious.
This recipe calls for truffle oil, which isn’t something that everyone has in their pantry. I happened to have some that was given to me as a Christmas gift. I don’t like mushrooms at all, not that mushrooms are truffles, but in my mind they’re in the same category. That said, boy was the truffle oil good on the roasted cauliflower. I used a big head of cauliflower, so I had some left over that didn’t fit in the tart. Yum! I can’t say that I really tasted the truffle oil when the cauliflower was in the tart, so if you don’t have truffle oil, don’t worry about it.
This recipe is a bit time consuming, but one of the nice things about it is that you can make the roasted cauliflower and the caramelized onions a day ahead. When I baked the pie crust in the tart pan, I didn’t have pie weights, so I covered the crust in aluminum foil and put a bunch of coins on it. They held the crust down perfectly.
Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart
Bon Appetit, March 2007
1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 pound), cored, cut into 1-inch florets
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
1 (7- to 8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°F. Toss cauliflower with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl. Spread on large rimmed baking sheet, spacing apart. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes; turn florets over. Continue roasting until tender, about 25 minutes longer. Cool cauliflower, then thinly slice. Drizzle with truffle oil; toss. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Press pie crust onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Line pie crust with foil; fill with pie weights. Bake crust 20 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights; bake until crust is golden, about 5 minutes, pressing crust with back of fork if bubbles form. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store crust at room temperature. Cover and chill cauliflower and onion separately.
Brush bottom and sides of crust with mustard. Spread onion in crust. Arrange cauliflower evenly over. Set tart on rimmed baking sheet. Whisk eggs and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in Gruyère. Pour mixture over filling in tart pan; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until tart is golden and center is set, about 40 minutes. If you want your tart to be slightly lighter in color, you can add the parmesan 20 minutes into the baking time. When done, transfer to rack; cool 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
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Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite weeknight meals because it’s so quick and easy to cook. I used to buy a bottle of marinade, dump it into a ziploc bag with the pork tenderloin and let it sit in the refrigerator for a while – sometimes all day, sometimes for an hour. Since I’ve found this marinade recipe, I don’t buy bottled marinades anymore. This marinade is easy to throw together and it gives the pork a great flavor. I also usually have all of the ingredients on hand. This pork reminds me of the homemade beef jerky that my college roommate used to receive in the mail from her grandmother. I have incredibly fond memories of eating beef jerky in the middle of the night while trying to tackle the nearly impossible problem sets.
When I make this, I dump the pork and the marinade into a roasting pan and cook it all together. Another option is to put the pork into a roasting pan, and dump the extra marinade into a small pot and reduce it while the pork is cooking. Once reduced, it can be poured over the pork. as a sauce.
Asian Pork Tenderloin
Recipe adapted from Cooks.com
1 c. soy sauce
6 tbsp. sugar
1/2 minced onion (~4 tablespoons)
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ginger
4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Mix marinade ingredients and pour into a ziploc bag. Put the tenderloins into the bag and turn so they are covered with marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it and place it in the refrigerator. Marinate for at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight. Perodically turn the bag over to make sure that the tenderloins are covered in the marinade.
When ready to cook, put the meat and the marinade into a roasting pan. Bake at 350 degrees until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. This should take ~25 – 35 minutes. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before carving it. Cut the meat diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
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I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while and finally decided to try it. I thought the snack cakes would be a nice treat for the boys one afternoon after school. Instead of making 12 muffin-sized snack cakes, I decided to make 24 mini-muffin size cakes. I felt they were a better size for the boys, and they definitely were.
I love the combination of chocolate and almond extract. The resulting flavor is great. The boys begged for a snack cake as soon as they came out of the oven. I dusted the first couple with powdered sugar, and I actually put some whipped cream on a couple of them. That was decadent and delicious.
I found that the mini-muffins dried out a bit as they sat out all afternoon, but it wasn’t something that 10 seconds in the microwave couldn’t fix. I think they’re a nice snack to have with a cup of tea on a cold afternoon.
Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes
Recipe from A Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unflavored vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar (this is my addition)
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake liners, or lightly butter them.
In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil. Once melted and smooth, remove from heat. (I melted my chocolate in the microwave and it worked fine.)
In another bowl, mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of oil with the yogurt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple of time, then add the melted chocolate, and stir until just smooth. Divide the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes, or until they feel barely set in the middle. Remove from oven and cool before serving. Top with powdered sugar if desired.
Yield: 12 muffins
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Mark Bittman is one of my favorite chefs. I love his no-nonsense approach and his very simple recipes. I made these crackers in about 20 minutes the other day. It took about 10 minutes to get the dough ready and another 10 minutes to cook them. My boys ask me to make them all the time now. One of the boys claims he doesn’t like cheese, but he really likes these. They’re like gourmet Cheez-Its. I’ve made them twice now, once with Parmesan cheese and the other time with Romano cheese. Both batches were excellent. Next I’m going to try to add herbs and perhaps a little onion. Yum!
If you have a couple of minutes, watch the video of Mark Bittman making the crackers. My boys love the end of the video – the part where he takes the crackers out of the oven and breaks them apart. They want me to try the same thing at home but I keep refusing.
I love being able to make things that are simple to cook, that I would otherwise buy at the supermarket for an exorbitant price. This is one of those recipes. I made and we polished off a batch tonight. I think I’ll make another batch tomorrow.
Parmesan Cream Crackers
Recipe by Mark Bittman in the NY Times
1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup cream or half-and-half, more as needed
Coarse salt, pepper, sesame or poppy seeds, minced garlic or whatever you like for sprinkling (optional).
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust with flour. Put flour, salt, cheese and butter in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until flour and butter are combined. Add about 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half and let machine run for a bit; continue to add liquid a teaspoon at a time, until mixture holds together but is not sticky.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/2-inch thick or even thinner, adding flour as needed. Transfer sheet of dough to prepared baking sheet (drape it over rolling pin to make it easier). Score lightly with a sharp knife, pizza cutter or a pastry wheel if you want to break crackers into squares or rectangles later on. Sprinkle with salt or other topping if you like.
Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in a tin for a few days.
Yield: About 4 servings.
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I had a bag of baby carrots in the refrigerator that I wanted to use so I fished around on the internet looking for something interesting to do with them. I remembered having a carrot dip at a friend’s house a couple of years ago, so I googled ‘carrot dip’ and came up with this. Wow, is it flavorful and delicious. I almost decided to make chips and dip my dinner when I made it. It’s that good. My husband and I ate about half of it the night I made it, then I polished the rest off for lunch the next day.
I’ve been told that whole carrots are more flavorful than baby carrots, so I recommend that you try to make this with a pound of whole carrots. I used baby carrots because that’s what I had in the house. I also didn’t have a whole clove of garlic in the house, so I cooked the carrots with a teaspoon of minced garlic and it worked just fine. I also didn’t have olives or cilantro in the house so I skipped those. They are just supposed to be garnishes anyway, so I don’t think I missed anything.
I think this would make a great sandwich spread in lieu of mayonnaise. I’m going to make a batch this week and use it on turkey sandwiches.
As with most recipes that have a lot of ingredients blended together, this dip is better the next day (but still great just after you make it.)
Moroccan Carrot Dip
Recipe from RecipeZaar, Recipe #112229
16 ounces carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces
1 clove garlic, peeled and left whole
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne pepper
sea salt, to taste
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons seeded green olives (left whole or chopped, your preference)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
4-6 rounds flat bread or pita pocket bread
Cook the chopped carrot and garlic in simmering, salted water, for about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain well, then return them to the hot, dry pan for a minute or two, over medium heat, to dry them out further.
Tip the carrots and garlic into the food processor bowl, and process until smooth. Add the cumin, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, sea salt, honey and lemon juice and process again. With the machine still running, add the olive oil gradually. Allow to cool.
Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with a little extra olive oil, scatter with olives and cilantro leaves (if using), and serve with lightly warmed flat bread or chips for dipping.
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
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I’ve made this a couple of times now and it’s my favorite chili recipe, and I’ve tried lots of them. I’ve made Texas chili, turkey chili, white chili, and my mom’s chili and this is my hands-down favorite. I made a double batch last weekend for the Jets-Indianapolis playoff game. We had a couple of friends come over to watch it. It was a great game despite the outcome. Mark my words, the Jets will be in the Superbowl next year.
This chili is mildly spicy, a tiny bit sweet and very tasty. You can play with the heat by adding more or less jalapeno, but I thought a single jalapeno per batch was perfect. That said, I prefer things mildly spicy. Next time I might up the number of jalapenos because my husband likes things REALLY spicy.
We ate quite a bit of the double batch that I made last weekend, but I had some left over to freeze. It freezes very well. I can’t wait to defrost it.
The red wine adds a nice dimension to the chili. I used a pinot noir this time and the previous time I used a merlot. Both batches were great.
All American Chili
Recipe from Cooking Light
6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.
Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.
Yield: 6 – 8 servings
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Our good friend Harriet came over for dinner tonight and I always try a new recipe when she visits. We always love her visits because she is an amazing baker and she brings her homemade cookies. Yum!
I’m trying to introduce new green vegetables into our diets and I found this recipe in the January issue of Martha Stewart Living. I typically only cook cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day when I make a boiled dinner of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. I recently read an article about the health benefits of cabbage – it’s loaded with vitamins A, B, C, E, and minerals – and decided that we should try to eat more of it.
This recipe turned out to be delicious. I loved the punch of flavor from the lemon zest. What a great way to eat cabbage.
Guess how many of the boys tried it. You’re right. Zero.
Creamed Green Cabbage
From Martha Stewart Living, January 2010
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small head green cabbage, about 2 1/2 lbs., cored and shredded, 10 cups
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups warm whole milk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
Preheat oven to 350.
Bring 1 inch salted water to a boil in Dutch oven or large pot. Add cabbage. Cover and steam, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Squeeze out excess water using a kitchen towel.
Melt butter in medium pan. over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook until bubbling but not browning, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook, stirring until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add 1/4 cup cheese and the lemon zest.
Immediately fold cabbage into sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into a shallow 6 cup casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon cheese. Bake until bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 servings
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