Perfect Pancakes

I’m not a big fan of eating breakfast out.  I find most restaurants confuse lots of butter with lots of flavor.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of butter, but it’s not a substitute for herbs, spices and fresh  fruits and vegetables.  I have two exceptions, a Cajun restaurant down the street from me, which makes amazing food no matter the hour, and a local breakfast spot that makes the best pancakes ever.  These cakes are light, fluffy, with a touch of vanilla. 

I assumed they were so light and fluffy because they beat the egg whites, but wasn’t sure.  One morning this week I decided to test out that theory.  And since the result was successful, I thought I share the simple recipe for Perfect Pancakes:

• 1-1/4 cup flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 egg, separated

In bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Add vanilla, milk, oil and egg yolk, mix well.  Batter will be lumpy, do not over mix.  Beat egg white until stiff and fold into mixture.  Oil and heat a skillet, once it’s hot, turn to medium heat and pour batter. 

Additions:  blueberries – add just before flipping; flax meal – add to dry ingredients;  buttermilk, substitute for milk; touch of cinnamon.

Boston Update

Good food and good friends.  My trip to Boston has been great fun so far.  Though we did try to start the house on fire with the gas grill.  Luckily, though my friend and I were more Lucy and Ethel than Buffy and Willow,  we did manage to avert disaster.  Tonight she’s making Chicken Parmesan and Antipasto Squares, tomorrow I’m making Baby Back Ribs.  I’ll try to get recipes up soon after.

Sunday will be a treat as we head into the North End of Boston (Little Italy) for the Feast of Saint Anthony.  I’m really looking forward to that.  But for now I’m off to the beach.  Until then….

Thursday Night Menu – Western Edition

This was the menu at a Bistro in Colorado that really stuck with me.  Had some great Riesling with it, too.  On the board tonight:

1. Grilled Sirloin with Spicy Blueberry Sauce
2. Garlic Mashed Potatoes
3. Steamed Zucchini
4. Coffee w/Biscotti

Grilled Sirloin with Spicy Blueberry Sauce

Sauce:

•  2 cups frozen blueberries (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tbsp
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how hot you want it)
• pinch of chili powder

Sirloin:

• 1lb Sirloin, cut into 4 pieces
• Fresh ground pepper (opt)

Saucepan and small bowl 

Sauce: Run still frozen blueberries through a food processor until finely chopped.  Add all ingredients to a small saucepan on low heat until the blueberries melt and give you enough water to bring to a boil without scorching.  Boil for 1 minute or so, stirring constantly until liquid is reduced by half.  Let simmer on low, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the rest of dinner.

Sirloin:  Broil or grill sirloin until cooked according to your preference, if you can, sear the outside so it’s really crispy on the outside.  It works well with lots of ground pepper on the outside as well.  Once the sirloin is done, place two tablespoons of blueberry sauce on the plate, place steak on the sauce then top with more sauce.  Place remaining sauce in a small bowl and serve with meal. 

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 6 large russet potatoes or equivalent – washed & cut into 6-8 pieces (peeling is optional)
• 1 to 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• salt & pepper (to taste)

2 quart sauce pan

Add potatoes to sauce pan and cover with water, place lid on and bring to a boil. Once potatoes are fork tender, drain well.  Add butter, garlic, salt & pepper, milk and broth to a glass measuring cup and microwave for 30 seconds to warm (this keeps potatoes from getting cold while you mash them).  Add to potatoes and mash until fluffy.

Shopping List

• 16 oz frozen blueberries (unsweetened)
• 1/2 oz white wine vinegar
• 1lb Sirloin
• 6 large russet potatoes or equivalent – washed & cut into 6-8 pieces (peeling is optional)
• zucchini
• Biscotti
• Really nice coffee (I suggest Lavazza)

Also: sugar, red pepper flakes, crushed garlic, butter, milk

Sonoma Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

One of my favorite chicken salads is at Costco. This recipe is pretty close, though I’ve added grapes and tweaked the mayonnaise a bit.  The best way to serve this, in my opinion, is to wash and dry romaine lettuce leaves, top with salad, roll up and eat.  Bread seems too heavy for this dish.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

• 1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 5 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces
• 1/2 cups dried cranberries (craisins)
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 3 stalks celery, chopped

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds,garlic powder,onion powder, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. When ready to serve, stir in chicken, pecans, grapes, Craisins, celery and serve cold.

Guest Recipe: Brown Rice Medley

This is a terrific side dish, filled with lots of good ingredients.  From my friend Stefan Shihadeh:

Brown Rice Medley

• 2 cups water
• 1 cube chicken bouillon or equivalent
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/4 cup flax seed (golden preferred)
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds

saucepan

Add all ingredients, except almonds to saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until all water is absorbed (about 45 minutes).  Stir in almonds and serve.  Serves 4 generously.

What do you want from Boston?

I’ll be leaving for Boston soon.  While I’m away I’ll post a few recipes and I’m hoping to have another guest recipe this week.  From Paris, no less.  I will try and post any good food on my adventures, though recipes will have to come later, unless some chef takes pity on me and gives me his/her secrets.  Although that doesn’t always work out unless you’re cooking for 80.

Thursday there will be a nice grilling menu, so stop by for that.  And when I get back, I’ll start the series of recipes based on novels I’ve read.

Now, what did you want me to bring you from Boston?

Until then….

Guest Recipe: Squab in a Coffin

This intriguingly named recipe is from Kirk Spencer.  I couldn’t wait to try it after he mentioned he was making it for dinner one night.

Squab in a Coffin:

You’ll need a baking potato and a cut up chicken OR cut up duck OR half squab (pigeon). Seasoning is wildly variable – start with simple salt and pepper and experiment later to your particular taste. You might need a bit of bacon.

Bake the potato. Cut it lengthwise, off-center by 1/3 to 1/4. Scoop out the larger potato leaving a wall. Rough chop what you removed, seasoning if desired, and add to within 1/2 inch of top of the larger potato.

Place meat – classically half a dressed squab, but I use  a chicken or duck thigh, drumstick, or breast with the skin on – in that depression, and finish filling around the meat. The chicken can be seasoned any way you want. You want to leave the skin on OR add some additional juiciness – as noted above when I use a breast without skin for my wife I wrap it in some bacon.

Place a lid over the bird to close the coffin (grin), and bake again in a medium oven till the bird is done – about 30 minutes for me, your mileage may vary.

The juices drizzle into the potato while baking, making it moist and flavorful.

You will have potato left over. What you do with it is up to you – I mix it into the next day’s potato pancakes.

==========

When I tested this, I tried several different variations.  I stuck with chicken, since it was handy.  I used boneless and found it easy to work with.  I tried one with skin on and one skinless with bacon.  I preferred the bacon.  I blew out the side on one baked potato, so had to wrap it in foil.  It worked well, but the unwrapped one was crispier.   I used salt, pepper and garlic.

I also suggest, in the interest of time, you cook your potatoes the night before, while cooking your regular dinner and refrigerate.  That will make your ‘coffin’ dinner quicker to prepare and cook. 

I served it with a spinach salad.  A nice simple meal.

White House Farmers’ Market? I’d go…

President Obama wants a Farmers’  Market at the White House.  From his interactive radio show this week:

When it comes to food, one of the things that we are doing is working with school districts. And the child nutrition legislation is going to be coming up. We provide an awful lot of school lunches out there and — and reimburse local school districts for school-lunch programs. Let’s figure out how can we get some fresh fruits and vegetables in the mix. Because sometimes you go into schools and — you know what the menu is, you know? It’s French fries, Tater Tots, hot dogs, pizza and — now, that’s what kids — let’s face it, that’s what kids want to eat, anyway. (Laughter.) So it’s not just the schools’ fault.

A, that’s what kids may want to eat. B, it turns out that that food’s a lot cheaper, because of the distributions that we’ve set up. And so what we’ve got to do is to change how we think about, for example, getting local farmers connected to school districts, because that would benefit the farmers, delivering fresh produce, but right now they just don’t have the distribution mechanisms set up.

So, you know, Michelle set up that garden in the White House?

One of the things that we’re trying to do now is to figure out, can we get a little farmers’ market — outside of the White House — I’m not going to have all of you all just tromping around inside — (laughter) — but right outside the White House — (laughter) — so that — so that we can — and — and — and that is a win-win situation.

It gives suddenly D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is this enormous potential revenue-maker for local farmers in the area. And — and that — those kinds of connections can be made all throughout the country, and — and has to be part of how we think about health.

Thursday Night Menu – Northwest

Thursday Night Menu and Recipes

I debated between fish and beef for a while. In the end, these flavors won out.  On the board tonight:

1. Grilled Salmon w/Orange Glaze
2. Tomato & Bell Pepper Soup
3. Hearty Bread
4. Raspberries & Blackberries w/whipping cream

Grilled Salmon w/Orange Glaze:

• ½ cup orange marmalade
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil (or olive oil)
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp crushed garlic
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4-6 oz salmon fillets, boneless, skinless
• ¼ cup sesame seeds (toasted, opt)

Combine marmalade, oil, ginger, garlic & vinegar. Brush glaze on each side of salmon, grill 5 minutes each side. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Tomato & Red Bell Pepper Soup:

• 4 large, ripe tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, peeled quartered
• 1 large red bell pepper, halved & seeded
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

grilling basket &  saucepan

Toss tomatoes, onions & bell pepper with oil, season with salt & pepper. Place vegetables in grilling basket, cut side down and grill for 6 to 8 minutes. Add vegetables, garlic, chicken broth, vinegar, sugar to blender and puree. Pour into saucepan, bring to a low boil, stirring constantly, add cream & basil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with bacon when served.

Shopping List

• 4 oz orange marmalade
• 2 oz white wine vinegar
• 4-6 oz salmon fillets, boneless, skinless
• 2 oz  sesame seeds (toasted, opt)
• 4 large, ripe tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 16 oz chicken broth
• 8 oz heavy cream
• fresh basil leaves
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 pint blackberries
• hearty bread loaf

Also: toasted sesame oil (or olive oil),  ground ginger, crushed garlic, apple cider vinegar

Fresh Garden Salsa

I received an email requesting a salsa recipe.  This is as simple as it gets, but so good.

Fresh Salsa:

• 4 tomatoes, quartered
• 6 green onions
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• ½ to 1 bunch cilantro, remove stems
• 2 to 4 jalapenos*, remove stems
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• dash of limejuice if desired

blender or food processor

In blender or food processor, add all ingredients and coarsely chop until blended well**.  If you can make a day ahead, it gets even better.  Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.

**If you prefer a chunkier style salsa, you’d be better off chopping vegetables by hand.