Swedish Pancakes

We used up some of our leftover homemade cranberry sauce as a topping for these Swedish Pancakes for last Sunday breakfast.  The combo was SO good!  Before, when we've made Swedish pancakes, we've served them with Ikea Lingonberry Preserves, but the texture and flavor of that is similar to homemade cranberry sauce, so this worked very well.  Plus, I think we've been out of Lingonberry preserves for a while now anyway.  :) 

The recipe I was following called for a huge amount of milk.  I added half, and that seemed to be enough- the batter was very thin.  I added a splash more and proceeded with the recipe.  I don't know what would have happened if I had added all of the milk, but it worked out very well my way.  The recipe posted below reflects my changes.  Hopefully these are still somewhat authentic and everything.  :)  They're very crepe-like.  To cook them, I used a non-stick skillet, lightly greased.  I poured a generous 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and swirled it around.  Cook until a tiny bit browned on one side, and then flip and cook the other side.  A flexible rubber spatula, as well as a pancake turner, are helpful to have on hand while making these. 

Swedish Pancakes
adapted from Food .com
makes 10-12 pancakes

3 eggs
1 1/3 cups low-fat milk
1 1/4 cups flour (I used 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted

1.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the milk.  Beat in flour and salt until smooth.  Stir in melted butter.

2.  Heat a nonstick skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil (I used cooking spray).  For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the pan.  Tilt pan to coat evenly with batter.  Cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes.

3.  With a spatula, turn the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 1/2 minute.  Serve immediately or keep warm while making the remaining pancakes.

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Challah Bread

I love making special braided loaves, like Challah bread.  This is the third time I've made Challah.  This loaf turned out kind of short and fat, and it rose too much, but it was still good and fun to make.  I used an Allrecipes recipe that I've used before, and cut down the recipe to make only one loaf.  Check out the original recipe if you want to make the 2 loaves. 

I used one cup of white whole wheat flour for this recipe.  Even if you have a smaller family, making the two loaves wouldn't be a bad idea.  You can freeze one loaf, or use it to make french toast, overnight french toast casserole, regular toast, or a yummy grilled cheese and ham sandwich (pictured above).  That was one of the best grilled cheese I've ever had in my life, BTW.  I made it in the oven.  Butter two slices of bread (the butter faces out, not in) and lay on sharp cheddar and maple-honey ham.  Bake at around 400 for 5 minutes, flip, and bake another 5 minutes or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.  The best!!!  My husband took a cold ham and cheese sandwich on challah for lunch and said it was super yummy as well. 

Challah Bread
from Allrecipes
makes 1 braided loaf; double for 2

1-1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds (optional)

1.In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 1 egg, 1 yolk, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. (I used my Kitchenaid for this whole process).  Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.

2.Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board.  Knead for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease a baking tray and place finished braid or round on top.  (I braid right on the greased baking sheet for ease).  Cover with towel or greased plastic warp and let rise 40-60 minutes.

3.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4.Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid.  Use a light hand while applying the egg wash- you don't want to deflate the loaves.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.

5.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30-40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

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Holiday Cranberry Sauce

Happy Thanksgiving!  We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with our little fam, and plenty of food.  This Cranberry Sauce is good and easy.  This is the second time I've made it.  I halve the recipe, and reduce the sugar a little.

For Thanksgiving 2010, we enjoyed Roasted Turkey and Gravy, Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, Slow Cooker Stuffing, corn, cool green cauliflower Romanesco, corn, this yummy Holiday Cranberry Sauce, and our favorite rolls.  Dessert was key lime pie (made with lemons this time because we get fresh ones from our friend), and Maple Pecan Pie.  Love Maple Pecan Pie!!!!

Holiday Cranberry Sauce

from Allrecipes

4 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups water

5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries
3 cinnamon sticks
2 cups white sugar

1.Place fresh cranberries and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2.Wrap cloves, allspice berries and cinnamon sticks in a spice bag. Place in the water with cranberries.

3.Cook until cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes.

4.Stir in sugar and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Discard spice bag. Chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight, before serving. 

Orange Juice Version

1 bag (about 2 cups) fresh cranberries

3/4 cup orange juice

3 whole cloves

3 whole allspices berries

1 cinnamon stick

3/4 cup white sugar

1.  Place cranberries, OJ, and spices together in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until berries begin to burst, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the sugar and reduce heat to low.  Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool; discard spices.  Chill in the fridge 8 hours or overnight.  

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Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

My family loves this pasta dish.  I make it often, as it is easy and I always have the ingredients on hand.  Well, I don't always have fresh basil, but if I don't, dried works just fine.  I use half whole wheat orzo if I have it; I can't get it anymore, but when I lived in the States, I ordered it from Amazon.  The picture above is with half wheat, half white orzo.  I double this recipe for my family; if we have guests, I triple it.  I've even quadrupled it before.  :)  But I don't always scale the parmesan to that amount if I'm increasing it; that would be too much!

 

Note: I made this again 12/12 and had no Parmesan on hand, but I did have a lot of shredded Spanish Manchego cheese.  I used that and it was just as delicious!!!  Pictured below. 

Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

from Allrecipes

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 (14.5 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (can use Manchego cheese)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1.Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.

2.Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.

3.Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

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Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Pancakes

I love buttermilk pankcakes, and I also love vanilla beans.  When I saw this recipe I thought what a great idea it was to combine the two.  When I read the recipe the first time, I just skimmed the instructions.  I didn't realize until I was actually making these that you are supposed to separate the yolk and egg white, and beat each one, etc.  I was in somewhat of a rush making these, so I decided to skip that part, and it was fine.  I just mixed the eggs in whole.  The pancakes were still good.  However, if you have extra time, you can do the whole separating the egg and the pancakes will probably turn out even lighter and fluffier! 

I used half whole-wheat pastry flour for these, as I always do with pancakes, and the results were good.  I also added a little of my homemade vanilla extract, for that added vanilla flavor. 

Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Pancakes

from Kaganoff Kitchen

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ tsp salt

2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (or one cup milk and one cup plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean

1.  Stir together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.

2.  Using a sharp pointed knife, slit the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle. Grasp the end of the vanilla bean, holding it open with your fingers. Take your knife and scrape away from you, scraping the soft interior of the vanilla bean onto your knife.

3.  Separate yolks and whites. Beat the whites with an electric hand mixer until firm but soft peaks are formed. Set aside. Beat yolks with the same hand mixer – just for a moment and then add the buttermilk and oil.

4.  Mix in flour mixture with a whisk, add the vanilla bean and whisk until blended. Gently fold in the egg whites.

5.  Cook the pancakes on a hot griddle. Serve immediately with real maple syrup.

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Tortilla Española- Spanish Tortilla

This dish has been a long time coming- I spent quite a few of my growing-up years living in Spain, and have never made this dish on my own.  I've made it in the past, a few times, with my mom, so at least I have that experience to go on.  :)  I've had this recipe somewhere for a long time, but had lost it, so recently I Emailed my mom and asked for her to send it to me again. 

With my daughter needing to make some Spanish food for a Girl Scout project, we had the perfect oppurtunity to make this together.  My daughter peeled some of the potatoes, cracked the eggs, and whisked them.  She also stirred the eggs and potatoes together when it came time for that.  I handled the chopping and hot oil, and my husband walked in the door just as I was about to do the hardest part- place a large dinner plate over the half-cooked tortilla, and flip it over, so you can slide it back in the pan and cook the other side.  That part has always daunted me!  So, my husband handled said flippage.

A few simple ingredients really come together here to produce a tasty finished product.  All you need is really good-quality olive oil (preferrably Spanish, but I cannot get that here! :D ), eggs, onion, salt & pepper, and potatoes.  The best kind of potatoes are a waxy yellow kind.  Those are the kind that are the most common in Spain, and they taste great in this dish.  In North America, a good sub would be Yukon Gold.  I hardly ever peel my potatoes, but I do for this dish.

This recipe does not say how much olive oil to use, but I remember that you are supposed to use quite a bit.  I used more than just enough to cover the pan...... maybe 3-4 tablespoons?  That's just to cook the potatoes and onions.  To cook the whole thing together, I did use just enough to cover the pan.

The Tortilla is so versatile- you can have big, thick slices as a main course, or lay some thinner slices inside a crusty roll and have a bocadillo- sandwich.  Another common way to eat this is as a tapa- cut into small cubes and skewered with toothpicks as an appetizer.  It's yummy hot, room temperature, or cold, too. 

Tortilla Española

my Mom's recipe

2 medium potatoes...peeled and chopped (like Yukon Gold or similar)

1 medium onion, chopped

Olive oil
6 eggs
Salt (1/4- 1/2 tsp) and pepper (to taste)

1.  In a large, non-stick skillet, cook potatoes and onion in oil (3-4 Tablespoons) until soft but not mushy.

2.  Beat 6 eggs in a separate bowl. Add cooked potato mixture to eggs.  Get all the bits of onion and potato out of the skillet.

3.  Return the skillet to the heat with any leftover olive oil.  If not enough to coat bottom, add a bit more to cover the bottom.  Swirl hot oil to cover sides of pan as well. Heat until oil is very hot. Add potato mixture, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, turn down heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Check to see if half cooked. Turn by placing large platter or plate over top and turning (do this over sink since some hot grease will drip out).

4.  Slide tortilla back into pan, cooked-side up. Cook for a few minutes until set. Serve hot or cold or room temperature.

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Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Here is an easy recipe that will make the whole house smell good.  I put this into my smaller crockpot, and in a few hours we have some hot, deliciously spiced cider to drink.  You could do this on the stovetop, too.  I don't add any sugar to my recipe- apple juice is plenty sweet enough.  Actually, I add a bit of lemon juice to tone down the sweetness of the apple juice.  I use whole spices that are easily fished out when ready to drink, and I throw in a handful of fresh cranberries for their added flavor and color.  Use as much apple juice as you want- I just put 1/2 gallon as something to go by.

Hot Spiced Apple Cider

by What a Dish!

1/2 gallon 100% apple juice (or cider)

3-5 whole cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

handful of fresh or frozen cranberries

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

strips of lemon peel, yellow part only, optional

1.  Pour the apple juice into your crockpot.  Set on Low or High, depending on how when you want to drink this.  Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and cranberries.  About 30 minutes before serving, add the lemon juice and strips of lemon peel.  (Add them too soon, and they might make the cider bitter). 

2.  After 2-5 hours, when ready to drink, pour the hot cider into mugs, straining out the spices, cranberries, and lemon peel.  Be careful- it's hot!!  :D

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Broccoli-Cheddar Soup (Repost)

I posted this back in 2008, but I wanted to pay proper respect to this recipe, because it is my all-time fave soup recipe, probably hands down.  That's a hard one though; I love so many different kinds of soup.  This is delicious, easy, and I make it all the time.  I've had the recipe memorized for a while now.  I wanted to give this recipe its own post, along with some new pictures. 

Some fresh bread or rolls (or some from the bakery) make this a complete meal.  The recipe calls for 1 pound of broccoli, but I usually use two heads and I don't know if that equals one pound, or more.  Sometimes, it's a LOT of broccoli, but that just makes it better.  I love that this recipe does not call for Velveeta, or other "processed cheese food", and is still thick, creamy and delicious.  Make sure you use sharp cheddar so you get a strong cheese flavor. 

Note:  1/14/2013: I continue to make this often and want to note that using unsweetened almond milk is a good way to cut back on a few calories while still maintaining the rich creaminess.  Also, when I made this last night, I didn't have quite enough Cheddar, so I used what I had, and also some freshly Parmesan and Monterrey Jack cheese.  It was still very good.

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

heavily adapted from Allrecipes.com

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1 pound (or more!) fresh broccoli, chopped coarsely
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% milk (unsweetened almond milk is also good)
8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a stockpot. Cook onion in butter until softened. Add garlic and pepper; cook for 1 minute then stir in broccoli, and stir in chicken broth. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk flour into milk until dissolved. Stir into soup, stirring frequently until thickened. Reduce heat, and stir in cheese until melted and heated through.

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Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I decided to try Brussel Sprouts for the first time a few days ago- I've seen them roasted with balsamic vinegar on other blogs and they looked so good.  I have to admit that I didn't love the brussel sprouts- but I did like them ok, and they are so good for you, and I think this is probably one of the tastiest ways of preparing them, that I am going to try to include them in my diet from time to time.  You only need a few, simple things for this recipe- fresh brussel sprouts, good-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. 

Only one of my kids ate more than one of these, and even though I didn't love them, my husband and I had no problem polishing off almost a pound of these babies between us. 

To trim the Brussel Sprouts, cut off the end, and peel off any gross-looking outer leaves.  My Brussel Sprouts were tiny, so I just cut them in half, but if yours are large, and you want them to cook faster, you can quarter them.

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Spouts

from My Kitchen Addiction

Brussels sprouts (as many as you like), trimmed and halved
Extra virgin olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons per pound of Brussels sprouts)
Good quality Balsamic vinegar (about 1 tablespoon per pound of Brussels sprouts)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F (or whatever temperature your other dishes are baking at – just keep an eye on them since the roasting time will vary). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil (optional, for easier cleanup).


2.  Put the Brussels sprouts in the roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and Balsamic vinegar, to taste.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Then, use your fingers to toss the Brussels sprouts and make sure they are evenly coated.


3.  Roast in the oven for about 20-45 minutes (depending on size), until soft and slightly caramelized. Serve immediately. If desired, drizzle with some extra Balsamic vinegar or sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

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Buttermilk Fantails

These rolls were very good- flaky, buttery and light.  I want to try making fantails with other roll dough now.  Too bad it's getting dark so early now- my photo could use some better lighting!  ;)  I will have to make these again and take another photo.  I love the photos on the blog I got this reicpe from.

The second rise on this reicpe was a bit too long- 45-60 minutes would probably work better.  These make a great dinner with some chowder or soup!  Make sure you use unsalted butter.

Buttermilk Fantails
adapted from Living In the Kitchen w/Puppies

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-oz package)
1/4 cup warm water (105–115°F)
1 tablespoon mild honey or sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting
3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Equipment:
a muffin pan with 12 (1/3- to 1/2-cup) muffin cups

1.  Butter muffin cups with 1 Tbsp melted butter.

2.  Stir together yeast, warm water, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)

3.  Mix flour, salt, buttermilk, and 6 Tbsp melted butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.  (I used my Kitchenaid to knead). 

4.  Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

5.  Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll out half of dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Brush dough with 1/2 Tbsp butter and cut into 6 equal strips. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Turn each piece on a side and put into a muffin cup. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups, 45-60 minutes.

6.  Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake rolls until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with remaining 2 Tbsp butter, then transfer rolls to a rack and cool.

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Cheeseburger Chowder

Here is an easy, flavorful chowder (that was very popular with the male side of my household!)  Using sharp cheddar cheese makes this really good, and it comes together quite quickly. 

Cheeseburger Chowder

from Eating, Etc.

1lb very lean ground beef

2 cups red potatoes, scrubbed & cubed

2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
half of a red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1-1/2 cups beef broth
2 Trader Joe's savory beef broth packets (or Better Than Bouillon, to taste; maybe 1-2tsp)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more or less to taste
1/2tsp-1tsp freshly ground black pepper
2-1/2 cups milk
3T all-purpose flour
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1) In a large pot, over medium heat, brown ground beef; drain off any fat.

2) Add potatoes, celery, onion, bell pepper, corn, beef broth, salt, pepper, & beef broth packets. Cover & cook 15 minutes until vegetables are just tender.

3) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour with a small amount of the cold milk until well-mixed. Add to remaining milk and stir well. Slowly add to meat mixture and cook until thickened and bubbly.

4) Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until melted. Serve immediately.



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Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon-Rum-Cream Cheese Frosting

I love rum flavoring in certain baked goods.  I noticed these cookies last year on the blog Eating, Etc and decided to make them for my husband's work function a few days ago.  They were over really, really well!  One co-worker even called my husband "the devil" for bringing them in and ate five.  Lol! 

These cookies are big, soft and cakey.  I usually don't like cakey cookies, but these are really good, and the frosting makes them.  Don't make them without making the frosting- it is SO GOOD!  I was worried the frosting recipe would make too much, so I used half of the butter and the full amount of cream cheese.  I also cut the cinnamon in half so that we could really taste the rum flavor.  I used the last of one of my containers of homemade vanilla extract and it was just full of vanilla bean specks.  The frosting still made too much for the cookies, but that was actually no problem at all, since it's so good... I've been having tiny spoonfulls of it now and then, and it's also REALLY good spread on Ritz crackers... that sweet-salty thing and all. 

Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon-Rum-Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Eating, Etc.
makes 2-3 dozen

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin purée
2-3tsp pumpkin pie spice
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp rum extract
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp sea salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) In bowl of electric stand mixer, cream together butter & sugars.

3) Add egg, pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla & rum extracts; beat until creamy.

4) In a medium bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, salt, & flours. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

5) Fold in pecans.

6) Drop by tablespoons on parchment-lined cookie sheet.

7) Bake for 10-15 minutes.

8) Cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon-Rum Cream Cheese Frosting

8oz neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp rum extract
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
3-4 cups powdered sugar

1) In bowl of electric stand mixer, cream together cream cheese, butter, vanilla & rum extracts, & cinnamon until light & fluffy.

2) Add powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated.

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