What's For Breakfast: Blue Corn Pancakes

Pancakes are one of my breakfast favorites.  I love experimenting with different batters, fillings, syrups, and toppings.

Today, I made blue corn pancakes.  Blue Corn has a different taste than yellow corn meal.  It has a nice sweet taste.  In addition, I added some anise seeds which complimented the flavor of the blue corn.    I serve the pancakes with maple syrup and butter.

                              Blue Corn Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup blue cornmeal

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1-teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon anise seed

1 egg beaten

2 tablespoons butter melted

1 ½ cups milk

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the egg, butter, and milk
3. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is combined. 
4. Ladle the pancake batter on a prepared grill*.   When bubbles begin to form on the surface of the pancake and the griddle-side of the pancake is golden flip.  Cook for and additional 2-3 minutes or until pancake is set.
5. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.

Makes 14- 4-inch diameter pancakes.

*Note:  The grill is preheated when sprinkled with a few drops of water it dance across the surface of the grill.  Lightly butter the grill and wipe off any excess.

A Thirst Quencher: Lavender Lemonade

On hot days like we've been having nothing is as refreshing as a cold glass of lemonade.  Fresh lemonade is quick and easy to make and tastes so much better than the powder lemonade mix.

This recipe has a hint of lavender. The lavender adds a subtle floral taste to the tangy citrus of the lemons.
You start with  lavender syrup,  (you can make it ahead of time, put in in the fridge and it is ready to use)   add  freshly squeezed lemon juice, some water, stir, and you have your lemonade.  Pour it over a tall glass of ice and you have a cool refreshing beverage that is hard to beat.

                              Lavender Lemonade

Instructions:

4 cups water

1-cup sugar

1-tablespoon culinary lavender

1-cup fresh lemon juice - 4 large lemons

Directions:

1. Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Stir in the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. 
3. Add the lavender to the syrup. Boil for two minutes.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat.  Cool for one hour.*  
5. In a 1-1/2 quart pitcher add the lemon juice and remaining two cups of water.  Strain the lavender syrup before adding it to the lemon juice and water.
6. Stir the lemonade and serve over ice. 

*Note:  You can make the syrup ahead of time and put it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Makes a little over 1 quart

Avocado Hummus: So Versatile and Soo Good

I love making this recipe because it is easy, quick, and versatile.  You can use it to make  stuffed cherry tomatoes, use it as a dip served with pita chips, or a sandwich spread (it goes great with turkey) to name a few uses.

The taste is a little Southwestern with a little Middle Eastern.  No matter how you use it the result is simply delicious.

                                         Avocado Hummus

Ingredients:

1 cup canned garbanzo beans rinsed and drained

3 Haas avocados

1 lime

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1-teaspoon onion powder

1 ½ tablespoon tahini

Directions:

1.   Put the garbanzo beans in a food processor and process until       coarsely pureed.

 2.  Cut avocados in half, remove the seed and scoop out the flesh into a medium size-mixing bowl.

3. Squeeze the lime juice over the avocado flesh.  Toss to coat well.        Drain any excess lime juice.

4. Mash the avocados with a potato masher.

5. To the mashed avocados add the garbanzo beans, garlic salt, ground cumin, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, and tahini.
6. Mix well.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
7. Serve at room temperature with Pita chips.

Makes 2 cups 

A Summer Favorite: Banana Split Dessert

My favorite summertime desserts  are light, cool, and refreshing.   Banana Split Dessert fits the bill.  It has a tasty vanilla wafer crust topped with pudding, bananas, strawberries, whipped topping, nuts, and cherries.
The taste is creamy goodness and lusciously fruity.  This dessert is deliciously easy to make and best of all requires no baking  (a big plus during the summer).  Just pop it in the refrigerator.   Being that this dessert requires no baking and very little cooking(melting the butter)  it is easy for kids to make with little adult supervision.

I make this dessert for most of our summertime activities - barbecues, family get togethers, potlucks, picnics, holiday parties, etc.   It is simply amazing.

                                     Banana Split Dessert

Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

6 tablespoons butter melted

1- 3.5 ounce box if vanilla instant pudding

2 cups cold milk

3 medium ripe bananas

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup crushed pineapple drained

1- 8-ounce cartoon whipped topping

¼ cup coarsely ground nuts

10 maraschino cherries

Directions:

1. In a small mixing bowl combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and melted butter.
2. Press the crumbs in the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish.  Set aside
3.  In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes or until smooth.  Let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Spread the pudding mixture over the vanilla crust.
5.  Slice the bananas and place banana slices over the pudding. 
6. Next layer the strawberries over the bananas.
7. Spread the crushed pineapple over the layers followed by the whipped topping. 
8. Sprinkle the nuts on the whipped topping.
9. Drain and cut the maraschino cherries in half.   Dot the dessert with the cherries.  Cover and refrigerate for 5 hours. 

Makes 12 servings 

A Cool Summer Treat: Lemony Watermelon Pops

Nothing is as refreshing on a hot summer day as Popsicles.  I  remember as a kid making my own Popsicles.  I would use juice, Kool Aid, or pudding for my pops.   My favorite place for devouring my cool treat was outside under a shade tree.

My Popsicle making skills have advanced since those days.  In an earlier blog - August 2010, I gave you my recipe for  " Peach Pops."   In this blog, it is the super easy "Lemony Watermelon Pops."  You just need two ingredients - watermelon and lemonade concentrate.  They are soo delicious and refreshing.     Just what you need on a hot summer day.

                     Lemony Watermelon Pops

Ingredients:

4 cup cubed watermelon seeded

¾ lemonade concentrate thawed

Directions:

1 In a blender, puree the watermelon cubes in batches.

2. Add the lemonade concentrate to the pureed watermelon and blend on high for 30 seconds.

3.  Pour the watermelon mixture into Popsicle molds.

4.  Freeze and enjoy.

Makes approximately 12 pops  (4-ounce mold size)

A Culinary Education on the High Seas

I just got back from my  Mediterranean Cruise aboard the Disney Magic.  I  had a wonderful time.  Not only did I visit beautiful, historic places, and eat delicious food, I also learned about food and attended several cooking demonstrations.

Disney has and Adult cruise series  entitled, "The Art of Entertaining."  Guest chefs and staff chefs do cooking demonstrations and have mini food seminars.  I learned about cheeses, oils, tea, and coffee at these seminars.

The cooking demonstrations covered the appetizer, main entree, and dessert.  I liked that the recipes presented were ones a novice or an experienced cook could prepare and ingredients used in the recipes were available at most grocery stores.  Of course, the best part of the demonstrations was tasting the food.

I learned many useful tips at these demonstrations, but the one which hit home the most was the presentation of the food.  The chef explained that presentation was as equally important as smell and taste.  After all, the food can smell delicious and taste fantastic, but if it looks "bad" are you really going to want to try it?  Below are some photos where I thought he presentation of the food was outstanding.  And yes, the food smelled great and tasted wonderful.

 

Raspberry Chipotle Jam

It is getting to be that time of year when I start making jam,  fruit leather, fruit spreads, and fruit butter.   I try to do both traditional recipes  and ones with a flavorful twist.

One jam recipe I love making is Raspberry Chipotle Jam.    It has the goodness of raspberries with a hint of heat.

I give this jam as Christmas presents, use it in my holiday baking,  and of course, spread it on toast, a bagel,  or an English muffin.

                        Raspberry Chipotle Jam

3-cup fresh raspberries

5 cups sugar

1-teaspoon butter

1-teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 pouch of liquid fruit pectin – about 3 ounces

1. In a medium bowl, crush the raspberries with a potato masher.  Sieve half of the berry pulp to remove some of seeds.

2.In a medium stockpot mix all the berries, sugar, butter and chipotle chili powder together.

3. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil stirring constantly.

4. Stir in the pectin quickly.  Return to a full rolling boil and boil for one minute stirring constantly.

5.  Remove the jam from the heat.  Skim off any foam.

6. Ladle the jam into six sterilized 8 ounce jars leaving  1/8-inch head space. 

7. Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover the jars with  lid pieces.  Screw the bands on tightly. 

8. Process the jam for ten minutes in a boiling-water canner.

9.  Remove jars and place on a towel to cool.

10. Be sure to check the seals once the jars have cooled.






Makes 6 - 8 ounce jars