my cute friend took me out to lunch for my birthday a while back and these were on the breakfast menu. i decided to look up a recipe to see if i couldn't create a new Easter breakfast tradition. i found it--these were excellent!
recipe comes from pickycook.com. i reduced the amount of poppy seeds by about half. the amount i prefer is what's written here.
for my growing family, we need to double the batch.
ingredients
2 cups unbleached ap (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 T poppy seeds
zest of 4 lemons
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
directions
mix the first half of the ingredients in one bowl. then the second half in another. gently combine, being careful not to mix too much--it's okay if it's a little lumpy. these needed to be cooked at a little bit lower heat. i cooked them on about 375 on my griddle. serve with berries on top. i used strawberries sprinkled with a little bit of sugar (and let them sit a while) and it was divine.
April 25, 2011
split pea soup
this is my favorite thing to do with leftover Easter (or Christmas) ham. since i wasn't in charge of the ham for this Easter, i just grabbed some pork hocks to use instead this time. it's from the better homes and gardens cook book.
ingredients
2 C chicken broth
1 C split peas
1 - 1 1/2 lbs meaty pork hocks or ham bone
1/4 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 medium onion
1 small potato (i added this)
directions
put everything but broth in the crock pot. then pour chicken broth, plus 2 additional C water over the ingredients. 10-12 hours on low. 5-6 hours on high.
ingredients
2 C chicken broth
1 C split peas
1 - 1 1/2 lbs meaty pork hocks or ham bone
1/4 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 medium onion
1 small potato (i added this)
directions
put everything but broth in the crock pot. then pour chicken broth, plus 2 additional C water over the ingredients. 10-12 hours on low. 5-6 hours on high.
a red green salad
years ago a friend of mine made this yummy salad for a baby shower. i thought of it the other day when i was asked to bring a salad to a gathering. i was so glad i resurrected it!
i need your help, though. the dressing calls for sugar and after i had whisked it to death, it was still gritty. do you have any tips for me?
salad ingredients
greens (romaine, spinach, green leaf)
green fruits (apples, avocado, pear, kiwi, grapes)
red fruits (strawberries, pomegranate, dried cranberries, apples, grapes, pink grapefruit)
toasted almonds or caramelized pecans
crumbled bacon or shredded parmesan cheese
dressing ingredients
1 C sugar
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp onion juice
3/4 C oil
1 T poppy seeds
i need your help, though. the dressing calls for sugar and after i had whisked it to death, it was still gritty. do you have any tips for me?
salad ingredients
greens (romaine, spinach, green leaf)
green fruits (apples, avocado, pear, kiwi, grapes)
red fruits (strawberries, pomegranate, dried cranberries, apples, grapes, pink grapefruit)
toasted almonds or caramelized pecans
crumbled bacon or shredded parmesan cheese
dressing ingredients
1 C sugar
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp onion juice
3/4 C oil
1 T poppy seeds
The dressing has a trick... as you add the oil you have to whisk the dressing aggressively, until you see the color and texture change. The dressing will turn almost creamy looking and thick - you will not be able to see any oil on top. If you do see oil, keep on whisking.
spicy mustard and honey pork chops
i love this recipe because it's so fast, easy and delicious! dinner in 30 minutes.
preheat oven to 375. spray the bottom of your baking dish with cooking spray. arrange pork chops in the dish. brush spicy brown mustard over the meat (be generous). then sprinkle with dried onions. then drizzle with honey. bake for about 30 minutes or so.
preheat oven to 375. spray the bottom of your baking dish with cooking spray. arrange pork chops in the dish. brush spicy brown mustard over the meat (be generous). then sprinkle with dried onions. then drizzle with honey. bake for about 30 minutes or so.
March 03, 2011
salad with bleu cheese
my husband and i went to a fabulous restaurant this past weekend and as part of our meal had this salad. i'm pretty sure the restaurant made the bleu cheese, but since i'm not that ambitious, i just grabbed a low-fat option at the store.
ingredients:
2-3 C chopped green leaf or romaine lettuce (or both)
4-5 grape tomatoes sliced in half
5-7 whole roasted hazelnuts
1/4 of a pear, shredded
bleu cheese dressing to taste
directions:
toss the lettuce with the dressing. not over doing it with the dressing is key here, or it will overwhelm all the other flavors. it should be a background taste. sprinkle with the tomatoes and hazelnuts. put the shredded pear all together in a little clump at the top and crack some pepper over it. voila!
ingredients:
2-3 C chopped green leaf or romaine lettuce (or both)
4-5 grape tomatoes sliced in half
5-7 whole roasted hazelnuts
1/4 of a pear, shredded
bleu cheese dressing to taste
directions:
toss the lettuce with the dressing. not over doing it with the dressing is key here, or it will overwhelm all the other flavors. it should be a background taste. sprinkle with the tomatoes and hazelnuts. put the shredded pear all together in a little clump at the top and crack some pepper over it. voila!
February 28, 2011
angel food cake
i've always wanted to try angel food cake and since i had an opportunity to make a dessert yesterday and happened to have enough eggs, i decided to go for it. i was a little worried when i pulled it out of the oven and it didn't seem to have risen very much. but when we tasted it i couldn't have been happier. it was angel food cake with substance--light, but not airy and tasteless. and super, duper moist. yum. thanks better homes and gardens!
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups egg whites (10 to 12 large)
1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
Directions
1. Place egg whites in a very large mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar and flour together 3 times. Beat egg whites, cream of tarter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).
3. Sift about one-fourth of the flour mixture over beaten egg whites; fold in gently. Repeat sifting and folding in the remaining flour mixture three more times, using one-fourth of the flour mixture each time.
4. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Gently cut through batter with a knife or a narrow metal spatula.
5. Bake on the lowest rack in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. (The crust of the cake will be golden and slightly cracked.) Immediately invert the cake in the pan, standing the tube pan on its legs or resting the center tube over a tall-necked bottle. Cool cake thoroughly. Loosen the sides of cake from pan; remove cake from pan. To serve, use a serrated knife to slice the cake into wedges. Makes 12 servings.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups egg whites (10 to 12 large)
1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
Directions
1. Place egg whites in a very large mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar and flour together 3 times. Beat egg whites, cream of tarter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).
3. Sift about one-fourth of the flour mixture over beaten egg whites; fold in gently. Repeat sifting and folding in the remaining flour mixture three more times, using one-fourth of the flour mixture each time.
4. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Gently cut through batter with a knife or a narrow metal spatula.
5. Bake on the lowest rack in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. (The crust of the cake will be golden and slightly cracked.) Immediately invert the cake in the pan, standing the tube pan on its legs or resting the center tube over a tall-necked bottle. Cool cake thoroughly. Loosen the sides of cake from pan; remove cake from pan. To serve, use a serrated knife to slice the cake into wedges. Makes 12 servings.
February 18, 2011
Squash Curry Soup
After surfing the net for a recipe for an extra spaghetti squash I had lying around, I ended up melding several recipes to make this tasty soup. I'm sure the kind of curry powder you use makes a big difference. I buy mine at the Indian market and find it much better than the kind at a traditional grocery store. The only sad part was that there were no leftovers.
Squash Curry Soup
Saute in butter, in a medium pot:
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (or 1 teaspoon celery seeds)
1 carrot, chopped very small
1 peeled potato, chopped very small
When onions are soft, stir in:
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons bouillon or base
½ teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon curry powder
dash ground cayenne pepper
Gradually add:
2 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups milk or cream or yogurt
Boil 4 minutes. Add:
3 cups precooked squash (acorn or spaghetti)
salt and pepper
Put in blender or use immersion blender. Top with bacon if you want.
Pre-cooking squash: After slicing my finger cutting a squash, I learned that you don't actually have to cut them before cooking. I now bake them whole (with a few punctures) at 350 degrees for about an hour. Then I scrape out the good stuff and store it for later.
Squash Curry Soup
Saute in butter, in a medium pot:
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (or 1 teaspoon celery seeds)
1 carrot, chopped very small
1 peeled potato, chopped very small
When onions are soft, stir in:
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons bouillon or base
½ teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon curry powder
dash ground cayenne pepper
Gradually add:
2 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups milk or cream or yogurt
Boil 4 minutes. Add:
3 cups precooked squash (acorn or spaghetti)
salt and pepper
Put in blender or use immersion blender. Top with bacon if you want.
Pre-cooking squash: After slicing my finger cutting a squash, I learned that you don't actually have to cut them before cooking. I now bake them whole (with a few punctures) at 350 degrees for about an hour. Then I scrape out the good stuff and store it for later.
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