New Find!

They started carrying this at Wegman's and Whole Foods (maybe they always did - i just started noticing it recently). It comes in about 10 different flavors, including LEMON! It's to die for. We usually only buy Fage, plain yogurt. These are 1/3 of the price of Fage and a nice change when I am too lazy to puree the fruit myself.

Blueberry pancakes

Recipe:

1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup (240 ml) milk

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Plus extra melted butter for greasing the pan.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, all at once, and stir or whisk just until combined. The batter should have some small lumps. Make sure you do not over mix the batter or the pancakes will be tough.
*Add fresh blueberries to the batter....

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (no pepper here)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Coarsely chop potatoes and transfer to a nonstick cookie sheet. Toss with oil, peppers, onions and seasonings and place in the oven 25 minutes, turning twice with spatula. Serve hot. Recipe is from the Food Network.

Tortilla Española

Ingredients:

.

1 medium onion
5 medium potatoes
3 large eggs, beaten lightly
olive oil
Vegetable oil

Salt

Pepper

.

Directions:

1. Heat up vegetable oil on medium heat. Peel and cut potatoes length wise. Slice each side thinly.

2. Fry potatoes until soft. Don't let them get crispy, just cooked enough so they are soft. Let them drain on a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.


3. Cut and slice onion the same as the potato. Fry in olive oil until golden.

4. Combine the cooked potatoes, onions and eggs and stir lightly until well incorporated.

5. Heat up a little olive oil in a non stick skillet and transfer the potato mixture to it. Cook until golden.

6. Flip the tortilla over using a plate that's wider than the pan, place it on top of the pan. Put one hand (with a glove) on the plate. Use the other hand to grab the pan and with one swift motion, flip the pan so the plate ends up on the bottom and the tortilla on the plate. Put the tortilla, cooked side up, back in the pan and cook for another few minutes, until golden.

7. Remove form heat and enjoy. It's the breakfast of champions! Truly! If you're an onion fan, don't be shy to add them, it's what give it its taste. Thanks to this site for the great idea!

Wanna-be Papa John's Pizza

I found this dough recipe here and the sauce recipes here. The dough is very fluffy. I, of course, forgot to grease the dough and poke holes in... blah blah blah. This is an easy dough recipe and tastes great too. Papa John's?....almost. I topped mine with chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes. I have rewritten the recipe the way I made it:

For the Dough:

2 1/2-3 cups flour
1 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water(120 to 130 degrees)
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In the food processor, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt; blend well.

2. Gradually add water and oil to mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then pulse for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cup of flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

3. On a floured surface, knead in 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

4. Press out dough onto (2) 12-inch pizza pans (*I would recommend using 1 larger pan, since this dough has no problem rising to the same Papa John's thickness). Prick randomly with a fork. Let rest again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

5. Brush crusts lightly with oil then prebake them in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.

6. Top as desired, then bake again in 450 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Special Garlic Sauce:

1/2 cup margarine, spread
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until completely blended.

2. Place the bowl into the microwave and cook on 1/2 power for 20 seconds. Stir to blend.

I made this with butter and fresh garlic - not the same taste.

Pizza Sauce

1 (14 ounce) can tomato puree
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 small minced garlic

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well as bring to a boil.

2. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often.

Laziness

Dinner is not happening around here lately, at least not until we get situated into the new home. We haven't been grocery shopping in a long long time, so the fridge is pretty much empty. My husband got creative with the basics we had in the fridge last night. He made the only thing he knows how to make; breakfast! Excellent turn out.

The packing isn't going so well. Haven't really started yet. :( Hopefully someday soon... We only have a little over a week to turn the keys in.

Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Plus extra melted butter for greasing the pan

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

2. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter.

3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, all at once, and stir or whisk just until combined. The batter should have some small lumps. Make sure you do not over mix the batter or the pancakes will be tough.

4. Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Brush the pan with a little melted butter.
Using a small ladle or scoop, pour about 1/4 cup of pancake batter onto the pan. When the bottoms of the pancakes are golden and bubbles start to appear on the top surfaces of the pancakes (2-3 minutes), turn over.

5. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the pan with melted butter between batches.

Buttermilk Biscuits

These come from Nourishing Traditions. Very good, but need planning ahead of time. Makes about 12 biscuits.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unbleached white flour

2 cups light whole wheat flour

1 cup buttermilk

4 tbsp melted butter

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

unbleached flour

DIRECTIONS:

Mix flour with buttermilk to form a thick dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours. Please in food processor and process several minutes to knead. Blend in remaining ingredients. Remove dough to a well floured pastry cloth or board and sprinkle with unbleached white flour to prevent sticking. Roll dough to about 3/4 inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a glass and place on a buttered baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 min. Serve with butter and honey or mustard and cold meats.

Shrimp and Tomato Oven Frittata

INGREDIENTS

1 lb of frozen shrimp

1 tsp salt

3 tbs olive oil

2 green onions

1 clove garlic

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

6 large eggs

3 tbs Parmesan cheese
black pepper

2 tbs minced fresh basil

1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind you like)

2 minced fresh parley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a non stick skillet, heat 2 tbs of olive oil over medium heat. Add shrimp and saute until defrosted, 5-6 min. Transfer to plate and set aside. Add 1 ts oil to the skillet and saute garlic for 1 min. Add the tomatoes and cook until heated through; transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in the non stick skillet over medium heat, spread the squash over the pan bottom. Pour in the egg mixture and cook until set, about 5 min. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler on low. Top the frittata with the remaining tomato mixture, your favorite cheese, basil and parsley. Slip under the broiler to melt the cheese, about 3 min.

3. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.