Lemon Souffle Pancakes

Good enough for a special weekend when you want to impress someone. And beware - any leftovers are gone quickly!

 

Lemon Souffle Pancakes

3/4 cup milk

2 egg yoks

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp butter, melted

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 Tbsp sugar

a pinch of salt

2 egg whites

Mix egg yolks, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl. Add melted butter and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and gradually pour the egg and lemon mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated; do not overmix.

Place egg white in a clean bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into the prepared lemon pancake batter.

Cook batter in 2 Tbsp scoops on a buttered preheated griddle--pancakes will be small. They won't flip if they are too much bigger.

Serve with fresh strawberries, honey, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Bobby's Special Blueberry pancakes

Bobby doesn't often mess around in the kitchen.  But when he does, it sure is good!

Bobby's Blueberry Pancakes

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

6 Tbsp cooking oil

1 cup blueberries (we used canned ones in juice, just not the pie filling stuff, they aren't as good)

3 cups special sour milk*

 Combine flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add oil, sour milk, and eggs; beat wet ingredients with a whisk and then combine with surrounding dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries last. Pour 1/4 cup portions onto a preheated griddle to make pancakes. Makes enough to feed a crowd!

Special Sour Milk

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 cups milk

Stir and let sit for at least 5 minutes before using.

Crock Pot Oatmeal

Fellow oatmeal lovers, rejoice!  (Sorry Jesse.)  Put this in before going to bed and wake up to yummy breakfast ready to eat.  It makes the house smell great too. The waterbath is the key ingredient to making this work without making a burnt mess.  (Thanks to Jenny for typing these recipes up for me while she was visiting.)

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2" pieces (2 1/2-3 cups chopped)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into 5-6 pieces

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

1/4 tsp salt

Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter

 Place a 2 quart oven-safe bowl inside the crockpot. Combine all ingredients inside the bowl. Pour water around the bowl to create a waterbath; add only enough water to reach the level of the oatmeal mixture. Cook on low for 7 hours (we do it overnight!). Spoon oatmeal into bowls and serve with milk and additional ingredients if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Cherry Almond Variation

 3/4 cup dried tart cherries

1 apple, peeled and gratee (approximately 1 cup grated) or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into 5-6 pieces

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

Follow directions as for Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal.

Spicy Honey Chicken

This post is for Joe in his new apartment. I'm reluctant to post it because I like to have incentives to entice my children home for visits occasionally. But I also love the fact that they take care of themselves and they are all good cooks.
This recipe comes from the wonderful site that Kali introduced me to: Our Best Bites. I'm becoming a frequent visitor there.

                                 Honey Spicy Chicken

Chicken & Crookneck Lasagna

With a little less cheese and a lot more veggie, this squash and chicken lasagna is my new favorite summer pasta. The layer of fresh basil packs a punch, so don't underestimate that vital ingredient!

2 small yellow crookneck squash, grated

1 onion, diced

1 Tbsp garlic

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup cottage cheese

10 oz chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup grated parmesan, divided

1 jar spaghetti sauce

5-6 lasagna noodles

1 small bunch fresh basil, washed

1 egg

1 Tbsp milk

Boil the lasagna noodles two at a time, for four minutes each; set aside.

In a separate pan, saute onion in olive oil for 2 minutes; add squash and garlic and cook until tender. Add ricotta, chicken, and 2 Tbsp parmesan (save the rest of the parmesan for the topping). 

Spray a deep casserole dish with nonstick baking spray. Pour enough spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Layer: noodles, half of the squash mixture, spaghetti sauce, noodles, remaining squash mixture, whole basil leaves (cover the entire layer), spaghetti sauce, and remaining noodles (if any remain). Add a thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the top. 

Mix remaining 1/4 cup parmesan with egg and milk; pour over top.

Bake, covered, at 375* for 20 minutes. Remove lid and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes or until sides are bubbly and parmesan topping is cooked through.

Baked Krab Rangoon

These delicious little restaurant-style morsels were created for a fun night in with my little bro, Joe. I looked up a few similar recipes, then just threw them out and made my own. These are ridiculously easy and so good!

Ingredients:
1 package wonton wrappers
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz imitation crab, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Combine cream cheese, crab meat, and green onions in a bowl. Lay out wonton wrappers and put a heaping teaspoon on each. With your fingers, wet two adjacent sides of the wrapper and fold it over diagonally, pressing firmly to seal.

Place wrappers on the prepared baking sheet. Spray each with baking spray, then flip over and spray the other side. Bake at 415 for about 12 minutes, or until edges are brown and crisp.

We ate these with one of my favorite dips, Thai sweet chili sauce. Enjoy!

Baked Zucchini Fries

Lately, every night is zucchini night at our house. And I'll admit it Mom, I don't hate it. Zucchini quiche, quesadillas, pizza, bread, burritos, pasta; you name it, we've had it! But these were our favorite! Baked zucchini fries with Parmesan. So good!

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp salt, divided

3/4 tsp black pepper, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and then cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the soft, seedy portion of the zucchini, then cut into thick french fries. 

In three shallow bowls or deeper plates, make three different mixtures:

1. Flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
2. Eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
3. Bread crumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt

Working in batches, using one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients, coat fries in flour, shaking off excess. Dip thoroughly in egg mixture, allowing excess to run off. Last, coat in the bread crumb mixture.

Arrange zucchini in a single layer on the pan, without crowding. Bake 15 minutes and then flip fries over to the other side. Bake until bread crumbs are golden and crisp, another 7-10 minutes. 

This recipe came from my friend, Mandy, over at Baking with Blondie. (You should go check out her blog, it's amazing)! She recommends eating these with warm marinara or pizza sauce. Jenny used cocktail sauce with hers, and Ellie and I used homemade ketchup. 

Bon appetit from the Tessem girls!