Homespun ~ Banana Walnut Pancakes

It's the weekend.  I live for the weekend.... I love to make delicous morning treats for my family on the weekends. 
Today ~ Pancakes.  But not just any pancakes.... Fluffy, Buttery Pancakes~ stuffed with bananas and drenched in real Maple butter syrup .... Are you drooling yet?

Banana Walnut Pancakes:

4 cups flour
1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
6 large eggs, separated
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup(12 Tbl.) unsalted butter, melted; plus 2 tsp. unmelted for griddle
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sliced bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts

Maple Butter Syrup:

1 cup REAL Maple Syrup
2 sticks, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Heat this over stove, stirring until butter is melted and combined into syrup.  Keep warm.

Light and fluffy pancakes are at your fingertips! ~ 
Measure all the dry ingredients into a large bowl (flour, b. powder, sugar, salt). Whisk together.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, melted (and cooled) butter, and vanilla until combined.  Whisk into the dry ingredients, until combined into a batter.  Should be a little lumpy.  That's a good thing :)

Whip the egg whites until they reach medium peaks (soft in the middle).  Don't overwhip them.  When you lift the whisk, the whites should stand up and fall over on themselves in a bit of a slope.

Gently fold half the whites into the batter.  Then, fold in the remaining.  Remember to be gentle as you don't want to lose all the air you incorporated into the whites.  The batter should have lumps of egg whites in it. 

The batter will last in the fridge for a couple hours before it deflates too much.

**This recipe makes  A LOT of pancakes.  I recommend cutting it in half, which would be a perfect amount for 3-4 people.**

Heat your griddle over medium heat for a few minutes.  Grease with a dab of butter, and begin making pancakes.  Pour batter onto pan, then, lay a few sliced bananas and nuts on top.  When you see bubbles forming on the top of the pancake, it is ready to flip ~ about 2 minutes. 

When the other side is also golden brown (about 1 minute), remove the pancake onto a warming tray, or a pan in the oven (set at 200 degrees) to keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Layer extra bananas and walnuts on top, drizzle or drench (your choice :) pancakes in maple butter syrup, and devour!

(adapted from Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook)

Greek Spinach ~ Feta Pizza Pie

Pizza.... I think I could eat it every day, for the rest of my life, and not get sick of it.  The possibilites are endless.
And this, is one of my absolute favorites.  It's meat-free.  But, no one will notice.  And, even the nay-sayers to spinach will devour this green pie :)

Greek Spinach~Feta Pizza


1 Pizza Crust ~ your favorite
3 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
3 oz. baby spinach
3 oz. arugala
salt and black pepper
Nutmeg
1 cup Feta cheese crumbles
1 1/2 cups Mozzerella cheese, shredded


Preheat oven to 425 degrees, along with a pizza stone, if you have one.  This gives the pizza that old-world stone oven texture.  A great, inexpensive addition to your kitchen.


Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic.  Cook until softened, 3-4 minutes.  Add the spinach and arugala to the pan and wilt.  Initially, it will be a big mound that looks like a lot, but it will shrink as it wilts down.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a little freshly grated nutmeg.

Roll out your crust, then place on a pizza peel, dusted with a fair amount of cornmeal (so you can easily slide the pizza into the oven).

Top the pizza crust with the spinach mixture, then the mozzerella and feta cheeses.

Slide onto the preheated baking stone in the oven.

Watch the magic happen. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

(adapted from Rachael Ray)

Brioche au Chocolat

I'm feeling a little French today.  At least in that I am in the mood for a decadent pastry.  Unbuckle your belts... this is NOT a low-fat treat :)  And, it wouldn't be considered "healthy" either.  But, it IS homemade.  And that means preservative and additive free!
That's why it is SOoo good.  And, it is totally worth the time it takes to prepare.  Truly, there is nothing more glorious than breakfast sweets, at least in my opinion!

The two main components of this pastry are the brioche ( a rich, buttery, eggy bread) and the pastry cream.

The nice thing is, that although this recipe doesn't come together in an hour or less, you can break it up into a couple days of work.

I like to make my pastry cream at least the day before, though it can sit in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe from "Flour" cookbook
For the Pastry Cream:

1 1/4 cups milk (Whole milk is a must here)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. REAL vanilla extract
(makes ~ 2 cups)

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it is scalded, not boiling, but a few bubbles forming around the edge of the pan.  While the milk is heating, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and salt.  In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the eggs.  The mixture will be thick and pasty.

Remove the milk from the heat and SLOWLY, little by little, add it into your egg mixture, whisking constantly.  If you go too fast here, you will scramble your eggs.  And no one wants scrambled eggs in their pastry cream :)  Once the two are fully combined, return the mixture to the saucepan and place it over medium heat.

Whisk constantly and vigorously for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixutre thickens and comes to a boil.  At first, it will be very frothy and liquid, but as it cooks it will begin to firm up and the bubbles will disappear.  Once it thickens, stop whisking every few seconds to see if it is at a boil, then go right back to whisking.  As soon as it comes to a boil, pull it from the heat.

Pour the cream through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bowl, to get out any tiny bits of scrambled egg that might be there.  This will ensure an ultra-smooth and shiny pastry cream.  At this point you can stir in the vanilla.  Cover with plastic wrap, directly onto the surface of the cream.  This will prevent a skin from forming on the pastry cream.  Chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 3 days.

Whew!  Okay, that part is done.  Now, onto the brioche :)


Mmmm.... Brioche.  So rich. So delicious.

2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 pkg. (3 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbl. sugar
1 Tbl. kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
5 eggs
1 cup plu 6 Tbl. (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the dry ingredients with the water and the eggs.  Beat on low speed for 3-4 minutes, or until it has come together.  Stop the mixure a couple times to scrape the bowl and make sure it is all combined.  Once it has come together, beat on low speed for another 3-4 minutes.  It will seem quite dry and stiff.
On low speed, add the butter, one small piece at a time, mixing until each addition disappears into the dough.  Then, continue to mix on low for about 10 minutes.  Occasionally, stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.  It is important that all the butter gets mixed in thoroughly.  Once it is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium, and beat for another 15 minutes, or until the dough becomes sticky, soft and somewhat shiny.  This will take some time.  It will look questionable at first, but will eventually start to come together and become smooth.  At this point, beat on high for 1 minute.  The dough should be one mass, slapping the sides of the bowl as it turns.

(I will warn you that you might feel as though your mixer may take off for a little ride during this process.  I found myself holding it down when the dough really thickened up.)

To test the dough, pull at it.  It should have some stretch to it.  If it seems too wet, add some flour, 1 Tbl. at a time.  If the dough pulls apart easily, continue to mix until it becomes stronger and stretchier.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the dough.  Chill for at least 6 hours, or better yet, overnight.

(This could also be done by hand, if you do not have a stand mixer)

The next morning, remove the dough from the bowl.  Separate it into 2 balls.  (the 2nd may be baked as a loaf or frozen, tightly wrapped for later use.) On a floured surface, roll out one ball into 20" x 10" rectangle.  It will be like cold Play-doh and easy to roll out and work with.

Spread your pastry cream all over the surface.  Then, along the long side closest to you, sprinkle 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips.  Fold the other half over the top of the chocolate chips.  Pinch to seal all the edges closed.  Then, cut the long rectangle into 2" x 5" strips.

(At this point, you can freeze the pastry, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.  When you are ready to make them, take them out the night before and leave to rise in the refrigerator over night).

Transfer the strips to a greased baking sheet. (keep them close together, but not quite touching)  Allow them to rise, lightly covered with plastic wrap, for about 2 hours, or until the dough becomes soft and pillowy.

Brush the tops with 1 beaten egg.  Bake at 350 degrees for around 35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  Cool for 15-20 minutes (if you can stand the wait!).

Feast!!!

Not your Average Meatball.

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs ~ the quintescential Italian dish.  Today we've kicked the standard up a notch.  Today, it's all about Big, beefy Meatballs with Bucatini Pasta and a chunky marinara down over the top.  And, that is truly what this dish is ~ over the top. Delicious.





What is Bucatini, you ask?  Well, bucatini is long like spaghetti, but is thicker and has a hollow center like penne.  And it is a very fun pasta to eat.  You could substitute any long pasta if you can't find bucatini.

This dish has 3 parts. 
 1. Meatballs
 2. Pasta
 3. Sauce

Let's begin with the meatballs~

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, sirloin, or chuck
1/2 a large yellow onion, grated (the juice makes meatballs moist)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (Panko style even better)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 Tbl. capers, drained and chopped
1 tsp. ground sage
Handful of chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsely
Salt and Pepper
Healthy drizzle of extra virgin Olive oil


Mix these ingredients in a large bowl.  Your hands are the best tool for this one, but be sure to take off your rings first :)  Don't overmix.  Just until the mixture comes together.  No one likes a tough meatball :)
Then, score the meat into 4 sections, making 3 large meatballs from each section.  You should have 12.
(I had more in my picture, because I made a larger batch for company)


Arrange the meatballs on a large sheet pan that has been greased.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs are firm, but not hard.

Meanwhile, begin the Sauce~

1 Tbl. olive oil

1/4 lb. bacon or pancetta, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 crimini mushrooms (baby portobellas) finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

1/2 a large yellow onion, finley chopped

1/2- 3/4 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef stock, more if needed
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

Fresh basil, chopped (optional)

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, drizzle your olive oil and add your chopped bacon.  (Bacon will give a smokier flavor than the pancetta.)  Cook for about 5 minutes until bacon begins to caramelize and brown.  Then add chopped mushrooms and garlic, cooking another 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the chopped onion and deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the tomatoes and parsely.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes, tasting to adjust seasonings.

If you like a less chunky sauce, you can puree it some with a hand mixer or in a food processer.  But, leave it with a little texture.

Finally, the easy part, bring a large pot of COLD water to a rolling boil for your pasta.  Salt generously with salt.  Cook 1 lb. bucatini until al dente.  Drain and toss with half of your sauce.  Plate with meatballs, more sauce, and grated parmesan. 

There you have it.  A dish worthy of sharing with company, and a delight for the tastebuds.

Twist on a Classic ~ Pimento Mac & Cheese

If you are from the South, chances are, you are familiar with an old stand-by ~ Pimento Cheese.

Commonly used on crackers or sandwiches, today, we are switching it up a bit and turning it into a pasta dish! (thanks to Rachael Ray's imagination ;)

Pimentos are really nothing more than a red bell pepper, just a bit sweeter.  And, in this preparation, we are using the jarred variety.


Let's begin, shall we!  The sooner we can eat :)
Begin with 1 lb. of short pasta.  You want one that will hold onto the cheese sauce, so holes and ridges are a good thing (macaroni, cavatappi, etc.)  I decided to use half Rice pasta, as it makes for a lower gluten meal, but still having the flavor of regular durum pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Be sure to use a nice, large pot, and fill it with a lot of water to give the pasta room to groove.  Once the water is at a rolling boil, salt it generously.  Should be salty like the sea.  This is your only chance to flavor the pasta itself.

Cook the pasta just shy of al dente.  It will continue to cook when we put it in the oven later.  Drain it and reserve.  DO NOT rinse it with water.


Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat your olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Once the butter has melted, add your onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.  Then, add the paprika.  This will give it lots of intense color.
Add the flour, stirring and cooking for a minute more ~ we are making our roux (or thickener).  Whisk in milk and hot sauce and bring to a bubble to thicken the sauce, stirring often.  Then turn off the heat.  This will only take a minute or two.  Stir in the cheese until it melts into the sauce.

Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce.  Stir together.  Then stir in drained pimentos.

Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

 

Bake at 425 or broil just until the cheese is nice and melted.

Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley (if you have some, which I did not :)

And, there you have it.  A delicious twist on a classic.

Ingredients:

1 lb. short pasta (macaroni, cavatappi, etc.)
Salt
1 tbl. olive oil
3 tbl. butter
1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tbl. sweet Paprika, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper
3 tbl. flour
2 cups milk
2 tsp. hot sauce
3 cups sharp yellow cheddar, grated
2 4-oz. jars chopped pimentos, drained
chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)