Sweet Potato Pancakes

The stars aligned for breakfast this morning: I had leftover sweet potatoes from last night and a recipe in my binder that I have been dying to try. I also had a little white lie in my mind prepared for when my children asked the inevitable question, "Why are my pancakes ORANGE?" but either the lighting in my kitchen is very poor or my children are horribly unobservant because they ate happily and the question never came up. ("Food coloring!" I was going to tell them...)

Sweet Potato Pancakes
3/4 pound mashed sweet potatoes (from a can, baked, boiled...I don't think it is really going to matter. Just cook 'em.)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter (I subbed canola oil)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (Of course I used Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

In a blender, blend sweet potatoes, eggs, milk, and butter or oil. (A note: my potatoes had a little brown sugar in them from when I made them for dinner last night, and I LOVED the slightly sweet taste of the pancakes this morning. If that sounds like something you'd want, throw about a 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the blender as well.)

Whisk wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients to form a batter.

Cook on a lightly greased griddle over medium heat. Serve with maple syrup.

Spicy Honey Chicken

To my sister-in-law Cheryl: I owe you BIG TIME for telling me about this blog.
Which gave me this recipe. Make this for dinner tonight, and do not delay. I served the chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and leftover corn casserole. A tip from Cheryl that I will pass on: Just go ahead and double the spice rub so you have it for the next time, because you will be making this again, and that's a promise.

Spicy Honey Chicken

by Our Best Bites

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (you could use breasts as well)

2 tsp vegetable oil

Rub:
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (it's there in the spice aisle...you just have to look hard)

Glaze:
1/2 cup Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I'm gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It's sugar, and it's gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It's totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

If you don't have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

A note from Becca: I wanted to make this immediately but didn't have the chipotle powder, but I still wanted that smoky flavor, so I substituted an equal amount of paprika. I used chicken breast tenders because thighs are a little bit fatty for my taste. Also, don't be stingy with the honey mixture: Use it all up.

Corn Casserole

This is baking in my oven right now. This is part cornbread, part side dish. Some might call it "spoon bread." I call it delicious and its the perfect side dish for anything Mexican.

Corn Casserole
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs, beaten
1 can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1 can corn, or equivalent amount of frozen/fresh corn
1 (8.5 oz) dry cornbread mix (Jiffy)
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, eggs, creamed corn, and sour cream. Add corn, cornbread mix, and sugar and mix just until blended.

Pour into a greased 8x8 glass pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Apple German Pancake

Dear Cooking Light,
How could something so delicious have only 173 calories per serving? Sometimes I think your "Calorie Counting Department" is staffed by pranksters.

Sincerely, Me.

Apple German Pancake

Batter:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup egg substitute
1 cup fat-free milk
1 tsp vanilla


Apple Mixture:
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup peeled and thinly sliced granny smith apple (about 1 apple)

Remaining Ingredient:
1 T powdered sugar

To prepare batter, combine flour, baking powder, 1 T sugar, salt, and 1/8 tsp nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk in egg substitute, milk, butter, and vanilla. Let stand 30 minutes. (Mine was slightly lumpy no matter how much I whisked it, but the pancake still turned out great.)

Preheat oven to 425.

Coat bottom and sides of a 10" pie plate with cooking spray. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg, sprinkle evenly over bottom and sides of pan. Arrange apple in an even spokelike layer in pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar (You can tell in the picture that I also sprinkled mine with dried cherries. It was delicious.).

Cook apples for 8 minutes, then slowly pour batter over them. Return to oven. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 (do not remove pancake from oven) and bake an additional 13 minutes or until center is set. Sift powdered sugar over the top, serve immediately.

Carrot Pineapple Slaw

Carrot Pineapple Slaw

1 cup diced fresh pineapple, or equivalent in canned
1 (10 oz) package matchstick cut carrots
2 medium jicama, peeled and grated
2 T canola oil
1 T lemon juice
1 T maple syrup
1 T pineapple juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Combine pineapple, carrots, and jicama in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add oil mixture to carrot mixture, toss well. Cover and chill before serving.

Raspberry Cream Pie

I made this for dessert on Saturday night and I have NEVER seen a pie disappear as quickly as this one did. Thankfully, it was just as quick to make it.

Raspberry Cream Pie

3 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 graham cracker crust (9")

Mash 2 cups of the raspberries in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat. Add granulated sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Don't think to yourself, "I'll just hop in the shower while this cools," because when you get out of the shower, you will find that your husband has eaten your raspberry pie filling on his pancakes. Guard it with your life.)

In the bowl of your mixer, whip the cream cheese until smooth, scraping once or twice. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream and whip until light, smooth, and fluffy (my Bosch this in about 2 minutes, but plan on at least twice as long if you are using a hand mixer).

Spread cream cheese mixture in the bottom of pie crust. Arrange remaining 1 cup of raspberries around the edges, then spoon cooled raspberry sauce over the top. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

"Lighter" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Full disclosure: When I decide to eat a dessert, I don't want some cheap imitation. I just wind up eating three times as much trying to feel satisfied. So when the time comes for me to cook a dessert, I generally don't cut corners on the ingredients that make the dessert good- like fats or sugars. But the other day, I really REALLY wanted cookies and did not have the caloric budget for a cookie free-for-all, so I raided my Cooking Light archives and gave these a try...and they were good!

95 Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup oats (the recipe called for regular, I used quick. Things turned out fine.)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried fruit (I used dried cherries)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (yet another substitution from me=chocolate covered sunflower seeds)

Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together flour, oats, soda, and salt. Mix sugar and butter with a mixer or hand mixer until well blended and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended (depending on the strength of your mixer, you may have to mix the last bit of flour in by hand). Add dried fruit and chocolate, mixing just until combined.

Using a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment. Drop cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven, cool on pan 1 minute, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies. (Meaning: You can eat the whole batch and as long as you only eat watermelon and cucumber the rest of the day, you will still achieve a caloric deficit. I'm going to write a diet book.)

Coconut Bars

This is a simple dessert to throw together and people always love it. I love that you can make the whole thing in the pan you are going to bake it in, and have a dessert cooking in the oven and only a single fork to load into the dishwasher.

Coconut Bars
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 plastic sleeve of graham crackers (about 9 sheets)
1 bag chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup nuts (optional, and any kind you like)
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut butter into pieces and place in glass 9x13 baking dish. Microwave until butter is melted. Place graham crackers in a zippered plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until they are fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into butter and stir until combined, then lightly press into the bottom of the pan (I save the butter wrapper for this purpose). Sprinkle chocolate chips over graham crackers (Know what's good? Half chocolate chips, half butterscotch chips- about 1 cup of each). Pour sweetened condensed milk over top. Don't worry about getting every square inch covered, it will spread out as it cooks. Sprinkle with nuts and coconut (just eyeball it on the measurements), then use a fork to lightly press nuts and coconut into the sweetened condensed milk a little.

Bake for 25 minutes or until coconut on top and edges are golden brown. Cool, cut into bars, and serve.

Lemon Squares

Have I mentioned I'm obsessed with lemon? and desserts? and making things that taste just how my Grandma Barratt's did? These lemon bars obviously are one of my favorite things ever. EVER.

Lemon Squares
Crust:
1 cup butter (no substitutions)
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

To make crust:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and powder sugar. Cut in cold butter until combined and crumbly. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan. If the crust is sticking to your hands instead of the pan, your butter has warmed up too much. Put the crust and pan into the fridge for a few minutes then try again. Bake crust for 20 minutes until golden brown around the edges.

To make topping:
While crust is baking, prepare topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and baking powder. Add eggs and lemon juice. Mix well and pour on top of hot baked crust. Return to the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes. Cool, dust with powder sugar, and refrigerate.
Cut into bars and serve cold.

My friend Janet adds a sour cream topping to her lemon bars: 2 cups sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix together, then spread over the top of the bars for the last 7 minutes of baking.

**Also, sometimes I get really crazy and make key lime bars instead. I just substitute key lime juice for the lemon juice and add a couple drops of green food coloring to the topping mixture. (I hate it when my mind is thinking "lemon square" and my taste buds don't match, so I like a visual cue.)**

Chicken Tetrazzini

This is what we are having for Sunday dinner tomorrow- I can put it together tonight, then all I have to do tomorrow is throw it in the oven and toss a salad.

Chicken (or Turkey) Tetrazzini
8 oz. curly egg noodles
2/3 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 pound cooked chicken or turkey, cut into cubes
1 cup peas
2 cans (14 oz. EACH) chicken broth
6 T flour
1 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside (I undercook mine just a bit since they will be baking in the oven later).

Heat oven to 425. Combine bread crumbs, 1/4 cup cheese, 3 T butter, then set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 T butter, mushrooms, onions, and salt. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and cook an additional 3 minutes. Place mushrooms/onion in a 9x13 baking dish along with cooked noodles, peas, and chicken.

In the same sauce pan, melt remaining 4 T butter. Whisk in flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in chicken broth and simmer until thickened. Stir in remaining cheese, lemon juice, and thyme (I also like a little splash of heavy cream or fat free half and half in the sauce).

Pour sauce over ingredients in the casserole dish, and stir to combine. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture, then bake until golden and bubbling, 20-25 minutes. (If you make this the night before like I do, only heat the oven to 350, and plan on about 45 minutes to cook.)

Skillet Lasagna

I love lasagna, but let's face it: It's a lot of work to put one together. Here is lasagna in a skillet: all of the tasty lasagna flavors, but only one pan to wash at the end.

Skillet Lasagna
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, minced
1 T olive oil
salt, to taste
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1 lb ground beef, pork, or turkey
1 T dried basil
1/2 T dried oregano (or sub 1 1/2 T Italian Seasoning)
12 lasagna noodles, broken into 1 inch lengths
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese


Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until onion is softened. Stir in the garlic and cook and additional 30 seconds, then add the ground meat and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink.

Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat, then pour in the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover and cook at a vigorous simmer until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. Add half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese, stirring to melt. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta over the top, then sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Put the lid back on the skillet to melt the cheese, then serve.

Texas Caviar

Did you know that my dad has two wives? One gives me all kinds of recipes. The other one is my mom. (By way of explanation, the one with the recipes is his best friend Doug.)

Texas Caviar
6 roma tomatoes
3 bell peppers, assorted colors
1 cup diced red or white onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (dry)
1/2 cup vinegar (I usually use red wine, white, or apple cider.)
cilantro to taste, finely chopped

Finely dice the tomatoes, peppers, and onion. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Broccoli Salad

This is one of those foods that I get a very specific craving for and nothing else will do. I like it because you can use a variety of ingredients depending on what you have on hand.



Broccoli Salad

6 cups broccoli pieces (raw, cut into little bites)
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 cups red grapes, cut in half
Those are the "Musts." Here are the "Optionals."
Raisins or Craisins
Sunflower Seeds
Slivered Almonds
Bacon (some people use a lot. I find that 2 or 3 slices cooked and finely crumbled gives enough bacon flavor without rendering alternate health therapies necessary.)


Dressing:
Whisk together:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar


Mix it all up. I like to make this an hour or two before I serve it.

Here is the straight dope on the dressing. I'm a little hesitant to put an entire cup of mayo in just about anything. The last time I made this I halved the mayo (and used a "light" variety), doubled the vinegar, and used Splenda instead of sugar. Still tasty and not nearly as guilt-ridden.

Spinach Quiche

I'd say that a good 50% of my meal planning involves a thought process along the following lines:

"Dang it. That big bag of spinach I bought is about to go bad. What can I make with that, and this (insert random ingredient) that doesn't require a trip to the grocery store for anything else?"

Then I peruse my recipe binder and see if I get lucky. Today I did, and there's no wasted spinach here.

Spinach Quiche

From the Salt Lake Tribune

1 package frozen 9" pie shells (enough for 2 single crusts), or 2 homemade unbaked pie shells

6 eggs

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 green onions chopped

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (True confession: I used a pound of sausage instead. The Bruce gets a little uptight if dinner is meatless.)

1 package (10 oz) spinach leaves

1 cup grated cheese (any kind you like)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, ricotta, cream, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. When smooth, set aside.

In a large pot saute onions and mushrooms or sausage. (If you are taking the vegetarian route, add about 1 T of oil to the pan before adding the mushrooms and onions.) Saute mushrooms for 2 minutes, or sausage until completely browned. Add spinach and cover the pan for 2 minutes. Stir until leaves are barely wilted.

Add the cheese mixture to the mushroom/sausage mixture. Stir over medium heat until cheese melts, then divide the mixture equally between the two pastry shells. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until top is slightly rounded and is turning golden. Let stand several minutes before serving.

I assembled my quiche this morning and kept it in the fridge until dinner tonight. It turned out great but did require more like an hour in the oven since it started out cold. If you want this quiche for breakfast I think assembling it the night before would definitely be the way to go.

Playdough

Here's one that probably will cause no weight gain at all. Plus, after all the stirring and kneading your forearms will be buff.

Playdough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 T oil
1 cup water
food coloring

Whisk dry ingredients together until blended, then add wet (including coloring). Whisk continuously over medium heat until mixture "coagulates." It will look a lumpy mess for a minute, and you will think that I have given you a bum recipe, but once the dough looks thick, just turn it out onto your counter and knead it a little until smooth.

Grandma's Famous Pancakes

I was at Williams Sonoma and bought myself a "Pancake Pen." It's a giant squeeze bottle, and you can unscrew the bottom and fill it with pancake batter. It has a little tip so you can write and draw pictures with your pancake batter. My kids think I am awesome because we had pancakes shaped like hearts and stars.

Grandma's Famous Pancakes
(not MY grandma, just somebody's grandma.)

2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt
3 T canola oil or melted butter
2 cups flour (whole wheat pastry flour, of course)
5 t baking powder

Combine wet ingredients then add dry. Beat well and pour onto lightly greased griddle and fry until golden brown.