MINI GERMAN PANCAKES

Because of our schedules, breakfast at our house is usually "fix your own". 

MacDaddy is an early riser. He loves to get going in the morning...watching his business shows, catching up with the world...reading the WSJ.  I love to stay up late...no noise...no distractions...and paint into the wee hours. Then I sleep late. With this kind of "schedule", breakfast is a "make your own" affair.

But sometimes, I wake up early with the urge to make something different...something special. And that was the case this morning.

I found an interesting recipe on Pinterest...and AllRecipes.com

Mini German Pancakes. 

The recipe is quite basic, but the photo drew my attention. So this morning....I prepared them. And I am so glad I did. They're delicious!

The batter is rather "eggy"...just as it should be. And they all puffed up just like they perfectly!  I made them in the Demarle at Home Muffin Flexipan...No oils, butter, or sprays are needed in these pans. (The new Popover Flexipan would work with this recipe, too.)

To serve...I made a fresh berry compote, using fresh blueberries and strawberries...and no sugar!

Here's the recipe:

Mini German Pancakes

1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. grated orange zest (this is optional, but it tastes great!)
1/4 cup melted butter

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a blender, combing milk, eggs, flour, salt, vanilla and orange zest. (Make sure there are no flour clumps!)

2.  Blend in butter, a little at a time.

3.  Fill the Demarle at Home muffin cups a little less than half full. (If using conventional muffin pans, grease them!) You should get 18-24 cups.

4.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the pancakes are puffy and golden on top (edges should be slightly browned).

5. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Fresh Berry Compote

2 cups fresh blueberries and strawberries. (I mixed a pint of        blueberries with 3 large, chopped strawberries)
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cornstarch
(If desired, you can add 2 Tbsp sugar. I did not.)

While the pancakes are baking:
In a medium saucepan, place all ingredients and bring to a boil for about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally, to keep from burning and sticking. Simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Spoon into the wells of the pancake. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

YUM!

PICADILLO...Cuban Comfort Food

Picadillo translates to ground meat or hash.  It's a dish that just about every culture has in it's culinary libraries. While searching for some recipe suggestions, I found this dish made with everything from ground beef and/or pork, to mangoes and plantains. It is usually served with rice...better yet, ON rice. (My sister-in-law adds raw rice to the dish while it's cooking and tops it with sharp cheddar cheese. She calls her dish "Ranch Style Hash".)

I always thought my grandmother's and my mother's Picadillo recipes were pretty good...until I tasted my high school Spanish teacher's version. She invited the class to her home and taught us to prepare Picadillo. Oh....I was in heaven! Her version of this delicious dish included lots of green olives and RAISINS. The piquant and sweet tastes, blending with the onions, garlic, and tomatoes set off rockets on my taste buds...and in my soul!!! Senora Perrado, if you by chance read this blog...My family thanks you!

As I have said many times before...I do not measure most ingredients, so I am guessing as I go along. You can adjust the dish to your taste. Just remember, the longer the dish simmers, the better it tastes!

PICADILLO
serves 3-4

1 pound ground chuck
1 large can diced tomatoes (I like to use the boxed tomatoes by Pomi)
1 small onion, diced
garlic cloves (I use 3-5), smashed
olive oil
1/2 cup green olives w/ pimento 
1/2 cup raisins (I use more)
rice
Salt
Pepper
Cumin or Crushed Red Pepper (if desired)

* Please note, most recipes for Picadillo are made with "sofrito"...the Hispanic "holy trinity" of onion, garlic and green pepper. I don't use green pepper...It doesn't like me.


In a skillet (I use my electric skillet), saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Add the ground beef and brown it until no longer red.  Drain off the excess oils...if desired. Add tomatoes and simmer. Add green olives and raisins...as many as you wish (I like a lot!). You can use the whole olive or slice them. Be sure to use the pimento, too! Season to taste, using salt, pepper and cumin or crushed red pepper (if desired). Simmer at least 30 minutes...better if it cooks longer...best if it sits in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Serve over rice. I prefer white or brown rice with this dish. (Many of the local Spanish restaurants use yellow rice.)

*You may wish to add more tomatoes or some tomato sauce to the recipe.

To complete your meal, add a salad and some crusty bread (Cuban, if you can get it). I often like to serve plantains with this dish...

If you have leftovers, try the Picadillo on a pizza crust, topped with sharp cheddar cheese. Or make an empanada pastry, cut into squares and place in a couple of spoonfuls of the picadillo on the dough. Fold into a triangle and seal the edges. Bake these on a Silpat or prepared baking pan until golden brown. 

Muy delicioso!

Check out Foodie Friday for more recipes.

YUM YUM CINNA-BUNS!

DON'T THESE ROLLS LOOK DELICIOUS???

Would you believe they were made with just a few simple ingredients? And all the rising was done OVERNIGHT in the oven?

But first...and I believe foremost...it starts with the perfect baking pan...the Demarle at Home Large Round Flexipan.

Now I know I talk about the Demarle products a lot...but they have streamlined my cooking life. And that's something to SHOUT about!!!

You know how much I hate cleaning up after a meal...

Well, with this pan (even with sticky, gooey cinnamon rolls) clean-up took about a minute! Yep...that's right! The rolls popped right out and all it took to clean the pan was a little hot soapy water, a quick rinse and shake to dry...and voila'...IT'S CLEAN.

Talk about EASY!!!

OK...enough about my pan....

 These cinnamon rolls are super easy to prepare...and you use FROZEN BREAD DOUGH!

 Place about 16 frozen rolls in the bottom of your pan. (If you are using Demarle, you do not need to grease/oil/spray the pan. If you are using conventional bakeware, PREPARE YOUR PAN.)

Sprinkle the rolls with about 3/4 cup brown sugar. Sprinkle several good shakes of cinnamon on top. (I use a lot, because we LOVE cinnamon...plus it's really good for you. Gotta have something "healthy" in this dish!) Then pour 1/2 cup butter (melted) over the top of the rolls/sugar. If desired, sprinkle with pecans. (You can use walnuts, but, hey, I'm southern. We live on pecans!)

Place the round mold on a Demarle perforated baking tray (you can use a regular baking sheet, if you don't have the holey kind) and cover the rolls with plastic wrap OR with an octagonal Silpat.

Put in a cold oven, overnight.

In the morning, open your oven and remove the tray with the rolls. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then remove the plastic wrap/Silpat.

When the oven is ready, place the tray with the rolls back into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

This is what you get!

Let the pan of rolls sit for a couple of minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.

The round Flexipan slides right off... (I don't know how easy the conventional pans will do. I don't use them anymore!)

This is the cleanup! All I need to do is wash the Flexipan in some hot, soapy water, and shake it to dry it. (This is MY kind of cleanup!!!)

All you need to do now is pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy...

For a variation...You can use butterscotch pudding (the cook and serve kind), 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 stick of butter (melted)...This is more like the traditional Monkey Bread.
or
If you wish, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and, if desired, a little white sugar to the pan. Stir until melted. Dip the frozen bread dough into the butter mixture (USE TONGS! This mixture is HOT!!!), then place in the baking pan. Pour the remaining butter mixture over the rolls, cover and follow the rest of the directions.

This afternoon we're testing this technique with MINCED GARLIC and BUTTER!!! 
I can already smell it.....Ahhhhhhhh.

Enjoy!
Jane

I am linking up with Foodie Friday

CHICKEN ROULADES

Chicken Roulades...my new favorite dish to make. Why? 
Because it is so quick and easy ...and it's much more economical to prepare, than to purchase them at the meat market.

You know...I had not even thought of that until last night when one of my customers mentioned that she had just purchased 4 roulades for her family...and spent $20 on just the chicken dish! At our party, we made these tomato/spinach/Parmesan cheese stuffed roulades for under $10...and still had chicken left to make an appetizer!

The beauty of Chicken Roulades is that you can stuff them with just about anything. Chicken Cordon Bleu is a "roulade"...my Publix has these and other varieties available in the butcher shop. Other meat markets have them stuffed with crabmeat...cheddar cheese...even sausage! There are so many ways to prepare them...

The recipe for my version came from a fitness trainer...as part of the "HEALTHY COOKING" class we held last week. The original recipe required browning the roulades in a pan on the stove. But, I tweaked the recipe a bit, to use on my Demarle at Home Silpat...and to make the dish even easier! A quick dip in egg whites, mixed with a little chicken broth, then a roll in Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs, and the roulades were ready to BAKE! You can bake these in traditional pans, but you will need to turn them during baking. But when using the Silpat and the Perforated Baking Tray, the roulades cook on both sides...in about 25 minutes! No turning....and best of all, cleanup takes just seconds with just a quick soap and water wash. 

These roulades were delicious, both hot and cold. They would also make a nice heavy appetizer...

For the "Healthy Cooking Class", we served the Roulades with red peppers stuffed with quinoa and vegetables, a shrimp/mango appetizer, Portobello Mushroom "Pizza", and Fresh Blueberry/Peach Crisp. Every recipe was approved by the fitness trainer...and all the dishes were DELICOUS and HEALTHY...and they're 

EVERYDAY EASY!

Enjoy! 

CHICKEN ROULADES
     with Tomato, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese

Boneless chicken breast (I used a cutlet...on sale), pounded THIN. Take the thin chicken breast...place a thin slice of fresh tomato on the breast. Add several leaves of fresh baby spinach. Sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan cheese. Roll as tightly as you can. Fasten with toothpicks.  Dip the chicken roulade in a dish of beaten egg (or egg white) and a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth, mixed together. (Basically, you will "roll" the roulade in this mixture). Roll the roulade in Italian seasoned bread crumbs. (Light!) Place on Silpat/tray and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes (more or less, depending on the thickness of the chicken and the oven). Remove from Silpat and slice. (This is really a pretty presentation...white meat with red and green swirl)

If desired, you can make a sauce to pour over chicken...chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, a splash of white wine (actually calls for red wine vinegar...I think the wine would be better)and a little seasoning, such as garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Simmer while the chicken is baking...reducing the liquid. Spoon over the roulades. Sprinkle the top with a little chopped fresh basil.

I am connecting this Foodie Friday this week...check out all the fab recipes!

CHERRY PIE POPS!

I am on a kick...little desserts! Just enough to give my sweet tooth a taste, without adding too many calories (or too much sugar!) to my daily diet.  This little Cherry Pie Pop is perfect for that!

As you can see from the photo, there is nothing to making these little pies...They're quick and EVERYDAY EASY!

CHERRY PIE POP (OR HAND PIE)

     (or as we called them on July 4th, George Washington Cherry Pie Pops)

            

    1 box Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust (2 crusts)

    1 can Comstock More Fruit Cherry Pie Filling

    Lollipop sticks (if making “pops”)

    1 egg, beaten

    Sugar for sanding

Gently spread one of the rolled pie crusts onto the Roul'Pat. With a rolling pin, gently roll out any creases. (no flour needed on the mat!)

Using a round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut circles of pie crust. Place the circles on the Silpat. (no oils, sprays, butter needed on the Silpat!)

In the center of each circle, place about a tablespoon of pie filling…with 2-3 cherries. Press the lollipop stick into the crust…about ½ “ . 

Unroll the second pie crust. Place it on the Roul'Pat and repeat.  (Note: either gently stretch this circle or use a slightly larger cutter to cut the top circle…to accommodate the cherries). Place over the first circles and seal with the tines of a fork. Cut a vent on the top of each pie! (use a knife, scissors, or the fork tines) Brush the top of the little pie with some of the beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. (Keep an eye on the pies. Do not overbake!)

Cool for a few minutes on the Silpat before removing. Then cool on a rack.

For the display, I filled a "star" container with floral “marbles” and stuck the pies into the marbles. Worked fine!

*Any filling can be used.

**Even with all the food we had at our Independence Day celebration, not a single pie was left!!! They really were good!

***I am teaching "how to make" these pies at my Friday night cooking class. Those ladies are in for a treat!

All the products used to make these pies are from Demarle at Home...

    Everyday dough cutter set...straight and fluted edges

    Silicone pastry brush (l love that this has a "rest" on the handle)

    Roul' Pat...perfect for rolling out pastry, creating shapes with chocolate and sugar...or as an art mat (beads will not roll off)

    Silpat...made of woven glass and coated with food grade silicone. (My FAVORITE everyday tool!)

    Perforated Baking Tray...aluminum baking sheet which ensures even distribution of heat.

Enjoy!

Jane


Check out the fabulous recipes at Foodie Friday and
On the Menu Monday!

PIZZA!!!

I am obsessed with PIZZA!  all kinds!!!

Maybe it's because I am always asked for simple pizza recipes at my cooking classes. Maybe it's because they are so EASY and QUICK to make. Maybe it's because they are a great way to used up leftovers.
(Ever tried a leftover Piccadillo with green olives, topped with sharp cheddar cheese pizza? Amazing!)

Whatever the reason... I am making pizzas all the time. And my husband LOVES it!!!

When in a hurry, I use prepared dough from the store...my Publix has balls of pizza dough in the bakery case (or in the freezer...just ask). And...if I'm in a REAL hurry, I'll succumb to using a Pillsbury crust in a can. (It's not too bad...especially if you doctor it up a bit).

Most recently, I was asked to prepare a BREAKFAST PIZZA for one of my cooking classes. This was  a new concept for me....leftover pizza was my idea of a breakfast pizza! So after a little experimenting (YUM!), this is the pizza we made...

Using the Flexipat*** and a Perforated Baking Tray, we used a Pillsbury Pizza crust (the LONG can) for expediency...then topped it with diced ham, chopped spinach, diced tomatoes and green onions. Then we scrambled 5 eggs in a bowl, and poured it over the unbaked crust and toppings. Finally, we topped the whole pizza with freshly grated mozzarella cheese. The pizza baked in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the crust was lightly toasted on the sides. After resting a few minutes, it slid right out of the Flexipat, onto a cutting board. (NEVER use sharp items with Flexis or Silpats!)

THE LADIES LOVED IT!!!

Other topping ideas to try...
      Jimmy Dean precooked sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, and eggs*
      Crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese, eggs*
      Chopped fresh spinach, sliced tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, cheese (Swiss is good), eggs*

*For this size pizza, 5 "scrambled" eggs should be enough.
*** We chose to use the Flexipat due to the runny egg mixture. Pizza can also be made directly on a Silpat.

This is definitely an EVERYDAY EASY meal for your family! 

Breakfast...Lunch....or Dinner