Crepes : Sweet and Savory

Long ago I made dessert crepes for the kids and they were not at all impressed.  I think they were too young to appreciate the lightness of the crepes and confused by these delicate looking pancakes.   Afterwards, it took a very long time for me to get around to making them again.  The other day I had a craving for a savory crepe and I happened to have some ham and a hunk of cheese that I needed to use up so I decided to serve it up to the family and see what happened.  The ham and cheese crepes were delightful and I won over 3 out of 4 diners.
I thought 3 out of 4 was decent, but I'm a perfectionist sometimes and I was really determined to win the last member over so I made the extra crepes into dessert crepes.  I threw some chocolate chips and banana slices in the middle and warmed them in the oven.  As I brought them to the table I was pretty sure everyone would like them but I wasn't exactly prepared for how much the kids would love these crepes.  They went on and on and asked me to make seconds, which I promptly made for them.   And then they even begged me to promise I would make them for their birthday breakfasts when they came around.  It was too funny!  So, it looks like I will be able to make crepes again.  Yay me!

Crepes
makes 12-14 small crepes

1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar

Whisk eggs, milks, and sugar together in a medium bowl.  Add dry ingredients and whisk vigorously until combined.  Heat a small pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray and add a scant 1/4 cup batter and immediately lift and tilt pan and swirl the batter around and around to coat the pan.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until edges are dry and beginning to brown.  Flip with a spatula and cook for 20 seconds on the second side.  Remove and place on a foil lined pan and keep in a 300°F oven.   Repeat with remaining batter.

*To assemble, place 2 or 3 pieces of thinly sliced ham and a handful of shredded cheese down the center of each crepe.  Fold edges over and lightly press down to keep them in place.  Heat in over for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Garnish with chives or green onions.

Oven Fries

These oven fries are a delicious addition to any weekend breakfast.  We enjoy them with scrambled eggs and fruit.  They also are stellar with dinner if we're serving fried chicken, chicken fingers, sandwiches, steak, or grilled chicken.  The kids really love these and I like them on the crispy side, but bake them however you like them.  I start checking around 20 minutes or so and spear one with a fork to test.  Make sure they are cooked through, biting into an uncooked potato is the worst.

Oven Fries
3-4 large potatoes
1 T flour
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2  fresh ground pepper
1 tsp.  smoked paprika or "season all"
olive oil - a few glugs
1-2 green onions - reserved

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash potatoes and cut into wedges.  Drop onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Add all remaining ingredients  and toss with hands.  Spread out into a single layer and bake 25-35 minutes (depends on thickness of potatoes) until potatoes are cooked through and browned on edges.  Pull out of oven and add green onion, I just take a pair of kitchen shears and cut the onions over the top of the pan and serve with ketchup.

Buttermilk Biscuits

I've tried plenty of biscuit recipes, but this one is my favorite to date.  So tender, tasty, and perfect with a drizzle of honey or a spoonful of jam.  These were enjoyed for breakfast, but would make a delicious addition to any dinner.

Buttermilk Biscuits
yields 5-6 biscuits

2 cups self rising flour*
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
melted butter

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Sift flour into large bowl and then cut shortening into flour with a pastry cutter or a fork.  Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until it forms a shaggy ball.  Use hand to gather dough and knead 2 to three times until flour is incorporated.  Roll out and cut biscuits and place on a parchment lined pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

*I made my own self rising flour.  Here is the recipe.
1 cup cake flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 t salt
3 t baking powder
Sift all into a large bowl and proceed with recipe above.

Baked Cod Packets

Tonight we had these quick, easy, and delicious cod packets. It is almost a complete meal with a fillet of fish nestled in a bed of spinach, leeks, and bell peppers. I served the packets with a side of white rice and the kids wanted a drizzle of soy sauce on theirs. Last week we even cooked the foil packets in the fireplace which added a bit of smokey flavor but tonight we opted for the oven. Either way it is terrific and cleanup is a snap!!!
Baked Cod Packets - 4 packets
4 cod fillets
1 leek, (I cut the bottom, white portion of slice it in half and thoroughly rinse it in the sink)
1 handful of spinach per packet
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
Place 4 large pieces of foil on the counter. Tear a handful of spinach leaves apart and place in the center of each piece of foil. Thinly slice the leek and add a quarter of the leeks to each packet. Place the bell pepper slices on top of the leeks, reserving two to three for the top of each fish fillet. Drizzle vegetables with a small amount of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place one fillet on top of each packet and place the remaining peppers on top of each piece of fish. Drizzle with a little more oil and season lightly again. Pull two sides of foil up over the fish and fold over two times. Next, fold the open edges over a few times to completely close. Repeat with remaining packets. Place on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. If the fish is white and firm to the touch it is ready. Serve with a scoop of rice.

Cheesy Grits with Shrimp, Leeks, and Asparagus

I liked this combination even better than I thought I would. The fresh corn in these grits was really terrific and everything tasted fresh. It was a big hit at dinner! Is tomorrow too soon to make this again???

Cheesy Grits
I thought I had regular grits in the pantry but when I started dinner I realized I was out. So, I substituted Cream of Wheat style grits that cook in 2 1/2 minutes and they actually worked out perfectly. So I am including this variation.
2 cups water
2 cups milk
3/4 cup cream of wheat
Fresh corn : I cut the kernels from 2 ears and it was the perfect amount
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 T butter
3/4 cup sharp cheddar
Bring liquids and salt to a boil. Slowly add grits while whisking to prevent lumps. Add fresh corn and cook for 2 1/2 minutes. Turn heat off and add butter, pepper, and cheese.

Shrimp with asparagus topping
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
3 slices bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups asparagus spears
1/2 cup leeks, sliced thinly
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saute pan add 1 T oil and 1 T butter. Saute bacon and leeks until bacon begins to brown. Add asparagus and garlic. Add shrimp and cook until light pink on both sides, season to taste.

Steak Salad

This steak salad was delicious. It has a few steps, but I think I only used one pan, one pot, and the grill. The polenta croutons are so good. Make more than you think you should!!!

Steak Salad

1 Porterhouse or NY Strip

Lettuce - I used half red leaf and half romaine

1 red pepper

1/2 onion, sliced thin

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Prepared polenta, see recipe here

Prepared blue cheese dressing

In a hot cast iron pan add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat until mushrooms are cooked through and starting to brown. Remove from pan, add a little more olive oil and sliced onions and seasonings. Cook until tender. Remove from pan. Wipe pan out and add enough oil to coat bottom of pan.

Cut polenta in 1-inch squares lightly toss in flour and fry in olive oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

While cooking above, heat grill. Coat red pepper with a little oil and place directly on hot grill. Cook until blackened on all sides. Place in a paper bag for 5 minutes. Remove from bag and peel skin off. Slice into strips. Place seasoned steak on grill and cook until desired doneness.

Assemble all on plate and enjoy!

This would also be delicious with a fresh buttermilk blue cheese dressing and a little extra blue cheese on top.

Tasty Pork and a New Grain

A few weeks ago I received a package in the mail containing a sample of a local companies' all purpose sauce to try in my own home. I gave it a whirl in some sloppy joes I made and liked it, but I didn't think that I could review it very accurately because the sauce was intermingled with too many other flavors. So, I decided to try using the sauce as the main flavor agent.

Last night I used it on a pork tenderloin with a little salt and pepper and I got a better sense of the sauce. It was the perfect compliment to the pork. It was not overly sweet like many barbecue sauces out there, but it added loads of flavor due to the vinegar and molasses it contains. We really enjoyed the pork and the fact that it only took minutes to prep, which is always a plus with a baby and toddler demanding my attention. I simply poured on about 1/3 cup of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce and popped the pork into the oven until cooked through.

I served it with a new-to-us grain called Farro. I wasn't quite sure what to do with this grain so I simply boiled it in salted water until tender. Then I drained it and added a bit of olive oil and parsley. I was really happy with how tasty this side dish was for the limited amount of effort required. It turned out similar to a rice but much healthier since it is a whole grain rather than just a starch like rice. It says it can be added to stews and soups like minestrone, so I'll have to give that a try as well.

Flavorful Short Ribs

These Asian inspired short ribs were so flavorful and tender we were wishing we had bought more than a pound and a half to split for dinner. We will definitely be having these again and again, I may even switch to doing my pot roast with these Asian flavors as well. The ginger, soy sauce, and orange juice actually mellowed and melded together during the long cooking process to create a super flavorful sauce to use for the meat, starch, and vegetable we had at dinner.
I asked Joesph if he thought it tasted Asian and he said he didn't know...all he knew was that it had "a lot of good flavor."
Asian Inspired Short Ribs

1 1/2 - 2 pounds short ribs. (I had the butcher cut each rib into 3 smaller pieces.)
Juice of 3 oranges
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 onion - thinly sliced
1 T minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
veg. oil

Season ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy, oven safe pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 T oil to pan, once oil shimmers it is time to add the ribs. Once browned on all sides remove. Add sliced onions and cook over medium-low heat until softened a bit. Add ginger and garlic, cook an additional minute. Add orange juice, soy sauce, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and add ribs back into pot. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
It is a good idea to make the ribs up to this point earlier in the day or the day before serving. That way you'll have time to let the extra fat solidify which makes removing it much easier and healthier.
Take ribs out and add 1 cup of water to pot and bring to a boil. Return the ribs to the pot and cook until heated thru. Serve with rice, potatoes, or egg noodles for best results.

Marinated Chicken Skewers

We didn't have any big plans for our Fourth of July this year but I still wanted our day to feel festive so I put together a little barbecue for my husband and son. With barely more than an hour to get things ready I quickly threw some boneless skinless chicken thighs in a lemony marinade. As that worked I got a little corn on the cob, watermelon, and lemonade ready for the table. At the last minute I threaded the chicken onto skewers and had my husband grill them off.

The chicken turned out even better than I expected since it only had about 30-40 minutes to marinate. It was tender, moist, and flavorful. We ate them right off the skewers and even my two year old seemed impressed with his chicken on a stick!

Lemony Chicken Skewers

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

3 lemons

2 Tablespoons olive oil

salt

pepper

Cut chicken thighs into strips (cut across the grain for a better result) and place in a large ziploc bag. (I was able to get about 4 strips out of each thigh.) Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice onto chicken. Place lemon rind in bag as well. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper (about 1-2 teaspoons of each). Close ziploc and turn/flip/massage chicken and lemon for a minute or until things look evenly distributed.

After an hour thread chicken on soaked skewers and grill until cooked through. Ours took about 6-8 minutes. Cooking time depends on how big your thighs are and how thick you cut your chicken strips.