Pineapple Coconut Pancakes

Been desperately wanting a tropical vacation. (I know, more than half of the United States is in a horrible heat wave- but not where I am!) And until I actually board a plane this gorgeous fruit, the humble pineapple, will help me dream and pack and prepare! As you may recall, I haven’t actually been a pancake fan. But after testing a few recipes lately thought that pineapple pancakes had to be a top ten pancake contender! Tell me what YOU think. My sun block is already packed!

Here’s all you do:

Pineapple Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 cup pineapple chunks cut into small pieces, very well drained. (use crushed if you have)

Top with coconut shavings and macadamia nuts if you have them! Next time I will add some into the batter.

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Make a well in center of bowl. Whisk in

griddle

milk, egg, butter, then gently fold in crushed pineapple. Pour onto well greased hot griddle and wait until the bubbles form. Once formed all around the pancake, then you can flip. Note these pancakes are little thinner due to the juices of the pineapple thinning the batter, but just delightful like a crepe. Nice and light. Do NOT forget the coconut topping as it truly makes this practically a dessert and a bit exotic for brekky!

Make sure to place in warm oven while making the rest of the pancakes. Serve with heated syrup! Top with butter, syrup and coconut shavings!

Put on some Jimmy Buffet (if you are a parrot head) or some great Hawaiian music (Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)! Make it a great day.

Bon Appétit!

Lemon Pound Cake

This lemon pound cake is a perfect dessert to make a day ahead (if you can stay away from it) of your guests arrival. It’s a sifter kind of cake for sure, but a delightful simple summertime dessert. I didn’t use the glaze listed below, but kept it fresh with sliced strawberries with some crystalized sugar and lemon juice and then topped with some freshly whipped cream. It’s great for a backyard bbq kind of meal.

Here’s all you do:

Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries 

from BeanTown Baker.com & Feast on The Cheap 

Cake
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
8 ounces unsalted butter (or 1 cup, or 2 sticks), softened
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh strawberries

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon zest (or more, to taste)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup non-stick Bundt pan, tapping out excess flour.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. And Sift, and sift. ;-)

In the large bowl of your electric mixer, combine the softened butter with sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, mix in half the flour mixture. Add all of the buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix in the remaining flour, beating only just enough to combine.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until top is golden and puffed and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently, loosen and invert it onto a cake stand or platter to cool completely. Do not let it stand in hot bundt pan or this will become a tad bit overdone instead of silky moist cake!

Once cooled, combine the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a wire whisk, combine thoroughly. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake. It will cascade down the sides, and will set nicely once refrigerated. The cake should be refrigerated at least four hours before serving.

I also left out the part about refrigerating the cake as I wanted to cool strawberries and cream to top a moist cake. So glad summer is finally here!

Been wearing my Poupon apron….so bright!

Bon Appétit!

Ginger Ale

If you love ginger (like I love ginger) then making your own home made ginger ale is something not to be missed. Up until now I had not even thought about making my own ginger ale and unfortunately don’t turn to it unless I have an upset tummy or flu! Not that I don’t like it, that’s the problem, I really like it. But soda pop is not on my menu. So for those times like now when you want to make it yourself and feel better about what goes into your body this is the perfect antidote. AND it does not disappoint! It is so Delicious! What a super refreshingly tasty thirst quenching brew. It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort either.

Here’s all you do:

Homemade Ginger Syrup for Ginger Ale

recipe from Imbibe Magazine (But my thank you to www.JoytheBaker.com)

makes 2 cups ginger syrup

2 cups coarsely chopped ginger (I grated mine)

2 cups granulated sugar

6 cups water

Place chopped ginger in a food processor (or blender in a pinch) and pulverize until well chopped.

Place ginger, sugar, and water in a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until the liquid has reduced down by more than half.  You’re going from 6 cups of liquid to 2 cups.  The boiling syrup will become glossy and silky as it cooks down and nears completion.

Remove syrup from the flame and strain twice through a cheese cloth, or fine mesh strainer, into a large bowl.  Let syrup cool slightly before pouring into a bottle to store.  Cool completely before incorporating into drinks.

Ginger Ale

1 cup club soda

3 tablespoons ginger syrup (or to taste)

Lime wedge (I squeezed about  1 tablespoon-loved the kick!!)

Dash of bitters (optional- don’t have so maybe that is why the lime juice was Perfect)

Ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a glass over ice.  Stir with spoon to incorporate.  Enjoy immediately.

Serve after a sunny hot day at the beach, toiling in your garden or working out and you will sleep like a baby that night! At least, that was my experience!

Bonne Nuit!

Summertime

Need something healthy to drink in the heat?? Solar tea, from Celestial Seasonings is a good place to start.

Solar Tea

I really love their Zinger selection and it’s a great tea all year round. You can make your tea the solar way (place in hot sun) or boil your water to make your tea. Let cool or place in the fridge. Then just add two large sliced oranges, 3 cups strawberries cut in half and mint leaves. That’s it!

Keep refrigerated and let the juices marinate for at least two hours. I like to keep the mint leaves whole and not slice up. It still give it a very nice fragrance and zip!

A few ice cubes is all you need along with some glasses and a hammock!,  If you need a sweetener in this drink then do so, but it is really perfect all on its own!

Great with breakfast, lunch or dinnertime, but especially summertime.

Happy Fourth of July!

Bon Appétit.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

This was a good morning for pancakes……..nuff said! Uh…..seriously a good morning for warmth on a plate with sweet gooey buttery pancakes. No really, these were super. Super easy, super fast and super fantastic! The sweet potato was, well sweet and earthy (love that!).  It needed nothing but this plain ol nothing of a basic pancake recipe and some sweet potato. It does help having delicious maple syrup warmed to perfection. Just a side note for you there, but it does put this humble breakfast dish into a new category.

Here’s all you do:

Sweet Potato Pancakes:

Adapted from Pumpkin Pancakes by Heather Christo

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
¾ cup sweet potato
1 egg
2 Tbs melted butter

Preheat a griddle to 375˚or a pan to medium.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk, sweet potato, egg and melted butter. Combine well until you have a smooth batter.

Bubbles!

Grease the griddle or pan with vegetable oil.  Pour the pancakes to whatever size you like.  When bubbles start to form on the surface,  flip the pancake. Let them cook another minute before removing them from the pan. Place pancakes on a plate in the oven at 220˚ keeping them warm (just a suggestion)! ;-)

While pancakes are cooking you can heat your syrup up. Then when you are done cooking all of your pancakes, this will be delicious for them!
Serve with fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh coffee! Viola!

These are sooooo good! Even if you are not a huge pancake lover (like me!) you will absolutely love these. Hmmmm maybe you should actually be a sweet potato fan too! Helps.

If you have guests visiting and need to fix breakfast or if the kids are having a sleep over this is an excellent choice! Really filling and for summer you are full and energized for the day. Or at the very least it will get those rug rats fed until lunch!!

Bon Appétit!

Lemon Blueberry Buckle

July is starting to look like summer is truly bonafide. With that, lemons are perfect for waking up with sunshine surrounding us. I found this little ditty and not sure how I feel about this one. It’s got great blueberries, wonderful sugary lemon syrup and a lovely topping. A perfect cake for coffee or afternoon tea time. That being said…….I am not sure if it could have needed more sugar, or that because my 9×9 pan was out on loan and making it in the 8×8 made a difference. It SURE took a longer time to cook than the 45 minutes. But I will let my taste testers tell me what they think. In the meantime you might want to try it and let me know what you think! Would love to hear some other opinions for sure.

And in the other mean time, get out and enjoy some wonderful rays!!

Thanks to http://taylortakesataste.com for sharing this recipe!

Here’s all you do:

Lemon Blueberry Buckle

“Rustic Fruit Desserts” by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

To make this recipe, you will first make the crumb topping. Put the topping in the freezer while you make the cake batter. As the

Buckle Ingredients

cake is baking, make the lemon syrup. Remember, so this first!

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup AP Flour

1/3 cup sugar

dash salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup room temp unsalted butter, cubed

In a small bowl, sift the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Using a fork or your fingers, mix in the butter until pea size crumbs

Blue Berry

form. Store Crumb Topping in freezer.

Cake

1 1/2 plus 2 tbsp AP Flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

6 tbsp room temp unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cups blueberries

Blue Tops

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg forming the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest.

Add one egg at a time to the mixing bowl, mixing after each addition.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the butter milk. Mix.

Add another third of the dry ingredients and the final half of the butter milk. Mix.

Add the remaining third of the dry ingredients. Mix.

Fold in 1 cup of blueberries.

Spread cake batter evenly over a greased 9×9 baking container of your choice. Sprinkle the remaining cup of blueberries over top.

Blueberry Done

Remove crumb topping from freezer and spread over the berries. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until it starts to brown.

While baking, make lemon syrup.

Lemon Syrup

1/3 cup sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

In a large saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 8-10 minutes until a syrup has formed.

When buckle is finished baking, pour syrup over top.

Like I mentioned, for some reason I thought it could have used some more sugar. Not really a good thing which is why I left it out, but if you have some agave, or honey…..I might try that next.  OH……and my stove is on the blink….blink….while a new part is being ordered…..that could have had something to do with the length of time it took to bake.

Other wise, put on your summer apron and give it a whirl. And may you all have a living vacuum like I do!

Woof!

Bon Appétit!

Lemoncello Cake

Once upon a time the chef brought me home some Lemoncello………! Hmmmmmm. That’s when you say “Lovely….. I don’t drink this?! But Thanks.”   So, that lovely bottle from Italy has been sitting on the shelf for years waiting for the day I paid some attention to it. With it finally being summer, I found a perfect recipe to delight this liquor. And thank goodness the Liv Life Too blog spot put it up on Tastespotting.  (http://livlifetoo.blogspot.com/2011/06/limoncello-lemon-cake-for-our-dear.html)

Here’s all you do:

Lemoncello Lemon Cake

adapted from Erika Kerekes

2 eggs

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1 cup sugar

Batter

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 to 2 Tbs Lemoncello or Lemon Juice (adjust as necessary)

1 tsp lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, lemon zest and 3 Tbsp lemoncello or lemon juice.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until incorporated, 15-20 stirs, being careful not to over mix. (Mine was pretty lumpy but still was fine)

Baked

Spray an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan (or alternatively 3 mini loaf pans, 5 3/4 x 3 inch) with cooking spray.  Pour the batter into the pan.  Bake about 40 minutes for the larger loaf pan or 30-35 minutes for the smaller loaf pans, or until a tester comes out clean and the top of the cake is golden. Cool the cake in the pan for about 5 minutes.  Remove from pans and continue cooling on a wire rack.

When the cake is cool, whisk the powdered sugar with 2 Tbs lemoncello or lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth.  Drizzle the glaze over the cake.

I have to admit…….I couldn’t really tell the difference between this Lemoncello and adding regular plain old lemon juice to this cake. It was lovely and delicious, no doubt, but if you don’t have Lemoncello in the cupboard and aren’t prone to drinking this liquor in the first place, then you are not missing out on anything when cooking with it. Not to be disrespectful to this lovely Italian product, but not being a drinker this actually reminds me of……….well not going to go there. Just know you can do perfectly well with the lemon juice from your lemons and this cake is still going to be gone in minutes. Promise!

I better make two next time~;-)

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a nice veggie. They mean no one any harm, no after kick, punch or bite and are low-calorie. Want to fall in love and change your opinion of the ever so humble cucumber?  Well, if that is what you have been thinking (OK if you have truly been thinking like that you might want to seek some professional help…..) but that aside here is a fabulous recipe to change your views on this garden delight. And it’s a doosey of a deal breaker in the world of opinions!

Nothing says Summertime better than these crisp, sweet, zippy, easy delicious pickled cucumbers. I couldn’t believe how delicious they made my sandwiches, salads, and just perfect for that 5 o’clock cheese platter! Too hot to cook? Too tired to cook? Too finicky for fast food? This is the side dish you have been searching for. I literally have been enjoying these every single day since I made them. Good thing I made a big batch of them. Think I found my first garden staple that I can’t live without.

Ahhhhh, don’t you just love it when something so healthy, easy and tasty lands in your lap? Yep, this recipe is a keeper. Here’s all you do:

PICKLED CUCUMBERS

2 cups rice wine vinegar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 medium limes)
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound Japanese, Persian, English or pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick or thinner)
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I think I could have used more cilantro….just sayin)

Cukes!

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Combine cucumbers, onion, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add vinegar mixture and stir to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before serving, or transfer cucumber mixture to a clean jar and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Seeeeee? Told you there was nothing to it. And I would like to highly recommend this to go with your Spinach pesto on sandwiches. I don’t think you will be disappointed in ANY way. Plus, this let’s you get out into that beautiful sunshine called summer.

Oh, and lest we forget….a special thanks to  Nourish network dot com for sharing this ditty! (http://nourishnetwork.com/2010/07/14/spicy-sweet-pickled-cucumbers/)…..Merci beaucoup!

Bon Appétit!

Egg Salad Boats

You know how some things are good for you and some things, well just a little of it can be good for you. Sorta how I feel about this little summer ditty I came up with. Not having any fresh home made bread this week, I thought this would be perfect. Easy for summer back yard finger food too. And so far, the votes say it’s so!

A lovely egg salad made with smokey paprika, capers, red onions, fresh grown shallots from my garden (can’t take credit they just bloomed!), chopped celery, and a touch of mayo and poupon. Salt and pepper to taste and slide that into some fresh clean lettuce leaves or romaine. It is perfect for an outdoor barbeque and can be made a day ahead and assembled just before your guests arrive.

Put a little Bruce Springsteen “Haight Ashbury” album  on (a classic) and raise a toast to one of our favorite sax players Mr. Clarence Clemmons. May he rest peacefully forever. Thanks for the great music Clarence!

Bon Appétit!

Pesto Pasta Salad

Found this wonderful little ditty on the website of by  Sunny Vegan (dot com) and had to share. Had some spinach I needed to use up and was looking for some creative  ways to serve with out cooking it. The recipe calls for walnuts, which work perfectly, but I did have some pine nuts on hand and decided to toast them up a bit and use instead. Oh, and I also doubled the recipe which I recommend if you are having guests. I was thinking there would be a LOT of good dishes I could make with this incredible pesto. And viola!!

So many ways to serve. Perfect for a cheese platter and even on pizzas. We know how I hate that!!

Here’s all you:

pesto ingredients

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups packed spinach (stems removed)

1/4 cup packed fresh basil

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
pepper

For non Vegans add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

(I personally needed a tad bit more garlic! But start small and add if you feel necessary)

Pesto

In a food processor, pulse walnuts into small bits. Then add spinach and basil and blend together.  Slowly pour in olive oil and blend well, add remaining ingredients.

serves 4-6

You can use with pasta, add this on salads, flat breads, top a steak or fish with; or add to some chicken roulade.

Give me a minute and I can come up with some dessert ideas, but you get the picture! It’s healthy, yummy and safe for your vegan loved ones. How happy is that!?

Wore my Napa apron, it never shows stains like these, so whirl away!

Remember, stains are stories!

Bon Appétit!

BBQ Pizza

I had no idea a pizza cooked on the grill would be so incredibly…….well FAST…..but super delicious! I mean super delicious! If you have not had the chance to grill a pizza out in the open, well promise me this is the summer you change all that. With a tiny bit of planning, some home-made dough, a good thick tomato sauce and some basic toppings (or cosmic if you insist), you are in for a real treat. We are talking “get out the hammock” and find a good pillow kind of treat. Simple outdoor goodness. After an outdoor meal like this one it will be hard to go back to oven cooked pizza or even ordered out at your favorite pizza joint!  And can I tell you………. it was so much fun too! Who’d have thought it! ;-)

I just have one word of advice: Make two pizzas. You’re going to need it!

Here is the Pizza dough:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (some to drizzle later)

3 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons instant dry milk powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar (thought I would try a tad bit of sugar and YES!)

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in your bread machine in the order it requires, and place on the dough/pasta cycle. This cycle lasts 90 minutes, so you can prepare your pizza toppings with plenty of time.

When dough is finished, place on lightly floured board and roll out the shape of your desired pizza.  Fire up the grill! On a very hot grill (generally 400˚) brush some olive oil on the grill before placing down the dough. You are going to cook the dough on one side for about 4-5 minutes.

Dough

The dough handles very well and should not be too thin so that it falls through the grate of your grill. I recommend not walking away from your grill and getting distracted. It cooks very fast. As you can see the results are really good. When you turn the dough over to place all of your toppings and sauce on it, I recommend you place the pizza on a board to assemble. Have all of your toppings ready to go by the grill because this is the super fast part! My instruction had me top the pizza ON the grill, but then your veggies don’t get enough time to cook as the dough quickly starts baking and will turn black before any meat or heavy cheese will get melted. So on the already cooked side of the dough, place your sauce and toppings on the pizza, slide back on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes or until your desired done-ness!!

Honestly, I ate too many slices it was THAT good. The dough is the best crust you can imagine and that bbq outdoorsy cooking just melts in your mouth. It’s just the best. But I am staring to sound a little tad bit biased. You’ll forgive me.

Slice

So get out the sunblock, soak up the sun and enjoy some outdoors pizza. Good friends, good tunes and it is a bona-fide summer meal, even if it’s still only spring.

And while you’re out there, sing to your veggie garden! I hear it likes that a lot. ;-)

As they say, Bon Appétit!!

Asparagus Frittata

It is finally feeling like summer, but never too sunny for a delicious and easy Frittata. Sure do miss my quiches, but when you don’t have the time this Frittata is pretty darn close. Here is the perfect answer to that kind of comfort food. It’s healthy, delicious and takes hardly any time to put together! I have made a few lately but this one is hands down my favorite. You need very little ingredients for a super filling meal. Here’s all you do:

Ingredients:

8 Eggs

1/4 cup half and half

1 teaspoon italian seasoning (always use fresh if you have it)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2-3/4  cup chopped onion

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Asparagus – 5 to 6 stalks, trimmed

3 small tomatoes, sliced in 1/4″ slices

Preheat oven to 350˚.  Grease a pie dish spreading evenly.  Saute onion in a tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl mix all the eggs, then add the milk and the spices. Fold in cheese and onions. Pour into prepared pie dish.  Place asparagus stalks around the pie plate, adding the sliced tomatoes in between the asparagus. Place foil on top of the frittata and bake 30-35 minutes. Keep an eye on this, as it can brown easily but still be wet in the center. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing. This is BEST right out of the oven and served. But, any leftover is always just as delicious.

Serve with salad or sliced potatoes. Sweet comfort!

Bon Appétit!

Stuffed Peppers

I have been experimenting with my bell pepper stuffing recipes, and I think I found something worthy of sharing. Red and orange bell peppers are so sweet and delicious and thought a suitable veggie and cheese combination would be really tasty. My first attempts were not very pretty or edible without falling apart. You’d need a shower afterwards as well!  And it couldn’t have rice (bad memories there) or meat in it keeping it as vegetarian as possible.  So after a few attempts and some lovely red & white quinoa, fresh asparagus and white wine, I made a lovely Stuffed pepper. Here’s all I did.

First I made a tomato sauce of onions, spices, carrots, herbs and white wine.   I did cheat with some beef broth that I had from the non vegetarian days but it was minimal. Threw in a few other things to clean out the cupboard (some olives), you just want to make sure the sauce is slightly thick.
The trick to this tasty little dish was how I assembled it. After making this lovely sauce which is not too runny all you do is layer it with a cheese combination. Cut small circle on top of pepper to give it a nice bowl effect. Hollow out the seeds and trim down the pith to give you more room for the sauce and cheese. Place the sauce down first, then a layer of cheese and repeat. Generally that is about all the room available!

sauce

Place stuffed peppers into a 350˚ oven for 45 minutes. Cover tops of peppers with some foil so the cheese doesn’t burn. This was so yummy. Great with a salad! Healthy too. If you have some sauce you have made, zip it up in some peppers for a wholesome happy meal.

Peppy

Bon Appétit!