Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika

The weather here has finally begun to warm up and it's actually beginning to feel a bit more like summer. Last month the heater popped on once or twice which had me wondering if it was going to feel like March forever.

When it does heat up outside, I'm less inclined to get up in the morning to cook, preferring instead "prepared" food. This morning this took the form of deviled eggs which I put together last night. They were incredibly easy to make and a delicious start to the day.

6 hard boiled eggs, shells removed
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sliced chives
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
salt, to taste, if needed

extra sliced chives and smoked paprika, for garnish

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place them into a small bowl.

To the yolks add two tablespoons of mayonnaise (to start), chives, paprika, anchovy paste, mustard and lemon pepper. Mash everything together with a fork until well blended.

If the mixture seems too dry, then add more mayonnaise until you get a consistency you like.

Taste and add salt if necessary. The anchovy paste usually provides enough salt.

Divide the deviled yolk mixture evenly between the egg whites by dropping it into the cavities left by the egg yolks.

Garnish with chopped chives and a small sprinkling of smoked paprika, if desired.

Milk Flan

(6 servings)

This creamy flan isn't too sweet. I often make it with 1% milk, but on occasion I'll use whole milk or half and half.

Although I prefer using custard cups, this flan can also be prepared in a souffle dish that's large enough to hold about 4 1/2 cups of liquid. Just remember to increase the baking time by about 10-15 minutes.

3 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp water

3 large eggs
3 egg large yolks
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp  vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3 cups milk or a combination of milk, half and half or cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Divide the sugar evenly between three two cup ovenproof custard cups or ramekins. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tsp of water over the sugar in each cup until the sugar is soaked evenly.

Place the cups into a microwave and microwave about 2 minutes to begin and then about 20 seconds at a time on high until the sugar bubbles and becomes a nice medium brown color. Watch carefully so the sugar doesn't burn.

Remove the custard cups and swirl the sugar mixture so it coats the entire bottoms and part of the sides of each cup. Set aside.

 Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and salt until the mixture is creamy. Set aside.

Gently heat the milk over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge. If a skin forms, then remove it.

Whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Strain through a sieve and divide between the three custard cups.

Place the cups into a larger baking dish and fill with hot water about 1/2 way up the sides of the custard cups. Place into preheated oven and bake for about 45-55 minutes or until the flans have just set in the centers.

Remove from oven and cool completely.  Loosen the edges with a sharp knife, then carefully invert the flans onto one large or three smaller serving plates.

Hot Cross Buns

(1 dozen)

These hot cross buns are light, fluffy and moist. I love cardamom and that's the dominant spice here, but you could replace that with more cinnamon, if you prefer.

I like to soak the currants and citrus peel overnight in juice until they plump up. This helps keep these buns nice and moist in case you don't inhale all of them when they first come fresh out of the oven.

buns
3/4 cup currants
1/4 cup candied citrus peel, chopped (optional)
1/3 cup apple, orange or cranberry juice
1 1/3 cup milk
1/4 lb unsalted butter, (1 stick)
3 tbsp honey
about 4 cups bread flour, divided
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground dried ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 large egg at room temperature

The day before you plan on making the buns, combine the currants and chopped citrus peel in a small bowl. Stir in the juice and cover with wrap.  Leave overnight until the fruit has plumped up.

Heat the milk taking care it doesn't come to a boil. Cut up the butter and stir into the hot milk. Add the honey. Stir until most of the butter has melted and the milk has cooled to lukewarm. Set aside.

Combine 3 2/3 cups flour, yeast, cardamom, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl until well mixed. Make a well in the center and set aside.

Whisk the egg into the milk and butter mixture, then pour this into the well of the flour mixture. Drain the currants and citrus peel and add this to the bowl as well.

Stir the mixture together until you have a soft sticky dough. Add small amounts of flour to this mixture until you have a soft but very tacky dough that you can knead for about 5 minutes. Take care not to add too much flour. Grease your hands, if needed to prevent the dough from sticking too much.

When the dough looks smooth and elastic, return to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave on the counter until the dough has doubled in volume; about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and place into a lightly buttered  9" x 13" baking dish, 3 balls by 4 balls.

Cover and allow to rise again until doubled in volume; about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

Whip together the egg yolk and milk with a fork. Carefully brush the mixture over the tops of the buns.

flour mixture for crosses
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp water

Combine the flour and water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Place the mixture into a small plastic bag. Snip off the corner, taking care not to cut off too much.

Pipe crosses on the buns. The flour mixture will spread a bit.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 25-35 minutes or until the tops have browned and the interior temperature reaches about 195°F.

Oven Roasted Zucchini Salad

I used to make this as a topping for bruschetta or as a side for grilled chicken. These days I just serve it as a salad. Terrific flavors!

2 tbsp olive oil
2 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt free Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, basil)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 lb zucchini
1 large red bell pepper
3 green onions, sliced
3 tbsp Pecorino Romano cut into very small dice
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp dried currants
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.

Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut into small dice; about 1/2 an inch or slightly smaller. Add to the olive oil mixture and toss until coated.

Spread evenly over a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool and add to mixing bowl.

Wash and seed the red bell pepper. Cut into 1/4 inch dice and add to bowl. Add the sliced green onions, Pecorino Romano, parsley, currants and red pepper flakes.

Drizzle the white balsamic vinegar over everything and toss. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes as needed. Serve

Vegan Apple and Asian Pear Crisp

I've just returned from Canada. I was there for the Canadian Thanksgiving, and made several vegan dishes for that feast. One of these was a huge apple crisp with the apples tossed in a caramel sauce. The kids loved it, although I thought it turned out a tad too sweet. This version contains less sugar and vegan buttery spread (no caramel sauce). I also tossed in some juicy organic Asian pears grown here in Sequim.

A small 1.5 liter casserole dish (7x7x3) is ideal for this crisp. It has a smaller surface, so the ratio of apples to crisp topping is greater. A good thing for those watching their waistlines. No worries if you don't have this particular dish (turns out it's vintage), use an 8x8x2 inch pan instead.

apples and pears
about 2 lbs of apples and Asian pears combined
1 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp apple or orange juice

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Core then, cut the apples and Asian pears into large chunks; about 1 1/2 inches. You don't need to peel them first. Place the fruit into a bowl and sprinkle with the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and juice. Toss.

Place the mixture into a small 7x7x3 or 8x8x2 baking dish. Set aside.

crisp topping
1/4 cup regular rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp "buttery" vegan spread
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Place the rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour, brown sugar, vegan spread and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple and pear mixture.

Bake for about an hour or until the top has browned nicely and the apple mixture has begun to bubble.

This crisp is best served warm or at room temperature.

Broccoli Crunch Salad with Prosciutto and Feta

(about 4 servings)

I haven't set foot in Whole Foods since I left Texas. The closest one is in Seattle, I think. It's all fine. There's a small country market nearby that has great produce, sustainable fish and seafood, a good butcher and an adequate bulk food and spice section. I don't give WF much thought these days, although I was thinking about their Broccoli Crunch Salad the other day. I used to grab a tub or two whenever I was too lazy or busy to make my own.

This version is less sweet and more savory. It contains prosciutto in place of bacon and I have gotten into the habit of adding feta cheese of late because I love that briny goodness.

3.5oz mildly smoked lean prosciutto, diced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey, or more to taste

6 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces 

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp cashews, toasted
3 tbsp dried currants
salt, if needed

Fry the prosciutto in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until it's browned and crispy. Stir in the red onion slices and cook until they are limp. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, apple cider vinegar and honey in a large bowl.

Add the broccoli, prosciutto and onion mixture, feta, cashews and currants. Toss until everything is evening coated with the dressing. Taste and add a bit of salt if needed.

Serve. This salad keeps really well, refrigerated.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Smoked Mozzarella Cheese Spread

(about 1 1/2 cups)

If you have a food processor handy, then this cheese spread will come together in practically no time at all. The sun-dried tomato and smoked mozzarella are absolutely terrific together.

8 oz cream cheese, cut up
4 oz *smoked mozzarella (see note below)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil and drained
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh garlic, or to taste
2 pinches cayenne pepper
salt, to taste

Place all of the ingredients, except the salt into the bowl of a food processor.

Run the motor until everything is well combined. You might have to stop and scrape down the sides once or twice. *I used a very soft, smoked mozzarella cheese from Trader Joe's. If you use a firmer type mozzarella, you might want to add a small amount of olive oil (from the sun-dried tomatoes), sour cream, plain yogurt, white wine or milk, if the processed spread seems too thick. Anything you have on hand to thin it out a bit.

Taste, and add salt and more garlic if needed. Pulse a few more times to combine thoroughly.

This spread tastes best if allowed to sit for an hour or two before serving. It will keep refrigerated for about a week or so.

Spiced Apple Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

(8 inch square cake)

A lot of folks here have fruit trees in their backyards. Since September I've had a steady stream of various types of apples in my kitchen. It seems every time I visit my mum, she sends me home with another bag of them. The last batch of apples I got from her were fairly tart and worked really well in this delicious spiced cake.

The amount of frosting I made was just enough for a thin layer over the top of the cake. I thought that was plenty, however you could easily double the recipe if you prefer more.


dry ingredients
1 1/4 cup whole wheat  pastry flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground anise
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp mace or nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

wet ingredients
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp unsulphered molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small eggs or 1 jumbo egg
1 large tart cooking apple, cut into small dice


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan. Line the greased pan with parchment. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, anise, allspice, cloves, mace or nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until everything is well combined.  Set aside.

Whisk together the sour cream, oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs until the mixture is smooth in a second bowl. Stir in the chopped apples.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake the cake for 35- 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool further.

frosting

3 tbsp butter

about 1 -1 1/3 cups icing sugar

about 2 tsp of  heavy cream

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown and becomes very fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk about 2/3 cup icing sugar into the cooled butter. Add the cream, then another 1/3 cup or so of icing sugar. Add more sugar if needed, to create a spreadable but not too stiff frosting. Add more cream if it seems too stiff.

Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake.

Blueberry Crumble

(3-4 servings)

The blueberries here are magnificent. They are large, plump and juicy. I've gone picking a few times now and will probably head out at least one more time before the season is finished. I can't seem to get enough of them.

This is the fourth crumble I've made. Each one has been a bit different. I've experimented, adding fresh lemon zest, cinnamon and almond extract. I prefer this crumble. It's plain, with a small amount of sour cream. The sour cream provides a subtle tang, allowing the blueberries to shine.

For this recipe I used a small baking dish which holds about 3 1/2 cups.

filling
3 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
2 tsp rice flour or unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine the sour cream, sucanat and rice flour. When they are thoroughly mixed, add the blueberries and toss until they are evenly coated.

Place the coated blueberries into a small baking dish. Set aside.

crumble
2 tbsp rice flour or unbleached flour
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
2 tbsp rolled oats (gluten free, if you are avoiding the regular flour)
2 tbsp cold salted butter, cut up

Place all of the crumble ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times taking care not to over-process. The mixture should be quite coarse in texture.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the blueberries. Place the dish onto a cookie sheet to catch any drippings and place both into the oven.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until the crumble has browned and the berries are hot and bubbling.

Remove from oven and cool. Serve while still slightly warm.

Scotch Eggs

(6 servings)

Scotch eggs are wonderful for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon snack. I've even had them at a local pub for dinner.

I believe their success depends mainly on the type of sausage meat you use. My butcher offers a wonderful lean breakfast style sausage which is delicious on its own and fantastic when used in this recipe.

6 medium eggs
1 1/4 lb bulk lean turkey or pork sausage
3 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp mustard
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1-2 tbsp coconut oil (or high temperature oil) for frying

mustard for serving

Place the eggs in a pot (with a tight fitting lid) and fill with enough cold water to cover them by about an inch.

On the stove top, heat the water until it just begins to simmer, then cover the pot, remove from heat and allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. I used medium sized eggs and when the dish was finished the yolks were still slightly soft. Adjust the time accordingly if you prefer your yolks softer or harder or if your eggs are larger or smaller.

Drain the eggs and run cold water over them. Crack the shells and peel the eggs. Set aside.

In a bowl combine the sausage meat, parsley, sage, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Divide the mixture into six even pieces.

Flatten the meat into an oval and place an egg in the middle. Carefully wrap the meat around the egg and press until the edges are completely sealed. It's worth spending extra time for this step because the meat will shrink somewhat while it's frying and if the edges haven't been sealed adequately, they will pop open.

Heat the oil in a large skillet with a lid. Fry the scotch eggs over a medium high flame for about 7-9 minutes or until they are evenly browned on all sides. Cover the skillet and reduce the flame to about medium. Cook for about 9-12 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked. About midway through turn the scotch eggs over.

Serve with mustard.

Mango & Blueberry Sour Cream Crisp (Gluten free)

(4-6 servings)

This crisp is similar to the nectarine pie I made last year. The sour cream cream mixture forms a custard of sorts as it bakes; it's very nice with a variety of fruits or berries.

Serve this crisp warm or at room temperature.

fruit filling
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
3 cups mango, diced (2 large mangoes)
1 cup blueberries, washed and sorted

streusel topping
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
3 tbsp cold butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Butter an 8 inch square baking dish and set aside.

Whisk together the sour cream, egg, honey, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add the mango and blueberries and toss until they are evenly coated. Set aside.

Combine the almond flour, rice flour, sliced almonds, sucanat and butter in a small bowl with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of petite peas.

Spread the fruit and sour cream mixture evenly  in the prepared baking dish. Top with the streusel mixture.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to bake another 35-45 minutes or until the top has browned nicely and the filling is bubbling hot.

Mixed Fruit Flaugnarde (Gluten Free)

(6 servings)

A clafoutis contains cherries, but when fruit other than cherries is used, this dish becomes a flaugnarde. I had no idea.

I've adapted this recipe from Julia Child's clafoutis on Epicurious. The primary changes I made were using mixed fruit in place of the cherries, making it gluten free and adjusting the ingredients a bit to fit a 9 inch pie dish.

Flaugnarde is often served as dessert, but I thought this was wonderful for brunch. Fortunately I have a counter top convection oven which doesn't increase the temperature in my kitchen; kind of a necessity in this heat.

1 cup and 2 tbsp milk
3 tbsp honey
4 eggs

1 tbsp rum or vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rice flour

2 tbsp coconut flour
2 1/2 cups mixed fruit and/or berries (cut up), I used a combination of mango, peach, plum and blueberries

1 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch pie dish. Set aside.

In a blender, process the milk, honey, eggs, rum, salt and flours until you have a smooth batter.

Pour about a third of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the batter sets. Remove from oven

Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the batter. Sprinkle the sucanat evenly over the fruit and then carefully pour the remaining batter over the fruit.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 45-55 minutes. The flaugnarde is done when the surface has puffed, is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blackened Shrimp Wraps & Mango Salsa

(2 servings)

This is another recipe I came across online I couldn't wait to try. There's something about a blackened dish that seems to hit the spot when it's incredibly hot outside. The spicy shrimp with the mango salsa were amazing!

This recipe called for large leaves of lettuce to use as wraps, but in all honesty I found them difficult to eat this way. The salsa kept falling out which was messy for sure. The next time I will simply spoon a mound of salsa over some torn up lettuce and place the shrimp on top of that. 

This shrimp dish is adapted from a recipe posted at The Charlotte Observer. 

mango salsa
1 roma tomato, finely diced
1 small mango, peeled, stone removed and finely diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper,  finely diced

1 green onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

salt, to taste

1 lime, juice half; other half cut into wedges

Combine the tomatoes, mango, jalapeno, green onions and cilantro in a small non-reactive bowl. Add a small amount of salt and gradually add the lime juice. Toss and taste, adding more salt and lime juice as needed. Set aside.

blackened shrimp
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp butter, melted

8 large raw shrimp, cleaned (about 3/4 lb)
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1  tsp cumin
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste

Combine the garlic and butter in a small bowl. Brush the mixture onto both sides of each shrimp.

Combine the paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt and cayenne until evenly mixed on a plate. Dredge both sides of the shrimp through the spice mixture.

Heat a non stick skillet over a medium-high flame. Fry the shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Remove from heat.

to assemble

4 bib or red lettuce leaves, washed and dried or *see note below

Place about 2-3 tbsp salsa on each leaf and top with 2 cooked blackened shrimp.

*Note: My wraps weren't very easy to eat. The next time I will tear up the lettuce and split that between two plates, spoon the salsa over the lettuce in a small mound on each plate and divide the shrimp between the two plates. It will just be much easier to eat this way.

Garnish with the lime wedges. Serve.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/27/2964134/blackened-shrimp-lettuce-wraps.html#storylink=cpy

Pickled Egg & Beet Salad

(2 servings)

All I can say is I wish I had made more pickled eggs! This salad came together quickly and it was delicious!

2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp prepared mustard, mine was grainy
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 pickled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup pickled beets, diced
1 small Persian cucumber, diced
1/2 apple, cored and diced
1 green onion, sliced
pickle juice, as needed
pickled onion slices for garnish

Whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper in a glass or non reactive bowl.

Add the eggs, beets, cucumber, apple and green onion. Toss. If the salad seems too dry, then add a few teaspoons of the pickle juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Garnish with a few pickled onion slices. Serve.

Brown Rice Pudding with Dates, Almonds & Blueberries

(3-4 servings)

Last night after work I dropped by the market to pick up a few things.  A huge barrel of short grain brown rice caught my eye in the bulk food section. Rice pudding came to mind immediately. I hadn't made it in months and suddenly I was craving it.

I sweetened this rice pudding with dates. Start off with the lesser amount and add a bit more later if it isn't sweet enough.

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup water
a pinch of salt
3/4 cup raw short grain brown rice
1/3 - 1/2 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups milk or almond milk
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp whole flaxseed, optional
1/2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest

fresh blueberries for serving

Lightly toast the almonds. Set aside and cool.

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan with a lid. Stir in the rice and simmer gently uncovered for about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped dates. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 4-5 minutes.

Pour in 1 1/2 cups milk and add the cinnamon. Return the mixture to a light simmer. Taste the liquid and add the extra dates at this point if you prefer your rice pudding sweeter. Cover the saucepan and lower the flame to the lowest setting. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender with a small bite to it.

Remove the lid. Stir in the remaining milk, flaxseed and lemon zest. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow to sit for about 15 - 20 minutes. Most of the remaining liquid will have absorbed into the rice. Stir in the toasted almonds, reserving some for garnish. If the pudding seems too thick, stir in additional milk or water.

Serve warm or at room temperature with the blueberries.

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes with Strawberries

(about 3  5" pancakes/serving)

Lately I've noticed a number of gluten free banana pancake recipes circulating the internet. I tried several and with a bit of experimentation ended up with this recipe. The resulting pancakes are a little on the flat side, not too sweet and not too eggy. I did get fluffy pancakes when I separated the eggs, beat the egg whites until they were stiff and folded those back into the batter, but that's just too much work for a Sunday morning. I tried a few batches with baking powder, and in the end omitted that because I didn't notice much of a difference. I also made these with and without coconut flour and I liked them best when they contained a small amount as that seemed to give them a bit more structure.

These banana pancakes are moist and delicious. Even if you can tolerate gluten, I highly recommend giving these a try, you might be surprised how good they are!

per serving
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 tsp brown sugar

1 medium just ripe banana (use an over-ripe banana if you prefer a sweeter pancake)
1 large egg
1 tbsp coconut flour

whipped cream, optional

Wash and hull the strawberries. Cut them in half and lay them in an even layer on a plate with the cut sides facing up. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the cut berries and set aside.

To make the pancakes in a food processor:
Peel and cut up the banana and place into bowl. Add the egg and coconut flour. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. You'll end up with about 3/4 cup of batter per serving.

To make the pancakes by hand:
Peel and cut up the banana and place into a bowl. Mash it with a fork until you have a fairly smooth mixture; a few lumps are ok. Stir in the egg and coconut flour. Mix until smooth. You'll end up with about 3/4 cup of batter per serving.

Heat a non stick griddle or large frying pan over medium-low heat. I tried a few different temperature settings and this worked best for me using a gas flame. You might have to experiment a bit as these pancakes will brown quickly if the temperature is too high.

Lightly grease the griddle and pour *small pancakes about 5" in diameter leaving  space around them. You'll use about 1/4 cup of batter for each.

Cook them for a minute or two until the bottoms are nicely browned. Carefully flip each one over and cook the other sides until they are done; another minute or two. *These pancakes aren't quite as sturdy as those made with a lot of flour.

Continue until all of the batter is used up. Keep the finished pancakes warm.

To serve:
Top the pancakes with the strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, if using.

Roasted Hatch Chile Corn Muffins; Daring Cooks Challenge, August 2012

(about 12 muffins)

Rachael of pizzarossa was our August 2012 Daring Cook hostess and she challenged us to broaden our knowledge of cornmeal! Rachael provided us with some amazing recipes and encouraged us to hunt down other cornmeal recipes that we’d never tried before – opening our eyes to literally 100s of cuisines and 1000s of new-to-us recipes!

Cornmeal is something I rarely cook with. The closest I've come to is masa harina I use to make tamales. What's interesting to me is the package of "cornmeal" I picked up looks very much like masa harina, except perhaps the texture is a touch coarser. I've always assumed cornmeal was rougher, more granular.

Although quite common, I made corn muffins because I've never made them before and they seemed easy enough. There was a recipe on the back of the package I used as a guide. I made a few adjustments and added leftover roasted hatch chile peppers, (there's a Hatch Chile Pepper Festival going on here at the moment). These muffins turned out great. They were still delicious a few days later when I split them, covered them with cheddar cheese and broiled them in the oven a few minutes.

adapted from recipe on the back of Pioneer Enriched Cornmeal
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg
3 tbsp agave nectar
3 tbsp olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup fresh shucked corn, about 1 ear
1/2 cup *roasted hatch chile peppers, chopped

Prepare a 12 standard size muffin tin by lining it with papers, then set set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine the milk, egg, agave nectar and olive oil in another bowl. Set aside.

Add the corn and roasted chili peppers to the cornmeal mixture, then pour the liquid mixture over those. Stir until everything is just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined muffin tins. Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until the tops have browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

*If you can't find roasted hatch chile peppers, then you can roast them yourself. This recipe uses red bell peppers, but the method is the same. I usually remove the seeds when I roast peppers, but the prepared ones I purchased contained seeds and they were fine; it's up to you!

Banana Bread

(1 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf)

Every once in a while I'll have a couple of very ripe bananas on my hands by the end of the week. I'll either slice them to freeze for smoothies or make muffins or a banana loaf.

This loaf is very easy to make and comes together rather quickly. I like to keep it in the oven just long enough for it to be slightly underdone. When I insert a toothpick, rather than it coming out completely clean, it has small bits sticking to it. The loaf tends to firm up as it cools and the result is a deliciously moist banana bread.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup agave nectar, to taste
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, (about 2 large bananas)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and toasted walnuts in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Combine the canola oil, agave nectar, yogurt, eggs, bananas and vanilla extract in another bowl. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and stir to just combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle still has small bits attached to it; see photo. This technique can be a little hit or miss, so if you don't feel comfortable doing this, then leave it in the oven until your toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing it to cool further on a wire rack.

Bratkartoffeln mit Speck; Pan-fried Potatoes & Bacon

(4 servings)

Every once in a while when I come across something, I'll immediately picture it a particular way and can't let go of the thought. That was the case with the Yukon Gold creamers I saw at the market yesterday. They brought me back to a time when my mum used to make German style pan fried potatoes.

I have lightened them up considerably from how I remember them from my childhood. My mum used to add a huge amount of butter to hers. Both ways are quite delicious....

1 1/2 lb waxy or creamer type (washed) potatoes
3 slices peppered or plain smoked bacon (about 1/4 lb)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
up to 3 tbsp butter (or more :D)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes (with their skins) into a pot large enough to hold them and cover with cold water. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat a touch and simmer them until they pierce easily with a fork; begin to check them after 5 minutes or so.

Drain the potatoes and allow to cool. Either slice them or cut them into small pieces; whichever you prefer. Set aside.

Dice the bacon and place into a cold skillet. Set over medium heat and fry until the bacon begins to brown. Determine how crispy you like your bacon and when it's done to your liking remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain.

Pour the bacon drippings into a small bowl and wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Add about 2 tsp of reserved rendered bacon fat or butter or a combination of the two, to the skillet and return it to the stove. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it begins to brown lightly, taking care it doesn't burn. Remove the onion and set aside.

Add up to 2 tbsp of butter, rendered bacon drippings or a combination of the two, to the skillet. Raise the heat to almost high and when the fat is hot, add the potatoes. Spread them out as evenly as possible in the skillet and adjust the heat if necessary to prevent them from burning. When the bottoms have browned nicely, begin to toss them to brown the other sides. This can take up to 15 minutes or so.

When the potatoes are almost done, return the onions and bacon to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (if needed) and cook until everything is nice and hot.

Serve.