“Pancakes are yummy! They taste so good in my tummy! Honey, chocolate, berries, sugar, and syrup…”

These are the words to a song we like to sing when we eat pancakes. It comes from the movie, “Frogs and Toads”, directed by Simone van Dusseldorp. Frogs and Toads is a delightful story about two brothers, Max and Jannus. Jannus, the older of the two, is off to the hospital to have his tonsils out. He manages to convince his younger brother Max to collect frog spawn (fish eggs) for him, because without them he will never be able to speak again. The story follows Max on a wonderful adventure with his new found friend Jesse as they search the countryside for the magical frog spawn.

In Europe pancakes refer to what we American’s call crepes. Crepes are served with powdered sugar or a sweet array of toppings including: honey, chocolate, berries, and syrup.

Crepes:
4 eggs
1 1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp oil
1 cup flour

Beat eggs slightly, add remaining ingredients; beating just until smooth. Pour a scant quarter cup of batter into a small hot skillet, tilting to spread evenly. Brown lightly on both sides.

Normally when I go to the grocery store I stick to my shopping list; the one exception being loss leader items (sale items we use often). During a shopping trip I found the bok choy too tempting to pass by. These mini green lettuce type vegetables looked so beautiful I just had to alter the week’s menu to accomodate them.

I never gave bok choy a second look until I met a friend of mine, Daravahn, who is from Loas. She used them all the time in stir-fry and soup. Bok Choy is a type of cabbage often used in Chinese cooking. It is believed to be one of the oldest vegetables in the Chinese diet.

To prepare the bok choy for cooking, start by trimming the end of the stem off. Separate and wash. Cut the green leaf parts from the cream colored stem. Because the stem takes longer to cook always cook the stems first.

4 pork chops
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 baby bok choy
6 cups chicken stock, or equal parts vegetable and chicken stocks
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch Cayenne pepper
1 pound noodles

Season 4 chops with salt and pepper. Cut into strips.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Cook pork chops 3-5 minutes (depending on how thick they are) each side. Remove.

Add onions. Cook 3 minutes or until tender.
Add baby bok choy stems; cooking until tender. Add leaves, cook until wilted. Remove bok choy.

Add 6 cups broth, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ginger ground, pinch cyanne pepper, and 1 tsp seseame oil to hot pan. Bring to a boil, add 1 pound noodles. When tender return pork and bok choy to pan. Serve with green onions.

Wonton soup is always on the menu for Chinese New Year mostly because it is my favorite. The simple broth with a small wrapped up surprise is delicious and comforting on a cold winters day.

Dinner time topic? What would you wish for if you could have one wish?

Source: Joylicious

Makes 48-55 wontons

7 oz shrimp, shelled
14 oz ground pork
1 package wonton wrappers
1/2 egg white
1 tablespoon corn strach
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
——-

6 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
cilantro and green onion, chopped for garnish
1 teaspoon salt

Wash the shrimp, squeeze out the excess moisture and chop coarsely. Mix together with the ground pork, egg white, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt, sugar, rice wine and ginger. Take your wonton wrappers and wrap them in a moist towel, this keeps the wrappers from drying out. Wrap one teaspoon filling in each wonton wrapper. You can fold them as the way I’ve shown or just gather and twist the edges together to form a little purse.

Bring the chicken stock and salt and white pepper to a boil and pour into a soup bowl. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil and drop in the wontons. Cook until the wontons rise to the top, about 5 minutes. Remove the wontons from the water and place in the prepared chicken broth. Top with scallions, cilantro and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve immediately.

***** A trick my mom would always use to adjust the flavorings for the filling is she would make a wonton and cook and taste it first. That way you’re able to adjust the flavorings according to your taste (i.e. add more salt to the filling or more sugar or more wine).

***** My mom use to steam the wontons and then place them in the broth. This keeps the wontons from falling apart and becoming over cooked. If you choose to steam the wontons you can use a bamboo steamer (as pictured) and steam for 10 minutes on high heat. You can also eat the wontons plain without the broth and serve them alongside a dipping sauce.

Photo: Property of “Not Without Salt“

Chicken chili is what you get when chicken cacciatori is on the menu, but the masses demand chili. My children tend to shy away from soups with excessive amounts of broth. They would much prefer a heartier stew or chili.

As with most chili recipes this one also has some kick to it. It is just perfect for my milder taste buds. However, if you think it is not hot enough increase the red pepper flakes to 1/2 – 1 teaspoons.

Source: Not Without Salt
2 large yellow onions, medium dice
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
1/4 cup minced cilantro stems
3 cups chicken cooked, shredded

Cook the onions in the butter over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and their juice to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked chicken, black beans and cilantro stems to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the cilantro and sour cream.

Variations:
- Add 2 diced celery sticks
- Replace the black beans with white beans and kidney beans.
- Omit the bell peppers substituting 3 stalks celery finely chopped.
- This recipe works great with leftover turkey from the holiday.
- For a vegetarian version omit the chicken and add 1/2 cup lentils.

Cobb salads have always been my favorite. The egg, bacon, lettuce and dressing taste so satisfying and filling. We were in the rut of serving lettuce with carrots and celery for so long salads became really boring. I have since tried to remember that a salad is just another way of eating a sandwich. Anything you would put on a sandwich could be combined to make a salad.

Cobb salads traditionally consist of boiled egg, meats and cheeses. I love a sprinkle of blue cheese and a couple slices of beets.

Spinach
Egg, sliced
Red Onion, sliced
Bacon, chopped
Ham, chopped
Mushrooms, sliced
Pine nuts
Salt and pepper
Vinegar
Oil

Place spinach in a large bowl. Top with egg slices, onion rings, ham, bacon, mushrooms, and nuts. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little vinegar and oil.

In our home pancakes are more than just a breakfast food drenched in syrup. They are a quick snack with cream cheese or peanut butter. Or a sweet dessert with chocolate or butter and cinnamon sugar. And, they had better hold up under the sharp scrutiny of the little guy, our carbohydrate connoisseur. So you can imagine my delight when the switch from wheat to gluten-free pancakes went unnoticed.

These gluten-free pancakes are light and fluffy just like a buttermilk pancake should be. I love them best with sauteed sliced banana in real maple syrup. They also taste scrumptious with a smear of butter and a drizzle of honey.

Source: Artisanal Gluten Free Cooking by Kelly Bronski and Peter Bronski
1 cup Artisan GF Flour Mix (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons GF baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix. Add the melted butter and mix just until the ingredients are combined.

Heat a griddle or skillet to medium-high heat. Grease with butter. Pour batter into rounds on the hot griddle using a two-ounce ladle. Cook until bubbles have formed on the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook other side until golden brown. Serve with real maple syrup, honey, peanut butter, or berries.

Makes 12 pancakes

Artisan Gluten-free Flour Mix: Makes 3 cups
1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon potato flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To use: stir flour then pour into measure cups using a spoon. Level off with a knife. Do not densely pack the measuring cup.

Salads can be an impressive addition to a dinner party menu. I brought this salad to a Christmas party recently to rave reviews. I love the contrasting red, green and orange colors in this wintery orange salad. I tried a simple oil and vinegar dressing the first time I bought the salad mix. The garlic The salad mix has a bitter bite so the dressing did not win me over. I like the sweetness of the orange vinaigrette much better. The dressing is subtle but adds just enough flavor to compliment the herbs.

1 package mixed baby greens and herb salad mix
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 large orange
Orange Vinaigrette

Spread walnuts out on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Pour salad mix into a large bowl. Sprinkle with cooled walnuts, blue cheese, and seeds. Arrange onion rings and orange wedges on top. Toss with vinaigrette before serving.

Orange Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup juice from 1 to 2 oranges
1 shallot, sliced
1-1/2 cups olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, add orange juice and shallot. Slowly drizzle the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper. Mix again before adding to salad.

A creamy white sauce mixed with green peas and chopped chicken, or in this case turkey, is my version of a cheap, super fast, totally yummy kids friendly meal. Pasta with ‘white sauce’ is a family staple in our house. I am bound by law to make pasta with white sauce at least once a week. Even our pickiest eater has graduated from only eating plain pasta, to adding just a little white sauce to his noodles.

2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 pound cooked pasta
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
2 cups cooked turkey
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions, garlic and celery. Saute until celery is soft and onions translucent. Remove vegetables from heat.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan. Cook garlic in butter until fragrant about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour, stirring until smooth. Carefully pour in the milk constantly whisking until sauce is smooth. Cook sauce until thickened about 3 to 5 minutes. Add grated parmesan. Stir until melted and well blended.

Toss in cooked pasta, turkey and peas. Heat through.

When I saw this recipe for gluten-free breakfast cookies, I was excited because it only calls for one type of flour and the results were amazing. Switching to a gluten-free diet is very difficult, it is not just replacing a cup of wheat flour with coconut flour, there is an entire new baking formula to go by. Even then, the results can be less than satisfactory.  Those who suffer from celiacs disease and gluten sensitivity deserve to have that perfect crunch of bread or moist light muffin, it is one of those simple pleasures many of us take for granted.

With Celiacs disease, the gluten attacks the lining of the intestines; once gluten is removed from the diet, the symtoms of the disease go away. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, and barley (there is some debate as to oats being included in the mix). Those with a sensitivity to gluten may feel run down, bloated, and risk developing other types of autoimmune diseases. However, you need not have Crohns disease or Celiacs disease to experience a sensitivity to gluten.

Today, the gluten content in wheat is 90% more than 70,  or even 100, years ago. Many doctors are advising patients with unknown chronic illnesses to lay off the gluten until their system recovers. Some individuals discover that they feel healthier and have more energy once the gluten is removed from their diet. All in all, I would not rush out and start buying gluten-free products, as it seems to be the craze now-a-days. Moderation is the key in all things.

Often times gluten-free recipes can be somewhat overwhelming with all the unfamiliar products. With recipes like this one, we can easily incorporate more grains into our diet. And, your gluten-free friends will be so shocked. Just remember to use uncontaminated baking equipment.

Source: Comfy Belly
2 1/2 cups of almond meal or almond flour (any nut flour will work really)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or 1/2 cup of coconut oil or vegetable shortening, melted)
1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener)
1 egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla
2 cups of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, chocolate (in any variation)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Stir in the 2 cups of desired nuts and fruits.

Stir in the melted butter, honey, egg, vanilla. Blending well.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Space them about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 25. Store in a sealed container.

Variations:
- For a crunchier cookie, leave them in the oven at 200 degrees F for another 15 minutes or so, or in a dehydrator on a fairly low temperature for about 2 hours.
- Fall spice blend: 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg and ground cloves. Add with dry ingredients.

One of the biggest celebrations in Sweden around Christmas time is St. Lucia Day on December 13th. The day was named after a young woman who was martyred for her faith in a Christian religion. The story tells of a young woman who helped to nurture the needy hiding in the catacombs in Rome by bringing them food despite the growing sentiment against those who believed in a Christian God.

In Sweden on St. Lucia Day girls and boys dress in white. One older girl is chosen to bear the candle wreath upon her head and leads the company of children in a parade. The St. Lucia tradition has grown in popularity throughout the world.

Each family chooses to celebrate this day in a different way. In my sister-n-law’s, Natalie, home the oldest girl dresses in white, dones a wreath, and serves everyone baked goods in their beds. We like to choose a service project to help someone in need. We also make sweet rolls for breakfast and Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes for dinner.

Source: Simple Recipes
Serves 10-12 (about 40-50 meatballs)
Meatballs:
4 tbsp butter, divided
1 large yellow onion, finely diced (or grated on a cheese grater)
1 cup milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread crumbs (or 4-5 slices of bread processed in a food processor)
1 1/4 pound ground pork
2 pounds ground beef (buy the package that says market fresh or fresh)
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Sauce:
6 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
1 quart beef stock

In a large skillet, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until soften and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool.

Pour milk into the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Add bread crumbs and let sit; about 2 to 5 minutes or until the milk is completely soaked up.

Add the ground pork, ground beef, cooled onions (reserving the pan to cook in), eggs, nutmeg, cardamom, salt and pepper. until the ingredients are well combined.

Use a cookie scoop to measure out tablespoon sized balls. Using your hands roll into meatballs. Set meatballs on a baking sheet.

In the same pan used to cook the onions, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium to medium high heat. When the butter has melted add the meatballs in batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Brown meatballs on all sides about 40 seconds to 1 minute each side until nice and browned. Scoop out and place on a baking rack placed in a baking sheet. (This helps to drain the excess fat)

Sauce:
In the same pan over medium heat, add 6 tablespoons of butter for the sauce. When the butter has melted slowly add the flour, mixing continuously with a wire whisk until smooth. Cook about 1 minute longer to brown. Continue to whisk while adding the broth in a steady stream. Whisk sauce until it is completely smooth and void of any lumps. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low; simmer about 5 minutes more to thicken.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

To serve, remove the meatballs from the sauce and place in a serving bowl. If desired add the sour cream mixing well. Serve with Lingonberry Jelly, boiled potatoes and steamed green beans.

Variations:
– Mix a couple tablespoons lingonberry, cranberry, red currant or raspberry jelly, into the sauce before serving.
–Mix 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream with the meatballs in the serving bowl.