Cinnamon Pear Pancakes with Agave Syrup
Pears
So, I was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s latest book about his travels across the U.S.. He writes about real food and for a foodie like myself, I appreciate his approach. The U.S. has much to be proud of when it comes to food. (Let them not just be known for their love of fast food!)
One recipe that inspired me was Jamie’s apple pancakes. It was from that recipe that I made these delicious ones for my family this week. I love the idea of using a whole pear or apple, grated up because the fruit itself has so much to offer in it’s whole form. I realize it seems strange to grate it, skin, seeds and all but trust me, you’ll love it.
Self raising flour is also and great ingredient in this recipe. You can make your own by adding baking powder and salt to all purpose flour but I find keeping a bit of it on hand makes quick bread recipes like this easier to make.
One cup self-rising flour is equal to:
1 cup of all-purpose flour, plus
1 1/4 tsp. of baking powder, plus
1/8 tsp. of salt
I used Agave nectar because I was out of maple syrup. It is thicker and much sweeter than maple syrup and ended up being a fantastic element to this dish. It is derived from the same plant that tequila is made from; Agave tequiliana, and makes an excellent natural sweetener. There have been recent concerns about it being deemed a healthy sugar when in fact it is not. . .basically, as with all things, used it sparingly and as often as you would use any sugary syrup for breakfast. (In our family, that’s not often)
Pear Pancakes
Pear Pancakes
Recipe: Cinnamon Pear Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 whole pear, grated
- 1 cup of self rising flour
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of milk
- Pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the grated pear, flour, egg and milk and whisk until smooth. Add the cinnamon and stir to combine. Heat a pan or griddle to high and spoon batter onto the pan to form 4 inch pancakes. When the cakes have bubbles formed on their tops, flip them. Once they have puffed up, remove from the pan and serve warm.
Recipe by on.
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New Years Nachos
Nachos
Happy New Year. . .yes, yes, I realize that it is a few weeks in to 2011 but life has chosen to take my energy elsewhere. Blogging continues to be a priority of mine that falls to the bottom of my list. Alas, I will do better from now on.
2011 is going to offer many changes for us. Change is always good because when you measure your life as a journey, change brings much to learn from.
One thing that will not change is our family’s love for Nachos. My kids, left to decide what’s for dinner, inevitably choose them. Tonight it’s what’s on the menu so I thought I’d include my recipe.
Recipe: Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup of frozen corn
- 1 tbsp. of Tex Mex Seasoning Mix
- 1 bag of tortilla chips
- 3 cups of shredded cheese, your choice
- 2 cups of salsa
- 1 cup of sour cream
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large cast iron skillet, brown the ground beef with the onions until crispy. Add the frozen corn and Tex Mex seasoning and stir until well mixed. Remove from beef mixture to a plate and then add the bag of chips to the skillet. Cover the chips with the corn and beef mixture and top with cheese. Bake the nachos for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve hot with salsa and sour cream.
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Gingerbread Men
Gingerbread Men
We love to make these men every year but, for a change, this year we used Sweet Auburn spice mix instead of the traditional spices.
They never last longer than a few days in our household. In fact, I have hard time getting them iced to look like little men. As a cheat this year, I bought pre-made Royal Icing from the bakery. It was cheaper than replenishing my stock of Meringue Powder and the consistency was perfect. Let the professionals make it, I say!
Merry Christmas and Happy Eating!
Recipe: Sweet Auburn Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
- 1 cup of butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups of white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. of molasses
- 3 cups of flour
- 2 tsp. of baking soda
- 3 1/2 tsp. of Sweet Auburn
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
Cream the butter and the sugar together and add the egg and molasses and mix well. Add the flour, baking soda, Sweet Auburn and salt, mixing until well combined. Chill dough for at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out the chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place the cookies 1 inch apart and bake for 10 minutes. They should be firm and lightly toasted on the edges.
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Chef at Home Cooking Class Series
Chef At Home Series
Awesome Apple Pie
Apple Pie
I was entertaining guests this past weekend and a recipe that I had taught last September for Apple Pie became a topic of conversation. The recipe had been misplaced and so a copy needed to be found on my database and emailed ‘toute suite’. As I did this, it occured to me that my blog followers would benefit from having it included on my site.
So, here it is. Now, trust me when I say this is not a traditional way to make pie but that is what makes it awesome! Trust me when I say it’s worth thinking a bit differently about the process.
Recipe: Awesome Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 2 rounds of pastry for top and bottom crust
- 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 3 tbsp. of flour
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 8 tart apples (Granny Smith), peeled, cored and sliced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out your 2 rounds of pastry and sprinkle evenly with grated cheddar. Press the cheese into the crusts and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in flour to form a paste. Add the water and sugars and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pie tin and fill with the apples. Cover with the top crust and cut generous sized holes in the top of the pastry. Pour the simmered liquid over the pie, making sure that it runs into the holes and is all absorbed. Bake the pie for 15 minutes in the oven and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees to continue baking for 40 minutes. Serve cooled with ice cream.
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