Blueberry Pancakes

I like to call this my blue breakfast.  Blueberry, whole wheat pancakes and a blueberry smoothie.

I must share something with you all (or y'all which ever you prefer). My husband is weird.  He sings random, made up songs and changes the words to regular songs all the time.  I found this slightly odd and endearing at first, and now I hardly notice.  I have even started to pick up this habit.  While I was making this breakfast I was singing 'Blue Breakfast' to the tune of Blue Christmas and changing the words to suit my needs  (and I don't sing well luckily my husband picked up the tune and took it from there).   Yes we are weird.

Anyway.  For this breakfast I used my usual Whole Wheat Pancake recipe and just added blue berries.  This makes for a delicious and nutritious breakfast.

A tip I picked up from a cooking show:

•  Do not mix the blue berries in to the pancake batter (they will crush and you will have funny colored pancakes or sink to the bottom).  Instead sprinkle the blueberries on the individual pancakes, in the pan, while the batter is still soft, before you flip it.  Press the blueberries as deep into the batter as you can to keep them from falling out while flipping.

I think this is the best way to make blueberry pancakes.  The blueberries stay intact and they are well spaced so you can have the amount of blueberries you want in every bite.  This recipe made about 5-6 pancakes and I also made some bacon.

For the smoothie:

2 apple bananas (the small bananas)
1 cup frozen blueberries
Kefir (enough to fill the blender to 750 ml)

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree or liquify (or whatever is preferred on your blender for smoothies) until all ingredients are mixed and smooth.

 

 This was a great breakfast and it felt great having a well balanced meal.  If you find blueberries at your store (of if you are lucky enough to have a blueberry bush), make pancakes. The time for pancakes is now! Enjoy.

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Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp and pasta tossed in a garlic and white wine sauce.

Shrimp are a good protein source and they are low in fat.  All in all shrimp are a healthy choice (if you're not allergic).  I cook shrimp pretty often as they are easy to find and relatively inexpensive in Chinatown.  Garlic is a favorite flavor to pair with shrimp, I make Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry frequently, but this time  I had some fettuccine in the house so I went with shrimp scampi.  This pasta would be great even with out the shrimp as the butter, olive oil, garlic, shallots, wine, and lemon juice make a wonderful sauce on their own.  This recipe is simple and quick to prepare (if the shrimp are peeled ahead of time) and tastes better than anything I've had at a restaurant.

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:


1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound shrimp
1 cup white wine
1/2 package fettuccine
1 lemon, juice
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt to taste

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta.  It should take about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt butter and mix in olive oil.  Then add the garlic and shallots and saute over medium heat for about 1 minute until soft and fragrant (I added a little salt with the garlic and shallots).

Add the shrimp and stir quickly (no more than a minute, the shrimp will not be fully cooked, I added salt with the shrimp) to coat with the oil and garlic then add the wine (I used pinot grigio) and lower heat to a simmer.

Allow shrimp to simmer in the wine sauce for a few minutes, until fully cooked and the wine has reduced by at least half.

By now the pasta should be done, drain it and add it to the skillet and toss with shrimp until coated with the sauce.  Turn off the heat, add lemon juice and parsley, stir to combine and serve.


Makes 2-3 servings.  Serve topped with Parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.  Enjoy.

Linked to:  Tasty Tues, Food on Friday


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Butternut Squash in Black Bean Sauce

A rich and flavorful meatless meal of butternut squash and greens in a black bean sauce served over rice.

I have had this recipe for a while, but it got pushed to the back of the queue and I forgot about it until now.  I may have forgotten to post this recipe, but I did not forget how awesome it tasted.  I found this recipe idea on Gourmet Traveller 88 and I had to try it.  I happened to have some black bean paste in my refrigerator and some butternut squash in my freezer.  The frozen butternut squash was more soft than if I had used fresh, but it still tasted great and I plan to make this recipe again.  It should also work with pumpkin and I'm curious to try sweet potato as well.  I expanded on the original recipe by adding choi sum (an asian green that could be replaced with spinach or maybe kale).

Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash, chopped
4-5 cups choi sum, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chopped thai bird chillies, optional
2 Tbsps black bean sauce
Cracked Szechuan peppercorns
Chicken broth, vegetable stock, or water
1 cup sliced green onions

 Heat a large skillet over Medium heat and add about 1-2 Tbsp oil.  Add the aromatics (this is the garlic, ginger and chillies) cook, while stirring until fragrant.

Then add the onions and squash and stirring for a couple of minutes until the onions soften.

Add the choi sum and about 1 cup of broth (I used chicken broth, but you can use vegetable or water to make this vegetarian).  Cover and allow the greens to cook down until you can easily stir (the greens will mound over the top of the skillet, but once they begin to wilt and cook down it will be much more manageable), then uncover and let boil, while stirring until the liquid is reduced by at least half (about 10-15 minutes).

Add black bean paste stirring to combine and let continue to simmer until the sauce is as thick as you prefer.

Serve over rice garnished with green onions, makes 2 servings.  Enjoy.

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Pineapple Salad

A refreshing, sweet and spicy salad made with pineapple, mint, and jalapeno.

 

Pineapples are not only delicious but packed with vitamin C.  Since moving to Hawaii I have started eating a lot of pineapples.  They are easy to find, inexpensive, and usually fresh (here at least).  I usually just cut the pineapple into bite sized pieces and eat them plain, but I wanted to try something different to go with my Pineapple Pork Chops.  Here is my creation.

Ingredients:

2 cups diced pineapple
1 jalapeno
1/2 cup chopped mint
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from 1 lime

In a food processor combine jalapeno (you may want to remove the seeds because I left them in and it was a bit too spicy for me), mint and sugar.  Pulse until finely minced, then add lime juice and slowly pour in olive oil while processor is on in order to emulsify the mixture.

In a large bowl combine pineapple and onion, toss to mix.  Then pour on the dressing and stir until combined. Makes 4 servings.  Serve cold or at room temperature with any meal or eat as a snack.  Also tastes great atop a green salad.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Empty Your Archive

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Pineapple Pork Chops

Breaded pork chops topped with pineapples and baked until golden.  Served with pineapple sweet and sour dipping sauce.

When I was growing up, my favorite way to have pork chops was a recipe my mom had for peachy pork chops.  That recipe used canned peaches and shake n bake.  This recipe is reminiscent of my old favorite but uses fresh pineapple, which is very easy to find here in Hawaii, for a Hawaiian flare. 

Ingredients:

3 porkchops
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup pineapple puree
3 pineapple rings


Soak the pork chops in the pineapple puree (pineapple juice would work too if you use canned pineapple, I just pureed some of the fresh pineapple) for a couple of minutes while preparing the bread crumbs.

Place the bread crumbs in a large bag (I used plain bread crumbs so I seasoned them with about 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 2 tsp thyme,  salt and pepper to taste).

Coat the pork chops on all sides with the puree, and drop one at a time into the bread crumbs and shake.  Shake until the pork chop is thoroughly coated in bread crumbs.  Then shake off excess crumbs and place on a baking sheet (a broiler pan or a rack on the baking sheet is a good idea to keep the crust crispy, I made a makeshift wavy pan with aluminum foil so excess juice would drip away from the chops).  Repeat with each pork chop.

Lay a piece of pineapple on top of each pork chop and bake in a 400F oven for 40-50 minutes.

Serve with sweet and sour sauce and sides of your choice (I served with roasted potatoes and carrots, green bean salad, and pineapple salad).

Pineapple sweet and sour sauce:

1/2 cup pineapple puree
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat.  Cover until heated through, then pour into individual bowls for dipping.

Enjoy

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Recipe Remake: A More Filling Granola

A sweet and crunchy granola made with nuts, seeds and rolled grains.  A great  breakfast or snack.

My goal for this granola is to have high protein, high fiber and more calories.  I am not a good breakfast eater, and I usually do not feel like eating much first thing in the morning.  So I am trying to make this granola more filling so it satisfies my hunger and lasts until lunch time.  This granola recipe is a remake of my basic How to Make Granola.  I used more of a mix of nuts, seeds and rolled grains, but the basic recipe is still the same.  Here is what I used.

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup rolled barley
1 cup 5 grain rolled cereal (barley, oats, rye, wheat and flax)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cups raisins

Stir and mix the ingredients (except raisins) until all of the nuts and grains are coated with liquid.  Pour into a 9 by 13 inch baking pan (I use Pyrex).  Bake at 250F for 1.5-2 hours, stirring very 30 minutes until golden and crunchy.  Remove granola from oven and add raisins along the top as the granola cools.  Once cool, transfer to a seal-able container.  Serve over milk, yogurt, or kefir.  Enjoy.

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How to Make Salsa

A tutorial on how to make a quick salsa with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapenos and lime juice chopped fine in a food processor.

I don't know how I lived for so long with out a food processor.  I love fresh salsa and can sit and eat chips and salsa for hours.  Homemade salsa is so good, it is fresh and there are no preservatives and no added sugar (unless you want to add it).  A food processor takes seconds to chop up and mix all the ingredients and voila you have fresh salsa.  The variations are endless and you can make it as spicy, or not, as you choose.  Here is my basic salsa recipe.

 Ingredients:

4 jalapenos
2 cloves garlic
1/4-1/2 cup red onion
1 bunch cillantro
6 tomatoes
1 lime, juice
salt

Pulse the jalapenos and garlic a few times first until they are chopped fine.  This time I left the seeds in all of the jalapenos for a very hot salsa (you can remove the seeds or use less for your taste, be careful when opening the food processor after you have minced the peppers because you will be hit in the face with some pepper gas).

Then, on top of the peppers pile in the cilantro, onions (I used shallots because I had them), and tomatoes.

Pulse until every thing is chopped

Add salt and lime juice to taste and stir.

Refrigerate until ready to eat, this will keep for about a week, but it usually only lasts a few days.  Enjoy.

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Dillinger Cocktail with St. Germain

A refreshing cocktail with cucumber, lemon, vodka and St. Germain.

I saw this drink recently on Barefeet In The Kitchen blog.  The cucumber and lemon flavoring a vodka soda sounded great and a new liquor, to me, was used as more flavor, St. Germain.  I've never tried St. Germain, but after reading the comments I had to try it.  I'm glad I did.  The St. Germain adds a sweetness and a floral taste to anything it is added to making any drink taste fancier.  It tastes great.  I had tonic in the fridge instead of soda water, so I used that instead.

Ingredients:

2 lemon slices
3 cucumber slices
Ice
1 shot of vodka
Tonic Water
dash of St. Germain

In the bottom of a glass muddle the lemon and cucumber.  Fill with ice and then pour in a shot of vodka.  Top up the glass with tonic water and add a splash of St. Germain.  Stir, relax and enjoy.

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Tofu Thai Green Curry

The sweetness of coconut milk, the sourness of lime, and the saltiness of fish sauce. A Thai green curry made with tofu and vegetables.  Delicious.

Green curry is the spiciest of the Thai curries and my husband's favorite.  He doesn't even mind that I use tofu in it sometimes (and he actually enjoys it).  I like to try to make things from scratch as much as possible.  Since I live so close to Chinatown, I can find most of the ingredients to make my own green curry paste and it is awesome.  Another good thing about making it yourself is that you can adjust the spiciness to your own taste.  The curry paste I make is probably not authentic, I found the recipe on thaifood.about.com, but it is simple and tastes wonderfully fresh and is better than many restaurant versions.  I love this recipe and make it frequently.

Green Curry Paste

Ingredients:

Modified slightly from about.com Thai Green Curry
**Makes 1 serving, enough for 4 servings of Green Curry**

 
4-5 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos (or Thai green chillies)
2 shallots (about 1/4 cup)
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro (use the roots too if you can find them)
1/2 cup Thai basil
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp shrimp paste
2 Tbsp lime juice (2 limes)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk

Puree all of the above ingredients together in a blender until smooth.  Pour into a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tofu Thai Green Curry

Ingredients:

the rest of the can of coconut milk
1-2 Tbsp lemon grass, minced
1 block tofu (12 oz), chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 hand full long green beans, 1 inch pieces

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium low heat.  Add a little oil, then all of the curry paste (it's not really paste like, there is enough liquid in it that it pours easily), lemon grass and the rest of the coconut milk.

Cover and allow mixture to come to a gentle boil then add the the tofu (I used deep fried tofu because I like the texture the best) and cover.

Reduce the temperature and let the tofu simmer in the sauce for a few minutes and then add the veggies.  Cover again and let simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.

Remove from heat and serve over rice with more cilantro, basil, lime, and jalapeno.  Makes 4 servings.

This meal is delicious.  The ingredient list is long, but it doesn't really take very long since most of the ingredients are being blended you could even make the sauce a day or two before you plan to make the curry.  This time did not turn out very spicy at all, I kept the seeds in one jalapeno and removed them from the other, next time I may use more jalapenos and keep the seeds in them all.  My husband (who likes a lot of spice) just loaded his with sliced, raw jalapenos as the garnish and he was happy.  Enjoy.

I made cocktails to  accompany the meal too.  I will post about this cocktail next time.

Linked to:  Retro Repin

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Taco Salad

Spicy ground beef atop a bed of lettuce and tortilla chips.  My favorite meal.

First I must mention, I have a new camera.  I've been taking pictures on my phone for the ease of transferring them to my online album.  I want to take better pictures, but I know that the more steps I have to take (like hooking my camera to my computer to transfer pictures) the fewer posts I will get out.  So I've been lusting after this Samsung camera that is wifi capable and will directly transfer my photos to Picasa where they will be waiting for me when I turn on my computer.  Lucky me it was on sale and I'm the proud new owner of a Samsung WB250f.  Now I just have to work on styling and lighting my photos, but they are already much better quality.

Now to the food.  Taco salad my favorite meal.  I have loved taco salad for as long as I can remember.  On my birthday, while growing up, my mom would always make my favorite meal and I would always ask for taco salad.  It's funny, now that I'm grown I still love taco salad but I don't make it very often.  I think that I get so excited to try new meals that I push my favorite stand by to the back of the queue.  I had no plans for dinner one night and was pleasantly surprised when my husband suggested tacos, which became taco salad.

Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 cup black beans, precooked
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
*1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
Tortilla chips
Toppings of choice  (lettuce, carrots, celery, peppers, onion, cilantro, cheese, salsa)

* I made the taco seasoning a while ago and don't remember the exact ingredients, but it should be mostly paprika and garlic, some onion powder and chilli powder with some crushed habanero and red pepper, can make as spicy as you like.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain off fat.

Add the onions and jalapenos (I kept the seeds in one and removed them from the other, remove or keep the seeds to suit your heat preference).  Cook until softened, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Add the beans (I keep precooked beans in 1 cup packages in the freezer then I just thaw them.  You can use a whole can of beans if that is what you have you may just need to adjust the seasoning.)  and the spices, salsa and water.

Allow to simmer on low heat, covered, for at least 15 minutes then uncover and let simmer until most of the liquid is boiled off.  Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Makes 4 servings.  Serve over tortilla chips with toppings of your preference. When I was growing up, we used Cool Ranch Doritos as the chips for taco salad (that was so good).

Enjoy.

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

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Baked Samosas

Another great recipe from With Love from Mom's Kitchen.  Spicy potatoes and peas stuffed into hand sized pastry then baked until golden.  A great snack or appetizer.

Samosas are a great savory snack.  I have only had them fried from Indian restaurants before with the potato and pea filling, and loved them.  Apparently they can also be stuffed with lentils too, or if you want a meat filling, lamb, chicken or beef.  This recipe is healthier and simpler (for those of us who find it difficult to deep fat fry at home) in that the samosas are baked rather than fried.  Since I do not have an Indian restaurant nearby, these are great.  They hit the spot and really curb the craving and they are pretty simple.

Ingredients:

Filling

4 medium boiled potatoes
2-3 Tbsp peas
1 tsp green chillies, minced
1 tsp amchoor powder (again I subbed some lime juice)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 Tbsp cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Roughly mash the potatoes, they should be broken into smaller pieces but you don't want them to be like mashed potatoes (they should still be kind of dry).  In a frying pan heat about 1 Tbsp of oil and add the cumin seeds until they sputter.  Then add the frozen peas and potatoes and all the spices, stir until mixed and peas are thawed.  Put aside or can refrigerate over night or until ready to stuff the pastry.

Pastry

2 cups flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 stick of butter
about 1/4-1/2 cup milk

Using a food processor (this makes it so easy) cut the butter into the flour until it resembles bred crumbs (for this I used the chopping blade).  Then (switch to the plastic dough blade) add the egg whiles and enough milk to bring the dough together.  Knead the dough until it is smooth and soft, but firm.  It is very important to have a firm dough, you do not want it sticky.  It is kind of like an over worked pie dough.

Cut the dough into about 6 pieces and roll into balls (should be about golf ball size...maybe a bit smaller).  Roll out one dough ball at a time to circle about 6-8 inched in diameter (I rolled them on waxed paper, but the dough is firm enough you need no extra flour to keep it from sticking).  Keep the dough you are not working with under plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.  Cut the circle of dough in half and seal against the straight side into a cone shape (I used the egg yolk to help seal the seams).  Stuff the cone with the potato mixture and seal closed (the dough is surprisingly sturdy and you can really press a bunch of the potatoes into it).  Lay out on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet and bake at 375F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
For better step by step instructions and pictures see With Love from Mom's Kitchen.

Makes 12 samosas.  Can serve with chutney of choice or alone.  These are great the next day too.  I just tossed the leftovers into a ziploc bag and left them at room temperature for 2 days, the pastry softened,but they still were great.

Enjoy.

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