Brittany's PantryCornmeal Pancakes W/Blueberry Sauce
Brittany wrote this on 17 July 2011
blueberries, buttermilk, cornmeal, maple syrup, whole wheat flour
Don’t let this picture fool you. No matter how good you think this looks, it tastes even better.
Usually, when my husband works regular hours (which is almost never), Saturday morning is the only day of the week that we get to really indulge in a nice big breakfast. With the exception of the occasional ‘breakfast for dinner’ plan, we are just too busy Sunday mornings before church to do anything other than cereal or a quick pancake or muffin I have in the freezer. On the days when he is at home in the mornings, I get to take my time and experiment with all the recipes that are in my Breakfast & Breads stack. And it is a biiiig stack!
This weekend I was in the mood for something other than eggs and bacon but I didn’t have time to make something extremely labor intensive. Trust me, I wanted to. I have had cinnamon rolls on my mind for weeks now and one of these days-or actually, evenings because the recipe I have has you make them the night before-I am just going to buckle down and do it. But it soooo hot! Turning on my oven right now is at the bottom of my list of fun things to do. The VERY bottom. Right next to running for recreation and painting my nails. So, pancakes it is!!
Have I ever told you that I am a sucker for just about any recipe that contains cornmeal? I love the stuff! Corn bread, casseroles, muffins, you name it. Sooo good. And these pancakes are perfect. Not so grainy that they taste gritty, and just sweet enough to be kind of special. The blueberry sauce has all natural sweeteners and goes so well with the pancakes, you don’t want to skip it.
Cornmeal Pancakes W/Blueberry Sauce
Recipe adapted from Cooking Club of America
1 c cornmeal
3/4 c white whole wheat flour
3 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c buttermilk
2 T canola oil
Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. In separate bowl, beat the buttermilk, eggs and oil together with a fork, just until the eggs are lightly beaten. Add to the dry ingredients and stir carefully, just until evenly mixed but leaving a few lumps. Let batter sit for a few minutes before frying them in a little butter over medium heat. Serve with blueberry sauce.
Blueberry Sauce
1 pint (2 c) fresh or frozen blueberries
Splash of water
1/4 c maple syrup (recommended) or honey
1 tsp, rounded of cornstarch
Put first three ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn down heat just so that it barely bubbles, letting it cook until the berries burst-about 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with just a tiny bit of water (1T or so) to make a slurry and pour into the berries, stirring and cooking till thick, about another 30 seconds more. Serve over pancakes and store any leftovers in the fridge.
Oatmeal Raisin Snack Bars
Brittany wrote this on 15 July 2011 oatmeal, raisins, whole wheat flour
For several years now, a friend of mine has been dealing with issues in relation to food. Like, major stuff that would totally bum me out if I was her. Heck! Lets be honest. I would cry if I had to give up the things she has had to give up. Cry a lot. She on the other hand, has handled it much better than me or anyone I know ever would have. So now, after a very long wait, she is slowly starting to expand her menus again. Its a tentative process and still limited, but nevertheless improving. We converse quite often about food; the science of it (why are my brownies boiling?!), how recipes can be altered and changed to include certain ingredients, what processed foods can be made at home with good results, that kind of thing. Knowing that I generally like to cook healthfully for my family, I don’t cower in horror when she brings up the price of keifer (she actually makes her own, the superwoman), the availability of spelt flour, or the continuous search for 101 ways to use applesauce in baked goods. I admire her very much as a person and as a cook, so I decided to create some recipes for her. This is one of them.
Now, I should make it clear that oatmeal raisin is one of my favorite combinations. I usually choose it over chocolate chip. I mean I love oatmeal, but its the wholesome, nutty, chewy goodness that pulls me in. These hit all those marks without tasting ‘flat’ like healthy snacks sometimes do. They are very quick to throw together and freeze great. Pull one out of the freezer for breakfast on the go or a quick snack. I already know they are going to be a regular part of my daughters lunch box this year! That is if I don’t eat them all first!
Oatmeal Raisin Snack Bars
Recipe updated 7/2012
In a medium mixing bowl:
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c applesauce
1 c raw sugar
1/4 c egg substitute or 1 egg
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Add:
1 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
2 c rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon(opt)
1 c raisins
Combine all ingredients well and spread evenly into a sprayed 9X9 glass or metal baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until firm in the middle and lightly brown around the edges. Cool before cutting and removing from pan.
Sweet & Spicy Salmon
Brittany wrote this on 13 July 2011 fish, gluten-free, salmon, seafood
Do you ever get into those moods when you just want to do something different? Not necessarily something crazy-although there is always a time for that too. Nope. Just a little break from the norm. That was me today, staring at the salmon on my counter. The fish, all fresh and pink and full of healthy fats, stared back. Waiting.
So I headed to my cookbook collection and started paging through. I randomly pulled volumes off the shelf, flipping the pages, finding nothing, and then I came across Ellie Krieger‘s cookbook, and immediately skipped back to the index, knowing that she would have a winner for me. Sure enough, she didn’t disappoint. How could I have missed this recipe in the several years I have had this cookbook?! I cannot WAIT to make this again. Crazy fast. Crazy good. And good for you! I was afraid the flavor combinations of the rub would overpower the fish, but the salmon holds its own. We don’t have much leftover, but what little there is will be flaked right from the fridge over a salad tomorrow.
Sweet & Spicy Salmon
This rub caramelizes on the fish. A-Ma-Zing.
3-4 salmon fillets, about 5 oz each
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper, about 1/4 tsp each
olive oil
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and spices together until combined. Sprinkle evenly over the flesh of the fish (not the skin), pressing with your fingers a bit to make it adhere and ‘coat’ the fish well. Film a few tablespoons of olive oil in a small saute pan and place over medium, medium high heat. Place flesh side down in the oil-it should sizzle loudly-and let cook, not touching it, for 3-4 minutes. Flip gently and continue cooking until just barely pink in the thickest part and the flesh flakes easily.
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