Dip and Drinks

I am not sure why, but appetizers are one of my real weaknesses when it comes to cooking. Just look to the left at the number of times I have posted about appetizers since I started blogging… six, just six appetizers in over a year. Now, to my credit there are plenty of times we have served cheese and crackers, fruit, chips and salsa, or cashews as appetizers and while these are all tasty they are not creative, exciting, or different. I think part of my issue is that if I am cooking the entire meal then I don’t leave enough time or don’t start preparing far enough in advance to include a more creative appetizer. Also, there are plenty of appetizer recipes out there that would take you just as long to prepare as a main course and somehow on nights like tonight when that is all I am preparing then I feel like I should get a break and not have to work as hard for just an appetizer. The thing is though when we eat out appetizers tend to be my favorite. I love the idea that they are tiny dishes that can still have all the flavor, complexity, and texture of a main course, but in a nice small package. Tonight I decided to not go the super simple / quick and easy route, but to not get too elaborate or involved either. I flipped through my cookbook from Magnolias and found a recipe for their Spinach and Artichoke Dip. After reading through the ingredients I was sold on it. You might be thinking in my excitement over the recipe that I forgot about dessert. Me… forget about dessert… are you kidding! We planned what we were doing for dessert a week and a half ago! More on it later.

To make the Spinach and Artichoke Dip you start by sautéing the onions in butter. Once they are soft you add the garlic and let it sauté for a few minutes. Next add the flour and stir everything together to make a roux. Keep stirring it for a couple minutes and then add half the cream until it thickens. Then add the rest of the cream and let it thicken. Next add the spinach (thawed and drained), artichokes (chopped), Havarti cheese, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir this together and let it cook for a few minutes. Serve warm with herb toasts. Russ made the herb toasts and he started by making the olive oil, herb mixture. He minced the garlic, chives, and basil. He put these in a bowl and added the olive oil, salt, and pepper. After mixing it all together he cut the baguette into quarter inch thick slices. He then tossed the slices in a bowl and poured the mixture over them tossing to coat. These then bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. They can be served at room temperature.

This really turned out well. The Spinach and Artichoke Dip was creamy and warm with a nice balance of cheese, spinach, and artichoke. I felt like the nutmeg and cayenne didn’t really show through. Next time I might increase the amount of both slightly to add a little more of a kick and spice to it. The herb toasts were a nice change from a plain baguette, but I do think a plain baguette slices (toasted, untoasted, or grilled) would work fine too. Russ and I did taste test it after I finished it and felt like it was slightly salty. I added a little more cream and let it cook down to try to counter act the saltiness and I think it worked. Next time I won’t add all the salt at first, but add part of it and then taste it before adding any more. All in all this was very tasty and creamy and a real hit. While not a complicated appetizer it was well worth the effort and a nice change from cheese and crackers. Russ rates it a 10!

I still haven’t forgotten about dessert and I guess you could say I am saving the best for last. The Country Club makes these amazing dessert drinks called Mississippi Muds. We both love them and Russ figured out that all they are made of is vanilla ice cream and Kahlua. The key is to getting the right consistency – thick, but not too thick. Russ has been practicing and he made them for everyone tonight for dessert. They are creamy and sweet without being too sweet. It is a great quick and easy dessert. They were a huge hit that even the non-sweet eater of the group, Dowe, requested one! Unfortunately we drank them before getting a picture, but I imagine they’ll show up again on the blog another day. Russ wouldn't rate them since he made them, but I'll give them a 9. They were a little on the thick side this time or they would have received a 10.

Spinach and Arthichoke Dip, Magnolias - Authentic Southern Cuisine
Makes 3 ½ cups

3 tablespoons butter
½ cup minced onion
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups heavy cream
3 (10 oz) packages frozen spinach, thawed and all the liquid pressed out
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into ½ inch pieces
6 ounces Havarti or fontina cheese, grated or finely diced
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture to make a roux. Stir well to combine and allow to cook over medium-low heat 1 minute more. Add half the cream and stir vigorously until the mixture combines and thickens. Use a spatula to release any of the mixture that may be stuck to the bottom edges of the pan. Add the remaining cream and stir again until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, Havarti or fontina cheese, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, white, black, and cayenne pepper. Continue to stir over medium-low heat until the cheeses have melted. Check seasoning for a balanced flavor. Serve with Herb Toasts.

Herb Toasts, Magnolias – Authentic Southern Cuisine

¾ cup light olive oil
2 teaspoons mashed garlic
1 tablespoon very finely minced chives
1 tablespoon very finely minced basil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 long loaf of fresh, crusty French bread cut into ¼ inch thick slices (or less)

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients except the French bread and let sit for 15 minutes. Place the slices of bread in a large bowl and drizzle on the oil and herb mixture as you are tossing the bread slices to coat. Lay the bread slices out on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are crisply toasted and light golden in color. Remove from the oven and allow for them to cool to room temperature before stacking in a basket.

Another So So Bachelor Performance

I am not sure how many of you watch “The Bachelor” anymore, but Emily, Elizabeth and I have all decided that it each season gets a little trashier than the previous. So, we’ve started talking about maybe finding a new show to replace “The Bachelor” for our get togethers. Much like the show I feel like Russ and my food contributions have also gone downhill over the seasons too. You might remember a few of our not so great contributions like the Stuffed Chicken Breasts that took forever and were just okay, or the Shish Kebabs that got a little over cooked, or there was another recent Bachelor that didn’t make it to the blog where I made the Roasted Broccoli (that I raved about here) only to under cook it and that is just naming a few... So, tonight Russ and I are in charge of the appetizer and dessert. I decide to try a new recipe for the appetizer and go with a fool proof dessert recipe repeating the Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies that I made here. Well, despite the fact that the appetizer featured two of my favorite foods – roasted red peppers and goat cheese – the recipe as a whole fell flat and was didn’t take advantage of these amazing ingredients. Oh, the cookies you ask… well I forgot to soften the butter and I was running late, so I picked up some ice cream sandwiches at the store… at least they were tasty!

The appetizer I made tonight is Goat Cheese Spread with Roasted Red Peppers from the Birmingham Junior League "Food for Thought" cookbook (which is one of my underused cookbooks and counts towards my New Year's Resolution!). To make it you start by combining the goat cheese, cream cheese, and thyme. I did this in the food processor, but if you don’t have one you could do it by hand. Spread this evenly in a serving dish and set it in the fridge to chill. Next you roast the red peppers. You can do this several ways, but tonight I decided to just do it on the stove top (must be gas). You just lay them over the flame and turn them periodically until they are fairly black. Then toss them in a zip lock bag and let them hang out for a few minutes. Once they have cooled, pull them out, and peel off the outer peel. Then cut them into pieces and puree them in the food processor. Pull out the cheese spread and pile the red pepper puree evenly over the top. The recipe instructs you use plastic wrap to pull the cheese spread out and put it on a plate and then top it with the peppers. While this may be a little more appealing as far as appearance I didn’t find it necessary so I just left it in my container. I served it with crostini (slices of baguette that Russ grilled lightly on both sides).

As I mentioned earlier roasted red peppers and goat cheese are two of my favorite foods (hence why I selected this recipe to try). Despite having these two ingredients the recipe just didn’t add any extra flavor to them and didn’t do a good job in bringing the flavors together. To be honest it would have been just as tasty and easier to just take the crostini and spread some goat cheese on it and top it with a roasted red pepper. The thyme didn’t add much flavor and the cream cheese while it added some creaminess to the dip it really wasn’t necessary. All in all it was just okay and with a combination of goat cheese and roasted red peppers you could definitely come up with a better way of pairing them. Russ rates the dip a 7. In case you are wondering what show we are going to start watching after this season of The Bachelor... well we just discovered that they are doing another Bachelorette season - so we have to watch that!

Goat Cheese Spread with Roasted Red Peppers, Food for Thought
Makes 2 Cups

Ingredients:
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
3 sweet red peppers

Combine the first 4 ingredients in the food processor, and blend until smooth. Press mixture into a ramekin or mold lined with plastic wrap and chill. Roast peppers over gas flame or under broiler, turning until the skins are charred all over. Place peppers in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside for 20 minutes. Halve the peppers and remove the cores; peel off skin. Cut peppers into 1 inch strips, and place strips in the food processor; pulse 3 or 4 times. Unmold chilled cheese mixture; top with red pepper puree. Serve with crostini or melba toast.

Stir Fry Night

As I mentioned in my last post I was just in a rut trying to decide what to make for dinner this week. I think I was also fairly tired because not counting last night’s very involved dinner I only selected fairly quick and easy meals for the menu. Tonight I went back to my New Year’s Resolution of using my underused and never used cookbooks. This is actually (Jess, sit down so you don’t faint)… the second time this year I have used one of my previously underused cookbooks, Southern Living’s Light and Easy Comfort Food. Tonight I made the Beef, Pepper, and Shiitake Mushroom Stir Fry from its Cooking for Two Section.

To make the stir fry you start by slicing the peppers, mushrooms, steak, shallot, and garlic (mince the garlic). Then heat the oil and cook the beef. Then remove the beef and wipe out the skillet. Then add all the vegetables except the mushrooms and stir fry for a couple minutes (I actually used more peppers than the recipe called for, so I did mine longer than the 1 minute the recipe says). Then add the mushrooms and stir fry for a couple minutes. Then stir in the wine and let it cook for a minute or so. Then add the broth and bring to a simmer for at least 3 minutes. Then add the beef back in and finally add the basil, salt, and pepper.

This was super fast and easy to make. The brown rice took the longest, but since I started it first it was ready by the time the stir fry was done. I love peppers and mushrooms and they really are showcased in this dish. The beef was tender and complemented the vegetables well. The sauce while very simple and fast was nothing exciting and a little bland. I love stir fry dishes and I think that this has a good base with the three colors of peppers and the shiitakes, but I think the sauce left a little to be desired. I think next time I’ll go with a stir fry similar to this one or this one both are still quick and easy, but their sauces have just a few more ingredients that give them a more exciting and tasty flavor. Next time I will use the tenderloin instead of the other cuts of beef (that the other stir fry recipes call for) and include the shiitakes. All in all it was super easy and a great week night meal. Russ rates the stir fry an 8.

Beef, Pepper, and Shiitake Mushroom Stir Fry, Southern Living Light and Easy Comfort Food
Serves 2

Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 (6 oz) beef tenderloin steak, cut into ½ inch strips
½ cup sliced shallots
½ cup (1/4 inch thick) strips green bell pepper
½ cup (1/4 inch thick) strips red bell pepper
½ cup (1/4 inch thick) strips yellow bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps (about 1 [3 and ½ oz] package)
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup fat-free, less sodium beef broth (such as Swanson)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 and ½ cups hot cooked rice, cooked without salt or fat

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add ½ teaspoon oil, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove beef from skillet; set aside. Wipe drippings from skillet with a paper towel.

Heat remaining ½ teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, bell pepper strips, and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook 1 minute. Add broth; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Return beef to skillet; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in basil, salt, and pepper. Serve over rice.

Turkey Dinner with the Siblings

Russ and I are truly blessed to have not only our parents, but also all of our siblings in town. Selfishly we hope this never changes and everyone stays within a ten minute drive of us, but realistically we know this may not last forever. For now we enjoy seeing them any chance we get. Ever since we moved in our house we have wanted to have all of our siblings and their significant others over for dinner. After over a year and a half in the house a turkey of all things is what finally gave us the push we needed to get our act together and just do it. A turkey in February might sound out of the ordinary, but we have actually had it since the end of November. One of the local grocery stores holds an annual event each November where you can get a free turkey. Every time during a certain time period where you spend over $50 you get a turkey feather and once you have collected four you get a free turkey. Two years ago I came up one turkey feather short, so this past year I made an effort to only shop at this store in order to collect all my feathers. Ever since we got the turkey we have talked about having our siblings over, but with the holidays things got busy and then in January we were in the mood to relax after the holidays… so finally in February we did it!

Tonight we had Jess, Scott, Will, Mary Margaret, Jason, Jane, Daniel, and Beau over for dinner. Since our dining room is not very large and our table seats six at the most we decided to eat in our den. It is probably the largest room in our house and I have been entertaining the thought of moving some furniture out of it and putting tables in for a dinner party for a while now. Thanks to some loaner tables, table clothes, and extra chairs from my parents that is exactly what we did. I really enjoyed having everyone in the same room at the same table to eat!

Now for the food! Russ comes from a turkey frying family and he does an excellent job frying turkeys. This time he wanted to try something new and smoke the turkey. He did some research online and came up with a great recipe. The turkey had an amazing smoky, savory flavor to it that I loved! It wasn’t as moist as the fried turkeys he has done before, but we think that if he brines it and works on his smoking technique that it would be more moist. I do love fried turkey, but the smokiness was wonderful… I think next time Russ may need to do one of each for a side by side taste test!

I handled the sides and did mashed potatoes, green beans, and a salad. I also made a lime curd tart for dessert. For the mashed potatoes I tried a new recipe that I found on the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog. I chose it because it you can make it ahead of time and then reheat it in the oven just before serving. Also, it has cream cheese in it which I found very intriguing. I actually test ran the addition of cream cheese in some mashed red potatoes earlier this week and loved the creamy texture and flavor it added! To make the mashed potatoes you peel 5 lbs of Russet potatoes, cut them into large chunks and boil them. Once they are cooked you drain them, add them back to the pot, and mash them. Then you add the butter, cream cheese, half and half, salt and pepper. Once this is mixed well and seasoned then you add it to a buttered baking dish.

For the green beans I used a recipe of Jane’s (Russ’ sister) that she got from the Fresh Market cookbook. You cook the green beans in boiling water. When they are cooked you drain them and add them back to the pot. Then add small cherry or grape tomatoes to them. Lastly toss them with balsamic dressing (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little creole mustard).

The salad recipe came from a cookbook that Jess and Scott gave me a while ago that I have never used. Russ is scared of this cookbook and has even tried to hide it before… It is the Enchanted Broccoli Forest and Russ is scared because it is a vegetarian cookbook. To make the salad you peel and section 6 oranges and then combine them with the cinnamon and honey and set it aside. Then you slice the radishes and onions. Lastly you toast some chopped walnuts. When it is time to serve you toss the greens with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then you add all the other ingredients including part of the juice that is with the oranges.

For dessert I decided that I wanted something that was not too sweet or heavy since we were having a large meal. After flipping through several cookbooks I decided to make Ina Garten's Lime Curd Tart. To make the tart you mix the butter and sugar together. Once mixed you add the vanilla and finally the sifted flour and salt. The batter looked to dry and crumbly to me, so I added one egg to hold it all together. You then fold it into a disk and press it into the tart pan. The dough chills in the refrigerator until it is firm. Once firm you bake it covered and filled with beans for 20 minutes. You then remove the foil and beans and prick it with a fork and let it bake again for about 20 minutes. Set it aside to cool. To make the lime curd. You mix the sugar, lime zest and butter until combined. You are supposed to mix the zest and sugar in a food processor prior to this step, but I left it out by accident. Once it is all combined you add the eggs. You then pour the mixture into a saucepan until it reaches about 175 F and thickens. Ina says this should take about 10 minutes, but mine took about 30. Once it thickens pour it into the tart shell and let it cool.

Overall the sides were really good, however, I was a little disappointed that the mashed potatoes and green beans were not hotter when we served them. I failed to do a heat test before putting them out and regretted it later… The mashed potatoes were creamy, soft, and tasty. I think the cream cheese actually worked better with the red potatoes in my test run earlier this week though as they added a more distinctive flavor. I would definitely make these again when making a large dinner as the ability to make them ahead of time is very helpful and with the butter, half and half, and cream cheese you know they are good. They did reheat very well just not quite long enough. The green beans were very tasty. This is a simple, colorful, and flavorful dish. The contrasting color and texture of the green beans and tomatoes makes this a real winner. Their flavors work really well together and the dressing adds a great tangy zip to the dish. The salad was excellent! I happen to love salads that combine fruit, vegetables, and nuts. The combination of oranges, walnuts, red onions, and radishes did not disappoint and worked really well together not to mention being very colorful. I was a little concerned that there really isn’t a dressing to the salad, but when eating it you didn’t even notice or miss it. The olive oil, salt, and pepper along with a little of the juice added all the dressing the salad needed. What really made this fantastic to me though was the hint of cinnamon from the oranges – perfect! If this salad is any indication of what other tasty recipes are hidden in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest… then I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more out of this cookbook in the near future. Russ is still scared of it, but the salad did help him to start conquering this fear. The tart turned out fairly well. I felt like the tart shell browned a little more than I would have liked. Next time I'll check it earlier and cover it with foil if the edges are browning up to much. The tart shell had a great buttery flavor with good texture. The lime curd had a wonderful light flavor that was both sweet and tart. The recipe has you serve it at room temperature, but I think it would have been better to chill it and serve it chilled. The texture was firm, but at the same time a little runny. I think if it had been chilled it would have had better texture and would have been more refreshing. Overall I really liked it and think it would be a great summertime dessert. Russ rates the turkey a 9, the potatoes a 9, the green beans a 9, the salad a 9, and the lime curd tart a 8.

It was a truly enjoyable night with wonderful company! My only regret (besides the vegetables not being hotter...) was that we waited so long to finally have everyone over. I certainly see a Sibling Summer Party in our backyard with maybe some croquet or bocce and Russ grilling something yummy!

I also want to mention that Scott and Jess brought an appetizer. First, a big thanks to them for bringing it! Second, it is a recipe that I have reviewed on the blog before here and it is so tasty and such a crowd pleaser that I want to bring your attention to it again. It is simple to make with only five ingredients and the bowl was all but licked clean tonight – it is that tasty!

Last, but not least a big thanks to Mom who provided and arranged all the beautiful flowers!

Moroccan Orange-Walnut Salad, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest
Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:
6 large oranges
1 Tbs. honey
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 lb. mixed salad greens – cleaned, dried, and chilled
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
10 radishes, thinly sliced
6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1. Peel and section the oranges, using a sharp paring knife or a serrated knife. To do this, first cut off the polar ends of the peel off the sides. With a gentle sawing motion, cut in one side of the membrane and out the other, releasing each orange section into a bowl. Squeeze all excess juice from the remaining membrane in to the bowl as well, and pick out the seeds, if necessary. Discard the membrane.
2. Drizzle honey and sprinkle cinnamon into the orange slices. Stir gently to mix, cover, and set aside until serving time.
3. Shortly before serving, toss the greens in a large bowl with the onions, radishes and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. To serve, bring the orange sections, the tossed greens, and the walnuts to the table in separate containers. Let each person assemble his or her own salad, by piling some greens on a plate, spooning over some oranges-au-jus, and sprinkling a few walnuts on top. (My Notes: I did not serve it this way due to limited table space, but I think if you have the space it is a nice way to do it.)

Judging a Book by the Title

I am sure you have all heard the saying “Don’t Judge a Book By the Cover” and I am well aware that it is talking about a lot more than books… however, tonight’s dinner came from one of my neglected cookbooks (remember my New Year’s Resolutions) and it is safe to judge this one by the cover or better yet the title. Jessica and Scott gave me Southern Living’s Light and Easy Comfort Food well over a year ago and in that time I have used it once... So this weekend I pulled it off the shelf and began thumbing through it again and it is full off recipes that are just as the title reads light and easy comfort food dishes. None of the recipes are super complicated or time consuming, they are all on the lighter side, and they are all dishes that at some point in time during the year you crave. I found several recipes that looked tasty and perfect for a weeknight dinner. I couldn’t decide so I asked Russ to pick between the three and he chose the Lemon-Chicken Pasta.This particular recipe came out of a section on Cooking for Two. I want to point out that while it does make two servings that it would still be a good recipe for one person. You could easily half this recipe and most of the ingredients are ones that will save for later such as the frozen peas and extra dried pasta. Other ingredients such as the unused chicken and chicken broth could be frozen for later.

Russ and I both really liked this dish and it fit the title of the cookbook exactly as it was easy, light and comfort food. It wasn’t an out of the ball park homerun for us, but it was a solid, delicious weeknight dinner for just the two of us. One aspect of the dish I did really like is the use of chicken broth with cream cheese. The sauce is both light and tasty and one that you could adapt in so many different ways. I don’t know that I’ll follow this recipe exactly again, but I certainly will use aspects of it and then make it my own by adding different vegetables and flavors to it. You could easily sub asparagus (as long as you let them cook a little longer) and shrimp and I think it would be super tasty. I also think I would add a little lemon juice to it. Russ rates it an 8.
Quick Note: If you are interested in tracking my progress towards my New Year’s Resolution of cooking from my underused or never used cookbooks I am categorizing all applicable blog entries as “Cooking the Books”.

Lemon-Chicken Pasta, Southern Living Light and Easy Comfort Food
Yield: 2 servings

Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch-wide strips
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup shredded carrot
½ cup condensed low-sodium chicken broth, undiluted
2 tablespoons tub-style light cream cheese
2 cups hot cooked farfalle (about 1 and ¼ cups uncooked bow tie pasta), cooked without salt or fat
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fresh chives (optional)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and oil and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Add chicken and sauté 1 minute. Add peas and carrot; sauté 1 minute. Remove chicken mixture from skillet and set aside.
Add chicken broth and cream cheese to skillet, and cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes of until cream cheese melts, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return chicken mixture to skillet. Stir in pasta, Parmesan cheese, lemon rind, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Garnish with fresh chives if desired.This is a family photo with the addition of Cash's cousin Hugo from our hike this weekend.

Setting the Record Straight on Breakfast

There have been several breakfast posts where I have made waffles, pancakes, muffins, cinnamon buns etc. Russ has even made it on the blog once for his omelets. However, I feel like you may be getting a skewed view of what breakfast is really like in our house. You might think that Russ is spoiled rotten by my making him homemade breakfasts on Saturdays… but truth be told I am hands down the one that is spoiled rotten in the mornings. On weekday mornings Russ wakes up, showers, and then starts to wake me which tends to take a while, so in the meantime he lets Cash outside, then feeds him, and starts a large pot of coffee. He then brings me a cup of coffee with just a little milk and sugar and Cash and he continue to check on me until I finally make it out of bed and into the shower. So, despite Russ getting a yummy homemade breakfast every now and then on Saturday morning I am the one who is spoiled in the mornings with coffee delivered daily. I did treat Russ to homemade pancakes this morning and I even made the coffee to go with it!

The recipe for Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce is from one of the cookbooks that Russ had before we got married that has sat on our shelf gathering dust until today. I am working on cooking from some of my poor underused cookbooks as part of my New Year’s resolutions. Since this cookbook is Williams Sonoma Weekend with Friends the recipes are for several people, so I cut it in half for just Russ and me.

I started by making the blueberry sauce. You mix water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a pan until the cornstarch has dissolved. You then add a portion of the blueberries (I used some of our remaining stash of Mentone blueberries – yum!) and let it cook until the sauce thickens. You then puree the mixture in a food processor and then run it through a sieve back into the pan. Next you add the rest of the blueberries and the sugar and let this cook for just a couple minutes. The last step is to add in the cinnamon and more sugar if needed.

To make the pancakes you mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. You then slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry. The batter is still a little lumpy. You then cook them on a skillet. I used a non-stick skillet with just a little bit of butter. If you were cooking for a crowd then you would keep the cooked pancakes in the oven while you cook the rest. Serve the pancakes with the blueberry sauce on top.

Russ and I both really liked the pancakes and the blueberry sauce. Lemon and blueberry is a wonderful flavor combination and they work really well together here. Russ felt like the blueberry sauce could have been a little sweeter as he tends to like his sweet breakfasts a little sweeter than I do. Next time I’ll add a little more sugar to part of the blueberry sauce for him. We both thought the texture and flavor of the pancakes was excellent. They are light and fluffy with a hint of lemon. These are really delicious and would be perfect for a weekend in Mentone with friends. Russ rates them a 9.


Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce, William Sonoma’s Weekend with Friends
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients
For the Blueberry Sauce:
1 cup water
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen blueberries (thawed and well drained)
5 tablespoons granulated sugar, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 and ½ cups milk
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 and ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

About 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar

To make the blueberry sauce, in a saucepan over low heat, stir together the water, lemon juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add 2 and ½ cups of the blueberries and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, then pass through a sieve placed over the saucepan, pressing down with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Add the 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and stir the remaining 1 and ½ cups blueberries. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the berries soften slightly, 1 – 2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon. Taste and add more sugar, if needed. Keep warm. You should have 2 and ½ cups.

Preheat over to 200F.

To make the pancakes, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of the zest. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The batter will be lumpy.

Place a griddle or large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with some oil or butter. When hot, using a ¼ cup measure, ladle the batter onto the griddle or pan; do not crowd the surface. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and bottoms are lightly browned, 2 – 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the second sides are lightly browned, 1 – 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a baking sheet in one layer, tent loosely with foil, and place in the warm oven. Repeat, using more oil or butter as needed. You should have 24 pancakes.

To serve, gently reheat the sauce. Serve the pancakes on warmed individual plates. Ladle some of the warm sauce over them and sprinkle with the remaining 1 and ½ teaspoons lemon zest, dividing evenly. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.