Easy Weekend Blueberry Pancakes

We love pancakes on the weekend. I have tried more elaborate pancake recipes, like Bobby Flay's delicious Lemon-Blueberry-Ricotta Pancakes, but when I have a hungry hubby and kiddos waiting to be fed, I opt for this simple recipe (adapted from a Betty Crocker cookbook).

You can use store-bought syrup, but have you ever looked at the ingredients? Most are made of high fructose corn syrup! Try real maple syrup with some butter in it...that simple recipe is below as well. It'll make a HUGE difference. You'll never go back to the corn syrup-based stuff again!

Easy Weekend Blueberry Pancakes
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) or oil
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest (or orange zest if lemon isn't available)
fresh or frozen blueberries

Maple-Butter Syrup:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Beat egg in a medium bowl on high speed until fluffy. (A handheld beater works best for 1 egg.)
2. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.
3. Grease griddle with butter and drop pancake batter by 1/4 cup. Sprinkle blueberries in freshly dropped pancakes and cook until puffed and dry around the edges. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown.
4. To make syrup, put maple syrup in a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. When warm, add in butter and stir to combine. Taste, and add more butter if you prefer. Serve with pancakes.

Aussie Caramel Slice

I have been to Australia twice (thanks to my Aussie-hubby). And both times I couldn't get enough of this decadent little dessert. In the words of my mother-in-law who saw me baking this dessert tonight (over Skype)..."You do know the way to a man's heart!"

Australia is one cool country. If you haven't ever been, you really should go. Besides experiencing the fun Aussie culture, super-friendly people, and the beautiful beaches...the quaint, locally-owned bakeries are definitely worth exploring.

There are no chain-bakeries or restaurants down under (except for a few fast-foodies like McDonald's). Only local.

And, though I tasted many an Aussie dessert and pastry, the Caramel Slice always won. It's simple: shortbread-like crust, thick caramel filling, and dark chocolate topping.

This recipe comes from "The Essential Baking Cookbook." And it's pretty much perfect.


Aussie Caramel Slice
Crust:
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Caramel Filling:
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup

Chocolate Topping:
5 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (original recipe calls for 20 g or 3/4 oz. white veggie shortening)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 7x11" baking pan (I use a little smaller pan) with butter and then line with baking paper, leaving the paper hanging over on the two long sides.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl, then mix in the coconut and sugar. Add the melted butter and stir through thoroughly. Press firmly into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly colored. (Because I use a smaller pan, it takes about 20-22 minutes to cook, as the base is a little thicker). Allow to cool.
3. For the caramel filling, place all the ingredients into a small pot over low heat. Slowly bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly (so the caramel sauce doesn't caramelize on the bottom of the pot and leave you with brown burnt bits floating in the caramel). Gently boil and stir constantly for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly caramelized. Quickly pour over the cooled base, spreading evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. For the chocolate topping, place the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Half fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and place the bowl with the chocolate over the pot, making sure the boiling water doesn't touch the bowl. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted. Spread over the caramel. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until set. (Usually takes more than 20 minutes to set).
5. Lift the slice from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into pieces with a hot, dry knife.

Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu

I have two splurges in life right now.

No...it's not shopping sprees, not trips to the salon, and definitely not traveling to far-off places. (Don't get me wrong, these would be fantastic...they just aren't budget-friendly).

My two splurges are simple: tasty food and working out. Guess it's for the best that they go hand-in-hand...cooking good food isn't always the healthiest option!

This recipe calls for Gruyere cheese and Panko bread crumbs. The Gruyere gives the cordon bleu an unmatched creaminess, and the Panko crumbs create an extra crispy outside.

My good friend Heidi of Internecipes, inspired me to cook chicken cordon bleu, as we had some delicious cordon bleu at her house a few weeks ago.  I found this recipe online, and it got great reviews. I did make some substitutions to the original recipe by Tyler Florence.

This yummy chicken cordon bleu has officially joined our "splurge" list. (But I will have to make a special trip to the gym tonight. The cheese and bread crumbs are definitely not low-cal!)

Chicken Cordon Bleu (Tyler Florence)
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
4 slices ham
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (found in the Asian section of your grocery store)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet (or a rolling pin), gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 1 slice of ham neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the ham. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken. (This part became a little difficult for me, so I ended up rolling each like a log, tucking the ends under, and using a toothpick to secure).
3. Put the flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
4. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic, kosher salt, pepper and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season, so the flour, eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.
5. Set up your dipping station: 1) flour bowl 2) egg mixture 3) bread crumbs 4) greased baking pan. Remove any plastic wrap from the chicken roulades, and lightly dip the chicken in the flour, dip in the egg mixture, and gently coat with bread crumbs.
6. Put chicken roulades into the greased baking pan.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through. (My chicken needed about 40 minutes - they were pretty big chicken breasts and I probably didn't flatten them as much as I should have).

Pan-Seared Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms & Onions

My husband had waited long enough. It was due time for steak night. We used to eat steak once a week, but decided we both needed to eat a little healthier...so we cut back for a while. Needless to say, he was really excited last night!

This is a simple topping for a pan-seared steak, but it seems to take it to the next level. For an extra special treat, I cooked my hubby's fav steak - ribeye - and for me, a tenderloin.

Pan-Seared Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms & Onions
steaks of your choice (ribeye, tenderloin, sirloin, etc.)
3 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 oz. pack of mushrooms (baby portabellas are delicious, but any mushy will do)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (you could also use shallots)
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Season steaks with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
2. Put butter in nonstick pan and heat to medium-high. Add steaks to pan and once there's a nice sear, turn down the heat to medium (so you don't burn the bottom of the steak). Cook to your preferred doneness (roughly 3-4 minutes per side, depending on how thick the steak is), turn up the heat again and sear the other side. Then, bring the heat down and let the steak finish cooking.
3. Remove steaks and tent with foil.
4. At the same time, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to another nonstick pan or skillet, bring to medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until onions begin to get translucent. Add 2 tablespoons butter and continue sauteing for another 5 minutes. 
5. Add balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Season lightly with more salt. Taste, and add more of the vinegar or Worcestershire, if needed. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and mushrooms are soft.
6. Serve steaks with sauteed mushrooms and onions on top.

Best Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Ever

If you've had a baby recently (where I live) or come over to my house, you have most likely tasted this banana bread. It is my mom's recipe, and though I am very biased, I do think it's THE best banana-chocolate chip bread...EVER!

The bread is so moist, with a deep, rich banana flavor...and then there are the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips studded throughout, oh my!

I'm counting down...65 more minutes until that beautiful loaf comes out of the oven. And I'll most likely eat half the loaf - I'm not kidding - before my hubby gets home.

Enjoy!

Mama Julie's Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
3 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease loaf pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt).
3. In a mixing bowl, mix the butter, bananas, eggs and vanilla together on medium speed. You will see little chunks of the softened butter in the batter, and that's OK. 
4. A little at a time, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing as you go and scraping the sides of the bowl.
5. Once combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 55 - 65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center clean, and the edges of the loaf start to pull away from the pan. (Mine seem to take about an hour to bake).
7. Once out of the oven, spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter over the top of the hot loaf. Makes 1 loaf or 2 mini loaves. Eat with a big, cold glass of milk!

Creamy Gnocchi

If you haven't ever had gnocchi, you are seriously missing out. Soft, puffy pasta dumplings that seem to melt in your mouth. If you are a texture-person, you will love this recipe. This is my husband's favorite pasta sauce right now. It's very similar to the mushroom-pancetta pasta, but we altered it based on what we had in the house.

Creamy Gnocchi
1 package potato gnocchi
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
5 oz. sliced mushrooms, rinsed and dried (or 1 small pack)
4 strips of uncooked bacon, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper, to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Put butter and olive oil in a large nonstick pan, and heat over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened.
2. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and cook until the alcohol has cooked off, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Pour in the heavy cream. Stir well and bring down to medium low heat. Cook gently for another 8 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
5. Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil and cook gnocchi according to box directions. (Usually gnocchi only takes 2-3 minutes to cook). Drain and put the gnocchi into the sauce pan and combine well.
6. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese and parsley, and enjoy!

Simple Chocolate Frosting

This chocolate frosting is really, really easy...but very, very good. If you are a seasoned baker, you'll look at this recipe and think, "Why did she post such a simple recipe?" Well, I just find there are so many recipes out there for frosting, it can be overwhelming choosing one.

Here's one I used on cupcakes today, and the frosting was definitely the highlight. I bet it would work on top of a yellow cake, or even on sugar cookies. This frosts 12 cupcakes.


Simple Chocolate Frosting (America's Test Kitchen)
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
1. Bring cream to a simmer in a pot.
2. Place chocolate in a medium-size bowl, pour hot cream over chocolate and cover with foil for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk chocolate and cream together until smooth, cover with plastic wrap and cool in refridgerator for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
4. Spoon chocolate into standing mixer bowl and whip on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until chocolate forms soft peaks. Spread or pipe chocolate on top of cupcakes, cake or cookies.