Homemade Pancake Syrup

This morning I was craving French toast, so went to make some. But, horror of horrors, I had no syrup. I remembered my mom making it with brown sugar and water, then some maple extract, so tried making it myself. It turned out pretty good. I used half brown sugar and half water, simmered until it thickened a little bit, added some pure maple extract and gave it a taste. It really wasn't bad, better in fact than many of the maple flavored pancake syrups from the store. I used dark brown sugar and the molasses flavor was a bit stronger than I would have liked, so light brown would probably be better. While isn't the real thing from a good friend who makes maple syrup, it was better than store bought. A good thing to keep in mind when you are needing something like this.

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. pure maple extract (or to taste)

Simmer sugar and water about 10 minutes or until thickened a little bit, remember, as it cools it will be thicker. Remove from heat and add extract. Cool to the temperature you want, I like a warmed syrup with my pancakes, waffles or French toast. You can substitute other flavors for the maple, vanilla works well I'm told.

Potato Crusted Quiche

This is a delicious take on a quiche and since there is no grain or flour in it, it is gluten free!   You can change the filling according to your tastes and to what you have in the fridge. 

3 cups hash browns, thawed if frozen
2 tbsp. oil, melted butter or bacon fat
4 slices of crisp bacon (leftover or packaged crumbles), crumbled
1/4 cup chopped onion, green onions if you prefer
1 cup chopped raw spinach leaves
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
3 eggs beaten with 1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, grease a 9 inch deep pie pan.   Drizzle the 2 tbsp of oil or butter or bacon fat over the grated potatoes and add 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan.  Mix together well and then press into the pie pan, up around the sides and bottom.   Press it in firmly.   Bake in the preheated oven about 30-40 minutes or until nicely browned on top and bottom.   Remove from the oven and cool about 10 minutes.

While the crust it cooling, beat the eggs and milk together until well blended.   Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with the bacon, then the spinach, and the cheeses.   Sprinkle the onion on top.   Then slowly pour the egg and milk mixture over the top, allowing it to settle through the other toppings.    Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees, then put the pan in the oven.   Bake about 30 minutes or until the filling is set and the top is starting to brown.   Remove from the oven and allow to sit about 10-15 minutes before cutting and eating.   Enjoy!!!

Options:   any cooked, drained vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, peas, green beans, etc), cubed or chopped ham or chicken or any kind of cooked meat or fish,  other types of cheeses, favorite herbs, you name it.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

I love a good cinnamon roll, but sometimes you want one and don't have or want to take the time to make one with a yeast dough.  You want it now!   I had heard of using a biscuit dough to make them, but never tried until recently.  They turned out very darned good too!   You want to use a biscuit dough that is a bit richer than usual, and you can also add some sugar to the dough and even a bit of vanilla as well.   Here is the dough I used and how I did it.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter cut into pieces
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp.  salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 tbsp. sugar (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Grease/butter a 8x8 inche bake pan.    Mix all the dry ingredients together and then cut the butter into until it is like pea sized bits.   Make a well in the center and quickly stir in the sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla if using.    Stir until most of the flour is moistened, then knead in the bowl until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated.   Flour a board or counter top and place the dough there and roll out about 1/2 inch thick.   Spread the top with melted butter, then heavily sprinkle with dark brown sugar and then sprinkle heavily with cinnamon.   Roll up and cut into 12 slices.   Place in the prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes, until risen and the top is nicely browned.   Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes, then spread with the glaze.    Allow to cool another 15-20 minutes before eating.   These are addicting!

Glaze:   about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and enough real maple syrup until you have a thick glaze.  Spread over the hot rolls.   Use cream or milk if you don't care for maple.  

English Muffin Toasting Bread

I love a crusty toasted English Muffin and have tried making them at home, but they just aren't quite right.  However, this bread will certainly be quite right!   It has a very good texture and crunch when toasted and the flavor is incredible.   I took a loaf to Judy and Gary and they both went nuts over it.  Definitely a keeper! 

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp. Sugar

1 tbsp. Yeast

¼ tsp. Baking soda

3 tbsp. Oil or melted butter

2 cups hot milk

corn meal for dusting bread pan (optional)

Grease a bread pan and sprinkle with corn meal if using, set aside. Put dry ingredients in a mixer bowl and then add melted butter and milk. Mix with paddle until you have a very very soft dough. Scoop into the greased pan and with wet hands, press down and smooth out top. Cover and put in a warm place to rise about 45-60 minutes. You want the risen dough to come just barely above the top of the pan. After dough has risen 15-20 minutes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. When dough has risen, bake for about 30 minutes until well browned and it sound hollow when tapped (temp will be 190 if you use a thermometer). Allow to cool in pan about 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Do not slice until completely cooled. 

Healthy Gluten Free "bread"

This makes a delicious breakfast, sliced a bit thickly and spread with some peanut butter.  

Healthy Gluten Free Bread
Makes 1 loaf

1 cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup hazelnuts or almonds or any other chopped nuts, I like pecans
1 ½ cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey or sorghum
3 Tbsp. oil or butter, melted
 2 cups water

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a separate bowl. Add mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick, adding 1-2 teaspoons water if dough is too thick to stir.  Line a large loaf pan with  parchment paper and press dough into the pan, smoothing the top and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight. 

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake bread for 20 minutes, then remove bread from loaf pan, peeling off parchment paper and place it upside down, directly a cookie sheet, and bake for another 30-40 minutes (it should sound hollow when tapped). Let cool completely before slicing.

 

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

If you wish, you can also add about ½-3/4 cups diced dried fruit to the bread and about ½ tsp of cinnamon as well. I also tend to double the amount of honey when I use that.

Mario's Mexican Breakfast AKA Migas con Huevos

I have a very good friend in Wichita, by the name of Mario.  He is originallMy from Monterey, NL Mexico.  When I visit him, he sometimes makes this very simple and utterly delicious breakfast dish. I have made it many times and anyone who is a fan of Mexican food loves it too.  It is easy to fix for a crowd and a good way to use up stale corn tortillas.  This recipe is for one serving, just double, triple, etc for more people.

2 tbsp oil or lard

2-4 corn tortillas, torn into medium sized pieces

About ¼ cup chopped onion 

1-2 green chiles, seeded and chopped (optional for those who want some heat)

¼ cup cooked salsa, green or red

3-4 eggs, lightly beaten

In a medium sized skillet, nonstick if possible, heat the oil and then fry the tortilla pieces until the start to crisp a bit, stirring often.  Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add the onion and green chile if using and cook until tender, add the tortilla pieces, the eggs and salsa, cooking until eggs are done, stirring as needed.  Dish up and eat!

You may add some chorizo or diced ham when frying the onion and chiles.  You can top with grated cheese if you like, but I really think that isn't needed.

Huevos motuleños

I first had this breakfast dish at a lovely restaurant in Santa Fe, NM called Cafe Pascuals.  It is lovely little place and at breakfast time packed from wall to wall, but well worth the trouble to get into.   The friends I went with recommended that I try this and I was so very happy that I did.  It is an incredible dish and so very easy to make.  It is also very flexible and quick to make as well.

It is originally from the southern part of Mexico, as you can see from the ingredients and is named from the town where it originated, Motul.  Here is my take on it.  Enjoy!

For each serving:

1 ripe, but firm banana, peeled halved lengthways, then each half halved again crossways.
1/2 cup cooked, drained and reheated beans, black are traditional but pintos work well too
1 cup green sauce, heated or a heated cooked smooth red sauce
2-3 eggs cooked as desired, fried is traditional
1/2 cup diced ham or cooked pork (optional)
3 heated corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or crumbled cotija cheese or some grated monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup cooked green peas (optional, I usually leave out but it is traditional)
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1 tbsp. butter

Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet until warm, but still flexible.  Place on serving plate and set aside in a warm place.   Heat the butter in the skillet and gently fry the banana slices until lightly browned on each side, a nonstick skillet is best for this as the sugar in the bananas can make them stick very easily in a regular skillet.   When the bananas are browned assemble your plate:  tortillas, then the heated salsa, scatter the cooked drained beans over the top, then the ham or pork if using, then the eggs, the peas, the pico de gallo, and finally the crumbled cheese, place the fried banana slices around the edges.   I usually don't use the peas, and in place of the pico de gallo, often just smother the whole thing with more green sauce, mainly because I love green sauce!   This is a delicious breakfast dish and easily made as you can have everything except the eggs and bananas prepared ahead of time, just heat, cook the eggs and bananas, assemble and eat.   I like it for lunch and a light supper too.  Pretty healthy as well!

Breakfast (or any time) Casserole

I made a delicious breakfast casserole this morning. I chopped a small onion and a seeded green chile. I took a large non-stick skillet, sprayed with cooking spray and lightly browned the onion and chile. Then I added about a cup of diced ham and browned that as well. Finally, I added 3 cups of cubed, pre-cooked potatoes. When all were lightly browned, I placed them in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan. Then I beat 4 eggs with about a half cup of milk. I seasoned the egg mixture with some garlic powder and paprika. Then I poured the eggs over the potatoes, then sprinkled 1 1/2- 2 cups of grated cheese over the top. I baked it at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or bake until a knife stuck in the center comes out clean and the cheese is lightly browned. I allowed it to cool about 10 minutes, then ate it with some picante sauce on top. It was quite tasty. This recipe can be doubled to feed more people. It is also a very good lunch or supper dish as well.

You can replace with ham with cooked bacon or sausage or use turkey ham, bacon or sausage if you don't eat pork.

Maple Pecan Scones

I was able to buy some of Max Lown's syrup this year and it is fantastic! So I keep looking for ways to make use of the delicious flavor. I did some researching and came up with several recipes for a maple pecan scone. I did some tweaking and this is the recipe I came up with. They turned out quite delicious!

Maple Pecan Scones

3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. maple syrup (preferably Max's!)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the buttermilk, vanilla and maple syrup. In another large mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into the dry mixture until it is well blended. You can leave a few small lumps of butter. Stir in the buttermilk mixture and pecans, then mix lightly with a fork until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Form into a ball, place on a floured tabletop and knead quickly 3-4 times. Roll out into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and cut into strips, then the strips into rectangles about 1x2 inches (or any size and shape you wish). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart and then bake in the preheated oven, about 10 minutes or until well risen and brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet a few minutes before removing to a rack to finish cooling. When cool make a glaze with maple syrup and powdered sugar, just thick enough to drizzle easily off a spoon, but not too thin or it will all run off. Drizzle the scones with the glaze and then allow them to sit until the glaze has dried/firmed up. Eat and enjoy!

Breakfast Burritos

I am a big fan of burritos, which basically are anything wrapped in a flour tortilla.   Usually I just wrap up my cooked and hot filling with some cheese, but sometimes after rolling it up, I'll grill it in my panini press.   Either way they are always delicious.    One of my all time favorites is a breakfast burrito.   There are innumerable combinations of fillings, here are a couple of my favorites.

This afternoon I made one that I especially love, it is probably my favorite.   This recipe will make enough filling for about 4-6 burritos, depending on how big you want them.   I heat about 2 tbsp. bacon fat or oil in a large non-stick skillet.   I then add 1 peeled and thinly sliced onion and about 1/2 cup cubed ham.    Then I add 1/2 bag of shredded hash browns, (I like the Simply Potatoes brand).   I fry this all together until nicely browned, just a few minutes.   Then I beat two eggs and pour over the potato, ham and onion mixture and scramble until done.   Meanwhile, I heat my large flour tortillas, taking a hot tortilla and add some shredded cheddar cheese and the amount of potato-egg mixture that I want, and roll it up.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and potato-egg mixture.   Place on plate and cover with some good picante sauce, I prefer Pace Chunky Picante Sauce.   Eat.

Another good burrito filling uses chorizo, the famous Mexican fresh sausage.    You can either use store  bought chorizo or make your own using my recipe here.    For 4-6 burritos, I use about 12 ounces of chorizo.   Heat a large non-stick skillet and add 1-2 tbsp. of oil.     Gently fry the chorizo, taking care not to let it burn.   When it begins to render some fat, add a peeled and thinly sliced onion, a seeded and finely chopped jalapeno chile and two chopped Roma tomatoes.   Continue to fry until the meat is lightly browned and the vegetables are very tender.   Beat 3-4 eggs and add to the fried chorizo mixture and scramble until the eggs are done.   Heat your tortillas and fill with the chorizo-egg mixture.   Cheese is probably not needed, as the chorizo is rich enough on its own.   Cover with your favorite picante sauce and enjoy.

Blueberry Sauce for Pancakes

Aaron and I are both big fans of breakfast for supper.  Neither of us are much for eating breakfast in the morning, but on rare occasions we love having it for supper.   Tonight was a special occasion (having oral surgery in the morning so probably can't eat anything solid for a while) and we had a delicious meal:   eggs (scrambled for him, fried for me), turkey sausage, ham and pancakes.    We are both fans of blueberry pancakes and I had originally planned on making them.   But I got to thinking a nice blueberry syrup or sauce would be good on plain ole buttermilk pancakes.   I first thought I'd just cook the blueberries with some sugar and lemon juice and that would be enough.   I did some searching online and came across several recipes for a blueberry sauce that sounded interesting, but just not quite what I had in mind.   So like I often do, I combined ideas from this recipe and that recipe, adding a bit of my own ideas along the way.   This is what I came up with.    Aaron loved it and we both agreed this recipe was a keeper.    I have a feeling it would probably be good using other soft fruits like blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or cherries.    It would also be good spooned over ice cream or plain cake.   Enjoy!

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup white sugar or Splenda

Place this in a quart pan and bring to a full boil.    Stir 2 tbsp. corn starch into 1/4 cup cold water and stir until smooth.    Pour into the boiling berry mixture and stir well, cooking until thickened, about 1-3 minutes.   Remove from the heat and add 1/4 tsp. almond extract and 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon.   If too thick, add a bit of water to bring to desired consistency.   Place in a covered bowl and allow to sit at room temperature at least an hour before serving.

Breakfast: Chorizo and eggs, and biscuits with sausage gravy

I love breakfast foods, but rarely eat them at breakfast time.   About the only times I eat in the mornings, is on the weekends or if I am off for some reason and even then it isn't a usual thing.   Take today, for example, I slept in and got up about 9:30 am.   I piddled around the apartment, but it wasn't until noon that I decided to eat something.   I've been craving chorizo and eggs, and just happened to make a double batch of chorizo last night, so had it in the fridge.   I sliced a small onion, cooked it in a bit of oil, then added about 2 ounces of chorizo.   I stirred it until the chorizo was done and the onions limp and lightly browned.   Next I beat 3 eggs with a splash of milk, then poured it over the chorizo and onions.   I stirred it  until set and the eggs were well mixed with the chorizo and onions.   Next I heated two flour tortillas, sprinkled a tablespoon or so of cheese in them and then filled with the eggs and chorizo, rolling them up into a delicious breakfast burrito.   With a glass of cranberry juice, that was my lunch/breakfast and it was fantastic!

Sometimes Aaron will request I make sausage gravy and biscuits.      First I make the biscuits:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. solid shortening (lard is best, followed by butter and then vegetable shortening)
1 cup butter milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.    Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it is well blended, if there are a few small clumps of shortening, that is ok.   Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.   Quickly stir together using a fork until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.   Dump out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead a dozen times, then roll out about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Cut into rounds and place in an ungreased pan (a heated cast iron skillet is the best baking dish!).   Gather the scraps together, roll out again and cut more biscuits.   Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees about 10-15 minutes or until well risen and brown on top.   Goes good with butter and honey or butter and sorghum, with jelly or jam, or covered with sausage gravy.

Sausage gravy is something my family and Aaron both love.   Where we split is in how it is put together.   My family always fried the sausage in patties and served it along with the biscuits and gravy, but Aaron prefers the sausage fried loose and crumbly and served in the gravy itself.     Being the kind person I am, I usually cook it that way for him.   Gravy is something I usually don't measure carefully, but cook for with my eye.   Here's how I do it:

I crumble the sausage into a hot skillet and if the meat looks very lean, I'll add a bit of oil or bacon drippings.   Fry the sausage until it gets good and brown, but being careful not to burn it.    Remove the brown sausage crumbles to a bowl and set aside.   Eye the grease in the pan and you should have about 4 tbsp.   if more remove some and if less add more oil or bacon drippings.    Add three  tablespoons of flour and stir into the drippings until smooth.   Continue cooking and stirring until the flour/fat mixture begins to brown.  Whisk in 2 cups milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens.   If it looks too thick, add up to another cup of milk.   Boil for 1 minute, stirring all the while.   Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet and taste for salt and pepper.   If too thick you can add a bit more milk to thin it down, gravy will thicken as it cools.   Pour over hot biscuits and enjoy!

If you prefer your sausage on the side, make the loose sausage meat into small patties and fry in the heated skillet, adding some oil or bacon drippings as above.   Turn the patties often and watch for burning.   When well browned and done in the center, remove from skillet and drain on paper towel.   Make gravy as above, but disregard the part of returning the cooked sausage to the gravy.   This is some good eating!

Healthier Biscuits

Most people love a good biscuit.   When properly made they are flaky and either high and fluffy or thin and a bit crisp.   To get the flakiness, you need lots of high quality shortening, either lard or butter give the very best flavor.   The shortening is cut into the flour and then quickly rolled out and cut.   For the very best texture and flavor, you should also use buttermilk in place of sweet milk.    But is there a way to have a biscuit without all the heavy fats?   I came across what is called a heart healthy version of biscuits and decided to give it a try.    I got a good rise, they were pretty and the flavor was fairly good.   Will it completely replace my old stand-by recipe of biscuits, no, no way it could.  But it is handy when wanting a biscuit and I'm trying to eat better.   I'll probably save my old stand-by recipe for when I have company.   Even so, this is a good recipe to have on hand if you need to cook for someone with dietary limitations.   Enjoy!

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp. and 1 tsp. vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.   In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.   Stir in the milk and vegetable oil, quickly mixing until all of the flour it moistened.   Empty bowl onto a lightly floured board and quickly knead about 8-10 times.   Roll out dough about 3/4 inch thick and cut into rounds.   Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.   This should make about a dozen biscuits.

Cherry Scones

In her comment under my recipe for baked beans, my sister said that she especially loves my dried cherry scones. I have to agree that it is a delicious recipe. It is a bit sweet and can even be used almost like a cookie. Lots of good cherry flavor in it too!

1 cup butter, cut into bits
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 6-oz. pkg. dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter bits into the flour mixture until it is like coarse crumbs. Stir in the dried cherries. Mix the almond extract together with the buttermilk and then pour into flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly together, until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and lightly knead 3-4 times. Pat into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Either cut into 8 wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet or you can also cut the wedges into smaller pieces and place on the baking sheet. If you like, you can brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar or just bake as is. Bake about 10-15 minutes, or until the tops are crusty and lightly browned. Cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet. Enjoy!