Crepes

This morning I am wondering why on earth I haven't made crepes before.  They are SO easy and have been one of my favourite indulgences when I go out for breakfast for some time now.  This morning when I woke up, I decided that I needed crepes to go with the strawberries and whip cream that I had in the fridge so I got to work.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used Gluten Free Pantry Flour)

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of whole milk (I used mostly skim with a bit of half and half)

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a blender.  Puree until mixture is smooth and has bubbles on top (20 to 30 seconds or so).  The batter will be runny.  Let batter rest at least 15 minutes.  (Apparently you can make this the day before and let it sit in an airtight container in the fridge).  Whisk before using.

Heat a large frying pan over medium.  Lightly coat with butter, and I mean lightly.  I used too much on the first one and the crepe didn't turn out well!  Add about 1/3 cup of the batter and swirl to completely cover the pan.  Cook until the crepe is golden brown.  Loosen with an offset spatula and quickly flip.  I found it easiest to lift the crepe with the spatula and then grab it with my fingertips and flip.  Everyone will find their own method that works best.  Just be careful if you try my method, the crepe will be hot!  Once both sides are golden brown, remove from the pan and repeat.

This crepe had strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with a dollop of whip cream.

This is a ham and egg crepe and it was delicious... better than I expected.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a baking sheet, put a single crepe with a few slices of ham in the middle.  Crack an egg on top of the ham and fold the edges of the crepe over to hold the egg in.  Add a little salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the egg white is cooked and the yolk is as solid or runny as you like it.

Enjoy!

Favourite Salad

We've been trying to eat more veggies around here so last night we made a salad that we haven't had since the fall.  It is my favourite salad and was inspired by one that someone from our church brought for us shortly after Will was born.  It's super easy, the dressing is essentially homemade and it is delicious.  Here is how we make it, but obviously you can add or take out anything you want!

Ingredients:

Romaine and Iceberg lettuce

Cherry tomatoes

Mini sweet bell peppers

Cucumber

Rotisserie Chicken

Greek Salad Dressing

We make this with rotisserie chicken.  I don't quite understand why, but it is cheaper to buy a whole rotisserie chicken at the grocery store that is seasoned and fully cooked than it is to buy an uncooked one.  We get these chickens often and use them in a ton of recipes like soups, salads, and quesadillas.  

For the dressing we use Penzey's Greek Seasoning.  Never been to Penzey's?  You MUST go and smell the vanilla extract.  Yum!  Anyway, they have a greek seasoning and on the back is a recipe for salad dressing.  All you need is olive oil, red wine vinegar, water and a little of the seasoning and voi la, delicious homemade dressing.  For the two of us, I make half the recipe and it's the perfect amount for two large salads.

Snowy Village Cakelets

This is my third attempt this week at making these little cakelets.  The pan is from Williams-Sonoma a few years ago and is one of my favourites.  The first two batches didn't want to come out of the pan and only 4 out of the 12 cakes survived.  I tried again today and they worked!  The trick was giving in and buying Pam for baking (the stuff that has flour in it) because of all the small details.  The recipe is for a spice cake and is delicious.  The recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Williams-Sonoma Snowy Village Cakelet Pan

(The recipe came on the package)

1 1/4 Cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of milk

1 egg slightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

8 tablespoons (one stick) of unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  (In our oven, 20 minutes was sufficient so check your cakes often.)

If you don't have a cakelet pan like this one, the recipe would be great as a small round or 8x8 pan.  A little powdered sugar sprinkled on top is enough to sweeten it.  Enjoy!

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

After having Will we were so thankful that people brought us meals and invited us over to their homes! I never realized just how much of a blessing (or a necessity) that would be before having a baby myself!

Some friends and Grant's co-workers invited us over and made this Bruschetta chicken.  I kept thinking about it and finally thought to ask for the recipe.  This is one of my new favourite dishes and it is easily gluten free as long as you choose the right bread or crackers to go with it to eat the extra bruschetta.

It was a little chilly outside when I made this, so I opted to do it inside on the "grill" frying pan.  It's just a frying pan that leaves grill marks on your food which makes it look like it was grilled over a flame.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb.) cut in half

1/4 cup of Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette dressing (divided)

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)

Bread (optional)

Directions:

Heat grill to medium heat.  (In my case, the frying pan). 

Place chicken in a plastic bag or shallow dish.  Add 2 Tbsp. of Vinaigrette dressing.  Coat chicken evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.  Remove the chicken and discard leftover dressing in bag or dish.

Cover half the grill grate with a sheet of foil.  I usually like to put parchment paper between the foil and my food, but I had run out this time!  Place chicken on uncovered side of grill for 6 minutes. 

While the chicken is cooking, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

Turn chicken over and place on foil.  Top with the tomato mixture.  Grill 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

The chicken cooking with the tomato mixture on top.

Mulled Cider with Whipped Cream

Okay... this is my all time favourite fall treat!  

Ingredients:

Apple Cider

Mulling Spices

Whipping Cream

Vanilla Extract

Granulated Sugar

Optional: Carmel Sauce

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider and mulling spices.  Add a 2-3 teaspoons of spices to 2 litres/1 half gallon of cider using a tea infuser or tea filter.  Once cider begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Feel free to stop here... the cider is delicious all by itself!

2.  Not everyone knows this, but whipped cream and apple cider are a match made in heaven.  I use a pint of whipping cream, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  The measurements are guesses because I don't really measure when I make whipped cream and taste testing as you go is a must.

3.  Top cider with whipped cream and enjoy!

4.  Optional: Carmel sauce drizzled over the top is fantastic.  Mine was way past its expiration date so Grant and I had our cider last night without it.  Making your own carmel sauce is also an option, but I found that you end up with a ton of sauce that goes bad before we could eat it all.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Yesterday was the first chilly day and first snow here in Minnesota. In spite of what I just overheard the weather man say, Canada is not to blame for the cold air. :-) 

Whenever the weather is cool, I always crave warm drinks and sweets with spice.  These muffins are some of my favourites and are another Starbucks knock off.  They can also be made gluten free and still delicious!  Enjoy!

Muffin:

3 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten free pantry all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Ground Cloves

4 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

2 cups Sugar

2 cups Pumpkin (canned or homemade)

1 1/4 cups Vegetable Oil

Cream Cheese:

8 oz. Cream Cheese

6 (or so) Tablespoons of Icing Sugar (or Powdered Sugar)

Dash of Vanilla

2 Tablespoons of Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all of the "Muffin" ingredients and fill muffin tins (either greased or with paper cups).  Start by creaming the oil, sugar and eggs and then slowly add the rest of the ingredients.  (I'm a pretty inexact baker, so I apologize to those of you who like more precise instructions.)

3. Using a mixer, mix the "Cream Cheese" ingredients.  Use powdered sugar to taste...more will make it taste like icing, less like regular cream cheese.  You can also just cut the 8 oz of cream cheese into 24 small cubes push them down into the batter.  Also delicious and quite a bit easier.

4.  I used an icing bag to "pipe" the cream cheese into the muffin but you can just drop it by teaspoonful's (using two spoons) into the muffins and press it down into the batter with your finger.

5.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 24 muffins.

Pumpkin Scones

I looked out the window this morning and realized that most of the leaves have fallen.  I'm still in denial that summer is over, in spite of the reminders of brisk air and Pumpkin Spice Latte's.

My first year in Wheaton I was SO excited when the Pumpkin Scones and Latte's arrived at Starbucks.  I got up early the first morning with my friend Melissa only to discover that they had run out of scones already.  Determined not to be defeated I decided to try making them myself and 6 years later these are still a fall favourite (and I must say I like them better homemade).

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
3 tablespoons half and half
1 large egg
6 tablespoons cold butter

Plain Icing:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or half and half

Spiced Icing:
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or half and half
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of ground cloves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a large bowl.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and eggs.
4. Cut butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients.  Use a pastry knife or fork to combine butter with dry ingredients.  You want it to look like sand without any large chunks of butter visible.  You can also use a food processor (which I did) to combine the dry ingredients and butter because it is so quick.
5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball.  Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a 1-inch thick rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide.  Use a large knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough.  I like to make them much smaller than Starbucks (so you can have two).
6. Bake 14-16 minutes on a baking sheet.  You can oil it, line it with parchment paper OR if you have non-stick cookie sheets like these (which are worth every penny if you like to bake) you don't need to line or grease the pan.
7. While scones cool, mix the plain icing in a bowl.  A whisk or spoon works just fine.  When the scones are cool, drizzle a coating of glaze over the top of each scone.  I put the scones on a cooling rack on top of wax paper or aluminum foil to let the excess run over.  (See photo) And there will be excess! 
8. As the icing firms up, prepare the spiced icing in the same manner as the plain icing.  Drizzle on top.  I like to do it just like Starbucks does in a criss cross pattern.  I just use a spoon and hold it above the scones as the icing drizzles over, but you can use a squeeze bottle or something else too.

Makes 6 Starbucks-size scones or 12 regular-size scones.

Enjoy!