German Pancakes

From the LeMons

As with German Chocolate Cake, these have very little to do with Germany. I have never seen these in Europe, but somehow the name sticks. Anyway, this is a great breakfast if you want something hot and sweet and feeds a lot of people, but without having to stand in front of a griddle or waffle iron all morning. You literally just whip it all together, put it in the oven and by the time everyone gets to the table, it's ready to go.

Serves 6

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (about 200 C). Mix the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 13x9 inch (about 23x33 cm) baking dish. Pour in the batter and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes.

The dish will puff up, like this:

But it deflates pretty quick, so serve immediately. Delicious with syrup or jam or whipped cream, or with some simple powdered sugar.

Basil Steak Marinade

adapted from SteakMarinade.org

It's the height of summer and all of my herbs are overflowing right now. So I've been trying to use fresh herbs as often as possible. This basil marinade was amazing! So much flavor and easy to put together.

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped into little pieces

1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup minced scallions

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

4 steaks

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Pour over steaks and let the meat marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours.

Roasted Turkey Breasts

from Betty Crocker

I love turkey, but am not always in the mood to roast a whole bird. When turkey breasts came on sale a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance to have a nice turkey dinner without all of the fuss.

Serves 6-8

1 whole turkey breast, bone in (thawed if frozen) about 4-5 lbs or 1.75- 2 kilos

1/2 cup butter (113 grams)

1/4 cup white wine or apple juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

Preheat oven to 325 F (176 C). Place turkey, skin side up on a rack in a large, shallow roasting pan. Roast uncovered 1 hour.

Mix butter, wine, thyme, salt , paprika and garlic. Brush turkey with half of the butter mixture. Roast 30 minutes; brush with remaining butter mixture. Roast about an hour longer or until your meat thermometer reads 165 F (73 C). Remove turkey from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes. In the meantime, take the pan drippings and skim the fat off of the top. Add enough water to drippings to measure out about 2 cups. Heat water and drippings in a saucepan until boiling. In a small cup, mix in cornstarch and 2 Tbsp cold water and once they are thoroughly mixed, add to the drippings. Boil and stir for 1 minute, serve gravy with turkey.

Brownies.

From my Mom

I have a serious weakness for brownies. Especially warm gooey ones like these. My mom has made these all growing up and even though the recipe is so simple, it is still my favorite. I made a rule long ago that I could only make these when we had friends over or else I end up taking a little sliver here and a piece there until the whole pan is gone. It's a very grave problem. But that is what happens when brownies are this good.

Makes enough for me! or 8-10 normal people.

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

10 Tbsp cocoa (unsweetened)

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C). Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time and then mix in flour and chocolate chips. Pour batter in a prepared 9x12 inch (23x30 cm) baking pan and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Chocolate Cherry Tart

from Hot Polka Dot

All of the cherry trees in my neighborhood are ripening right now. Deep red, lovely cherries everywhere you look. I have had to resist the urge many times to help myself to my neighbor's trees and last week I finally had to buy a box at the store. With so many to eat, I made this dessert one night on a whim. It was so divine that we had to fight over the leftovers the next day... so good that it's dangerous!

makes one 12 inch tart

1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 egg

12 ounces (350 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2-3 Tbsp chopped hazelnuts (I had to use walnuts, but it was still very good!)
1 cup sweet cherries, pitted

Mix together flour, cocoa, ground hazelnuts, powdered sugar and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg a little bit at a time, mixing a little bit after each addition. The dough will appear granular at first and after a few mixes it should begin to clump together.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead it together gently until it begins to hold together. Try not to handle it as little as possible. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for a few hours.

Once ready, butter a 12 inch round tart pan and set it aside. Sandwich the dough between 1 large sheets of wax paper and roll it out into a 15 inch circle. (Rolling it out with wax paper reduces cracks and mess and makes it easier to turn it over into the pan). Place the dough in the tart pan, firmly pressing into the corners of the pan. Pierce the dough a few times with a fork and put it in the freezer for half an hour.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 C) and butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil. When ready, fit the buttered side down tightly against the inside of the tart shell. Place the tart in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake it for an additional 10 minutes. Take it out and let it cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it aside. In a small saucepan combine the cream and butter and heat it on medium until it just begins to boil. Then pour the mixture over the chocolate, cover it and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate unti lit all melts and you're left with a smooth pudding like consistency. Pour into the cooled tart shell and smooth it out with a spatula. Top with cherries and chopped nuts and put it in the fridge until ready to serve. I left mine in there for an hour or so and it really helped the filling firm up.

Pork Chops with Sour Cream Sauce

adapted from food.com

We just got a grill. Hooray! It's just a little one and nothing fancy but it's so nice to cook and eat outside. Last night I wanted to try something a little different with grilled pork chops and this sauce was just the ticket. It had nice flavor, was simple to put together and tasted great with rice.

4 pork loin chops

1 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp salt

2 medium onions

1.5 cup beef stock

1 cup sour cream

3 Tbsp flour

1/8 tsp black pepper

parsley (fresh if you can get it!)

Combine sage, salt and pepper and rub the chops on both sides with the mixture. Grill until meat is cooked through.

In a saucepan grill onions until soft, then add beef stock and stir in the sour cream until smooth. Simmer for several minutes, add flour to thicken and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with rice or wide egg noodles.

Chicken Tikka Masala

adapted slightly from Jamie Oliver

I love Indian food but find it so intimidating! I guess I hate the fact that I never really know if I'm doing it right because it is so unfamiliar... So when my friend Janine wanted to try out this Tikki Masala recipe I thought it would be the perfect time to tackle the challenge. By the end of the hour the house smelled like a spice market and our mouths were all watering.

Serves 4-6

1/2 fresh red chili, deseeded (more if you want it hotter)

1 clove garlic,

1/2 oz (15 grams) fresh ginger

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 pinch paprika

1/2 Tbsp garam masala

1 tsp tomato puree

a bunch of fresh cilantro (coriander)

about 14 oz (400 grams) chicken breast, diced into pieces

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into pieces

1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped into pieces

1 pinch of ground cinnamon

1 pinch of ground coriander

1 pinch of turmeric

14 oz (400 grams) plum tomatoes

3.5 oz (100 ml) plain yogurt

3.5 oz (100 ml) sour cream

The day before: (or at least a few hours before)

Put the chili, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, paprika, garam masala, tomato puree, and all of the cilantro stalks into the food processor and puree to form a paste. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, coat them with marinade and put them in the fridge over night.

When ready, add a little vegetable oil in a large wok or fry pan on medium heat. Fry the onion, peppers and remaining spices in a large saucepan. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, then add the can of tomatoes and yogurt. Finally, add the chicken pieces and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Just before serving, stir through the double cream and chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve with fluffy rice and a leafy green salad.

German Chocolate Cake

from Allrecipes

The ironic thing about German Chocolate Cake is that it is most certainly NOT German. Pecans aren't even grown over here and are actually quite difficult to find. That being said, this is a delicious, fancy looking cake.

Cake:

1/2 cup water

4 oz (113 grams) chocolate

1 cup buter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs (separate yolks and whites)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups cake flour (all purpose is next best)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup (70 grams) butter

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Sauce:

2 ounces chocolate

1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour three 9" round pans (I used two 10" pans). Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set asidde. In a small saucepan, heat water and 4 ounces of chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla, then add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated (do not overmix!)

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Pour into your prepared bake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing.

To make the filling, combine 1 cup of sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter and 3 egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread. Spread filling between layers and on top of the cake. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together, stir until smooth and then drizzle down the sides of the cake.

Some people prefer to toast the pecans and coconut before adding them to the filling, but that is up to you.

How to Roast a Whole Chicken

While I love the convienience of bags of frozen chicken breasts, it's much more economical to buy the whole chicken and to roast it yourself. Plus, it makes the whole house smell great!

1 shallow pan

1 whole chicken

salt

rosemary

pepper

parsley

sage

oil

onion

garlic

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C)

Take the chicken out of the trappings, remove giblets, rinse thoroughly and pat completely dry with a paper towel. Then place the chicken in the center of an oiled baking dish. You can stuff the bird's cavity with a roughly chopped onion or garlic cloves if you like. Then, in a small bowl, mix spices together. Brush chicken with a thin layer of oil and sprinkle the spice mixture evenly all over the chicken.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear. The cooking time really depends on the size of the bird; for anything over 3.5 pounds, cook for about 8-10 minutes per pound (about 8-10 minutes every 500 grams). To be completely sure it is baked through, you may want to use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal temperature gets to 165 F (73 C).

Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Happy Meal

Ben right now is in this cooking group at work, and he always comes home with these really interesting recipes from all over the world. This is one is from a colleague of his whose mom would make it back home and they called it "the happy meal" because it was so good. I was impressed with it because of the strange combination of savory and sweet, I would have never thought to mix bananas and bacon but it turned out quite delicious.

Serves 4

1 onion

14 oz turkey, cut into chunks (400 g)

3.5 ounces bacon (100 g)

1 cup of cream (250 ml)

1 Tbsp curry

1 beef bullion cube

1 banana

1 cup mandarin oranges

1 1/2 cup pineapple

rice

Chop bacon and onion into small pieces and saute with strips of turkey in a large frying pan. Once they are cooked, add cream, beef bullion cube, curry and salt if needed. Last, drop in banana, pineapple and Mandarin oranges. Let them all simmer together for several minutes, and serve immediately with rice. Don't let the fruit simmer for too long, or the fruity flavors will overpower the meal (known from experience!).

Simple Greek Salad

This is one of my favorites, such great flavors all mingled together and it is so easy. It's perfect for summer.

Serves 4

5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup olives

1 cucumber, chopped into small pieces

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp basil

In a bowl, mix together tomatoes, olives, cucumber and onion. Mix well. Then toss in Feta, lemon juice, salt, pepper and basil. It's best if you make it a few hours before dinner so you have time for the flavors to mingle. Enjoy!

Nutella No-Bake Cookies

I love no-bake cookies. They are SO easy to make and use such basic ingredients that I never have to buy anything special to have them made. Plus when you have a sugar craving, they really hit the spot. The problem is, to make them one needs peanut butter and the only place I have found American peanut butter here is clear across town. So in desperation yesterday I used Nutella instead (which is found virtually everywhere here) and it was wonderful! Ben even loved them and he usually hates no-bake cookies.

makes about 2 dozen cookies

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup Nutella

3 1/2 cups oats

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. During this time measure out your oats and Nutella, then when the time is up, quickly mix them in to the hot mixture. Drop spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool completely so they can harden before eating.

If your cookies turn out gooey and sticky, they didn't boil long enough. If they are crumbly, they boiled for too long. 2 minutes turned out perfectly for my stove, but experiment with your own stove to get the timing right.