Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Whole Wheat Banana-Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup rolled oats
2 bananas chopped
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


Directions:
In a blender, puree milk and oats until smooth. Add bananas, flour, baking powder and salt and puree a few seconds more. Let batter rest 10 minutes.


Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Mist with nonstick cooking spray, then scoop batter into the pan in about 1/4 cup increments. Reduce heat to medium low and cook pancakes until air bubbles appear and underside is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook about 5 minutes more. *Top with sliced bananas, walnuts, and pure maple syrup, or any syrup of your choice.
YUM!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Pancakes (or Waffles)

2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) oil

Mix all together with a spoon.  May be a little lumpy.  Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes if you have time, but if not, then go ahead and cook immediately.

For Waffles:  Increase oil to 1/2 cup.
Separate eggs.  Add the yolks to the batter.  Whip the egg whites separately until stiff.  Fold the egg whites into the batter right before beginning to cook the waffles.

Swiss Chicken

Chicken Tenders (enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan in a single layer)
Swiss Cheese slices (enough to cover the chicken in a single layer)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup milk (or water)
1-1/2 cups dry stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter

Grease or Spray 9x13 pan.
Lay the thawed chicken tenders in the pan in a single layer.  Lay the cheese slices on top of the chicken.
Mix the soup and milk together and spread over the sliced cheese.
Melt the butter and stir into the dry stuffing mix (I think that 1-1/2 cups is about right - but I know that one sack of Pepperidge Farm stuffing was enough for 4 pans of chicken)
Sprinkle buttered stuffing over the soup.  Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Sweet and Sour Chicken


8 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
8 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 cup fresh orange juice
8 teaspoons cornstarch
6 teaspoons peanut oil
24 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pint small, sweet mixed peppers, quartered, or 4 mixed bell peppers, cut into 1-inch strips
12 scallions, whites cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and thinly sliced vertically into thin strips
16 ounces snow peas, trimmed
3 Servings of cooked rice
1 cup of water
Chopped peanuts for sprinkling, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, orange juice and cornstarch; set aside.

Meanwhile, coat the chicken with 3 teaspoons oil and heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally, 2 minutes. Transfer the partially-cooked chicken to a plate. Reserve the pan.

Heat the remaining 3 teaspoons oil in the pan; add the peppers, scallion whites, and snow peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken; whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add rice, water, and contents of the pan to a wok and stir for 3 - 4 minutes over high heat. Sprinkle with the scallion greens and peanuts, if using, and serve.