Sautéed Vegetables

You have to trust me when I say:  this tastes much better than it looks!  Or sounds, even.  Sometimes when I'm feeding hungry kiddos, I can't take the time to arrange a pretty plate.  Sometimes Dr. S serves me and doesn't "plate" the food for a picture, either, because he doesn't know I'm planning to photograph it.  So you get what you get!

This one isn't rocket science, but I just barely learned how to do it myself!  I was babysitting for a friend, and she'd laid out some frozen chicken nuggets to make it easy, and then made sure I knew how to saute broccoli.  

What? You can saute broccoli?  And kids will eat it?

It's true.  You can!  And they will!  And it's yummy!  Here's how.

Choose vegetables with similar cooking times and qualities.  Broccoli and asparagus.  Sugar peas and green beans.  Onions and bell peppers.  Potatoes and parsnips.  Carrots and apples! (yes, I know apples are not vegetables)  Wash veggies and chop or slice as desired.  Melt butter.

Add fresh seasonings.  Here I'm using garlic, but you can use fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil, cilantro) or freshly ground spices (nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon).

When it's good and golden add dry spices.  (salt, pepper, dry herbs and spices)

Then in go the veggies.  No water needed!

Toss 'em around until they're bright and tender--a little crunch is okay!

Sauteed Vegetables

2 T butter
1 tsp freshly minced seasonings (choose from garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc)
1 tsp dry seasonings (choose from salt, pepper, savory and sweet spices, etc)
1-2 lbs. fresh vegetables or fruits

Wash and cut vegetables.  Melt butter in large skillet. Saute fresh seasonings in melted butter for one minute.  Add dry seasonings and stir.  Add prepared vegetables and cook 5 to 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until brightly colored and tender with a slight crunch.

German Pancake with Strawberries

I'd never heard of German pancakes until after I got married.  I found a recipe for one in a cookbook someone gave us as a wedding gift.  The recipe perked my interest, and I decided to try it--more for the combination of sour cream and strawberries than the pancake, I think!

Well, we loved it.  German pancakes are a dense, custard-like baked pancake.  You can top them however you want, and they'll still be delicious!  One of the most traditional ways is with cooked cinnamon-sugar apples.  My kids love them drizzled with vanilla yogurt and topped with any kind of berry.  But give the sour cream, brown sugar and strawberries a try--you won't be disappointed!

A single recipe can be mixed up in the blender, which is better for combining the ingredients.  Bake it in a pie plate or 8" square pan.  For our family of six, I double it and make it in a 9x13" pan.

Start by placing the pan in the oven as it preheats to 425.  Place the butter in the bottom of the pan to melt.

Combine all the ingredients, either in the blender for a single recipe, or in a very large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or a whisk for a double recipe.

When the butter is melted and the batter thoroughly mixed, pour the batter into the hot baking dish.  

Bake for 20 minutes at 425, then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 8 minutes, or until puffy and golden.  Isn't it gorgeous?

Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving with a few of these beauties.  Can you believe this strawberry?

Don't forget the sour cream and brown sugar!

German Pancake with Strawberries

adapted from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

2 T butter

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

Place 9" pie plate or 8" square pan in cold oven.  Put butter in pan.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  While the oven is preheating, place remaining ingredients in blender or large mixing bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined.  When oven is hot and butter melted, pour batter into hot pan and return to oven.  Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 8-10 minutes, or until golden and puffy.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.  Top with strawberries, sour cream and brown sugar, or other toppings as desired. 

Angel Cake Supreme

This is a recipe from my mama.  When she was a recent bride and an even newer mama, her sisters and mom worked together with some ladies at church to contribute to a cookbook.  Whether it was motherly intuition or just a desire to share her favorite recipes, Mama ended up with a handful of these cookbooks and once she knew she had a daughter (me!) to share it with, it got stashed away in my hope chest, waiting for the day when I'd be old enough to use it.  

Now I'm married with kiddos of my own, and this is one of my favorite cook books.  It's got old fashioned treasures, like homemade saltines, graham crackers, every kind of pie, and other down home cookin' goodies.  

This recipe for angel food cake is probably similar to any other recipe, but I love that it's a classic favorite that's stood the test of time.  It does take some effort, so we save it for special occasions--specifically Easter in our family.  

You start by separating a dozen (yes, 12!) eggs.  I'm demonstrating in the photo.  Carefully crack the egg in half, then let the whites fall into a bowl while reserving the yolk in the shell.  You can save the yolks for a future purpose, like homemade ice cream or creme brulee!

Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  I highly recommend a stand mixer if you have one, because there will be a lot of mixing going on here.  But if you don't have one, a large bowl and an electric hand mixer will do the job.

Beat until soft and glossy.

Meanwhile, sift together flour and powdered sugar.  I don't have a sifter, so I just whisk them together in a bowl, and that works just fine for me!

Stop the mixer after soft peeks have formed.  The meringue will still be glossy.

Add the granulated sugar a little at a time and continue to beat the egg whites.

Lots of sifting!  Make sure no lumps remain!

The meringue is ready when it holds stiff peaks--that means it mostly holds shape when moved.

Sprinkle on a little of the flour mixture...

and fold it in gently with a spatula.  Continue to do this a little at a time until the flour mixture is used.

Now.  You will have 16 cups of batter.  Usually, this fills a 10" tube pan.  I don't have one, so I use a bundt pan and a loaf pan.  Be warned, though, that you don't grease the pans, and it may be difficult to get the cake out!  This article from allrecipes.com on cake pan conversions is really helpful in helping you decide what pans to use with what you have already!  

Spread the batter into your ungreased pans.

The cake is ready when it's golden in color and springs back after light touch.  Use a knife around the edges to help rescue the cake from those unorthodox pans!

Turn the cakes upside down on a cooling rack...

and wait until completely cooled to remove from the pan.  I like the silicone bundt pan for obvious reasons here!  You can frost the cake with whipped cream and topped with strawberries, but it's gorgeous on its own, and then you can serve individual slices with various toppings such as berries, whipped cream, ice cream, hot fudge, or whatever else sounds good!

Angel Cake Supreme

1 cup flour

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

12 egg whites

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup granulated sugar

Sift flour with powdered sugar three times.  Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla until stiff enough to hold soft peaks, but still moist and glossy.  Beat in granulated sugar, 2 T at a time, and continue to beat until meringue holds stiff peaks.  Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over eggs; fold in.  Fold in remaining flour by fourths.  Bake at 375 in an ungreased tube pan for 30 minutes or until top springs back without leaving mark when touched lightly with finger.  Invert cake on cooling rack and let cool completely before removing from pan.

Country Cornbread

Here's a quick country cookin' recipe for you, in case dinner sneaks up on you like this weekend has done to me.  

This recipe is a basic and simple, homemade cornbread that keeps you away from using the box.  But you can jazz it up all you want, if you have the resources to do so.  

Despite its simplicity, this cornbread demands your attention.  The edges are perfectly crispy, while the middle stays dense and moist.  Each bite is a little bit sweet with the perfect texture to keep it from being too gritty or dry.  

When we first moved to Southern California, our church hosted a chili cook-off.  Some members of our congregation also signed up to bring cornbread, so we'd have a "well-rounded" meal.  I opted to bring both. While my chili did get some attention for being unique (it was Cincinnati style chili--recipe soon!), it was the cornbread that the older gentlemen in the group stood around munching until it was gone.  After sampling many different varieties of cornbread, this one won the church-goers first prize.

You can adapt this recipe by using buttermilk in place of the milk, which will give it a little more lift and richer flavor.  For a savory twist, saute peppers and onions and stir those into the batter.  Or a can of creamed corn.  Or both!  I actually love this for breakfast with maple syrup or honey drizzled on it.  So many options.

A note about dishes:  you can use fewer dishes by first melting your butter in the dish you're going to mix in.  To really cut down on the cleanup (while providing even crispier edges), preheat a large cast iron skillet and melt the butter in there, and proceed with mixing your batter right in the skillet.  Then transfer to the oven.

Either way, combine wet ingredients first, then mix in the dries.

Give it a good stir, but don't over-mix--there will be lumps.  Pour into a greased baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown.

Country Cornbread

slightly adapted from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine wet ingredients, including sugar, in medium mixing bowl.  Add dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.  Pour into greased 8" square pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

I know, I know.  Another pie.  We love a good pie at our house.  And this, my friends, is a good pie.  

I'm doing another pie today for my Daddy.  He's celebrating a very special day this week, and if I were there in my old hometown, I'd make it for him.  From what I know, Daddy's favorite pies are chocolate pudding pie and lemon meringue pie.  So when I found this recipe, it looked like the perfect combination of the two. 

The filling is a little different from a cooked pudding filling.  It's a little more dark-chocolatey and a little less milky.  It's perfectly decadent without being too rich to enjoy a good-sized piece!

Start by combining the sugar, cocoa, flour and salt (and milk powder, if using) in the bottom of a saucepan.  

Mix it all together before adding the liquid.

Mix your egg yolks together with milk (or water, if using milk powder).

Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and stir.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.  It won't really boil before it starts to thicken, so watch it carefully.  You may see one or two bubbles surface, but once it gets good and thick, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour it into a prebaked pie crust.

To prepare the meringue, beat egg whites until frothy and bubbly.  Then add sugar and vanilla.

Continue to mix until you form stiff peaks.

Spread egg whites onto pie, spreading meringue all the way to the crust.  No peek-a-boo with the filling!  (My meringue was a little over-whipped.  Don't be like me.)

Bake until meringue becomes golden.

Allow to cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours before refrigerating.  Chill several hours before serving.

Chocolate Meringue Pie
slightly adapted from yourhomebasedmom.com

1 prebaked 9" pie crust
1 cup sugar
3 heaping T cocoa
2 heaping T flour
pinch salt
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups milk (or 1/4 cup milk powder + 1 1/2 cups water)
1 tsp vanilla

for the meringue:
3 egg whites
3 T sugar
few drops vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, flour and salt (and milk powder, if using) in medium saucepan.  Mix together milk (or water) and egg yolks.  Pour egg mixture into cocoa mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken.  Do not boil.  Stir in 1 tsp vanilla, and pour into prepared pie crust.  For the meringue, beat egg whites with electric mixer until frothy.  Pour in sugar and vanilla, and continue to mix until stiff peaks form.  Spread over pie filling, all the way to the crust.  Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden.  Cool at room temperature 2-3 hours before refrigerating.  Chill before serving.  

Lemon Pie

Happy Pi Day!  (3.14--get it?)  I know, I'm totally jumping on the bandwagon here with posting a pie recipe today, but since we love pie, and since this pie has a fresh springtime flavor, I just couldn't resist!

This is one of my honey's (honey hereafter referred to as "Dr. S", seeing as "Mr. Pots" was just too confusing, and he's well on his way to actually becoming "Dr. S") favorite pies.  It's tangy and cool and oh, so refreshing after a stick-to-your ribs dinner, not to mention nice and light if you're all about not ruining a dinner salad with a rich and heavy dessert. 

Dr. S likes his pie without the meringue, but you will have leftover egg whites from this recipe, and you can certainly whip them up and top the pie for that ever-classic "lemon meringue" combination--my daddy loves it that way!

Start with a prebaked pie crust.  If you need a recipe, try this one.  For a little more complicated and a lot more flavor, this crust is even better.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.

Gradually pour in water...

and egg yolks.  

Mix it well and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.  Boil one minute, then remove from heat.

Pour in lemon juice (and zest, and butter to prevent frothing, sorry, no photo).

Pour into prepared pie crust.

Cool at room temperature before refrigerating.  Chill before serving.

Lemon Pie

one 9" prepared pie crust

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups cold water

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1 T butter

Combine sugar and cornstarch in medium sauce pan.  Gradually stir in water and egg yolks.  Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.  Boil one minute.  Remove from heat.  Pour in lemon juice, zest and butter and stir until smooth.  Pour into pie crust.  Cool at room temperature, chill in refrigerator before slicing and serving.

*to add the meringue, whip the egg whites with electric mixer until frothy.  With mixer running, pour in 1/4 cup sugar.  Continue to mix until stiff peaks form.  Spread over (warm) pie, spreading meringue all the way to the crust.  Bake in oven preheated to 350 for about 10 minutes, or until peaks start to turn golden brown. Cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating, and do not cover.