Healthy, Fluffy Banana Pancakes

1/2c. wheat flour
1c. white flour
1 Tb. baking powder
scant 1 Tb. sugar
scant 1 tsp salt
1 1/4c. milk (plus a little more for thinning)
1 egg
3 Tb. melted butter
2 Tb. ground flaxseed (optional)
1 banana

Makes 8-10 pancakes

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the center. Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until mixed, but do not over mix batter. Add more milk to thin the batter if needed.

Grease a skillet (I used a little butter) and cook pancakes over medium. When batter starts to bubble, add sliced banana on top, then flip pancakes. I needed to add a little more butter when I flipped the cakes to prevent them from burning.

Enjoy with maple syrup, or my personal fave: applesauce.

Tofu with Oyster Mushrooms and Spinach

Recipe

I bought oyster mushrooms from the farmer's market this weekend, and I found this great recipe while I was browsing my fave food site, Tastespotting. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I did cook the mushrooms in butter instead of oil. I also cooked the tofu longer than called for, until it was turning dark brown and a little crunchy. The stir-fry was fabulous. The flavors were just amazing, and I could have eaten seconds....and thirds! I served it with brown rice instead of white.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 pint strawberries with stems/leaves, washed and dried
4 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (If you don't have a double boiler, see tip below) Hold each strawberry by the stem, and swirl in melted chocolate until bottom half of strawberry is coated. After swirling, set strawberry on its side on waxed paper and allow chocolate to set (about 30-60mins). Enjoy!

Tips: I don't have a double boiler, so I took a small pot and found a bowl that would fit on top of it. I filled the bottom 2" of the pot with water, and brought it to a boil. Then I turned off the heat and set the bowl (with chocolate in it) on top of the pot. The heat from the steam slowly melted the chocolate.

I think these will only keep for about a day in the fridge. Between three of us, we had no problem finishing them in a day! I'm already craving more!

Migas

This recipe is my favorite Tex-Mex version of an omelet or scrambler. The key ingredient is crispy, fried corn tortilla strips. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2 corn tortillas, cut thin strips
5 eggs
2 tb. milk
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 ripe avocado
handful pepper jack cheese (shredded)
handful cilantro
salsa
olive oil
salt and pepper

In a skillet, heat 2 Tb. olive oil over med-hi heat and stir in tortilla strips. Add a pinch of salt and fry tortillas until they become slightly crispy. Remove from skillet. In hot skillet combine olive oil, jalapenos, and onion. Fry until onion is translucent and fully cooked. Beat eggs and milk together and add to skillet, stirring frequently. When eggs are still cooking, but almost ready, stir in the tortillas and cook another minute or so, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove from skillet and serve garnished with pepper jack cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, and salsa.

My husband became addicted to migas the first time we had them at a brunch in Austin. He has been looking for them in restaurants everywhere we go, and usually ends up disappointed that the migas in Wisconsin are nothing like the migas we had in Austin. I tried to recreate that wonderful meal in Austin and my husband finally gave me the "oooh, these are soooo good" look (It took three different attempts to get it right!). Well, this is my celebration of Cinco de Mayo....Tex-Mex style.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower Curry

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
olive oil (a few glugs)
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp. hot chili powder
1/4 tsp. curry powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower florets in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour a few glugs of olive oil (a few tablespoons) over the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle cumin seeds, sea salt, chili powder, and curry powder over cauliflower and toss again to coat cauliflower with spices. Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 40 mins, stirring once to prevent burning. The vegetables will start to stick to the bottom of the pan at some point (unless you use a whole bottle of olive oil!). Although it might not look very pretty, it will taste amazing!

I bought a jar of bell pepper and herb sea salt, and I've been using it on all of my roasted veggies in place of coarse sea salt. If you can find it, herb sea salt adds a lot of flavor. You can also add potato (cubed) and onion (cut into strips). I love any roasted vegetables, but cauliflower is definitely my favorite. I could eat this every day and never get tired of it. I am looking forward to roasting spring vegetables and posting a recipe, but it's still to cold in Wisconsin. The asparagus hasn't even made an appearance yet! Maybe next month...

Onion Chutney

1 large onion (I prefer red)
1 green chili
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tb. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad or channa dal (optional)
1 Tb. dry tamarind
1 tsp. brown sugar

Coarsely chop the onion. In a frying pan heat oil to medium-hi heat. Add mustard seeds, urad/channa dal, and green chili. Fry until dal turns light brown and mustard seeds start to pop. Add onion and salt, cook until onion becomes translucent and the raw onion smell is gone.

Add onion mixture into a blender or food processor, and add tamarind and brown sugar. Puree and serve with delicious Indian dishes like dosa or uttapam. Be sure to have gum and breath mints handy if you're going to indulge in onion chutney!!

Lightning Fast Flatbread

I was planning a dinner of pita, hummus, and veggie sandwiches. Before I knew it we were all famished and it was 7pm. I hadn't even started cooking. So much for the fresh-baked pita plan. I came up with this recipe as a quick flatbread alternative. It only took me 15 mins and was actually a bigger hit than my fluffy (wait till it rises) pita bread!

1 1/2 c. white flour
1/2 c. warm water
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix ingredients in a bowl, dough should be a little on the sticky side. Add flour until you can knead the dough and it doesn't continuously stick to your hands. Knead for 5 mins, then divide the dough into 6 equal parts. On a well floured surface, roll out each dough ball into a 6" flat circle. Dust off the excess flour. Lightly oil a frying pan and heat on med-high. Roast each circle of dough in the frying pan for 60-90 seconds on each side. Flip when dough becomes bubbly and puffy, remove from heat when flatbread is starting to brown. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt (optional).

Swedish Cardamom Cookies

2 sticks (1/2 lb) butter
1 c. sugar
1 Tb. karo syrup (I substituted 1 Tb. agave nectar)
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. cardamom (fresh or powdered)
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Mix in syrup and egg yolk. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cardamom, baking powder and salt. Combine with wet ingredients. Roll into 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten with fork. Bake for 10-12 mins. Makes 4 doz cookies.

Using fresh cardamom gives these cookies a little punch. I peeled the cardamom pods open and crushed the seeds instead of using the powdered cardamom spice. These cookies are quite rich, so the smaller the better. Enjoy with a hot cup of tea.

Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1 1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tb. ground cinnamon
3 c. grated carrots
1 c. chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9x13 inch pan.

In a bowl beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients and then stir in carrots and pecans. Pour into pan. Bake for 40-50 mins, until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until mixture is smooth. Frost cake once it is cooled.

This carrot cake is rich and moist. I like the carrot cake lightly frosted, but my husband raves about the cake without frosting. Either way, its addicting!

Simple Bi Bim Bap

2c. cooked sushi rice
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
10 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1c. bean sprouts
1/2 c. cooked spinach (optional)
2 Tb. chopped chives or green onions
2 eggs, fried or soft boiled (optional)
2 Tb. soy sauce
Hot Chili Sauce (optional)
2 Tb. sesame oil
pinch salt

Serves 2

Heat 1 Tb. sesame oil over medium heat, sautee zucchini and shiitake mushrooms (separately) for 3-5 mins until well cooked, adding a pinch of salt to each during cooking. While sauteeing, bring 1c. water to boil and add in bean sprouts with a pinch of salt. Boil for 2-3 mins and drain. Cook the eggs either over-easy or fried, depending on your preference.

Spoon 1 c. warm sushi rice into a serving bowl, arrange carrot, zucchini, mushroom, bean sprouts, and spinach over the top of the rice. Place fried egg over the top of everything, sprinkle with chives to garnish. Serve warm. Using chopsticks, mix all ingredients and add soy sauce and chili sauce to taste.

This Korean dish is an easy, healthy dinner for two. It is traditionally served in a hot stone pot which crisps and browns the rice a bit. Delicious! I don't have a hot stone pot, so I used a soup bowl and it turned out great anyway. The first time I made Bi Bim Bap, we loved it so much that we ate it three nights in a row!

Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained
2 Tb fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4c. Tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 Tb. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth (a little lumpy is fine), adding salt to taste.
You may need to add 1/4c. water if the hummus is very thick during blending.
Garnish with olive oil and paprika. Serve with pita chips or use in hummus sandwich pictured below.

Hummus makes a great snack or a healthy part of a light meal. I usually serve it on a platter with cucumber, tomato, falafel, and pita bread.

Moroccan Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (4 inch) cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 large carrots, sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can canned diced/crushed/stewed tomatoes with their juice
1 cup pitted green olives
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 (10 ounce) box uncooked couscous
6 tablespoons plain yogurt
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil with cumin and cinnamon stick. When onion is well cooked and clear, add squash, carrots, vegetable broth, water, beans, tomatoes. Simmer for 30-40 mins until squash is tender. Cook couscous according to directions on the box. When stew is ready, remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and olives. Garnish with salt, pepper, and cilantro. Serve over couscous.

I adapted this from an Allrecipes post and it turned out to be delicious. I think adding raisins would be a nice authentic Moroccan touch, but my husband doesn't like sweet and savory mixed, so I left them out this time.

Rating: 5 stars

Thai Tofu Curry

1 (12oz) package extra firm tofu

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 small potatoes

1 Tb. hot curry powder

1 can coconut milk

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. cilantro

1 tsp sea salt

3 Tb. olive oil

black pepper

Serves 3-4

Drain tofu, lay cube on side and slice in half to make cube thinner.  Cover tofu with cheesecloth and place on plate or cutting board, then place heavy board or pot on top of tofu.  Allow to dry for 15 mins, then slice into small (1/2") cubes.  Sautee in olive oil and add sea salt until light brown and crispy.  Remove from pan.

Cook sliced onion and pepper in microwave 3 mins, then cook potatoes in microwave 5 mins.  Peel skin from potatoes and dice.  Sautee onion, pepper, garlic, potato in olive oil.  Add coconut milk, water, curry powder, cilantro, salt, pepper and reduce heat to low-med, simmer for 5-10 mins and serve over rice.

Rating: 5 stars

Love this delicious curry!  Its flavorful but not too spicy.

Lentil Soup

1 red onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
1 potato diced
1 large carrot thinly sliced
1 c. spinach (optional)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 or 1.5 cups lentils (I used green)
chili powder to taste
cumin powder to taste
1/2 tsp. salt to taste
vegetable broth 1-2 cups
water- 2 cups
olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Sautee onion, bell pepper in olive oil, add potato and carrot. Add chili
and cumin powder, and salt (I like an herb and sea salt mix). Stir in lentils, veg
broth, tomato paste, water and spinach. Make sure liquids generously cover all of the lentils (you may need to add more water as soup boils down). Simmer on low-med heat for approx 45 mins or until lentils are tender. Salt and pepper can be added at the end according to taste.

I created with recipe with vegetables and spices we had in the fridge. Spinach is optional, but a great source of iron and my family loved the flavor. Perfect soup for a cold winter night.

Rating: 5 stars

Potato Curry

4 medium potatoes (cook them in microwave first, approx 8 mins)

3-4 Tb. olive oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp chili powder (to taste)

dash cayenne pepper

dash salt

Cube potatoes (I leave skin on) after they have been cooked in
microwave.
Heat olive oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds, cook until they splutter
(crackle and pop) then add potato and stir.
Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and stir well. Extra oil may
be needed to prevent burning and add to flavor.
Cook over medium-high heat until potatoes begin to brown and crisp on
the outside. I cook them as long as possible without burning it!

This yummy side dish pairs well with sambar, rasam, and dal rice.

Rating: 5 stars