Amazing Pancakes!

This recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook! Sometimes I secretly wish that I was married to the dude in charge of ATK so he could do all the amazing cooking at my house, but Steve is way cuter!

This is their standard pancake recipe, although I would consider it a buttermilk pancake recipe!

2 C. all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

2 C. buttermilk

1-2 tsp. vegetable oil

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and then the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain). Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Brush the pan bottom with 1 tsp. oil. Using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, add the batter to the skillet (only 2-3 pancakes will fit at a time) and cook until large bubbles begin to appear, about 2 min. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 1 1/2 min. longer.

They suggest heating your oven to 200 degrees and putting a cookie sheet with a cooling rack on it to keep the pancakes warm while you cook them all.

*If you do not have buttermilk on hand, whisk 1 T. fresh lemon juice with 2 C. milk in a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes to thicken.

I had to scrape the batter out of my 1/4 C. measure with my finger (I'm sure a mini spatula would also do the trick), and spread it around a little. The batter is so thick I thought I was making muffins for a second! These pancakes were so fluffy and delicious! I only ate two they were so big! 

I always try to follow their directions pretty precisely, since they did test to get this perfect recipe after all! :) I don't always have unsalted butter on hand though, so I used regular. They recommend using unsalted butter in everything because butter peeps put different amounts of salt in their butter and it can throw off your recipe.

Spam Musubi

I know, I know. "What in the wor-.....SPAM?" you are saying to yourself. Us Squires did not grow up on canned meat, thank you very much. Spam is...weird. And in a can.
And it tastes weird.
Right?

Well, I am here to prove to you that Spam can actually be pretty delicious. I was introduced to this food by my old roommate April, who was from Hawai'i. It is a very common food there, and if you go to an L&L it will most definitely be on the menu.

So here it is.


Spam Musubi

Ingredients:
-2 cups cooked sticky rice
-1 can of spam
-1/4 c. teriyaki sauce (I use Yoshida's from Costco, and it's pretty delish)
OR substitute with 1/4 soy sauce with some sugar (about 2 tsps.) mixed in over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
-2 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)

Take the Spam out of the can, and cut it in slices about 1/4-1/3 an inch thick.
Soak these in your sauce for a few minutes, then place in a frying pan. Fry until brown.
Take rice and pack until you have a small cake of rice. I usually use my hands, but you can use anything that works for you (including the empty Spam can).
Then, place the cooked spam on top. Break a strip of nori off the sheet, about 2 1/2" wide.
Wrap the nori around the rice and spam.
Get your finger wet, and wet the place where the ends of the nori overlap. Once these are wet, they should stick together.
And voila! You have your Spam Musubi!

This recipe makes 5-6 rolls. Two are usually good for me, though sometimes I will eat three. A yummy, easy meal!

Cola Brisket

This one is really good with potatoes or served on crusty rolls as a sandwich.

1-4 pounds brisket
1 can cola (name brand or generic, regular or diet)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix (or 4 Tbsp. Homemade Gourmet's Grandma's Sunday Roast Seasoning)
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
pepper to taste

Place a brisket in the crock pot. Pour the can of coke over the meat. Top with the envelope of dry onion soup (or Homemade Gourmet's Grandma's Sunday Roast Seasoning) and the mushrooms. Pepper as desired. Cook on low all day. Remove and shred meat prior to serving. Use drippings to make a tasty gravy.

Notes: The cola works as a tenderizer. The meat will basically fall apart when you are ready to serve it. Because brisket is a tough cut of meat (and can often be found on sale), you do not want to cook on high for a short amount of time. The longer it cooks, the better it is.

I serve the meat with mashed potatoes and gravy one night. Another night, I shred the leftovers and mix them with BBQ sauce and serve it on a crusty roll for BBQ Beef Sandwiches.

Irish Soda Bread

This is really good served warm w/butter and jam. It is kind of like a great, big biscuit. I serve it on St. Patrick's Day and with other meals throughout the year. I shamelessly use half whole wheat flour and half white flour in this recipe (as I do in almost all baked goods I make from scratch).

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter until crumbly:

3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 heaping T. sugar
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 heaping tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter

Make a well in center of above mixture and add:
1 1/2 C. buttermilk

Mix and roll into a ball and then roll in flour. Place the ball in a greased, round pan. Slice a 1/2-in. deep "X" across the top w/a buttered knife. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. or until deep golden brown.

French Bread Pizza

1 loaf French Bread

Spaghetti, Pizza Sauce, or Homemade Pizza Sauce:
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
¾ tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. Garlic powder
(Or use 1 tsp. Homemade Gourmet Garlic Basil Seasoning)

8-16 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

Desired Toppings: pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, green pepper, etc., etc. (I recently found Canadian Bacon by the pepperoni at the store, and we've enjoyed that find).

Mix the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder (or Garlic Basil Seasoning) together. Let stand while the other toppings are prepared. Cut loaf of French bread into halves or thirds (depending on loaf thickness), lengthwise--as pictured above. Arrange bread pieces on a cookie sheet. To save on clean-up time, line cookie sheet with foil and then place bread on the foil. Divide sauce among the pieces of bread and spread evenly. Top with toppings, then sprinkle cheese over toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and edges of the bread are light brown.

Spinach Grape Salad

This is a recipe we first tried when Whitney Baker made it while we were in Idaho this past summer. My kids loved it and say it's pretty much the only way they'll eat fresh spinach.

SALAD

1 Pkg fresh washed spinach
1 Head of Romaine lettuce washed and chopped up (or bag)
1/2 C. Cottage Cheese (I use large curd and drain it through a slotted spoon before tossing in salad)
3/4 C. to 1 C. grated cheese
5 strips of Bacon, cooked & crumbled (or bacon bits)
2 cups Red Grapes (I usually slice them in half)
1/2 diced Red Onion
optional additions: hard boiled eggs, mushrooms & sunflower seeds

DRESSING

1 TO 1 1/2 tsp. Poppy Seeds
1 C. Olive Oil
1/2 to 3/4 C. white vinegar or red wine vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1/2 to 3/4 C. Sugar
1/2 to 2 Tbsp of chopped Red Onion
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dry Mustard

Blend together in blender. Pour some of the dressing over diced red onions and mushrooms to marinate for 2 hours, if desired.
Pour over salad and enjoy.