On those nights, we usually do some simple pasta or soup.  A big pot of soup made at the beginning of the week can feed you for many days.  I love making chicken noodle soup — by the end of the week, the noodles have soaked up so much of the delicious broth that they are a meal on their own.  But our other favorite thing in Daddy’s absence is breakfast for dinner — eggs, omelets, pancakes — you name it.  The kids are guaranteed to love it and the cooking/cleaning load is much easier.

Lately, the kids have fallen in love with Monte Cristo sandwiches — a great combination of a grilled cheese and french toast.  It’s just as easy as the two component dishes and can be mixed and matched with lots of different fillings and dips.  Today we made Apple and Fontina Monte Cristos, but you could easily add ham or turkey, use any kind of cheese, and dip in anything from maple syrup to grainy mustard to whipped cream.  Quite honestly, I think you could make a version of this for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

You might even be able to get through a whole week of travel with nothing but Monte Cristos.  Next time he goes to California, I guess.

Apple and Fontina Monte Cristo

Makes 2-3 sandwiches

Note:  Simple dishes like this are best with simple, fresh ingredients.  In my case, I am extremely lucky to have the wonderful Gemelli Bakery as my challah source.  Use the best bread and cheese you can find.

Half loaf of Challah or Brioche Bread, sliced about 3/4 inches thick
6 ounces Fontina Cheese, thinly sliced
1 apple, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1/8 t cinnamon
Dash of salt and pepper
Butter
Maple Syrup
Grainy Mustard

1.  Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and salt/pepper in a wide pasta bowl or deep plate.

2.  Place one slice of bread on cutting board.  Make one layer of Fontina slices.  Follow with one layer of apple slices.  Top with another piece of bread.  Repeat with remaining sandwiches.  If you like, you can spread some grainy mustard right on the bread before cooking (my favorite, not the kids).

3.  Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a saute pan or griddle on medium low heat. Hold the sandwich together carefully and dip it into the egg batter on both sides.  Make sure it is coated nicely, but not too saturated.  Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

4.  Place sandwiches in saute pan or griddle and cook until golden brown.  Flip, press sandwich down a bit, and cook until golden brown on second side.  If your bread is extra thick, you may need to keep flipping for awhile in order to get the cheese to melt (the frequent flipping prevents the bread from becoming too brown).

5.  Remove from pan, cut in half, and serve with maple syrup or grainy mustard on the side.

6.  Pour yourself a tall glass of wine to get through the rest of the evening.

So I commenced with The Google and found out that it was used pretty infrequently in mainstream cooking and baking. Cocoa butter was used to make chocolate and sometimes in truffles or the like, but I rarely saw it used in anything else.  I’m guessing the main reason is that it is hard to find and more expensive — but given the interest in plant-based, vegan fats, it seems like it might catch on.  It is a bit harder at room temperature than coconut oil, but it softens up or melts quite nicely.  And, of course, it imparts a wonderful essence of chocolate — which is great when you want a non-animal fat and aren’t in the mood for essence of coconut in all of your baked goods.

Beyond, it seems purely luxurious, doesn’t it?  The idea of pure cocoa butter in a perfect Valentine’s Day dessert seems, well, pretty awesome.  And then if you stuff that cookie full of melted dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chunks?  Well, send me to my room and draw the blinds.  These cookies will not disappoint.  And while I tried to stay sane (I used a bit of whole wheat flour), I didn’t cut back on the sugar because I knew I would lose the amazing brownie chewiness if I did.  Feel free to experiment with less — but this is the one time (OK, maybe one of four or five times) of the year that you need to eat a cookie the way it was meant to be eaten.

Commence with the drooling.  And if you want a source for food grade cocoa butter (and don’t have a brother in law), try here.  The cocoa nibs are generally available in a chocolate store, a good grocery store, or gourmet store.  I should add that if you can’t find cocoa butter, I am sure regular butter would be a perfectly delicious substitute.  It just wouldn’t be cocoa butter.  And on Valentine’s Day, how fun would that be?

Cocoa Butter Chocolate Chunk Brownie Cookies

Makes 2 1/2 dozen

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet dark chocolate, chopped
6 T cocoa butter (regular butter or coconut oil would work also), softened
1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 t instant espresso powder
2 t vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
1 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a double boiler, melt together 8 ounces of chopped dark chocolate and cocoa butter until completely smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly.

2.  In a bowl, sift and mix together white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl with a mixer, mix together espresso powder, vanilla, and eggs until just combined.  Add white and brown sugar and mix for about two minutes until the mixture is very thick and ribbony.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in melted chocolate mixture.  Add in flour mixture and fold until just combined.

4.  Stir in cocoa nibs and chocolate chunks.  After a minute of two, the mixture will stiffen up considerably and will seem almost like the texture of fudge.

5.  Drop tablespoonfuls of batter onto parchment lined baking sheets.  I would not put more than six cookies on one sheet because they spread.  Bake for 15-16 minutes until just done on top with a crackly crust.  If you use more than one cookie sheet at a time, I would recommend switching the sheets midway through the baking time.

(BTW, Valentines pictured are courtesy of my daughter who was busy at work assembling them during our snow day today.)

And setting up all sorts of equipment at dinner time (AKA the hell or bewitching hour with young children) is just not that realistic.  I should remind you that what you see on the site is generally what we are eating at my house. I rarely do a recipe with the sole intention of posting it here.  Which usually means that while I am trying cook and shoot pictures, my kids are hungry, the homework is scattered across the kitchen, and everyone is fried from the day.   Thank goodness they are addicted to the Wii or you may never see anything posted here.

So, here’s an example of that.  It is actually a delicious recipe that we ate all the time growing up and I have just updated it a bit.  It’s a great casserole for a big group, kids love it, and it makes a great drop off dinner for your friend or neighbor who just had a baby.  (Don’t forget to bring them some Grey Goose too.)  We like to serve it with rice if you want a starch and a green salad or sauteed spinach.  I have a hunch you could make a vegetarian version of this with tofu that would be really great too.  I’d probably fry the tofu in the method I outlined here and then just follow this recipe.  You could use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock if you like. (I should add that you can skip the mushrooms entirely or just put them on half if your kids don’t like them, but mine seem to enjoy them under the cheese.)

I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to sunny spring and summer nights snapping shots of beautiful, bright produce. Hopefully the dark days of winter are on their way out.  After our second foot of snow falls today, of course.

Muenster Chicken

Serves about 8

1.5 pounds of chicken breasts
3 eggs
2 t Italian Seasoning
2 t Oregano
1 t Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
2-3 cups of Panko Breadcrumbs
1 cup of chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/2 cup of Marsala (sweet)
16 ounces White Mushrooms (other types would work well too), sliced
6-8 ounces Muenster Cheese, sliced

1.  Cube chicken breasts into about one inch pieces (chicken nugget sized).  In a large bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, 1 t Italian Seasoning, 1 t Oregano, 1/2 t salt, and freshly ground pepper.  Add chicken pieces to egg mixture and set aside (can let it sit in refrigerator like this for an hour or two if you like).

2.  In another bowl, combine 1 t Italian Seasoning, 1 t Oregano, 1/2 t salt, freshly ground pepper, and Panko Breadcrumbs.  Remove a few chicken pieces at a time from the egg mixture (allowing excess to drain off) and toss with breadcrumbs to coat.  Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

3.  Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  (Coat the bottom of the pan.)  In about three batches, brown the chicken pieces on both sides.  They do not have to be cooked through, just browned.  Make sure you do it in batches and don’t crowd the pan so they will get a nice brown crust.  As they are done, place the chicken pieces in a 9 inch by 13 inch glass baking dish.

4.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Wipe out saute pan and heat a bit more olive oil.  Saute the sliced mushrooms.

5.  Mix broth and Marsala together and pour over browned chicken pieces.  Top with sauteed mushrooms and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and place Muenster Cheese slices over top chicken and mushrooms and bake for 10 more minutes until done and bubbly.  You can broil it for a bit at the end if you like the cheese browner.

It instantly reminded me of when my daughter was diagnosed with severe food allergies.  The pediatrician gave us the test results, told me they were life threatening, and sent us on our way with an Epi-Pen prescription. And I was like, I’M FREAKING THE F**K OUT here and you are already next door checking on Timmy’s whooping cough.

At that point, I had very few friends who had kids (and no one with experience with food allergies) so I was pretty much on my own trying to figure out what to feed a child who couldn’t consume dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, or nuts.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), I became a specialist when it came to limited or special diets for children — which has been a good thing because I get questions from people needing advice on a daily basis.

When the unnamed person told me about the anemia, I started searching for iron-rich foods that wouldn’t require the child to chew on meat and bones all day long.  I told her that I would come up with a reasonably healthy, toddler-friendly snack that would be super rich in iron.  I decided to go the pumpkin and white bean route because they are great sources of iron — and what I ended up with is a great kid’s treat (that adults will probably enjoy too).  It is a very cakey and tender cookie and it definitely passed my kids’ taste test.  It could actually almost be a breakfast bar on the go if you skip the white chocolate (or don’t . . . your choice).

And if your family is not eating as much meat as you used to, it’s also good to remember iron levels for non-anemic children (and adults).  Legumes and dark leafy greens are great sources — and actually it seems like you can’t go wrong integrating them both into your diet for many reasons.   I ran this recipe through a nutritional analysis and it came back pretty strong with each cookie having 120 calories, 4 grams of fat (could easily cut back on that further by using applesauce), 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, 4% of your daily Calcium, 20% of your daily Vitamin A, and 10% of your daily Iron.

And it seems to me that getting a one year old to eat one of these is going to be a hell of a lot easier than a bowl full of spinach.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
1/2 cup of butter, softened (1 stick, could replace at least half with applesauce if watching fat)
1/2 cup of honey*
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 cup of white bean puree (approximately one 15 ounce can pureed with 1/8 cup of water)
2 t vanilla extract
1 cup of old fashioned oats
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds (finely chopped if giving to small children or toddlers)
1/2 cup of small white chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 cup of raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit (Optional.  But once again, finely chopped if giving to small children or toddlers)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set aside.

2.  Cream softened butter and honey together until light and fluffy.  Add in egg and mix well. Add in egg yolk and mix well again. Add in white bean puree and pumpkin puree and mix until incorporated.

3.  Slowly add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Mix until just barely combined.

4.  Finish mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir in oats, pumpkin seeds, white chocolate chips/chunks, and dried fruit (if using).

5.  Drop by the tablespoon full onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 11-12 minutes until just golden.  Let cool on sheets for 1-2 minutes and then cool fully on racks.  (Can store in a tightly covered tin or freeze.)

*Remember that honey should not be given to children under one year of age.  You can substitute sugar or maple syrup for the younger crowd.

Unfortunately, the thing that has made me feel the best is giving up wine.  So that sucks.

Fortunately, I have very little sticktoitiveness so it probably won’t last long.

The biggest hassle with giving up wheat is the inability to cook a quick pasta dinner — which is generally a favorite with the kids and can be a good and easy meatless dinner option.   I know there are gluten-free pasta varieties, but I haven’t found one that’s decent (any recommendations?) and I can’t tolerate sitting around the dinner table WITHOUT A GLASS OF WINE when everyone starts complaining about how much they hate the fake pasta.  I have limits, you know.

So, I was digging deep into my brain (trust me, you don’t want to go there) and deep into the pantry (it’s not too pretty, either) to figure out a meatless dinner last night and came up with these crispy burgers made from split peas.  They are sort of a cross between a veggie burger and a falafel, but the kids devoured them and came back for more.   The boy even wanted the leftovers for lunch.  We served them bunless with some homemade Russian dressing and beautiful salad greens from the solar powered greenhouse at  Village Acres Farm.   I think they would also be great made into smaller fritters for a delicious appetizer.

They are filled with all the best things — split peas (which are full or protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals), brown rice, butternut squash, garlic, onions, and some shredded cheese right inside the burger.  Give them a try and don’t be scared off by the deep frying.  You don’t need any special equipment.  And for the fat phobics, just make sure your oil is at the right temperature and very little will be absorbed into your food.  (I should add that if you are willing to use a non-stick pan, you could probably just pan fry these in much less oil — but I’d rather deep fry than use non-stick.) The other great thing about these is that the filling can be made up way ahead of time and you can fry them whenever you are ready.  Plus they make great leftovers (cold or warmed up).    Feel free to modify the spices and experiment with different sauces — I am definitely going to try a spicy curry variety with raita.

Crispy Split Pea Burgers

Makes about 10 burgers

1 cup of chopped onion (from about 1/2 of a large onion)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (from 1/2 of a small squash)
1 T olive oil
1 t salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 t smoked paprika
1 t ground cumin
1 cup of dried green split peas (yellow would probably be fine, and lentils might work too)
1/2 cup of brown rice
3 cups of vegetable broth (other broths would work too)
1 cup of cheddar cheese (packed), grated
2 T cornstarch (plus about 1 cup more for breading)
Canola oil (for frying)

1.  Heat olive oil in a large saute pan.  Cook onion and garlic over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until just softened.  Add in butternut squash cubes, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin.  Cook for 2-3 minutes more.

2.  Add in split peas, brown rice, and broth.  Stir well to loosen any carmelized bits in the pan and cover.  Cook for one hour or until peas and rice are soft and nicely cooked.  Give it a stir every once in a while so it doesn’t stick.   Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

3.  Put pea mixture into the food processor (or use a masher if all else fails) and process for 5-10 seconds.  If your mixture is still warm, make sure you leave the feed tube open so steam can escape.  You don’t want a total puree — it’s best if it’s still a little chunky.  But make sure the peas are blended well.  Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary.   Transfer to a bowl and chill for 30-60 minutes (the more the better).

4.  When ready to cook, stir 2 T of cornstarch and grated cheese into pea mixture.  Stir well to incorporate evenly.  In a deep saute pan, heat about 1/2 inch of canola oil to 375 degrees F.

5.  Place about 1/2 cup of additional cornstarch on a plate.  Shape pea mixture into small patties and dredge in cornstarch.  Pat gently to remove any excess.  Gently place into hot oil and fry about 2-3 minutes until golden.  (I found they held together much better when formed into smaller patties and I cooked about 3 at a time.  While they cook, use a metal spatula to loosen them from the bottom of the pan if they stick.)

6.  Carefully flip them over (away from you so you don’t splatter hot oil on yourself) and cook for 2-3 additional minutes until golden brown on second side.  Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while the remainder cook.

Can you tell I have made some New Years resolutions?

If I could advertise that these granola bars were alcohol-free too, trust me, I’d do it.  Because it’s been that kind of a holiday.  Which is to say that it was a great holiday.  One filled with at least twelve pounds of butter (and I’m not exaggerating), two Christmas celebrations which I hosted — first for my wonderful 20 person strong family and then my husband’s much smaller crew, my daughter’s Christmas birthday celebration, a New Years Eve party, lots of little dinner parties in between, and more filled recycling bins than I would ever confess to.

I seriously should have given the recycling crew a Christmas present.  They go around our little circle and spend about 30 seconds at each house taking their two milk containers, nicely bundled newspapers, and a few cans of Diet Coke.  They get to my house and they need to call in freaking reinforcements from neighboring counties. As much as it’s cool that my three year old gets to have his own, feature-length recycling truck show, I start self-flagellating just a tad.   Which is to say I berate myself without hauling out the ropes and switches.

So, yes, I have made some resolutions.  Getting back to normal eating and drinking habits is at the top of the list.  But, I’ve also made the decision to eliminate gluten from my diet for a bit.  There are a variety of reasons, but I have a hunch it is causing me issues — so I am going to get rid of it for at least a month and see how I feel.  I did this once before and I only lasted about four days — and when I lapsed (I baked chocolate chip cookies for the kids and sampled one), I felt lousy, got a headache, and wanted to take a nap.  Back in the old days of low carb diets, I always wondered why they made me feel so fantastic (full of energy, less stressed, more rested, with far fewer upset stomachs).  Maybe the lack of gluten was the reason.  So I am going to do a little experiment and see what happens.

I created these granola bars to have around for a quick breakfast or snack that the kids would enjoy.  You could easily remove the butter and substitute with all coconut oil (or dairy-free margarine) if you wanted them to be dairy-free.  And if you want to cut all the added sugar out, you could eliminate the honey and use only agave nectar.   Feel free to subsitute nuts/seeds/fruit/etc.

And I am going to consider it a little moral victory that there is no booze in this recipe.  Much unlike everything else I have made or consumed in the last month.  (BTW, Recycling Dudes, I owe you big time.)

Gluten-Free Chewy Granola Bars

Makes about 24 (a 9×13 pan)

2 cups old fashioned oats (make sure they are gluten-free if you are watching)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
3/4 t sea salt
1/2 cup sunbutter (or other nut butter or soy butter)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup agave nectar
3 T butter (replace with either coconut oil or dairy free margarine to make dairy free)
3 T coconut oil
2 t vanilla extract
1 cup dried sour cherries, roughly chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Lightly grease a 9 inch by 13 inch glass baking pan. Mix together oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, coconut, and salt.  Spread onto a sheet pan and bake for 14-15 minutes (stirring every five minutes or so) until the mixture is just golden.

2.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine sunbutter, honey, agave nectar, butter, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.  Whisk together until everything is fully melted, combined, and just beginning to bubble a bit. (about 3 minutes).  Remove from heat and stir in dried cherries.  Set aside.

3.  When oat mixture is golden, remove from oven and pour it into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in warm sunbutter mixture and thoroughly combine.  Pour into greased pan and pat down completely.  Let cool and cut into bars.

In a different life, I think I might have been an OK chef … but pastry chef?  No way.  I am way too impatient, way too rammy, and definitely not into precision work.  I can do big bold flavors and I can make just about anything taste good, but I am not one for being meticulous — which would have made me a terrible surgeon too. Actually what would make me a terrible surgeon is my penchant for having panic attacks every time I’m in a hospital-like area.

So, here’s a recipe for one of my favorite drop cookies.  This year I made them whole grain and cut back on the sugar a bit.  They are delicately flavored with orange zest and then drizzled with chocolate.  And they are fabulous for breakfast with a cup of coffee or on a platter for Santa.  You will find them right next to the cut out cookies.  Because you know I’m going to get guilted into making them anyway.

Whole Grain Orange Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oats (not quick cooking)
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 cup, plus 2 T butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup molasses
Zest of one large orange
1 t vanilla extract
1/8 t orange extract
5-6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.  Mix together sugar, oats, flour, and baking powder.  Add in melted butter, milk, honey, molasses, orange zest, vanilla extract, and orange extract.  Stir until well blended and let dough sit while oven preheats (5-10 minutes)

3.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop dough in heaping teaspoons.  You will not want more than 6 cookies on a traditional baking sheet because they spread considerably. Flatten and smooth your heaping teaspoons of dough into circles.

4.  Bake for 12-13 minutes until golden.  They will get very crispy as the cool.

5.  When cookies are cooled, melt the chocolate and drizzle over the cookies.  Allow chocolate to harden and store cookies in refrigerator or freezer.

While I was figuring out which Christmas cookies to bake, one recipe that caught my eye was called “Whirligig Cookies.”  At first, I thought the name indicated that these were pantry cleaning cookies — because in my family, the corner lazy susan cabinets were always called “whirligigs.”  And of course, that’s where all the baking supplies were usually kept in the days before giant walk in pantries.  But who knows — they are a pinwheel/jelly roll style cookie, so maybe that’s how they got their name.

In the end, I don’t really even remember her making these, but they sounded interesting so I gave it a try.  I substituted sunflower seed butter for peanut butter (b/c of our peanut allergies), white whole wheat flour for the all purpose, and cut the sugar in half.  You could obviously use regular peanut butter and regular flour if you like — and feel free to up the sugar to 1 cup of each brown and white sugars.  It’s Christmas time baby.

Whole Grain Whirligig Cookies

Makes about three dozen large cookies

1 cup of butter, softened (two sticks)
1/2 cup sugar (can use up to one cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar (can use up to one cup)
1 cup of sunflower seed butter (or other nut butter of your choice)
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1.  In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars, and sunflower seed butter together with an electric mixer for about two minutes until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at at time, and beat until incorporated.

2.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

3.  In about 2-3 additions, add flour mixture to butter mixture — mixing only until just incorporated.  Finish mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon. Put finished cookie dough in the fridge for a few minutes.

4. Meanwhile, over low heat or in a double boiler, melt chocolate.  Let cool slightly.

5.  Remove dough from fridge and place on a large sheet of parchment paper.  Using either a rolling pin (it helped to oil my rolling pin a bit) or just patting it with your hands, flatten into a 12×14 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.  This is cookie dough, so be a little gentle with it because it is very tender.

6.   Pour most of melted chocolate on top of dough rectangle and spread evenly over entire surface.  Use more if needed (it will depend on the size of your final rectangle).

7.  Using the parchment paper to help, carefully roll up the dough rectangle jelly roll style in order to make one large “log.”  (Warning:  this will be messy and chocolate will probably ooze out.  Just be gentle while you are rolling it up and attempt to wrap it with the seam side down.)  Wrap parchment around it and place in fridge for 45 minutes to an hour, until dough and chocolate have hardened.

8.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Remove dough from fridge and, using a very sharp knife, cut into 1/3 inch slices (or as thick as you want them).  Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay the slices on it cut side up.  Bake for 12-13 minutes until just barely golden.  Do not overbake or they will dry out.

(Alternatively, you can cut your large rectangle of dough into two skinny rectangles if you want smaller cookies.  As is, these cookies turn out rather large (about 3 inches across).

I will tell you that I am planning to dry brine our wonderful Village Acres turkey this year so it is a little more portable for travel. Epicurious has a good strategy for dry brining here.  I will also be making a yet to be decided cranberry sauce and our family famous Portuguese Stuffing which is full of sausage, fennel, parsley, red pepper flakes, and (strangely enough) apple cider vinegar. I am not sure if I will be able to capture the recipe since I will be in an “away kitchen,” but I will try because it is delicious.  Maybe you could make it next year.  Oh well.

So I will just wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have time to celebrate a wonderful meal around a table full of family and friends.  I am so thankful to be spending the day with almost my entire family in my hometown. Which means that my children are going to be spending the holiday the way it’s supposed to be done:  being crazy with all of their cousins at the kids’ table.   Those are memories you don’t soon forget.   Even at 37.

Enjoy.

So I make them quite often.  But I have rules.  First, you must only use real maple syrup.  The other stuff is disgusting and not at all maple.  And I am *not* sorry if I just offended you.  We probably wouldn’t have been close anyway.  (OK.  So I am sort of joking.  I love lots of people who use fake maple syrup.  But I would love them more if they didn’t.)  Second, they must be whole grain.  If we are going to have dessert for breakfast (come on, you know that’s what it is), it is at least going to be a little healthier.  Third, pancakes do not come from a boxed mix.  Seriously, by the time you measure it out and add liquid, you could have made them from scratch.  Maybe Beef Wellington might benefit from a convenience mix.  But pancakes??  And fourth, they will not be made of lead.  Even white flour pancakes tend to be heavy and make you feel like you need a nap.  So, what we make is going to be fluffy, dammit.

Re-reading that last paragraph makes me sound like the Pancake Nazi, doesn’t it?  It’s true enough, actually, because I do support health care reform.

So, this is our go to recipe for whole wheat pancakes.  It was modified from a recipe in the landmark cookbook by … Strawberry Shortcake.  Yes, the cartoon character.  I am not sure if cartoon characters require attribution, but I’m going to play by the rules.  In this version, we made banana pancakes.  You could just as easily leave the bananas out, add chocolate chips, use apples or blueberries, etc.  However you make them though, they will puff up and come alive like Frankenstein (who also supports health care reform, I believe — however his take is different than Stalin’s because he is a proponent of a triggered public option).

Enjoy.

Super Fluffy Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

Serves 4-6

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
5 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 T sugar or honey
2 eggs
2 cups of milk
3 T melted butter
Sliced bananas (or other add-ins)
Vegetable oil or butter to grease your pan or griddle

1.  Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a medium bowl.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Add in the melted butter.  (If you use honey instead of sugar, add it here with the wet ingredients, rather than with the dry ones.)

3.  Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients a little bit at a time — until the pancake batter just comes together.  Don’t over mix.

4.  Pour a ladleful of batter onto a preheated and greased griddle (at about medium heat — each pancake surface is different and you know what temp is best probably).  Lay a few banana slices on pancake batter and allow pancake to cook until golden on the first side.  Flip and and cook until golden on second side.  And as anyone who makes pancakes knows, the first batch is usually the worst.  Save those for the people who don’t like real maple syrup.

5.  Remove pancakes from heat and stack on plate while you cook the remaining ones.  Serve with plenty of butter and REAL maple syrup.