Mint Simple Syrup

not rocket science but i wanted to have it on here to remind me…

ingredients:

• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1.5 Cup Rough Cut Mint Leaves

directions:

1. Combine water and sugar in a small pan.
2. Heat until the sugar disappears.
3. Turn off heat and add mint. Steep for 20 minutes.
4. Strain mint out and pour into glass jar.

(Should be good for about a month)

Mushroom Crepes

This one is not your usual crepe recipe. Also it was SO yummy as an appetizer. We lucked out at the farmers market and found fresh Oyster mushrooms so we used those for this recipe, though any mushrooms would work. This recipe served three adults as a light appetizer.

[picture to come]

ingredients:

• 6 oz fresh Oyster Mushrooms, rough chopped
• a bit less than 1/2 sweet onion, chopped really small
• Butter for pan
• 1 Cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• A Couple Scallions, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4-5 Crepes (see Crepe Recipe)

directions:

1. Saute Mushrooms and onions in butter until well cooked (I let them cook until the mushrooms started to turn golden)
2. In the mean  time, mix Ricotta, scallions and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Also make the crepes
4. To layer, put a crepe on a plate, cover with ricotta mix, then mushrooms. Repeat.
5. Eat up

Salmon Glaze

Combine the following and spoon over Salmon when nearly done… [if you do it too early, the sugar will burn]

• 2 T Soy Sauce
• 1 Clove Garlic, crushed
• 1 T Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 T Brown Sugar
• dash grated Ginger (I use my zester to grate the ginger)
• dash Lemon Juice

Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing

This makes enough for a small salad…

ingredients:

• 1 T Safflower Oil (or Olive)
• 1 T Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 T Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 T Maple Syrup

directions:

1. Put in a bowl and whisk until combined.

Grandma Leona’s Vegetable Soup

This soup is the kind of soup thats even better the next day….

ingredients:

• 1 Shank Bone (looks like a circle –  also called shin bone i think)
• 5 cups Water
• 1 Small Cabbage, chopped
• 4 Stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 Sweet Onion, diced
• 6 Carrotts, chopped
• 1 Can Condensed Tomato Soup

directions:

1. Put bone in bottom of pan , cover with chopped cabbage and 5 Cups water. Bring to a boil.
2. Add the celery, onion and carrots and cook until the carrots are mashable
3. Take out meat & bone and mash the soup with a potato masher.
4. Add 1 Can condensed tomato soup (or 4 T tomato paste)
5. Add meat back in and serve.

Buttermilk Pancakes

I’m starting to think there is no reason to make any other pancake than this one.

And now you’re gonna say, “But who keeps buttermilk in their fridge on a regular basis?” WELL… did you know it comes in a powdered form?. We keep ours in the fridge until this recipe makes us run out.

Alton Brown gets the cred for this recipe. The first part of the recipe is the instant mix. The second is how you use it. I’m not usually a fluffy pancake girl but this recipe is an exception for me. (Also, we use our large cast iron skillet for these and it works perfectly)

Since I often do not have enough flour to make the instant mix, I’ve included the halved recipe for the instant mix as a quick reference.

Instant mix ingredients: (I keep this in a large mason jar in the fridge)

• 6 cups all-purpose flour  (OR half mix: 3 Cups)
• 1  1/2 teaspoons baking soda (OR half mix: 3/4 tsp)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder (OR half mix: 1.5 tsp)
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt (OR half mix: 1  1/2 teaspoons)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar (OR half mix: 1 T sugar)

Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix. Use the mix within 3 months.

fresh ingredients:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons melted butter [we’ve also used 1/2 the butter with 1/2 coconut oil]
• 2 cups “Instant” Pancake Mix, recipe above
• butter to grease the pan [or grape seed oil]
• 2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired

directions:

1. Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. (or on med heat)
2. Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
3. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don’t try to work all the lumps out.
4. Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.
5. Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)
6. Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.
7. Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.

Yield: 12 pancakes