Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

I decided that oatmeal didn't really sound very good for breakfast today so I made pancakes instead.

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

1 cup Milk

3/4 wheat (not flour, but the whole kernel)

1/4 cup oil

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 mashed bananas

Put the milk and wheat in a blender on high for about 4 minutes, add the other ingredients into the blender, mix on low and cook on griddle.

Asparagus Portobello Pasta

So this was dinner last night for us.  I didn't actually cook dinner on Tuesday because it was free pancake day at IHOP, which we didn't get because the line was out the door and Phil had to get to work.  I went grocery shopping on Tuesday and I found some really cheap portobello mushrooms so I thought I would try them.  Well this is what I found and Phil seemed to like it at least.

Asparagus Portobello Pasta

2 cans asparagus ( I used 1 small ziplock baggy from the freezer)

1 can sliced black olives (didn't use these because I didn't have a can)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 (2) portobello mushrooms

1 can peas, drained

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Cook the pasta according to directions

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet, Saute mushrooms, peas, and seasoning.

3.  In food processor or blender,puree asparagus, olives, tomato paste and parmesan.  Move to a small sauce pan and warm up.  Put on top of pasta, then add the mushroom and pea mixture on top of that.

potato pancakes, and pitas

So on Tuesday I decided that I would make some porcupine balls, pitas and potato pancakes. The pitas were probably my favorite part of the dinner though we didn't actually eat them with dinner.  The potato pancakes were also quite yummy, since I grated actual potatoes, not the frozen kind(insert oohs and aahhs).  I plan on putting the recipe on here sometime soon but I have to get the recipe from home and get to it while online, because our internet is no longer working sadly enough.

Pizza and bread in a bag.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 1/4 cup flour

1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons of Active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil (or veggie)

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 400 F.  In mixing bowl combine flour, yeast, salt, water and oil.  With wooden spoon stir in the whole wheat flour.  (if it doesn't all stir in, it will be kneaded in) Knead dough to make a moderately stiff and elastic (6-8 min)  Divide dough in half, cover. Let rest for 10 min.  Layer pizza pan with cornmeal, it doesn't stick either way though I just like having an excuse to use my cornmeal.  Poke holes in the dough after it is spread out so it doesn't get air bubbles in it, I've tried it without doing this and it looks really goofy.  Bake crust for 10 min on 400 without toppings once toppings are added bake for another 10 min.  

Bread in a Bag

3-3 1/2 cups flour

1 package rapid rise or regular yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups very warm water (125-130 F)

2 tablespoons margarine, softened

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

cooking spray

In ziploc plastic bag, mix:

1 1/2 cup flour

1 package yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Add to bag:

1 1/2 cups very warm water

2 tablespoons margarine, softened

Close bag. Knead and work the bag wih fingers to blend the ingredients.

Add to bag:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Close bag and work dough until flour is well blended.

Add to bag:

1 cup flour to make a soft dough

Close bag and work dough until flour is well blended.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 min.  Spray dough with cooking spray; cover with bag; let rest 10 minutes.  Punch dough down.  Divide into two equal pieces.  roll eat to 11 by 7 inch rectangle.  Roll up tightly from the short end; pinch seam and ends to seal.  Place, seam side down in two bread loaf pans coated with cooking spray.  Cover; let rise in warm, draft free place until double in size, about 1 hour.  Bake 375 degrees F for 25-30 min or until done.  Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

I thought the whole idea of making it in a bag sounded really fun, but I didn't want to use a big bag on it when I already had a mixing bowl out with some dough residue on it.  It worked well in that too.  I got this recipe from our ward emergency preparedness fair this summer and it is from the Utah State University Extension.  I thought that it would be useful for working with kids because it is a bit more contained than a normal bread recipe.  

Pizza and Bread night

Since we started dating Sunday night means pizza is for dinner.  I think it a carry over from my family but we make it fresh not a frozen one.  I also end up making the bread for the week (I cheat and use the bread machine)  But not tonight and made it for real, but it was an easy recipe where you make it in a ziploc baggy.  I used a bowl so I didn't waste a valuable baggy but it was really easy for wheat bread.  Well I will have to put the recipes up later.  I have some not so yummy cleaning up to do...

Spinach Night!

Okay the reason for the spinach is that we had two bags sitting in our fridge and they were really bugging Phil and he told me to go ahead and make a spinach salad for dinner.  Ha!  I don't think so, make something someone told me too, I think not!  So I decided to do a bit of research and found this scrumptious little morsel online this evening, I call it spinach latkes and tomatoes (it was easy for Phil to remember).  I have also been in the mood for chocolate (but when aren't I?)  so I decided I wanted to try to make some brownies too, and since I was in the spinach mindset, why not?

Spinach Latkes

2 cans of either diced or plum tomatoes

1 egg

1 can of potatoes or a few boiled potatoes

2 handfuls of fresh spinach or really a can would probably work (but I think it is nasty looking)

1/4 cup flour

bread crumbs

salt and pepper

mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

olive oil

canola oil

1 squirt of lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon zest

Preheat oven to 450

1.   Coat a baking dish with olive oil and place the tomatoes inside.  "Roast" the tomatoes in the oven until the skin in blistered or until you are ready for them (if you do this then just before they are finished turn off the heat and just let them sit in the oven to stay hot)

2.   Place all of the spinach in a food processor and grind to a paste.  If you don't have one just chop it as finely as possible.

3.  Mash the potatoes and once finished add in spinach, egg, some parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir.  Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture holds together.  

4.  Make into patties and coat with flour.

5.  Fry in a large skillet until lightly browned or for 3-5 minutes on each side.

Serve on the tomatoes and grate mozzarella cheese on top.

warning:  These latkes will be very green, but tasty!

Brainy Brownies from the sneaky chef's website

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Purple Puree

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons Flour Blend

1/4 cup rolled oats, ground in a food processor

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

cooking spray

optional extra boost:  1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spray the bottom of a 13 by 9 or 9 by 9 inch baking pan

Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in double boiler or in the microwave (checking often) Remove from heat and let cool.  Meanwhile in another bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla, sugar, Purple Puree.  Combine the purple egg mixture with the cooled chocolate mixture.

In a mixing bowl, stir together Flour Blend, cocoa powder, oats and salt.  Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly.  Mix in the chopped nuts, and pour the entire thing in the baking dish.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting or eating.  

Purple Puree

1 1/2 cups raw spinach

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (NO syrup or sugar added)

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons of water

Put in at food processor or blender and smash it together until it is as smooth as possible.

Makes just enough for the brownies.

Flour Blend

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon flour

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon wheat flour

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon wheat germ

Mix together and makes just enough for the brownies.

I really loved these brownies and Phil didn't know that all of that stuff was in there until I told him and then he didn't really believe me.  This recipe can be found at www.thesneakychef.com under the free recipes.  I haven't tried the others but going off of this one the others are probably wonderful too.  The brownies were fudgy and had little different texture but I think that it was the chocolate chips because mine got too hard before I baked it and they were all lumped together.  

it begins...

So I am creating this blog because I often make dinner using random recipes that I find online and save on my computer or in either a 1950's cookbook with bookmarks to my favorites.  The problem is that I often like to go to other people's kitchens and cook them dinner and I don't have my favorite recipes with me!  So I am now solving this problem by putting all of my favorite recipes online so I can look them up on any computer!  Feel free to use them, I normally change quite a few things from what the original said (I haven't decided which I will write down though).  I hope you enjoy!