Savory Sauteed Veggie and Cheese Crepes

Savory Sauteed Veggie and Cheese Crepes 

I adore crepes, seriously.  Any kind, any where.  (Well, let's be honest, preferably in Paris.)   

1 cup favorite grated or crumbled cheese

(Blue cheese, Feta, Swiss, cheddar or mozzarella) 

Sauteed Veggies

(Have this ready before you begin cooking the crepes.)

1-2 red or yellow bell peppers

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

couple handfuls fresh spinach

In large saute pan saute onions, garlic and peppers until soft.  Toss in spinach, saute a minute and turn off the heat.  

Crepe Batter

4 cups milk

4 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons wheat flour 

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons white flour

2 teaspoons salt 

I like to make crepe batter in a big plastic pitcher using a stick blender to blend ingredients.  That way I can easily store unused batter in the refrigerator until breakfast the next morning or for  savory crepes for dinner.  You can also use a blender to blend the batter.  In blender or with a stick blender, mix ingredients thoroughly.  Heat a non-stick skillet or crepe pan, over medium-high heat.  Unwrap a stick of butter half way and rub butter on bottom of hot pan.  Pour a little batter into pan  pick up pan and roll batter around to cover the bottom of the pan.  When batter on top has solidified, turn over with a spatula (preferably with a wooden crepe spatula) and brown other side for just a minute.  Place a spoonful of sauteed veggies on one side of crepe. 



 Sprinkle some cheese over veggies.  



Fold crepe over the top of veggies.  Heat until cheese melts. Fold again if desired and serve hot.

Bon Appetit!

Pecan Sticky Buns

Pecan Sticky Buns

I am continually mesmerized by the sticky buns I find in the Williams Sonoma catalog.  I have never ordered any from them but I love the idea of having a freezer full of yummy gourmet breads all ready to defrost and enjoy on lazy weekend mornings. (Like I have any of those!)  Nonetheless, my counter top and freezer could still be full of fresh baked breads ready for hungry kids and a husband to come home to. You'll need a large mixer to this recipe, at least a 6 quart electric mixer will suffice.  Course you can make the dough by hand, if you knead it for 10 minutes, instead of mixing it in the mixer for 10 minutes.  If that sounds like too  much work, look at it this way...at least you'll get your exercise!  This recipe will make approximately 72 sticky buns for you to enjoy!

Sticky Bun Dough

3 ½ cups warm water
4 tablespoons yeast
¾ cup oil
¾ cup sugar
1 cup powdered milk
1 ½ cups potato flakes
1 tablespoon salt
3 eggs at room temperature
10 cups flour, plus more if needed 

*

1 cup softened butter

*

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

2 brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

*

Caramel

1 1/4 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

5 tablespoons corn syrup

4 tablespoons heavy cream

*

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Spray 3-6 muffin pans with bakers spray.  This recipe will fill 6 muffin tins full of sticky buns.  If you don't want to bake all of the sticky buns at once, you can cut your rolls and freeze them before letting them rise.  Simply remove from freezer and place in muffin tins with the caramel, rise and bake.  Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl of electric mixer.  Add oil and eggs.  Add remaining ingredients and mix for 10 minutes. Let rise to double.  Divide dough into three or four equal portions. Divide dough into 4 equal portions.  On a floured counter top roll out one portion of dough, into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread 1/4 cup softened butter on each rectangle of dough.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar mixture over buttered dough and roll up lengthwise.  Repeat will each portion of dough.  Make caramel, by melting butter and adding remaining ingredients and stir until smooth over medium heat.  Place 1 1/2 tablespoons caramel in each muffin cup.  Sprinkle some chopped pecans on top of caramel in the muffin tins. Cut rolls into 1 inch thick pieces with a pizza cutter and set in muffin tin on top of caramel and pecans.  Spray a piece of plastic wrap with bakers spray and cover rolls.  Allow rolls to double in size.  Bake at 350 for 11-15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Immediately turn hot rolls out of pan onto a serving platter, to prevent them from sticking in the pans.  Extra baked sticky buns can be cooled and frozen. Simply defrost and reheat for special occasions.

Lemon Souffle Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

Lemon Souffle Pancakes
with Blueberry Maple Syrup

This favorite pancake recipe is from my friend Carrie Spencer.  I've been making them for years now.  They have a more sophisticated flavor than your average kid friendly pancake.  Which makes them a perfect choice for a Mother's Day Breakfast or Brunch.  I made one change to Carrie's recipe... I omitted the melted butter in the batter.  I found, through trial and error, that oil and or melted butter in pancakes makes them flatter instead of fluffier!  I Love the flavor of the lemon and blueberries together, it makes me feel like Spring is in the air! 

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

1 ½ cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup maple syrup

1 cup blueberries, preferably fresh

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon peel  and lemon juice.  Whip egg whites until they hold stiff, moist peaks. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture, stir to blend.  Gently fold in egg whites. Pour batter in ¼ cup portions over greased, medium hot griddle. Cook until golden brown on each side.  In saucepan on medium heat, combine 2 tablespoon butter, maple syrup, and blueberries. Heat for about 3 minutes. Serve blueberry syrup over pancakes and add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream if desired.

French Pastry Tarts

French Pastry Tarts

Ted and I spent a week house hunting in the Washington D.C. area, before we moved to the East coast.  We stayed in a great hotel in Dupont Circle, surrounded by embassies, wonderful architecture, historic row houses, fun places to shop and eat, not to mention all of the museums...the Capitol... the White House... etc. that the capitol city has to offer.  Every morning for breakfast we would pick up some amazing little fruit tarts at this great bakery around the corner, reminiscent of little bakeries in France.  They were my inspiration for creating these tarts.  I love how wholesome and rich the crust tastes with the wheat flour.  Paired with the pastry cream and fresh berries?   It’s just delicious.  Delicious and nutritious enough for breakfast as well as dessert?  In "life according to Andrea"... absolutely yes!   I like to make the pastry cream the day before I want to assemble these tarts.  

                                       

                                                                            Crust:

1 cup old fashioned oats

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup white flour

1½ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup cold butter, cut into bits

1 tablespoon canola oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

In bowl of food processor place oats and pulse several times until fine.   Add remaining dry ingredients and pulse to mix.  Add butter and carefully toss.   Pulse a few times and add oil, vanilla and almond extract.  Mix until a dough almost forms.  Gather dough together and press into a 12-15 inch tart pan with removable bottom.  You can also use individual tart tins a few inches in diameter as well.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. For individual tarts, reduce baking time a little.  Cool completely.  Make pastry cream.

Pastry cream:

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

2 cups milk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in tablespoons

Prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl.  In medium pot bring milk, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla to a low boil.  In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs, egg yolks and ½ cup sugar.  Beat on medium high speed until pale yellow and thick and creamy.  About 5 minutes.  Sift in cornstarch and beat for a minute until thoroughly combined.  Pour half of the hot milk into egg mixture and whisk until smooth.  Pour the egg mixture back into the pot of hot milk.  Whisk CONTINUOUSLY for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until mixture becomes thick and pudding like.  Do not walk away from the stove even for a minute!   Remove from heat and whisk in butter I tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated.  Transfer pastry cream to a medium large sized bowl that will fit in the ice bath.  Let pastry cream cool in ice bath.   Stir occasionally until completely cooled.  Cover surface of pastry cream with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 ½ hour before filling crust.

                                                                           

                                            Optional fruits to top the tarts:

Fresh strawberries

Fresh raspberries

Fresh blueberries

Fresh kiwi, sliced

Fresh mandarin oranges, sectioned

Fresh pineapple cut into thin smaller slices

Pile fruit and berries on top of pastry cream and garnish with a little mint or basil leaves if desired.



Sour Dough Whole Wheat Waffles

             

Sour Dough Whole Wheat Waffles

These are our FAVORITE waffles!  Thanks goes out to grandma Carroll who makes these regularly for the grandkids.  I love how the recipe calls for dried milk (which I keep in my food storage) so I can reserve fresh milk for drinking.  The "dry milk taste" is lost in the baking process, making this recipe one of my favorite uses of our food storage dried milk. We love to slather these waffles with Nutella and top with whipped cream and berries for special breakfast occasions. When we have overnight guests, I double the batch and mix the dough up the night before, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, I let it sit out and warm up on the counter while I prepare other breakfast items.   

1 tablespoon yeast

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dry milk

5 tablespoons canola oil

1 egg

2 cups warm water

In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.  Add water, egg and oil. Mix and let rise for 30 minutes.  Bake on heated waffle iron and serve with favorite syrups, berries and whipped cream and Nutella for delightfully indulgent breakfast.

Fresh Cranberry and Orange Smoothie

Fresh Cranberry and Orange Smoothie

I LOVE having a smoothie for breakfast every morning.  And with all the cranberries in season I thought I would combine the two loves. This smoothie is full of probiotics, antioxidants, vitamin C and potassium!  In other words...it's good for you!

2 cups plain yogurt
8 ounces frozen orange juice
a couple handfuls fresh cranberries
1 banana

Blend all ingredients until smooth and enjoy!

Cranberry and Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins

Cranberry and Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins



I love cranberry season!  Stalk up on all the fresh cranberry you can buy this time of year.  There are so many great foods to make with them.  And they are high in antioxidants!  I couldn't resist making these this morning...these muffins are so delicious!  The recipe makes about 18 muffins, so fill a basket for the breakfast table, deliver some to a friend, or just eat them on the go!  The kids love these too.  These are also wonderful for special occasion and holiday breakfasts and brunches.     

 2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup orange juice

1 eggs

¼ cup melted butter

2 cups coarsely chopped cranberries

zest or finely grated peel from 1 orange

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tin with muffin cups. In large bowl combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl combine wet ingredients.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir to combine.  Stir in cranberries and orange peel. Fill paper cups 3/4 full with batter.  Top with cream cheese mixture and then with crumb topping mixture. 

Cream Cheese Topping: 

8 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

In electric mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar, egg and vanilla and whip until smooth.  Place a heaping tablespoon full on each muffin.  Top with a big spoonful of crumb topping.

Crumb Topping:

¾ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cold butter

Mix topping and sprinkle on top of batter and cream cheese mixture and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Let sit a minute or two and remove from pan by using a fork to lift muffins out of pan one by one.  These are amazing warm or cold!

Crunchy French Toast with Cranberry Compote

Crunchy French Toast with Cranberry Compote

I am SO happy it's cranberry season again!!!  I love stocking up on fresh cranberries...there are just so many delicious things to make with cranberries!   The simple addition of cranberries can any meal feel festive.   This is just one of my favorite cranberry recipes...there's more to come!  Grandma and Grandpa make Crunchy French Toast for my kids when ever they come to visit (so it's always a treat!), but I like to make it around the holidays.  It's so perfect this time of year and is especially fun on a holiday and for your special guests.  We LOVE Crunchy French Toast and I know you will too!

1 large loaf Texas toast white bread, or thick sliced wheat bread
2 cups milk
5 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
18 ounce bag corn flake dry cereal
butter or margarine for cooking French Toast 

Remove inner bag from Corn Flake box.  Without opening bag, use a rolling pin and coarsely crush corn flakes.  Pour into large bowl or baking dish.  In large bowl whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.   Dip Texas toast in egg mixture and then dip in cornflakes.  Coat griddle or pan with butter or margarine and cook until cooked through and crispy.  Top with butter and Cranberry Syrup Compote and a dollop of whipped cream if desired or maple syrup.

                                     Cranberry Syrup Compote

14 ounces canned cranberry sauce

½ cup sugar
3/4  cup orange juice, or juice and zest of one orange
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash cinnamon

 In saucepan bring all ingredients to a simmer. Stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Puree mixture with a hand held mixer if desired, or mash cranberries slightly.  Serve over Crispy French Toast.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with fresh chopped cranberries if desired.  

How to Make Perfectly Delicious Crepes

Paris Crepes with Blackberries and Champaign Currents

There are many things you can’t leave Paris without delighting in.  One of those things is eating hot crepes topped with butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar on the street corner.  Crepes are a favorite of ours, especially my children who would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let them!  I highly recommend getting yourself  a good crepe pan (my favorite is a steel pan made by de Buyer of France found at Williams-Sonoma)...bon appetite!   

4 cups milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons wheat flour
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons white flour
2 teaspoons salt

 
I like to make crepe batter in a big plastic pitcher using a stick blender to blend ingredients.  That way I can easily store unused batter in the refrigerator until breakfast the next morning or for  savory crepes for dinner.  You can also use a blender to blend the batter.  In blender or with a stick blender, mix ingredients thoroughly.  Heat a non-stick skillet or crepe pan,  over medium-high heat.  Unwrap a stick of butter half way and rub butter on bottom of hot pan.  Pour a little batter into pan  pick up pan and roll batter around to cover the bottom of the pan.  When batter on top has solidified, turn over with a spatula (preferably with a wooden crepe spatula) and brown other side for just a minute.  While crepe is browning, butter top side with the same stick of butter. Remove to serving plate.  Serve immediately to hungry children adults and top with your choice of powdered sugar and lemon juice, or Nutella with fruit, berries and whipped cream.  (OHHH LA LA! ) Or a simple sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a favorite syrup.  C'est magnifique!