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Red Velvet Pancakes
My son is a big fan of pancakes, and he is also a big fan of red velvet cake. So when he requested something "different" for breakfast, this seemed like an obvious choice. I didn't have the cream cheese needed for the "proper" glaze, but a quick & dirty confectioner's sugar icing worked just fine. I halved the recipe and got 4 good-sized pancakes.
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (or 2 cups buttermilk and omit vinegar)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 tablespoons red food coloring (eyeball it)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup butter, melted
For the icing
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1-3 tablespoons milk
In a small mixing bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Measure out the milk and stir in vinegar; allow to sit for 2 minutes (omit this step if using buttermilk). In a large mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar, eggs, food coloring, vanilla, and melted butter. Whisk until well combined. Gradually whisk in dry ingredient, mixing just until combined.
Fry on a hot, greased griddle or frypan. If using an electric frypan, set to 350 degrees. For the icing, whisk together confectioner's sugar, butter, and enough milk to form a thick but pourable liquid. Cool pancakes slightly and drizzle with icing.
Homemade Shake 'N Bake Pork Chops with Dijon and Rosemary
My husband has a rather gourmet palate, but there are some truly basic recipes that he just adores, and one of those is definitely boneless pork chops with Shake 'N Bake. He recently bought a beautiful pork loin on his last trip to Costco, and cut some gorgeous, juicy, tender pork chops from it, and requested we do them with Shake 'N Bake, with rosemary and dijon mustard. Sadly, I discovered that we were out of Shake 'N Bake! Fortunately, I found this recipe, which was a big hit with my gang, and makes a generous batch (I made about 1/3 of this recipe, used it for 5 pork chops, and had enough left for another 5 chops) that keeps in the pantry for several months.
3 cups bread crumbs (plain or panko)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon minced onion or dried onion flakes
3 teaspoons of paprika (or smoked paprika)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
4-5 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops
Blend together all ingredients except mustard, rosemary, and chops in a ziploc bag or sealed glass jar and mix (or shake) until the oil is well-dispersed and the mixture is an even crumbliness. Pour about 1/2 cup of crumbs into a rimmed plate and mix in the rosemary. Coat each side of a chop with Dijon and then sip each side into crumbs, pressing to ensure an even coating. Place chops on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Store the unused crumbs in a sealed ziploc bag at room temperature.
Quick Pizza Sauce
If I were Italian, my mother and grandmother would be rolling over in their grave to know that I use a recipe for pizza sauce that uses canned tomato paste and sauce and isn't even simmered, rather than fresh tomatoes and hours on the stove. But I'm not, so this recipe is plenty delicious enough for me. You can make homemade dough with your favorite recipe, buy frozen or fresh ready-made pizza dough, or use pre-baked pizza shells. Keeping some of this sauce on hand and using a pre-baked crust means you can get a nice hot pizza on the table in about 20 minutes, including the time to preheat the oven. Plus, the kids love making their own pizzas, so that much less work for the resident chef!
1 15-oz can tomato sauce OR 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes or equivalent fresh tomatoes, pureed
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1-2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
If using canned or fresh tomatoes instead of sauce, puree in a food processor or in batches using a stick blender. Combine with tomato paste in a large bowl. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Can be stored in the refrigerator but will thicken when cold, so allow to come to room temperature before using to make it easier to spread.
Instant Pot Enchilada Casserole
I'm not generally a fan of pasta dishes made in the Instant Pot, but this one works well for me. I always have a bag of Costco frozen cocktail meatballs on hand, and now that I've discovered that my family likes enchiladas, I keep cans of enchilada sauce on hand as well. And everything else is pantry staples, so this is a great last-minute "Eek! I haven't figured out dinner and dinnertime is in less than an hour!" recipe. I don't bother with finishing in the oven but if you're serving family style it makes for a nice presentation.
1-1/2 cups beef broth (or reconstituted beef bouillon)
1 cup heavy cream (I use half and half)
8 oz uncooked pasta, any shape (I prefer rigatoni or penne but any shape will work)
14 frozen full-sized meatballs or 30 frozen cocktail meatballs (roughly 1/2 a bag) - throw in more or less depending on your personal preferences
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use Costco's pizza blend)
1 cup enchilada sauce
Optional garnishes: sour cream, avocado or guacamole, salsa, salsa verde, black olives, chopped tomato
Pour broth and cream into Instant Pot. Add pasta. DO NOT STIR! Add meatballs. DO NOT STIR! Seal lid and cook on manual pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release. Add enchilada sauce and cheese and stir. Optional: Pour into large baking dish, top with desired garnishes and extra cheese and bake at 350 for 5 minutes to melt cheese, or place under the broiler for a few minutes to brown cheese slightly. Serve immediately.
Cheesy Potato Stacks
This side dish is a great recipe because it's relatively easy to make, but it looks pretty spectacular on the plate. The most difficult part of the recipe is slicing the potatoes, and even that is easy if you have a kitchen mandolin. If you happen to have a small biscuit cutter you can use it to make perfect cylinders, but I just trim each stack with a paring knife. I've always made this recipe with fresh thyme, but I think any fresh herb would work nicely. It is one of the few recipes where I really would use fresh rather than dried, if at all possible. The wonderful smell of fresh herbs is so appealing in this dish!
About 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, preferably using a kitchen mandolin
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed (use the side of a broad knife or the bottom of a pot or glass measuring cup)
¼ cup half and half (or light or heavy cream)
½ tsp salt
Black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar blend (Costco's pizza blend works nicely)
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tbsp dried thyme, or other fresh or dried herbs
Stack the potato slices by size, trimming as needed so they will fit in muffin tins. (I save the trimmings and ends and make mashed potatoes.) Place butter and garlic in a microwave proof cup or bowl, then melt in 30 second bursts. Add cream, salt and pepper to the butter. Stir to dissolve the salt. Place potato slices into a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Stacks should reach about to the top of the tin. Lift off half of each stack and drizzle with ½ tsp of cream mixture, a little thyme, and a generous pinch of shredded cheese (this should use up about half of each). Replace the rest of each stack, drizzle with remaining cream, and sprinkle with remaining thyme. DO NOT TOP WITH CHEESE. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake without foil for 10 minutes or until golden and the potato is soft. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing. Use a tablespoon or butter knife to help scoop them out.
Notes: Can be frozen or refrigerated after baking and reheated for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven (defrost first if frozen).
Molasses Oatmeal Bread
My mom didn't bake bread all that often when I was a kid, but when she did, it was always a recipe very similar to this one. It's just a little sweet, so it's delicious toasted or plain, and it's dense enough to hold up well as sandwich bread or as a base for French toast (a very important consideration in our house - we love use some French toast).
1 cup quick oats (plus additional for coating pans) - I used old-fashioned oats because that's what I had on hand and I didn't notice any difference in texture or taste
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup butter (or Crisco)
scant tablespoon salt
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup warm water
4-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (2 packets)
5-3/4 to 6 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
Combine the oats, molasses, butter, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the boiling water over, stir, and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water and yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes, until foamy. Stir in the oat mixture. Add 2 cups of flour and the eggs and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining flour, enough to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 3-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled (note: I raised the dough in my oven on the proof setting and it was MUCH more than doubled after 1 hour). Grease two 4x8" bread pans and sprinkle with oats on bottom and sides (I didn't bother with the oats). Turn the risen dough out on a lightly floured board and divide in half. Roll into an oblong shape, then roll up, starting with the narrow end, and place in pans, seam side down. Brush tops lightly with water and sprinkle with oats (I omitted the oats and didn't bother moistening the top either). Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until tops are golden. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire rack.
Vodka Thyme Lemonade
I made this the same night we had the Cheesy Potato Stacks, since there was plenty of fresh thyme left over. The original recipe called for simply mixing sparkling lemonade, vodka, and thyme, but I decided I wanted a slightly stronger flavor so I experimented a little until I hit on the combination below.
2 oz vodka (or citrus vodka)
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 teaspoon powdered lemonade mix
generous splash of lemon juice
2 springs fresh thyme
lemon, lime, or orange seltzer (I used orange vanilla)
In a cocktail shaker over ice, combine the vodka, triple sec, lemonade mix, lemon juice, and thyme. Shake hard to bruise the thyme and allow to sit for a few minutes. Strain into a chilled martini (or old fashioned) glass and top with seltzer. Garnish with additional thyme.
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