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Guest Banana: Cooking with Lane – Buttermilk Pancakes

November 22, 2010/2 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

(Editorâ€™s Note: I asked my super-chef friend Lane to come up with some easy holiday recipes for those of us who arenâ€™t so naturally talented in the culinary arts. On Day 3 we wanted to focus on breakfast item that would satisfy any holiday guests or something that would be great for you to enjoy […]

Guest Banana: Cooking with Lane – Beef Stew

November 19, 2010/0 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

(Editor’s Note: I asked my super-chef friend Lane to come up with some easy holiday recipes for those of us who aren’t so naturally talented in the culinary arts. On Day 2 we wanted to focus on a main dish that would be easy to whip up in advance for when holiday guests stop by […]

Guest Banana: Cooking with Lane – Buttermilk Pancakes

November 22, 2010/2 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

Guest Banana: Cooking with Lane – Beef Stew

November 19, 2010/0 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

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Guest Banana: Cooking with Lane – Buttermilk Pancakes

November 22, 2010/2 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

Buttermilk Pancakes
Makes about 8 pancakes

Pancakes are very simple to make from scratch and can be a nice treat for a sleepy, weekend morning. In this series of winter/holiday recipes, I thought it would be nice to include something for breakfast. For me, thereâ€™s something really special about eating a plate of pancakes, when itâ€™s snowy out. These taste best, when youâ€™re curled up on the couch in your pajamas. Trust me.

This recipe was adapted from a hand-me-down Pillsbury Cookbook. Iâ€™ve added a few things to make this recipe my own, like vanilla and lemon. If youâ€™re not a fan of lemon or donâ€™t have any on hand, you can omit it and use a tablespoon of cinnamon instead. Itâ€™s delicious that way too.

1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest from one small lemon or half of a medium size one*
Â¾ c. and 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Â½ tsp. baking soda
Â¼ tsp. salt

Heat a non-stick pan or griddle to medium-high heat and spray it with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Next, stir in buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and lemon zest with a whisk until combined. To the bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. The batter will be lumpy. Do not over mix.

Now, pour the batter, a Â¼ cup at a time (I use a measuring cup for this.) on to the pan. Tiny bubbles will appear on the surface of your pancakes as they cook. When the bubbles slow down, theyâ€™re ready to flip. The second side cooks faster than the first, so keep an eye on them. Youâ€™ll know theyâ€™re done when they start to set-up.

All thatâ€™s left to do now is stack them, spread with butter, drizzle with syrup and enjoy.

*If youâ€™ve never zested a lemon, itâ€™s really easy. Youâ€™ll need a hand grater or microplane. Grate the peel of the lemon lightly. Be sure not to grate the white skin underneath the yellow. It has a bitter flavor. Also, do not use a box grater. Iâ€™ve burned my knuckles trying to do that.

(Ed. Note: This is the dish, of all the ones we did for this series, that has been the biggest hit at my house. Trent and Lu both LOVE these pancakes, and they are almost as easy as the premade stuff you buy at the store, but so much tastier. I’ve done both lemon zest and cinnamon, and both were delicious!)

(These pancakes have been Lulu-approved.)

Guest Banana: Cooking with Lane – Beef Stew

November 19, 2010/0 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

Beef Stew
Makes 6 servings

Beef stew is a classic dish for a lot of reasons. Here are my top three:

1. It takes a while to cook, but most of the cooking time is pretty hands off. So, you have time to catch up on TV (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, anyone?) or read a good book, while it simmers on the stove.

2. Stew tastes better the longer it keeps, which means you can brew up a big batch the night before you need it, and it will taste better the next day.

3. There’s something about beef stew that just feels right in the winter. I consider it the food equivalent of slippers – not really pretty, but super, comforting.

This recipe was heavily adapted from a hand-me-down Pillsbury Cookbook.

(Ed. Note: Lane totally marks up all of her cookbooks…cracks me up. The recipe for this is in the standing book, on the right page. Click on the photo to see her notes in more detail.)

Ingredients:
1 ½ to 2 lbs. beef stew meat cut (I bought mine already cut, but next time, I’ll chop it into smaller pieces. 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces will suffice.)
¼ c. flour
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 c. red wine ( I used Cotes du Rhone, but you could use anything you have on hand, just nothing too sweet.)
1 c. beef broth
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces (I use red skinned for this and typically quarter them. If the potatoes are bigger, a quarter will be too big. Just make sure the carrots and potatoes are around the same size, so they cook evenly.)
2 tbsp. flour
¼ c. water
1 c. frozen peas
1 c. frozen corn

Let the meat rest on your kitchen counter before you start this recipe (Just long enough to take the chill off. You don’t want to put cold meat into a hot pot.)

Coat beef cubes with a mixture of ¼ c. flour, salt and pepper.

In a big pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add beef and flour mixture, browning the meat. When the meat has browned, add the garlic. Saute for a minute or two until softened, but not browned.

Next, stir in the red wine, beef broth, tomato sauce, bay leaf, thyme sprigs (put the whole thing in, stem and all) and chopped rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until the meat is tender. (Mine took much longer this time, so play this by ear.)

Remove bay leaf and thyme stems. Add carrots and potatoes. Cover and simmer an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, but not mushy.

(Ed. Note: First of all, check out Lane’s awesome new kitchen backsplash! She just re-did her entire kitchen and it looks freaking amazing! Secondly, I am posting this picture mainly because of the prominently displayed potato chip bag. When Lane’s husband came in halfway thru our cooking he pointed it out, suggesting we should move it for a nicer background. So basically, this is a big “ha ha” to Keegan because, y’all, I’m very mature.)

In a small Tupperware container with a lid, combine ¼ c. water and 2 tbsp. of flour. With the lid on, shake the mixture. Then, stir it into the stew mixture. Next, add the frozen peas and corn. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens. You can eat it now, or store it. If storing, make sure to let the mixture cool before putting in the fridge.