raspberry hybrid crepes

While there isn't actual any chemical cross-breeding going on in my kitchen, I have taken two of my favorite breakfast recipes and made something pretty wonderful.

Oatcakes + Crepes = Oatcrepes? Oat-Crepes? Oat Crepes? Something like that.

Raspberry Oat-Crepes

scant 1/4 c whole wheat flour

1/8 c oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp sugar

1/4 c skim milk

1/4 c egg whites

12-14 raspberries (frozen or fresh)

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet, whisk until well-combined. Pour half of batter into a lightly greased skillet, spread thin (pick up the pan and let the mixture roll around until it covers the majority of space). Add 6-7 raspberries sporadically to the batter. Flip when slightly bubbly. Repeat with remaining batter and berries.

Best served with a dollop of whipped cream or chocolate creme chantilly or lemon-zested whipped cream. I just had mine with some lemonade, and it was delicious. :)

crepes 'n' cream!

So... my napping mind devised up this amazing concoction, and I HAD to make it.

Make 1 crepe {1 tablespoon egg whites, 1/8 cup skim milk, 1/8 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp sugar}, let cool for a couple minutes, and serve a la mode. I used Edy's frozen yogurt cookies 'n' cream. HEAVEN. Heaven. I am not kidding.

this one didn't even last long enough to take a picture. that good. maybe next time?

what can you do with a grilled chicken?

I decided after last week's debaucle of eating things like microwaved veggie burgers (and one unfortunate "quesadilla" made of a tortilla and a slice of swiss cheese... super gross) for every meal that I would start cooking and eating real food. I grilled up a batch of chicken breasts on Tuesday night and have been getting creative ever since.

Here's are two lovely lunch and dinner meals with chicken!

"That Pesty Chicken!"

Pesto Chicken Pasta. Probably the best meal I've ever made. Thanks to Father and Dani for inspiring it... Take one grilled chicken breast (seasoned with lemon pepper and garlic salt and Italian spices), add it to some cooked pasta (I used this DELICIOUS grape-shaped vineyard pasta my Granny gave me this summer), spritz with olive oil, stir in some stir-fried broccoli/carrots/peapods/whatever-veggies-you-like, and add a couple spoonfuls of store-bought (or homemade! But I prefer Trader Joe's) pesto.

"That's A Wrap!"

A chicken avocado spinach swiss wrap. Delicious. And self-explanatory.

Best pressed by a Griddler or panini press!

bonjour again, toast

it's fall. time to open the windows, breathe the crisp air, hike a trail, grill a burger in the bed of a truck, take in the blue skies, and admire the trees.

time for some cinnamon-laced french toast.

emphasis on the cinnamon.

i'm sensing a pumpkin spice french toast in the near future...

banana streusel coffee cake

I always buy too many bananas. I'll get the prettiest bunch at the grocery store (always tinged green... I like mine considerably unripe), but inevitably end up with more than necessary.

This past week was no exception. So what is the only acceptable thing to do with brown bananas? (I'm obviously not going to eat them, and throwing them away is wasteful.) Make banana bread. Or you know, something similar.

My search for the perfect banana bread (specifications being that they are low fat, only include ingredients that I actually own,  and have a high taste ranking) led me not to a bread recipe, but one for a banana coffee cake.

Recipe as follows:

Banana Streusel Coffee Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 c butter, chilled and cut

1/2 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1 cup mashed bananas, ripe

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup Kahlua (optional)

Combine flours and oats. Measure out 3/4 cup into separate bowl. Add sugar. Cut in the butter and mix.  Set aside 1/2 cup of this crumb mixture to use for topping.  Add remaining crumbs to flour mix, powder, soda, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Beat togther eggs, bananas, and Kahlua.  Combine wet mixture to flour.  Beat well. Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish (or 12-count muffin pan).  Sprinkle reserved butter crumbs and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon on top of cake.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (20 for muffins).

Best enjoyed with a tall glass of cold milk or some piping hot coffee. Hence the name "coffee cake."

you knew it was coming... more nutella!

I'm too predictable.

Oatcakes + Nutella = Mmmmm.

Blondie Cheesecake Pie

Now I know it sounds a bit much, but this three-in-one bit of deliciousness is just enough. It started as a Birthday Pie for my boyfriend Drew (the Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie from More From Magnolia). Once I made the crust and started mixing the filling, I realized the only strawberries we had in the house were molded beyond repair, and a contingency plan had to be enacted. A little bit of brainstorming and recipe-tweaking allowed me to combine the two contenders for Drew's birthday dessert (the boy hates customary cake). And thus the Blondie Cheesecake Pie was born.

I lightened up the pie recipe by whipping up a cup of cream in lieu of one of the cups of cream cheese, added some cocoa to the graham cracker crust to make it a chocolate cookie crust, halved the butterscotch blondie batter and added half of THAT to the cream batter, topping the finished pie with the remainder.

Here's the finished product:

Crust

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp cocoa
1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/4 cup unpacked light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine ingredients. Press firmly into a lightly buttered 9-inch glass pie dish.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Butterscotch Blondies

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg or 3 tbsp egg whites
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
6 oz chocolate chips

Put butter and sugar in a bowl and blend together until smooth using an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and blend until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Whisk together flour, soda, salt. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low speed until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape batter into greased pan.  Bake 17 minutes.

Pie Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together the cream cheese, whipped cream, and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add the sour cream and vanilla, and continue to beat until well combined.

Cut baked blondies into small squares, roughing them up but keeping some larger chunks. Stir half of chopped blondies into cream cheese mixture (careful not to overbeat).  Pour mixture into chocolate pie crust. Top with remaining crumbles.

Refrigerate overnight. Serve and enjoy!!!!

Nutella Crepes

So, I did take a hiatus from crepes for the majority of the summer, but birthdays are special occasions, and boyfriend Drew's 22nd was no exception.

The variation du jour was, of course, Nutella and whipped cream.

In case you need a refresher, here's my base crepe recipe again.

For 2-3 crepes:


1 egg white
a little over 1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 scant teaspoon sugar


Mix ingredients, whisk with a fork until smooth (no flour lumps!), and sizzle to your heart's content on a nonstick skillet. Flip.
 
Best done in a crepe pan.
 
Nutella variation:  Spread Nutella on crepe, fold over or roll. Garnish with freshly whipped cream and maybe a sprinkle of cocoa. Mmm.

blueberry oatcakes

As a way to distinguish between regular recipe pancakes and heather's oatmeal pancakes, I have made the executive decision to refer to the latter as oatcakes. It's cute and slightly 1930ish sounding, I think.

Anyhoo, my obsession with oatcakes has resulted in the latest of variations:

Blueberry Oatcakes!

Stir in 1 teaspoon of brown sugar into the original recipe (oats, egg whites, vanilla, baking powder) and drop a handful of blueberries into each oatcake.

MMMMM.

update on heather's oatmeal pancakes!

Confession:  Despite the recommendation to add half a banana to Heather's Oatmeal Pancakes recipe, I had never done this before. Until now. And what a grand mistake it was to not try it!!!!

GO! Go forth now, and make yourself a heaping banana oatmeal pancake. If you add it to the full recipe with 1/2 cups of oats and egg whites (as opposed to 1/4 a cup of each), it makes two whopping cakes of heaven and joy.

Other potential variations:

Like banana nut bread? MIX IN WALNUTS!

Like bananas foster? Smoke your bananas and drizzle pancakes with caramel sauce. Eat next to a fireplace or candle for the customary flame.

Like banana pudding?! Crush in some Nilla wafers and scoop a dollop of meringue on top.

Like bananas and chocolate?! Toss in some chips or chunks. Or swirl on chocolate syrup.

Like strawberry-banana?! Ok, this one might get gross if you try to mix in strawberries. But you could try it!

The possibilities are endless.

Just go stick your Jack Johnson CD in and get to the kitchen!