Whey Crepes with Homemade Ricotta & Rhubarb Compote

I'm not going to waste my time and yours with an introduction about how good this plate of food was or how you really should try the recipes. I will just say that the soft, fresh ricotta and puckery strawberry-rhubarb compote combined in crepes has me completely smitten.

And we both know you're going to make this the first chance you get, so here you go: recipes, pronto.

First, you need to make the ricotta. If you've been following my Eat Well, Spend Less series on Simple Bites, you'll know that ricotta is just one of many pantry staples that can easily be made from scratch for much less money than buying a tub at the supermarket. Many readers commented on my post, Homemade Substitutes for Grocery Staples, and agreed that homemade is best.

Ricotta is no exception. The homemade version is creamy, silky smooth and so rewarding to make. The best part? It's a total cinch.

You'll have to head over to get Jennie’s Homemade Ricotta recipe. I mean it when I say it is simple. And oh-so-good. (Confession: I've made two batches in three days.) Hat's off to the talented Jennie for the recipe.

Note: Do not toss the whey (the milky liquid run-off from the soft cheese); this is going to be the base for our crepes.


These crepes couldn't be much easier. You'll need a blender and a good nonstick pan. I love my Scanpan for that: no Teflon!

Recipe: Whey Crepes

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons melter butter
• 1 1/2 cups whey
• 1 Tablespoon sugar

1. Crack eggs into a blender. Dump flour on top, followed by butter, whey and sugar.
2. Blend until smooth. Chill for at least an hour and up to two days.
3. Cook crepes in a lightly buttered nonstick pan.

Assembly:

• Cooked crepes
• Soft homemade ricotta
• Fruit compote, jam, fruit butter, or sliced fresh fruit.
• Pure maple syrup
  

Basically, use any type of fruit you like to fill the crepes, the ricotta is going to steal the show regardless of what you use.

Fold crepes in half. Place a couple tablespoons of homemade ricotta on one half of the crepe and a spoonful of fruit.

Fold the crepe in two and drizzle with maple syrup.


Enjoy this perfect dish for spring! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yes, Easter brunch.

Pancakes, Grilled Cheese & More: Three Recipes for a Snow Day

I'm writing about my favorite eats today on Simple Bites: comfort food.

I'm sharing Three Easy Recipes For a Snow Day, or any stormy weather day, for that matter!

From my post:

"What is the best way to spend a snow day? Around here we head straight to the kitchen, P.J.’s and all.

A snow day calls for comfort food, with recipes simple enough that the children can get involved.

It is an ideal opportunity to teach your little ones that cooking can be more than a chore, it can be fun. There is no rush, no place to go, and anyway–the car is snowed in!..."

Head HERE to read the rest of the post and print up three of my favorite recipes.

Cornmeal Red Currant Pancakes with Red Currant Syrup

As I've mentioned before, things tend to get a little nutso during the summer months; however, I find that as long as we maintain a few constants from day to day, we get through the crazies just fine and enjoy each day to it's full potential.

It shouldn't surprise you that pancakes are one of those constants. I declared them good mothering material long ago, disguised them as baby food, and dressed them up as dessert; yep, we are pancake aficionados around here. We like them so much, I've even considered devoting another blog entirely to pancakes, but I'd rather spend my time flipping them and eating them alongside my boys.



This last batch of pancakes was inspired from an outing to my friend Jamie's red currant patch. She graciously invited me to come raid her backyard/Garden of Eden, which I was happy to do. Her bushes was laden with ripe berries and I picked about ten pints in under an hour. I have to say, I'm pretty happy in a berry patch; I'd rather be getting my hands stained and my back sore than watching TV or getting a manicure (like that ever happens). I picked a lot of berries as a kid, so guess it brings back fond memories.
The best part though?Jamie offered me one of her red currant bushes, so next year I'll have my own stash. Sweeet. Thanks, Jamie!


That evening after berry picking, I stewed up some of the crimson red currants with a splash of red wine and spices to make a killer syrup. The next morning the only logical route was pancakes, ideal Saturday morning fare.

We were scheduled to go out for a brunch later, but anyone with young children knows that brunch is usually lunch, and we needed something to tide us over until then. Fortunately I had spotted a recipe for Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes in Martha Stewart Living (June 2009 issue) and they proved to be the perfect platform for my red currants.



The tart red currant sauce from the night before was just exquisite with the cornmeal pancakes. There's no way this is getting past your palate unnoticed, no matter how groggy you are or how engrossing the comics are; a real sit-up-and-take-notice breakfast!

We're crazy about anything with cornmeal or polenta and these pancakes are a keeper. The cornmeal gave them a lovely texture and rescued them from being too pasty, as I find some buttermilk pancakes tend to be.
Of course you can substitute whatever berries you happen to have on hand, or none at all.


Later that afternoon upon returning from brunch, I found myself with a couple of quiet hours while the babies napped, and I turned the rest of the red currants into nine jars of ruby red jelly. It was my first canning of the season. Hurray!

Cornmeal Red Currant Pancakes

adapted from Martha Stewart's Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes (MSL June 2009)

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar, divided in half
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh red currants

Red Currant Syrup (recipe below)

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, salt and baking soda.

In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter and egg.

Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (for keeping pancakes warm). Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Toss red currants with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Brush griddle with melted butter.

Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Sprinkle with sugared berries, about 2 tablespoons per pancake. Cook until edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes (bubbles won't appear as with traditional pancakes). Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and currants, adding more butter to griddle and keeping prepared pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven.

Serve with Ruby-Red Currant Syrup



I can see myself stewing up another big batch of this tangy sauce and serving it with roast pork or turkey, or just dousing a bowl of vanilla ice cream. It's superb.

Ruby-Red Currant Syrup

2 cups red currants, rinsed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine (0r water)
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon OR 1 whole star anise


Combine everything in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat ad simmer gently for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Berries will disintegrate and mixture should reduce and thicken slightly.
Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve.
Cool slightly and serve with pancakes.

Chocolate Banana Pancakes and Signs of Hope.

Dear Noah.

I'm confused. I've had you pegged as a picky eater for some time now, but it seems like lately you're toying with the idea of becoming a foodie.

What is up? Is this a ploy to give me false hope or are you really tuning over a new leaf?

Tonight at dinner, you devoured two shrimp and avocado summer rolls like a seasoned eater (peanut sauce included) and not at all like the finicky three-year-old of the past. Sure, you suspiciously inspected the mango and cilantro inside, but they didn't seem to deter you and you asked for thirds--a request that made my heart beat a little faster, I have to admit.

Now that I think about it, you've been slowly evolving in the food department; I'm remembering that entire chef's salad you ate recently. Salad!

"Look, Mom, I'm just like Benjamin Bunny!"

you said, as a bowl full of lettuce disappeared down the hatch.

Oh, and don't think that we haven't noticed that you are calling us "Mom" and 'Dad" now, instead of mommy and daddy. Humph.

Yes, I know, you're getting to be a big boy now. You can count to a hundred, write your name and do simple math, so have you also decided not to be picky anymore and eat your dinners like a man?

I've always told you, life can't be all-pancakes-all-the-time, but just in case this recent progress doesn't last, I'll keep this recipe handy.

Love Mom(my)
xoxoxo


Chocolate Banana Pancakes with Nutella and Fresh Banana Slices

1 cup sour cream or yogourt
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk or buttermilk
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons coconut (optional)
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine sour cream, banana and vanilla in a large bowl and pulverize with a hand blender until smooth. Add milk and blend some more. Crack in the eggs, add a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.

In another bowl, sift together flours, cocoa, and baking soda. With a wooden spoon, stir in coconut and wheat germ, if desired, then add entire dry mixture to the sour cream wet mixture. Fold gently together. Pour in melted butter and mix just to combine.

Heat a cast iron pan and grease with vegetable oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter onto the pan to make several small, round pancakes. Add a slice of banana in the middle if you like, but be sure to dab more batter on top so they don't stick to the pan when you flip the pancakes. Cook on even medium heat until bubbles start to form. Flip pancakes and continue cooking.

Remove from pan and layer with Nutella and fresh banana slices. Serve!

One For the Babies: Sweet Potato Pancakes

By now you know that if I discover something great, I'm going to share it with you, and so here is a find for all the new or soon to be mama's out there! My latest and greatest haunt is Nurture-Baby, an adorable site all about making your own baby food.

I know, you probably think I've got that area pretty much covered, I mean, how hard is it to make a puree, right? But since my kids are so frustratingly picky, I'm more than open to new mealtime suggestions and Nurture Baby has provided some fresh fodder for under the high chair!

Broken down into categories such as 'recipes', 'nutrition' and 'techniques', this site is a thorough resource for homemade baby food. I love how the recipes are categorized by the babies's age and guess what? the photos actually make the dishes look appetizing! Not easy to do when the subject is, hmm, brown mush!

Noah and Mateo gobbled up-and I mean inhaled-these Sweet Potato Pancakes.


We're pancake fiends around here, so I knew I had to try this recipe.
Thank goodness it makes a generous batch because they were sooo good! Think: pumpkin pie pancakes (psst! I think they should be renamed) thanks to the spices, sweet potato puree, brown sugar, and melted butter. Maple syrup complemented them wonderfully, but they really need no dressing up and were perfect finger food for Mateo.


Danny and I scarfed these pancakes for breakfast the next day, so this recipe is by no means just for little ones! I recommend thinning out the batter with an extra 1/4 cup of milk or so and cooking them on a medium-low heat to ensure they are cooked through.


Eager for another success, Noah and I baked up a batch of Banana Oatmeal Cookies and were rewarded with delicious soft cookies that we couldn't stop eating. Reminiscent of banana bread, these healthy cookies make a huge batch and are sure to please the somewhat critical playgroup gang.

I'll be recommending Nurture-Baby to all my friends with new little ones--maybe they will stop pestering me for those baby food tutorials!!

Let me be remembered for my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

P (pancakes) + M (mother) = 100% Good Mother

Looking for the equation to perfect mothering skills? I've added, subtracted and simplified it down to a solution manageable for even the most challenged parent: making pancakes.

Think about it though, doesn't one of your fondest memories of growing up involve pulling up a chair next to the stove (in my case, a wood burning one) and watching your mother pour batter into silver dollar circles into the waiting cast iron pan? If you never had a mother who made you pancakes, be they crèpes, blinis, flapjacks, drop scones, pannenkoeken, or hotcakes, depending on your background, may I respectfully say that you missed out on a ritual that transcends class and generational borders and offer my sympathies.


It's a wonder that some thing so seemingly ordinary as pancakes can hold such a stack of pleasure and bring back memories as sweet as the maple syrup that doused them. In our home, just the simple familiar act of cracking eggs and sifting flour speaks of a tranquil morning, un-rushed, no where to head off to, just our family together without a care in the world.

I probably don't need to mention that Noah absolutely adores pancakes and that was a major factor in my motherhood equation. There is nothing more satisfying than watching your two-year-old load up his fork with not just two or three cut-up pieces of pancake, but five or six before cramming it into his mouth, completely focused on consuming these heavenly pancakes as fast as they come out of the pan.

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Fabulous Fairholme: Breakfasts and Brunches that is a collection of recipes from the award-winning Fairholme Manor Inn in Victoria, British Columbia. It is by far my favorite pancake; soufflé-like in it's feather lightness, perfumed by bold citrus zest, and sweet enough to be eaten on it's own with nothing but a dusting of powdered sugar or dollop of yogurt.

The world would be a much better place if all those troubled people could sit down to a plate of these pancakes on Sunday morning. Forget therapy and shrinks, we need more pancake chefs out there! Do your part and make some one you love some hot pancakes today, ideally your kids, no matter how old they are. They will remember it and thank you for it.

I know mine will.


Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

5 eggs, separated
Zest of large lemon or orange
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt

Preheat griddle or skillet on medium heat.

Mix the egg yolks. Sift and mix the dry ingredients and combine with egg yolks, lemon zest, milk and ricotta cheese.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold into the egg-ricotta batter.
Lightly oil griddle and pour a pancake-sized amount onto griddle. Cook until bubbles form. Flip and cook other side until golden. Do not flatten after flipping and only flip once.

Serve immediately with garnish of choice. I found maple syrup to be a bit overpowering for the delicate pancakes. Try with crème fraîche, plain yogurt or whipping cream.