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It's Pancake Tuesday!! Also known as: Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day.... and I'm sure there are many others!
To be quite honest I always have made pancakes from a box mix. Quick and easy, I'd never have to pull out all my baking ingredients from the pantry, which sometimes is more work than it's worth... blame a small pantry!!!
That said, recently I ventured to try and make them from scratch: THEY WERE SO GOOD. Better than the box? Hummm, I still don't know... might need to do a blind taste test, since it has been a while since I've had the boxed mix variety.
Why do I say this? While my box mix is a fluffy buttermilk pancake and the recipe I have been working with is just a simple fluffy pancake recipe, I find the fluffiness maybe is not comparable. They are both very fluffy (noting that you let both batters sit at least 10 minutes before cooking) but while I know can eat up to five of the box pancakes, I need to tap out of eating the homemade version at two and a half - three and then I'm stuffed for quite a long time. Maybe I'm just disappointed that I can't eat more of the homemade ones?! If that's the case (pending taste test), homemade wins hands down.
Moreover, I think this recipe is a great one to keep in your back pocket. Keeping it as a base then jazzing it up to your taste: adding chocolate chips, fresh fruit or cinnamon, etc! Also, I guess I should mention I am also in love with my pancake pan (amazon link above!). I didn't use it when cooking the pancakes in the photos above - I was not chez moi - but normally I don't need to use oil or butter, making my pancake breakfast, or dinner, a little more guilt-free.
Let me know where you stand on pancakes! Premade mix or from scratch?! Happy Pancake Tuesday! :) P.S. Giving up something for Lent? Let me know about it!
Fluffy Pancakes
Adapted from chocolatesandchai.com Yield: 6-7 pancakes Ingredients
Directions:
Notes: Pans and stovetops all have different heat distributions, you may need to play around with the temperature during the cooking of the first two pancakes. My first pancake is always undercooked, my second over cooked and then all others come out just right. If you find the batter too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until you have your desired consistency. This recipe is a great base for exploration! Try adding spices like cinnamon or folding in fresh fruit or chocolate right before cooking.
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Yes, yes, yes... I know I posted this recipe already, back in the TBC early days... Well, I think we can consider now the early days too since it has been less than a year! Nonetheless, with finding inspiration to take better food photography and having made this soup for lunch recently, I wanted to give it a second shot (see the photography pun there?! No? Haha that's ok).
First adjustments I made? Really trying to take every picture with my Canon camera (except the one above!). It is just an advanced point and shoot that I bought off of kijiji before a European trip but all in all way better than my old iPhone. An added plus about the SX50 HS Canon? It has a fantastic zoom that is great for taking pictures of steamy hot foods that can fog up the lens; like the yummy soup shot below! Another edit made? Getting rid of using my parent's every day dishes. Sorry Mom and Papa, but the design on our dishes just doesn't cut it anymore, opting for some crisp white plates is 100% better. Also, going simple with dinnerware allows more versatility in choosing different backdrops, like the white canvas material... Although, I may need to rethink that one, having a black cat definitely will start to show on white!
Now you say, enough about the edits! How do I make this yummy looking soup that you say is so quick?! Truth be told, what makes it quick for myself is that I use store bought wontons and stock. Yup, you can make a vegetable stock (the quickest of all stocks, about 30 minutes), using it right away or thawing it from a previously made batch - ditto for chicken stock. This said, in my opinion, I'd save yummy homemade chicken stock for chicken noodle soup. As for the wontons, I have never made them from scratch (they are on the to do list) and so I can't recommend a recipe. What I can do is suggest getting Bibigo Chicken and Coriander Wontons usually found at Costco. They are super versatile, I've had them in soup, salad and in a stir fry!
Apart from the stock and wontons, what elevates and makes this soup delicious is the bok choy, whatever type you can find at your local grocers. This specific time I used toy choy, it's super tiny and doesn't need to be taken apart and chopped into smaller pieces. If you can't find it and still want some greens, spinach is a great option! (Have pinterest?! Please pin the above!) I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! It's great as a weekend lunch when you are planning a more elaborate and kitchen-work intensive dinner. It really is all the deliciousness without the effort! Happy Soup-ing! :) Bok Choy & Wonton Soup The Beader Chef Original Servings: 2 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer Ingredients:
Directions:
Notes: Add some heat to the soup by serving with sliced chilies! Also, serving with a couple of drops soy sauce can also be interesting!
In keeping with the bitter greens theme from two weeks ago, this week's wednesday recipe involves rapini! Rapini is definitely growing in popularity, I've seen it as a side for many dishes in various restaurants or as a component to a yummy pasta dish.
I like rapini in anyway shape or form. Like escarole, you can sauté it with some oil and garlic and you will have perfection. However, the other night I thought why not swap out the pasta for some chickpeas? And so, there you go: Rapini and chickpeas!
Chickpeas are part of the legume family and are jam packed with protein - great for meat replacement protein. If you don't find this recipe enough, add a fried or poached egg(s)! Happy Sauté-ing! :) Rapini & Chickpeas The Beader Chef Original Servings: 2 Ingredients:
Directions:
Notes: Adding 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of hot pepper flakes and really adds another yummy dimension to the dish. If you feel like this dish isn’t enough food, try adding a fried or poached egg (or eggs!). |
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March 2017
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