I Want a Nap

If you’re looking for a delicious and indulgent way to celebrate Mother’s Day (or any other day for that matter) then look no further. This recipe combines the delicious and comforting flavors of banana bread with a rich, velvety butterscotch syrup. How could you possibly go wrong?

If you don’t feel up to making the butterscotch syrup you can serve the pancakes with some butter and maple syrup but the butterscotch syrup only takes a few minutes to make and the two work so perfectly together, it’s totally worth the extra effort. If you end up with left over syrup or if you want to make the syrup ahead of time that it can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a week or so and then reheated in the microwave when you’re ready to use it.

For the butterscotch syrup, melt 4 tablespoons butter (½ a stick) in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in ½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup water and 1 tablespoon corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to boil it over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the syrup into a serving dish and it set aside while you make the pancakes. To make the pancakes, start by whisking the dry ingredients (1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda and a scant ½ teaspoon salt) in one bowl and the wet ingredients (1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla and an egg) in another bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir it until it is just combined. It should still be pretty lumpy when your done mixing. Next mash up 2 medium sized overripe bananas (you should end up with somewhere around a cup of mashed banana). Gently fold the mashed bananas into the pancake batter along with ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans. The nuts are completely optional so if you don’t like them leave them out. Heat a griddle pan or large skillet over medium heat (about 300 degrees if you have an electric griddle). Lightly coat the pan with melted butter or cooking spray. Pour the batter by the quarter cupful onto the pan and cook until browned on each side. 

Pour some of the syrup over the pancakes…

And dig in!

This is one of my favorite go to recipes for busy weeknights. It’s very easy to make, it’s ready in about 20 minutes and it’s comprised of ingredients that are always in my pantry making it perfect for the nights when I realize entirely too late that I haven’t planned anything for dinner or when what I had planned won’t work. The kids love it and, since utensils are not required to eat this, I don’t have to spend  what can feel like an eternity watching them chase bites around their plates with a fork or spoon.

For the barbeque sauce, whisk together 1/3 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside while you cook the chicken.

Cut two chicken breasts into little pieces, ¼ to ½ inches cubed (if the chicken is slightly frozen it makes the chopping a little easier).  Then, in a large skillet, heat about 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken to pan and sauté until lightly browned on all sides. It only takes about 3 or 4 minutes to cook since the pieces are so small. Stir in the sauce, and continue to cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. Take the pan off the heat and assemble the quesadillas.

Top half of a flour tortilla with about ¼ cup shredded cheddar and about 1/3 cup of chicken and fold the other half of the tortilla over the chicken and cheese. Heat up a skillet or grill pan, lightly coat the pan with cooking spray and cook the quesadillas until the cheese melts and both sides are lightly browned. Cut the quesadillas into three or four slices…

And serve!

This is a super simple recipe given to me by my sister. I don’t eat a lot of seafood which is due in part to the cost and the quality that I have access to in my tiny town but it’s mostly because I do nearly all of the cooking at our house and I hate seafood.  Considering the health benefits and the fact that I’m the only one in my house that doesn’t like it, I try to incorporate some kind seafood into our menu at least once or twice a month (canned tuna counts, right?). But it’s hard for me to find recipes that I can tolerate let alone recipes that I actually enjoy. This recipe makes that task a little easier.  I loved it and I wasn’t the only one either. The whole family gobbled it up and any meal that the kids eat on their own without being constantly reminded of when it’s time to take another bite is a winner in my book.

The recipe is very easy to adjust according to your taste. You can add more or less of any ingredient in the list. If shrimp is not your cup of tea, the sauce would work well with chicken and pork as well. I used broccoli because that’s what I had on hand but you can use any stir fry-able vegetables that you like or have on hand. If you have never peeled and deveined shrimp, it’s doesn’t require any special talent but it can be a little tedious. You just pull off the tail and peel off the shell around the rest of the body. Then run a sharp knife along the dark line in the center of the inside of the shrimp and pull out the vein.

Start with the prep work.  Toast a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds…Just add the sesame seeds to a small sauté pan and toast them over medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the seeds are lightly browned. Remove the seeds from heat and set them aside. Next mince 4 garlic cloves and set them aside.  Peel and devein a pound of 51-60 count shrimp, set the shrimp aside and then, start cooking 1 to 1 ½ cups of rice according to the package directions.

While the rice is cooking you can work on the sauce. Whisk together 1 ¼ cup water, 2/3 cup sugar, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, a chicken bouillon cube and ½ of the minced garlic cloves in a large sauce pan. In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup water and ¼ cup cornstarch, pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce pan and mix it all together. Cook the sauce over medium heat until thick and syrupy (about 7 minutes), stirring frequently at first and constantly as it starts to thicken. Remove the pan from heat and it set aside.

In a large sauce pan, heat a tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil on high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add a pound of thawed broccoli florets (or whatever kind of stir fry vegetables that you have on hand) to the pan and cook stirring frequently for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and remaining half of the garlic and continue to sauté another 2 or three minutes, stirring constantly, just until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Take the pan off the heat and pour the sauce over the shrimp. I added enough sauce to thickly coat the shrimp and vegetables and ended up only using about 2/3’s of it. So just add enough to suit your tastes and if you end up with anything left over, the sauce mixed with some cooked spaghetti or Chinese noodles makes a great lunch the next day.

Spoon some of the cooked rice in to a bowl and top it with some of the shrimp mixture…

Sprinkle each serving with some of the toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!

I love, love, love red velvet cake. To be fair I love cake in general but red velvet is the subject at hand so I’ll stick to that for now. Unfortunately, when it comes to red velvet, the cake does not return my amorous affections. You see, I have tried off and on for years to make an amazing red velvet cake and for years, attempt after attempt, I have failed. I have forgotten to grease the pan, failed to set the timer, left out important ingredients, you name it and I’ve screwed it up. It got to the point that, when I announced that I would be making red velvet cake, Brian would just laugh and ask how I planned on messing it up.

I was just about give up altogether when it hit me… there had to be some kind of red velvet cake curse or conspiracy or some other clandestine activity aimed against me because there is no way that this endless string of disasters in what should be a relatively simple cake could possibly be my fault. Hoping that the jinx was related only to red velvet in the traditional cake form, I decided to change up the format and give red velvet one more try. I’m glad I did because it was amazing and I finally made a red velvet dessert that I could be proud of.

This recipe only makes about 8 servings which is perfect if you’re entertaining a small group and don’t want a bunch of leftovers. The filling is absolutely amazing; it’s decadent without being too rich and the strawberries add a bright, fresh flavor. The cake is best served the day that you make it. It’s still delicious the next day but the strawberries start to break down a little. Also, it looks like it’s harder to make then it actually is so don’t be intimidated.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray, line the tray with wax paper and spray it again with cooking spray. I didn’t have any trouble getting the wax paper off the cooked cake using just cooking spray but if you want to be sure that it’s not going to stick then you can flour the pan as well.

Now on to the cake. Whisk together ¾ cup cake flour (all purpose flour will work in a pinch), 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Set that bowl aside. Add 4 eggs to a large bowl and with an electric or standing mixer, beat the eggs until they thicken up and become light in color (about 5 min). Stir in ¾ cup sugar and a tablespoon of vegetable oil and then add 3 tablespoons buttermilk, 1 teaspoon of white vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla and 1 tablespoon of red food coloring. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix for about 2 minutes, or until everything is well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 12-15 minutes or until the middle springs back when touched. Be careful not to overcook it or it will be harder to roll up.

Just before it’s done baking lay a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil on the countertop. If you prefer, you can use a damp kitchen towel in place of the foil, just keep in mind that lighter colors might stain. Pull the cake out of the oven and invert it onto the foil. Peel off the wax paper and, starting at a narrow end, roll the cake up with the foil and set it aside until it’s completely cool.

While the cake is cooling, you can make the filling. Pour ¾ cup heavy whipping cream into a large bowl and beat it until stiff peaks form and set the bowl aside. In another large bowl, beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese for a minute or two or until it is fluffy and smooth. Beat in a half cup of softened butter and then add 2 cups of powder sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat it all together until smooth and then gently fold in the whipped cream. Set that mixture aside while you cut up about 2 cups of strawberries into quarter inch pieces and then fold in the strawberries.

Once the cake has cooled completely unroll it and spread the strawberry mixture over the middle leaving a half inch boarder along the sides and bottom. I usually end up with a little bit of extra filling which I just serve alongside the slices so people can add an extra dollop or two if they want to. Roll the cake back up, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Then dust the roll with a little powder sugar, cut it into slices and serve!

As promised, this is the recipe for the slaw I serve with the Asian Pulled Pork Sandwiches. I’m not going to lie to you… I could not get my kids to touch this. And, to be honest, I’m not sure I would have been all that excited about it when I was a kid either. Until recently, I was pretty vehemently opposed to any kind of “slaw”, mostly because the word, in my mind, was synonymous with the overly sweet, mayo drenched stuff that you always see at picnics and potlucks.

But last summer my brother, while on vacation from chef school, taught me that slaw doesn’t necessarily have to be disgusting and since then I’ve been experimenting with some less sweet, less mayonnaise-y slaws and this is one of my favorites.  I usually make this when I’m entertaining or tasked with bringing a slaw dish to a potluck so this recipe makes quite a bit. It’s great along side an Asian style main dish but you can use it any time traditional coleslaw would be used.

Start by grating 2 large carrots and shred a medium head of cabbage. I use ½ a head of purple and ½ a head of green because my grocery store sells half heads and I like the bright colors but you can use any kind you like. You should end up with about 4 cups. Toss the carrots and cabbage together in a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together ¼ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, ½ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder until thoroughly combined. Just before serving, add dressing to cabbage mixture and toss until cabbage is coated. Transfer it all to a serving dish…

…sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds and serve.

Brian is the kind of guy that, when he finds something he likes to eat, he would be happy eating it every single day for the rest of his life. When I first met him he was contentedly surviving off a very basic diet that consisted mostly of Hot Pockets and boxed macaroni and cheese. I pretty sure he would have been happy living that way forever but we’ll never know for sure because soon there after I began, as was my responsibility as a women, to try to change him. It’s been slow going but I think I’m starting to make some progress…

While I do enjoy a good pulled pork sandwich from time to time it’s not something I necessarily want to eat every day and, unlike Brian, I do not consider BBQ sauce an actual food group. This recipe is a perfect for us because it satisfies Brian‘s BBQ pulled pork craving while the distinct flavor keeps me from getting too bored and the kids love it too.

This recipe made a ton so it works well if you want something simple to serve for company. But if your making it for just your family, the recipe can be easily halved or you can make the whole thing and freeze the leftovers so that you have something on hand for those nights when you don’t feel like making anything.

The sandwich is pictured here with an Asian slaw (I’ll post the recipe for that in the next day or two) but the slaw is strictly optional. The sandwiches are great with or without it. The pork can also be served over rice or in a wrap rather than on buns if you prefer.

Start by trimming excess fat off a 4-5 pound boneless pork loin. Then, in a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon ginger. Rub the mixture all over the trimmed pork. You can cover it with the rub, wrap it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator the night before if you want to.

Next whisk together ¼ cup ketchup, ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 3 minced garlic cloves and ½ teaspoon ground ginger. Set the mixture aside and chop half of a large red onion into ½ inch thick slices. Dump the slices into the bottom of a crock pot, put the pork on top of the onions and then pour the hoisin sauce mixture over the pork.  Cover the crock pot, turn it on low, and cook the pork for 7-9 hours.

When it’s done cooking pull the pork out of the crock pot and put it on a cutting board. The pork should be falling apart so this step is a little more tricky then it sounds. You don’t have to get every last shred of the meat though, just the big pieces.

Once the majority of the meat is out, add ¼ cup brown sugar to the juices left in the crock pock. In a small bowl mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and stir that into the juice in the crock pot as well. Turn the crock pot up to high and continue to cook the sauce for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken a little bit but it won’t get as thick as traditional BBQ sauce so don’t worry if it still looks thin after the 30 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, you can shred the pork. You don’t need to shred it very finely as the pieces will break up more once you stir it into the sauce. After the sauce has had time to cook add the pork back to the crock pot and stir it all together.

Heap it on some buns…

And enjoy!