Eggy Banana Pancake

Three years ago I started getting migraines.  If I was lucky, I would get one every once in a while, but if I was unlucky, I would get one every day for a week.  Medicine helped with the pain, but left me just as incapacitated: light headed, shaky, and weak.  As I started to become more conscious of my migraines, I noticed they were usually triggered by low blood sugar; they would begin around 10 or 11, right when my breakfast wore off. 

For the first time, I began to strongly connect what I ate to how I felt.  I researched the correlation between carbohydrates, insulin, and blood glucose.  I learned that my “healthy” breakfast of whole grain cereal and low fat milk may not be what was best for my body.  I started simply enough, switching my breakfast from the all American favorite, cereal, to fruit and nut butter, and I immediately noticed a change.  My new, seemingly light breakfast could carry me through to one or two o’clock, without a worry to my blood sugar or a resulting migraine. 

I have since changed my diet further, eliminating grains entirely, along with legumes, refined sugars, and most dairy products.  And I haven’t had a full blown migraine in over two years.  I certainly have my slip-ups, and I make dietary exceptions for special occasions such as holidays and vacation, but if I make too many exceptions in a row, I can feel the migraines slipping back in.

On the weekends, when I have extra time, I like to prepare something more complex for breakfast.  In a way it reminds me of home and growing up; my Dad, without fail, would cook pancakes on Saturday and eggs on Sunday.  Below is my recipe for a grain free, dairy free, added sugar free, pancake. And don’t worry, it’s tasty, I promise.  The key to the recipe is patience.  If you cook the pancake too fast or flip it too soon, it will fall apart.  I typically use a mixture of “pumpkin-pie” spices for extra flavor, but lemon zest, vanilla extract, or berries would also be nice additions.  Serves one. 

               Eggy Banana Pancake

               1 tablespoon oil or butter

               1 ripe banana

               1 large egg

               ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

               Pinch of cloves

               Pinch of cardamom

Warm a heavy frying pan equipped with a tight fitting lid on medium to medium low heat for 10 minutes.  Once warmed, add the oil or butter to the pan.  Meanwhile, mash the banana in a bowl.  Add the egg to the mashed banana and whisk together.  Finally add the spices to the mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the pancake batter into the pan and cover with a lid.  Cook the pancake for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for five minutes longer.  Next flip the pancake and cook for an additional five minutes uncovered.  Remove from the pan and serve warm.  I typically eat my pancake with a tablespoon of hazelnut butter, but my husband likes his plain.  You could also top with honey, maples syrup, or jam.

The German Rabbit

I’m back.  It’s been a while.  In the last two years a lot has changed.  I got married to my best friend.  I earned my Ph.D..  I started my first “real” job.  And probably the most important thing, at least as far of the content of this blog is concerned, is my family and I (my husband, and our two cats) moved to Heidelberg, Germany, seven months ago.  

The move to Germany has completely changed my approach to food and cooking.  I no longer take my weekly drive to a large box grocery store.  I no longer truck home my large haul to be stored in my American-sized refrigerator and freezer.  Here, my German neighbors and I grocery shop every day or every other day, bringing home our goods to be stored in a refrigerator one half to two thirds the size of those found in the US.  I no longer have access to any and all ingredients my heart could desire, and I’ve found myself having to quickly change plans and improvise when I can’t find butternut squash, avocado, or green beans at the grocery store.  The city grocery stores are sized to match the German refrigerators, and they carry a much more seasonal selection of produce and meat.  I can buy inexpensive chanterelle mushrooms, chestnuts, endive, strawberries, or white asparagus, as long as they are in season.  A lesson I’ve learned: if you see something interesting at the grocery store, buy it, because it may not be there next week or even the next day.  So when I recently found a whole, fresh rabbit at my neighborhood grocery store, I didn’t hesitate.

I had never cooked rabbit before. In the US I wasn’t accustomed to finding it, outside of the freezer section of some gourmet grocery stores. And it certainly wasn’t something I came across frequently in rural Mississippi or middle Wisconsin, where I spent the last 11 years. Rabbit is a very mild tasting meat, similar in flavor and texture to chicken, although unique in its own right.  I chose a recipe for braised rabbit in mustard, like the ones found here, here, and here.  The most challenging part was butchering the rabbit into individual pieces, but Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook does a nice job of explaining the process, step-by-step.  In the end, we had a delicious meal of braised rabbit, green beans with shallot vinaigrette, and roasted pumpkin.  I will continue to look for new and different ingredients in Germany. There will be failures and successes, but exploring unusual food is part of my new great adventure, though you don’t have to live in a foreign country to be adventurous with food.  Don’t hesitate to snap up any unique ingredients you find back home.  You never know, you may discover a new favorite dish.

Spicy Orange Stir Fry

A friend of mine recently traveled to Thailand and was particularly surprised by the condiment selection on every table: sugar, ground chili powder, chilies in vinegar (prik dong), chilies in soy sauce (prik si-iew want), and chilies in fish sauce (nam pal prik).  The purpose of these varied Thai condiments is to create a fully-balanced dish, combining all flavors distinguished by the mouth: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, savory, and spicy.  And that is precisely what I enjoy most about this dish, the flavor balance of salt (soy sauce), sweet & sour (orange), bitter (orange peel), and spicy (peppers).  This is a very simple vegetarian stir fry, but the flavor profiles also work well with beef, if you are so inclined.  Here I use Rooster Spur Peppers from my garden but Serrano peppers would be a great substitute.

Spicy Orange Stir Fry


1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
zest of one orange
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots peeled and cut on the 
   bias into ½ wide strips
½ lb sugar snap peas sliced in 
   half
½ lb button mushrooms sliced
1 red bell pepper seeded and 
   sliced into ½ inch strips
1 tablespoon diced hot peppers 
   (more or less to taste)
1 orange peeled, with all the 
   white pith removed, then 
   divided into segments, with each segment cut in half (see Techniques)

In a medium sized bowl combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, orange zest, and corn starch.  Whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved, and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan warm the oil over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, but not quite smoking, add the vegetables, stirring every 10-15 seconds, until the vegetables begin to soften, about two minutes.  Stir in the sauce and toss until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the orange segments and serve over rice.

Indian Cauliflower and Curried Peas

I failed miserably at "Spicy Asian Week"; I've only posted one recipe!  So today, to make up for it, I'm posting two recipes.  These dishes compliment each other well, and can be served side by side for a nice vegetarian spread.

Indian style cooking is a fantastic way to bring vibrancy to vegetables by employing a bouquet of flavors through the heavy use of spices and herbs.  I was fortunate enough to travel through southern India, and my  strongest memories involve smell: the way cumin, turmeric, coriander, clove, and ginger permeated the air, all mixed with a hint of gun powder.  I visited Bangalore during Diwali, the festival of lights, which is celebrated by lighting fireworks and eating sweets – my type of party! The days were filled with booms, cracks, howls, and pops, while the nights were illuminated with yellows, greens, and reds.

I would not say these are "traditional" Indian dishes, but they were certainly inspired by what I tasted and smelled (minus the gun powder),  in India.  In the first recipe cauliflower is the lead, but  I must confess, in the past I've routinely overlooked little white flower.  I thought it was lackluster with no flavor or color to speak of, like a saltine cracker.  This roasted cauliflower recipe, adapted from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, sold me on its potential, especially when you spice it up a bit.  I'm now thinking of other ways to prepare cauliflower: a puree, a gratin, in stirfy?

For the second recipe I use tofu, which you can certainly omit if so desired, but I recommend trying it out, at least once.  The two main complaints directed at tofu is that is has no texture and no flavor.  On its own, I am one to fully agree with those two charges. But I like to imagine tofu as a little sponge, it will sop up any flavors in come in contact with.  And the texture issue can easily be remedied by sautéing the tofu until golden brown before adding it to a stirfry, curry, or what have you.

Indian Cauliflower

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1 head of cauliflower, cored and separated into florets

2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into ½ inch wide strips

½ cup roughly chopper cilantro

Pre-heat the oven to 450º F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin, coriander and the pepper flakes.  Set aside.  Combine the vegetables in a 13x9x2 inch baking dish.  Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil dressing and toss to coat.  Roast the vegetables for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Garnish the cilantro leave before serving.

Curried Peas

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 14 oz package firm tofu, drained and
   cut into ½ inch cubes

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 onion chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and shredded
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juices
1 10 oz package frozen green peas
   (it is not necessary to thaw)
½ cup water
½ roughly chopped cilantro

Over medium heat warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan.  In batches cook the tofu in a single layer, stirring often, to brown on all sides; approximately 10 minutes.  With a slotted spoon transfer the tofu to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

In a small bowl combine the coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, and cayenne pepper.  Set aside.

In a large heavy bottomed pan warm the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the spice mixture and cook 2 minutes more.  Add the tomatoes, peas, and water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.  Add the tofu and heat through, about 2 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice.  

Adapted from The Curry Book:  Memorable Flavors and Irresistibly Simple Recipes from Around the World

Green Thai Curry

What do you do with a bunch of hot peppers?  You make spicy Asian food for a week, thats what.

There was a hard-frost-warning in Mississippi the other night so my Rooster Spur Peppers got picked all at once.  The Rooster Spur Pepper is an heirloom variety, grown by the Ainsworth family of Laurel Mississippi for more that 100 years.  They are traditionally used to make Rooster Spur Sausage but work great in stirfrys, chilies, and curries.  I assume that most of you do not have access to Rooster Spur Peppers, so just substitute your favorite hot pepper.

For Day One: Green Thai Curry.  I used a blend of vegetables, but if you would like a non-vegetarian version simply saute some thinly sliced chicken, pork, or steak and add to the curry along with the coconut milk, heating through before serving.    

Thai Green Curry

1 can coconut milk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce (this can be omitted)

3 teaspoons green curry paste, homemade or store bought.

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic diced

2 tablespoons shredded ginger

3 carrots sliced

1 red bell pepper cut into ½ inch by 1 inch pieces 

½ lb sugar snap peas sliced in half

½ lb shiitake or button mushrooms sliced 

½ tablespoon any hot pepper, diced (more or less to taste)

3 tablespoons shredded basil

In a medium sized mixing bowl add the coconut milk, the sugar, fish sauce, and the curry paste.  Whisk to combine

Over medium heat, warm the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan.  Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant and golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Add the ginger and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Add the the carrots and cook for 5 minutes; then add peppers and cook for an additional 3 minutes.  Finally, add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute longer.  Pour in the coconut curry broth and add the hot peppers.  Bring curry to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the curry with shredded basil and serve over rice.

Cornbread Dressing

This recipe is dedicated to my friend Jeremy . . .

I did  a little digging into the whole dressing verse stuffing issue.  What makes dressing, dressing?  How is it different from stuffing?  I found three primary explanations.  First, dressing is cooked outside the bird, stuffing inside.  Second, stuffing is cooked in the North and dressing in the South.  And finally, dressing is made with corn-based bread and stuffing with wheat-based bread.  So considering the fact that I did not cook the dish inside the turkey, that I live in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and that it is corn-based, by all definitions I've made dressing.

 

This recipe's cornbread base consists of HOME MADE cornbread.  Do not use store bought, it just won't be the same.  I used a recipe from epicurious, with a few tweaks.  First, I used a pastry blender, as opposed to a mixer, to combine the butter with the dry ingredients.  And second, I made sure my cornbread was VERY golden brown.  This created a thick crust which brings a nice toothsome texture to the dressing.  The cornbread needs to be baked a day ahead, to allow it to dry out.  Once the corn bread has cooled, cut the loafs in half lengthwise, and allow them to sit out over night.  

Cornbread Dressing

2 9x5x3 inch cornbread loafs cut into ½ - ¾ inch cubes allowed to dry-out over night

6 slices firm texture white bread cut into ½ - ¾ inch cubes allowed to dry-out over night

½ cup coarsely chopped parsley

1lb bacon
Rendered fat from 1lb of bacon or 1 cup of butter

2 large onions chopped
1 tablespoon dry sage

1½ teaspoons dry thyme

6 celery stalks chopped w/ leaves

3 cups chicken broth

3 large eggs beaten

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven and grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.  Combine the bread and parley in a large mixing bowl and set aside.  

Fry the bacon in batches till crispy and the drippings render out.  Place the bacon on paper towels to drain and cool.  Once cool, chop the bacon and add to the mixing bowl.  

Pour off half of the rendered bacon fat, and save.  Over medium heat warm the remaining fat, add the onions, and cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the sage and thyme and cook 1 minute more.  

Add the onions, the remaining bacon fat, 2 cups of broth, the eggs, and salt and pepper to the mixing bowl.  Stir to combine.  Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking pan and drizzle with the remaining broth.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and back for another 20 minutes.  Serve hot.



Adapted from A Love Affair with Southern Cooking, published on epicurious.com, October 2008

Creamed Asparagus Soup

Thanksgiving is over and the left overs are gone.  The gluttony has subsided.  I cooked for a good six hours, but the reward, in the end, was worth it: buttermilk roles, sweet potato gratin, cranberry relish, cornbread stuffing, turkey, creamed corn, all topped off with pumpkin pie, whipped cream, and a glass of port.  I also love the leftovers.  I didn't have to cook for three days and I was able to indulge in Thanksgiving dinner over and over again.  Unfortunately, in the midst of my cooking marathon, I forgot about the asparagus with shallot vinegarette.  I only just remembered as I scooted my chair out and prepared to sit at the Thanksgiving table.  By this point the feast was calling, so my little asparagus stalks had to wait.

Creamed Asparagus Soup
2 lbs asparagus
½ cup shopped shallot
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs marjoram, tough stems removed
3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Rinse the asparagus and snap off the tough lower stems.  The tough lower portions can be combined with celery and onion to make a great vegetable stock for this recipe.

Over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan, warm the oil.  Add the garlic and onions and
sauté until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile bring a medium sauce pan of water to boil, add the tender asparagus tops, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Add the onion garlic mixture, the asparagus, the marjoram, and salt to a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth, about five minutes.  Transfer the pureed mixture back to the sauce pan.  Add the pepper, salt, remaining broth, and buttermilk.  Bring to a simmer, then serve.