Mini Pancakes - A Treat for Mom

This idea literally presented itself to me while I was making gluten free pancakes for Sunday breakfast. As I was pouring the batter I was sorting out in my head, “Should I make a few to eat now then freeze the rest of the batter? Or should I make them all and freeze them for future use?” But while my brain was doing its usual mental gymnastics, a few small drops hit the pan forming baby pancakes. That’s when it hit me. I could make tiny little blini like discs and use them as vehicle to get different toppings in my mouth. Cracker gold. As you know, I am yeast and gluten free, so options for crackers, bread or any type of food holding device is limited for me. These gluten free pancakes would be perfect in the miniature size. And so I made the rest of the batter into small discs.

A mountain of mini pancakes

Clearly a cup and half of batter makes plenty of mini pancakes. Naturally, I needed some for this blog post, but the rest I pop these in the oven and eat them for breakfast with almond butter and strawberry jam.

Quick and easy, Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Pancake Mix.

This ended up being my breakfast that Sunday. I topped them with almond butter and strawberry jam. It was very delicious.

My very next thought was how will this help you, my readers. Immediately, I thought of Mother’s Day, and how this year would be a tad different. Knowing that it might be a smaller event with just the immediate core family, why not create small little bite sized treats for mom. Plus the kids will love to pop these in the mouths, too. I used gluten free but certainly the same idea applies for regular pancake mix. Instead of a big stack of pancakes, opt for these delicate little versions and top them with a variety of breakfast goodies that will give Mom a pancake tasting plate. A few ideas:

• Flaked or Smoked Salmon & Scallion Cream Cheese

• Fruit & Whipped Cream (Strawberries would be great, but I had Kiwi, so that’s what I used)

• Crispy Bacon & Scallion Cream Cheese

• Warm Apple Compote

Making an Apple Compote sounds fancy, but it’s super easy to make.

Ingredients: Apples (1.5c), brown sugar (1T), butter (2T), lemon juice (2T)
Instructions: Cut the apple into small chunks, melt butter in pan, add apples, brown sugar and lemon juice. Let cook over medium low heat until the apples soften. Yup, that simple.

Naturally this tiny pancake idea can also be used as an appetizer for a party when we get back to throwing parties in larger groups. Until then, you can practice on Mom, and show her the love with bite sized treats with all her favorite toppings. This might be fun to get the kids involved, as I bet they’ll love the tiny pancake aspect.

I must admit that I am sad not to be celebrating with my beautiful mom. She is angel that was sent to love and support us. Just look into those eyes and you know it. So, if you are like me, not being able to celebrate in the same physical space as your mom, then pick a day in the near future to treat her to a special day. Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms.

My beautiful, generous, loving Mom.

Whatever you decide to make for your mom, remember the only necessary ingredient is LOVE. And you can never have too much of it.

5 Basic Ingredients - 4 Different Dishes

Being home in shelter in place means so many things to so many people. It conjures up different experiences for each of us. Some people are using the time to get home projects accomplished. Get their yards ready. Some are decluttering. Some are mastering their skill set like solving puzzles. Others are finding hidden talents like painting, dancing or singing. Maybe you are learning a new language. Whatever this time brings, my wish is that we embrace it.

For me, I’ve gone back to my comfort zone which is cooking and baking, using all the food I have, and using it wisely. This has been, and still is, one of my strong suits. It’s how I honed my cooking skills and harkens back to my ‘something from nothing’ style and overall approach to cooking. Which is; check out what you have and figure out what to make, regardless of the ingredients or the quantities.

For those you who aren’t aware of how I began this style, it started when I was in my late teens, just wanting to experiment at home. (You can also click on my About page for more of my back story.) My grandmother, who was both an awesome cook and amazing baker, and one of my strongest influencers, would look on with doubting eyes as I mixed up and cooked up concoctions for the family to try. I often heard her famous line, “What a “mushgononza”. Which is basically the slang version of the Italian word mezcolanza meaning mixture or mash up of several things. I guarantee you that she meant it more as a mixed up mess. However much she may have doubted me during the cooking process, she inevitably would turn to me and say, ‘Not bad, not bad at all.’ Phew, praise from the master.

My Grandma Perri making her famous peaches & cream cake.

However, I would say that this style of cooking truly took form when I used to visit my sister after she first got married. Jill rarely, ok, never had fresh herbs but usually had a pantry full of canned stuff, and a freezer of frozen items. I would look through her stash and try to figure out what can I make from what was seemingly a hodge podge of items. For more on this, you can click the highlighted link for the Zucchini Orzo Pie story.

From that point, I just kept that style in my own kitchen. Not caring too much about recipes, or amounts. Simply buying what looked fresh, and then once at home figuring out how they all would dance together. Which is why I sometimes encourage you to not fuss about recipes so much but try your hand at using however many carrots you have, or to substitute what you. Sure, I give you amounts and recipes. That’s because I want you to cook, and get a feel for how much looks right. Some of you, I know, are pros and already do this, and just use the recipes as guides. My recipes are a jumping off point, and are here for whatever level of cooking you feel comfortable.

And so in that style of use what you have,
I give you 4 super simple dishes using a combination of 3-5 basic ingredients and then adding a protein and a starch, thus turning them into different dishes. Using slightly different cooking methods, you also create different flavors and textures. From sautéing to stir frying, braising or simple soup making. This is like those old Chinese menu ideas; two from column A, one from column B, etc. Feel free to mix and match. That is the beauty of basics, you can create so many variations.

Celery and fennel.

The Basics:

• Onions

• Celery

• Fennel

• Carrot

• Basil

 The Proteins:

• Shrimp

• Cod

• Mushrooms

The Starches:

• Polenta

• Barley

• Rice

Mushroom Barley Soup

4 Basics + 1 Protein + 1 Starch
(Onions, Celery, Carrots, Basil) + (Mushrooms) + (Barley)

Instructions:

1. Cook the barley in a separate pot.

2. In a medium stock pot, sauté onions, celery and carrot in olive oil until softened and season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the mushrooms, over a medium heat cook until softened.

4. Then add chicken or vegetable broth or water to cover and let simmer.

5. Add the barley once cooked. I added basil which I had on hand and it gave it a nice floral note that I enjoyed.

Serve with a salad or crusty bread and lunch is served. And check out the video below. I’m getting all fancy now and inserting moving visuals. Enjoy a steaming hot bowl of comforting soup.

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Simple Shrimp Sauté

3 Basics + 1 Protein + 1 Starch
(Onions, Celery, Basil) + (Shrimp) + (Polenta)

Instructions

1. Cook polenta according to the package. (You can add cream and butter at the end to make it luxurious and extra creamy, but keeping it in the basic mode, use just water.)

2. Sauté the sliced celery and onions until softened, then season with salt and pepper. Keep the celery leave tops and use them along with the basil to finish.

3. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink, then add the freshly chopped basil and celery leaves.

4. Top the polenta with the shrimp mixture. Yum and Yum

Another video for your viewing pleasure.

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One Pot Poached Cod

3 Basics + 1 Protein + 1 Starch
(Onions, Fennel, Celery) + (Cod) + (Rice)

Instructions

1. Wash, dry and cut the cod into chunks (approx. 2” squares) and set aside.

2. Sauté the sliced onions, celery and fennel in olive oil, and slowly cook until softened.

3. Add water and then nestle the cod pieces into the pan. Cover and let poach until the cod is white and cooked through. Depending on how thick the pieces are this should only take 8-12 minutes. A beautifully flakey cod with braised vegetables is soothing and delicious.

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Leftover Rice & Mushroom Stir Fry

2 Basics + 1 Protein + 1 Starch
(Onions, Basil) + (Mushrooms) + (Leftover Cooked Rice)

Instructions

1. Chop the onions into a small dice. Sauté using olive oil until softened, add salt and pepper.

2. Slice the mushrooms and add to the onions and let them cook together until the mushrooms get browned.

3. Add the cooked leftover rice until completely heated through. Add seasonings to taste. (Salt, pepper or even red pepper flakes). Finish with chopped

And there you have it, 5 basic staple ingredients combined with other fairly basic proteins and starches. And just like that you have 4 different meals that are complete, hearty, delicious, and I dare say… EASY.

Send me your mix and match creations. I would love to hear how you are making the most of your basic items.

Pro Tips & Time Saving Ideas

First and foremost, I hope that everyone is safe, and healthy. These are extraordinary times, which require patience, perseverance, faith and a deep sense of knowing that we will heal and return to a new way of living armed with more knowledge and information, and certainly with more compassion.

Since we are still in a lock down situation, keeping our distance and doing what we can to remain safe, we are finding different ways in which to manage our daily routines. That includes trying to make the most out of the food we are able to buy. I thought I would share some tips and time savings ideas that might help.

In our area, we have not been able to purchase some items, while others we can get in large quantities. And because of that, I’ve come up with ways to make sure I don’t waste anything. Below are a few that I’ve implemented.

Also, because things have been a bit wonky, I haven’t been taking photos with my professional camera. Sure, there is a list of reasons why, but I definitely won’t bore you with those details. Instead I’ve been using my phone, and clearly there is a big difference in quality. So, disclaimer right up front, the images may not be the best but I think the ideas are valuable and worth including the images. As we all know - a picture is worth a thousand words. (And yet I still use words, and lots of them.)

Let’s get started:

Pro Tip #1 - Buy citrus in larger quantities and freeze

How many times have you wished you had just a little squeeze of lemon, or lime? I have often found myself in that exact situation, which is why I started buying huge bags of limes and lemons. With this helpful trick, you will never be caught without. But this tip is not only useful if you buy in large quantities. It is also great to fold into your routine when the citrus you do have will go bad before you have a chance to use it. This method will save you from having to toss and waste it.

First things first, wash them. That’s right. Why wash the outside of citrus when you are using the juice from the inside?

Two reasons:

1. Even if you are only using the juice, the outside has been touched by many hands and exposed. When you squeeze some of the juice might run down the outside rind, plus your hands are touching the outside rind. I’ve practiced this tip before the coronavirus, but it is especially important now.

2. If you are going to zest the rind, washing is ESSENTIAL because you are going to consume the rind. It goes without saying that anything you will eat needs to be washed.

Next, I select several to keep on hand for daily use, placing them in a basket in a cool, dry drawer. The rest I squeeze into a large measuring cup and then pour the juice into silicone molds to freeze. (If you don’t have silicone molds then ice cube trays do the trick. I do find that the silicone makes it easier to pop the cubes out.) You can choose whatever size you want. I use both tiny molds and large oversized ice cube molds so that I have choices.

Once they are frozen, pop them out and place them into labeled freezer bags for future consumption in a variety of ways, such as:

• Add to your tea

• Use for cocktails

• Add to sauces

• Use for salad dressing

Note: I have also zested the rind and included that in some of the juice cubes, for that extra added tang.

Pro Tip #2 - Herbs Now, Herbs Later

For whatever reason, I haven’t been able to get any other herb except basil, and it comes in 1 lb. size. I love basil, but that’s a whole lot of basil. I decided to take full advantage of having this tasty herb on hand. I used it fresh in several dishes, (which will be featured in my next post), but there was just so much I could use before it was going to go south on me. That’s where this next tip comes in handy.

For the remaining abundant leaves, I decided to make a big batch of pesto, using walnuts, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and oil. I then split that amount in thirds, adding Parmesan cheese to only one portion, and leaving the other two without. I will explain why, keep reading. Again, we will be using the same method as with the lime and lemon juice. This time placing the batch with cheese into a larger container with an appropriate amount to be used in the future for pasta. The other ‘without cheese’ portions I poured into the smaller silicone molds, and small plastic containers. You can employ this method using cilantro or parsley as well. For those herbs, you can keep it simple and just blend the herb with garlic, oil, salt and pepper.

Once the cubes in the molds are frozen, simply pop them out and place in labeled freezer bags. (Note: labeling is key. You may think that you will remember what’s in a container but if it’s been in the freezer for a while you can’t rely on memory. Plus, you do want to put the date so you know how long it’s been in the freezer.)

The reason for not adding cheese to the entire batch is that basil, garlic, walnuts and oil combo is way more versatile than with cheese. This yummy green goodness of a mixture can be used in a litany of other ways, such as:

• Add basil flavor (when you don’t have fresh on hand) to sauce

• Baste a roasted chicken

• Use it to finish a soup for a hint of herbal flavor

• Place it in any fish en papilotte

Pro Tip #3 - Avoid a Mess: Use of a Container & Multiple Stacked Baggies
Mango Madness

When mango are in season, I buy plenty. Then I cut them up into cubes and freeze. Since cutting and placing them into baggies can get messy, I employ the trick of using a wide mouth glass and pre stacking the bags into the glass one on top of each other. This way once I place the cut mango into the bag, the next bag is there ready to be filled. Not only is this time savings but it really keeps the whole process streamlined, clean and without getting a sticky mess all over. This method can be utilized for any number of foods that you are making multiple packages.

Of course, there are all the obvious uses for frozen mango chunks, but I’ve a given you few more.

• Sorbet

• Ice Cream

• Smoothies

• Salsa

• In a salad with nuts & seeds

• Cocktails

I hope these tips prove helpful, or have even given birth to some of your own brainchild methods.. All of these ideas and tips are really about saving time. It’s about doing the work once and enjoying the fruits of your labors both now and in the future.

Effort Once = Rewards Multiplied

Spicy Thai Style Vegetable Coconut Soup

I really do love soup. I don’t think I ever realized how just how much until the cold Northeast chill kicks in, and then the true appreciation of a soothing hot bowl of soup sets in. That’s exactly the moment I pull out my big dutch oven, open the fridge and get chopping.

It’s February, which traditionally is the coldest month. Naturally, it was frigid outside… truth be told, the inside of our house often times is more arctic than outdoors. If you were to ask my brother, he would definitely have a thing or two to say about that having survived a few winters in our home. So, I knew with certainty that soup would be on the menu in our house.

Normally, I can just open the fridge and cupboards and start creating. But, this time around, I didn’t have much with which to work. If I had any chance of a soup creation that would warm me through and through, I would need to venture outside. We have plenty of Asian markets in our town, so it’s easy to get motivated to stir up something in with that ethnic flare. And that was exactly the direction I would take. I grabbed what I thought would swim nicely together in the pot and headed back home.

Because I don’t seem to know how to make small quantities of soup, I made a boatload. Fair warning, unless you are feeding an army, or like to freeze and save for a later date, I recommend cutting this recipe down. JuanCarlos and I enjoyed this soup for a several days, then I froze two quarts for future yumminess.

As with any type of ethnic food that might be out of your wheel house, I think it’s important at first to keep it simple and use ingredients that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Sure, you could go out and buy a slew of special items but if you don’t use them often they just go to waste. Plus, I don’t pretend to be an authority on Thai cooking. Quite the opposite, it is a complex cuisine that employs a delicate hand at balance of spice, salt, sweet, etc. For me, I just like to coax as much flavor out of the ingredients that I can. By sautéing and adding ingredients in stages to develop each flavor to the fullness how I built an intensity that kept me wanting more of this soup.

Like with many of my soup creations they start out as a basic soup, which are totally delicious as is, but then can then be added to. Recap examples:
Cauliflower Soup : Add grilled shrimp or chicken. Sautéed mushrooms or roasted cauliflower
Carrot Soup : Use as a puree base for fish
Kale, Potato, Lentil, Cauliflower Soup : Add mini meatballs, or grilled sausage
Roasted Tomato Soup : Grilled cheese sandwich, naturally. Or a Spicy Sausage Sandwich. Add chunks of grilled chicken.

You get the point. So goes for this soup. I added calamari, but shrimp would be great. Chicken would also work nicely.

So here goes the ingredients. This made about 10 quarts of soup.

Ingredients

Makes approx. 9-10 Qts.
2 medium onions, sliced (approx. 2.5 c)
4 c carrots, long stripes (loosely packed)
1/3 c ginger, sliced
2 t ginger, grated
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
2 + t salt (taste test, add more if needed at the end)
1/3 c olive oil + 1 T
7 c Chinese cabbage, chopped (or Napa)
5 c Chinese spinach, chopped (or baby spinach)
2 c Enoki mushrooms
1 c Shimeji mushrooms
1/3 c scallions, sliced + 2T for garnish
2 T red curry paste
1/4 c cilantro, minced + 2T for garnish
Mung bean sprouts for garnish
2 qts chicken or vegetable stock
2 qts water
2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk

The way the vegetables are cut makes a difference. For this soup, carrot ribbons work best.

Instructions

Create depth of flavor by using strong aromatics, like lemongrass, garlic, ginger and onions.

Spinach, cabbage provides the vegetable base, and cilantro zings in some herbaceousness.

1. In a large dutch oven, or soup pot, sauté onions, lemongrass, slice ginger, garlic, salt. Let these cook down a bit, then add the red curry paste and stir to combine.

2. Push the cooked aromatics to the sides, add 1 T oil in the middle and add crushed garlic and crushed ginger and scallions and let cook until soft.

Softened aromatics with red curry paste.

Grated garlic and ginger, scallions.

3. Add carrot ribbons and mushrooms, let cook for 10 minutes until softened.

Add carrots and mushrooms and let soften.

4. Add broth and water and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add coconut milk, cabbage, spinach and cilantro and simmer for another 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring pot of water to boil and add rice noodles. Cook for 7-10 minutes until tender. Drain and reserve.

To serve, add the rice noodles to the bowl and spoon a good helping of the soup and vegetables on top and garnish with sliced scallions and cilantro.

If you want to add calamari or shrimp to this soup, add it 5 minutes after the spinach and cabbage and let cook through. You can also grill the shrimp or chicken separately and place it atop the soup.
This soup has a nice kick to it. If I had put more thought to it I might have also added some sliced chili peppers. But, quite honestly, I felt the spice level on this was just right.

My birthday gift to myself is sharing the love of nurturing yourself with good food and the warmth of a good soup that soothes you like a comfy blanket.. Try your hand at Spicy Thai Style Vegetable Soup. It will warm you through and through, and all over - mind, body and soul. Soup is good food.

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Squash, Tomato, Peppers & Onion Bake

What do you do when you are mandated to follow a food regimen that limits the ingredients you can consume? First, take a sedative. A big sedative. Next, check the food list and start getting creative.

As I mentioned a couple of months back, I started seeing a new naturopath. Among one of my main goals is to try to cure my 3 year sinus issue. Yes, 3 whole years. As we all know, the shin bone’s connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone. The hip bone’s connected the backbone. And so on and so on. You get the point. Everything in our bodies is connected and related to one another. Which is why gut health is key. So among one of the paths to curing my sinuses is getting my gut better. To recap, I’ve been following the GAPS* regimen which cuts out all carbs, grains and starchy vegetables. I had been following this diet for weeks, so when I say sedative, there wassn’t enough sedation to calm my aching pasta brain. But I was a trooper, and wanted to get better so I stuck with it and came up with yummy things to eat.

* Links for more info on GAPS at the end of the post.

I decided to visit my happy place, AKA the farmer’s market, where I picked up as many of the things I could eat. Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, Herbs. These immediately reminded me of those baked dishes with swirls of zucchini. So, I thought I would give it a spin.

The vegetable line up. Zucchini, yellow squash, red and yellow peppers and onions.

Now you know I couldn’t just leave it at that. On this ‘diet’, I can actually have goat and sheep cheeses. Thank goodness, or a crime might have been committed without this one saving grace! With curds in hand, this veggie swirl was going to be topped with cheese glorious cheese.

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 yellow squash, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
4-5 plum tomatoes, sliced
3 T dry oregano
Salt, pepper, olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup feta cheese & goat

(The first time I made this dish I used a combo of both. Next time I only had feta,
so used 3/4 c)

I like using plum tomatoes for this dish.

You’ve all heard to talk about the mise en place. And I’m a true believer, but there is a delicate balance between having everything ready, and multi-tasking. Using your time wisely to prep some items while others cook is the perfect harmony of mise en place and smart prep.

Use your time wisely. While one thing is cooking, prep the next.

Instructions

1. Thinly slice onions and peppers. Sauté peppers first in a pan with olive oil. Once they start to soften add the onions, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Let cook slowly over medium low heat until they are completely softened and nicely caramelized. Approximately 45 minutes.

Cook the peppers down first a bit. They take a bit longer than the onions.

2. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes in even slices. You can assemble on the board as you go. Or assemble in the baking dish. Whichever you prefer.

Try to make the slices the same width so everything cooks evenly.

Assemble on the board and then just transfer to the baking dish.

3. Once the peppers and onions have cooked down, place them on the bottom of a baking dish (11” x 8”).

Caramelized to sweet goodness. This creates a bottom layer that add both another texture and flavor to the dish.

4. Then begin to assemble your vegetables on top. I like alternating one of each in rows. Or if you only have a round baking dish, you can swirl the design around. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 tsp of oregano. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Beautiful colors, beautifully arranged and ready for baking.

Only have a round baking dish. No problem, just create a swirl.

5. After 35 minutes, pull of out the oven and crumble the cheese over top. Drizzle a bit more oil and the final oregano. Bake for another 25-30 minutes until its golden brown, the veggies are softened and the liquid is bubbly.

Once the vegetables are partially baked, then you can add the cheese.

That’s some crumbled yum right there. Back in the oven to get yummier!

The first time I made this I inhaled it... I mean, enjoyed it as the main meal. It was a pretty big dish so naturally there were leftovers which I ate for lunch the next day with a piece of sautéed fish. Which is how I ate it the second time, too. Naturally, this dish begs for something starchy to accompany it. Believe me when I say the irony of that thought slays me. Only I would cook up something that pairs perfectly with shit I couldn’t eat at the moment. This combo of flavors would be great with pasta or rice, but my growling stomach thinks that thick slices of roasted or grilled potatoes would the ideal companion. Plate it up alongside a lovely piece of protein like chicken, fish or meat and a complete meal is a done deal.

I like this dish for several reasons. And not because one day soon I’ll be eating it with pasta. But because this recipe is equally suitable for an informal dinner party as it is for a weeknight meal with leftovers for the week. It’s delish piping hot, but I’ve enjoyed it at room temperature as well. I even relished it topped with poached eggs. Which is why I’m posting this right before New Year’s Eve. I think this is a fantastic recipe to make for a New Year’s Day Brunch or even on the buffet table on the eve. And those are just a few good reasons to give this a try. I’m sure there are more. So what are you waiting for?

For those interested in learning more about the GAPS diet and anti-inflammatory methods below are a few links. As a foot note, I stayed on this regime for 6 weeks, and I although it was difficult, and I truly craved some warm, soft starch in my tummy, I stuck with it and did find that it helped my gut. It is meant to help heal, and not necessarily meant for a lifetime regime, unless of course you have a more serious gut issue.

GAPS Diet
GAPS Protocol
GAPS Overview
GAPS Outline
What is GAPS Diet

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