Blueberry-Cornmeal Pancakes (Part Whole Wheat)

Pancakes and waffles are a staple in this house.  We like them and the kids love them, but I feel a little guilty making them with white flour so much since white flour is nutritionally inferior to whole wheat.  So I tried a few changes to my beloved blueberry-cornmeal pancakes and made them with half whole wheat and half white flour.  We actually think they might be even better tasting this way.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose (white) flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups blueberries

In a large bowl, combine the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, and melted butter.  Gradually whisk in the buttermilk. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined.  Fold in the egg whites and blueberries.

Cook the pancakes in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges look dry.  Turn over and cook until golden brown.  Serve with real maple syrup.

Makes about 4 generous servings

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

My kids and husband love the original pumpkin waffles so much.  I felt really good about them eating waffles with a vegetable in them.  Then one morning when I was ready to make another batch, I realized that I had forgotten to buy flour.  So, I used whole wheat flour instead and increased the amount of buttermilk.  And they were still really good.  So now I feel even better about them eating these A LOT.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoons nutmeg

4 large eggs, separated

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and spices.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the butter. Whisk in the brown sugar until sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the pumpkin. Gradually whisk in the buttermilk.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.  Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the batter.

Cook in a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

Grilled Kale, Plum, and Ricotta Salad

This is another salad combination that I got from bon appetit.  I just made this for the first time tonight and I think this is my new favorite salad.  Here's how I made it:

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon honey
2 plums, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
8 kale leaves
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and honey in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the plums and toss to coat.  Set aside

Heat a grill to medium.  Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the kale leaves and sprinkle with salt.  Grill the kale, turning once, until crispy and slightly charred at the edges, 2-4 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and remove center stems with a knife and coarse chop the kale.

Divide the ricotta between two shallow bowls.  Arrange the kale around the ricotta.  Toss the plums in the vinaigrette again.  Spoon the plums over the kale and drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the top.

2 servings

Baked Haddock with Bacon and Onion Crust

I bought some haddock at the farmers market today and figured I could just bake it and not need a lot of fancy ingredients to make it.  So I searched the internet for a baked haddock recipe and came across one on epicurious.  I made some adjustments and here's what I did.  It was really good -- a little more interesting than the basic baked haddock.

4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup panko
3 tablespoons dill pickle relish
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds haddock or cod
2 teaspoons mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened.  Transfer to a bowl and add the panko, dill pickle relish, and salt and pepper to taste (I used between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt).  Arrange the haddock on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Spread the top of the fish with mayonnaise and cover the fish with the panko mixture, pressing it in gently.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fish just flakes.

Makes about 4 servings.