Apple "puff" pancake

Okay, so I don't know why it is called a pancake, the texture is nothing like a pancake. It is a yummy breakfast concoction, you can put syrup on it...I think it is great without!

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick of butter(NOT Margarine)

2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced(I use a apple peeler/corer/slicer, it needs to be super thin, also you don't want to use a tart apple)

2-3 Tbsp brown sugar(I don't measure...I just sprinkle it all over, it is probably more)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a blender, mix eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.

2. Melt butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven.(I cut it up into chunks before putting into the pan)

3. Add apples to pan. Return to oven until butter sizzles. Do not let it brown.

4. Remove dish from oven and immediately pour batter over apples.

5. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

6. Bake in middle of oven for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.(It will be very puffy, but will go down as it cools.)

7. Serve immediately.

*makes 6-8 servings

FAMILY BURRITO

There is no need to fill and fold individual burritos. With this whimsical method, you can make one giant burrito the whole family can share! I will write out the original recipe and give you my tricks.

Makes 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 330, total fat 11g, Sat fat 6g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Carbs 25g, protein 24g, sodium 840 mg, fiber 1g

Ingredients:
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced(you need 16 slices. I only had 1 tomato, that is why I only had 9 slices in the picture.)
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 lime (juiced)
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1 Tbsp southwestern seasoning
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese(I like to use a blend)
4 burrito size tortillas(11-11 1/2 inches)
1 (9oz) can of bean dip

Assorted toppings such as shredded lettuce, sliced olives, cilantro, and avocado lime sauce(recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a microwave safe bowl combine chicken, onion, lime juice, salsa, southwest seasoning, and garlic. (my trick...I buy the pre-cooked southwestern chicken in the meat section in your grocery store. It is Foster farms. You don't have to add the seasoning if you use that because it is already on the chicken, but you need to chop it up because it comes in strips.)
2. Microwave chicken mixture 3-4 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese(save the other cup for the topping of the burrito.)
3. Arrange tortillas in an overlapping circular pattern on a baking sheet, covering most of the pan. (tortillas will extend off the baking sheet 5 inches or so) It will be like an envelope when you close it. Starting at the center, spread the bean dip over the tortillas forming a 10 x 10 inch square. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over the bean dip. Fold edges of tortillas up over the chicken mixture in an envelope pattern. (see picture 1-2)
4. Arrange 16 tomato slices in rows over the top of the burrito. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese over burrito, covering completely. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are brown. Cut into rectangles and serve with assorted toppings.(My tip: I use a pizza cutter to cut up burrito. I make squares using tomato slices as a guide.)

Avocado lime sauce:
Mash 1 ripe avocado, stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1 Tbsp of lime juice, and 1/4 tsp of salt. This taste SO good on the burrito.

Orange Pound Cake

You may be guessing my first love is baking. Right on!

Even Calvin likes this one!! I served it for Steph's birthday gathering at our house this year. It's kind of funny, but the recipe came on the packaging for the Bundt pan. It sounded yummy, so I saved it and gave it a try. Yum-O!

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

Preheat oven to 325. Spray Bundt pan with oil. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Stir in orange juice and zest. Add flour and baking soda, and then add the sour cream (or plain yogurt). Mix well and pour into pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before preparing the glaze (unless you want melted pools of glaze on the cake plate and not much on your cake).

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together until smooth and pour immediately over cooled bundt cake.

Apple Hill Cake

Of course this works best with Apple Hill apples, but we only make the trip in the Fall, so the rest of the year "regular" apples just have to do.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
4 cups diced apples
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda

Combine the sugar, oil and eggs. Add the diced apples. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Mix well. Add dry mixture to apple mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 or greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees at 1 hour. Serve warm or cold.

**This cake is great all by itself, but you could always add whipped cream, or ice cream. I added a dusting of powdered sugar just for pretty. (A cake like this would make extra special french toast after firsts and seconds have been devoured.)

Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs

This recipe is supposed to be the same beef short ribs from Roy's

4 servings

1/2 cup canola oil

4 (10-ounce) beef short ribs (boneless is fine)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup flour

3 carrots, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 cup red wine

3 bay leaves

2 quarts beef stock

10 black peppercorns

HONEY MUSTARD GLAZE

1 cup whole grain mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup garlic, chopped

1 bunch basil, leaves chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a roasting pan over medium heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour. Shake off any excess flour. Sear all sides of short ribs until golden brown. Add carrots, onions and celery to roasting pan and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Deglaze pan with red wine. Add the bay leaves, beef stock and peppercorns. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake until ribs are knife-tender, about 21/2 hours.

Remove short ribs from liquid and set aside to cool. Cut and trim short ribs to desired size.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. In a medium bowl, mix together all the glaze ingredients. Brush short ribs well with the glaze and grill briefly to set the glaze.

Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Pizza

You'll have to scroll down to mid-April for the recipe for my pizza dough to complete this yummy palate pleaser.
Before you begin the dough:
Roast 1 to 2 heads of garlic--depends on how much you love garlic--by carefully removing the paper-like skin around most of the cloves and cutting 1/4 inch off the tops of each clove. Place the garlic head on a 12-inch square of aluminum foil and drizzle with oil (about 1 tsp). Salt and pepper to taste. Close up the foil and roast in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. While that is roasting, prepare the dough. When the garlic is roasted, open the foil and place in the refridgerator to cool so you can handle it by hand when needed.

You'll need:

1 recipe pizza dough, risen and rolled out, ready to go.

2 tomatoes, diced (deseed first to prevent soggy pizza)

salt

several leaves of fresh basil, rolled and snipped

1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cooked chicken breast, if desired (grilled is SO yummy)

After the dough has risen and been rolled out into pizza form, take the cooled roasted garlic head and squeeze the garlic directly onto the dough. (Invert the head and press and think toothpaste.) Spread the garlic with a knife to cover the dough well. Next, layer the diced tomato on top of the garlic and salt to taste. Sprinkle on the basil, mozarella, and chicken breast (if desired) and cook at 425 for approximately 15 minutes. It smells so good coming out of the oven! Please take my advice and wait for it to cool 5 minutes before you dig in. Nothing tastes as good if you burn your taste buds first.

(Pictured: Personal sized meatless version made with half wheat flour/half all-purpose, and 1/3 the amount of dough cooked for 12 minutes.)