HOMEMADE WAFFLES

In keeping with my breakfast food theme lately.... who doesn't love breakfast for dinner, once in a while? And what could be better than a steaming, hot waffle with deep pockets to hold all that butter and warm, sweet, delicious, homemade syrup?! These waffles have a 2 step process, but are well worth the time invested. I've used this same waffle recipe for over 25 years and it always gets rave reviews. You can top them with all your favorite things: sauteed apples, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, whipped cream, bananas, pecans, let your imagination run wild here! And then ENJOY!

HOMEMADE WAFFLES

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Heat waffle iron to med-high. In the meantime, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the 2 egg yolks and milk and whisk into the flour mixture. Stir to combine. Next, add the melted butter. Again, stir to combine. In a clean separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then fold gently into waffle batter. Pour 1 1/2 soup ladles of batter onto hot waffle iron and bake for 3 - 5 minutes or until desired crispiness is achieved.
Yield: 4 round waffles

*When I am making this for my family, I usually double the recipe. 


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HOMEMADE BREAKFAST SYRUP

For years I've tried to get away from as many processed food items as I can. It began when our little 6 yr girl was diagnosed w/ cancer. During her year of chemo we ate a whole foods diet and down through the years I have tried to continue that as much as possible. Real maple syrup is just the best, but who can afford it? I don't like the sticky "what is this stuff" taste about bottled syrup. Plus I love, love, love to make my own food rather than dumping it out of a bottle, can or box! This is super easy to cook up and who doesn't love nice warm syrup on their pancakes, waffles and french toast?!

HOMEMADE BREAKFAST SYRUP

1 cup water

2 cups white sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp maple flavoring

1/2 stick butter

Combine water, sugar and corn syrup in saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally until mixture boils. Cover and boil gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and maple flavoring and blend thoroughly. Serve warm over pancakes, waffles or french toast.

Yeild: 1 1/4 cups syrup



PANNEKOEKEN

 Many years ago (early 90's) we were in Rochester, MN at the Mayo Clinic as our 6 yr old daughter was diagnosed with Rhabdomyasarcoma there. The Lord miraculously healed her of it - Praise His Name! She is a beautiful young woman, married with a new baby. And all that after the doctors telling us she probably wouldn't have children because of the chemo. GOD IS ABLE! The day before her biopsy we found this cool little restaurant in town called "Pannekoeken." They served these delightful puffed pancakes. When they come out of the oven they are puffed up real high, but they quickly deflate. So as soon as the pancake came out of the oven, the waitress would hoist it up in the air and run through the restaurant to your table, shouting "PANNEKOEKEN!!" The kids thought it was so cool. I had forgotten about that little treat until recently when I found a recipe for "Dutch Baby." I made it and hubby & I both said, "this is Pannekoeken!" Super easy to make and the kids love watching it puff up in the oven. You can serve it with fresh fruit, sauteed apples, whipped cream, powdered sugar, or just maple syrup. It's just plain yummy! It has become one of hubby's favorite breakfast treats!

PANNEKOEKEN

3 tablespoons butter

3 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk, heated 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the butter in a large, ovenproof, nonstick saute pan and place in the oven.
Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the eggs, flour, warm milk, sugar, vanilla extract and pinch of salt, and blend on medium-high speed until uniform. (If mixing by hand, combine the eggs with the milk until the mixture is light yellow and no longer stringy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt, and whisk vigorously to remove the lumps, about 30 seconds.)

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. The butter should be melted. Swirl the butter around the pan to coat completely, and then pour the remaining butter into the batter and pulse to blend. Pour the batter into the hot pan and return the pan to the oven. Cook until the pancake is puffed in the center and golden brown along the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

Using a spatula, remove the entire Dutch baby from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes to allow the steam to escape without condensing along the bottom and rendering the pancake soggy. Dust with confectioners' sugar when cooled slightly. Slice the pancake into 8 wedges on a serving platter or cutting board

Shrimp Bisque

Prepared this DEElicious Shrimp Bisque for my Honey for Valentine surprise. It was supposed to be our appetizer, but as soon as he smelled it cooking, he wanted to eat a bowl while the steaks were marinating! So we had our appetizer standing around the kitchen cooking the rest of the dinner. It really was that good! He has sort of a picky palate - so when he went on and on and on about how wonderful this bisque was and then said it was the best soup I've ever made AND ate LEFTOVEERS of it the next day.... I knew it was a red letter day! I marked it on the calendar that hubby ate leftovers. That alone confirmed to me that he truly did love it! Will be putting this one in the "make often" file!

SHRIMP BISQUE

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved

4 cups seafood stock

3 tablespoons good olive oil

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (3 leeks)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 cup White cooking wine (sold in the vinegar and marinade aisle)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tsp Creole seasoning (I used  Tony Cachere's)

 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

*I added the Creole and Old bay on my own because we like a little spice and flavor. So this has a little bit of "zing" to it. If you are a weiner about spice, knock the amounts down to 1/2 tsp each.

Directions

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. Add enough water to make 3 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white cooking wine and cook for 3 minutes longer. Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor fitted with a steel blade (I dare you not to sneek a taste of the sauteed shrimp!) and process until coarsely pureed. (The next time I make this, I will leave the shrimp pieces a little bigger).
In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and heat gently until hot but not boiling. Season, to taste, and serve hot.

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

Made this yummy side dish for a special Valentine dinner for my hubby! It was so delicious! Goes together in a snap, really. In the past we have deep fried different veggies and those are good too, but we both really liked the delicate, crispy, bread taste on these. Much lighter than deep frying too. I imagine you can wrap just about anything in phyllo dough and it would taste good!

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

2 dozen asparagus spears, depending on size (Mine were quite thin, so I used 4 in each one)

1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Unwrap 1 pkg of the phyllo and cover it with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and at the seam, rip off 1/3 of the sheet of dough and set that small piece aside. Brush the remaining larger piece with some melted butter. Sprinkle with some Parmesan. (we are not "huge" Parmesan fans, so I sprinkled sea salt on them rather than Parmesan. I did however sprinkle the outside w/ the Parmesan) Place 2 to 3 asparagus spears on the short end of the sheet. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Place each piece, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Repeat until all the asparagus spears are used up. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy