squash pancakes and pumpkin waffles

i've done the pumpkin pancake thing before. but for some reason, taking my fresh csa squash and mixing it into a pancake recipe seemed fresher, healthier and more innovative. especially considering it was a winter squash--something that in my mind doesn't automatically belong in a pancake. and i had a squash i need to use. a scenario that tends to be my motivating factor.

thanks to a squash site, i identified my winter squash as a delicata squash. it resulted in a wonderfully moist pancake with a great texture. the squash was not overwhelming in flavor and provided much more of a desirable consistency than anything else. and it was easy too. i just took my normal pancake recipe, added a freshly roasted and pureed winter squash to the batter and threw in some chopped walnuts for good measure.

you want another breakfast squash recipe? and what's that? you don't want healthy-feeling pancakes?


pumpkin waffles (aka pumpkin pancakes meet waffles)

i am confident in saying that the best way to serve these is layered with cheddar cheese (so that it melts) and topped with maple yogurt. yes, you heard me right. now go forth and conquer the cheddar-maple-waffle world that lays before you! or throw that squash you've been saving into your sunday pancake batter.

squash pancakes or pumpkin waffles

because of the similar consistency of squash and pancake or waffle batter, i merely added a cup of squash to a batch of batter. depending on the type of squash you use, you may have to thicken (add more flour) or thin (add more liquids) out the batters. in my case, i used canned pumpkin with the waffles, which left no adjustments. in fact, i added some extra pumpkin without having to adjust anything else. for the pancakes, i added some liquid to the squash to get it to more of a puree, since it was rather thick after roasting.

gluten-free crepes at bar breton

a gluten-free note here. if you're looking for some legit buckwheat crepes (100% buckwheat instead of a wheat and buckwheat mix and therefore gluten-free), bar breton has them. buckwheat is a gluten free grain but if you're extremely sensitive, you have to make sure it isn't contaminated. bar breton must be certified as they have designated gluten-free items throughout their menu.

so these didn't exactly rock my world but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. i had la guerande with a poached egg, spinach, mushroom and parmesean. the parmesean and pesto like sauce didn't hurt. and really, we've already discussed how i believe an egg with a runny yolk can solve most food problems in life.

next time i'm going for a dessert version.

bar breton
254 5th avenue
ny, ny 10001
212.213.4999
mon-sun 11am-10:30pm

pumpkin pancakes

sometimes i just have food visions. the idea came to me after hearing the desire to be eating more pumpkin with the appropriate season. after a failed attempt to locate a pumpkin cocktail that sounded appetizing, my thoughts went to baked goods and the like. it wasn't until some time later, actually i think i was awake late at night, alone in a hotel room in germany, that pumpkin pancakes came to me. (seriously, try to think of something you could mix into a pancake that wouldn't taste good.) luckily, i found a simple enough recipe on epicurious.

since these were consumed the weekend after thanksgiving, the group decided to cut WAY back on the fat in the original recipe. we had been too gluttonous to consume mass quantities of butter so we substituted oil instead of part of the butter and added more pumpkin than the original recipe called for. that was as long as the self control lasted. we proceeded to make not one but two glorified versions of the golden griddlecakes.

version number one: pumpkin pancakes topped with apple compote.

version number two (because i just couldn't help myself): pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes.

spiced pumpkin pancakes

• 1 1/4 cups flour (i used spelt, of course)
  
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (i just used some cinnamon and nutmeg)
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk (i used soy)
  
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin (we used more)
  
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (here's where we went a little nuts--we used 2 tablespoons of butter and some oil)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend.
  
• whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well.
  
• add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick).
  
• beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
  
• brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with syrup.

csa week 1: strawberry rhubarb crepes

truth be told, before last week, i had never actually had rhubarb before. i know some of you out there are probably in disbelief and i'm really not sure why this was. we were a cookie, brownie and cake family. not a lot of pies. maybe that explains it?! i thought there was a good chance of getting some with the first week's csa pickup and was excited to take it on. cooking it down with sugar seemed like the obvious solution but i didn't want to completely stew out the flavor of the rhubarb. however, it did seem like a dessertish recipe would be a good first introduction to it. after tasting the rhubarb raw, my thoughts were confirmed. someone please tell me, sour and bitter, what? i don't get it. couldn't do it.

although i went the classic cooked with strawberries route, i tried to make my version a bit more on the savory side. not too much sugar and i added some orange, ginger and apple cider vinegar. i also didn't cook the strawberries but just folded them into the cooked rhubarb mixture at the last minute. no need to cook or sweeten a perfectly good strawberry, i say!

strawberry rhubarb crepes

the filling:

• 2 rhubarb stalks, trimmed and chopped
  
• 1/2 pint strawberries
• large piece of ginger, quartered (so you can remove it at the end)
  
• zest of an orange
• juice of 1/2 orange
• 1/4-1/3 cup of sugar (depending on your desired sweetness): part brown, part white
• 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• throw everything except the strawberries into a pot with a little bit of water. stir.
  
• bring to a simmer, let the rhubarb soften and the liquid reduce.
• remove from heat, fold in strawberries.
  

the crepes (from the food network and alton brown):

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk (or soy milk)
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour (i of course used spelt)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

• whisk ingredients together (yes, i put all of them into the bowl together and mixed. no separation here).
• alton says to refrigerate the batter but i didn't do this...
• grease a pan of desired size.
• pour enough batter into the pan to thinly coat it. swirl the pan around to cover the surface.
• cook 30 seconds and flip. cook another 10 seconds and remove.
  

midnight pancakes (the best kind)

11:30 TUESDAY NIGHT - LIVING ROOM
It's been a long week--and it's only Tuesday. The TV is on, tuned to the Food Network. Alton Brown appears on the screen.

GO GO ZO
What's the episode about?

THE BOY
Pancakes.

2 MINUTES LATER - KTICHEN.
GO GO ZO frantically making pancakes. THE BOY cheers her on in the background. The pancakes are finished and consumed.
Good Eats exit music begins in the background.

midnight pancakes:

• take your pancake batter of choice (i think it would be inappropriate to give away my dad's recipe here!)
• add fun things you have in your freezer/fridge/cupboard i.e. blueberries, chocolate chips and walnuts, hell, live a little, try something crazy in there, like cheese and bacon!
• do not forget to cook in BUTTER (it's already midnight, you're already screwed. go hard or go home).
• eat and enjoy! don't forget the maple syrup!

brunchalicious

i LOVE brunch. it's my favorite meal of the day. i don't care how cliched it is or how many sex and the city episodes mention it. it's perfect and new york has perfected it. where else are the streets deserted before noon on a sunday and then instantly flooded moments after? since everyone is freaking out about the economy (including me), i've been making a concerned effort to cook it more at home and eat it out less.

i've recently jumped on the corn meal train thanks to a friend's brunch cooked at her place (see picture above). last week she made cilantro and onion corncakes, which were basically hush puppies cooked in a pan rather than deep fried. she served them with black beans, scrambled eggs, cheese, guacamole and salsa. they were awesome and inspired today's cornmeal pancakes.

corn meal pancakes

pancakes:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

topping:

• 2 containers plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
  

dutch baby

i was reminded of a intriguing recipe that i saw on good eats now that i have my cast iron cookware. get ready, alton, i can actually make these things now! the recipe was for a "dutch baby," which i blame not knowing anything about on growing up in southern california. upon further research, i discovered that a dutch baby is the same as a german pancake, which is pretty much a large pancake baked in the oven.

the recipe looked fairly simple, so i decided to give it a go this morning. 30 minutes later, i had one of the most delicious breakfasts i have ever had. i used spelt flour for this (i'm fairly certain that substituting your favorite gluten-free flour would work just fine). the pancake rose up very high and browned on the sides but stayed soft in the center. what emerged was a wonderful baked confection that had a buttery, crispy layer on the top, was smooth in the middle, and chewy on the bottom. i couldn't stop verbalizing how much i enjoyed it. MMMMMM!


to alton brown, the amazing man he is, thank you for this EASY, uncomplicated, delicious recipe!

• 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk (i'm going to try lowfat next time)
• dash of vanilla
• 2 eggs
  

• preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• place 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven to heat.
• wait a few minutes for the skillet to heat up, then assemble the remaining ingredients.
• mix flour, vanilla sugar, salt, milk, eggs and remaining tablespoon of melted butter in a bowl.
• pour batter into skillet. bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are puffed and brown. (according to alton) sprinkle with additional vanilla sugar and serve with lemon wedges. (I didn't do this part)