Whole Wheat Crêpes

     Earlier this summer, Allison and I, her friends Yaniv and Grace, and my friend Marina ventured to the Carmel Arts District.  Besides gawking at outrageous artwork with outrageous prices, we popped into a cute little French restaurant called La Mie Emilie for an afternoon "snack".  We ordered croques (jazzed up grilled cheese) and crêpes.  Marina's choice was a Galette Végétarienne - a buckwheat crepe with sautéed tomatoes and onions, Gruyère cheese and an over-easy egg.  While we were munching away, Allison glanced at Marina's dish and asked her what it was.  Marina has a fabulous, wonderful accent and she told her it was a crepe.  However, it came out sounding like "crap".  Then she added, "And it's brown." The look on Allison's face was priceless!  I couldn't help it - I laughed until tears were streaming down my face!  And so did everyone else when I explained to Allison that Marina was eating a crepe and it was brown because it was made of buckwheat flour. 



Marina's Crepe!



Allison's Chcolate Coconut Crepe

 Back at home, my interest in attempting crepes was piqued!  I looked them up in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  She explained that in the average French household, crepes  weren't thought of as something special, but a common way to make use of left overs.  However, her recipes calls for making the batter and letting it sit in the refrigerator for two hours!  Who has time or is organized enough for that! (Not me!)  So, I turned to the May/June edititon of Cook's Illustrated.  In the article "Foolproof Crepes" the author assured me that it wasn't necessary to let the batter sit for an extended period of time before using. Good news for me - crepes can be whipped up anytime!

     Other useful tips given were: preheat the pan for 10 minutes, pour in just enough batter to coat the pan, and flip it by first nudging it underneath with a rubber spatula.



Ready to Flip



Savory Fillings



Last Sunday afternoon, Allison and I had a great time making these and experimenting with different fillings. Our favorites were: tomatoe, thin sliced ham and Gruyere cheese; Nutella with strawberries; and a squirt of lemon with a sprinkling of Splenda. However, the possibilities for different filling combinations are endless. I tried a couple different pans, and found the best one was an inexpensive eight inch "Wolfgang Puck Cafe Collection" omelet pan from Sam's Club.  I sprayed it liberally with cooking spray and then wiped the inside with a cloth each time before pouring in the batter.  To make the crepes healthier, I used whole wheat flour and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.  If you want to use regular white flour, increase the flour in the following recipe to 1 1/2 cups.



Nutella and Strawberries



Whole Wheat Crepe Batter                                              



Lemon and Sprinkle of Splenda



1 cup cold water

1 cup cold milk (I used skim)

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons melted butter

Whirl the liquids, eggs and salt in the blender. Then add the flour and butter and blend again.



Grace and Yaniv at La Mie Emilie



Jose's Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons - A Special Treat!

Jose, the brother of one of Allison's friends, is an aspiring baker.  As the only boy in a family with five children, he  learned that making delicious treats keeps him in his sisters' good graces.  One of his specialties is coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate.  He picked up the recipe from watching the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.  They really are divine - toasted crunchy coconut on the outside and sweet chewy yumminess in the middle.  The chocolate takes it over the top and I think we were all in heaven when we sampled them!  We spent a delightful afternoon visiting, making beaded jewelry, and chatting while Jose taught us how to make these chocolate dipped coconut macaroon cookies.

While the oven was preheating at 325 degrees,  Jose mixed together 14 ounces coconut, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  He set this aside and asked for another mixing bowl.

  

Then Jose took the whites of two large eggs and added a pinch of salt to them.  With an electric mixer, he beat the egg white mixture until it was stiff, glossy, and clung to the beaters.

Jose then folded the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

                                                                   

We covered a cookie sheet with foil and misted it with cooking spray.  Jose prefers to use parchment paper, but I didn't have any on hand.  Next, Jose used a couple of large soup spoons to mold and drop the macaroons onto the cookie sheet.  The macaroons were placed in the oven and the timer was set for 25 minutes.

Towards the end of the baking time, Jose put 8 ounces of chocolate chips in a bowl.  He microwaved them for about 20 seconds.  The shape of the chips looked intact, but when he stirred them, it was evident that they had started to melt.  He continued to stir them until they became a smooth liquid.  Jose said sometimes it's necessary to microwave the chips a second time before they start to melt, but to be cautious about it!

When the macaroons were done baking, Jose removed them from the cookie sheet and dipped one side of each one in the melted chocolate.

All agreed; they were heavenly!
Thank you Jose!

Lake Part II - The Cherry Capital of the World!

                                                                                                              

Our family lake cottage is nestled among the five major cherry producing counties in northern Michigan.  Each little burg around sells the same coffee mug pictured above naming their village as "The Cherry Capital of the World"!  I got a couple of them in the Elk Rapids pharmacy last year and have really enjoyed using them when at the lake. Besides selling other various articles with cherry motifs, outside each town are stands that sell fresh cherries, pies, and jams.  I bought some dried sour cherries and compared them with a batch Aunt Betsy had made.  Betsy's were so much better!!  So - I wondered if I could make cherry salsa that could be just as good as what was being sold in each town's specialty shops.  To go along with the salsa, I put together some chicken cherry chipotle quesadillas. Allison loved them!  She brought the left overs to work for lunch and said everyone was drooling over the delicious aroma.  To round it out, here is a great kale salad Jenn made with dried cherries.  And last but not least, is my mom's recipe for a three ingredient cheating cherry cobbler - very fast, very yummy, but - in this case -  not very healthy! 

Chicken Cherry Chipotle Quesadillas 

2 cooked, chopped chicken breasts

2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup dried cherries

1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

1/4 cup thinly sliced onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

8 tortillas

1.  Cover baking sheet with foil, spray w/ cooking oil, place four tortillas on foil

2.  Mix the remaining ingredients and place mixture on top of each of the four tortillas

3.  Place remaining tortillas on top of each of the four others, spray with cooking oil, and bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Cherry Salsa
1 1/3 cherries - pitted, chopped up a bit
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries                                    
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped red onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a pan, bring them to a boil, turn down the heat to low, simmer for about 10 minutes.

                                                 

                                                Curly Kale Salad with Dried Cherries



1.  Wash a bunch of kale and tear into bite size pieces, discard center stem of each leaf.  Drizzle leaves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.  Let this sit for a few minutes or even for several hours in the refrigerator.

2.  Add 1/4 cup dried tart cherries, 1/4 cup of crumbled cheese such as feta, goat, or blue, and 1/4 cup of chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans.  If desired add more lemon and olive oil at a ratio of 1:2

                                                            Lorraine's Cheating Cobbler
For each large can of cherry pie filling you put in a baking dish, top with one box of Jiffy yellow cake mix (dry) and 1 stick of sliced butter.  Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes until brown and bubbly.
(If you can't find a Jiffy cake mix, use 1/2 box of another brand)

Lake Life



Since I was three, our family cottage in northern Michigan has been part of my summers. Now my sister, brother, and I are the third generation of care takers for this little slice of heaven. While some people may take valium or prozac, all I have to do is visualize the view of the lake to get calm when I feel stressed . Certain smells bring it immediately into my consciousness - mint grows along the rocky shoreline and the constant breeze is so clean and fresh. Spending so much time outside makes everyone extra hungry, but I'm too busy relaxing to spend a lot of time and effort it put together a meal. The temperatures here this summer have been warmer than I can ever remember, so grilling and microwaving seem to be a better alternative to heating up the tiny kitchen. Caroline was able to take a few days off to join us, and she and I had a lot of fun experimenting with Mexican "pizza" appetizer and perch on the grill. Later, the extra fixings were spiced up to make some jazzed chili dogs.

We misted heavy duty foil with cooking spray and placed the tortillas on it.

 

 After about four minutes, we flipped them over and put salsa, corn, black beans, tomatoes, and cheese on each.

We closed the cover until the cheese was melted and then enjoyed.

Uncle David is a master of coming up to the lake and grilling salmon on a plank, but Caroline and I had to settle on grilling fish on foil! We prepped the perch with lemon and butter and grilled it skin side up for three minutes. Then we flipped it over, sprinkled some dill on it, and grilled it four more minutes. It flaked easily with a fork and went well with a little cucumber dill sauce. This easy condiment is a combination of 1/2 cup of mayonaise, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 teaspoon dill, and about 1/4 cup chopped and seeded cucumber (skin left on for color).

While grilling some hot dogs,the extra fixings for the Mexican "pizza" were combined in a bowl, along with a can of tomato sauce, a couple teaspoons of Tex/Mex seasoning blend (7/13/11), and some left over taco meat I had saved in the freezer (You could use frozen browned ground beef if you had some stored away in a zip lock bag). I zapped it in the microwave until hot, then spooned some over each hot dog and topped it off with cheddar cheese.



It was yummy!

Zesty Chicken Oregano - The "Little Black Dress" of Chicken Recipes

 Years ago, I stumbled on this recipe in The Betty Crocker International Cookbook which my mom gave to me as a wedding shower present in 1981. It turned out to be my favorite cookbook and Roy got to test out a lot of different cuisines ; some dishes were great,and some we still have a good laugh about! This particular one is so quick and easy, and it can be dressed up or down and take on a Greek, Mediterranean, Italian, or Tex/Mex vibe - it depends on the "accessories" you put with it.



1.

 1. In a bowl whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons dried oregano.

    

 



2.

2. Place 4 - 6 chicken breasts in above marinade and let sit in refridgerator for several hours or room temperature about 20 minutes.



3.

3. Grill/broil about 7 minutes a side until a beautiful brown or bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes to an hour.

This is just delicious as is or sliced on a Greek salad (or any salad), thrown in a soup, or put in a casserole.  I always make extra and throw the leftovers into a ziplock freezer bag.  When I walk in the door at 6 p.m., it makes my life a whole lot easier if  I can reach in and pull this out! Then, whatever I decide to make for the night's meal is already half way done!  Yum!

Caprese - The Best Salad Allison Ever Had!



View From a Bridge in Venice - Photo By Alli

     A few years ago we visited Venice, Italy.  The day we arrived had been a long one; we had gotten up early and took the slow train through the Swiss and Italian Alps to Venice.  After arriving, we had to figure out how to get to our hotel, and the language barrier was more of a problem than we had anticipated.  Finally we figured out we could take a private water "taxi" or spring for a several day pass on a large boat that ferried people around to lots of different stops.  We opted for the big public boat, but misread the route map and got off a little too early.  Dragging our luggage with us, we twisted up and around tiny streets.  When we finally figured out how to reach our hotel, we were hot, tired, and hungry.  The desk staff recommended several outdoor cafes.  After dropping off our bags, we wandered around the main square until we stumbled on one of the places that had been mentioned.  The waiter suggested we try a Caprese salad.  It was so beautiful to look at - tiny Roma tomatoes were cut in half, fresh mozzarella was mingling with fresh basil, and it was drizzled with delicious Italian olive oil.  Alli took a bite and declared that it was the best salad she had ever had.  It was so pretty she took the picture of it shown below.  We really enjoyed eating that salad in the open square almost as much watching other families pushing luggage behind them while reading maps and trying to find hotels...

The Best Salad Allison Ever Had



The Yates Version

      We continue to love this simple salad!  I keep a small pot or two of fresh basil growing on my window sill which makes it easy to assemble this yummy combination - just add fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and a little splash of vinaigrette made with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar whisked with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.


  

Salad Dressings 101


       It was so hot and humid Saturday that when Vanilla and I stepped out for a walk, I felt like I was moving through cotton. Afterwards I was starving, but only for a cool, crisp, crunchy salad.  Luckily, homemade salad dressings are so easy to make and so tasty that eating a salad is a yummy option and not a sacrifice!



The Acids: Vinegar and Citrus

Basic Salad Dressing
-1/2 cup of an oil (olive, canola, or mayonnaise)
-1/4 cup of an acid (vinegar or citrus juice)
-Seasoning (1/2 teaspoon salt,1/4 teaspoon pepper,1/8 teaspoon garlic powder)









    For salad dressings I usually use light olive oil so the other flavors come through - unless you have a wonderful bottle of imported extra virgin olive oil from Spain, and you want it to be "The Star of the Show"!  Apple cider vinegar is a good pick if the salad includes fruit or the main dish is pork.  Rice wine vinegar works well with Asian flavors.  Likewise, balsamic vinegar is very Italian.  On a regular day, I just follow the above recipe using red wine vinegar - however, there are endless variations on this basic recipe.  Here are three that are Yates favorites.

Jenn's Favorite Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons country Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

This is a sunny little dressing that is great on a package of baby spinach leaves with some thin sliced red onions, 2 sliced avocados sprinkled with lemon juice, 3 clementines peeled and separated, 1/2 cup of toasted pecan pieces.

Allison's Favorite Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
a handful of fresh basil, washed and chopped (stems removed)
1/2 diced yellow onion

Delicious poured over cooked new red potatoes! It makes a great summer potato salad.

Caroline's Quick and Easy Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup raspberry jam ( I like to use Smucker's no sugar added or Simply Fruit)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
several green onions, sliced thin

This makes a  yummy raspberry chicken salad.  I double the recipe and put half aside for dressing the completed salad.  I brush the rest on chicken breasts and grill or bake them.  To mixed greens I add fresh raspberries, walnuts, thin slices of purple onion, and either blue or goat cheese.  I slice the cooked chicken breasts and put them on top of the salad.  Then sprinkle a few green onion slices on top and pass the raspberry vinegrette dressing.  You can make individual salads or one large one on a huge platter - very impressive!