Chef On Call

Homemade Light & Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

I love breakfast. My day has to start with a great breakfast; not a good breakfast but a great one. God forbid I don't have breakfast. And it has to be substantial. Eggs are my favorite, fried, scrambled or poached. But on the weekend, I love to make pancakes. I get up early while everyone else is sleeping and start making the batter and preheating the griddle. I enjoy the quiet. In the past few years, I have had two helpers; one wants to mix and one wants to flip. I am not allowed to make pancakes until they assume their positions which is great unless I am famished and can't wait until they get up.

Today, I felt like making pancakes. No one was up and it was peaceful. I have been on a quest to find the perfect pancake recipe. Something that reminds me of the pancakes I had as a kid, sweet (not too sweet), fluffy and tangy (from the buttermilk) but I can't find them. So I keep trying tweaks on pancake recipes. This recipe comes from Alton Brown and it is very good. Light & fluffy. He calls them "Instant Pancakes" because he premixes the dry ingredients in a large tub and then when you are ready to make pancakes you just have to add the wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs and melted butter). It does make it easier in the morning. My daughter had a sleepover last Friday night, so I mixed up a batch of the dry ingredients so I was ready to go in the morning. I still have a good amount left so I whipped up pancakes again this morning. So good!

*I did not use a whole stick of butter to grease the pan!

"Instant" Pancake Mix

Recipe by Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix.

Use the mix within 3 months.

"INSTANT" PANCAKES:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix, recipe above
• 1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
• 2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired

Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.

Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.

Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 pancakes

Asian 5 Spice Barbecued Pork Tenderloin

This is a favorite standby in our house. Great flavors and quick to make, it has a nice balance of salty and sweet. After I had settled on making this, I realized that I didn't have any orange juice so I substituted lime juice and zest and increased the hoisin sauce to balance the tartness of the limes. It was even better with the lime juice! I served this with white rice and corn.

Asian 5 Spice Barbecued Pork Tenderloin

Rachael Ray

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat
• Steak seasoning blend or salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice powder (found in spice section or Asian foods section)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup Hoisin prepared Chinese barbecue sauce
• 1 navel orange, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Coat tenderloins in steak seasoning or season with salt and pepper. Combine brown sugar and 5 spice powder. Rub sugar and spice over pork. Brush baking dish or broiler pan with oil. Place pork in oven and bake 10 minutes. Combine barbecue sauce with orange zest and juice and sesame oil. Baste meat liberally with sauce and roast meat 15 minutes longer. Remove meat from oven and transfer to a serving platter. Coat meat with sesame and cilantro or chives for color.

Turkey & Pinto Bean Cornbread Pie

I came upon this recipe the other day at the blog, Words to Eat By while searching around for a recipe for dinner using ingredients on hand. It comes from the book, Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet. I made a few substitutions based on my own laziness and what ingredients I had. I love spicy food but I cut out the jalapeno because my daughter won't eat spicy food. Instead, I added hot sauce at the table to kick it up a bit. I also used jarred salsa instead of making my own because my kids prefer it to a fresh salsa. I like the idea of not having to preheat the oven, just prep and place into a cold oven and 30-40 minutes later dinner is served and my kids ate it!

Turkey and Pinto Bean Cornbread Pie
Serves 4 to 6

Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet

Salsa
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped [I used parsley]
1 garlic clove, smashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon seeded and diced jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Filling
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 ounces ground turkey thigh
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup cooked pinto beans, or approximately 1/3 of a 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cornbread crust
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 tablespoon seeded and diced jalapeno [I left this out, thinking it might overwhelm Harry. I was so naive.]
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup warm milk (about 120° F)
2 7-gram packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese

Sour cream for garnish

Brush a 9-inch pie dish lightly with oil or butter.

Prepare the salsa by mixing together the tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, shallots, jalapeno, and vinegar. Set aside to let the flavors come together.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the turkey, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, beans, chile powder, cumin, and salt, mix the ingredients together and sauté briefly until the garlic and spices are fragrant. Add the water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until most of the liquid is gone, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, salt, corn, jalapeno, egg, oil, honey, milk, and yeast. Pour the batter into the pie dish. Top with meat and beans, then the salsa and cheese.

Set the dish atop a baking sheet in a cold oven. Set oven to 375° F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cornbread crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the pie sit about 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving with dollops of sour cream.