Spicy Sweetcorn Fritters

Spicy Sweetcorn Fritters (from Hairy Bikers Fast Food)
(Makes 12)

300g frozen sweetcorn
3 eggs
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
60g plain flour
1 tbsp coriander stems, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 spring onion, finely chopped
cooking spray
salt and pepper

Dipping sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
juice 1 lime
1/2 tsp sugar or honey
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Boil the kettle. Put the sweetcorn into a bowl and pour over the boiling water, leave for a minute or so for the sweetcorn to defrost. Drain and Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat. Add the soy sauce and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the plain flour and whisk to combine until there are no lumps. Add the coriander stems, garlic, spring onion and sweetcorn to the batter and stir thoroughly.

Heat a large frying pan and spray with oil. Add heaped tbsps of the batter into the pan, spacing them out well. Cook the fritters for 2-3 mins until well browned underneath, then flip them and cook the other side. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

While the fritters are cooking make the dipping sauce. Put the soy sauce and lime juice in a small bowl, add the sugar or honey and stir until completely dissolved. Add the chilli flakes and garlic and stir to combine. Serve.

Ham and Pea Fritters

I loved these fritters. They are so easy to make and very tasty. I served them on a bed of salad leaves with a poached egg. Yum!

Ham and Pea Fritters (from Hairy Dieters Fast Food)

(Makes 12)

300g frozen peas

60g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 tbsp milk

100g cooked ham diced

cooking spray

salt and pepper

For the mustard sauce

1 tsp mustard

4 tbsp natural yoghurt

Put the peas into a saucepan and pour over a just boiled kettle of water. Leave to sit for 2-3 mins. Drain the peas and then mash or puree them roughly - you want a mixture of whole and crushed peas.

Put the flour and baking powder in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Break in the eggs. Using a fork break up the eggs and then mix into the flour until it is all mixed together. Add the milk and whisk to make a smooth batter. Stir in the peas and ham.

Heat a large frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Add tbsp of the batter spacing them well out. Cook for 2-3 mins until they are browned underneath, then flip over and cook the other side. Remove and keep warm whilst you cook the rest.

Stir the mustard into the yoghurt to make the sauce and serve with the fritters.

Turkish Baked Pancakes

These are a bit like the gozleme I get from the Turkish shop down the road from me, except the shell on these is a bit harder, I suspect because it is baked rather than cooked over a brazier thing. I loved them anyway, a nice project for a Sunday lunch!

Turkish Baked Pancakes (from The Telegraph)
(Serves 4)

150g 00 pasta flour
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 salt
75-120ml ice-cold water

For the filling
225 feta, crumbled
4 tbsp chopped mint
4 tbsp chopped dill
4 tbsp chopped coriander

Put the flour into a bowl and add the olive oil and salt. Add 75ml of water and mix until a soft, smooth dough forms, adding more water if necessary. Dust the dough ball lightly with flour, wrap in cling film and put into the fridge for 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 4 pieces. Dust the worktop with plenty of flour then roll one piece out into a small disc. The dough will become tight, so leave to rest for a couple of mins until soft again.

Roll it, resting from time to time into a circle. When it measure 25cm across it should be paper thin.

Scatter a thin layer of cheese and herbs over half the dough, leaving a 1cm border round the edge.

Brush the edge with water then lift and fold the other half of the bread to make a semi circle.

Lift carefully onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins until puffed and pale gold.

Prawn Okonomiyaki

My second lot of pancakes. This a Japanese pancake normally made with just cabbage but I thought I'd add some prawns in. It is absolutely delicious drizzled with sriracha hot sauce and mayonnaise.

Prawn Okonomiyaki (adapted from The Guardian)
(Serves 1)

1 egg
50g plain flour
50g stock, cooled
1-2 tsp spring onions, chopped
½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
125g cabbage, thinly shredded
10 king prawns, cut into 3
oil

To garnish
mayonnaise
sriracha sauce

Mix together the egg and flour, then stir in the cooled stock, making sure that there are no lumps. Add the spring onions, ginger, cabbage and prawns.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Pour the mixture into the pan, and fry for five mins each side. Add the garnishes to taste, and serve immediately.

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes

I'm loving pancakes at the moment, in all sorts of varieties. I made slightly larger pancakes and I served them with hummus, yoghurt and cherry tomatoes. Yum!

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes (from Little Grazers)
(Makes 10 little pancakes)

100g butternut squash, cubed
100g plain flour
120ml milk
1 egg
45g frozen sweetcorn
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
vegetable oil

Add the butternut squash to a steamer over some boiling hot water and steam until softened. Add to a bowl and mash, set aside and allow to cool.

Add the flour and egg and whisk until you have a smooth slightly thick batter. Stir in the cheese, sweetcorn and paprika.

Grease a frying pan over a medium high heat with some vegetable oil. Add heaped tbsps of the mixture to make mini pancakes and cook until golden on both sides.

Spinach Pancakes

So I made these because I didn't have any bread and I'd taken a burger out the freezer to eat! I also had a large amount of spinach in my fridge and I loved them. This, I think, is my most successful use of rice flour and flax seed, which have sat for months in my cupboard waiting to be used.

Spinach Pancakes (from Spabettie)
(Makes 10-12 3in pancakes)


3 handfuls fresh spinach
3 tbsp ground flax seed
125ml + 1 tbsp warm water
100g rice flour
1 tbsp baking powder

Combine the flax seed with the water, and put into the fridge to gel.

Put the spinach and flax gel into a food processor  and pulse until blended. Add the flour and baking powder, pulse until completely blended.

Pour in 1/4 cup increments onto a heated griddle over a medium heat, turning once when cooked through.

Sweetcorn Fritters with Avocado and Bacon

Most of my sweetcorn failed to come to anything, they had no kernels of corn on them! My Mum gave me one of hers and so I made these fritters. They were very filling but delicious and went perfectly with the bacon and avocado. I also served it with a gorgeous tomato and onion salad.

Sweetcorn Fritters with Avocado and Bacon (from Cook Yourself Thin by Gizzi Erskine)
(Serves 2)

1 large egg
150g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp cornflour
60g plain flour
salt and pepper
200g tin sweetcorn, well drained
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp oil

4 slices smoked bacon
1/2 avocado sliced
1 tbsp maple syrup

Put the egg, yogurt, cornflour, flour and salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk together until it becomes a smooth batter. Add the corn and spring onion and mix thoroughly.

Heat a frying pan until it is fairly hot and add 1 tbsp oil.  Drop ladlefuls of the mixture into the pan until you have 4 fritters. Cook for 2-3 mins or until the bottom is crisp and golden. Then turn over and cook the other side for 2-3 mins. You might need to do this in 2 batches.

Add a little more oil if you need to, then add the bacon to the pan and cook for 1-2 mins on each side, until cooked through.

Serve 2 fritters on each plate, top with 2 slices of bacon and a few slices of avocado. Drizzle with the maple syrup.

Fish Pie Pancake Bake

I love anything with pancakes. I especially love putting them in a bake. This fish pie bake is perfect. I used a fish pie mix I found reduced at the supermarket, which had salmon, cod and smoked haddock in it and I added peas and leeks but you could add pretty much any veg you like.

I have definitely mastered white sauce! Now I get a luscious thick sauce rather than a rather runny one. I am so happy, small things!

Fish Pie Pancake Bake (from Fuss Free Flavours)
(Serves 6)

500ml milk
600g mixture of fish
30g butter
1 heaped dsp plain flour
handful chopped vegetables
1 heaped dsp finely chopped gherkins or capers
6 large pancakes

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Put the fish and the milk in a microwave proof bowl and microwave on high for 5-10 mins until the fish is cooked. Drain reserving the milk and put the fish on a plate.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the flour and cook for a min stirring all the time. Reduce the heat and add the milk a little at a time, stirring to get a smooth sauce. Carry on cooking, stirring from time to time until the sauce has thickened.

Using two forks separate the fish into flakes, discarding the skin and any bones. Add to the white sauce together with the vegetables and gherkins or capers. Season to taste.

Put a bit of the fix mixture in the middle of each pancake and roll up, then place in an ovenproof dish. Top with any remaining fish mixture and sprinkle with a little finely grated cheese. Put into the oven and bake for 20–25 mins until piping hot and starting to turn golden.

Herb Pancake Wraps with Goat's Cheese

I  made this to have for lunch the day after pancake day and although not strictly a pancake, as it doesn't have any milk or flour, it was a lovely wrap filled with fresh bursting flavours.

Herb Pancake Wraps with Goat's Cheese (from Good Food Magazine June 2015)
(Serves 2)

1½ tsp oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 large courgette, coarsely grated and squeezed dry
2 large eggs
2 tbsp chopped basil
2 tsp thyme leaves
50g soft goat's cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
6 black olives, rinsed and halved
2 handfuls watercress

Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan and add the spring onions and courgette. Cook, stirring frequently, to soften the courgette and get rid of some of the moisture.

Beat an egg with 1 tbsp water, half the herbs and some black pepper. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, pour in the egg mixture and swirl the pan to set it thinly on the base. Cook for a couple of mins, flip over and cook for another min, tip onto a plate and repeat with the other egg, 1 tbsp water and remaining herbs.

Spread the goat’s cheese down the centre of each pancake and top with the courgette mix, scatter over the tomatoes, olives and watercress, then roll up and serve.

Korean Pancake

I made these delicious pancakes for lunch last weekend. It was really simple to make, chop up lots of veg, and you could use pretty much any veg you want, make a batter, combine and fry. Very satisfying!

50g plain flour
25g cornflour
pinch chilli powder
1 egg
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp oil
1 spring onion, trimmed and shredded lengthways
150g mixed vegetables, cut, julienned or shredded into 2-3cm lengths
50g small cooked prawns

For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
pinch of sugar

Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the flour, chilli powder and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl or jug, beat together 100ml water, the egg and garlic. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the water mixture, beating all the time to make a smooth batter. Add the veg and prawns to the batter and stir to coat.

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and pour in the batter and veg. Cook on a medium heat for 3-4 mins or until the bottom is fully set and turning golden, and the top is beginning to set. Flip over and cook the other side for 3-4 mins more until cooked through. Slice into wedges and serve with the dipping sauce.

Swiss Chard Pancakes

I loved these pancakes, they were bursting with flavour and so simple to make and made a fab vegetarian meal. I served it with grated carrot and radish with some vinaigrette poured over and some lemony yogurt. Heaven!

Swiss Chard Pancakes (from Smitten Kitchen)
(Serves 8)

475ml milk
325g plain flour
3 large eggs
salt and pepper
4 spring onions, sliced
10 fresh chives, snipped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
bunch parsley leaves, chopped
5 large or 10 small Swiss chard leaves, center ribs removed, roughly chopped
120 ml oil
Plain, thick yogurt mixed with a little lemon zest, lemon juice and salt, to taste

To make the batter; Put everything except the Swiss chard and oil in a blender or food processor and blitz until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides. Add the chard leaves and pulse until they’re chopped.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and pour in a good amount of oil. Once the oil is hot spoon about 3 tbsp of batter in per pancake. It will spread quickly. Cook until browned underneath and then turn over, cooking on the other side until browned again. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and then, if you’d like to keep them warm, to a foil-lined tray in a low oven. 

Repeat with remaining batter.  Serve with lemony yogurt or another sauce of your choice.

Ham and Cheese Pancake Roll Ups

These were a very tasty variation on a pasta bake and used up leftover milk and mushrooms.

140g plain flour
2 eggs
350ml semi-skimmed milk
sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

For the roll-ups
250g mushrooms, sliced
260g spinach
12 thin slices of ham, torn
140g grated cheddar
100ml half-fat crème fraîche
3 spring onions, sliced

Put the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the eggs into the flour. Add in a little milk and whisk until smooth.

Whisk in the rest of the milk until you have a smooth batter that is similar to the consistency of double cream.

Heat a little oil and knob of butter in a large frying pan and add the mushrooms, cook until soft and golden, add in the spinach and cook stirring for a couple of mins until wilted

Using kitchen paper, wipe the pan with a little oil. Place the pan on the stove and heat until hot. Remove from the heat and ladle in enough batter to cover the base, swirling it around. Return to the heat for 3 mins until the underside is cooked.

Take the pan off the heat and, using a spatula, loosen the pancake. Turn the pancake over and cook the other side. When cooked, put the pancake to one side, then repeat to cook 7 more pancakes.

Heat the oven to 200C. Grease a large ovenproof dish. Now lay a pancake in front of you and scatter over some mushrooms, spinach, ham and cheese.

Carefully roll up the pancakes and put them into the dish. Repeat with the other pancakes.

In a small bowl, mix together the crème fraîche with the remaining cheese and spring onions. Spread the topping over the pancakes and bake for about 30 mins until bubbling and golden.

Chicken and Mushroom Spelt Pancake Bake

I wanted to make spelt pancakes and then the idea popped into my head of making it into a bake. This is a really lovely creamy dish and although it requires a bit of preparation is really very simple.

Chicken and Mushroom Spelt Pancake Bake
(Serves 4)

For the filling:
2 tbsp oil
3 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
knob of butter
3 portobello mushrooms, sliced, then slices cut in half
bunch sage, chopped
300ml creme fraiche

For the pancakes:
100g spelt flour
2 eggs
200ml milk

For the bechamel:
40g butter
20g plain flour
425ml milk

100g cheddar, grated

Grease a large ovenproof dish.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until golden, about 5-6 mins. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan and a knob of butter, add the mushrooms and fry until golden. Add the chicken back to the pan with the sage and season. Stir in the creme fraiche and remove from the heat.

Next, make the pancakes. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add in the eggs and milk, whisk until you have a smooth batter.

Heat a frying pan and add a drop of oil. Pour a ladle of batter into the pan and swirl to cover the bottom. Cook for about 2-3 mins and then turn them over and cook for another 2 mins. The mixture should make 4-5 pancakes.

Fill each pancake with a quarter of the mixture and roll them up. Then place seam side down in the ovenproof dish.

Make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter gently, as soon as the butter melts, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to cook the flour out. It should form a thick glossy paste.

Add the milk a little at a time and stir again vigorously. Then, when this milk is incorporated, add the next amount and continue incorporating each bit of liquid before you add the next. 

When about half the milk is in, switch to a balloon whisk and start adding large amounts of milk, but always whisking briskly. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce cook for 5 mins, whisking from time to time. 

Pour the bechamel over the pancakes and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 mins until golden brown on top.

Okonomiyaki

Like the steamed buns I have been wanting to make Okonomiyaki for an age. I finally had some cabbage lying around in my fridge and I thought why not! I loved it, eggy but pancakey and then all the cabbage, it really was lovely and I urge you to top it with mayonnaise and brown sauce - delicious.

Okonomiyaki (from The Guardian)
(Serves 1)

1 egg
50g plain flour
50g stock, cooled
15g raw potato, grated
1-2 tsp spring onions, chopped
½ tsp fresh ginger, grated (or Japanese pickled ginger, diced)
125g cabbage, thinly shredded
Oil

To garnish
Kewpie mayonnaise (or regular)
Okonomiyaki sauce (or HP sauce)

Mix together the egg and flour, then stir in the cooled stock, making sure that there are no lumps.

Add the grated potato to the batter, then stir in the spring onions, ginger and cabbage.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Pour the mixture into the pan, and fry for five mins each side.

Add the garnishes to taste, and serve immediately.

Chinese Vegetable Pancakes

This was lunch on Monday, I wish I had reserved some of the sweet chilli sauce to drizzle over the top of the pancakes, a lesson learnt for next time, but other wise these were really tasty, I definitely need to investigate what more I can do with pancakes.

Chinese Vegetable Pancakes (from WW Cooking for One)
(Serves 1)
(9 WW ProPoints per serving)

50g plain flour
pinch salt
1 egg
125ml skimmed milk
cooking spray
150g stir fry veg
pinch Chinese five spice powder
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce

Put the flour, salt, egg and milk into a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients together to make a smooth batter. Set aside for 20 mins.

Heat a frying pan and spray with the cooking spray. Pour in half the batter and swirl it over the base of the pan. Cook over a medium heat until the top has set, then flip over to cook the other side. Repeat with the second pancake.

Meanwhile, heat another frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Add the stir fry veg and cook, stirring for 3-4 mins until done. Sprinkle with five spice powder and add the sweet chilli sauce.

Share the veg between the pancakes and fold into triangles. Serve at once.

Daring Cooks April 2014: Palatschinken

The April Daring Cooks Challenge was brought to us by Joanna from What’s On The List. She taught us all about Pathiri and challenged us to create our own version of this inspirational Indian dish!

Ok, so, mine's not Indian. I decided that cooking for one and making what looked like a cake might be a bit difficult. What I really wanted to make is a blintz dish that I have eaten in an Israeli restaurant close to where I work but I couldn't find a recipe that even came close to that. So I rang my Mum and she had a look in her old Cordon Bleu cookery course and came up with this. The beginning of the recipe says of this dish "This recipe given to Cordon Bleu many years ago by a Czechoslovakian us a marvellous way of presenting small quantities of leftover meat and vegetables. It is a good lunch or supper dish." There are also other suggested fillings; lamb, carrot, cabbage and tomato. Recipes available on request!

I made a few adaptations to the recipe as this one also had layers of pancakes with filling in between and I wanted them rolled up! But the rest of the recipe is the same. I made 4 pancakes and 4 fillings. so far I've eaten the mushrooms and the ham and both were really really tasty, so I look forward to trying the chicken and spinach at a later date.

Palatschinken (from Cordon Bleu Cookery Course)
(Serves 4-6)

For the pancake batter
110g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
200ml semi-skimmed milk mixed with 75ml water
50g butter

For the white sauce
45g butter
30g plain flour
315ml milk

2 eggs separated
60g cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper

For the fillings

Ham
100g cooked ham, diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chutney

Chicken
100g cooked chicken, shredded
1 hard-boiled egg
1 tbsp stock or cream

Mushroom
30g butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
120g mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp flour
2-3 tbsp stock or milk
1 tbsp mixed herbs, chopped

Spinach
50g spinach
1 tbsp butter or cream

Prepare the pancake batter by sifting the flour into a bowl and whisking in the eggs. Then slowly add milk and water until the batter is smooth and the consistency of single cream. Leave to stand in a cool place for 30 mins. Melt the butter a little at a time and fry the pancakes, you should have about 8. When done, set aside to cool whilst you prepare the fillings.

For the ham filling: Mix the ham with the mustard and chutney, stir well to combine.

For the chicken filling: Mix the chicken and egg together. Season well and bind with a little stock or cream.

For the mushroom filling: Melt the butter and cook the shallot until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook until all the water has evaporated. Mix together the flour and stock or water. Season and bring the mixture to the boil. Add the mixed herbs and stir well.

For the spinach filling: Either melt the butter and stir in the spinach, or put the spinach into a pan and add the cream and heat gently. Then add a little nutmeg.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Grease a large oven-proof dish.

Place half of each filling down the centre of one pancake, role up and place into the casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining filling and pancakes.

Make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan and mix in the flour. Stir continuously for a few mins to cook out the flour. Add the milk a little at a time stirring in between each addition until the mixture becomes thickened.

Take the pan off the heat and leave for a couple of mins. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the white sauce with 1 tbsp of the cheese.

Spoon the sauce over the pancakes, making sure that the sauce runs down the sides of the pancakes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in the oven for about 20-30 mins until golden and puffed up. Serve.

Creamy Turkey Pancakes

So for pancake day, which now feels like eons ago, I made actual pancakes! I had found a recipe in one of my cookbooks a couple of weeks before, which sparked my interest and so I actually made pancakes just for me! This seems like a slightly weird recipe but go with it, it comes up trumps, they were really tasty. They are 10 WW ProPoints without the sweet chilli sauce and 11 I think with.

Creamy Turkey Pancakes (from WeightWatchers Cook Smart Simply Suppers)
(Serves 2)
(10 WW ProPoints per serving)

4 ready made pancakes
cooking spray
200g turkey breast, sliced into thin strips
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 red pepper, sliced
2 small courgettes, sliced into thin strips
100ml veg stock
100g low fat soft cheese
salt and pepper
sweet chilli sauce for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 180C. Wrap the pancakes in foil and place in the oven to heat through.

Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray. Stir fry the turkey strips for 5 mins, until nearly cooked through and golden.

Add the soy sauce, pepper and courgettes. Stir fry for another 2 mins or until the veg begin to soften. Stir in the stock and soft cheese and season.

Remove the pancakes from the oven and divide  the mixture between the warmed pancakes. Roll up and serve.

Honey Cloud Pancake with Lemon and Raspberries

This is a rather late post for which I apologise. I wasn't going to bother with pancake day. At the most I was going to use some shop bought frozen lemon and sultana pancakes but that was it, I was on my own that evening, late back from work and couldn't be bothered! Then everyone started talking about the pancake parties they were going to, or the pancakes they were making and I wanted pancakes too! So I started looking and found this recipe for cloud pancakes which I had never heard of before and the recipe was for one, perfect!

It wasn't really a pancake in the sense of what I would call a pancake. It was more like a sweet Yorkshire pudding with fruit but it made me feel a bit more in the spirit of the day!

Honey Cloud Pancake with Lemon and Raspberries (adapted from Things We Make)
(Serves 1)

1 large egg
60ml milk
30g flour
1 pinch of salt
2 tsp of honey
1 dash of vanilla extract
1 tbsp of butter
handful raspberries
zest 1/2 lemon
Honey

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

 

To make the main batter, in a bowl, mix the egg with flour, salt, honey, and vanilla then whisk in the milk.

Heat a small 6″ oven proof frying pan. Melt one tablespoon of butter in the hot pan.

Pour the batter in and cook on the hob for a few minutes until starting to set at the very edge.

Sprinkle the raspberries and lemon zest on top and bake in the oven for10 mins until puffed up and golden.

Drizzle with honey and serve.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Spiced Apple Compote

I was on my own for Easter, so I started Easter Sunday with buttermilk pancakes! I was looking for something to do with the rest of the tub of buttermilk I used for the chicken and came up with these pancakes. I think that these are more typically American pancakes than the very thin ones I'm used to here, but they were delicious! I made so many that I had them three days running and I couldn't get enough! I had some cooking apples that needed using and thought that apple compote would go fantastically with the pancakes. So good!



Buttermilk Pancakes (from Good Food Magazine December 2011)
(Makes 15)

300g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 medium eggs
284ml carton buttermilk
4 tbsp milk
85g melted butter

For the Spiced Apple Compote

75g butter
100g demerara sugar
4 Bramley apples, peeled and diced
¼tsp ground ginger
¼tsp ground cinnamon
¼tsp nutmeg

Place a saucepan onto a medium heat and add the butter and sugar.

Add the apples and spices and stir to combine.

Bring to a simmer and cook until the apples have softened but still retain some texture. This takes about 20-30 mins.

Mix the flour, bicarb and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then gradually whisk in the eggs, followed by the buttermilk, milk and melted butter.

Melt a little more butter in a non-stick pan or wipe with sunflower oil. When hot, add 1-3 small ladles of batter to the pan to make 1-3 small pancakes (depending on the size of your pan). Cook for 2-3 mins until bubbles appear and the underneaths are set and golden. Flip and cook for a few mins more. Transfer pancakes to a plate, cover with baking parchment and keep warm in a low oven. Cook the remaining pancakes.

To serve, place pancakes on a plate and top with a dollop of apple compote and maple syrup.

Daring Cooks October 2011: Moo Shu and Pancakes

The October Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Shelley of C Mom Cook and her sister Ruth of The Crafts of Mommyhood. They challenged us to bring a taste of the East into our home kitchens by making our own Moo Shu, including thin pancakes, stir fry and sauce.

I loved this challenge, I love Chinese food anyway so this was so exciting! It's the first one that I've managed to complete for a little while and I was so pleased that I actually got it made as well as it being delicious. The three components together work deliciously. My hoisin sauce didn't turn out as expected, it was a bit too runny but it still tasted right!



Thin Pancakes:
Makes 24-30 pancakes
Preparation time: about 10 minutes plus 30 minutes' standing time
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients
4 cups (960 ml) (560 gm) (19¾ oz) all purpose flour
About 1½ cup (300ml) (10 fl oz) boiling water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vegetable oil
Dry flour for dusting

Directions:

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Gently pour in the water, stirring as you pour, then stir in the oil. Knead the mixture into a soft but firm dough. If your dough is dry, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency. Cover with a damp towel and let stand for about 30 minutes.



Lightly dust the surface of a worktop with dry flour. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until smooth, then divide into 3 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a long sausage and cut each sausage into 8-10 pieces. Keep the dough that you are not actively working with covered with a lightly damp dish cloth to keep it from drying out.

Roll each piece into a ball, then, using the palm of your hand, press each piece into a flat pancake. Dust the worktop with more dry flour. Flatten each pancake into a 6 to 8 inch (15 cm to 20 cm) circle with a rolling pin, rolling gently on both sides.



Place an un-greased frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, lower the heat to low and place the pancakes, one at a time, in the pan. Remove when little light-brown spots appear on the underside. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve.



Moo Shu Pork:

Serves 4
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking time: 6-8 minutes

Ingredients
2/3 cup (1 oz) (30 gm) Dried black fungus ('wood ears')
½ lb (450 gm) pork loin or butt
¾ cup (3½ oz) (100 gm) bamboo shoots, thinly cut
3 cups (6 oz) (170 gm) Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), thinly cut
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt
4 tablespoons (60 ml) vegetable oil
2 scallions
1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
2 teaspoons (10 ml) rice wine
A few drops sesame oil
12 thin pancakes to serve

Soak the fungus in warm water for 10-15 minutes, rinse and drain. Discard any hard stalks, then thinly shred.
Thinly cut the pork, bamboo shoots and Chinese cabbage into matchstick-sized shreds.
Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.



Heat about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil in a preheated wok and scramble the eggs until set, but not too hard. Remove and keep to one side.

Heat the remaining oil. Stir-fry the shredded pork for about 1 minute or until the color changes. Add the fungus, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage and scallions. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes, then add the remaining salt, soy sauce and wine. Blend well and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Add the scrambled eggs, stirring to break them into small bits. Add the sesame oil and blend well.



Hoisin Sauce:

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut butter OR black bean paste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey OR molasses
2 teaspoons (10 ml) white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon (⅔ ml) garlic powder
2 teaspoons (10 ml) sesame seed oil
20 drops (¼ teaspoon) Chinese style hot sauce (optional, depending on how hot you want your hoisin sauce)
1/8 teaspoon (⅔ ml) black pepper

Directions:
Simply mix all of the ingredients together by hand using a sturdy spoon.

At first it does not appear like it will mix, but keep at it just a bit longer and your sauce will come together



Final Preparation and Serving:

Each of the three components that comprise the complete Moo Shu dish are served separately, and the diner prepares each serving on his or her own plate. Most restaurants provide four pancakes, a serving of Moo-Shu and a small dish of hoisin sauce as a single serving. To prepare each pancake for eating, the following is the most common process: a small amount of hoisin sauce is spread onto the pancake, on top of which a spoonful of the stir-fry is placed. In order to prevent (or, realistically, minimize) the filling from spilling out while eating, the bottom of the pancake is folded up, then the pancake is rolled, similarly to a soft taco. Once rolled, the prepared pancake is eaten immediately.