Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

A perfect pancake recipe for a wholesome breakfast !!

Here are the ingredients you will need: All purpose flour, Milk, Egg, Butter, Sugar, Baking powder and Salt

Begin by adding 1 1/2 cups of All purpose flour in the  sifter

Next add 3 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Salt

 

1 Tbsp Sugar
 

Sift it together and keep it aside.

Next melt 3 Tbsp of Butter in a microwave safe bowl

To this, add 1 1/2 Cups of room temperature milk.
Don't add cold milk. It will result in semi solid butter globs which will be more difficult to combine.

To this add 1 Egg

and 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract and whisk it until the mixture is combined.

Now pour the mixture into the flour mixture

and slowly mix it together

 Do not over mix, a few small lumps are fine.

Let it rest for 15 minutes. Batter will be somewhat thick and bubbly.
Meanwhile heat up a cast iron pan/griddle

Drop 1/4 cupful of batter onto the pan.

If you need that golden even color for your pancakes, you will need a cast iron pan and do not grease the pan before pouring the batter.

Cook until the surface of pancakes have some bubbles.

Flip with a thin spatula and brown the other side.

Serve with lashings of real maple syrup and extra butter if you like.

These pancakes are light and fluffy and great for a weekend brunch.

Serve immediately.

 

RECIPE ( Taken from allrecipes.com )

Makes : 8 1/2 pancake

Ingredients :

• Flour - 11/2 Cup
• Baking powder -3 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 Tbsp
• Butter - 2 Tbsp (melted)
• Milk - 3/4 Cup
• Egg- 1
• Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Directions :

• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl.
• Whisk milk,egg ,butter and vanilla extract until nicely combined
• Gently mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients.
• Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat
• Pour 1/4 cupful of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.
• Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.  
• Serve immediately.     

Super Sloppy Joes

A sloppy pile of ground beef, tomato sauce, onions and deliciousness.

To make this meaty goodness, you will need : Ground beef, Green pepper, Onion, Garlic, Tomato Sauce, Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Vinegar, Salt and Pepper.

 Put 1/2  lb of Ground beef into a pan and stir continuously so that it comes out in little bitty bits.

When it starts browning, add 1/2 Cup chopped Green pepper.

and cook it till the meat is completely brown.

To this, add 1/2 Cup chopped Onion

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1Tbsp minced Garlic

5Tbsp  Ketchup

Now give it a good stir and get it all mixed up well. Cook for 2 minutes on low flame.

To this add, 3Tbsp Tomato sauce

and mix it again.

Then add, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

and   1/2 Tbsp. Vinegar and stir it all around.

Finally pour  1/4 Cup Water and let it cook for few minutes until the liquid reduces slightly and the mixture is nice and creamy.

To serve, melt some butter in a pan

Place both halves of hamburger buns face down

and lightly toast them.

Spoon generous amount of mixture into the bun and top with the other half.

Enjoy !!

 

RECIPE

• Ground Beef - 1/2 lb
• Green pepper - 1/2 Cup
• Chopped onion- 1/2 Cup
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic minced - 1 Tbsp
• Ketchup - 5 Tbsp
• Tomato Sauce - 3 Tbsp
• Worcestershire sauce - 1 Tbsp
• Vinegar - 1/2 Tbsp
• Water - 1/4 Cup
• Hamburger Buns - 4

 

DIRECTIONS

• Brown the meat, green pepper and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks.
• Add the garlic, salt, pepper, all the sauces and vinegar and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
• Add water, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more.
• Toast the buns and place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve hot.

 

Mediterranean Chicken Salad with Tzatziki

 

Marinated strips of grilled chicken over a bed of lettuce with fresh diced tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, black olives, red onions and dill served with tzatziki. 

 

 

 

To make the tzatziki, you will need: Greek yogurt or thick plain yogurt, Cucumber, Garlic, Lime juice, Dill, Salt and Pepper.

Pour 1 1/2 cup yogurt through a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl.

and strain for several hours to remove as much liquid as possible and thicken the yogurt.

Next, peel 1 cucumber, cut them in half, lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.

Grate the cucumber..

 

and transfer it to a strainer with a bowl placed under to catch the liquids.
 

Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and  let sit at least 10 minutes.

 

Meanwhile peel 2 garlic cloves

and chop some fresh dill.

Transfer the thick yogurt to another bowl.

Squeeze 1/2 Tbsp Lime Juice into the yogurt.

Grate 1 1/2 tsp of Garlic.

Then,squeeze as much liquid from grated cucumber as possible and add the cucumber to the yogurt.

Add 1/2 Tbsp. Dill

Combine it thoroughly.

Add 1/4 tsp Pepper and ..

1/4 tsp Salt.

Mix it all up and serve it.

Next, for the chicken, you will need : Boneless chicken pieces, Yogurt, Lime, Dill, Oregano, Garlic, Cumin, Red chilli powder, Salt and Pepper.

Add 1/2 cup Yogurt

1/2 tsp. Lime juice

 

1 Tbsp. Dill

1 1/2 tsp Grated garlic

1/4 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 

 

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Pepper

and 1/2 tsp. Salt in a bowl

Combine all the ingredients.

 Coat the chicken generously with the marinade.

Refrigerate it atleast for an hour.

 

Place the chicken pieces on a hot grill or a hot pan.

After 2 to 4 minutes, lift the chicken pieces with tongs and flip them over.

 Keep rotating 45 degrees every few minutes to make grill marks on each side.

Next get the salad ingredients ready-Chopped lettuce, Onion, Cucumber, Plum tomatoes, Olive, Dill and Green pepper.

Toss the salad ingredients together and top it with sliced chicken and tzatziki. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!!


 RECIPE

Tzatziki
Ingredients:

• Yogurt- 1.5 Cup (Greek yogurt or if unavailable plain yogurt )
• Garlic-1/4 tsp
• Lime Juice-1/2 Tbsp
• Cucumber- 1
• Salt- 1/4 tsp
• Dill- 1/2 tbsp.
• Pepper- 1/4 tsp

Directions:

• Pour the plain yogurt through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Do not squeeze. The bowl will catch the excess liquid from the yogurt. Skip this step if you are using greek yogurt or any thick yogurt.
• Peel the cucumber and grate them and pour into a strainer.
• Salt them and allow the salted cucumber to rest in the strainer for 30 minutes.
• This will drain off the water from cucumber.
• After 30 minutes, press the cucumber firmly with both your hands to strain out all the excess water from cucumbers.
• Pour the thick yogurt into a bowl.
• Add the grated cucumber.
• Add grated garlic, chopped dill, salt and pepper.
• Give it a good stir and refrigerate for an hour.
• Serve it cold with any meat or eat with vegetable, chips or fresh bread.

Mediterranean Chicken
Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken pieces - 1/2 lb
• Yogurt - 1/2 Cup
• Lime juice-1/2 tsp
• Dill- 1 Tbsp
• Garlic-1 1/2tsp
• Oregano-1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
• Cumin- 1/4 tsp
• Salt- 1/2 tsp
• Pepper- 1/4 tsp

Directions:

• Make a marinade by mixing all the ingredients.
• Marinate the chicken for an hour.
• Cook the chicken on a grill or on stove top until the chicken is cooked through.
• Once cooked, transfer the pieces to a cutting board and slice them into strips.
• Slice it against the grilled marks if cooking on a grill. That will give nice even grill marks on all the chicken strips.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Ingredients:

• Lettuce sliced - 2 Cup
• Plum tomatoes diced - 1/2 Cup
• Cucumber diced - 1 Cup
•  red onion, diced - 1/4 Cup
• kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped - 1/4 Cup
• Green Pepper diced - 1/4 Cup
• Dill minced - 1 Tbsp
• Cooked Chicken cut into strips - Recipe above
• Tzatziki - For dressing - Recipe above.

Directions:

• Plate salad, then place the chicken strips on top
• Serve the Tzatziki in a small bowl