Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Pie Topping

On a cold fall morning, there is nothing that will warm you up and fill you up (that tastes delicious) like these pancakes. Think of them as a cross between pumpkin and apple pie flavoring, but all rolled into an acceptable breakfast meal.

Recipe yields 12 pancakes

Ingredients
Pumpkin Pancakes:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (See here for recipe)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup milk
3 large egg whites

Apple Pie Topping:
4 medium apples
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water

Let's start off with making our apple topping. First we need to peel and dice our apples into about 1" cubes. Since the apples are round, it is hard to get perfect cubes, so just try your best!

Heat a small skillet on medium-high heat and add your butter. Once melted, add flour and whisk together. Throw in your diced apples and coat with the butter/flour mixture.

Add your spices and sugar to the pan and mix to coat all the apples.

Add the water and mix in with the apples so that the spices are now melted away into the liquid. Bring to a simmer, cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes.

While the apples are cooking, we can prepare and make our pancakes! In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to combine all ingredients well.

In the same bowl, add your milk, canned pumpkin and egg whites. Stir well with a spoon until all dry clumps are gone and the batter is smooth.

Heat a large skillet and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Drop batter into skillet in small rounds. I prefer 'silver-dollar' sized pancakes. If you want bigger pancakes, just add more batter.

Let cook for about 3-4 minutes before you flip. You will notice the edges begin to curl up and little air holes begin to appear on the surface of the pancake. Those are signs the pancake is ready to be flipped.

When you have finished all your batter, remove the cover from the apples and stir. The liquid should now be thick and gooey!

Place pancakes on a plate and top with a spoonful of apples and sauce. Serve & enjoy!

Celery Root & Apple Salad

All because summer has come to an end, it doesn't mean a stop to refreshing salads made of fruits and veggies. Both apples and celery root are great during the fall and make for a refreshing salad. Celery root can be tough, but if it is sliced thin, it is great to eat raw. If you are looking to try something new and different, pick up a celery root and try out this simple salad.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 large celery root
3 Granny Smith apples

Dressing:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
10 tbsp walnut oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Peel the celery root. This may seem like a daunting task so follow what I did and it will be a breeze. First, cut the top and bottom ends of the celery root to create two flat surfaces. This is crucial so the celery root is stable when you are trying to peel it.

Now, starting from the top edge, run your knife along the curve of the celery root to take off the top layer. Continue to turn the celery root and repeat this process until the entire celery root is peeled.

Now, using your mandolin on the same julienne setting as the apples, julienne the celery root. Similar to above, you can julienne the celery root by hand.

Peel and core the apples. Julienne them in a similar manner as the celery root. Toss together the apple and celery root in a bowl to mix them up.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mustard and lemon juice until well combined. In a slow, steady stream, add the walnut oil while you continue to whisk, allowing the oil to emulsify. When your vinaigrette is formed, add salt and pepper, to taste, if necessary.

Pour the dressing over the celery root and apples. Stir to coat evenly. Serve alongside your favorite dish for a light and refreshing side. Enjoy!

Personal Strawberry Shortcakes

When I was younger, it was always a treat when my mom let my brother and I make strawberry shortcake for dessert. Of course, Joe would always steal all the strawberries and leave me with the throwbacks. But either way, we would always have fun together in the kitchen. Today, I am dedicating this post to my brother for his 22nd birthday. Happy Birthday Joe!

 

Recipe yields 6 personal shortcakes

Ingredients
Shortcake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries
3 tbsp sugar

Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Remove stems from all strawberries. Cut them length wise into slices. Place cut strawberries into a small bowl with 3 tbsp sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl sift together flour, 2 tbsp of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add heavy cream. Mix until ingredients are just combined. Note: the dough is going to be very sticky.

Place dough into an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

When the cake is golden brown and finished cooking, remove from oven and pan and place on a rack to cool.

When shortcake has cooled so you can handle it, cut into 4 or 6 squares. Slice each square in half, like you are cutting open a roll, so you have a top and a bottom.

In a medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract to form the whipped cream. Whisk vigorously until soft peaks form. If you are not interested in toning your bicep, you can use a hand mixer instead of a whisk. (I look at it this way, if I can do it by hand that gets me an extra bite of cake!)

On the bottom slice of each square, place a large spoonful of sugared strawberries.

Top with a large dollop of whipped cream.

Place the tops back on each shortcake and top with a few additional strawberries. Serve & enjoy!

Blue Cheese & Chicken Salad

One of my favorite places to eat out is a little creperie close to my house. Whether it is brunch, lunch, dinner or dessert this place hits the spot every time. Even though I love to order crepes, one of my classic go-to dishes is a tossed salad with  blue cheese and shredded chicken. Tonight, I attempted to recreate it. This salad is great for lunch or dinner and it really hits every box on the food pyramid.

Recipe yields 2 servings

Ingredients
16 oz mixed greens or baby spinach (My grocery store was out! So I was stuck with Romaine)
2 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 lb chicken breast
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing:
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Optional Additions: flat breads, crostini or baguette

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes flip over and bake for another 8-10 minutes.

While chicken is in the oven, core and dice both apples into 1/2" pieces.

When the chicken is finished cooking, remove from oven and allow to cool until you are able to handle it. Using a fork, shred the chicken.

In a large bowl, toss the mixed greens with shredded chicken, apples, walnuts and crumbled blue cheese. I am not a lover of blue cheese so I eat mine sparingly on the side, but feel free to toss it in there.

Mince and press the garlic until it forms a paste. Whisk together the paste with the honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

Whisk in the balsamic vinegar until all ingredients are well combined.

While continuously whisking, slowly add the oil. Do not add any oil unless you are whisking it in or else it will not emulsify.

Once the dressing has emulsified, pour over the tossed salad. Mix well to coat all ingredients with the dressing.

Serve with your choice of flat breads, baguette, etc and a nice iced tea. Enjoy!

Blueberry Clafouti

A clafouti is a French pastry that is baked on top of fruit, generally cherries. Today I used blueberries, but you can swap them out for the traditional cherries, or any other fruit you like. This dessert is the perfect balance of sweetness and the pastry is light and puffy.

Recipe yields 1 8" pan

Ingredients
1 pound fresh blueberries
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream, eggs, and almond extract.

Slowly pour the mixture of wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while continuously whisking until all dry ingredients are mixed in.

Line the bottom of an 8 inch round baking pan with a layer of blueberries. Pour mixture on top of blueberries to create a top layer.

Allow pan to sit for 25-30 minutes so the batter can set. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and 'bouncy' to the touch. (Helpful Hint - When you tap the top of the pastry, it should bounce back. If your fingerprint stays in the pastry, it is too soft and under-cooked.)

Allow to cool once removed from the oven. Top with confectioner's sugar or whipped cream. Serve and enjoy!