Sourdough Pancakes

You need to start this the night before you plan to make them.

Sourdough Pancakes

Overnight Sponge:
1 cup sourdough starter, unfed
2 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups buttermilk

Stir down your unfed starter and measure 1 cup into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the flour, sugar and buttermilk.  Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.

Pancake Batter:
All of the Overnight Sponge
1/4 cup melted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

In a small bowl or mixing cup, beat the eggs and melted butter. Add to the overnight sponge mixture and stir to mix.  Add the salt and baking soda, stirring to combine.  The batter will poof up and start to bubble!  (It's alive!)

Spoon the batter onto your hot, buttered griddle and cook until the pancakes start to bubble and get dry on the edges, then flip them and cook until done. Serve with butter and syrup.

Since this was my first time making Sourdough Pancakes I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.  They were tasty, a little bit of a sour bite on the tongue, but good.  They were a lot thinner than the pancakes I usually make...almost crepe-like, with a pretty lacy look as they browned.

Recipe from the King Arthur Flour website.  You can use the same batter for waffles, which I will be trying soon!

Cinnamon Carrots

Cinnamon Carrots

1 bag ready-to-cook baby carrots, washed
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350^F.

Place the baby carrots in a 9x9" baking dish.  Cream the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Stir in the boiling water until blended and pour over the carrots.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

They smelled better than they tasted.  I might try them again, omitting the boiling water entirely to get a more sauce-like consistency.

From tasteofhome.com

Creamy Herbed Pork Chops

Creamy Herbed Pork Chops

4 pork chops (3/4-1" thick)
Montreal Steak Seasoning
3 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 heaping tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp black pepper
Garlic Salt to taste
2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350^F.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter.  Season the pork chops with Montreal Steak Seasoning and brown well on both sides in the skillet.  Remove the chops to a casserole dish.

Leave 3 Tbsp butter in the skillet and stir in the flour, bouillon granules, basil and black pepper. Slowly whisk in the milk, to make a gravy.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture just begins to bubble.  Taste and add garlic salt to taste if desired.

Pour over the pork chops and cover the dish tightly with foil.  Bake for 1 hour.  Stir the sauce and serve with the chops.

Excellent with rice!  Adapted from allrecipes.com

Green Beans with Bacon and New Potatoes

Green Beans with Bacon and New Potatoes

1 lb fresh green beans
3-4 strips bacon
1 onion, chopped
Garlic Salt and Pepper
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
Water
8-10 tiny red or white potatoes

Wash the green beans, snip off the tips and snap them in half.

Cut bacon into 2" pieces and fry in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Remove the bacon and set aside.  Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the green beans, garlic salt, pepper, bouillon and enough water to cover the beans.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Add the baby potatoes and continue simmering another 30-45 minutes.  Garnish with the cooked bacon and serve.

Yummy, old-fashioned, Southern style green beans!

Maple Glazed Skillet Pork Chops

Maple Glazed Skillet Pork Chops

4 pork chops, 3/4-1" thick
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

Heat the oil in a large iron skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Season the chops with salt and pepper and brown well on one side.  Turn the chops and cook for about 1 minute.  Add water to skillet, cover and reduce heat to medium.  Cook about 30 minutes until pork is done and the water has nearly all evaporated.

In the meantime, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until well blended.  Pour over the pork chops and reduce heat to low for about 5 minutes or until the glaze thickens.

Tasty! Adapted from a Cook's Country recipe.

Horseradish Chive Bread

Horseradish Chive Bread

4 tbsp salted butter, softened
1 tbsp Kraft Horseradish-Dijon mayonnaise
1 tsp freeze-dried chives
6 slices sourdough bread

Preheat the oven to 375^F.

Cream the butter, mayo and chives and mix well.  Spread generously on each slice of bread and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 5-7 minutes or until hot and slightly toasted.

Awesome bread!!!

Beef Bourguignon Noodle Soup

Beef Bourguignon Noodle Soup

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs lean beef stew meat
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
2 slices bacon, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups red wine
32 oz carton low sodium beef broth
Water
16 oz pkg egg noodles

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Place the beef cubes in a plastic bag with the flour, salt and pepper and shake to coat.

Cook the beef cubes in the oil until well browned all over.  Remove to a plate.

In the same pot, cook the bacon and chopped carrots about 5 minutes.  Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 more minutes.  Stir in tomato paste, thyme and red wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits for a minute or two.  Add the beef broth and enough water to cover the beef and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours or until the beef is very tender, adding water as needed to keep the level about the same.  You'll want enough liquid to cook the noodles in after the beef is done.

Bring the soup back to a boil and stir in the egg noodles.  Cook until just done (according to package directions).

Serve with Horseradish Chive Bread.

This was very good!  Adapted from Martha Stewart's Boeuf Bourguignon Soup.