Zucchini Bread Pancakes

(forgive the slightly fuzz like picture. Lazily used the camera phone this AM~ forgoing the usual Nikon route).

This year we planted a garden. Well...every year we plant a garden. This year its actually producing things~ lots of things. Previous to this year we gardened in our yard; which is heavily shaded, rocky, and a bit sloped. Obviously not the most ideal growing environment for most edible goodies.

This year, we did what we should have done 6 years ago when we bought this house. We joined a local community garden group. Success.

Yesterday we reaped the first of the harvest with zucchini and lettuce abounding.

Without a doubt, zucchini bread will be made. For us, for the neighbors, for the CAKE&WHISKEY interns, for the mailman and for friends. Want some zucchini bread? Send me an email~ I'll take care of it.

And in my attempt to always find some healthy alternative to explore (for myself... I've given up on the rest of the boys of the house seeing the benefit of less gluten or sugar.) I whipped up this little recipe below with a serious hankering for some Sunday morning pancakes.
It has no sugar, no flour, only 1T of olive oil for the entire recipe...pretty much its just about as guilt free as you can get with something like pancakes. And the kicker? They taste pretty darn rad.

The recipe is adapted and switcheroo'd from a zucchini muffin recipe~ so after making a couple of pancakes (super filling), I filled muffin cups with the rest of the batter and baked the rest into muffins for the week ahead.

Zucchini Bread Pancakes

1/2 cup oat flour (finely ground oats in the food processor)
1/4 cup coconut flour (finely ground unsweetened coconut in the food processor)
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

4 eggs
1/4 cup Stevia in the Raw (or 1/3 cup honey)
1t. vanilla
1 T olive oil
1/2 t. apple cider vinegar
1 banana (pureed)
1 cup zucchini, finely chopped

Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients and then incorporate them into the egg/zucchini mixture. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 10 minutes.
Heat a non-stick skillet to medium. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into the center of the pan (you're making pancakes...this is all pretty self explanatory at this point.) The key to these, is you need to let them cook a bit longer than your typical buttermilk pancake. I'd give it a good 3-5 minutes on one side before flipping. Make sure they aren't gooey on the inside still when you plate them.

Summer Garden Kale and Zucchini Pizza

If you know me very well, you know my world revolves around the chance to eat pizza. And I'm really not exaggerating all that much. I just love it. Comfort food to the max.
Some of my earliest childhood memories are Friday nights with my mom, sitting on the floor watching TGIF shows with a Donatos pizza and cans of Pepsi. Good memories.

I'm not a picky pizza eater either. Requirements?
Crust. All kinds are acceptable. Deep dish when in Chicago, thin crust when in NYC. Between those times, everything is fair game.

Sauce. Again, this is not an issue of light or heavy. It just needs some.

Cheese. Yes please. As much and as many varieties as possible.

Toppings. All or few. You can't go wrong. Anchovies...don't deny them till you've tried them.

Now into my mid-thirties. Yes... as of next week MID thirties (whaaa???) pizza is less of a staple and more of a reward. That's incredibly sad on so many levels.

I've tried the cauliflower crust pizza...heck, I even blogged about it. But nothing beats the real deal. And to me, the real deal is brought to me by a college guy driving a little civic sort of car carrying an insulated square bag that literally holds piping hot slices of heaven.

But I would be remiss if I didn't talk about my love of homemade pizza. It took me years to develop a love for it~ mostly due to the fact that 99% of all pizza crust recipes are pure crap. Tasteless, chewy (not that good kind of chewy either)...almost inedible. Almost. (No pizza is ever completely inedible.)

A few years ago I ran across a cheap cookbook called The Figs Table. It has some decent recipes. The pizza dough recipe? Exceptional. I thank God for that recipe in my prayers at night.

I blogged about it here~ with the recipe~ so no need to repeat.

I've been experimenting more with toppings. Changing it up a bit. Less cheese, more healthy stuff...seeing how far I can push the boundaries of healthy pizza until it just becomes pointless.
So far, so good.

The recipe makes 4 balls of dough. Which freeze BRILLIANTLY, by the way. Follow the steps on the other post to ensure the great crust results ~ hot oven, hot pizza stone, etc....

I made the boys their typical cheese and meat sort of pizza favorite. And then I scoured around the blooming garden and the fridge to assemble my own. My own this time around? Kale, thinly sliced zucchini, the first hot pepper from the garden, buffalo mozzarella, a bit of feta and sea salt.

I'll never deny myself the 2am, grease-dripping-down-the-elbows, big-as-my-head slice of NY style pizza. I just won't. I can't. But between those times, I'll reward myself with something a little easier on the stomach...and the looming saddle bags.

Table Three Ten

One of my favorite places in Lexington...make that Kentucky...actually maybe even in this time zone, is an enchantingly cozy place called Table Three Ten. At night, it radiates. Candles, energy, music, food, libations...each element is cued for perfection. And perfection it nurtures each and every night.

From time to time, I end up here~ in the middle of the day. When all is quiet is except for the hum of the Kitchen Aid mixer whipping up another one of Stella's desserts or the muffled chopping sounds from the back kitchen . This is my favorite time. The energy is different, but still present. There are boxes of produce just dropped off by local farmers, shipments of bottles to stock the bar and always a little something unexpected...on this day, heavenly smells of meat being smoked for the dinner crowd ahead.

Meeting someone that was delayed at another appointment, I had a bit of time to myself~ to take a few photos, listen to the rain, sip a cup of coffee and watch as the place slowly gained speed and life for the night ahead.

Free Ad Space for 1 Lucky Female-Owned Business in CAKE&WHISKEY Magazine!

I know many of you, my amazing readers, are women business owners. And if you're not, you probably have a handful or two that you can think of. Over at  CAKE&WHISKEY Magazine  we're running a fantastic contest on Facebook where anyone can nominate their favorite woman-owned business by writing up a little shout-out about them and then getting votes! Anyone who’s tried to advertise in print knows how expensive a full page ad is, so this is a really amazing prize.  If you are a business owner and haven’t been nominated yet, simply nominate yourself and then get your customers and fans voting! Nominate here!

Don’t forget to pin the image and spread the word about this great magazine and the contest! Let’s get those hardworking business women nominated! 
Who will you be nominating??
You can purchase a subscription to CAKE&WHISKEY Magazine here. And don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

Canaan's Yellow Layer Cake with Buttercream

(*Disclaimer from the mom...Canaan's first attempt at true buttercream. No assistance was offered. This chef is legit) 

Canaan: 

Today I made a classic yellow cake for the dessert in my five course meal. The goods part was that it is fairly simple to make and it goes with almost anything you want to top it with. 

It is also better than your usual yellow cake in a box.  The bad part is it dirties up quite a bit of dishes. The buttercream frosting is not necessary. Sifting the flour was quite a pain since I didn’t have a sifter. If you don’t have one either you can use a mesh strainer and hit it against the heel of your hand. I cut the buttercream recipe in half and I still had extra. The cake also goes well with whipped cream and berries.

Buttercream Frosting

Classic Yellow Cake

(makes one 8-9 inche 2-layer cake or one 13 by 9 sheet cake)

3 lg eggs
2cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soft, butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup milk

1. Prepare to Bake. Arrange the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Butter the cake pans. Place the unbroken eggs in a bowl of hot tap water.
2. Make the Batter.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then vanilla. Beat about 5 minutes. Spoon the flour mixture in alternating it with the milk, in about 4 batches, starting with the flour. Mix until smooth.
3. Bake the Cake.
Transfer the batter to the pan. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean (15 minutes). Cool for 5 minutes in pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Frost with your favorite frosting recipe.

My brothers loved it.

Potato Latkes Appetizer

Hi, my name is Canaan. I’m going to be doing my mom’s blog this week with pictures and recipes. I will be making a five course meal with one dish every day. How about we start with the appetizer and go until dessert.

I woke up this morning wanting to make potato latkes. The good part about making them is that it is easy to double the recipe and it is fairly easy to clean up. It’s gluten-free and they go great with sour cream and applesauce.

Here are my notes: 

There is really no better potato, but if you want a crispier exterior use a starchier type of potato such as russet or Yukon gold. The only annoying parts are that grating is quite messy and frying them stinks up the house. Also sometimes you may need to use an extra egg so it holds together. If you use olive oil it will be more flavorful and won’t stink as bad. Also, if you don’t wash the potatoes until the water is clear they will be gummy.  They are a Jewish tradition to have around Hanukah. The oil it is cooked in represents the oil that stayed burning in the temple until they could get more. The word latke has been translated to heart in Hebrew. Hope you have fun making them!

 

Potato Latkes 

Gourmet | December 2000

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 latkes Active Time: 45 min Total Time: 45 min 1 pound potatoes 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 tsp pepper (I like to add pepper to mine) 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil Preheat oven to 250°F. ( I didn’t do this part. But you can if you want.) Peel potatoes and coarsely grate by hand, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander. Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into a flat disk. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels (I like to use a cookie rack over a plate) to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven (if you want. Or just eat them)

Trader Joes Healthy 8

Life isn't slowing down anytime soon. But I hear murmurings that my metabolism will someday.
I've never been one to shy away from a great workout, a nutritous meal or a good nights sleep. But with the pace of life with three kids, the discovery of after school sports (yowza), business endeavors, etc...~ sometimes I just want to sink my teeth into a Snickers bar and a cup o' joe and call it breakfast.

I'll be real. I'm not sure I necessarily feel better eating well. But I sure as heck feel worse when I eat poorly. At the beginning of 2012 I did some radical cleaning house of my diet habits. After reoccurring sinus infections and overall sluggishness I kicked most carbs, sugars and fats to the curb. The lifestyle changes have stuck and a year later, I know without a doubt, what I put in my mouth each day (or don't) has contributed a lot to not only how I function throughout the day but my productivity level.

There are certain things I keep in the fridge that make eating great throughout the week a cinch. One of them? This amazing container of Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix from Trader Joes ($2.99). We only recently got our own Lexington Trader Joes. If you don't have one nearby~ mix up a big ol' batch of your own and keep it in the fridge for the week ahead.

The Healthy 8 are:

Broccoli
Carrots
Green Cabbage
Red Cabbage
Jicama
Green Bell Pepper
Radish
Celery

The great thing about this mix (and I'm no dietitian...but I know this much) these cruciferous veggies are not only chock full of amazing goodness but they are really filling and keep you fueled through car line and 2 hour tennis practices.

So here's the deal. I love this stuff. I really do. Its SO versatile. I typically never eat it plain but I use it as a launching pad for some amazing creations. I've even heated it on the stove top and made a great stir fry or taco bowl. Here are some fridge goodies that make it shine:

Chicken
Tuna
Leftover Grilled Salmon (yum)
Blue Cheese
Balsamic Vinegar
Fruits
Sesame Seeds
Almonds
Ground Turkey 
A drizzle of Olive Oil and Honey
Avocado

This afternoon, it was a mixture of:

Papaya
Roasted Beets
Grapefruit segments (the juice drizzled over the whole thing last minute)
Pear
Yellow Pepper
Sea Salt

Really, its like this bowl of culinary genius waiting to happen.

Quintessential Banana Bread

By the age of twenty I was starting into my third year of training to prepare for a life of overseas missions work. I had moved from Ohio to Wisconsin and then to the top of a mountain in eastern Kentucky to spend my days learning and practicing all that I would need to know to survive...and thrive long term in a third world, remote location.
Although I always had a keen interest in cooking (some of my favorite Saturday morning memories are clipping recipes from the food section of the Columbus Dispatch and filing them in my well organized, pink index card holder), it wasn't until my time in the mountains and later in the backwoods of Mississippi, that my skills in the basics were honed. 
Those years, first as a young single woman ready to conquer the world and later as a young married woman ready to tackle the world, were some of the most foundational, growing, impacting years of what would become the life I now live and love today.
I have a handful of recipes I still use repeatably from the worn cookbook journal I kept during that time in the tiny mission house kitchen. This Banana Bread recipe is one of them. I've tried others over the years....many, in fact. But I always come back to this. Its sweet~ but not overly sweet. And what lies beneath that amazingly, thin and crispy shell is a moist, yet sturdy, full flavored, perfectly perfect banana bread.
No bells or whistles. No nuts, cinnamon, swirls of flavor or chocolate chips. Of course, feel free to add any or all of those. Here at The Smith Homestead though, we remain banana bread purists. 

Quintessential Banana Bread

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 lg eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1t vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1t baking soda
1t salt

Move oven rack to the lowest position. Heat to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of one large loaf pan. Sprinkle with sugar. 
Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add eggs until blended. Add bananas, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. 
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Stir, just until combined, into the banana mixture. 
Pour into bread pan. 
Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. 
Cool 5 minutes in pan and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.