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Cranberry Walnut Ginger Pancakes

Posted on March 18, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hello kittens!

I hope you are all having a fabulous and restful Sunday…and maybe not too hungover from Irish celebrations?

You wanna know one of the things I love MOST about blogging?

I mean, I love the friendships I’ve made with both other bloggers and readers and I sharing recipes with you guys definitely brightens my day, but what I love most is the inspiration I get from others.

Take these three ingredients…cranberries, walnuts, and ginger.

Sweet treats on their own, but when you put them together?

Talk about a flavor trifecta!

So what’s all this talk of inspiration?

Well, it seems to be a pretty Smart cookie amongst us bloggers…and she’s come up with another fabulous creation!

Which makes me ask, if you can have Cranberry Walnut Ginger Cookies,
why can’t you have
Cranberry Walnut Ginger PANCAKES?

Some things JUST makes sense!

Cranberry Walnut Ginger Pancakes

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Keywords: breakfast pancakes whole wheat pastry flour

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk*
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/8 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat a skillet or griddle to medium heat and coat with cooking spray
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg first and then stir the butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract and lemon juice.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Fold in cranberries, walnuts, and ginger.
6. Spoon batter onto skillet and cook approximately 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown.
7. Top with a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

*If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can used the tried and true method of adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of regular milk…or you might be able to find this gem in the baking aisle of your local supermarket. It keeps FOREVER in the fridge!

Let’s just say (hypothetically of course, since I’m not supposed to say anything about how in the world such an incredible thing could happen until the end of the month) that somehow, I got my hands on some of those cranberry walnut ginger cookies…

I might then have some sort of way to reference the flavor comparison, no?

As I drizzled them in syrup, my mouth might start watering in anticipation for that first bite…

And with that last photograph, I might slice up a bite as big as my mouth would allow and say…

Ommmmfphhffffgaaaaaah!

Which in foodie language means:

“Light and crisp, pungent and appealing, perfectly sweet annnnnnnnd…gone!”

What’s funny is that I didn’t even look at her recipe until AFTER I made the pancakes…it surprised me how on target I was with the ingredients, but I guess ~~great~~ smart minds think alike! 😉

I want to say a big THANK YOU to Sarah for this was the best breakfast/brunch I’ve had since….well, last pancake Sunday 😉

And if you’ve never been over to the Smart Kitchen, I suggest you get your rear over there…she’ll have you giggling over her antics and drooling over her recipes in no time!

HAPPY PANCAKE SUNDAY!

Posted in Breakfast | Tagged cranberries, ginger, inspiration, maple syrup, pancakes, recipe, walnuts | 9 Comments

Thankful Thursday

Posted on March 15, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Happy Thursday guys!

November isn’t the only time of year to recognize what we’re thankful for!

I think it’s time for a little “thankful edition” of my Thursday Things!

First of all, I want to say a big THANK YOU to you guys for all the kind words and well wishes on my back. It’s been hard to stay put, but I’ve been trying to remind myself that I will only get better if I rest.

So here are a few things that have made this week a bit more bearable:

PHYSICAL THERAPY/MEDS

I have admit, physical therapy wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be…the therapist told we’ll have to take baby steps to get my muscle spasms to stop before she can really get started the ~~torture~~ therapy.

I joke, I joke 😉

I spent most of the session laying down on a hot pad with my legs elevated while getting electro therapy which is a machine that sends tiny little vibrations all over your lower back…it was actually kind of nice.

Thankfully she gave me a few pointers on an at-home setup:

Pillows…heating pad…couch cushions…it’s like I have my very on PT office…now if only I could get my hands on one of those machines!

And hey, if I have to be doped up on medication, at least there’s an extra perk:

Yep, you read that right!

All I have to do is take a prescription to my new Publix and they give me a FREE $25 gift card…there are four coupons in the book I got in the mail (hence the “up to $100) and one of them already expired, but luckily I have 2 more to use!

Free groceries ftw!

ENTERTAINMENT

I love to read, and I used to read A LOT, but then something happened…

Oh yeah, I went to college and was forced to read book upon boring book until my love of reading was long forgotten. Luckily, I have plenty that I’ve ~~collected~~ hoarded over the last couple of years to keep me busy for a while! I’m only a couple of chapter into this one by Jodi Picoult, but so far, it’s keeping my interest.

What’s better than finding new music? How about finding FREE music?!

I’ve had a library card for years but never once ventured over to the media section…and they have quite the selection of music…anything from Ringo Star to Duran Duran to some band called The String Cheese Incident (I totally cracked up over that one!)

Obviously my iTunes has gotten pretty beefy over the last few days 😉

Hey, if I’m gonna walk like a geriatric, I might as well pick up a few crossword puzzles…too bad I can’t complete one without looking up half the answers in the back…and this is a CHILDREN’S level book! Lol

LEFTOVERS

I love being able to cook one meal and eat on it throughout the week…especially when I’m ~~not really feeling like cooking~~ feeling like a space cadet due to pain pills. Luckily, I had a little bit of energy Tuesday night to whip up these beauties:

Beef & Bean Taco Burger anyone?

I bet you thought I forgot about giving you that recipe, huh?

Well, I may be a little slow (you really don’t want to know how long it’s taken me to type up this post), but I could never leave you hanging on this deliciousness!

Beef & Bean Taco Burgers

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: grill entree hamburger beans

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup cooked beans, slightly mashed (I used black-eyed peas)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon taco seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime)
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced (optional)
whole wheat hamburger buns
salsa, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and/or avocado for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat and coat with olive oil or cooking spray.
2. Gently mix all ingredients in a large bowl and form into 6 patties.
3. Carefully place patties on grill and cook until it reached desired level of doneness (approx 5-6 minutes per side for medium-well.
4. If using cheese, add slices within the last couple of minutes of cooking.
5. Once done, place burger on whole wheat bun and top with salsa, sour cream, avocado or anything else that makes you think of a taco!

I couldn’t believe how spot on the taco flavor was in these. I decided to go more for flavor than heat, but if you prefer your tacos more on the spicy side, feel free to add some green chilies to the meat mixture before cooking and/or top with pickled jalapenos.

I had one for lunch and I already want another one for dinner. Believe me, you won’t regret making these!

Name 3 things you are thankful for this week!

Posted in Thursday Things | Tagged avocado, beans, beef, Greek yogurt, injury, music, recipe | 14 Comments

A Celebration for Condoms

Posted on March 14, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

I mean CONDIMENTS!! 😉

Happy What I Ate Wednesday! Be sure to head on over to Peas & Crayons and thank our ever gracious host, Jenn! And if you’d like a chance to showcase your delicious meals during our weekly party, click here for the info!

Now, back to my Freudian slip…I’ve got a little story to share with you guys…and I promise that at this exact moment, I am not under the influence of mind altering drugs 😉

……..

In December of 1984, there was born a child who would grow up to be the best dipper, sprinkler, slatherer who ever lived. Her name was Heather, and little did she know as she was growing up in diapers, eating bland oatmeal and simplistic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, that she would have a destiny set before her…a very delicious destiny…all involving the correct ratio of shakes, squirts and spoonfuls of everyday condiments found at the local supermarket.

Of course that destiny was long awaited…

It took many years of dabbling in ketchup and mustard until the day she discovered more…I’m speaking of the enlightenment gained upon finding blogworld…where her eyes were opened to new possibilities and the hope of tastier (albeit sometimes odd) meals.

In the past, she would settle for a boring bowl of cereal for breakfast…or on occasion she might whip up a couple of scrambled eggs (perfect yolks were never her forte).

But plain ol’ bowls of cereal are now a thing of the past:

Especially lately with the 30+ containers of Chobani yogurt in her fridge!

So what transformed this breakfast into a bowl of deliciousness?

{Avocado} + Cinnamon + Apple Butter

Don’t fight the curiosity people…avocado is like butter and mixed with the right things can most assuredly tickle your sweet taste buds! 😉

But believe me, the experimentation of flavors does not stop there…

Why have just a steak and some steamed vegetables?

Boring steak and veggies are no more…how about a juicy, mouthwatering steak and some cheezy vegetables that make you want to lick your plate clean?

Steak Sauce + Nutritional Yeast + Red Wine

The sirloin was simply marinated in a red wine and a bit of salt and pepper, then grilled in a skillet and topped with mushrooms and onions that were sauteed in some of the leftover wine and then topped with steak sauce. The veggies were sprinkled with buried in nutritional yeast after the picture (because let’s face it, nooch is not the most photogenic).

Now meal time isn’t the only time to showcase a love of condiments.
Take this plate of raw mushrooms for instance:

Not too appealing, is it?

Looks like it needs a bit of zip…something that will make you forget that you are all out of pretzel sticks…

Pretzels? What pretzels?

For the record, TJ’s hot & sweet is no longer a contender in the spicy mustard world…the jalapeno one takes the cake…or the pepper…you know what I mean!

Of course, dinner is where the most fun usually happens:

Salad….burger, meet

Ranch dressing, yogurt, salsa, and the most flavorful combination of spices you’ll ever get in one bottle…I am the self-proclaimed president of the Mrs. Dash fan club…if there was one 😉

The thing I love most about condiments is versatility. Don’t let the title of topping, spread, or dip stop you…sometimes the best way to use them is IN the dish!