Tag Archives: food

Fresh Roasted Sweet Pecans

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Roasted Sweet Pecans_n

Lightly candied and oven roasted, these pecans are perfect for snacking, as a dessert topping, or savored on a fresh garden salad.

Our kitchen is always well stocked with pecans and almonds. They’re great plain, but sometimes it’s fun to gussy ’em up a bit. This easy recipe results in snack that goes as well on morning oatmeal as it does as the finishing touch on a fresh salad.

Sweet Roasted Pecans

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2  1/2 cups pecans
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1  1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Combine egg whites, water and vanilla in bowl of a stand mixer. Attach wire whip attachment.
  3. Whip egg mixture until really fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Fold pecans into egg mixture.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix sugars and cinnamon.
  6. Fold in sugar mixture to pecan-egg mixture.
  7. Spread nuts evenly on parchment paper.
  8. Sprinkle sea salt over nuts.
  9. Bake in preheated oven for 60 – 75 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes. Nuts should be toasted and fragrant.
  10. Cool in pan. Stored cooled nuts in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

Caribou Stroganoff: A Classic Favorite Featuring Wild Game

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Caribou Stroganoff on homemade fettuccine_n

From San Francisco to Sydney and from Tokyo to Toronto, Beef Stroganoff is a popular dinner item. Here’s a twist on a classic favorite.

Ever since its origination in 19th century Russia, Stroganoff has been served to rave reviews. Early iterations were created with beef cubes and and early written recipe for the sauce included mustard. Mushrooms and onions came later. These days, cubes have largely given way to thin strips of meat and mustard is considered optional by many cooks.

I’d not made Stroganoff till recently. Happy to fill requests, I put some caribou we’d recently been given to good use. The Stroganoff came out can’t-stop-eating-it good and we and our guests made short work of it. But even as I was simmering the sauce, I knew next time I’d add tarragon.

In our view, the addition of this herb really brought the dish alive. Other than that, be gentle with additional flavors, including garlic. This dish is about meat and mushrooms.

Caribou Stroganoff

Ingredients

  • 1 pound caribou cut into thin strips, about 1/4″ x 1″ (or use similar meat game such as elk, venison or lean beef)
  • 1/2 cup beef broth. (Excellent broth can be made using Better than Bouillon)
  • 3/4 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 pound mushroom caps, sliced thin (Shitake mushrooms are a good choice. Here in bush Alaska, we use dried mushrooms.)
  • 1/2 large onion, sliced thin
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp flour, separated into equal portions
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil separated into equal portions
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  • red wine – just a splash

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sour cream, heavy cream, a few grinds of pepper and tarragon. Set aside.
  2. Place caribou strips in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp flour and a few grinds of fresh pepper and mix ingredients so that meat is coated.
  3. In a large pan over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. When oil is hot enough to cause a drop of water or a pinch of flour to sizzle, add the meat. Stir and turn meat frequently to ensure all sides are seared. When meat is cooked through (about 5 minutes), place in a bowl and set aside.
  4. Pour pan juices into a bowl and set aside to cool.
  5. Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and butter, heat over medium heat, and add the onions. Stir frequently. After about two minutes, add the mushrooms and garlic and sprinkle the pan’s contents with flour, reducing heat if necessary. Continue to cook and stir just till onions begin to become translucent (about 5 minutest total).
  6. Return the meat to the pan. Thoroughly mix ingredients together and add the beef broth. Cover and simmer over low heat till broth is well reduced (cooked down) – about 15 to 30 minutes.
  7. Combine pan juices with sour cream mixture and stir into the pan. Heat to piping hot (but do not boil) and serve over fettucini, other pasta, or rice.

Serve with fall vegetables and a gin and tonic with a wedge of lime.

Alaska Salmon Lox or Gravlax

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Lox on onion bagel_n

With a history dating back to the European Middle Ages, a number of methods for preparing lox and gravlax (or gravad lax) have evolved. We’ve settled on a dry-brining method that produces beautifully colored, deliciously flavored salmon fillets ready to be sliced translucently thin as on the above freshly made onion bagel.

Many cultures have a tradition of salting and burying fish, a technique that results in both preservation and fermentation. In fact, the origins of sushi can be traced back to fish prepared in this method. The grav of gravlax derives from the Scandinavian word for grave, and lax, salmon, has cognates in many old European languages. Thus gravlax literally means “buried salmon.”

Although preparing lox is somewhat labor intensive (the fillets are packed in salt under light pressure and liquid must be drained every 24 hours or so over a period of several days), since it isn’t smoked, anyone with a refrigerator can make it. Both sea salt and kosher salt produce good results, and we like to add a little brown sugar and black pepper. The dry brining method we prefer is known as “Scottish-style.” Other styles call for a wet brine. Dill, juniper berries and other seasonings are traditionally used in some recipes, but we prefer to add seasonings, if any, when the lox is being served.

In addition to traditional lox on a bagel with cream cheese, capers and a thin slice of onion, it’s also excellent on scrambled eggs, as a colorful finishing touch to deviled eggs, or as a wrap around any number of vegetables or other seafoods and served as an hors d’oeuvre.

Silver salmon head n

Always look for the freshest fish. Salmon should be bright with clear eyes and a pleasant smell reminiscent of the sea.

While historically lox was made with Atlantic salmon, these days, with Atlantic salmon populations in severe decline almost everywhere, the Atlantic salmon available in stores is farmed in places such as Norway, Scotland, British Columbia and Chile. For reasons rooted in flavor, sustainability and environmental impact, we prefer wild Pacific salmon. The salmon in the above photo is Coho (silver salmon), but any Pacific salmon species works well, as do large char. If you leave the skin on the fillets, it can later be used to create a crispy fried appetizer.

For the best presentation, lox should be sliced very thin. The best tool we’ve found for this job is a yanagiba – a Japanese sashimi knife. Our yanagiba has an extraordinarily sharp, nine-and-a-half inch blade. Both the sharpness and the length are important for slicing – not sawing – ultra thin pieces of salmon.

For a great recipe for smoked salmon, see:

Smoked Salmon with Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Brine

For excellent homemade bagels, see: Bagels 3 Ways

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Homemade Lox

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. fresh salmon fillets, skin on. The fillets need not be scaled, but do take pains to ensure that all bones are removed.
  • ¼ cup coarse sea salt
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Rinse fish and dry thoroughly.
  2. Remove any pin bones in fillet with tweezers or needle nose pliers.
  3. Mix together salt, sugar and pepper. (This recipe works well when multiplied. Our last batch was 5 pounds of fish.)
  4. Pack salt mixture around fish. You can do this skin side down.
  5. Sandwich two pieces of fish together, skin side out.
  6. Pack any leftover sugar mixture onto exposed fillet.
  7. Wrap sandwiched pieces tightly with plastic wrap. Leave sides slightly open so liquid can drain while the salmon cures.
  8. I use a poacher with a draining tray for the next step. Another method would be to place a steamer basket at the bottom of a plastic box. The idea is to create a raised place for the fish to set while being pressed from the top. This will allow the juice to drain away from the fish.
  9. Place sandwiched salmon in poacher.
  10. Place weight on top of all salmon pieces. I use large jars of jam or large containers of salt. I have seen pictures of people using bricks.
  11. Place poacher in refrigerator.
  12. For 7 days, every 24 hours pour off liquid from the bottom of the poacher and flip the fillet sandwiches.
  13. At the end of 7 days, take the salmon out of the plastic wrap and thoroughly rinse using really cold tap water.
  14. Thoroughly pat dry.
  15. Slice very thin and enjoy!
  16. Store leftovers in refrigerator or freeze in airtight containers.

Pre-Workout Almond, Craisin, Chocolate, Honey Granola Bars

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Granola Almond Energy Bars_n

Soft and chewy granola bars packed with helpful protein and complex carbohydrates are a tasty, energy-packed pre-workout snack.

At this time of year, many people are re-tooling their workout program or starting a new one. Two hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, that part of life is no different. We mostly confine ourselves to the weight room and gym at our school for workouts. With typical days featuring windchill below zero, running means treadmill workouts. Jack likes running workouts on the treadmill. I am slowly becoming accustomed to them. Running gives us a little cushion in terms of burning calories so we can enjoy all the sumptuous meals we cook, and it keep us in shape for our active lifestyle.

The most convenient time for our workouts is after school – a time of day when we often need an energy boost. I thought about making some kind of cookie that was filled with nuts and raisins, envisioning something soft and chewy. I also wanted to use up some of the staples in our pantry. What resulted was a chewy bar stuffed with craisins, coconut, nuts, peanut butter and honey. A homemade version of sweetened condensed milk is the binding agent. We snacked on them before our workout today and thought they came out great: tasty and energy boosting!

I imagine that any dried berries or nuts could be used in this recipe. I’m already planning on baking up a few batches to take with us on our summer adventures hiking, fishing and boating around the Kenai Peninsula.

Granola Bars

Ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped almonds
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup powdered non-fat milk
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • honey

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper. Paper should go all the way up the sides of the dish.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, cranberries, chocolate chips and coconut. Set aside.
  4. Using a blender, (I prefer an immersion blender), blend sugar, boiling water, and non-fat milk powder.
  5. Add butter and peanut butter to milk mixture. Blend until fully mixed.
  6. Add enough honey to bring liquid mixture to 16 ounces. Blend until fully mixed.
  7. Pour milk mixture into oat mixture and thoroughly mix.
  8. Press dough into baking dish.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes.
  10. Allow bars to cool for 5 minutes in pan.
  11. Lift bars out of pan by holding parchment paper. Set on a wire rack to continue cooling.
  12. Allow the bars to cool completely on parchment paper on a wire rack before cutting.
  13. Store cut bars in an airtight container.

The Galangal Experiment: Orange Pecan Galangal Scones

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Galangal, Pecan, Orange Scones

Scones are easy to make and always a favorite with a cup of coffee or tea.

Penzeys Spices is one of our grown up toy catalogues. Last spring, we pored over every page as we created a list of the spices and seasonings we thought we might want for the following year. During this perusal, a number of unfamiliar spices piqued our interest. One such item was galangal. Also known as blue ginger, galangal is indeed a member of the ginger family, but has a more intense, flowery taste not much at all like the ginger we’re familiar with. Perhaps cardamom is a closer comparison.

Recently, we came across a lemon-ginger scone recipe that seemed ripe for a makeover. In the following recipe, pecans and orange zest meld with the pleasantly flowery galangal to create a new classic. The yogurt gave the scone a moister texture that traditional recipes.

Orange Pecan Galangal Scones

Ingredients

Scone:

  • 2  1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp galangal
  • finely grated zest of one orange
  • healthy pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup orange juice

Icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp orange juice

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and galangal.
  4. Stir in sugar, salt and zest.
  5. Stir in pecans.
  6. Using wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in orange juice. Then stir in yogurt.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough until it comes together. Do not over-knead.
  8. Press dough into a circle, about one inch thick.
  9. Cut circle into 8 wedges.
  10. Arrange wedges on baking sheet so there is about 1 inch in between each one.
  11. Bake scones for 20 minutes. Scones will be lightly browned on the bottom and pale on the top.
  12. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling.
  13. Meanwhile, whisk powdered sugar and orange juice together to make drizzle icing. Consistency should be like honey.
  14. To drizzle icing, fill  a pastry bag with a small tip or a small Ziplock bag with a corner snipped, or simply use a spoon. Drizzle icing evenly over scones.
  15. Serve warm or room temperature.

Arctic Anpan 2 Ways: Azuki and Caribou Cha Sui (Sweetened Red Bean and Marinated Caribou)

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Anpan with Sweet Azuki Paste_n

Delicious steamed buns filled with sweetened red bean paste were the finishing touch to an Asian-inspired meal. All that was lacking was a cold Sapporo Beer… The beer will have to wait until summer.*

Wintertime fishing, birding or just bike riding with my daughter Maia in Japan is indelibly linked with one of my happiest food memories: stopping by a local bakery and purchasing piping hot steamed buns filled with sweetened bean filling (anpan) or marinated pork (nikuman). The filling was so hot we’d have to be careful not to burn our tongues. Those steamed buns were the perfect on-the-go snack on chilly days.

Anpan ready for the steamer_n

Filled with bean paste or marinated meat and ready for the steamer…

Known as bao or baozi in China, steamed buns were on our list of items to try making this year. With Maia in Point Hope visiting over winter break from Berkeley, the anpan and nikuman Barbra created turned out just like the ones we’d enjoyed back in Japan. After devouring anpan with sweet red bean filling, we all could imagine the buns stuffed with a variety of other fillings: vegetable mixtures, curry, barbequed caribou, fruit, or even chocolate!

Anpan freshly steamed_n

Light, freshly steamed, piping hot and ready to be lifted out of our fish poacher, anpan definitely fit the category “comfort food.”  The ones we made were about the size of tangerines.

Because we rely on our Zojirushi bread machine to regulate the temperature for consistently rising dough, the following recipe has been created for the dough cycle of a bread machine. As an alternative to steaming, the dough can be given an egg wash and baked at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. A recipe for Caribou Cha Sui follows the anpan recipe below. Click here to see a recipe for sweetened red bean filling.

Anpan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp extra light olive oil
  • 1  3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1  1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp dry yeast
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar

Directions

  1. Place first 6 ingredients into pan of bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
  2. Set machine to dough cycle. Start.
  3. After cycle is complete, punch down dough on a lightly floured surface.
  4. Sprinkle baking powder evenly over surface of dough.
  5. Knead dough for 5 minutes.
  6. Divide dough in half. Place half of dough in a covered bowl.
  7. Cut the remaining dough into 12 equal pieces.
  8. Roll dough pieces into balls and then flatten. Make sure that edges are thinner than the center.
  9. Fill dough with 1 teaspoon of desired filling. Bring edge of circle up to pinch closed so that none of the filling is showing.
  10. Place filled dough on a small piece of waxed or parchment paper. Continue with remaining dough balls.
  11. Repeat process with dough that has been covered in the bowl.
  12. Let all filled dough balls stand covered for another 30 minutes.
  13. Steaming process could be done in a steamer basket or a wok. I have a fish poacher with a raised grate and used this to steam the buns.
  14. Bring water and 1 tbsp vinegar to a boil in steamer.
  15. Place as many buns as will fit in steamer, allowing for about an inch between buns so that they don’t stick together as they cook.
  16. Cover with lid. Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes.

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Caribou Cha Sui (Works well with venison, moose, elk, lean beef or similar meat)

The first step is to create a marinade and let the tenderized caribou absorb the flavors overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, make a filling with the marinated caribou and stuff the anpan. The filling will make enough for 6 steamed buns (nikuman). This recipe is best started a day in advance to ensure the meat is properly marinated.

Ingredients (Makes 6 nikuman)

Filling:

Ingredients

  • 1/4 lb caribou, pounded/tenderized till 1/2 inch thick or thinner
  • cha sui marinade (see below)
  • 1/4 cup finely diced onions
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup beef stock (we use Better than Bouillon)
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • extra light olive oil

Directions:

  1. Place tenderized caribou in a glass bowl or container and completely cover with marinade.
  2. Cover glass container and place in refrigerator overnight.
  3. The following day…
    1. In a medium-sized frying pan, heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles in pan.
    2. Sear caribou on each side to seal in the juices.
    3. Reduce heat to medium and cover pan. Continue cooking for 3 minutes on each side. Meat should be cooked to “medium.”
    4. Remove pan from heat and place cooked meat on a cutting board to rest a few minutes.
    5. Dice cooked caribou into 1/4 inch cubes and set aside.
    6. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and beef stock and set aside
    7. Wipe out the pan used to cook the caribou. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat.
    8. Add diced caribou and onion to pan. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
    9. Add soy sauce, honey and sesame oil to pan. Stir fry for another minute.
    10. Add cornstarch and stock mixture to pan and continue cooking until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
    11. Place caribou in bowl to cool prior to filling anpan rolls.
    12. See above directions for anpan to complete recipe.

Cha Sui Marinade:

Combine the following ingredients in a glass bowl:

  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced or chopped fine
  • 1/2 tsp dried ginger
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dry fennel
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • pinch salt

*Point Hope, like many bush villages in Alaska, is dry. Every now and again a certain meal calls for a special adult beverage. At these times we miss being able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage. Most of the time we are content to wait until summer, which we spend in the “wet” town of Seward, Alaska or traveling.

Sweet, Smooth, Delicious Azuki Bean Paste

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Azuki paste and azuki beans_n

Popular in Japan, sweetened azuki beans are a key ingredient in sumptuous desserts and baked goods. (The above photo marks the debut of our new Nikon D800.)

Many years ago, I lived in San Francisco. Walking along shopping streets lined with boutiques, a waft of warm vanilla  drew me into a tiny shop with just two tables. Behind the counter was very large crepe pan and a chalkboard menu filled with tempting daily specials. I was drawn to the vanilla crepe stuffed with red bean paste and topped with green tea ice cream. The textures, sweetness and interplay of flavors made for a satisfying dessert for a die-hard sweet tooth.

Many years later, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, supplied with dried azuki beans from a speciality shop in Anchorage, I was ready to try my hand at homemade azuki bean paste. It came out perfect and was featured in anpan (Japanese-style steamed rolls) to rave reviews. We can’t wait to try this paste in our own crepes.

Azuki Bean Paste

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried adzuki beans
  • 5 cups water
  • 1  1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • pinch salt

Directions

  1. Soak dried beans overnight. Make sure beans are generously covered in several inches of water, as the water will be absorbed.
  2. The following morning, pour beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
  3. Place beans in a large pot along with 5 cups of water.
  4. Bring water to a boil over high heat.
  5. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1  1/2 hours. Beans should be soft.
  6. Put a wire strainer over a bowl.
  7. Pour beans and liquid into strainer. Strainer should be low enough that beans are partially immersed in water.
  8. Using a wooden spoon, smash beans through strainer into water. Skins should remain in the strainer.
  9. Line a bowl with cheesecloth and pour strained beans and liquid into cheesecloth.
  10. Draw up edges of cheesecloth and squeeze out excess liquid.
  11. Put squeezed out bean paste back into pot.
  12. Add sugar and salt to the beans and stir mixture over low heat. Continue stirring until mixture is glossy and has the consistency of mashed potatoes.
  13. Store in refrigerator.

See also: Arctic Anpan 2 Ways: Sweet Azuki Paste and Caribou Cha Sui

Chocolate Pots for Two

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Chocolate Pots for Two_n

Creamy dark chocolate pots with an almond essence are an elegant dessert, perfect for two.

Our holiday guest has left and we are back to just the two of us in our home in the Arctic. I like to scale down recipes so that Jack and I can enjoy freshly made sweets without having too many around to tempt us. These chocolate pots are rich and delicious, and half-cup servings provided a gourmet finish to a meal of caribou stroganoff. While I flavored these with a hint of almond, adding orange zest, a sprig of mint, or a very thin curl of lime peel would be among numerous other delectable variations. We topped the pots with a chocolate covered pomegranate.

Chocolate Pots

Ingredients: (For two 1/2 cup servings)

  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract

Directions

  1. Place chocolate chips, sugar and cream in a small pot.
  2. Heat chocolate mixture over low heat. Stir continuously until mixture is smooth. Turn off heat.
  3. Whisk yolks and extracts in a small bowl.
  4. Slowly pour half of the melted chocolate mixture into egg yolks while whisking to temper eggs.
  5. Pour egg mixture back into small pot.
  6. Heat pot over low heat while stirring continuously for 3 – 5 minutes. Mixture should thicken slightly.
  7. Pour chocolate into two decorative ramekins.
  8. Let chill in refrigerator uncovered. Serve fully chilled and topped with something fun – a candied nut or a chocolate covered espresso bean.

More lacquering

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“Tsuribito” means “angler” in Japanese, but Adam’s blog The Complete Tsuribito delves into much more than fishing. This is a terrific idea for a greener (and more aesthetically pleasing) New Year: beautifully crafted, two-piece chopsticks to go anywhere you go. Jack & Barbra

Adam's avatarthe Compleat Tsuribito

This time culinary rather than angling: “collapsible” screw-in chopsticks.  These I bought with the screw fittings already set in the raw wood and the whole cut down to the right size; I just sanded the wood smooth, shaped the chopsticks a little and then lacquered them.  This time I used a technique called “Rubbed Urushi” which looks a little different to the kind of finish you get on bamboo fishing rods.

Most restaurants here in Japan will be happy for you to bring your own chopsticks as it saves them the expense of a pair of wooden ones, which are  thrown away after use.  If you eat out just one meal out of 21 in a week, in a year that is a saving of more than 50 pairs.  Some restaurants these days in fact try to cut down on their use of wood chopsticks and have changed to…

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Pumpkin Pancakes: A Tasty, Healthy Way to Start the Day

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Pumpkin Pancakes

Give your pancakes a tasty nutritional boost by stirring in some pumpkin purée left over from baking pies. Hot off the grill, these especially light pancakes are served with chopped pecans and a slice of smoked Alaskan salmon.

Pumpkin pie is practically a staple at our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. Easy to make and inexpensive (pumpkins can generally be had for pennies per pound), pumpkin is also one of the more healthful pies. In fact, we sometimes have a slice sans whipped cream along with an egg for breakfast. But what to do with the leftover pumpkin purée, particularly if all you have is a cup or so? One of our favorite solutions is pumpkin pancakes. Use the same spices you would with pumpkin pie, hold the sugar, and you’ve got a great start to your day!

Pumpkin Pancakes 

Ingredients (4 medium-sized pancakes):

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (or use butternut squash)
  • 1 cup your favorite pancake mix (we use Krusteaz buttermilk mix, which we buy in bulk at Costco)
  • approximately 3/4 cup cold water
  • 2 tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 – 2 tbsp butter
  • a healthy dash of nutmeg
  • a healthy dash of ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Place purée and pancake mix in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Add cold water and stir. Mixture should be thick but pourable. Do not overstir. Batter should have lumps. This ensures for better rising pancakes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. Place the olive oil and butter onto the griddle. When oil is hot enough to sizzle when a small drop of batter is added, it’s ready. Pour batter onto the griddle in 4 separate portions and reduce heat to medium-low.
  3. When the surface of the pancakes have formed bubbles and the bottoms are golden brown, turn them over with a spatula.
  4. Reduce heat further, if necessary, and continue cooking pancakes till golden brown.

Once the griddle or pan is hot and the batter has been poured, reducing the heat will allow the pancakes to rise better. A fairly thick, heavy griddle or pan works best.

See also:

Big, Fluffy Blueberry One-Pan Pancakes

Smoked Salmon with Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Brine

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin and Pecan Pies