Buttermilk Pancakes--American Breakfast

Buttermilk pancakes accompanied by a glass of milk are my younger son's favorite breakfast meal or an evening snack. I usually make a shortcut and buy organic pancakes which we preheat, whenever needed in a toaster. Then on the still warm pancakes he spreads a little bit of his favorite President salted butter and cream cheese on top, and he enjoys them deeply.

To honor his love for pancakes I decided to make them from scratch at home. I had an old recipe that I have always wanted to try. Surprisingly, the recipe worked from the first time. It was easy and pancakes turned out perfect. The only change I made after the first batch was to fry them on an almost dry pan since melted butter is already added to the batter. This way they became even lighter and more fluffy. In no time a whole plate of delicate pancakes was ready.

When I was making these pictures, I convinced my son to try my pancakes in a truly American way: with maple syrup, which was good idea in any event, because my pancakes are barely sweet. My other son enjoy them with his favorite Nutella spread. After the pancake feast I froze the rest and put them in a freezer for the upcoming week.

Buttermilk Pancakes
(Makes about 24 pancakes)

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk,
2 medium eggs, preferably organic,
1 cup sifted all purpose flour,
1 tbsp sugar,
1 tsp baking powder,
1/2 tsp baking soda,
1/2 tsp salt,
2 tbsp melted, unsalted butter,
1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying,

Preparation:
1. In a large bowl using a hand whisker gently whisk eggs. Add yogurt and melted butter.
2. In a smaller bowl mix flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Incorporate dry ingredients into buttermilk mixture and mix well using a hand whisker.
3. Preheat a large frying pan. Using a brush gently spread the oil on the bottom. Place about 1/8 cup of batter for each pancakes leaving fairly large space between, as they will expand.

4. Fry on the medium high heat until pancakes are dark gold. Turn them on the side and fry again until done.

4. Transfer pancakes to a plate, drizzle with maple or fruit syrup or any topping you like and serve.

Carrot and Tarragon Savory Tart

Many sources fuel my culinary inspiration. One of them are dinners at friends who are good cooks and always prepare something new and interesting. I have learned to make from my neighbors the recipe for this savory carrot tart. Whenever their invite me over for lunch or dinner, dishes their prepare are always very good, so I often leave their house with a new recipe that I replicate at home. This tart is one of them.

I love tarts and they often feature on my blog. Tarts make for a simple and delicious one-dish meal that can be served either for lunch or dinner. Mostly vegetarian tarts can be filled with anything and be prepared partially some time ahead. So many more tart recipes will be appearing here soon.

I already ate this carrot tart twice but last time my neighbors made it I remembered to ask for the recipe. As it turned out the recipe was coming from the Eating Well magazine and it was a little bit healthier recipe than the tart recipes usually are. The tart was much lighter than other tarts I knew. Both the crust and the filling were made with yogurt, so the tart was low on butter and cream which other recipes call for. Fresh tarragon leaves added extra flavor to the delicate and sweet carrots.

I made small changes to the original recipe and by adding colorful carrot I think I made it the tart look even more appetizing.

Carrot and Tarragon Savory Tart
(For a 9-inch bottom tart form with removable walls)

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup all purpose flour,
1/2 cup whole wheat flour,
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter,
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil,
1/4 cup low fat natural yogurt

Filling:
1 and 1/2 cup grated carrot,
1 cup sliced red onion,
2 tbsp olive oil,
2 tbsp rice vinegar,
1 tbsp Dijon mustard,
1/2 cup low fat yogurt,
1/2 cup 2 percent milk,
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Gruyère cheese
2 large eggs,
2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon,
salt and freshly ground pepper.

Preparation:

Crust:
1. Mix both flour in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until it makes crumbles. Pour in olive oil and yogurt and pulse until a dough starts to form.
2. Grease the form with a little bit of butter or oil and transfer the dough to the form. Push slightly on the bottom and make the wall. Chill in the refrigerate while preparing the top.
3. Preheat oven to 350F and bake the crust for about 15 minutes until set but still light.

Filling:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy duty pan and add the sliced onion. Fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft and transparent. Add the grated carrot and fry for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add chopped tarragon and rice vinegar and mix. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together yogurt, milk and eggs. Add carrot with onion and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper. At last, fold in grated cheese. Mix again.

3. Spread the mustard on the bottom of the crust and pour in filling on top. Spread it and bake the whole tart for another 40-45 minutes.
4. Cool for 5 minutes and serve with green salads.

Wine Cookies from Tuscany--Otherwise Ciambelle

It is easy to fall in love with Italian food. But even among the dishes I tried I found some that I liked more than others. One of them were ciambelle--the Italian wine cookies.

Italian cookies are different than American. Not only because of different ingredients they are made of but also because they are barely sweet. I could eat many of them enjoying their taste without worrying about their sugar content.

I am not a breakfast person and eat hardly anything with my morning coffee but a cup of espresso and a couple of delicate sandy cookies will always be my sweet breakfast memories from Rome.

My favorite ciambelle came from Tuscany. They are made just with flour, olive oil, wine, and a bit of sugar. Wine, and in that particular recipe red wine, gives them the taste and acts as a rising agent. They are finished on top with whole hazelnuts. The brand I liked most also used whole wheat flour which made them even healthier, especially as a morning snack.

I got many different recipes on how to make ciambelle. The one I tried was exactly the same as the ciambelle I ate in Rome. I made a large batch of them, which I stored in a jar and enjoy every morning.

Ciambelle--Wine Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour plus extra for dusting,
1 cup whole wheat flour,
1 cup olive oil,
1 cup red wine,
1/2 cup sugar plus extra 1/4 cup for the top,
1 cup whole, roasted hazelnuts,
a pinch of salt.

Preparation:
1. Sift both flours into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and mix well. Pour in wine and olive oil and knee a dough.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. To make cookies take out a pieces of dough and roll out into a long about 1/2 inch thick snake. Cut it into 10-inch long pieces and close to make a circle. Dust with sugar and place on a baking sheet. Put on top 4-6 hazelnuts.

4. Bake the cookies for about 30 minutes.
5. Let them cool down and put them in an airtight container for future consumption.