Morning Glory Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

This very well could be the recipe I make most in my kitchen.  I will admit that it feels extra personal and I even feel a little shy about sharing it.  Almost like lending out your favorite pair of boots.  You love them because they fit you just right.  You've worn them in over time.  These pancakes are a part of regular life in the Burke home.  I mean, the kids eat them about every other day and have for the entirety of their lives.  The recipe has evolved with my continuing education about how nutrition effects us (we need protein in the morning), what we like (we like maple syrup and things off the skillet) and what we will actually eat.  You may need to break this recipe in a little, like I have.  But, I promise you it is very forgiving, flexible, incredibly healthy and delicious!  These are not the kind of pancakes that you tire of after a few bites and are then hungry for a more substantial meal 30 minutes later.

Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients.    If you are just trying out the recipe, go to the bulk section of the grocery store and only get what you need to save money.  When you decide you do want to add this recipe to your routine, that is when you stock up.  I find everything I need at Central Market in Shoreline (including Skagit Valley blueberries) and Trader Joes.

One more thing, it's blueberry season!  This is my favorite time of year and my favorite seasonal crop of the year that I just wait and wait for.  I grew up literally surrounded by blueberry bushes on a berry farm.  Blueberries take me back to the days when my wardrobe consisted of a rarely dry swimsuit and my mind was mostly concerned with finding the biggest blueberry and eating it still warm from the sun while running through irrigation sprinklers with my sisters.  I still prefer to eat dirty blueberries by the handful but tossing a few into these pancakes is good too.

Morning Glory Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

3/4 cups cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup milk of your choice. I use coconut milk.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons roasted whole flax seeds
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup flour of your choice. I use whole wheat spelt.
2 tablespoons almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

butter
pure maple syrup
fresh blueberries (optional) or jam in the off season)

Mix together the first 12 ingredients listed.  Preheat your skillet on medium high heat.  I prefer to use cast iron.  In a separate bowl mix together the next five ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix only until combined.  Butter your skillet and with your 1/4 cup measuring scoop measure out your pancakes.  Once on the skillet you can place the blueberries in the pancake.  Wait for bubbles to appear and then flip and wait about 2 more minutes but depending on how hot your skillet is you may need to wait longer.  Generously butter the pancakes and serve with maple syrup and more fresh blueberries on top.

This recipe makes about 12 pancakes using the 1/4 cup scoop.

Note: When I write out my recipes I'm not going to say "all organic non-GMO" before each ingredient but that is what I think should be used when possible. In this recipe I changed the vegetable oil to melted butter because I keep learning. My naturopath says this: vegetable oil (aka soybean oil) is about as bad as it gets. Use grapeseed oil, coconut oil, butter, safflower or sunflower oil (all organic non-GMO). Canola is a no go...olive oil goes rancid too easily when cooked. Olive oil is great for making salad dressings!

Raquelitas Carnitas

Me and a pork shoulder get along real nice.  It is one of my favorite cuts of meat to work with. Something about the whole process of marinating then slow roasting until the collagen breaks down into silky, savory, deliciously pull apart tenderness is thoroughly satisfying to me.  I imagine similar to how a potter might feel when they mold a tough chunk of clay into a beautiful platter ...to serve carnitas in.  It is a rewarding lesson in patience and understanding of the cut of meat that you are working with. You want the fat in the shoulder (or butt) but not too much. These are best purchased from a butcher. You say, "Hi, I'm making carnitas. I need a good solid four pound pork shoulder nicely trimmed please." Or you could even say, "Hi, I'm making carnitas for six people. How big of a pork shoulder should I get?  Can you trim it if needed for me please?"  These butchers are meat people.  They like to talk about it.  Don't be shy!  I have learned so much from my butcher.  Let them do their job.  Who cares if you don't know what you are talking about?  If you ask the butcher to trim the excess fat, you won't be paying for the fat you would be trimming later on at home.  And while I'm going on about this, get the clean stuff if you can. Natural and sustainably raised pork is always a good idea for health reasons and the taste is so worth the extra few dollars. Hormone free meat is so much more appetizing! 

The traditional way to make "little meats", as the word carnitas means in Spanish, is to fry them.  This particular method gives you the result of the crispy browned and caramelized bits that you want but without the frying.  The simple marinade is reduced into a syrupy glaze and mixed into the meat and broiled for the perfect sweet and crispy texture.  If you want even less fat, you can place the pork on a cooling rack (the kind you rest hot cookies on) on top of a baking sheet so the fat drips down.  Take it to it's limits but stop the broiling before it begins to char. 

There are many ways you can enjoy carnitas.  For our Southwestern cooking class, we served these on Navajo fry breads with New Mexico red chili sauce and all of the regular taco condiments like cilantro, radish, lettuce, cotija cheese.  You can serve them with tortillas and your favorite salsa and guacamole.  Whatever you decide, don't forget a squeeze of lime.

RAQUELITA'S CARNITAS
Serves 6

1 (3 ½ lb to 4 lb) boneless pork shoulder, fat cap trimmed to ⅛ inches thick, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 small yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 organic orange: the juice and the peel
1 organic lime: the juice and the peel

Combine all ingredients in dutch oven. Stir well to coat the pork. Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees with the oven rack in the lower-middle position. Add 2 cups of water to the pork mixture or just enough to cover the meet and bring to a boil on the stovetop while stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the pork is soft and fork tender, about 2 hours. Stir the pork and remove the lime peels about an hour into the cooking.

Remove the pot from the oven and turn the oven to broil. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large bowl. Remove and discard the orange halves, the onion and bay leaves from the cooking liquid. Do not skim the fat. Place the pot over high heat and reduce the liquid down to a syrupy consistency. Should take about 15 minutes at a boil and reduce down to 1 ½ cups.

Using 2 forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in the reduced liquid and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Spread the pork out on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the lower-middle oven rack and broil until the top of the meat is well browned but not charred. Just until the edges are crisp, 5-8 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and continue to broil until the top is well browned and the edges are slightly crisp, 5-8 minutes longer.

Spinach Salad with Garlicky Thyme Croutons

Yesterday was the staff appreciation luncheon at Scarlet's school. Even though it's been a very full week, I just had to contribute in some way.  I'm so glad that it happened to be a luncheon because one of my favorite ways to show somebody that I care about them is to cook for them.  It works well for me because the boys can be napping or watching Tin Tin and I can serve the community right here in my home by making something delicious that says "thank you for being more awesome than necessary and serving these children so tirelessly!" There is only so much you can say with a salad but it wasn't just the salad, it was the time making the salad. While I chopped and diced and sliced, I prayed for these people and the school.  Love and prayer are my very favorite ingredients these days.

Whenever I make this salad I always get asked for the recipe and like usual, I don't have it. That is a terrible habit and I'm so thankful for this blog because it has made me actually write stuff down while I cook so I can stop being a recipe hoarder.

This salad works perfectly for block parties, picnics or big potlucks. To prevent the spinach from wilting too much, keep the dressing in a jar and dress before serving. For more of a spread, grill some meat and bake up some delicious homemade macaroni and cheese.

If you're in a hurry, this can be a super quick salad when you buy pre-washed spinach, pre-shredded parmesan and pre-hard-boiled eggs at Trader Joes. But do make the croutons at home. They are what make the salad so tasty! If you are being more health conscious you can use sprouted grain bread for the croutons or even gluten free bread. Any kind of bread should work well.

This serves about 10-12 people as a side and takes 35 minutes to prepare.

1 1/2 cups olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 long baguette cut into 1'' chunks

6 quarts washed spinach
5 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped or sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil sliced thin
golden raisins (optional)
Course salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, coat the baguette chunks with 3/4 cup of olive oil, the chopped garlic, thyme and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Dump out on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Allow them to come to room temperature.

A fool proof way to hard cook eggs is to place the uncooked eggs in a heavy pan. Cover with about 1'' of water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat or remove from heat source, cover and let sit for 12 minutes. Next, drain and rinse under cool water. Peel the eggs under a dribble of water from the faucet. The fresher the eggs, the harder they are to peel. We go through eggs quickly in our house so this is usually my messy outcome. Thankfully they will be chopped up!

In the same bowl that you tossed the croutons, make the dressing (or in a jar if you aren't going to serve immediately).  Mix the remaining olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Add the spinach and the sliced basil.  Scatter the eggs, croutons and cheese over the spinach.  Toss the salad and add more salt and pepper to taste.  If your balsamic vinegar isn't very sweet, add some golden raisins in to the mix.

I doubled the recipe so that is why there is so much in these photos. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Bark with Toasted Walnuts, Dates, Ginger & Smoked Salt

What do you make for dessert after a long and utterly satisfying dinner party with friends?  There are endless possibilities.  For me, the search for the right dessert is a thrilling hunt for just the right thing. If it doesn't come to mind right away I'll pour over my collection of cookbooks and magazine tear-outs for inspiration.  I think about seasonality of ingredients, the menu, tastes of the guests, time I have to work with, cost, best way to serve it, number of guests and so on.  Sometimes the right recipe doesn't exist so it needs to be created. That is what happened with this chocolate bark and it was so easy and fun to do! If you are shy about experimenting with recipes this is a good one to try. It will surely boost your confidence. I also think that it's a perfect recipe to have the kids help with and you could even let them pick the ingredients they like. What kid or adult wouldn't love to be set free in the bulk bin section of the grocery store to find favorite ingredients to throw in some chocolate?  Really, any combination of dried fruits and nuts or candies will work with this.  I was so glad that this particular combination turned out to be a real crowd pleaser.

There are also many ways you could flavor the chocolate instead of the espresso powder.  Try a small amount of cinnamon with walnuts, candied orange peel, dried currants or figs and sea salt.  Or a scant amount of cayenne pepper with almonds, dried cherries, dried banana chips and pepitas.  Whatever you do try, I hope you'll share it with us here at The Joyful Kitchens! 

This recipe yields a bit over a pound depending on how much good stuff you throw in. 

DARK CHOCOLATE BARK WITH TOASTED WALNUTS, CRYSTALIZED GINGER, DATES AND SMOKED SEA SALT

1 11 1/2-oz bag (about 60 % cocoa) bittersweet chocolate chips, about 2 cups

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1 cup pitted and diced fancy medjool dates

1/2 cup candied ginger, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt flakes or regular fleur de sel 

Line a small baking sheet with foil or parchment.  Melt the chocolate chips in medium bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stirring until melted smooth.  Stir in the espresso powder until well combined.  Pour melted chocolate mixture out onto foil, spreading with offset spatula to thickness of 1/4 inch or so.  Scatter ingredients evenly over chocolate, finishing with the salt.  Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.  Peel off foil and cut for a more refined look or break into irregular pieces for a more rustic look.  Serve slightly chilled.

Spicy Wine Nuts

This is Rachel - Excited to share this recipe for spiced nuts with you just in time for Friday happy hour.  These spiced nuts go so incredibly well with wine.  From the first bite, I couldn't believe how much they improved the flavor experience of the inexpensive wine I was drinking.  If you're anything like us, you drink some cheap but good value wines on the regular days and save the nice bottles for special occasions.

Anyway, we've found some awesome value wine in our searches but that will be another blog post. When you enjoy the right snack with your house wine it can really make a huge difference and open up the flavors. You might forget that it isn't actually a special occasion.  If that happens though, it means it kind of is!

I always have a rendition of these nuts on hand and have a lot of fun playing with different spices in the basic recipe.  I made huge quantities at Christmas and gave them to friends with a bottle of wine.  They needed to experience the magical combination for themselves.  We consume a lot of these around our house.  So nice that its such an easy recipe too.

SPICY WINE NUTS

3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dried rosemary crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoon nice sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups raw walnuts or other favorite nut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the spices.  Stir in the nuts and coat evenly.  Pour the mixture out onto a cookie sheet and roast in the center of the oven for about 10 minutes. Delicious served a bit warm.  And if you bring in some fancy medjool dates and dark chocolate to the party with your wine and nuts, you'll be loving life.

Salted or unsalted butter both work fine here.  If you have fresh rosemary you can use that, but use just 1 teaspoon.  The best rosemary I used for this was some fresh I had left on the counter to dry for about a week. It still smelled a bit fresh when crumbled. If you have smoked paprika but not cayenne, try that!  If the butter browns on the stove you can still work with it.  It will add a different complexity to the flavors. Taste and alter the amounts of things to how you prefer them.  If you use peanuts, they will cook faster so try about 7 minutes for them.  Hope you enjoy!

Some of the variations I have used...

Almonds with butter, garam masala, cayenne and sea salt

Peanuts with butter, piment d'espelette, thyme, sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Peanuts with browned butter, cayenne, sea salt and fresh ground pepper