Two for One!

A special end-of-November treat for our readers: recipes for TWO delicious foods! We like to have breakfast for dinner fairly often since Thomas doesn't eat breakfast (but he does eat cereal for lunch/dinner....). Tonight was one of those nights! Please enjoy our cooking instructions (and pictures) for Banana Pancakes & Cheese Omelettes:

Banana Pancakes
2 over-ripe bananas
pancake mix and water (for our mix, 1 c mix with 1/2 c water) (or your own recipe for pancake batter)

To start, peel your bananas and place them in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Using a fork or other weapon of your choice, mash the bananas until they are the consistency of baby food or a well-mashed banana.


Next, stir together the appropriate amounts of pancake mix and water as detailed in the instructions on the package, or mix your own pancake batter, with the mashed bananas.


Turn on one burner on your stove. Place a large-sized frying pan on the corresponding burner and pour about a tablespoon of oil into it (or use cooking spray). Pour some batter into the pan once it is heated up enough. A good size for a pancake is between 3 and 5 inches in diameter.


Once the first side is adequately browned, use a spatula to flip your pancake.


After your pancakes are cooked, spot some butter on one side and enjoy with a topping of your choice.

Cheese Omelette
2 eggs
about 2 T milk
1/4 c shredded cheese of your choice


Start by cracking the eggs into a water-tight container of your choice, making sure to discard any shell pieces. Using a fork or whisk, beat the whites and yolks together. Add milk and beat some more until fully mixed.


Place a medium-sized frying pan onto a burner and turn the burner on. Pour in some oil or use cooking spray to coat the inside of the pan. Once the pan is hot, pour in your egg mixture. Ideally, you will hear the egg begin to cook as you pour it into the pan. See that the egg coats the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to a low setting and cover the pan.


After a few minutes (be sure to check often) your egg will be mostly cooked through. There may be a bit of runny egg on the top side of what's in the pan, but that is alright. Using a spatula, VERY carefully loosen the sides of your round cooked egg mixture and flip the entire thing over in the pan. It's not the end of the world if it breaks or folds in on itself, although it will make the next step more challenging.


After flipping your cooked egg, sprinkle your shredded cheese onto one half of it. Use your spatula to fold the empty side over the cheesy side, and then cover once more. Once the cheese is melted, remove the now-finished omelette from the pan and place on a plate.



Our delicious meal: (Note: we did not eat the plant pictured on the table)


Always remember to clean up right away!!

Tonight's Supper

Today we add another entry to our arsenal, along with pictures.

Tuna and Cheese on Bread

Tho' difficult, this recipe results in culinary delight (to those that like it). Ingredients needed are as follows:

1 9x13 Pyrex® pan
6 slices of bread
3 5-ounce cans of tuna
5/16 C mayonnaise (approximately)
Cheddar cheese, sliced (enough to cover all the bread)

Note: It also helps to have an oven.

1. Combine tuna (after draining the water) with mayonnaise.
2. Lay slices of bread in 9x13 pan.
3. Spread tuna/mayo mixture over bread.
4. Lay slices of cheese over the tuna/mayo mixture.
5. Put in the oven at broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly browned.
6. Take out of the oven.
7. Dish, using a spatula, onto a plate or into a bowl.
8. Best eaten with a fork (not on the side, but to shovel it into your mouth).

For photos of the process, see below:

(Ingredients, excluding pan)

(Bread in 9x13 Pyrex® pan)

(Sliced cheese, with knife)

(Tuna/mayo mixture)

(Final product prior to being broiled)

(Final product after being fried: DO NOT try this at home)

(Final product after being broiled)

Enjoy!

First Recipe Post!

The following is a scrumptious cookie recipe that we got from Thomas' family (thanks Liz!). Thomas sent it to me over the summer while I was home in California, where I made these cookies for the first time.

They're not as sweet as "normal" chocolate chip cookies, and they've got a softer, spongier texture, but I think I'd choose them over the "normal" ones any day! Also, I thought I had some pictures of the ones I made over the summer, but unfortunately I can't find any on my computer. (**UPDATE 9/5/2010 : photos added from 8/28/2010**)

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C shortening
1/2 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3 C raw grated zucchini
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
3 1/4 C flour
1 C choc chips

Mix all together and bake at 350°F.

Now, Thomas is the baking expert, and he'll tell you that the amount of flour and the baking temperature can vary. He likes to bake one to three cookies as a trial run at the beginning to determine whether the dough needs more flour. Also, it is very important to watch these ones in the oven.... you don't want to overcook! I don't remember exactly how long they should bake, but shoot for about 9-10 minutes. This recipe will yield about 5 dozen cookies.

we mixed our batter with an electric hand mixer

yummy cookies on our table! with banana bread on right.

oxox