Some royal magic for Mom
Fastily,/Wikimedia Commons Serve some delicious strawberry crepes to Mom on her special day.
We are not done with holidays, as Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 14. If food is part of your celebration, as it is for most of us, it is my hope you will find at least one recipe you’d like to prepare for your mom.
She will appreciate a day of being treated like royalty. Well, actually better than royalty, as from what I understand the royal family over in England must be constantly hounded every time they do anything or go anywhere. I wouldn’t like that at all. But from royalty to paupers and everything in between those extremes, we all have one thing in common and that is our passion for good food.
So don your aprons, get those pot holders out and let’s get busy doing some kitchen magic.
Oh, I almost forgot: according to my computer files, this marks my 500th Stir Crazy column. Time flies when you’re having fun and thank you for being my kitchen pals. Apple scones
These are not all that sweet, but you can adjust the sugar if you wish. 2 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter, chilled 1 apple, peeled, cored and shredded 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Add shredded apple and the 1/2 cup milk. Stir to form a soft dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8 to 10 times. Pat into two 6-inch circles. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining milk, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Score each into 6 pie-shaped wedges.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until browned and the scones have risen. Serve warm with butter. Makes 12 scones.
Strawberry crepes with cream
You can also drizzle these with a bit of thin icing, made from confectioners’ sugar, a dab of vanilla and milk. 3 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 3 tablespoons butter, melted 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 package (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened 1 1/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup heavy cream, whipped 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries (if you wish to leave them whole, you might want to toss them in a little bit of sugar or simple syrup)
In a blender, place the eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour and salt and blend until smooth.
Blend the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop about 2 tablespoons of the batter onto the griddle. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown. Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp towel and set aside.
To serve, fill each crepe with about 1/4 cup of sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the creamy filling, then roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries. (You can also fold the crepes and serve alongside the berries and cream.) Makes 6 servings.
Lemon poppy seed pancakes
3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon poppy seeds 1 teaspoon lemon zest Cooking spray
In a mixing bowl, stir the milk, vinegar, and lemon juice together in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes to curdle. Whisk in egg, butter, and vanilla.
In a separate, larger bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds and lemon zest. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk a few times until the batter is mostly a smooth consistency.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and apply a light coating of cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake into the skillet and cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes over with a spatula and brown the other side, about 2 more minutes. Makes 4 servings.
Spinach quiche
This quiche does not need a crust, so saves a few calories and a bit of preparation time. 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 onion, chopped 1 package (10-oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 5 eggs, beaten 3 cups shredded Muenster cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Transfer to prepared pie pan.
Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
