If you are what you eat and you don’t know what you’re eating, do you know who you are? – Claude Fischler

As you may have already guessed, there is really no such thing as a baby turkey, or at least people don’t serve it. The story behind the phrase goes back to my childhood when I would persistently ask my mother to cook turkey for Thanksgiving. I grew up in a semi-traditional/non-traditional Chinese American family, so we would have Chinese food on most days, with occasional instances of American meals on others. My annual requests for turkey turned into a compromise of having “baby” turkey, also known as chicken. I was completely gullible. When I finally discovered the truth, it wasn’t as devastating as a child learning the truth about Santa or the Tooth Fairy.

This year, I decided to roast a “baby” turkey for a variety of reasons. First off, I was making a small dinner, so it did not make environmental or economical sense to roast a minimum 8 pound bird that could feed way more people than necessary. Scaling down is not a bad thing sometimes. Secondly, after reading articles For The Love of Turkeys and How Your Thanksgiving Turkey Gets Made about mass turkey production in the United States, I felt slightly better about purchasing a free-range, organic chicken. Lastly, if I were to have purchased a turkey, I may have seriously considered splurging on a Heritage Foods turkey, where independent farmers humanely raise turkeys and promote turkey conservation.

Herb Roasted Chicken (“Baby” Turkey) Recipe

Recipe adapted from Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Citrus by Giada De Laurentiis
Preparation Time: approximately 2 hours (~1 hour in the oven, remainder is preparation/cooling)
Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 4 fresh sage sprigs
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat: Position the rack in the lowest third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare: Remove anything in the cavity of the chicken, if any (save it for stock later!). Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with towels. Place the chicken on a roasting pan.
3. Season: Lightly season the cavity with salt and pepper. Place half of the orange, lemon, onion wedges, and 2 sprigs of each fresh herb in the cavity; reserve remaining wedges and sprigs. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together to hold the shape of the chicken and to secure the seasonings. Repeat with the wings. Gently lift the chicken skin between the breast meat and thighs. Stir butter, herbes de Provence, oil, and 1 teaspoon of each the salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts (or microwave in a bowl for 15 seconds). Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken and between the breast meat, thighs, and skin.
4. Roast: Place the chicken in the oven for approximately 60-70 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees-175 degrees or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer.
5. Rest: Once chicken is removed from the oven, transfer to a platter. Let it rest for 15-30 minutes to allow the juices to distribute and the temperature to even out. Remove twine and garnish platter with remaining herbs and lemon and orange wedges.

Tools

• Towels
• Roasting pan
• Kitchen twine
• Small saucepan or microwavable bowl
• Meat thermometer

Selina’s Notes

• Gravy goes well with roasted chicken, but it’s completely optional. Ideas can be found here, or in the original recipe link (although I would scale down on the volume). Alternatively, I like to drizzle lemon juice over my chicken.
• To use every part of the chicken, make chicken stock! The same process applies whether it’s turkey or chicken. If you don’t plan on making stock right away, store the carcass in the freezer in a zip-lock bag.
• When serving, I am not too graceful at carving chicken at the dinner table, so I normally choose to cut/slice on my cutting board and then serve the ready-to-eat chicken on a platter. If you don’t have a real carving knife, don’t worry – I don’t either. I basically rely on my Santoku knife for almost everything.

I hope you enjoy this simple variation. Every time that I prepare this recipe, the chicken turns out crisp on the exterior, with juicy and flavorful meat for both white and dark portions. It really is delightful any time of the year; remember, chickens are not seasonal like pumpkins! It is rather lengthy to prepare for a weeknight meal, but it makes for a nice dinner on the weekend.

I have mentioned before in my blog that I’m not much of a baker. While that still remains true, I will bake when there is a need or demand for it. After all, a little practice at patience and precision can’t hurt anyone, right? Too bad only one of the two made it on my strength list (hmmm, which one?).

This time, the motive to carry out this baking activity comes from carrot cake’s biggest fan, my friend Stephanie. I promised to make her carrot cake for her recent big 3-0 birthday, so here was my chance! I just want to point out that I have never met a person as crazy about carrot cake as Steph is, truly. I am pretty certain that a slice of carrot cake could cure any of her woes.

So my friends, here you have it: my first attempt at carrot cake. The result was just as the magazine recipe promised – moist and not too sweet. The process is rather lengthy and requires some patience, but it’s really nice to have homemade cake. I might also add that if you’re a frosting/icing/buttercream fan, then this one is to die for. Considering the quantity of fattening goodies it contains (2 sticks of butter and 2 blocks of cream cheese…oh yes), it truly makes the carrot cake decadent and comforting with that extra complimentary touch of sweetness. Just as long as you’re aware

Classic Carrot Cake with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Recipe adapted from the January 2009 edition of Food & Wine by Jodi Elliot
Preparation Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup pecans (4 ounces)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded

For the frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the paper and flour the pans.
2. Make the cake: Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and finely chop the pecans.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the carrots and pecans. Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until springy and golden. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then un-mold the cakes from the pans and let cool completely.
4. Make the frosting (while cakes are cooling): In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners’ sugar; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Peel off the parchment paper and invert one cake layer onto a plate. Spread with a slightly rounded cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, right side up. Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.

Tools

• Two 9-inch cake pans
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Grater
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 3 mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Electric mixer/stand mixer
• Spatula

Selina’s Notes

• The original recipe did not call for nutmeg or allspice, but I really think a small touch adds some depth to the cake. Even though it’s against the general baking rule of thumb, just eyeball it! Definitely keep it under a teaspoon, though.
• Three+ hours may seem like a long time, but the there are large pockets of time that allow you to do other things, such as the hour it bakes in the oven, the 30-45 minutes it takes to completely cool, and the hour it chills in the fridge.
• Healthier variation of this? I may have to consult Amy, but I would try using whole wheat flour, using less sugar (or another type of sweetener), and being modest on the frosting consumption.
• The quantity of frosting this recipe yields is slightly overwhelming, and I really did not use every bit of it. Maybe reserve some for cupcakes.

On that last note, I will conclude with my initial stage of frosting the first layer of cake in which I discovered the abundance of frosting that I had whipped up:

Mmmm…

Throughout my entire life, my mom made all of her soups from scratch (as scratch as it could be without picking the ingredients from a farm or garden herself). The broth, everything. Now that I live in Chicago, I get large doses of mom’s Chinese soups when I visit home. You may ask, what exactly is Chinese soup (tong)? It’s essentially any southern Chinese family’s pride and joy in the kitchen because of its quality and nutrition. I will post the Chinese soups I know how to make in future posts, but they range anywhere from lotus root with peanuts and shitake mushrooms, winter melon, white fungus, ‘four-flavor’ soup, new year’s soup, and much more. There were so many kinds of soups in the household that they just kept rotating, and I never really had soups from other cuisines unless it was at a restaurant or a friend’s house. Therefore, I always craved something as simple as chicken noodle soup, the traditional staple of many American households. That, along with minestrone, beef barley, clam chowder, cream of [fill in the blank], etc.

Now that I do live away from home, I get to explore the types of soups that had been absent in my life! It’s a great balance, really, knowing that I will have homemade Chinese soup when I visit, and soup from the other continents when I am away.

Moving back to Vegetable Orzo Soup – why did I pick orzo instead of thick egg noodles? Simply because I had it on hand. Potatoes? Cannelini beans? The ingredient choices were chosen because I had these things in the house when I made soup. You can pick a variety of vegetables and starch for this soup to work. Watching carbohydrates? Feel free to skip on the noodles and/or spuds. I just love them because they make the soup thicker and more filling (and you get the fiber benefits, too). No matter how you dice it, the soup is very soothing for a cold winter day.

Vegetable Orzo Soup Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery with leafy tops, diced
• 1 large potato (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 quart turkey stock (or store-bought chicken or vegetable stock if you must!)
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Tools

• Medium stock pot
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and potatoes; lightly season with salt and pepper. Saute until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
2. Pour in turkey stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Add uncooked orzo and cannellini beans; simmer until vegetables are tender and orzo is cooked and plump, about 15-20 minutes. Stir every few minutes so that orzo does not stick to the pot.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Selina’s Notes

• Other vegetables that work are zucchini, onions, corn, peas, green beans, butternut squash, mushrooms, tomatoes (fresh or canned), hominy, red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pearl barley
• Instead of orzo or potatoes, other starches that work are wild rice, egg noodles, macaroni elbows, other small pastas
• During Step 1, herbs can be added when seasoning with salt and pepper, such as fresh or dry thyme, sage, Herbes de Provence, poultry seasoning, etc.
• Shredded or diced turkey/chicken meat can be added in Step 2 along with the orzo and beans (I just did not bring any home from Thanksgiving)

I won’t display the gory details of the turkey carcass, but it was essentially used to create my homemade stock. If you have never made homemade stock before, you’re missing out. Whether it is chicken, turkey, vegetable, or what have you, it is something I really enjoy making because the results are incomparable to what’s available at a grocery store. Even if it seems tedious to make, perhaps I can still change your position on the matter.

My obsession with homemade stock comes from my mother’s obsession (no surprise!). It is rooted from a combination of never letting things go to waste and producing the healthiest stock/broth without artificial flavors (e.g., MSG) or other unwanted ingredients. Another economical perk is that you get practically two or more meals for the price of one, assuming you have a whole chicken or turkey. The true cost? Time. It does take some nurturing on the stove top, simmering away for several hours, but once you get it set up, you can leave it alone to do its thing. It’s the ideal lazy Sunday afternoon activity when you are waiting for laundry, doing the dishes, or packing for my Monday morning travel adventure.

The stock enhancement add-ins:

Homemade Turkey Stock Recipe

Preparation Time: 4 hours and 15 minutes
Yield: Varies, approximately 2 quarts

Ingredients

• Turkey carcass/bones, plus giblets
• 2 carrots, halved
• 2 onions, halved
• 2 celery stalks, with leafy green tops (the best part!), coarsely chopped
• Handful of parsley, stems included
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• Optional: mushroom stems, Parmesan cheese rinds, other vegetable clippings (I usually collect and save these in a freezer zip-lock bag for the purpose of making stock)
• Water, enough to just cover turkey bones in the stock pot
• Salt and pepper

Tools

• Large stock pot
• Medium stock pot
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Ladle
• Mesh strainer or colander

Preparation

1. Place the first six ingredients in a large stockpot and fill with water until it barely covers the turkey bones. Don’t worry if some are not submerged yet; over time, they will loosen up and fall apart.
2. Bring pot to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer partially covered for four hours, stirring and breaking up ingredients once every hour. Skim fat and oil with a ladle. Remove from heat.
3. Using a strainer, pour stock into an empty medium stock pot. Skim off additional fat if necessary. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Remember, be moderate with the salt because you can’t take it out once it’s too salty. It’s now ready to use or store in the freezer!

This same method works for other types of stock, too. If I don’t need all the stock at once, I measure one-cup portions into zip lock bags or small tupperware containers, and in the freezer they go.

The result: Rich, flavorful, soothing, and aromatic stock that fills the house with warm goodness. The vegetables truly add a deep flavor dimension to the stock, especially when there are mushroom stems and cheese rinds in there. Plus, stock is so versatile because it is used in countless recipes. It’s tough to beat when it’s homemade.

Taking a skip down memory lane, here is an excerpt from Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, a familiar childhood classic:

…I do not like
green eggs
and ham!

I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.

You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

Sam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.

Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat.
And I would eat them with a goat…

And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good, so good, you see!

So I will eat them in a box.
And I will eat them with a fox.
And I will eat them in a house.
And I will eat them with a mouse.
And I will eat them here and there.
Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!

I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am!

As Sam had a change in heart over eating green eggs and ham, perhaps there is a chance that you might even like my version of this seemingly grotesque concoction. And thanks to the polling results, scrambled eggs and eggs over easy were popular choices, which inspired me to create two variations of green eggs and ham. I will say this, though – I don’t turn the eggs and ham green like some other recipes I have seen. I try to avoid food coloring when possible, and to make the dish remotely appetizing, these are my interpretations of what a fun children’s book breakfast should be.

Rules will be rules, and I had to use some form of green in the dish. And what better green sauce to use than pesto (okay, you might get me with guacamole)? I used a spinach pesto to top the eggs and ham in my recipes, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ version, but I just made it with less Parmesan. Spinach typically goes well with eggs, but if you generally don’t like pesto sauce, a sauteed spinach topping would do the trick as well; it would just lack the gooey green sauce effect I was going after.

Green Eggs and Ham Recipe #1

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 8 ounce ham steak, diced into small bite size cubes
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
• 4 slices wheat or white bread, for toasting
• 2 tablespoons spinach and pine nut pesto (note: I’d recommend using 1/4 cup Parmesan instead of 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Prepare pesto and set aside.
2. Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon oil on medium-high. Add diced ham cubes and heat through until lightly browned and crisp.
3. In the same skillet with ham, reduce heat to medium and add in remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Pour in beaten eggs and gently stir until desired level of firmness.
4. Serve immediately with toast and top with a tablespoon of pesto sauce.

Tools

• Food processor for pesto sauce
• Toaster
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Small mixing bowl
• Large skillet
• Wooden spoon or spatula

Green Eggs and Ham Recipe #2

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2-4 slices Canadian bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
• 2 slices wheat or white bread, for toasting
• 2 tablespoons spinach and pine nut pesto (note: I’d recommend using 1/4 cup Parmesan instead of 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Prepare pesto and set aside.
2. Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon oil on medium-high. Add Canadian bacon slices and heat through until lightly browned. Be careful with this type of meat, though – it will get too dry if you overheat it because it’s leaner. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil divided in half on opposites sides of the skillet. Crack each egg over the oil spots in the skillet and let it cook until whites are set and opaque. Flip each egg over with a spatula (or just the pan itself if you’re savvy) for about 10-15 seconds.
4. Serve immediately with toast and top with a tablespoon of pesto sauce.

Tools

• Food processor for pesto sauce
• Toaster
• Large skillet
• Spatula

Selina’s Notes

• If you decide to use sauteed spinach instead of pesto sauce, I recommend sprinkling a handful of Swiss or Gruyere cheese when the scrambled eggs are almost done, or on top of eggs over easy
• If time is an enemy, store-bought basil pesto sauce may work fine
• These recipes were not meant to be entirely too precise; just have fun with it!

Perhaps, as Sam did, you will eat them in the rain, on the train, on a boat, or with a goat? Maybe not, but I hope you enjoyed the little flash back and will make green eggs and ham for the sake of being silly and creative. If you have another varation, please do share.

I label myself as one who does not bake…often. Can I see myself as a pastry chef? It might be a hard feat. Perhaps not using an oven for over 16 years to make baked goods still haunts me to the point where the oven is a foreign machine that remains untouched unless absolutely necessary. Okay, the situation is not that extreme, but baking is something that takes an extra special ‘umph.’ It’s like knowing you’re not naturally gifted with X sport and yet you still try extra hard to still play for the pure joy and entertainment of it.

Regardless of my nearly nonexistent baking skills, I learned how to make a basic apple cake from a friend’s mother. Over the years I have modified the recipe to make it my own, with some extra sass to it. The sass comes from the spice and nut part of the cake – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and walnuts. These ingredients combined are extraordinary pals, especially with apples. The apples and cinnamon create a classic flavor foundation for the cake while the ginger and nutmeg create a special depth in the background.

And to top it off, the walnuts are a great way to add some nutrition and crunch.

This recipe is remarkably fool-proof, really. Your family and friends will give you smiles after having this cake! I have served it at Thanksgiving dinner and many other occasions. My coworkers seem to love the cake, too.

Apple Spice Walnut Cake Recipe

Preparation Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes (1 hour bake time, 15 minute prep time)
Serves 9

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can Comstock or Wilderness apple pie filling (21 ounces, available at most supermarkets)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• Cooking spray
• Confectioners’ sugar, optional
• Vanilla ice cream, optional

Tools

• Large mixing bowl
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Spatula
• Measuring spoons and cups
• 8 x 8 square baking pan

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients with a spatula until moderately combined. The eggs should be well incorporated and the dark cinnamon should be blended in at this point.
   
   Fold in chopped walnuts.
   
   
3. Lightly coat baking pan with a quick dash of cooking spray. Pour cake batter into baking pan and place in the oven to bake for one hour.
   
4. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if your mood calls for it; it’s always a nice touch!
   

Selina’s Notes

• For those watching sugar intake, a ‘No Sugar Added’ version of apples is sometimes available. Alternatively, you can reduce the granulated sugar amount to 1/2 cup. Splenda is also an option.
• All purpose flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour
• Don’t have ginger or nutmeg? Cinnamon alone would make it a lovely cake as well, just less sass.

And now the process of blissful, sweet satisfaction:

After a bite, one must keep going.

And going…

Task accomplished!

While I am pretty adaptable in terms of what I eat in the morning, I generally stick to my staples – cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, eggs, pancakes, toast, and the list is pretty long. In the toast category, I especially love English muffins. These muffins are so versatile and can be enjoyed toasted with plain butter. Craving a little sweet? Spread some jam on top of the butter. In the mood for savory? Make it an egg and cheese sandwich, or even top it off with a breakfast meat if that suits your taste. Make the muffin quasi Italian by broiling it with tomato sauce and cheese. The possibilities are endless.

The Works: I made this up, but it is my definition of good flavors combined (shown above). Even if all these ingredients aren’t available, there are easy substitutes to use. The first component of The Works is almond butter. Now, if you haven’t tried almond butter yet, you are in for a treat. Peanut butter fans will naturally have a liking for their family relative, almond butter. It is a little less sweet, yet has the same great nutty flavor that is comforting and rich. Plus, almonds are one of the healthiest nuts around. The second component is the banana. Any nut butter and bananas are so complimentary, almost as good as the famous PB&J duo. And lastly, to top it off with some extra sweetness, honey is the natural super star.

Having an English muffin with The Works is an easy to way spruce up this ever so popular breakfast favorite, and it will definitely keep you energized throughout your morning.

English Muffin With “The Works” Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 whole wheat or honey oat English muffin, split in two (some say using a fork gives the best nooks and crannies)
• 2 tablespoons crunchy unsalted almond butter
• 1/2 banana, sliced (just eat the other half later!)
• 1-2 teaspoons clover honey for drizzling

Tools

• Toaster
• Butter knife

Preparation

1. Place muffin halves in toaster and toast on a medium setting.
2. While muffin toasts, slice banana into thin quarter inch pieces with the butter knife.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of almond butter on each muffin half, followed by banana slices and finally the drizzled honey. Serve immediately with a cold glass of milk.

Selina’s Notes

• Almond butter can be substituted with natural peanut butter (none of that Jif stuff with hydrogenated oils – choosy Selina does not choose Jif!). Almond butter is typically more expensive than regular peanut butter, but it’s well worth the splurge!
• Bananas can be substituted with apples or raisins. If no fruit is available, The Works sans fruit is still delicious.

In the spirit of Independence Day (and being back in Chicago this weekend), I am celebrating with berry-licious pancakes, featuring fresh and juicy strawberries and blueberries I could not resist:

Chicago is a city that is in love with breakfast/brunch, more so than where I grew up. Hot brunch spots are super creative with their breakfast concoctions. Pancakes are also serious business here. While there are more pancake varieties than I can keep track of, I made a very simple version that is highlighted with red and blue compotes. I also cranked up the nutrition value by using whole wheat flour, which tastes nuttier and heartier, leaving you nicely satiated.

Red, White, and Blue Pancake Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2-4 (yields 6 pancakes)

Ingredients

For the compotes:

• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 6 medium size strawberries; frozen OK)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  *
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen OK)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the pancakes:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk (1% or 2%)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into ½ tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional

Tools

• 2 small saucepans
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 whisk
• Measuring cups and spoons (I’ll admit, sometimes I like to eyeball)
• Griddle pan or large skillet
• Spatula for flipping
• Aluminum foil

Preparation

1. Combine the three ingredients for each compote in two different saucepans. Separately simmer each for 10-15 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened. Stir every few minutes. Let it stand and cool until pancakes are ready to serve.
2. While the fruit simmers, gently whisk together the first seven pancake ingredients. Be careful not to over mix! Small lumps are fine. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes.
3. While the pancake batter sits, heat a griddle pan or skillet to medium heat. For each pancake, melt ½ tablespoon butter, and pour ¼ cup batter (using a ¼ measuring cup) onto pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly golden brown. Hint: you’ll know when the first side is ready to flip when small bubbles form on top.
4. Repeat step 3 until all six pancakes are cooked. To keep pancakes warm, cover serving plate with a sheet of aluminum foil. Serve immediately with warm strawberry and blueberry compotes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Selina’s Notes

• If you don’t have a powdered sugar shaker, have no fear. You can use a fine mesh colander or small strainer. In reality, I didn’t have either of those, so I used the strainer from my tea pot. If all else fails, use whipped cream!
• Many varieties of fruit can be used for the compotes, especially berries and stone fruit – peaches, mangoes, raspberries, cherries, plums, etc.