Blueberry Banana Pancakes (Revamped Apple Pancakes)

I’ve been a real slob when it comes to my poor little blog.  And I’m immensely sorry for neglecting you, my dear readers, for the better part of three months.  Sometimes life and work get in the way and priorities have to change slightly.  That doesn’t mean that I forgot about you all and I do have a tasty recipe that I want to post soon.  Meanwhile, I really want to share with you the improved version of a beloved pancake recipe.  

Sundays are for brunch in our family and this whole summer I’ve been tweaking and perfecting my grandmother’s Apple Pancakes recipe that I originally posted almost three years ago.  And every week it got better.  I added mashed bananas to the batter, replaced the apples with peaches or tossed in a pint of blueberries.  I sprinkled a much needed pinch of baking soda for that extra level of fluffiness.  And I even revisited the whole method of preparing the batter opting to mix the dry ingredients separately from the wet ingredients and then gradually adding the dry ingredients to the wet ones.  Small tweaks, big difference!

I also promise to have a new recipe for you to celebrate five years of Simply Romanesco soon, but until then I hope you enjoy these newly revamped pancakes.  We’ve been devouring them all summer long!     

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: about 20 pancakes

Ingredients for the pancakes:

·         2 heaped cups (500 ml) whole milk

·         2 large eggs, at room temperature

·         3 heaped Tablespoons (60 grams) granulated sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         Scant 2 ¾ cups (370 grams) all-purpose flour

·         1/8 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         ½ teaspoon baking soda

·         2 bananas, mashed

·         1 pint blueberries or other fruits you like

·         Olive oil or vegetable oil for cooking

Ingredients for the cinnamon-sugar mix:

·         ½ cup (115 grams) granulated sugar

·         1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions for the cinnamon-sugar mix:

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and whisk well to combine.  Set aside. 

Instructions for the pancakes:

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Gradually, add the flour mixture to the milk and eggs mixture stirring constantly until the flour is fully incorporated, and you have a slightly thicker batter without any lumps and traces of flour.  Add the mashed bananas and then gently fold in the blueberries.  

In a nonstick skillet, heat about 1 ½ teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Fill a 2.5-inch ladle with the pancake and batter and gently pour it into the pan.  Once the pancakes start cooking, turn the heat to medium-low.  Cook pancake for 1-2 minutes per side until golden-brown.  Repeat with the rest of the batter adding about 1 teaspoon of oil per pancake. 

Place cooked pancakes on a platter and sprinkle each pancake with 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mix.      

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew

We’re still savoring the comfort food chapter.  I think it’s because of the frigid temperatures that I don’t feel like doing anything but cozying up to the fireplace (if only we had a real one) with a bowl of hot, homey and hearty comfort food. 

I’ve been craving Romanian comfort food, lately; something other than stuffed cabbage or pork goulash.  And to be honest, I’ve been dreaming of Grandma Vicki’s Stuffed Peppers recipe for a while.  This recipe has been on my to make list, but I wanted to somehow avoid the two inconveniences that the recipe entails: first, I wasn’t eager to waste my time in the kitchen stuffing pepper after pepper; and second, those little gypsy peppers traditionally used in this recipe are mighty hard to find in wintertime.  So, how to make a stew without having to spend an outrageous amount of time putting it together?    

But then it happened that a couple of weekends ago, Adrian and I paid a visit to our friends’ house to watch some English soccer games.  After lots of yelling and cheering while watching the games, Gretchen served us a delicious stuffed pepper stew.  The stew had all the ingredients for a stuffed peppers recipe but everything was chopped and blended together; and she called it “a deconstructed stuffed pepper stew”.  And the little lightbulb went off in my head!  Thank you Gretchen for helping me decide how to approach my grandma’s stuffed peppers recipe!  I have to admit that, once I heard the word “deconstructed” I wanted to race home and make the stew right away. 

Before attempting the impossible, I called my grandma and explained how I wanted to transform her beloved stuffed peppers recipe.  Of course, she said that I was crazy and that it would never work.  But, guess what, it worked out beautifully!  Only the aspect of the stew is radically different from my grandma’s recipe but the flavors that I love are all there.  In fact, I would say that there are various nuances and depths of flavor in this dish.  It’s also nourishing and it incorporates everything from proteins to starch and veggies. 

Of course, being a Romanian dish, I was indebted to throw in a smidge of paprika to coat the onions and meat in a mild pungency and give them that beautiful red color.  But the meat, rice, peppers and tomatoes are all able to shine through and add texture despite being engulfed in a sea of sweet, savory and tangy tomato sauce.  And then you sprinkle a few chopped leaves of parsley on top for a lovely green color and much desired freshness.  You could even argue that this stew is similar to a chili; a Romanian chili with rice but without beans.  Ultimately, this Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew is a filling, flavorful and homemade Romanian comfort stew!

Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

·         6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

·         1 large yellow onion, chopped

·         Salt and black pepper

·         1 Tablespoon sweet or hot paprika

·         1 pound ground pork

·         2 large red peppers, cut into ½ -inch chunks

·         1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

·         1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

·         2 Tablespoons sugar

·         ½ cup white rice

·         A small bunch of parsley for garnish, chopped

·         Sour cream (optional)

Instructions:

Heat 4 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the paprika and stir well.  Add the ground pork, season with salt and pepper, and stir well to coat with the paprika.  Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.  Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes and give it a good stir.  Cook for 5 minutes.

Combine the tomato sauce with ½ cup of water and pour it over the ingredients in the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the sugar and stir well.  Add ½ cup of water and stir.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

In the meantime, rinse the white rice in cold water.  Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over high heat in a small saucepan.  Add the rice and stir.  Add 2 cups of water and season with a good pinch of salt.  Turn the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.  When the rice is cooked, turn the heat off and cover the saucepan with a lid and let it sit until the stew is cooked.

When the stew is cooked, add the rice and stir well to incorporate. Check the seasonings and add more salt and sugar if necessary, for that perfect balance of savory and sweet.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Serve with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)        

Mac and Cheese (with Bacon and Mushrooms)

I’ll go straight to the point and admit that I’m infatuated with homemade Mac and Cheese.  That being said and on the record, I also admit that I seldom make this legendary American classic.  And it’s most likely because mac and cheese is not such a cultural statement in Romania as it is here.  Of course, I know what it is and I ate it frequently as a kid (or so my mom says), but it was never deeply ingrained into my upbringing.  When Romanians talk about mac and cheese, we usually see it as dessert since we sometimes throw in sugar; or as a snack on a cold afternoon, or a light lunch, at best, and always after a generous bowl of soup.  And the preparation is typically less sophisticated.       

Still, this sinful comfort food must grace my tongue from time to time.  And my take on Barefoot Contessa’s recipe was the first American version of mac and cheese that I had ever tried.  It’s probably not your basic mac and cheese and more of a fancy adaptation of the classic but it’s utterly divine.  Funny how boiling some pasta, drowning a hefty amount of cheese in a puddle of thick and tasty white sauce, and baking everything together can send you straight to heaven with a mouthful.  The crusty top doesn’t hurt at all either; and while in the oven, the tomatoes wrinkle nicely and release their charming sweet acidity to cut through the cheesy richness and brighten the flavors.  Simply sublime!  

Over time, I played around with the recipe and tossed in simple ingredients like bacon and mushrooms that made the familiar gooey and creamy delight so much more special.  The smokiness of the bacon and the meatiness of the mushrooms are simply unbeatable.  In essence, a festival of flavors will explode in your mouth.  And I know that the Super Bowl is all about the ultimate comfort food, but if you decide to ditch it for this mac and cheese you will not be disappointed.      

Mac and Cheese (with Bacon and Mushrooms)

Adapted from Mac and Cheese by Barefoot Contessa

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

·         Kosher salt

·         Olive oil

·         1 pound elbow macaroni

·         Optional: 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ½ -inch pieces

·         Optional: ½ pound Portabella mushrooms, sliced

·         4 cups whole milk

·         8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (plus 1 Tablespoon – optional), divided

·         ½ cup all-purpose flour

·         12 ounces Jarlsberg or Gruyère cheese, grated

·         8 ounces white Cheddar cheese, grated

·         ½ teaspoon black pepper

·         ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         2 large tomatoes

·         1 cup bread crumbs

 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water.  Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6-8 minutes.  Drain well and put in a large bowl.

If you decide to toss in some bacon and mushrooms in your mac and cheese, this is what you have to do:  Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 6-8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel and set aside.  Add the mushrooms to the skillet (there will be bacon drippings left in the skillet), season with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until cooked, 5-7 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a paper towel and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat but don’t boil it.  Melt 6 Tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot over medium-low heat and add the flour.  Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk.  While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for 10-12 minutes until thickened and smooth.  Off the heat, add the Jarlsberg, Cheddar, 1 Tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Whisk everything together. 

Pour the sauce over the macaroni and stir well.  (If using bacon and mushrooms, this is when you add them to the party and stir well.)  Pour into a 3-quart baking dish. 

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top.  Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet, combine them with the bread crumbs and toast slightly.  Sprinkle on the top.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top. 

        

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)       

Oktoberfest – Pork and Sauerkraut, please!

When I was 12 years old, I went to a tennis school in Augsburg, Germany, during the summer. Back then, I was playing professional tennis and my dream was to become the next Steffi Graf.  At that age, I was well on track to achieve that goal; hence, my parents’ decision to send me to a tennis school.  Unfortunately, the injuries just kept coming.  Five years later, my tennis career was over.  

In the summer of 1997, I was playing a lot of tennis, going to long and challenging practices, winning tennis tournaments, playing more tennis, and more tennis, and even more tennis.  It was during that summer, on one of the few breaks from tennis, when my dad took me to a German beer garden for the first time.  There were wooden benches, live music, good traditional German food, and lots of beer. 

It was early afternoon.  The weather was nice and warm, the sky was clear, and we were just in time for lunch.  I remember that both my father and I ordered the Pork Schnitzel with French fries.  Of course, my dad also had the local beer.  I don’t recall specific details about the food, but I do recall the unique and joyful atmosphere.  That was my first experience with a German beer garden.  These days, we love to go to the Hofbrauhaus in Pittsburgh.      

The pork schnitzel, which we had at the beer garden in Augsburg, was very similar to what my grandmother frequently makes.  German food has always been a staple in our family.  However, today I don’t want to talk to you about the boring breaded pork (maybe we’ll talk about it some other time), and I want to introduce to you a very interesting version of the traditional German Pork and Sauerkraut dish.  This dish is a classic of the German culinary world, but traveling through Austria and Hungary, by the time the dish made it to Romania, it assimilated several local influences.  Furthermore, my grandmother put her own spin on it, and created her own version of this classic dish. 

Szekely-Gulyas (Pork and Cabbage Goulash)

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

·         1 green cabbage of 3.5 – 4 pounds (1.5 kilograms)

·         3-4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

·         3 large onions, sliced

·         Kosher salt

·         1 Tablespoon Hungarian paprika (10 grams)

·         2 – 2.5 pounds boneless pork chops, cubed (1 kilogram)

·         2 – 2.5 cups water

·         1.5 cups tomato sauce mixed with ½ cup water

·         2 dry bay leaves

·         Sour cream (optional)

·         Good bread (optional)

Instructions

Cut out the core and slice the cabbage.  Put it in a large bowl and season with 1 Tablespoon of salt.  Mix well.  Let it sit for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, put a large pan on medium heat.  Add the oil and the onions.  Season with salt and cook the onions until translucent, about 10-12 minutes.  Add the Hungarian paprika and stir.  Add the pork and cook together with the onions and paprika for 10-15 minutes.  Add the water to cover the meat and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the meat is cooked. 

Strain the cabbage between your hands before adding it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients.  When the meat is cooked, add the strained cabbage and stir well.  Add the tomato sauce mixed with water and the bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for about 45-50 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.  Season with salt to taste.   

I love to serve the goulash with a dollop of sour cream on top and with good bread because I really enjoy dipping the bread in the sauce.  Devine!  The best thing about this dish is that it’s even better the next day.  As it sits in the fridge, the flavors will develop further.  You’ll definitely enjoy these leftovers!

The ultimate comfort food

Well…folks…the weather is getting windier and rainier here in Pittsburgh.  The sky is gray and the atmosphere is moist.  Shortly, we’ll have to adjust to the winter time, gaining one hour, but losing daylight.  The days will become shorter and shorter and the weather colder and colder.  Christmas will be here in no time, and soon we’ll see the first snowflakes comfortably laying themselves down on the ground for the months to come.  Wow…funny how time flies. 

Actually, it’s not that bad if you think about it.  I know that winter is fast approaching, but we can’t just overlook the holidays and the comfort food that they bring along, which always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  At the end of the day, the only thing, which you’ll want to do after a comfortable meal, is to sit by the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa in your hands, totally ignoring the world outside.  I think that I’ve already started that pattern.  Although, the Pittsburgh hills are still multicolored, and the leaves on the ground have not been replaced by snowflakes yet, the rainy weather doesn’t give me the strength and energy to put a foot outside the door. 

The good thing about that is that over the past few days, I’ve been mastering the art of the ultimate comfort food – chili – with and without meat.  And by the way, these are not your usual suspects in terms of chili, but interesting versions of the classic.  Nonetheless, while I was passionately cooking as if I were stocking up on chili for the entire winter, something unexpected happened.  Someone knocked on the door.  I wasn’t expecting anyone and I can assure you that I wasn’t eager to answer the door while I was diffusing a delightful aroma of onion, garlic and chicken.  However, when I opened the door, the florist greeted me with an immense and superb bouquet of roses, lilies and gerberas.  My hubby does know how to make me smile!    

White Bean Chicken Chili

Adapted from White Bean Chicken Chili by Giada De Laurentiis

Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

·         2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

·         1 large onion, chopped

·         4 garlic cloves, minced

·         2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch cubes

·         Salt and black pepper

·         2 Tablespoons ground cumin

·         1 Tablespoon fennel seeds

·         1 Tablespoon dried oregano

·         2 teaspoons paprika or chili powder

·         3 Tablespoons flour

·         2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 pound frozen corn, thawed

·         4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

·         ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

·         Grated Parmesan cheese

·         Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for up to 1 minute.  Add the cumin, fennel seeds, oregano and paprika (or chili powder – I use paprika just because that’s what I always have on hand; in Transylvania it is mandatory to have paprika in your spice cabinet), and toast them for about 1 minute.  

Make some room in the middle of the pan and add a little bit more olive oil.  Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. (FYI:  Giada’s recipe calls for ground chicken, but I actually like it better with cubed chicken breasts.  You can also use turkey, beef, pork, or anything that satisfies your tummy.)   

Stir the flour into the chicken mixture and cook it for about 1 minute.  Add the beans, corn, red pepper flakes and chicken broth (if you are using beef, add beef broth – you can always just add water, but then make sure you carefully season everything).  Bring the mixture to a boil scrapping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 65-70 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened.  If you don’t want too much heat in your chili, add the red pepper flakes right at the end and simmer for 10 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Ladle the chili into serving bowls.  Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. 

I have immediately fallen in love with this delicious chili.  It is so easy to make and the parsley at the end brings all the flavors back to life and gives freshness to the entire dish.  

Now, for those of you who prefer a vegetarian version, I have the perfect recipe. 

Vegetarian Bean Chili

Inspired by Melanie Fleck’s recipe of Vegetarian Bean Chili (Penzeys Spices, Fall 2011)

Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

·         2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

·         1 large onion, chopped

·         1 carrot, chopped

·         1 red bell pepper, chopped

·         Salt and black pepper

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 Tablespoon ground cumin

·         1 Tablespoon fennel seeds

·         ½ Tablespoon dried oregano

·         2 teaspoons paprika or chili powder

·         1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

·         1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

·         1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

·         1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

·         1 pound frozen corn, thawed

·         ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

·         2 - 2.5 cups water

·         Sour cream (optional)

·         Grated Parmesan or Cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot and red bell pepper.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the cumin, fennel seeds, oregano and paprika and toast them for about 1 minute.  

Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, red pepper flakes and water.  Season carefully with more salt and pepper, to taste.  Stir everything together and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft and the chili has thickened. 

Ladle the chili into serving bowls.  Add a dollop of sour cream on top and sprinkle with the cheese.  

Everything works so well together and you don’t even feel the absence of meat.  It is filling, colorful, a bit spicy, and the corn brings a hint of sweetness to the entire dish.  Besides, you know me, I like to add corn to almost anything because corn and I “go together like a wink and a smile”.  Enjoy!