pão e queijo

Learning to Love Winter Veggies (Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with Gorgonzola)

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

 

I know you must all be confused.

 

Not too long ago I made a bold claim that I did not (absolutely did not) like sweet potatoes.  Nor butternut squash for that matter.  In fact, winter squash and I were not really friends at all.  

 

Things have obviously changed in the past few months.

 

I've resigned myself to the fact that I will probably not eat berries again until June.  Or juicy, ripe summer tomatoes until August.  

 

I can't bring myself to purchase out of season zucchini, as versatile as it is to cook with.  

 

Instead, I have been learning to live in harmony with the seasons.  I would dare say that most Americans have no idea of what grows naturally at any given moment-- or where.  I mostly blame the agrifood industry, as large supermarket chains provide us comfortably and conveniently with flora and fauna from all over the world.  There are no seasons in the grocery store.  Everything is always "in season."  

 

But when you learn to eat in the moment, produce becomes all the more special.  I'm sure when June comes along, I will savor fresh, ripe, local berries.  And instead of picking up a styrofoam package of tomatoes that were injected with Ethylene Gas to make them ripen just in time for their debut on the supermarket shelves, and that were also grown and picked by slave laborers, I will dutifully wait until August to devour homemade roasted tomato sauce by the pint.  

 

So what does this have to do with sweet potatoes?  Anyone who lives in the North East knows that fresh local produce in the wintertime is not exactly abundant.  What is abundant are root vegetables, potatoes, winter squash, hardy greens, and the like.  So I decided to become friends with them.

 

A few recipes that helped me change my mind about sweet potatoes:

 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Barley Salad with Sweet Potato, Pecans & Feta

Sweet Potato Skewers with Cilantro-Lime-Jalapeño Greek Yogurt dip (pictured here)

Sweet Potato Fries!

& THIS SOUP

 

Honestly, I think the reason I didn't care for them before was due to their preparation.  I had always eaten them candy-sweet, loaded with brown sugar or maple syrup, buried under mountains of marshmallows, and other gross stuff like that.  I think I've mentioned before I don't like my savory food to be sweet.  And with sweet potatoes, I think just what they need is a sharp contrast of salty, tangy, and/or creamy.

 

A few words of praise for this luxurious soup:  Sweet potatoes are simple, if not humble creatures.  But underneath a layer of dirty brown skin, there is a world of potential.  This soup starts out homely.  When the sweet potatoes are done cooking in the broth, you might think that I'm trying to serve you sweet potato puree.  But wait!  Add a generous drizzle of cream and swirl it in.  Follow with a couple of pinches (who is measuring?) of hot red pepper flakes, a few grinds of pink Himalayan salt, and top with your favorite creamy blue Gorgonzola.  In my mind's eye, it's like dressing up jeans and a T-shirt by adding a blazer, heels, and a shiny necklace.  This soup seriously blows my mind.

 

Fancy Sweet Potato Soup

p&q original

Serves 2-3

 

1 tbsp butter or olive oil (I used a combination of both)

1 small onion, chopped

1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into a rough ½-inch dice

2 cups good quality vegetable broth

Generous amount of heavy cream (or, if you're a wimp, milk or half-and-half, or a combination)

Couple of pinches of hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

Salt, to taste (I used pink Himalayan salt)

Generous sprinkling of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese for each serving, for garnishing

 

In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  If it starts to brown you can lower the heat a little.  Add the sweet potatoes, along with the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil over moderately high heat.  Lower heat so that the soup is just simmering, cover, and let cook about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender enough that they are easily crushed against the wall of the saucepan.  

 

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth.  (You could also transfer the soup to a blender).  The soup will be VERY thick!  That's why you want add heavy cream.  Add as much as you desire, a little at a time, to make the soup thinner.  This will also make it super luxurious.  Add the red pepper flakes and salt to taste.  Serve in pretty bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of Gorgonzola.  

 

Technology in My Lifetime (Caramel Apple Crêpes)

 

When I was four or five, I went running to my mom, sobbing, because I had accidentally done something terrible to the document my sister was typing on our Mac computer.  It was a huge desktop thing that took floppy disks and had an equally huge modem, and back in the day cost my parents ten thousand dollars.  It turns out I had just closed the document.  On the black and white screen.

 

When I was six, we used to listen to our Walkmans.  We could get FM radio on them and cool stuff like that.

 

When I was eight, my sister and I used to put cassettes in the boom box and tape record songs on the radio that we liked.  We were pioneers in what is now known as music burning.  Oh yeah.

 

When I was nine, I used to go down to the record store and buy twenty dollar CDs with my allowance money.  My all time favorite was Savage Garden.  

 

I also was the fastest typer in my computation class when I was nine.  I could type 59 WPM.  Beat that, Mavis Beacon.  

 

We also had real cameras and had to take film to CVS to be developed.

 

Sometime in the 90s I remember my uncle having a bag phone.  No, that's not a cell phone the size of a bag.  It was a literal car phone, totally from another planet.  

 

When I was 13 my family got our very first cell phones.  Metallic blue Motorola flip phones with black and white screens.  They were so dang cool.  

 

We also had dialup internet that made funny noises while connecting, AOL (friendly voice reminding you: "You've got mail!") and PPPs and crap like that.  Eventually we transitioned to wifi and bought Apple's router (the Airport… I still don't understand why it's called that), but we still got disconnected from the internet when a call would enter.  

 

When I was 15, a crush/friend/boyfriend  told me that soon CDs would be obsolete.  I thought to myself, Who the heck does he think he is predicting the future of CDs?  And furthermore, what would this world be like without them?  What will come next?  Well, turns out he was kinda right.  Although it seems mighty future-predicting of him to make such a statement years ago.   

 

In high school we started downloading illegal tunes on LimeWire before it was busted and we burned CD mixtures (not cassettes) to listen to in the car.

 

Soon Myspace was replaced by Facebook and we no longer took photos of ourselves, arms extended with kissy or emo faces, using our 1.9 megapixel cameras.  

 

We got iPods (with black and white screens) and no longer listened to boomboxes.  

 

iPods were constantly getting upgraded, as were cellphones (thank goodness flip phones are no longer in style), laptops, and Facebook.

 

My mom learned about Twitter before I did.  Then there came Badoo, StumbledUpon, Pinterest, and SocialCrap.  I made the last one up.  We no longer chatted on AIM but rather opted for the more stylish Skype.  We dared evolution by teaching ourselves to text with both thumbs at the same time.  Who knows, maybe future generations will be born knowing how to text.  

 

iPhones, iPads, tablets, readers… I feel like it was yesterday that I begged my mom to buy me a hot pink portable CD player that had "princess" splashed across the cover in gold.  Or that we had to rewind VHSs so painfully slowly.  Or that we really had memberships at Blockbuster.  We actually used to order things through magazines, using forms that you mailed in.  The closest thing to online banking was calling your bank, and you spoke to a real.  living. person.  We used to get spam to our real mailbox, not our inbox.  

 

When I was a kid, my sister and I played in the dirt.  We made mud brownies and hid in the bushes.  We biked to the playground and didn't text mom and dad to say we'd be home a little later than planned.  We read real books and could feel with our hands the weight of the paper and smell the ink on the pages.  

 

There was no 3G (or 4G!) network to be able to compare prices or find our way with the GPS.  We relied on the good old-fashioned Rand McNally!  Chain mail was delivered to our doorstep, as were newspapers.  

 

Today the only thing that really connects me to those days is the fact that my grandparents send me newspaper and magazine clippings.  My mom jokes and says that it's their version of her sending me links online.  

 

I don't complain about how convenient most things are now, and I love being able to have Google Maps help me find my way when I'm on a mission searching for a bakery.  I love being able to download movies and music and search for whatever I feel like on Wikipedia instead of Encyclopedia Britannica (which was really expensive, too!).  I remember fondly playing ancient computer games with my sister and communicating via Walkie Talkies.  

 

Who would have known that so much could happen in so little time?

 

3 words: Make. These. Crêpes.

Caramel Apple Crêpes

p&q original.  Caramel sauce adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 4

 

Caramel sauce:

½ cup sugar

3 tbsp salted butter

⅓ cup heavy cream

 

Caramelized apples:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 lb apples of your choice, cored and sliced or chopped (I used organic Pink Lady apples and didn't peel them)

Ground cinnamon, optional

 

8 medium-sized crêpes (I used this recipe; you could also use my basic French crêpe recipe)

Freshly whipped cream for garnishing, optional

 

To make the caramel sauce, add the sugar to a medium saucepan (at least 2qts) and stir with a wooden spoon over moderately high heat as it melts.  Have the rest of the ingredients ready, as the caramel can quickly burn.  Keep stirring until the sugar turns smooth and darkens to a medium amber color.  Don't let it get too dark.  Add the butter and stir constantly until completely melted.  Lower the heat and slowly add the heavy cream, stirring constantly.  The caramel will hiss and bubble; this is normal.  Stir until the sauce is completely smooth and then set aside.  Reheat gently before serving to thin it out again.  

 

To make the caramelized apples, melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the brown sugar and stir to incorporate.  Add the sliced or chopped apples and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-12 minutes, depending on how large you have cut the apples.  They should be tender and brown.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.  

 

To assemble the crêpes, place caramelized apples in the center of a crêpe.  Fold in the sides, and drizzle on the caramel sauce.  Top with a little ground cinnamon and/or freshly whipped cream if desired.  

 

Breaking Bread (Rustic Acorn Squash Galette with Roasted Garlic)

 

There's definitely something to be said for sharing a meal.  One of the first European gastronomic journalists, Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin, observed that the sense of taste, preparing and eating food (what we know as gastronomy), are aspects of a civilizing power that brings people together and keeps them together.  In other words, meals (the preparation and eating of) create bonding experiences.  

 

When you're new to a city, meeting friends and establishing relationships can be a bit intimidating.  Two Fridays ago we had the Gastronomy program orientation, where we all prepared a meal together.  We broke off into little groups and each prepared a seasonal, local, spectacular dish.  My group created four rustic winter squash tarts that were lovely.  

 

As we sat down to a four course meal, one that everyone had contributed to, whether by sautéing onions or slicing watermelon radishes with the mandolin, our connection to one another was already that much stronger because of the time spent in the kitchen, and then sharing the meal we had prepared together.

 

This past weekend I had the good fortune of meeting up again with some of my classmates and breaking bread at a fine establishment in the South End, followed by the consumption of a few French macarons at a local bakery-café.  I am now more convinced than ever that food brings people together.   

 

 

Rustic Acorn Squash Galette with Roasted Garlic

p&q original (inspired by my orientation dinner)

Serves 4 (as main) to 6 (as starter)

 

For galette dough:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp hot red pepper flakes

5 tbsp butter, cut into small pats and chilled

4-5 tbsp ice water

 

For filling:

1 large acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed

1 small head of garlic

1 tsp + 1 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

Salt

1 egg, beaten

Cheese, shredded or crumbled (optional- I topped the galette with feta before serving)

 

Preheat oven to 400F with rack in the center.

To make dough, combine the flour, salt, and hot pepper flakes in the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse a few times to incorporate.  Add the pats of cold butter and pulse a few more times until there are some pea-size pieces remaining.  Add the ice water very slowly, pulsing all the while, JUST until the dough is slightly damp and when pinched it clumps/ sticks together (it's very easy to add too much water and/or over process the dough, so use precaution).  Form dough into a ball and then flatten into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you roast the acorn squash and garlic.

Place the acorn squash face-down in a baking pan large enough to hold the two halves.  Remove the outer layers of paper-like skin on the garlic, leaving only the thin skin on each clove.  Using a serrated knife, cut about ¼ to ½ inch of the top off of the garlic bulb.  Drizzle top with about 1 tsp olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place in baking pan along with the acorn squash.  Roast in preheated oven-- garlic will take about 30-35 minutes (the cloves will feel soft when squeezed), and the squash will take a bit longer, about 40-45 minutes, until fork-tender.  Remove from oven (don't turn oven off) and let cool slightly.  Remove skin from squash and chop into rough pieces.  Remove garlic from foil pouch and squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins. Mash garlic slightly with a fork.  

While the squash and garlic are baking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until translucent and just starting to brown.

Lower oven heat to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.  Remove galette dough from refrigerator and roll into a rough 12-inch circle (it doesn't have to be pretty or perfect!), about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick.  Transfer to the lined baking sheet and spread the onions and garlic on the dough, leaving a 2-3 inch border all around.  Top with the acorn squash and a light sprinkling of salt to taste.  Top with cheese if using.  Fold the dough border up around the filling and press to adhere and seal.  Brush the beaten egg on the visible dough.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until crust is golden.  You could dress it up for a meal by serving it with a green salad and a glass of wine.  

 

Cathy Picarillo's Chocolate Sheet Cake with Fudgy Frosting

 

My mom doesn't cook.  She doesn't like to cook, as she will tell you herself.  (Unimaginable in our little foodie world).  I'm actually not sure how such a food-passionate person like myself could have been raised under such circumstances!

 

But, she will also tell you she knows how to make a few things:

 

Scrambled eggs

 

Leftover chicken sandwiches

 

Oatmeal

 

And this chocolate cake.  At least, she used to… about twenty years ago when she worked with a woman named Cathy Picarillo who made a darn good German chocolate cake. 

 

I remember my mom making this cake on special occasions.  Back in those days (when I survived on Wonder Bread and Jiffy), I didn't care too much for cake-- especially chocolate cake.  

 

To this day, cake isn't my favorite dessert.  Most of the the time it is dry and heavy, too sweet, and piled with mounds of light, fluffy, and overly sweet frosting (I'm more of a buttercream kinda gal).  

 

But this cake (oh, this cake) is moist, lightly sweet, and very chocolatey without being bitter.  It has a thin layer of fudge frosting that provides a crunchy coating to a very soft and delectable dessert.  You will convert guests into cake and chocolate lovers with this easy to make sheet cake.  And I must add: thank you, Cathy Picarrillo!  (And mom, obvi;).

 

 

Cathy Picarillo's Chocolate Sheet Cake with Fudgy Frosting

Cake adapted from Cathy Picarillo's recipe; Frosting adapted from CDKitchen

Makes one frosted 9 x 13-inch sheet cake

 

For the cake:

½ cup neutral oil

2 eggs, room temperature (use pasture-raised local eggs)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

2 cups hot water

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (she used Droste's)

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

 

For the frosting:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

½ stick butter

¼ cup milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 375F with rack in the center.  Lightly grease a non-stick 9 x 13-inch baking pan.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the oil and sugar until well blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well until fully incorporated.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Sift together 3 times until well mixed.

 

With mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and hot water to sugar-oil mixture, scraping down the bowl as necessary and being careful not to over-mix.  The batter will be VERY soupy and thin, that is normal.  

 

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool 5 minutes before icing.  

 

To make the frosting, combine sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a soft boil and let boil for 1 minute.  Stir in vanilla.  Cool for one minute and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer.  Beat with the mixer for 2 minutes, until thick and spreadable.  Spread a thin layer on the still warm cake.  Top with sanding sugar or sprinkles if you're feeling fancy ;)

 

Note: I've also had great results using this chocolate buttercream frosting.  

 

The Other Day I Received the Following Email... (Baked Ginger Tofu with Mango)

 

 

Dear Sarah,

 

It's just not the same around here since you moved away! I try to tolerate the other creatures (both the two- and four-legged variety), but they are not of the same status (Queen); and therefore, it has been very difficult  as they are mere peasants, and they are trying my patience.

 

I miss my personal groom. You made me so shiny and soft. Now I have to do my toilette all by myself! (Gasp!) And I miss our lively conversations. The others just bore me, so all I can do is lie around and sleep. My bed is lonely, I miss scratching at your door at 2 in the morning, and no one calls my name with as much excitement and enthusiasm as you.

 

Well, I guess I should stop feeling sorry for myself. I hope you are enjoying that new place you moved to. But don't get too attached to Ophelia, okay?

 

Love and paws,

Miz Newt

 

My response?

Dear my lovely Miz Newt LJBSBINNM,

Thank you for your thoughtful message.  Things here just aren't the same without you. There is no fluffy friend that comes scratching at the door at 2am, nor one that dips her paw into my water glass.  It's not the same eating at the dinner table without you wagging your tail into my food.  I miss your million moods, from affectionate and purring kittay, to playful kittay that lets me pet your fluffay tummay.  

Ophelia just isn't the same, so no worries, there's no competition.  She's much skinnier than you, and eats wet cat food (we would call that peasant food).  I don't think she could catch a mouse if her life depended on it.  

Lovely photograph by the way, my prinzesssss, you look like you're fat and as happy as you'll get without me there.  Glad to see you're getting in the way of the plebians' work as always.  I remember you fondly and hope we can be reunited soon.

 

Keep it fluffay,

Beris

 

Baked ginger tofu with mango

p&q original (tofu inspired by this recipe)

Serves 2 (main) to 4 (light dish)

 

16 oz extra firm organic tofu (the firmer the tofu, the better)

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

⅓ cup soy sauce (sub GF tamari to make this dish Gluten Free)

2 tsp honey (use local)

1 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed and cut into smaller chunks

2 tbsp thinly sliced scallions

Cooked brown rice, for serving

 

Press the tofu by first draining it, and then putting it on a plate lined with paper towels.  Put another paper towel on top of the tofu, followed by another plate, and place a heavy object on top.  Press for 20 minutes.

 

Meanwhile make the marinade by combining the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and balsamic vinegar.  I found doing this in the food processor works great because it makes a more uniform mixture and cuts the ginger and garlic up nicely.  

 

Cut the tofu into flat slices about ¼-inch thick, then cut each slice into thirds.  Place the slices in a shallow dish large enough to hold them in one layer and cover with the marinade.  Marinate for 30 minutes, flipping a few times.  

 

Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet.  Place the marinated tofu slices on the baking sheet, reserving the marinade, and bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.  (Sarah note: the first time I made these, I was using VERY firm tofu and only needed to bake them for 20 minutes; if using regular store-bought extra firm tofu, you will want to bake them longer, about 30 minutes).  

 

While the tofu is baking, toss the mango chunks in the leftover marinade.  When tofu is done baking, serve on rice and topped with mango chunks and scallions.  

 

Random Acts of Kindness (Barley Salad with Sweet Potato, Pecans, and Feta)

 

Sometimes I'm inclined to think that we live in a cold world.  One where machine-recorded tapes substitute human voices, where automated checkouts replace librarians and supermarket workers.  Where a handshake no longer signifies a promise made.  Where things have become ultra legal and we lose sight of love, kindness, and helping others.

 

I know, that was a little depressing.  Do you ever feel that way, too?  

 

Well, good news.  I'm about to talk about something really happy: random acts of kindness.  Among the garbage and the grime, you can usually find a friend who will smile and brighten your day.  A kindred spirit who lifts heavy books for you or cooks you a warm meal.  

 

Here in Boston I've been a witness to many a random act of kindness.  From drivers waving me to cross the street in the cold, crisp weather (a nice change from Costa Rican drivers accelerating when they see a pedestrian crossing), to observing while the conductor of a subway train left his position to help a blind man off the trolley.  I've had to ask for directions and was pleasantly guided, and fellow Bostonians have even taken the time to point me to where I needed to go.  

 

It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Reciprocally, it feels good to do random acts of kindness.  It makes our world a better place.  Have you done any random acts of kindness lately?  

 

Barley Salad with Sweet Potato, Pecans, and Feta

p&q original-- inspired by this recipe

Serves 4

 

1 cup barley

2 cups water

Salt

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp cayenne pepper or hot pepper flakes

500g sweet potatoes, medium dice (about 3 cups cubed)

½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped*

⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped (I used my food processor)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Tiny drizzle of honey

100g crumbled feta cheese*

 

Preheat oven to 400F with rack in the center. 

 

Rinse the barley in a fine mesh strainer, picking out any bad grains.  Combine the barley and water in a medium saucepan, and add a few pinches of salt.  Cook over medium-high heat until water reaches a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, until water has been completely absorbed. (Check the package to see how long your barley needs to cook; mine was done after 30 minutes but some cook longer/ shorter).

 

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, pepper, and 1 tsp salt in a large (I used 9 x 13-inch) baking pan.  Add the diced sweet potatoes and toss well to coat.  Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.  

 

When barley and sweet potatoes are done cooking, place them in serving bowl; add pecans and parsley.  Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, apple cider vinegar , and a tiny drizzle of honey; then add to the serving bowl, along with the feta cheese.  Serve warm or cold.  

 

*Notes: You could substitute another nut for the pecans if you wanted.  About the feta, I like to purchase a block and crumble it myself because I think it tastes fresher that way.  

 

6 days in Boston. (Fluffay Whole Wheat Pancakes)

 

1.  I bought a granny cart.  It fell apart on its first trip to the supermarket (before getting there).  On my way home, as I was trying to get it to cooperate, I saw an old granny who had a granny cart, too.  We smiled at each other.  It made my day.

 

2.  I almost set my apartment on fire.  OK, I exaggerate a little.  Basically, this girl has no experience using a gas oven, and there was food poo on the floor of the oven that started smoking.  I got really freaked out.

 

3.  Trader Joe's Pear Ginger White Tea rocks.  I've been having teatime every night to make me feel like I'm at home with my parents, who have nine teatimes per day.  At least.

 

4.  Boston is sunny!  Such a nice change from overcast central New York!

 

5.  The first meal I made in my new apartment was Lemon-pepper pappardelle pasta with lemony pesto, spinach, and almonds.

 

6.  I got a library card!  Cookbooks, here I come.

 

7.  My mom and I went to the New American Café at the MFA and I had the best flatbread of my life: Black mission fig flatbread with smoked pecans, blue cheese, vin cotto, and watercress.  Amazing combination.

 

8.  On my way to Flour Bakery, I passed by a Chinese restaurant named "Pu Pu Hot Pot."  No joke.

 

9.  Flour Bakery was pretty cool.

 

10.  A pretty black kitty, Ophelia, lives in my apartment.  She's sweet, but doesn't compare to my royal preenzess Miz Newt LongJohn Bacon Squeegie.

 

11.  Job hunting sucks.  

 

12.  These pancakes are as sinfully good as non-whole-wheat ones.  And they melt in your mouth.  Pancakes= home.

 

 

Fluffay Whole Wheat Pancakes

Adapted from Gina's Skinny Taste

Makes about 17 (3-4 inch) pancakes

 

2 cups (white) whole wheat flour

4 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea or kosher salt

2 tsp raw sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)

2 large eggs (use free range local)

2 cups milk

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Butter for greasing the pan

Pure maple syrup, for serving

 

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until well combined.  Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla, and whisk just until incorporated.  Be careful not to over-mix; there will be some small lumps.

 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt a little butter to coat.  (Note: I use two skillets to make this part go quicker because I only put one pancake in each skillet at a time).  Using a ¼ cup scoop, pour batter into center of the heated, buttered skillet.  When the pancake starts to bubble and pop and edges begin to set, flip the pancakes and cook another minute or two on second side.  Repeat with the remaining batter.  Serve hot/warm with maple syrup.