Swedish Pancakes

When our daughter is in the mood for pancakes, we usually make this recipe or the one for yogurt pancakes because they only require basic ingredients and are so fast and easy to make. This recipe makes pancakes that are thicker than crêpes and thinner than traditional pancakes. If you have fresh fruit on hand, this recipe for fruit pancakes is another good option.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tspn salt
2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

toppings:
confection sugar
maple syrup
strawberries and whipped cream

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and salt.
2. Add the milk and eggs to the mixing bowl and mix well until all of the ingredients are well combined. The batter will be thin compared to traditional pancake batter.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancakes.
4. Dust the pancakes with confection sugar before serving.
5. Serve hot with maple syrup or strawberries and cream.

Sweden [ print this recipe for Swedish Pancakes ]

Red Cabbage Recipe

Red Cabbage is both sweet and sour and a great compliment to the rich flavors of beef, pork, or potatoes.

Ingredients:
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 head of red cabbage, shredded

Preparation:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, mix together the butter, red wine vinegar, and sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded red cabbage to the pot. Do not cover the pot.
3. Cook over low heat for 1 hour or slightly less time if you like your cabbage crisp.

Germany [ print this recipe ]

Udon Noodles in Tomato Broth Recipe

Last weekend, the temperature here was very cold so a pot of soup was just what the doctor ordered. So we decided to make udon noodles in tomato broth - a type of soup that is popular in Japan.

It was basically a two step process. First, boil the udon noodles and then distribute them in serving bowls. If you use ready to serve udons, you can skip the boiling of the noodles and cut about 20 minutes off the prep time. Second, prepare the tomato broth. This step is pretty simple as there are only a few ingredients. Give it a try this weekend.

Ingredients:
2 packets of dry udon noodles
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp canola oil
5 scallions
1/3 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
4 cups chicken stock
kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Fill a large pasta pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot. Cook until al dente ~ about 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Drain the noodles and rinse them under warm running water.
3. Distribute the noodles to serving bowls. It is OK if they get cold.
4. Dice the scallions. Try to keep the white portion of the scallions separate.
5. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and the white, diced scallions. Cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and cook for two minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt. Reduce heat to low.
8. Using a ladle, pour some of the broth into each of the serving bowls and garnish with the green part of the diced scallions.

Japan  [ print this recipe for Udon Noodles in Tomato Broth ]