INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Put all ingredients in a stainless steel 4 qt. pot and bring to boil. Boil slowly for 15 min. Stir occasionally.

Let cool down. Take a wooden mallet and smash the apples. The sauce will be chunky.

Store in the fridge for up to a week.

My lightened up version of Sofie’s recipe is a painless way to serve and eat healthy vegetables. Stuff them with cooked veggies, and they’re a lovely entree for a vegetarian meal. Add a sweet filling, and you’ve also got dessert! You can also use these to make wraps, though you may need a knife and fork if you overfill them – these little wrappers are thin and light!

Even though making the pancakes is a little bit of work, it’s quicker than you think. And you can make everything ahead of time. Make sure you warm these pancakes gently before you fill them.

When it comes to fillings, the sky is the limit. Use any combination of herbs or cheese that strike your fancy. My personal favorite is Brocolli Filling, a lighter version of the filling my mother used to make. For dessert, try fresh fruit, berry jam, ice cream, whipped cream laced with Grand Marnier, or shaved chocolate as shown in the picture.

But please, do NOT stack these melt-in-your-mouth pancakes on top of each other while they’re hot. They’ll stick together and make a hideous mess! If you want to make them ahead of time, cool each one on a dish towel as described in the recipe. Then you can stack them, separated with clear plastic wrap. Wrap the whole stack in foil and refrigerate.

I don’t call these pancakes “crepes” because they are less eggy. The whole-wheat flour gives them a different flavor. Click here to learn the swirl technique of cooking these pancakes. Give it a shot, because the method is fairly easy, and once you master it, you can cook up a batch of these delectable little wrappers in about 15 minutes.

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten with fork
• 1 tablespoon butter (melted)
• 1 cup milk (any kind, even skim is fine)
• Oil for cooking (such as canola, sunflower, or safflower)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt, egg, butter, and milk. Mix gently with a fork until well blended, with very few lumps. Cover, then let the batter rest for 1 hour at modest room temperature. (Of course, if it’s really hot in your kitchen, refrigerate the batter for 30-40 minutes, then take it out for about 15-20 minutes before cooking.)

Heat an 8 inch flared skillet (the bottom surface are is usually about 6 inches). Preheat the pan on the medium high setting, brush it with a little bland oil, like canola oil. When the oil is good and hot, put in 1/4 cup of batter and swirl to cover bottom of the pan.

Cook until lightly browned then flip over and cook the other side. The oil will dry up quickly, so brush the pan with more oil after each pancake. I like to put the oil in small cup, then use a pastry brush to oil the inside of the skillet as needed. You’ll find the cooking goes very fast. And do not walk away to do other things – your pancakes will burn!

Put a clean dish towel on the counter, then slide the pancake out of the skillet on to the towel. Cover lightly with foil (don’t seal the foil, just lay it on top). Re-oil your skillet and repeat until you’ve finished up the batter. Then fill and roll as directed in my Brocolli Filling recipe.

Makes 6-8 pancakes, easily doubled or tripled

Why are these eggs superior to mass market eggs? First, they look better. When you break one into a bowl, the yolk is nice and high and firm. The color is a deep yellow-orange.

Second, when cooked and eaten on their own, vegetarian eggs taste rich, fresh, and very “eggy.” The texture is moist and tender even when they’re well done.

Third, vegetarian eggs are better for baking. Cakes made with them tend to rise better and have a more tender crumb, with melt-in-your mouth flavor.

Fourth, vegetarian eggs are better for you. They’re lower in cholesterol, and higher in the Omega fatty acids that actually help protect your heart.

Fifth, if you’re making hard boiled eggs for salad or deviled eggs, you’ll discover that veggie eggs are much easier to peel. Recently I decided to be cheap and bought mass market eggs, and I almost went crazy trying to peel them.

Believe me, it wasn’t my technique that was the problem, it was the eggs. I’m 71 years old, and I’ve been cooking for as long as I can remember. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s boil eggs properly. And every experienced cook knows that the fresher the egg, the harder it will be to peel. It’s a dilemma. The fresher the egg, the tastier the dish – but the harder it will be to peel the eggs! So when you’re going for both freshness and easy-peeling, you want eggs with very hard shells and firm membranes.

Well, the shells on those cheap eggs were so thin, the inner membrane was glued to those eggs! So instead of serving gorgeous, smooth white eggs, they were all raggedy looking. Take my advice, and always buy vegetarian eggs for hard boiling. If your technique is right, they peel much more easily because the shells are so thick and hard, they practically slide off the egg.

And finally, you can feel good about buying vegetarian eggs because they usually come from happier chickens! Look for eggs that are not only “vegetarian,” but “cage free.” This means the hens are NOT squished into cages where they can’t move, subjected to bright light 24 hours a day to make them lay eggs constantly. Cage-free eggs come from hens who get to run around and scratch and squabble and do, well, whatever chickens like to do all day! That’s why I call them “happy eggs!”

3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup egg beaters or 2 vegetarian eggs
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 cup brandy
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Soak raisins or dried cranberries in 1/4 cup brandy until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together canola oil and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix well. Stir in oats, raisins and nuts, mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until browned. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack and cool
completely. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Cheese Onion Bread
Ingredients for 1.5 lb. Loaf

10 oz. water 110 degrees
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups flour
3/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded
1 1/2 tablespoons dehydrated onion
1 pkg active dry yeast

Select cycle for your bread machine.

Put ingredients in as instructed by your bread machine.

ENJOY!

This recipe makes two generous servings. If you want to make enough for a family barbecue, buy a 5-pound bag of potatoes. Peel and the cook the entire bag. Then increase the rest of the ingredients as follows: 1/4 cup each of lemon juice. mayonnaise, and sour cream; 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper; 1 big bunch of green onions; and 4 slices of bacon. Feel free to add an extra tablespoon of mayo or sour cream if you want a creamier dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound small red potatoes, peeled
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise or Vegenaise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream or Tofutti Sour Supreme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 green onions, chopped, tender part of green only (optional)
• 1 slice bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled, or 1 tablespoon vegan bacon bits (optional)

Simmer the potatoes in a big pot of boiling water until soft but not mushy. This can take anywhere from 18-30 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes and how fresh they are. A fork should pierce them easily, but they shouldn’t fall apart into mush.

While the potatoes cook, measure the lemon juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper in a non-reactive mixing bowl. Whisk with a fork, set aside in the fridge. When the potatoes are done, drain, run some cold water over them, then let them cool until they’re at room temperature.

Mix the potatoes with the dressing, add the chopped green onion and crumbled bacon.

2 servings – easily multiplied.

1 can (16 oz.) green beans (drained)
1 can (16 oz.) wax beans (drained)
1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans (drained)
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
8 green onions, sliced (including tops)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the beans, green pepper, and onions in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients until the sugar is well dissolved.

Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and refrigerate overnight, stirring several times.

Be careful to get the vinegar and sugar well dissolved – and no guessing on amounts.

This dish goes well with baked ham as it is a hearty vegetable, and I don’t serve potatoes with it. Any sweet jello salad adds variety to the flavors of the meal, such as strawberry or raspberry gelatin with crushed pineapple and miniature marshmallows added. Make the gelatin according to package directions.

Serve with warm biscuits or corn bread and you don’t need a dessert.

In Memory of Euphrasia McMullen.

This recipe was developed by the late Mrs. McMullen. This salad was a great favorite of her family, and she served it to them for many decades.

So I urge you to try making Cherries Jubilee just once. It’s just a few ingredients, you can make it from things in your cupboard, it’s ridiculously easy, and it’s an incredibly happy eat! Serve this over the very best vanilla ice cream or vanilla sorbet you can find… or use these cherries as a filling for my Happy Crepes, with a little whipped cream or ice cream on top.

INGREDIENTS

1 can pitted dark cherries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cognac, Grand Marnier, amaretto, or kirsch

Drain the cherries over a bowl, so you capture all the juice they were packed in. In a 10-inch skillet, combine the sugar and the cornstarch, then add the cherry juice, mixing with a whisk. Place the liqueur in a small saucepan, and heat over a low flame until it warms up. Don’t boil it or reduce it – you just want it to be warm.

Now turn the heat on under the skillet, adjust it to medium, and cook the juice mizture, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Add the cherries, but don’t stir. Turn off the flame.

Now for “the business” – and yes, you can do this at the table if you want to impress your guests! Have a long handled metal spoor or ladle ready. Pour the warmed liqueur over the cherries. Touch a lit fireplace lighter to the sauce – it should ignite immediately, and burn with a blue flame. Grab the metal ladle and spoon the flaming sauce over the cherries. The flame will die down quickly as the alcohol burns off.

Now spoon the cherries over vanilla ice cream, vanilla sorbet, or on top of folded Happy Crepes, and divide any remaining sauce between the plates.

Serves 4-6.

1 jigger Irish whiskey
6 oz strong black coffee (like Starbuck’s, you can use decaf)
2 tablespoons sugar (I like raw organic sugar)
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Into a warm glass mug, pour in one jigger of Irish whiskey. Add 6 oz of strong black coffee, then add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir to dissolve.

Now over the back of a spoon, slowly pour the heavy cream. Do not stir the coffee, just sip slowly.

Enjoy! Happy St. Patrick Day!

~ Emi

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