Valentine's Day Breakfast and a Product Review

 February is all about Valentine's Day, and love, chocolate, and hearts!

Why not take some time out this Valentine's Day and make a breakfast that shows you love them.  Making an easy meal such as pancakes goes a long way to show you care.  What is even better is making heart shaped pancakes.  Just a little spin on the traditional by free forming a heart shape when pouring the batter on the griddle.  

If free forming isn't your forte, you could use a mold...or one of those handy squirt bottles for batter.  They all work well and the sentiment will be appreciated.

You can even go modern and make XOXO pancakes.  Too cute!

So let's talk about the batter.  You can use your favorite pancake batter but, I wanted to introduce you to a new product I came across.  I'm sure you've all used an baking mixes before.  There are quite a few different brands out there.  I recently came across one from one of my favorite brands, King Arthur Flour.  I just love their flour (and many other items as well...) because it seems to make my baked items so much more tender than any other.  So I new I had to try it.

King Arthur Flour Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix comes in a 36oz box for $6.95.  here's what they say about it.

Make tender, golden pancakes or waffles with our easy mix. Flavored with a hint of malt for "diner-style" flavor. Just add milk, egg, and butter or oil. See instructions on the box.

WHAT YOU GET

Classic Diner-Style Pancakes and Waffle Mix. 16 oz. package makes 20 large 4" pancakes.

DIETARY INFORMATION

• Kosher.

TEST KITCHEN TIPS

Want to make waffles? Prepare the batter as directed for pancakes, doubling the amount of butter or oil. Bake according to your waffle iron's instruction manual

The pancakes came out light and fluffy with a slightly tangy flavor which is from the buttermilk powder. Tasted just like homemade. I must say this is a superior mix to the old stand by. 

Hope they come out with a whole grain version too!

So remember that you can take a shortcut and make wonderful Valentine's Day pancakes that are quick and easy, tasty, and full of love.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Pancakes

2 cups King Arthur All Purpose Baking Mix (or other brand)
2 eggs
1 cup milk

In a large bowl add the baking mix. Then add the milk and egg and stir until combined.

Preheat a griddle and use either cooking spray or butter to grease the griddle. Pour batter in heart shape and allow to cook over medium heat until small bubbles form on top. Flip over when golden brown and cook another 1-2 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with butter and heated maple syrup.

Valentine's Day Dishes

Love is in the air!

This year Valentine's Day is on a Friday.  Will you celebrate that day, or will you wait for the weekend?  For years we took a trip to Vegas around Valentine's to have a little getaway which was really nice.

This year haven't made definite plans to go away, but we are talking about it.  For Valentine's we'll most likely go out for a nice dinner and come back for a yummy Valentine Dessert.

For those of you who like to serve up some love I wanted to bring you some Valentine's Day ideas for breakfast, dinner, or dessert.  These are all special in my book and would please any recipient, whether a loved friend, child, significant other...or to share with you beloved dog!

And don't forget to share the love with yourself!  You deserve some too...

Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce  (dinner)

Be My Valentine Dessert  (dessert)

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken  (dinner) 

Valentine's Day Cornmeal Cookies  (dessert)

Sweet and Sour Chicken  (dinner) 

Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins  (Breakfast)

"In the Mood" Chocolate Mousse Pie  (dessert)

I'm making more Valentine's Day goodies so stay tuned...

Mother's Butter, Tomato & Onion Sauce

Being a foodie lover I'm also a knowledge junkie.

I confess that I love taking cooking classes.  You may think you know everything, but there is SO MUCH to learn from other chefs.  Even if it is just a technique or a tip that makes something simpler, or just makes things make sense.  It's worth it to always seek to enhance your knowledge about a subject.  

Recently I been taking classes online through Craftsy.  Have you heard of them?  They are wonderful online classes with various subjects, one being cooking.  So browsing the class topics I decided to purchase one by the famed chef Guliano Hazan on Classic Italian Pasta Sauces: Meat and Tomato.  

 (Excuse the messy bowl, I tossed the pasta and sauce in this bowl and should have swapped it out...but I was too impatient and hungry!)

The classes are videos taped in segments that you can watch at your own pace, rerun, and even have discussions with class participants and the chef himself.  I must say it is wonderful!  I learned so much more about making pasta sauces than I never knew before.  


Today I'm sharing the first sauce I made from the class.  It's called Mother's Butter, Tomato & Onion Sauce.  It's just that.  Tomatoes cooked with butter and an onion.  It's cooked down into a fabulous rich sauce that's best served over an egg pasta.  Try looking in the artisan section of the pasta aisle for something like egg fettuccine.  One other item he suggests is that you use San Marzano canned tomatoes (real San Marzano tomatoes) such as a brand like Cento.  Both are easily found in the grocery store, but if you can't find them, substitute with the best that you can find.   Since the ingredients are so few it is important that they be of the best quality to allow the flavors to shine.

This sauce is like comfort heaven!  I hope you try it and let me know how you liked it.  I also hope you check out Craftsy, I think it's a great site.  I can't wait to try one of Peter Reinhart's bread classes next!

Note:  This is not sponsored, I am just sharing my opinion of a site I came across that I think you would like.


MOTHER'S BUTTER, TOMATO & ONION SAUCE
From Hazan Family Favorites by Giuliano Hazan
Serves 4 people

INGREDIENTS
• 3 cups (31 ounces/907 g) canned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
• 5 tablespoons (2½ ounces/75 g) butter
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium (6 ounces/ 170 g) sweet yellow onion
• Tagliolini made with 3 eggs and 2¼ cups flour (or 12 ounces dry store-bought narrow noodles)
• 1/3 cup (11/3 ounces/57 g) freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Coarsely chop the canned tomatoes. Trim both ends of the onion, peel it and cut in half lengthwise.

2. Put the tomatoes, butter, onion and salt in a 4 to 5-quart (3.8 to 4.7 L) saucepan and place over medium heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to a slow but steady simmer. Cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes until the tomatoes are no longer watery and the sauce has reduced, 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the sauce is done the butter will have separated from the tomatoes and there should not be any liquid left.

3. When the sauce is ready, fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts (5.67 L) of water, cover, and place over high heat. When the water boils, add 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, put in the tagliolini, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until al dente. When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve at once.