Mother's Day: Lemon Sour Cream Waffles

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It's time to celebrate the Mother's in your life!

With Mother's Day coming up next weekend it's time to start planning.  How about a nice brunch or breakfast in bed?  I'm sure any mother would enjoy lazing around on a Sunday morning and getting up to a nice plate of waffles!

Not just any waffles though.  Let's bring the Spring citrus flavors into the mix and whip up some Lemon Sour Cream Waffles.  The lemon adds brightness and zing while the sour cream makes these waffles fluffy, light and a little tangy (like buttermilk would).  Who can resist this combination!  Pour over some hot maple syrup and your main dish is all set. 

This is the perfect choice for a celebration!

LEMON SOUR CREAM WAFFLES

The batter is easy to whip up and all you need is one bowl!  So Dad's and kids out there can get in the kitchen and find it easy to make Mom's day special by making these delectable waffles!  Why go out to eat when you make these at home surrounded by family.

Here's a couple of waffle makers that are inexpensive for you to choose from if you like:

Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker

Hamilton Beach Belgiam Waffle Maker

Euro Cuisine Heart Shaped Waffle Maker

For fun try:

Disney Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker

I hope you all enjoy the holiday.  Oh! and remember waffles aren't only for Mother's Day.  These are perfect for any Sunday breakfast!

Enjoy!





Lemon Sour Cream Waffles


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
zest from 2 lemons
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sour cream
½ cup milk
Optional:  Hot maple syrup, powdered sugar

Preheat your waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients and stir until combined.  Scoop batter into the iron (about 1/2 cup ) until the batter reaches the edge.  Put lid down and allow to cook until steaming has stopped. (Make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.)

Remove golden brown waffle and keep warm.  Repeat until all batter is used.  Serve with hot maple syrup or powdered sugar.

How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo: Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

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Los Angeles is integrated with the Mexican culture in it's people, architecture, and their food.  So it's only natural that we love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

It's a great time to go out and have a margarita, but if you choose to stay home celebrate with some Latin food.  There are so many options such as tacos like my Grilled Chili Lime Fish or Chicken Tacos, or go for a family friendly, easy to make meal like this Sizzling Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Today I'm going to share a different Latin dish, Grilled Cuban Flank Steak.  Man or man was this steak good!  Flank steak is a great choice of meat.  It feeds a crowd, takes well to a marinade, and slices up tender and juicy.  The marinade is a combination of citrus juices and Latin spices and it makes this steak so flavorful.  You are gonna love it!

Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

We cooked this out on the grill, but you can do it on an indoor grill pan just as easily.  We served this with Cinnamon Thyme Sweet Potato Fries and a salad.  Both were perfect side dishes, but you could easily serve this with rice and beans and some hot tortillas.  Perfect to celebrate the holiday.

Try this delicious meal at your next gathering and see for yourself how wonderful this Cuban dish is.
Enjoy!








Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Kosher salt & pepper
1- 1 1/2 lb flank steak

In a medium bowl add zests and juices, plus olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

Place you flank steak in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the steak and turn to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes on the counter.

Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat.  Oil your grate if using an outdoor grill.  Remove the steak from the marinade and let any extra drip off.  Cook turning once, for 12-15 minutes per side for medium doneness.  Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes before cutting. 

Thinly slice the meat against the grain and transfer to a platter.  

Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken and Beef Kabobs with Roasted Veggies

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We're having a wonderful Spring so far and the weather is wonderful.  Taking advantage of the semi-hot days and the cooler evenings, it's time to break out the grill!  We just love kabobs and we both love beef and chicken.  So why pick when you can have both.

Today's recipe is all about basting sauce.  Don't get me wrong the chicken and beef are stars in itself but this lemon, garlic, and herb basting sauce just takes this over the top!  I love anything with lemon on it, but this combination is one of the best.  Why have plain old meat when you can jazz it up with flavors that carry a punch?  Can't think of any reason...

We decided to fire up the grill and make "all meat" kabobs and roast the veggies in the oven.  MGG also wanted Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Sauce as well so it was easier to just roast all the veggies at once instead of mixing them with the protein on the kabobs.  Not to worry though, the veggies got a good douse of the basting sauce as well, so they came out sizzling and delishhhh!

LEMON GARLIC HERB CHICKEN AND BEEF KABOBS

We used summer squash (yellow squash) and zucchini as the veggies.  Boneless chicken breasts were cubed and threaded onto skewers, and for the beef we used sirloin steak that was cubed as well and threaded onto skewers.

While the veggies were roasting in the oven MGG grilled the meat outside, rotating the meat and dousing them with this wonderful basting sauce.  The smell of garlic, and the tang of lemon, and the savory taste of the herbs is heaven.  This was definitely a favorite meal.  One that we will repeat over and over this summer!

Your whole family will love this easy to pull together meal, I promise.

Enjoy!





Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken and Beef Kabobs with Roasted Veggies

Kabobs:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 lb sirloin steak, fat removed, and cubed

bamboo skewers

Roasted Vegetables:

2 Summer Squash, cut lengthwise and sliced in big chunks

2 Zucchini, cut lengthwise and slice in big chunks

Marinade/Basting Sauce:
1½ tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 - 1/3 cup minced fresh herbs, I used a mix of oregano and thyme

1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Soak your bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Remove 3 tablespoons to a small bowl and set aside.  The larger bowl will be for basting the meat on the grill. 

Thread the chicken breasts onto skewers leaving a small amount of space between them.  Do the same with the steak.  Make sure to cook them on separate skewers as the chicken and beef cook at different rates. Set aside.  Preheat the grill to medium high.

Place the chopped vegetables in a bowl and pour the 3 tablespoons over them, tossing to coat.  Spread the veggies on a baking sheet in an even layer.  Place in the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Take the veggies out and turn them over and place them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Make sure to watch them so they don't burn.

Meanwhile, on a preheated grill the chicken first turning after 5-6 minutes.  Place the beef on shortly after and turn after 5 minutes for medium.  When you turn both meats, use the basting sauce and give this side a good dousing.  Grill chicken another 5-6 minutes, turning and basting.  Grill the steak to your desired degree of doneness, turning and basting all sides.  Remove from the grill and place on a platter.

Remove vegetables from the oven and arrange on the platter with the kabobs.  Serve with sliced lemons.