Easy Breakfasts: Blueberry and Strawberry Cornmeal Pancakes

A Southern take on the breakfast style pancake that's includes a dash of cornmeal along with your choice of blueberries, strawberries or both!

Blueberry and Strawberry Cornmeal Pancakes

I love a good pancake.  It's a comfort food that reminds me of sweet memories in the kitchen with mom making pancakes on the weekend.  A staple in our house is my great Aunt Grace's Farmstyle Buttermilk Pancakes.  They are a winner!  I also enjoy Pigs in a Blanket, Pumpkin Pancakes, Streusel Apple Pie Pancakes, and these excellent Banana Walnut Pancakes. 

Today we have a Southern take on a pancakes.  Some call them corn cakes or Johnny cakes as the names differ but they are the most delicious mix of a regular pancake with the addition of some cornmeal.  This produces out a light sweet pancake that has a bit of texture from the cornmeal.  A mix between cornbread and pancake.  With the addition of some sliced strawberries or blueberries topped with maple syrup, you will have one wonderful pancake breakfast,

These are easy to pull together.  You need one bowl, no mixer, no beaten egg whites....just simple and easy.  Just like it should be on a lazy weekend.  These are pancakes the whole family will love.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• butter

• flour - I used all purpose flour

• cornmeal - yellow cornmeal is often found in the US.  See Kitchen Tips and Notes for more on cornmeal

• sugar

• baking powder - this give them a nice rise

• salt

• eggs

• milk - use whole or 2%

• strawberries - I suggest using fresh strawberries

• blueberries - I suggest using fresh blueberries

• maple syrup - a great topping

Substitutions and Variations

• Milk:  try buttermilk

• Fruit:  add sliced peaches, bananas, or blackberries

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• What is cornmeal?  Coarse flour made from dried corn (maize).  It can be found in coarse, medium, and fine grinds. It can be yellow, white, or blue in color depending on the type of corn used.  Yellow is the most common type found in the US.  

• What is a good substitute for cornmeal?  
• Polenta - this is coarse and slightly gritty.  It has a similar texture to cornmeal.  I would choose this product if I can not find regular cornmeal.  You would substitute with a 1:1 ratio.  
• Corn Flour - this is a fine and smooth texture similar to flour.  This is mild and slightly sweet, with a strong corn flavor.  Good in baked goods but you won't get that gritty texture.  You would substitute with a 1:1 ratio.

• Adding fruit to your pancakes - for a more even distribution of fruit I like to add it to the top of the pancake while it's cooking in the skillet or griddle.  Adding them to the batter in the bowl usually results in getting more fruit on some of the pancakes and none in others.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

Blueberry and Strawberry Cornmeal Pancakes

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1⁄4 cup Flour
3⁄4 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1⁄2 cups milk
fresh sliced strawberries

fresh blueberries

maple syrup for serving

Melt remaining ¼ cup butter.  In a mixing bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the slightly cooled melted butter with eggs and milk. Add the liquid ingredients to dry; stir until just combined. 

On a griddle or large skillet over medium heat make pancakes by adding batter and then adding chopped strawberries or blueberries to the top.  Flip over once 1st side is golden and bubbles form on top.  Cook the second side until golden and remove.  Serves immediately with syrup.

Fall Flavors: Golden Beet and Feta Salad

Roasted golden beets and tangy feta come together in what I call the perfect autumn salad!

Golden Beet and Feta Salad

If you eat with your eyes first you'll enjoy the beautiful hue of this golden beet salad.  The deep gold colors of the beets will call to you like jewels sparkling in the sun!  Once roasted they become the earthy and sweet and so hard to resist.  I'm always waiting in anticipation for autumn to come around so I can grab a bag full of beets to roast.  Toss those with some tangy crumbled feta cheese, slices of juicy tomatoes, some roasted walnuts, all topped on a bed of spring green mix and you'll have the best autumn salad around!

I love this salad so much that I'm going to serve this as one of my Thanksgiving side dishes this year.  It's that good, that beautiful to look at, and that tasty!  I hope you try this soon and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• spring green mix

• golden beets

• Roma tomatoes

• feta cheese - I like to buy this in a block and crumble it as needed

• walnuts - whole, halves, or pieces

• olive oil

• red wine vinegar

• Dijon mustard

• garlic

Substitutions and Variations

• Beets:  Try red beets instead of golden beets

• Cheese:  try goat cheese 

• Greens:  Spicy arugula or any green or red leaf lettuce would be good.

• Nuts:  Try pecans, pistachios, or pepitas,  or leave them out altogether

• Dressing:  Use your favorite dressing or substitute balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar.  

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Feta Cheese - I always buy feta by the block.  That way I can slice it or crumble it for various dishes or as a snack with pita and cucumbers.

• Roasting beets - this doesn't have to be a messy job.  Place them in foil, no need to peel them first, and then roast.  The peel will come off easily after they are roasted and cooled a bit.  A paper towel will work wonders.  If using red beets, make sure to wear gloves as these stain your fingers and everything they touch.

• Roasting nuts - I roasted the walnuts for this salad to give them a deeper nutty flavor.  I used a dry skillet over medium heat and just let them toast for 1 to 2 minutes until they are golden.  Stir them often during the toasting period and watch them closely as they will burn easily.

• Making homemade salad dressing - don't be intimidated by making your own homemade salad dressing.  It is so easy that you'll most likely forgo store bought dressing altogether!  The best part is the taste of the fresh ingredients.  You only need a handful of items to make a dressing.  It's usually comprised of 3 parts fat (oil, mayo etc) to 1 part acid (vinegar, lemon juice) plus a small amount of an emulsifier (mustard, honey, mayo, tomato paste etc.) then you can add in some flavor enhancers (garlic, shallot, herbs) and whisk all together and you're done. 

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

Golden Beet and Feta Salad

serves 4

5 oz spring green mix
3-4 large golden beets
2 large Roma tomatoes
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup roasted walnuts

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic minced
dash of salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off any leafy tops from the beets.  Scrub them and loosely wrap them in aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap up the beets with the foil and roast for 45 -50 minutes.  Check the beets every 20 minutes or so.  They are done when a fork slides easily to the center of the beet.

Remove beets from the oven and allow to cool enough to be handled.  Remove the skins by using a paper towel to rub away the skins.  They should remove easily.  Slice or cube the beets for the salad.

To assemble:  In a large bowl or platter add the spring green mix.  Quarter the Roma tomatoes and place them and the beets on top of the greens.  Crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle them on top of the salad.  Add the roasted walnuts.  Drizzle with the red wine vinaigrette.

Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Skillet Sauté

Gather late summer's best produce and create this skillet sauté that will leave you craving for more!

Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Skillet Sauté

I have the perfect side dish that will be on the table in 30 minutes.  All you have to do is pick a protein to go with it and you have a well rounded meal.  Chicken, beef, pork, or fish will all work well with this side dish.

Use summer fresh corn on the cob, the abundance of zucchini which is available right now, and summer ripe tomatoes which are at their peak.  These will make the dish more flavorful when using the freshest in-season produce.  Add some aromatics like red onion and garlic and sauté them all together.  We finish with some fresh basil and voila, the dish is ready.  

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• butter

• red onion

• garlic

• zucchini

• corn on the cob

• grape tomatoes

• basil

Substitutions and Variations

• Vegetables:  add mushrooms, yellow squash, green beans

• Herbs: choose thyme, rosemary or oregano 

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use a large skillet such as this one

• Butter provide a flavor for the dish but you can use olive oil or a neutral oil if you wish

• Great side dish for any protein (pork, beef, chicken, fish)

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Skillet Sauté

serves 4

3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 zucchini, halved and sliced in to moon shapes
3 ears corn, kernels removed
1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, chopped
salt & pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens about 3 minutes.  Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Add in the corn and the extra tablespoon of butter and cook for 3 minutes.  Add in the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften and burst about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove to a bowl or platter and garnish with a little extra basil on the top.  Serve.