Vanilla Dutch Baby (German Pancake)

The baked oatmeal may be my favorite, but this is my husband, Anthony's favorite.  Actually, I love it just as much.  I love that it is so easy too.  Mix it up in the blender and stick it in the oven.  No need to stand by a griddle, flipping pancakes.  My favorite way to eat this is with powdered sugar or lemon curd, but Anthony prefers syrup.  I adapted this recipe from the Food Network and A Hint of Honey.  (You can also half this recipe and cook it in a oven-safe skillet.)

4 tablespoons butter 

4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour (I often use half whole wheat flour.)
1 cup milk, heated about 30 seconds in the microwave
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the butter in a 9x13 pan and place in the oven to melt.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the remaining ingredients, and blend on medium-high speed until uniform.

Carefully, remove the hot pan from the oven. The butter should be melted. Swirl the butter around the pan to coat completely, and then pour the remaining butter into the batter and whisk to blend. Pour the batter into the hot pan and return the pan to the oven. Cook the pancake for around 15 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed in the center, and golden brown along the edges.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

This is currently one of my favorite breakfasts!  We all love it, including my picky toddler!  Leftovers reheat great too.  I have never been a huge fan of oatmeal... but baked oatmeal is another story.  So many recipes have a lot of sugar and butter, but this one is pretty healthy.  I found this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Yield: Serves 4-6
Cook Time: 20 minutes (It takes 30 minutes for me.)

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk  (I only use about 1 cup, so it cooks faster.)
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 egg whites (I use 1 whole egg.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

Optional Toppings:  (I never add any of these.)
Brown Sugar
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Chopped almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. (I use a 7x11 pan. I have also doubled it and fit it in a 9x13 pan.)
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until combined. Gently stir in diced apples. Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes (I always cook mine for 30 minutes, and even longer if I double it.) or until oatmeal is golden brown and set. Remove from oven and serve warm. Add additional toppings to baked oatmeal, if desired.  (We just add milk to our individual bowls, and that is it.)

The Best Drop Biscuits

I have made these many times for my family, and they are always a hit.  I made these at a large family get together around New Year's, and they were a hit then too.  So quick, easy, and delicious.  I found this at Mel's Kitchen Cafe again, but it is originally from America's Test Kitchen.

Yield: About 12 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled (I have used buttermilk substitutions with success.  I measure out 1 T vinegar or lemon juice and then add milk until I reach 1 cup.)
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled

Directions

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat liner.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a 2-cup liquid measure, stir together the chilled buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula just until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture slightly pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
3. Using a greased ¼-cup measure, scoop out mounds of the dough and drop them onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake the biscuits until the tops are golden brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with additional melted butter. Serve warm.

Healthy Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

These are currently our favorite healthy muffin!  I have made them too many times to count, and we all love them.  They are delicious... and healthy.  They freeze wonderfully.  I often stick them in the freezer, and then my husband Anthony can grab a couple and take them to work for a quick breakfast. I also found these at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted (I have tried it with both, and we love both.  When I use coconut oil, I use extra virgin coconut oil, and it give the muffins a slight coconut taste.)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional (I have never added them.)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside..
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the oatmeal, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt (and cranberries or raisins if using). Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined (Don't overmix or the muffins will be dense and dry). The muffin batter texture might be a bit different than other muffin batters.
4. Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake or the muffins will be dry.

Indian Butter Chicken

I have made this recipe a few times now.  It quickly became a family favorite.  If my picky toddler gobbles it up, then I know it is a keeper!  I found it at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cardamom (I use cinnamon, a common substitute, instead.)
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 pounds (about 2-3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Hot cooked rice for serving
• Chopped fresh cilantro for extra garnish

Directions

1. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, ginger and jalapeno. Stir often while cooking until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Cook stirring, constantly for another minute.
2. Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and add tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and add the half and half. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and add the chicken pieces and the salt and pepper. Stir. Keep the sauce at a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened.
3. Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into chunks and stir into the sauce until melted. Serve the chicken and sauce over hot rice. Garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro, if desired.

Oatmeal Cake

For some reason, the oatmeal cake already on the blog is not the Wadsworth family favorite.  So, I called Michele, and she gave me the original recipe. Here it is:

Oatmeal Cake

1 ½ c. boiling water
1 c. rolled oats
½ c. shortening or butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 ½ c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Pour boiling water over oats & let set until cool. Cream sugar with butter and eggs until fluffy.
Add oats and water mixture. Sift flour with dry ingredients. Pour into greased and floured 9 x
13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 min. Frost while hot. Broil for 1-2 minutes (optional).

½ c. butter
 1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. evap. Milk
1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and add remaining ingredients.