From Caitlin’s Kitchen: Brown Sugar Banana Pancakes

Number of Ingredients: 9

Number of Mistakes: 0

Recipe adapted from: Martha

My final post from house sitting. I’m so sad to leave, but anxious to get back to work. I’m not used to having nothing to do all day! I will miss my girls though, Gat and Kora. Gat has one of the best smiles I have ever seen on a dog. She may be 14, but she will do everything she can to hide it from you. Kora on the other hand shows her youth, but melts your heart with her floppy ears. 

My blogging partner Jordan inspired me to make some pancakes after a recent discussion. I’ve never made banana pancakes before, and I am so confused as to why, because they are lovely. I was expecting most recipes to mash the bananas, but Martha leaves them whole and presses them into the batter. This allows them to caramelize in the pan. Martha used buttermilk in her recipe, and I wish I had some, because they would have been even better, but milk worked just fine. 

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 large ripe banana, thinly sliced

In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the milk, egg, and melted butter, until combined, but still a little lumpy.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Ladle 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet and top with 4 slices of banana. Flip the pancake when small bubbles have formed. Cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

Serve with chopped walnuts and maple syrup. 

From Caitlin’s Kitchen: Chicken Chilaquiles

Number of Ingredients: 11

Number of Mistakes: 0

Recipe Courtesy of: Crepes of Wrath

I’m a big fan of tomatillos, but did you know you can buy them in a can, in a regular grocery store? My life has been changed! I’ve always wanted to cook with tomatillos, but was intimidated for some reason, not anymore! This dish is truly wonderful. Trey actually said, “This tastes authentic.”! This couldn’t be easier to put together and it is oh so tasty. Leftovers are my new best friend. I think next time I may add a little bit of lime juice to the tomatillo sauce to add a little acid, and probably more cheese, but other than that, shake up a margarita and enjoy!

1 packages boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, or more if desired

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1, 12 ounce can tomatillos, drained

1, 4 ounce can green chilies, drained

1 package small corn tortillas

Place the chicken in a large pot of water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until tender and cooked through. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to375 degrees.

In a blender or food processor, add the tomatillos, cilantro, green chilies, and milk. Blend until smooth.

Once chicken has cooled, shred and then place in a large bowl. Add the chili powder, green onions, parmesan, and a 1/4 cup of pepper jack. Toss to combine.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place 1/3 of the tomatillo mixture on the bottom of the pan. Cover with 4 to 6 corn tortillas. Top with 1/2 of the chicken mixture. Do another layer of tortillas and the final half of the chicken. Place one final layer of tortillas on top and then pour the remaining tomatillo sauce all over the top. Finish with the remaining pepper jack cheese and bake for 20 minutes, until cheese has melted and is bubbly goodness. 

From Caitlin’s Kitchen: Honey Mulled Wine

Number of Ingredients: 6

Number of Mistakes: 1

Recipe Courtesy of: Simply Recipes

I know, a little late for the holidays, right? But I wasn’t in the holiday spirit when I made this, I was in a Game of Thrones state of mind! Trey has been devouring the Game of Thrones series, and we have been watching the episodes as he reads the books. He kept talking about how all they drank was mulled wine, and so we figured we could probably make some of our own! 

I’d never had mulled wine before, and I’m not sure if I am completely sold. I think we may have added a bit too much honey, because it was a bit too sweet for my liking, but I would definitely try and make it again. It was rather fun to snuggle up on a cold night with a mug of mulled wine while watching the season finale of Game of Thrones. 

1 750ml bottle of red wine

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup honey

15 whole black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

1 thin slice of lemon or orange peel

In a large quart pan, add the wine, honey, water, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Heat over medium high heat until warm and lightly simmering. 

Strain into glasses and serve with a stick of cinnamon and an orange peel if desired. 

From Caitlin’s Kitchen: Southern Carbonara

Number of Ingredients: 8

Number of Mistakes: 0

Recipe adapted from: Hugh Acheson’s A New Turn in the South

Alright, now that I have caught up on all of my past recipes, I can bring on the new stuff! I have been waiting a long time, and finally, my yearly staycation has arrived! I’ve been house sitting for some friends for a year or two, and I always treat it like vacation. I take time off from work, and relax! The best part, aside from their adorable dogs, is their kitchen! I’m in love with it, and whenever I buy my own house I hope they can help me design my kitchen!

This is the second recipe I have used from Hugh Acheson’s cook book, and it is utterly amazing. You know how you find a new recipe and love it the first time you make it, swearing up and down you will make it again, but never for? I do that all the time. But this recipe, I know I will be making again. It is incredibly simple, inexpensive, and insanely delicious. The eggs and parmesan make this carbonara traditional, and provide a wonderful rich, creaminess. I changed Hugh’s recipe just a tad. He used country ham, while I opted for prosciutto. He chose collard greens, whereas I prefer kale. Whatever way you make this, I know you’ll love it. 

Olive Oil

1 small onion, sliced

1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced

2 cups kale, chopped

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

2 large eggs

3/4 cup grated parmesan

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add the spaghetti along with a glug of olive oil, and cook until al dente, about 9 or 10 minutes.

In a large frying pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the sliced onions, and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the prosciutto and kale and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, pepper, and parsley. 

Drain the spaghetti, being sure to reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Place pasta back in the pot, add the onions, kale and prosciutto. Working quickly, add the egg and parmesan mixture, and toss together with tongs. You are trying to coat the pasta with the egg, but not scramble the egg. Serve immediately and top with remaining parmesan. 

From Caitlin’s Kitchen: Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Number of Ingredients: 4

Number of Mistakes: 0

Adapted from: Martha

Just in time for Valentines Day, or a little early for that matter! Go me! I usually post holiday themed desserts after said holiday, which I believe is a very un-blogger like thing to do. See, I’m learning!

I had my first foray into meringue several months ago, and it turned out wonderfully. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures. These cookies are my second attempt at meringue and I must say I am even more pleased than the first. 

I was a little nervous to try making meringue, but then realized there is nothing to be nervous about at all! One important tip though, if you don’t have a kitchen-aid mixer, the mecca of all baking tools (as I do not), then be prepared to work! I used a hand mixer and it seemed to take forever to whip my egg whites, but it was well worth the wait. 

These cookies were light and fluffy on the inside, with just a slight crunch on the out. I was worried they may have too strong a peppermint flavor, but Martha knows best, as the flavoring was just perfect. You can play around with the amount of red food coloring you put in, but I was quite pleased with the certain hue of pink I was able to obtain. Meringue away!

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (depending on the color you desire)

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray and then top with parchment paper.

In a medium sized heat proof bowl, heat egg whites and sugar over a double boiler for about 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm to the touch. 

Remove from heat and beat egg mixture until light peaks form. Add peppermint extract and red food coloring and beat until you get stiff peaks. You should be able to hold your bowl upside down and the meringue will not fall. 

I initially made tablespoon sized cookies, but I think I would make teaspoon sized ones next time. That being said, drop teaspoon sized amounts of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until meringues are crisp on the outside, but not browned. About 1 hour and 30 minutes. Transfer meringue to a wire rack to cool completely.