Pancakes Without Eggs or Milk - Photo Tutorial

I've always thought that you couldn't make pancakes without eggs or milk.  But as I've said before; some of the best dishes are the result of experimentation and necessity.   This is a pancake recipe that I developed when it was snowing like crazy and I just didn't feel like leaving the house.  We don't have egg or milk allergies but this would be a good recipe for someone with allergies.


With a wire wisk blend until mixed well -

• 2 cups of flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Add to your flour mixture - 

• 1/2 cup of pureed squash OR banana *
• 1&1/2 cups of water (approx. use more for crepe-like pancakes, less for thicker)
• Vanilla extract for flavor (if you have some on hand)
• sugar (any amount up to 1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

*I've also substituted applesauce or applebutter or plum butter with great results.  I think that most any pureed fruit or pumpkin even would work. Don't be afraid to experiment!

To add some extra fiber to your pancakes include a 1/4 cup of wheat bran or other whole grain.

Blend until smooth - I use the highest speed on my KitchenAid to help bind the ingredients well.

Heat pan or griddle to medium high heat.  Grease well.  I only grease the griddle once but if yours isn't as old and seasoned as mine you may have to grease often. Griddle is ready when water droplets dripped on it sizzle.
Pour pancakes to your desired size. 

Mmmmm....delicious!!!  Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
I almost always double or triple this recipe for my family.  One recipe makes 4 to 6 average sized pancakes.

For some great recipes for the person dealing with allergies, check out the following resources ~

The Healthy Gluten-Free Life: 200 Delicious Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free and Egg-Free Recipes!

The Food Allergy Mama's Easy, Fast Family Meals: Dairy, Egg, and Nut Free Recipes for Every Day

This article is a revision of a previously published article on this site.

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Black Bean & Chicken Layered Enchilada Casserole

Is your family bored with the same old meals?  Why not try this delicious economical dish tonight?

I feed a crowd every day so this recipe is big enough to make two meals.  If your gang is smaller, you can freeze half for later or half the recipe.

Sprinkle cumin, garlic powder and salt over 6 chicken breasts.  Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice.  Bake in 375 degree oven until juices run clear.  I used frozen breasts and my baking time was approximately 55 minutes.

In the meantime, chop approximately 1/4 cup of cilantro.  I used more because we LOVE cilantro.

Mix 3 cans of black beans (rinsed and drained), cilantro, two 4 oz cans of chopped green chilies.  Season with salt, cumin and garlic to your liking.

Drizzle a thin layer of enchilada sauce (I used 3 cans for the entire recipe).  Layer corn tortillas over sauce. I used 16 corn tortillas for this recipe.

Layer 1/2 the meat and bean mixture.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 cup of grated cheese of your preference over the meat and bean mixture.  We like Colby Jack or Cheddar. I used a total of 3 cups of grated cheese for this recipe. 

Drizzle more enchilada sauce over the mixture and dot with half the sour cream (16 oz. carton).

Repeat layer one more time.  Bake at 350 degrees covered for approximately 45 minutes or until mixture is bubbly.

Serve hot, garnish with any combination of sour cream, black olives, cilantro or salsa.  Enjoy!



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Serve This Ridiculously Easy Breakfast Casserole - Good Enough For Company

For a quick and easy meal that will impress even the pickiest eaters, keep just four ingredients on hand.  Our family loves this recipe anytime of day and we often make it for our daycare children (who can be pretty tough customers in the food department).  My husband was head chef today so I snapped some shots of him putting together this super easy recipe. 

You will need 1) hashed brown patties (enough to layer the bottom of your baking pan), 2)sausage or other breakfast meat (hubby used 1 lb smoked sausage), 3) 1 dozen scrambled eggs (uncooked) and 4) 1 to 2 cups shredded cheese of your liking.

Bake hashed brown patties according to package instructions until crispy.  We ignore package instructions and just broil them until crispy.  It's faster that way!

Scramble eggs and season to your liking.

Sprinkle sausage over hashed browns and pour eggs over both.

Bake until set in 350 degree oven.  Usually this takes 20 minutes or so but depth of eggs, etc. makes a difference so just cook until eggs are firm.

Sprinkle cheese over top evenly and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Cut into serving sized squares and enjoy!  You can serve with salsa, sour cream or any other topping you'd like.  Add some fresh fruit, a bagel and some milk and you have a delicious meal that will impress even the most discriminating taste buds!



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Tasty Pizza Biscuit Bake - Easy and Delicious!

Are you trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight?  Feeling uninspired?  Look no further because this easy main dish is big on flavor and requires little effort.  You can even prepare it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time to bake it!  Our Tasty Pizza Biscuit Bake is good enough for company especially when served with a fresh salad.

 

This recipe will make enough to feed a huge family or to freeze one for another meal.  If you'd like, you can half the recipe.

~ Ingredients ~

4 tubes of refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
2 lbs of ground beef or turkey or other meat, browned
1/2 medium onion diced
1 small jar sliced mushrooms
1 jar black olives - sliced
1 bell pepper
3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil or shortening to grease pans

Grease 2 9 x 13 rectangle baking pans.  Cut biscuits up into quarters and place evenly in pans.

Spoon spaghetti sauce over biscuits.

Sprinkle vegetables over sauce.

Sprinkle ground beef over vegetables.  Sprinkle Italian seasoning and salt over meat if desired to taste. Sprinkle cheese over ground beef. 

Bake in 350 degree oven covered for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until pizza bake is bubbly and cheese begins to brown. 

Serve while hot and enjoy!  Refrigerate leftovers.



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Hearty Italian Sandwiches and/or Pasta Dish

Are you in the mood for something different?  This delicious recipe is one of our family's favorite meals.  It is big on flavor and small on effort.  It can be prepped ahead of time and put in the crockpot or just baked in the oven.  Best of all, the leftovers from this tasty recipe can be easily reincarnated into a pasta dish.

- Meal One -

1) Brown over medium heat 1 lb ground turkey, 1 lb ground beef, and 2 lbs italian sausage.  We like to use 1 lb hot italian sausage and 1 lb mild italian sausage.  If your family prefers less spice, just use 2 lbs mild italian sausage.  Do not cook the meat completely.  It will finish cooking in the oven or crockpot.

2) While the meat is browning, slice or dice 2 medium onions (white or yellow), 2 red bell peppers, 2 yellow bell peppers, 2 green bell peppers and 3 garlic cloves.  You can substitute all green bell peppers if you can't find red or yellow.  I've done this in a pinch but I do think it changes the flavor somewhat.



3) Layer 1/3 of the browned meat, 1/3 of the onions and garlic, and 1/3 of the bell peppers.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. 

4) Repeat layers two more times.  Cover tightly and bake in 350 degree oven for two hours or put in crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.

5) Serve on sandwich rolls with shredded monterey jack or mozzarella cheese.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop the meat mixture since it is really juicy!  For a special added touch, toast the sandwich rolls first.  It adds a nice flavor AND helps keep the bread intact.  Mmmm - delicious!  Your whole house will smell like a wonderful Italian restaurant when you make this meal!

This recipe feeds our family of eight plus leaves us with enough leftovers for one more meal. 

- Meal Two -

As a base for another meal, to a cup or two of the meat mixture add two cans of diced tomatoes, one tsp italian seasoning and a sprinkling of garlic powder and salt to taste.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve over pasta.

Top with cheese and you have another delicious meal!

For a collection of great crockpot recipes check out this book.  It's one of my personal favorites.

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (Fix-It and Forget-It Series)

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Easy and Delicious Homemade Cottage Cheese (without Rennet)



Making homemade cottage cheese is so much easier than you might think.  If you are like me, you may not have tried to make your own because you either didn't know that you could, or because you'd heard that you must have an ingredient called "rennet". 

I've not searched for rennet in my local store but it's not an item that I've ever stumbled upon.  It just sounds like an ingredient that would need to be special ordered!

I was so excited to find a recipe that doesn't call for rennet at macheesmo.com.  It only calls for vinegar, milk, salt, and half-n-half (I just substituted milk for the half-n-half with amazing results).  If you like cottage cheese, you have got to try this recipe.  It's super easy and incredibly delicious!  Thanks macheesmo!



To make your cottage cheese you will need two ingredients to begin ~
1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 gallon of milk (that is 8 cups).  I used whole milk but
I think you could use skim, 1%, or 2% as well

1) Heat 1/2 gallon of milk on medium heat, stir slowly and constantly until the milk is approximately 120 degrees F.  Macheesmo didn't have a thermometer, and I didn't  either. He said to heat until the milk felt warm. I just heated the milk until it felt as warm as I like my showers.



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2) Place a colander inside of a larger bowl to catch the whey that will soon be separated from the curds.

3) Line the colander with a tea towel, cheesecloth or similar clean cloth.  I used a clean baby blanket, the receiving type. 

4) Once the the milk has reached 120 degrees, remove from heat. Pour and gently stir in the 1/2 cup of vinegar. 



Immediately, the milk will start to curdle.  Very cool! 

Your concoction will look like this.

5) Put a lid on the pan and let sit for 30 minutes to cool down and firm up.

6) Pour mixture (gently) through cloth lined colander.

7) Remember to remove bowl with whey and rinse the curds in cold water.  I used my (clean) fingers to separate and rinse the curds. The rinsing helps remove the vinegar and cools your cheese down even more.

8) Gather cloth and gently squeeze out excess liquid. 

10) Mix 1/2 cup of milk or cream with 1/8th tsp salt (more or less to taste)
Add curds to the milk (or half n half) and salt mixture.

11) Gently stir mixture.  If it seems dry, you can add more milk or half-n-half.  Recipe made approximately 2 cups.

12) Cover and refrigerate.  This photograph was taken for informational purposes only.  Afterward, we basically ate the whole thing.

For a good resource on making your own dairy
products ~

Homemade Living: Home Dairy with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Make Cheese, Yogurt, Butter & More

13) Save your whey to use in bread, shakes, soup, etc.  There are plenty of great ideas online on how to use this nutritional liquid.  I made bread with mine.  It was very tasty!

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