Fluffy Pancakes

On weekend mornings, when Dr. Sweetpea isn't working, I love whipping up a big batch of pancakes and having breakfast in bed. I've tried many recipes so far, and one of my favorites is already on my blog. Then I came across this recipe and it was love at first bite when I made these over the weekend. Definitely a keeper for us and I'll be making this more often.

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

(Source: Serious Eats)

Basic Dry Pancake Mix:

10 ounces (about 2 cups) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

For Each Batch of Pancakes

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) buttermilk

1 cup (about 8 ounces) sour cream (see note above)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for serving

Warm maple syrup

For the Dry Pancake Mix: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until homogenous. Transfer to an airtight container. The mix will stay good for 3 months. (See note above.)

For each Batch of Pancakes: Place one batch of dry mix in a large bowl. In a medium clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, buttermilk, and sour cream until homogenous. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whisking. Carefully fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula until just combined. Pour the mixture over the dry mix and fold until just combined (there should still be plenty of lumps).

Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes (or use an electric griddle). Add a small amount of butter or oil to the griddle and spread with a paper towel until no visible butter or oil remains. Use a 1⁄4-cup dry measure to place 4 pancakes in the skillet and cook until bubbles start to appear on top and the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook on the second side until golden brown and completely set, about 2 minutes longer. Serve the pancakes immediately, or keep warm on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet in a warm oven while you cook the remaining 3 batches. Serve with warm maple syrup and butter.

I'm baaaack

I'm finally back to cooking up delicious meals at home since we finally got our belongings delivered. Moving across the country is hard, but dealing with an awful moving company made it soooo much harder. I really think I have PTSD because of our awful moving company, and it's sadly not over yet. I rarely rarely rarely say negative comments about anything, but this moving company is an exception.

Anyway, I made this skillet cooked pork recipe for dinner. It's fast, flavorful, and tender. Dr. Sweetpea kept raving about how good the pork was while he was eating dinner.

Pan Fried Pork Chops

(Source: Cooks Country)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup all­-purpose flour

4 bone-­in rib or center­-cut pork chops . about 3/4 inch thick

3 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Coat chops: Combine garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne in bowl. Place flour in shallow dish. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through fat on edges of each chop. Season both sides of chops with spice mixture, then dredge chops lightly in flour (do not discard flour). Transfer to plate and let rest 10 minutes.

Render bacon: Meanwhile, cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel­lined plate and reserve for another use. Do not wipe out pan.

Fry chops: Add oil to fat in pan and heat over medium­high heat until just smoking. Return chops to flour dish and turn to coat. Cook chops until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve.

Steak Fajitas

After we moved to Houston, we jumped on the BBQ and Tex-Mex bandwagon. There are SOOOO many Tex Mex restaurants that serve wonderful Fajitas and they're absolutely addicting. So, I decided to try making them at home ourselves and they turned out AMAZING. The Fajitas were restaurant quality good. Definitely a keeper for us. I'm not posting any pictures with this recipe again because our stuff haven't been delivered to our new home yet. Yes, we're eating off paper plates for the time being.

Steak Fajitas

(Source: Serious Eats)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup lime juice from 6 to 8 limes

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cumin seed

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 pounds trimmed skirt steak

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 white or yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

12 to 16 fresh flour or corn tortillas, hot

Sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa, for serving, if desired

Combine soy sauce, lime juice, canola oil, brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer 1/2 cup of marinade to a large bowl and set aside. Place steaks in a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag and add remaining marinade. Seal bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Massage bag until meat is fully coated in marinade. Lay flat in the refrigerator, turning every couple of hours for at least 3 hours and up to 10.

While steak marinates, toss peppers and onions in bowl with reserved 1/2 cup marinade. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to cook, remove steaks from marinade, wipe off excess, and transfer to a large plate. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

Place a large cast iron skillet over cooler side of grill. Transfer steaks to hot side of grill. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Flip steaks, cover and cook for another minute. Continue cooking in this manner—flipping and covering—until steaks are well-charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into their center registers 115 to 120°F for medium-rare or 125 to 130°F for medium. Transfer steaks to a large plate, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer cast iron skillet to hot side of grill and allow to preheat for 2 minutes. Add pepper and onion mix and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to char in spots, about 10 minutes. When vegetables are cooked, transfer steaks to a cutting board and pour any accumulated juices from the plate into the skillet with the vegetables. Toss to coat.

Transfer vegetables to a warm serving platter. Thinly slice meat against the grain and transfer to platter with vegetables. Serve immediately with hot tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, and other condiments as desired.