Banana Cointreau Pancake

I was on the Ruby Princess last year.  At dinner one night, there was this delicious dessert.  Simple, yet wonderful.  Don't ask me the name though.  Seriously, I don't remember.  What I remembered, was it was made with just a few simple things really.  Vanilla ice cream, banana, lemon, sugar, and Grand Marnier.  How delightfully simple and delicious.  

When I first came home, I realized that I didn't have vanilla ice cream, and substituted it with chocolate ice cream scoops.   Nope, that did not work!  The chocolate flavor in the ice cream totally overwhelmed the delicate and subtler flavors of citrus and banana.  Nope!  After that however, I didn't remember trying to do this when I had a full tub of ice cream in my fridge.  What a silly silly person!  Yup, that's me alright!

One weekend morning, I decided that I wanted to make pancakes, crepe-like pancakes.  Ya know, like the one over here, for Strawberry Crepe Rolls.  I love just munching on the slightly sweet pancake just as is, and I love it with a crispy edge.  While she's making them, I'm always hanging around, pulling the crispy edges off from the pancakes, and leaving the softer center parts on the plate.  She would scold me, but I think deep down, she probably found that amusing.  Or at least I hope she did! hahaha

I went off on a tangent didn't I?  Ok ok, I'm back I'm back.  So, I had banana in my pantry, and I was just thinking what I should do with my Cointreau again...  Need I say more?  Let's jump in! 

Tips: 
1- Instead of Grand Marnier, I used Cointreau.  You can substitute with any orange liqueur you have or prefer.
2- The alcohol in the liqueur should have mostly been evaporated by the time it's done.  However, if you don't wanna take any chances, do try and substitute with juice from a full orange with 2 tablespoons of orange zest.
3- Pair it with lemonade would bring out the citrusy flavor even more.
4- Avoid anything too strong, like strong coffee, for it will overwhelm the softer flavors of the pancake.  I like it paired with latte however.

Banana Cointreau Pancake 

Pancake

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 egg

pinch of salt

water (about 1-1/2 cup)

butter for pan frying (about 3 tbsp)

 

Banana Topping

2 bananas, sliced

3 tbsp sugar

1 lemon

3 tbsp Cointreau

 

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and egg in a 2-cup measuring cup.

Then fill the measuring cup with water to the 2-cup line.

Whisk and combine well.

Heat up a frying pan over medium heat with a little butter.

When the butter has melted and started bubbling a little, pour some crepe batter into the pan (about 1/4 cup).

Tilt the pan around so that the batter forms a rough circle.

Fry until the edge both sides are lightly browned.

Repeat the frying until all batter has been used up.

Combine sugar, juice from a lemon, and Cointreau in a pan, when sugar has melted and starting to bubble, add in sliced bananas.

Cook until banana slightly soften around the edge.

Plate banana and sauce over crepe and serve.

Enjoy and have a good week to come!  If you try this, let me know what you paired it with and how you like it.

 

Red & White: Strawberry Crepe Rolls and Aid for Japan

This past week, me and darling hubby checked CNN and BBC on a daily basis to follow the crisis in Japan.  Sometimes we even checked the news a few times a day.  My mom asked me if I still kept our Japanese friend's contact information.  I managed to reach one of them in Yokohama and knew that he was fine.  It was then that I wished that I had kept in touch with every single one of them, that I updated their phone numbers.  I didn't and I wish that I did.  For days I felt helpless.  You know that feeling that you wish you could do more although you're so but one person?  

Spring is almost here and Japanese Cherry Blossoms will be flowering soon, but what will be in the people's thoughts this year, I wonder?

While we have enough to eat and drink,

In our hearts -

Are those who do not.

While we are surrounded by families and friends,

In our prayers -

Are those whom you have lost.

I would like to dedicate this post to my friends in Japan.  I'm not even sure if all of you are alright and safe, but here's to all of you, your friends, your families, and your fellow country men and women.  Most of us can't be there in person to help, but know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.

There are plenty of ways in which many of us can lend a hand.  Times are tough for many of us, but I think right now, many Japanese who've lost their homes, work places, and most importantly, their families, are having a tougher time than we do.  I have given some, but through this blog, I am hoping that I can help even more.  Many groups and corporations have donation pages where you can donate to the charities that are currently helping in Japan.  Below are some links where you can help.

 

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

CNN's links to Charities Helping in Japan 

Some of the charities in the list:  American Humane Association, Doctors without Borders, International Medical Corps, The Salvation Army in Japan, IFRC, and UNICEF

Helene of Tartelette is selling her prints through her etsy's shop to help the effort in Japan.  Her photos are just wonderfully beautiful.  

"For each of my prints purchased through my etsy shop, I will donate $20 of its amount to the Red Cross for Japan.  ~ Tartelette"

For everyone who have clicked on the links or donated or helped in any forms, a big THANK YOU!!! from the bottom of my heart.  For everyone who have sent a little prayer to them, another big THANK YOU!!!  I have little to thank you but my words and my recipes, and I will do my best to keep posting and hoping that they're good enough.

Tips:

1- When selecting strawberries, look for deeper colored ones with as little white areas around the top.

2- The crepe is made with a pancake recipe that's slightly modified from my grandmother's.

3- If you prefer, use half-and-half or whipped cream, instead of heavy cream.

4- Slice the strawberries as thinly as you can with a sharp knife, this will help the rolling part of the recipe.  Be careful when slicing, wear rubber gloves if you are new or not familiar to slicing food very thinly.

5- If you prefer, substitute cranberry jam with strawberry jam or raspberry jam.  I'm only using cranberry just because I have that on hand.

6- When pan-frying the crepe, do not worry about not having a perfect circle, it'll still look wonderful.

Strawberry Crepe Rolls

Crepe/pancake

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 egg

pinch of salt

water (about 1-1/2 cup)

butter for pan frying (about 3 tbsp)

Fillings

1 cup strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup cranberry jam

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and egg in a 2-cup measuring cup.

Then fill the measuring cup with water to the 2-cup line.

Whisk and combine well.

Heat up a frying pan over medium heat with a little butter.

When the butter has melted and started bubbling a little, pour some crepe batter into the pan (about 1/4 cup).

Tilt the pan around so that the batter forms a rough circle.

Fry until the edge is lightly browned and crisped.

Repeat the frying until all batter has been used up.

Smear a very thin layer of jam over half of the crepe.

Place the strawberries over the jam in a thin layer.

Drizzle over with about a teaspoon of heavy cream.

Fold the crepe into half along the jam line.

Smear another thin layer of jam on the crepe.

Place another thin layer of strawberries over the jam.

Drizzle another teaspoon of heavy cream over the strawberries.

Then, starting at one corner, slowly roll up the crepe.

Repeat until all strawberries and crepes have been used up.

Mini Banana Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce

Now that thanksgiving's over, it's time for to gear up for xmas/hanukkah/kwanzaa/holidays!  I'm gearing up by exercising whenever I can, and baking up a storm, when the recovery period for wisdom teeth extractions are done >.<  But if you find yourself busy, needing a quick snack/breakfast, this is one that's so easy to make and yummy.

Tips:
1- Leftover/older bananas are great for this.
2- Don't worry about leftover chocolate sauce.  If you haven't already drink them up already, just bottle it up and keep it in the fridge, and feel free to use it to turn your daily cup-o-joe into a mocha or drizzle a spoonful over your next scoop of ice cream.  If it hardens, just warm it up in the microwave for about 15 seconds and mix well.
3- The bananas I used are pretty big ones, about 7-8 inches.  If you're using tinier bananas, do remember to add a couple more.

Mini Banana Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce
(updated: 11/30/2010  Fell sick last evening with a flu and made this again this morning for breakfast, cuz it's fast! :D  And decided that the updated recipe is more banana-y.  I just adjusted the amount of flour and water, to give it a stronger flavor)

1 banana, peeled and mashed
dash of salt to taste
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
~1 tbsp water
extra banana slices for plating if you wish

Right after mashing the bananas, mix in the salt right away to help stop the oxidization process (fancy schmancy word for blackening of your banana).
Mix in sugar and flour to form a thick paste.
Crack the egg into the paste and mix until smooth.
Slowly mix in the water while mixing until you have a smooth batter.
Heat up a slightly greased pan over medium heat.
With a big spoon, scoop dollops of the batter into the pan and fry for about a minute on each side until lightly browned.
Serve with banana slices and drizzles of chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce
This is a chocolate sauce that took inspiration from Pierre Herme's Chocolate Glaze techniques.

1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 tsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces.

Boil the heavy cream over medium heat.
Once boiling, remove from heat, and slowly stir in the chocolate until smooth.
Stir in circular motion, don't whip.
When done mixing the chocolate, heat the chocolate over a pot of boiling water until it is hot to the touch or at about 140°F.
Add in the 4 tsp of butter
Stir until butter is melted and well combined.

Omelette and Ham with Salsa

GOOD MORNING!  :)

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Although, for many a years, I did not have mine, simply because...  Okay okay, I did not have a good excuse.  However, I've started eating breakfast, and now it's a ritual, be it a quick slice of bread with coffee, or something more elaborate, breakfast is there.

Living in the Southwest for almost 10 years left a mark on me.  I've fallen in love with the complexity and flavor of Mexican food.   So here's a little tip o' the hat to that love of mine.

Tips/Ideas: 

1- Do not over cook the egg(s).  Slightly undercooked will do, it will continue to set after taken off the heat.

Omelette and Ham with Salsa

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

1 slice ham, cut into strips and cooked

2 tbsp butter (or any oil of choice)

3 tbsp fresh salsa (recipe below)

Heat a pan over medium-high heat.

Melt butter in the pan. (This will take a minute or two, so meanwhile...)

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper.

When the butter begins to bubble & foam, add in the eggs.

After letting it sit for a couple seconds, start jerking the pan towards you.

(And no, do not worry about it looking very pretty, I promise it'll be prettified at the end)

Keep jerking, and at the same time, let it form into a sort of "puddle" at the end of your pan.

Grab your pan with one hand, and a plate on the other, flip the omelet over onto the plate.

Using a sharp paring knife, make three slits on your omelette.

Place the cooked ham into the slits.

Spoon the salsa onto the omelette.

Fresh Salsa

6 roma tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

1/2 onion (medium sized)

1-2 jalapeño pepper

1 fresno pepper

juice of 1 lime

2 stalks cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Wash all ingredients.

Quarter the tomatoes and onion.

Chop tomatoes, garlic, onion, peppers, and cilantro finely, and combine with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl

(To make things easier, you can also chop up all your ingredients in your food processor or mini chopper)

Good luck & Good day! ^.^