Pancakes and potatoes

I am losing steam. I’ve just finished off everything but the maple syrup and popcorn from my last pick-up, and I am ready for my next pick-up to inspire me again. I have two recipes to share, but they don’t exactly go together and I have no photo documentation, but it’s all I’ve got for now.

So I believe that Betty Crocker invented cake and brownie mixes to make life easier and that there is nothing wrong with passing off slice-and-bake cookies as your own (the key is not to use the break-apart ones because it is noticeable even after you cook them). And just a few weeks ago, I couldn’t tell you how you would go about making pancakes without Bisquick. But then I made Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Pancakes, and it put all the other pancakes I've made to shame.

I don’t make these as often because rarely do I have sour cream on hand, but when I do, I know exactly how to use it up. And when I made these last week, I had strawberries and maple syrup to put on them — it was amazing.

As far as I can tell this recipe is only in her cookbook, which is definitely worth buying, but I’m posting this recipe here, though you miss out on the step-by-step photographs.

Pioneer Woman Sour Cream Pancakes

• 1 cup sour cream
• 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the sour cream in a medium bowl. Add flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir together gently, it doesn't have to be completely combined.
 

Whisk eggs in separate bowl. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Pour the egg mixture in with the other ingredients. Stir together gently (PW notes that you want some texture and the final mixture can be white and yellow.)
 

Pour batter in skillet and make pancakes.

This makes about 12 pancakes, depending on how big or small you make them. I rarely halve this recipe, instead I just eat them for breakfast the next day.

My second recipe to share is also from the Pioneer Woman. It probably seems like that is my only source for recipes, but I always check her site when I need a recipe before I check my cookbooks or Google my ingredients. 

I had potatoes, and I wanted to do more than just eat them as a baked potato. Though I will note that baked potatoes are one of my favorite cooking-for-one meals; it’s quick and requires no cleanup. Anyway, I found Pioneer Woman’s recipe for roasted potato wedges, although it’s hardly a recipe, it’s more like throw in whatever spices you like with some olive oil and put them in the oven. But here’s the breakdown:

Pioneer Woman Roasted Potato Wedges

• Potatoes (number and variety of your choosing)
• ¼ cups (approximately) olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Fresh herbs, to taste
• Optional ingredients
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• Garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) Balsamic Vinegar
• Cayenne pepper
• Paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
 

Wash potatoes.
 Cut potatoes into wedges.
 Toss with oil, butter, salt, pepper, and whatever else you’d like: garlic, balsamic, spices, etc. 

Spread on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
 Shake around. Stir.
 Roast for another 20 minutes. Check the seasoning. Add more if necessary. 
Sprinkle with herbs.
 Serve immediately.

I added salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary and parsley at the end for my first batch. The second time I added salt, pepper, garlic, a mild blue cheese crumbled and some red wine vinegar. I actually liked the second batch better, but the first time around, there was an incident with the black pepper in which I dumped in more pepper than you would need to season 10 potatoes that probably impacted the taste.

Also with the first batch I cut long wedges and roasted them on a cookie sheet, and they were good but kind of frustrating to eat and not as good reheated. With my second potato, I cut it into bite size pieces and because my cookie sheets were out of commission, I put the pieces in my 8x8 casserole dish.


That's all I've got for today!