Grilled Birds, Smashed Potatoes and Burgundy Mushrooms

Grilled Birds, Smashed Potatoes and Burgundy Mushrooms

A few weeks ago I posted this to my Facebook page and neglected to share it with you.  So here goes…

The weather was still in the 3 digits and using the oven to heat the house didn’t sound too good but I had come across a recipe that I couldn’t ignore.

I follow The Pioneer Woman Cooks who had posted a recipe for Burgundy Mushrooms.  Now if you like mushrooms you have to admit these sound more than tempting.

Off the the grocer I went to pick up 2lbs of button mushrooms, pulled 2 gamebirds from the freezer and dug around in the pantry for some potatoes.

We grilled the gamebirds and smashed the potatoes with lots of garlic and olive oil.  The resulting dinner was amazing and thanks to The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Chef Michael Chiarello and Hunter Angler Gardener Cook it was a feast worthy of a blog post!

The internet is truly amazing!  I can find any recipe to fit any desired result.  There’s such an abundance of free information and so many great chefs and cooks out there that are gracious enough to share their secrets with us.  No wonder we are on perpetual diets.

Now my daughter has requested that I post something original the next time I get a chance.  As I think about it… is there anything new under the sun?  Maybe.  I’ve been working on perfecting some javelina recipes.. could be our next adventure.

Pr 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

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Christmas Crepes

Crepes have become a Christmas morning tradition in our home.  Both our girls make repeated requests, err, uh, demands, making sure I have plenty of warning that there is no substitutes, or replacements allowed.  Crepes it is and crepes it will always be on Christmas morning.

Fortunately, crepes are easy and I love them so they won’t have to worry about the tradition getting canned by me.  I’ll share with you the recipe I have adapted from Manka’s cookbook that was given to me by my mom and dad as a gift.   A special treat since my dad is Czech and I don’t have many recipes that connect to that side of my heritage.

Milan Prokupek, Sr. titles his book, “Manka’s Czech cookbook and memoirs

my own story and how my mother cooked in Prague and how we cook now in Inverness, California.”

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Palachinka~ Czech Souzettes

• Make a batter of 3 ounces flour (1/2 cup + 3 Tbs), 1 whole egg, 1 yolk, 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon water, a pinch salt, and a little dark rum.  It will look like a thick soup.
• Spoon the batter thinly (only 1/4″ high) into a hot, well buttered 8″ pan, where it fries quickly.  Turn the cake over with a spatula and fry quickly on the second side.
• Store them on a plate in a warm oven.
• Make the palachinka very thin~less that 1/4: thin.
• Spread a favorite sweet across the center of each palachinka.  The best filing is pure raspberry jam.  Roll the palachinka into a “log.”  Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and drizzle with a squeeze of lemon.

Psalm 119:103
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I’ve been asked several times what kind of pan I use to make crepes.  My answer is … don’t go out there and buy an expensive crepe pan that you’ll only use a couple of times a year or more.  A good nonstick pan that’s in good condition will do a great job of getting  your crepes browned and tasty.  If you’re wondering what pan I use have a look at the circulon premiere professional line.

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How to Make Vanilla Extract

I love it when I find good, useful and “homemade” information like this!

I love to make “my own.”

I love to watch things “become.”

I love vanilla!

Vanilla is wonderful.  And if you’re like me you use more than you can afford because vanilla extract is expensive.  I’ve been blessed in the past by a friend who brings me large quantities of Vanilla Extract from mexico.  But I always feel just a little guilty when they bring it because they always give it as a gift and refuse payment for the liquid bakers treasure.

So when I read this post by Elise I was just beside myself and ready to run down to the local brown bag and get me a 5th of vodka.  Humm, I wonder if Rum would be a good choice for this recipe?????

Now, all you Good Christian cooks out there who didn’t know you were using alcohol to bake your grandma’s pound cake need to do some research and find out the facts.  Then you just have to admit you love vanilla extract and get over your aversion for these spirits…..  you just gotta go and see how to make our own vanilla extract.

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