Red Sauce Blintzes

I prepared all the ingredients yesterday. Before we went to bed I told Adrian he'd be in charge of the cooking in the morning. I was very excited and hopeful of this sweet blintz recipe. Think about this: silky smooth lemony mascarpone filling, and tarty raspberry and strawberry sauce. Yummm....

Adrian, too, was ready to take on the role with me breathing down his neck. Unfortunately things didn't turn out as I thought. The batter was too thick - should I have strained it? Has it thickened overnight? Adrian managed to flip up a couple thin crepes but with hole - it didn't help to contain the filling. In the end, we got one good blintz out of 6. I was very disappointed and upset.

I got rid of this batch and whipped up another. Turned up fine this time. I must credit Adrian for being so supportive while I was sulking over a few bad crepes. And he cooked a killer omelet with sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and basil, too! Best he'd ever made, said the he-cook.

Ingredients
(make 6 8.5" crepes)
Raspberry and strawberry jam

• 1/2 cup frozen raspberry
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberry
• 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• lemon juice to taste

Heat berries with maple syrup and sugar to melt. Adjust taste with lemon juice and sugar if needed.

Crepe

• 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• small pinch of sea salt
• 1 small egg, lightly beaten
  
• 2/3 cup whole milk
  
• 1/3 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

1. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Fold wet ingredients over dry mixture to mix. Add more milk to desired consistency if needed.
   
2. When ready to cook, strain and remove clumps if necessary.
   
3. Coat and heat a 8.5" pan with butter. Pour just enough batter over pan, swirling to coat evenly. Return the excess to the bowl.
   
4. Fry until the top is bubbly. Remove from heat and place over a plate with the fried site up.
5. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Filling

• 1/3 cup Homemade mascarpone
• 1/3 cup fresh whipping cream
  
• 1 - 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• lemon zest
  
• 1 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  

1. Freeze whisk attachment and bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes. Beat the whipping cream until it forms soft peaks. Add sugar, lemon juice and zest to beat to stiff peaks.
   
2. Gently fold the cream mixture into mascarpone to mix. Be careful not to over mix.
   

Assembly

1. Take a few spoonful of mascarpone filling and place it to the center, leaving the edges. Fold the edges as if making a package.
2. Coat and heat a pan with butter. Place blintzes seam site down to fry till browned. Flip and fry the other side.
3. Serve with Raspberry Strawberry Sauce and mint leaves.
   

Banana Pancake with Sour Cream and Strawberry Jam

So I have this extra batter from the deadly Banana Pancake with Coconut Syrup Peanut Butter. Although the coconut syrup peanut butter was a real kick, my experimental nature doesn't allow me to settle for just one topping. This morning, I chose to add to one of the banana pancakes a Sour Cream with Strawberry Jam topping. And just in case I regretted it, the other pancake was served with the same Coconut Syrup Peanut Butter. I even preached Adrian on the beauty of sharing (he got the PB topping). But oh boy! Just as soon as I tasted my plate with the strawberry jam, I unconsciously moved my pancake away from his cutlery.

I put to the pancake sliced fresh strawberry and chocolate chips. Instead of using walnuts, I used chopped pecan that I roasted before hand. Now, what topping should I make for the one last batter I have?

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of sour cream (lemon juice + cream)
2 tablespoon of home made strawberry jam

I whipped up the strawberry jam over the weekend. I still insist that home made is much much much better than commercial's. The only disadvantage is it get moldy very easily. But hey! That's what real food is all about, isn't it?

Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast.

Some time ago I bumped into a website dedicated to breakfasts. I didn't give much thought about it because frankly, Mr Breakfast himself doesn't look all that much of a breakfast role model. Recently, I revisited the site because I was desperate for more breakfast recipes. I must admit that Mr Breakfast does have good stuffs. For instance the Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast. I can feel my saliva whirling as I read the recipe.
Before I give out the recipe, I'd like to, once again, stress the beauty of frozen berry: CHEAPer than fresh. If you are lucky to live in a place where fresh berries are aplenty throughout the year, I'm jealous. I've been having similar discussion with a few friends the last few days. We unanimously agreed how inexpensive the imported berries are. Then came my lecture on the wonderful locally (Thai) produced frozen berries. If you still haven't seen one, I just bought a packet of frozen raspberry and strawberry (see picture) from Gourmet Market at Paragon. Most of the times Tops at Central Chidlom has them (blueberry too), too, but not recently. They are probably trying to sell the imported ones which are currently on 1/2 price if you are their member.
I don't usually buy frozen strawberry. This is an exception because I wanted to make strawberry jam for this Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast. It feels like such a waste to make jam out of fresh strawberry.

Homemade Strawberry Jam
Of course you use strawberry jam from the store. I just figured it's so easy to make, why not? The sourness of lemon juice neutralise the sweetness of both strawberry and sugar.




Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh or frozen strawberry, hulled and mashed slightly if you are using fresh.
4 Cups white sugar
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice

In a saucepan, toss together strawberry, sugar and lemon juice over low heat until sugar is completely melted. Turn the heat to high and let it comes to a rolling boil. Stirring constantly. Remove from heat when the strawberry are melted and transferred to a sterilised jar**. Seal and invert the jar for 10 minutes before you transfer it to the refrigerator.



**Put jar and its cap into hot boiling water bath. Remove and let it stand with the top side down on a clean towel. Do not touch the inside of the jar or lid with your fingers.






Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast

I must tell you how great this Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast is. You have to try this if you like strawberry AND French Toast. I'm so glad that I made the strawberry jam because it's THE bomb. It's not overly sweet and went extremely well with the french toast.

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

• 8 slices of French bread - cut diagonaly
• 1 cup fresh strawberries -- hulled and sliced
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Strawberry syrup or jam for topping

In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.

Take 1/2 of the halved bread slices and and spead the ricotta on one side. Top with remaining bread to create a collection of half-sandwhiches.

In a large shallow bowl, beat together eggs and milk.

Melt butter in a skillet or griddle set to medium heat.

Dip ricotta sandwiches in the egg mixture, coating both sides.

Cook until golden brown on each side. You can place completed French Toast slices on a serving plate in an oven set to 100 degrees -- to keep finished slices warm as you cook the others.

Serve with strawberry slices and syrup or jam. It works with the Cinnful Apple Fruit Salad, too.