blue corn pancakes with orange honey butter and cinnamon maple syrup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup blue cornmeal
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
• 2 to 3 bananas, peeled and sliced
• Orange-Honey Butter, recipe follows
• Cinnamon Maple Syrup, recipe follows
• Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions

Preheat a nonstick griddle. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the milk in a medium bowl until combined, then stir in the melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. If the batter seems too thick, add some of the remaining milk.

Ladle approximately 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the bottom is light golden brown, flip, and continue cooking for about 30 seconds. Remove to an ovenproof plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Serve 3 pancakes per person with a dollop of orange-honey butter, cinnamon maple syrup, and bananas. Garnish with blueberries dust with confectioners' sugar.

Orange-Honey Butter:

3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice

2 sticks butter, slightly softened

2 tablespoons honey

Pinch salt

Place orange juice in a small non-reactive saucepan over high heat and reduce to 3 tablespoons. Place butter in a bowl and add the orange syrup, honey, and salt; mix until combined. Scoop into a large ramekin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Cinnamon Maple Syrup:

2 cups pure maple syrup

2 to 3 cinnamon sticks

Heat syrup and cinnamon sticks over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove and let steep for 1 hour. Remove sticks and pour into a small pitcher.

Recipe from foodnetwork.com (Bobby Flay)

best blueberry muffins

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 cup milk

4 tsp. baking powder

2 2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients well. Add 2 cups of blueberries which have been coated with flour. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Works best with fresh blueberries.

tortellini salad

7 oz cheese tortellini

1 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

6 oz. marinated artichokes, drained

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup italian salad dressing

2 1/2 tsp fresh basil, chopped

3 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Rinse and drain again.

Combine tortellini with broccoli, parsley, artichokes, and green onion in a large bowl; toss lightly to mix.

Pour salad dressing over tortellini mixture; sprinkle with basil and toss gently.

Arrange tomatoes on top and sprinkle with cheese.

chicken and Rice

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/4 cup raw regular white rice

12 chicken breast tenders

1 soup can of milk

1/2 pkg dry onion soup mix

salt and pepper to taste

Combine soups, milk and rice in a 9x13 baking dish. Lay chicken pieces on top. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle dry soup mix on top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

taste-of-summer light pound cake

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) fat-free lemon yogurt
• 
  GLAZE:
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, then egg, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and extracts. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt.
• Transfer to a 10-in. fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For glaze, in a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and lemon peel until blended. Stir in apricots. Drizzle over cake. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition facts: 1 slice equals 276 calories, 8 g fat

(Healthy Cooking August/September 2010, p30)