APPLE-BACON DUTCH BABY PANCAKE

A Dutch baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake is usually served for breakfast. It's similar to popovers but made in a skillet. It was introduced in the early 1900s in a family run cafe in Seattle, Washington. The word "Dutch" refers to the group of German-American immigrants known as the Pennsylvania Dutch but was actually misspelled and should be spelled and pronounced deutsche "d OY - ch ai". When baking the pancake, don't open the door to peek or the pancake may deflate.  

4 thin strips applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled

Batter

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ t sea salt

¼ t ground cardamom

¼ t ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, room temperature
2 T melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly

¾ cup lukewarm milk

1 small Granny Smith apple
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T unsalted butter
2 T pure maple syrup or honey

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. 

In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, and warm milk. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until mostly smooth and set aside. 

Place an 8-inch cast iron skillet in oven for 5 minutes.

While skillet is in the oven, peel, core, and thinly sliced the apple and place in a small bowl.
Add the lemon juice and gently mix to coat the apple with the juice.

Take skillet out of the oven and add the butter to the hot skillet to melt.
Arrange the apples in a single layer in the bottom of the hot skillet.
Drizzle apple slices with the maple syrup or honey.
Sprinkle in half of the bacon bits and pour the batter over the apple-bacon mixture.
Sprinkle on the rest of the bacon bit and bake in oven for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.
Maple syrup is also delicious drizzled over pancake.

Serves 2

HOT SHOPPES COPY-CAT TEEN TWIST

Do you remember the Teen Twist at Hot Shoppes restaurants? I remember how delicious they were. This is my version on how to put this sandwich together. I made the twist sandwich rolls but you can use any type of sandwich roll or bun that you prefer. It doesn't matter if it's round or long, as long as it taste like the original Teen Twist. 

2 twist sandwich rolls or buns

2 T unsalted butter, softened

4 slices American cheese

8 thin slices ham, Black Forrest is perfect

6 thin slices tomatoes

Shredded lettuce

Secret Sauce
1 t granulated sugar

1 t white vinegar

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 T sweet green pickle relish

In a small bowl, add the sugar and vinegar and stir to let sugar dissolve.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir to combine.

Spread both sides of each sandwich roll with softened butter.

Place a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat and toast the bottom halves, butter side down until golden.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Remove bottom halves to a baking sheet and add two slices of cheese, cover as much of roll as possible.

Add 4 slices of ham on top of cheese, covering as much as possible and fluffing to build volume.

Place in oven to warm ham and slightly melt cheese while grilling the top halves.

Grill the top halves until golden brown while bottom halves are warming in the oven.
Remove bottom halves to two plates.

Add 3 slices tomatoes and shredded lettuce to each half.

Spread some Secret Sauce on the top roll and place on top of sandwich.

Serve whole or cut in half diagonally.

Makes 2 sandwiches

MIGHTY MO-STYLE HAMBURGERS

This recipe is for anyone who lived in the Washington, D.C. area in the 1950s and 1960s.

I found a recipe for the Mighty Mo hamburger online and added a couple of my favorite ingredients to the burger patties. Remember, this is only a 4-ounce hamburger and one uncut regular sesame seed hamburger bun, cut into thirds.

Mighty Mo Sauce

¼ cup ketchup

2 T chili sauce

1 t A-1 Sauce

¼ t Worcestershire sauce

2 drops hot sauce

¼ cup sweet pickle relish

½ cup mayonnaise

In a medium size bowl, add the above ingredients and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate.

1 lb lean ground beef

½ t sea salt

½ t ground black pepper

2 t Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup dehydrated minced onions

4 uncut sesame seed hamburger buns 

2 T softened butter

Shredded iceberg lettuce

4 slices American cheese

Mighty Mo sauce

Dill pickle chips

Add ground beef to a medium size bowl.

Add salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and dehydrated onions.

Mix to combine and shape meat into 8 (4-inch/2 oz each) diameter patties and place on a platter.

Cut sesame seed buns crosswise into three equal slices.

Spread bottom, top and one side of center cut bun with butter. 

Lay buttered sides in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and lightly brown.

Remove to a platter and set aside.

Cook patties in the cast-iron skillet on each side for about 4 minutes.

Add a slice of American cheese to 4 patties and let melt.

To Assemble

Spread about 2 teaspoons of sauce on the bottom layer of each bun. 

Top sauce with shredded lettuce, then a hamburger patty. 

Top patty with middle layer of bun, grilled side up. 

Spread middle bun with more sauce. 

Top with cheeseburger. 

Place pickle chips on cheese and top with last bun.

Serves 4

CLASSIC DELI REUBEN SANDWICH

I think almost everyone loves a good Reuben sandwich. Traditionally the sandwich is made with a Jewish Rye bread. I made it with one of my favorite Swiss cheeses called Emmentaler. You can buy a bottled Russian Dressing, but making your own is so easy and no artificial ingredients are added. Russian Dressing was invented in New Hampshire by James E Colburn in the early 1900s. He added Russian caviar which gave the dressing its name. There is a bit of a controversy on who created the Reuben. Whether it was created in Omaha, Nebraska or New York City, it is a well loved deli sandwich that you can make at home.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

The delicious Swiss Emmentaler (or Emmental cheese) is a medium-hard cheese that is ideal for melting in a sandwich or fondu. Emmental is the name of the place in Switzerland. Emmentaler describes something from there. . .like America versus American.

Homemade Russian Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt

1 T chili sauce

1 T ketchup

1 t prepared horseradish

½ t Worcestershire sauce

½ t paprika

¼ t onion powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a small bowl. 
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Reuben Sandwich
4 slices marble rye bread or plain rye bread
2 T unsalted butter, softened
¼ lb thinly sliced deli corn beef 
8 slices Swiss Emmentaler cheese
1 cup well drained sauerkraut
Homemade Russian Dressing

Spread butter on one side of 2 slices of bread.

You will be building your sandwiches in the skillet that you grill the sandwiches in.

Place two slices of bread, buttered side down, in a cold, large cast-iron skillet.
Add 2 slices of Swiss cheese to each.
Spread some of the Homemade Russian Dressing on the top of the cheese.

Divide the corn beef between each sandwich.

Add equal amounts of the drained sauerkraut on top.
Spread a little more Russian Dressing on top of the sauerkraut.
Add 2 more slices of Swiss cheese.
Top with the last 2 slices of bread and spread butter on top of the bread.

Using a large spatula, press down on the sandwich slightly to stablize. 
Grill over medium heat until golden on each side and cheese is melted.

Cut in half and serve with a pickle and potato chips.

Makes 2 sandwiches

MANGO MARGARITAS

If you love margaritas and mangoes, you will love this recipe. You can buy tajin chile powder in some grocery stores that carry Mexican ingredients. If you can't find it, just use salt mixed with chile powder.

1 cup silver tequila
½ cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
¼ cup lime juice, about 2 limes
1 cup fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice, 2 to 3 grapefruits
¾ (16 oz) bag frozen chopped mangos
Lime wedges, for garnish
Tajin chile powder mixed with coarse sea salt, for rims

Pour tequila, Cointreau or Triple Sec, lime juice, grapefruit juice and mangos in a blender and blend until smooth. 
Run a wedge of lime around the rims of 4 glasses 
Dip rims of glasses in a small bowl of the chile powder and salt mixture.
Equally divide the margarita mix between the 4 glasses and add a slice of lime.

Makes 4 drinks

TWICE BAKED STUFFED POTATOES

Who doesn't love twice baked potatoes with cheese and bacon? My son and daughter love these at Christmas with a prime rib roast and Yorkshire Pudding. I served these with steaks on the grill and a big green salad. Choose medium size potatoes, because these are whole potatoes with the tops cut off instead of large potatoes, cut in half.

6 medium size baking potatoes

6 slices bacon, diced

1 cup crumbled gorgonzola or grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

6 T unsalted butter

6 scallions, chopped 

Sea salt and finely ground black pepper

Chives, for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Scrub potatoes with a brush under cold running water.

Dry potatoes with paper towels and brush with a little avocado oil

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.

Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.

Let potatoes cool for 15 minutes then place potatoes on a cutting board and cut a horizontal slice off the top of each potato.

Scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl.

Mash with a potato masher then add the bacon, cheese, sour cream or yogurt, butter, and scallions.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon back into the potato skins and bake in oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Garnish with a few chives, if desired.

Serves 6

BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITAS

There are endless variations for making margaritas. Spring and summer are perfect times for margaritas of all kinds. Blood oranges are available in my grocery store now. This is a delicious twist on the original margarita. 

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

Buy 5 blood oranges and you will have one or two left over for slicing.

6 oz freshly squeezed blood orange juice 

Juice of 2 limes

4 oz silver tequila

2 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec

½ packed of stevia 

2 slices blood orange, for garnish

Rub the rim of two old fashioned glasses with a wedge of blood orange or lime.

Swirl the rims into a small bowl of coarse sea salt.

Combine the ingredients into a small pitcher and stir to combine.

Fill the salted glasses with some ice cubes and pour in the cocktail.

Garnish each with a slice of blood orange.

Makes 2 drinks

SALAD WITH HOMEMADE BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

Here is a recipe for a really delicious blue cheese dressing. No additives, no sugar, and you can make it in just a few minutes. 

4 slices bacon
½ cup buttermilk or make your own buttermilk, recipe follows
½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

8 oz blue cheese, crumbled

1 T champagne or white wine vinegar

½ t garlic powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad greens

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Cucumber slices, cut in half

Thinly sliced red onion

Cook bacon in a 375 degree F oven until crisp, about 15 to 16 minutes

Crumble and set aside.

Rinse and spin-dry the salad greens and place in a large salad bowl

Whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

Add the crumbled blue cheese and mash lightly with a fork.

Stir in the vinegar and garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add a little of the dress to the salad greens to lightly coat.

Toss to combine and divide onto 4 salad plates.

Spoon a little more dressing on top of each salad and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Homemade Buttermilk

1 cup milk

1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice 

Add the lemon juice to milk and stir. Set aside for 15 minutes.

ULTIMATE CARROT CAKE

Carrot cakes are delicious and are traditionally made for an Easter dinner dessert. I was never happy about the amount of oil used in the recipes. I added unsweetened applesauce and only ¼ cup of healthy avocado oil. The cake is moist and not overly sweet.

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups pastry or all-purpose flour

1 ½ t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ t sea salt

1 t ground cinnamon

½ t ground allspice

¼ t ground nutmeg

2 ½ cups grated carrots (about 2 ½ to 3 large carrots)

¼ cup avocado oil or other mild tasting oil

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 t pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter two 9-nine inch cake pans and line with parchment and then butter the parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the applesauce, sugars, and eggs on medium speed for a couple of minutes.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix in the salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

In another bowl, mix together the grated carrots, oil, walnuts, and coconut.

Stir into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter between the two pans, smooth the tops and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool in pans for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a baking rack and let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 T (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

12 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

2 t vanilla extract

1 T lemon juice

½ cup walnuts, finely chopped, for garnish

In a bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a whisk, cream the butter, cream cheese and sour cream until combined.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix another 5 seconds.

Spread on tops of each layer.

Refrigerate cake for 1 hour before serving.