Chocolate Chip, Banana Pancakes with Whipped Cream: A Birthday Breakfast

Okay. Almost everyone knows how to make pancakes, right? Of course. What I'm offering is a tip or two on how to make banana pancakes turn out (almost) perfect. Tip #1: After they were done, I wish I had added maybe 1/4 - 1/2 c. buttermilk to make 'em a little more moist.

T.C. rates 4/5 beards

Ingredients:

2 c. Bisquick

1 c. milk

2 eggs
1/2 c. chocolate chips
2 bananas
whipped cream

Make sure you have all of the ingredients together, as this process can be pretty time sensitive. First, add the Bisquick mix to your mixing bowl.

Add all of your milk, eggs, and chocolate chips to the Bisquick. This is where I'd probably add some buttermilk to the mix. I find it best to use a whisk. Tip #2: Don't add the bananas just yet.

Make sure your pan is evenly hot (on medium temp). Use a non-stick cooking spray. Ladle 1/2 scoops into the pan. You want small to medium pancakes, so everything cooks through well enough, and the pancakes will be easier to flip (more on that in a bit).

While the pan is warming, cut the bananas about 1/4 inch thick--the thinner, the easier to cook.

Tip #3: Push the bananas into the raw pancake. Now, if the bananas are mixed into the batter, there's a greater chance that the pancakes might have some raw batter in the center. Get your banans to look like this (below), and you'll have a bananas foster-esque sort o' taste. Yum, right?

Tip #4: Put a lid on it. I don't know about you, but I've never really been able to get that perfect pancake flip. That is, until I learned (trial & error) that placing a lid on the pan allows the pancake to cook through enough to keep the pancake solid while flipping. Of course. Only took me 27 years.

Your pancakes are ready to be flipped when they look a little somethin' like this:

Eat your heart out.

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Traditional Stuffed Bell Peppers

Overall, this dish was pretty delicious, but it left a little something to be desired. If I were to do it over again, I would amp up the zest. I'd say it needs more salt and worcestershire sauce; of course, T.C. says "It could be cheesier." I would suggest that, before boiling the peppers, add sea salt to the water in order to flavor the peppers themselves.

T.C. gives it 3.5/5 beards

Original recipe found here.


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (I only had one lb. already defrosted--I'll use a 1/2 lb. for this recipe and freeze the other for a spaghetti sauce base another night) 

• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided
• 1 c. cooked rice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tbsp. worcestershire
• 1 tomato, chopped (for extra texture)
• rosemary
• cayenne pepper--you'll learn quickly that I hardly ever make a dish without this stuff
• sharp cheddar cheese

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. 

Place peppers in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place in ice water. (Here's where you may want to consider spooning a couple tbsp. of sea salt into the water for added flavoring.)

At this point, go ahead and invert the peppers on paper towels.

In a small skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce, rice, salt, garlic powder and pepper. 

While the meat and onion are cooking, boil water for the rice; add rice and cook according to directions on the box/bag.

By this time, your kitchen is smelling pretty Heavenly. Once all of the ingredients were combined (except rice), I removed half of my 1 lb. of meat for my future spaghetti sauce base. Add the rice and mix together.

Spoon the mixture into peppers.

Place in an ungreased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Drizzle with remaining tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until peppers are tender. Delish.

Eat your heart out.

• 
  

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T.C.'s Surprise Birthday Event: Flavors of Philly Food Tour

So, I couldn't be more excited about my surprise for T.C.'s birthday tomorrow: Flavors of Philly Food Tour! Within about 3 hours, we're going to 5 different eateries--all of which are local hosts of authentic "Philadelphia" fare.


"Make room: this is not only a tasting adventure, but a meal that includes classic Philly eats like cheesesteaks and cheese whiz fries, tomato pie, soft pretzels, chocolate-covered hard pretzels, and decadent cake truffles!" Yum...


http://www.cityfoodtours.com/philadelphia/flavors_of_philly.html

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Penne with Broccoli, Mushrooms, Parmesan Romano

This yummy dish is pure comfort food for me, not to mention easy. I whipped this one up in about 20 minutes, tops. What's nice about it is you can really add or take away anything you'd like, and no matter what you'll have something really scrumptious. 

T.C. gives it: 4/5 beards

Ingredients:

3 c. uncooked penne pasta

1/2 bunch of broccoli

2-3 large white mushrooms

2 tbsp sea salt

3 tbsp salted butter

salt

pepper

garlic, minced

parsley, dried

cayenne pepper

onion powder

parmesan romano

extra virgin olive oil

Just a tip: I usually save the stalk of the broccoli, as it is sometimes tasty in soups, stir-fry, etc.

While cutting the veggies, set the water to rapid boil. Make sure to add the sea salt; like Little Miss Rachel Ray likes to say: this is your only chance to flavor the pasta itself.

Once the water is boiling rapidly, go ahead and add the pasta. I usually taste the pasta to see when it is done. I love pasta al dente.

Now that you have the pasta on, place the broccoli and mushrooms in a pot with water about an inch high, or so. Set it to medium heat. This should finish steaming about the same time the pasta is nice and perfect. 

Now that everything is done, drain the pasta and veggies. Toss 'em all together in the larger pan in which you cooked the pasta. Add the all of the seasonings, butter, and parmesan romano. You may drizzle the pasta with a bit of extra virgin olive oil if you'd like the dish a little more moist. Either way you prefer, it's gonna be delicious.

Eat your heart out.

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Memphis Taproom

• Restaurant: Memphis Taproom
• Location (google.map): 2331 E. Cumberland, Phila., PA  19125
• Phone: (215) 425-4460
• Hours: Bar: 11:30am-2am; Kitchen: 11:30am-12am (brunch Saturday & Sunday: 11am-3pm)
• Price: Menu
• Drink: “On Tap”

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The Blind Pig

Left: Poutine, Right: Farmer's Burger

The Blind Pig is one of our favorite restaurants in the Northern Liberties area of Philadelphia. My fiance and I have been told that every dish listed on the menu is a chef specialty, and we’ve never eaten a meal there we didn’t like. Before moving to Philadelphia, I’d never heard of “poutine”—warmed cheese curds with gravy atop french fries—but now it’s a must-order each time we visit The Blind Pig. We ordered that up with a Farmer’s Burger—a burger with a fried egg—for us to split. We couldn’t even finish all of our food. We’re talkin’ heaping portions, here. Definitely delicious, definitely recommended.

• Restaurant: The Blind Pig
• Website: here 
• Location (google.map): 702 N. 2nd Street, philadelphia, PA  19123
• Phone: (267) 639-4565
• Hours: Bar: 5pm-2am (M-Su); Kitchen: 5pm-10pm (M, T, W, Su), 5pm-12am (R, F, S)
• Price: Entrees: $10-$15
• Drink: Micro-brew focus

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