Buttermilk Pancakes

It's been a very long time since I've made pancakes from scratch.    Now that I have rediscovered this recipe they will show up on our menu often.  These pancakes are VERY light and fluffy and I am positive they will have you coming back for more.

1  Egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons shortening, melted or salad oil

1 cup Gold Medal Flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat egg; add remaining ingredients in order listed and beat with rotary beater until smooth.  Grease heated griddle if necessary.  To test griddle, sprinkle with a few drops of water.  If bubbles skitter around heat is just right.

Pour batter from tip of large spoon or from a pitcher onto hot griddle.  Turn pancakes as soon as they are puffed and full of bubbles but before bubbles break.  Bake other side until golden brown.

Makes Ten 4-inch pancakes

Variations:

Apple:  Decrease buttermilk to 1/2 cup and stir 1/2 cup applesauce into batter

Blueberry:  Fold 1/2 cup fresh or well drained frozen blueberries (thawed) into batter.

Nut:  Stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup of broken or chopped nuts into batter.

Cheese:  Omit sugar and stir 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese into batter.

Cornmeal:  Decrease flour to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup cornmeal.

Maple Syrup Glaze for Fish & Meat - Maple Syrup Recipe

If you're looking for sweetness, but with extra richness and flavor, try adding maple syrup to your recipes.

This maple syrup glaze is a great addition to meat or fish - especially good on ham and salmon.

Recipe comes from Sweet Maple: Life, Lore and Recipes from the Sugarbush by James M. Lawrence

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2-3 T. Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. black peppper

Preparation:

Whisk ingredients together

Cover salmon, halibut or ham steaks with glaze, reserving some for serving.

Refrigerate for 1-6 hours.

Bake, fry or barbecue as usual. Brush remaining glaze on before serving.

Lamb Chops with Asparagus

Lamb
2 (10-ounce) (1/2-inch thick) lamb blade chops

1 tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter

Vegetables
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fennel with tops (anise)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 large (1 1/2 cups) leek, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound (about 24) fresh asparagus spears

Rice
Hot cooked rice

Sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Melt butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add lamb chops. Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until browned (4 to 5 minutes). Drain off fat.

Add all vegetable ingredients except asparagus to skillet. Continue cooking until mixture comes to a full boil (3 to 4 minutes). Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 10 minutes. Add asparagus. Cover; continue cooking until chops are fork tender and asparagus is crisply tender (4 to 6 minutes). Place rice on serving platter; top with chops and vegetables. Keep warm.

Stir together cornstarch and water in small bowl; stir into skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil (1 to 2 minutes). Boil 1 minute. Pour over chops and vegetables.

Lemon-Garlic Marinated Lamb Chops

Yield: 8 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (colored portion of peel)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds lamb chops, trimmed of all visible fat (see note)
1. In a small bowl, stir together oil, lemon zest and juice, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Put chops in one or more resealable plastic bags; add marinade and turn to coat. Seal and marinate for 20 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature, turning occasionally.
3. Heat broiler, grill or grill pan over medium heat. Remove chops from bag and discard marinade.
4. Grill or broil 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or to desired doneness.
Per serving: 215 calories; 10g fat; 3.5g saturated fat; 91mg cholesterol; 29g protein; no carbohydrate; no fiber; 226mg sodium.
Note: For easier serving sizes, ask your butcher to cut lamb chops about 4 ounces each, for a total of 16 chops