Blogging: reflections and ch-ch-ch-changes

I am weary. Today I made pastry scrolls with pizza sauce and cheese, lumberjack cake, and okonomiyaki. The first were made as a variation on an old recipe (cheesymite scrolls), the second were unintentionally very similar to a favourite recipe (apple and date cake) and the last was a dismal failure. Blogger has been offline but apparently is back. I've considered reposting my Neb at Nut Roast round up but I am holding off hoping that it will be restored. Instead I thought I would reflect on this blog a little.

Firstly I want to share a few quicklinks related to blogging:

• James Delingpole - Blogging is not a job, it is an expensive addiction
• Write to Done - 18 tips for writing burn-out
• The Seattle Times - Who needs cookbooks when you have a computer
• Gluten Free Girl - How to cook and bake without dairy (and without eggs), or how to please everyone
• Kalyn's Kitchen - Six lessons I am learning from food blogging

Next is a list of 10 recent changes on the blog. I was surprised at how many there have been lately:

1. Sylvia is no longer a baby - Having a 2 year old in the house cannot help but change the food we are eating. As she has grown from baby to toddler, she has become more picky about food. Her presence is felt more at our dinner table (and in my posts). I aim to please. Yet I want to expand her horizons. It is a delicate balance that I don't always achieve. I have stopped labelling food she likes as 'baby food' and wondered about creating a 'children's food' label.
   
2. An allergy diagnosis - With Sylvia's recent diagnosis of an peanut allergy, peanuts and peanut butter are going to be seen a lot less on my blog.
   
3. Hosting blog events - I've just finished hosting a second Neb at Nut Roast event. The time seemed to have come. Most significantly I am midway through hosting Helen's Breakfast Club event in May. It's my first time hosting another's blog event and there may be others in the future, though I am limited as I only post vegetarian dishes on my blog.
   
4. New search field - Finally I have got up a search field on the left hand menu so that you can search my blog and have a list of links rather than having to scroll through each post when you search.
   
5. List of popular posts - I have put a list of popular posts on my left hand menu (drawn from my Google Analytics) because I really like seeing these on other blogs.
   
6. Creating more master posts - I am constantly looking for ways to make it easier to navigate the 800+ posts. My About Me post is embedded with links to useful posts. I have now created master lists on posts about Sylvia, about the garden and of childhood foods.
   
7. Using updated editing tool on Blogger - There were some initial hiccups but I have finally got my head around the updated editing tool on Blogger. The main change seems to be that I upload photos differently, which has advantages and disadvantages.
   
8. Changed ways of editing and organising photos - After problems with iPhoto clogging up the memory on my Mac, I have gone to a more basic way of organising and editing photos. It is mostly adequate but I sometimes miss some of the sophistication of iPhoto.
   
9. New kitchen space - With our kitchen renovations a few months ago, the way we use the kitchen has changed. Sylvia helps me in the kitchen more. we eat at the table more. I can photograph food at the kitchen table.
   
10. New electrical appliances - This year I have obtained a new oven, new food processor and new hand held blender (below). One would hope it would improve my cooking, though sometimes I miss the old faithfuls that have served me well for years.
    

Lastly I wanted to reflect on a few changes I'd like to make:

i. Action on theft of my posts: One issue that has been brought to my attention lately by kind fellow bloggers is that bad people are stealing my blog posts. Brydie even put me onto some useful posts by other bloggers also experiencing the same problems.

I am still not sure what to do about it. I have reported the abuse where I can. I was pleased to see one blog taken offline but others are still up. I have considered shortening my RSS feed and/or putting a copyright message on each post. One of the messages I like most is the one Rachel puts at the end of her feeds requesting people contact her if they are not reading it on her url. Any suggestions are welcome. (Update - this Wordpress post on content theft seems useful.)

ii. Rethinking categories: As my recipe index gets longer, I wonder if I should create some new categories or sub-categories to help find recipes. For example my Other Sweet Treats section bundles up lots of miscellaneous and I would like a section on scones. Similarly I would like to re-organise categories in the Reflections index. I have also thought about rethinking the labels at the bottom of each post and adding a few more anchors on long posts.

iii. More reflective posts: I love doing posts that reflect both on blogging and on ingredients. I have a couple of posts on blogging that have been in draft for about a year. One on rules for blogging and one on what blogging means to me. I hope to get them posted soon. I have long been meaning to do the My Life in 10 Dishes post that AOF did some time ago.

I would also like to write more history of ingredients posts. They have been few and far between lately due to time constraints. I have such fun writing these posts that I would love to be able to find some time for them. It may mean less recipes and more quality.

iv. Develop a comments policy: I am fed up with the silly spam comments that come my way. I want to put up a comments policy to be clear about my boundaries. I love Shauna's message to spammers on her comments field.

v. Back up my blog: Blogger's problems is a timely reminder to back up my blog.

It is heartening to see the list of changes I have achieved to remind me that I am making progress, albeit more slowly than I would like. There just aren't enough hours in the day. I meant to write this post to celebrate my 4 year blogiversary but like most things in my life, I am behind. But I have got there!

Fortunately there are some constants - support from E, companionship from Zinc, sharing food with family and friends, and wonderful connections with other bloggers. One last constant is change. I am sure there will be more of it. Stay tuned...

A Neb at Nut Roast - round up

When I announced my second Neb at Nut Roast event back in March, I had decided that the time had come to promote my beloved nut roast once more and encourage my fellow bloggers to join me in making nut roasts. I had seven wonderful nut roasts sent in, plus three that I made. Not a bad effort for a niche event.

Each nut roast the was sent in filled me with delight. I loved seeing people trying nut roast for the first time, bringing me innovative exciting new ideas for nut roasts and sharing my love of the dish. I know there are others out there with an interest in the event and I am sure you will agree this is a splendid round up of nut roasts. I hope it will inspire many more to give it a try.

Cooked raw cauliflower nut roast
Me (Green Gourmet Giraffe)
Melbourne, Australia

This was my failed attempt at a raw nut roast (blame my kitchen renovations) with almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes and cauliflower. I finally fixed it by adding eggs and breadcrumbs and baking it to turn it into a more regular nut roast. Not my finest moment in nut roasts but the mushroom whiskey gravy made it wonderful.

Vegan 'Cheese' and Walnut Roast
Me (Green Gourmet Giraffe)
Melbourne, Australia

This nut roast was made with walnuts and used tofu instead of the cottage cheese and egg I usually put in. A plain but tasty nut roast that works well with lots of flavours in a roast dinner or a salad sandwich.

Vegetarian Nut Loaf
Ashley of Eat Me Delicious
Vancouver, Canada

A chunky nut loaf made with walnuts, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, caraway, and topped with a tomato sauce. Makes me feel all nostalgic for my mum's meat loaf which was baked in condensed tomato soup. However Ashley uses fascinating flavours I never would have encountered in my childhood.

Buckwheat and sweet potato nut roast
Me (Green Gourmet Giraffe)
Melbourne, Australia

This was a very soft gluten free nut roast of hazelnuts, almonds, buckwheat groats, sweet potato, rice flakes, mushrooms and smoked paprika. It was quite a fragile nut roast that crumbled easily. It was great for roast dinner on Easter Sunday. The leftovers made a great chow mien.

Tamarind Thai Nut Roast
Lisa of Bake Bike Blog
Canberra, Australia

This was Lisa's first experience of nut roast. She took walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts, and almonds and paired them with Thai flavours: tamarind, chilli, fresh coriander (cilantro), chilli jam and spring onions. Being gluten free, she used brown rice, chia seeds and eggs to bind it. An unusual and yummy nut roast. Lisa served it with simple green veg. Just as well, for she found that nut roasts are very filling.

Mrs Myrtleberry's Roast
Mel of Veganise This
Melbourne, Australia

Mel gamely set about veganising a Celia Brooks nut roast named after a B&B owner. Sounds like a place I would love to stay on holiday. The nut roast has cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pine nuts, as well as tomato passata, brown rice and sage. Mel used flax and cheezly to replace the eggs and cheese. She found it quite soft but tasty and has enjoyed lots of nut roast sandwiches while experimenting.

Cheesy Nut Roast
Cakelaw of Laws of the Kitchen
Melbourne, Australia

Cakelaw tried a gluten free nut roast from my blog with vegetables, nuts, cheese and rice. I was delighted that she enjoyed her first foray into the wonderful world of nut roasts. She found it quite filling and a healthy alternative to meat.

Carrot Pecan Nut Roast
Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Toronto, Canada

Ricki made a vegan and gluten free loaf inspired by her hero (and mine) Mollie Katzen. It was made with carrots, pecans, flaxseeds and used gluten free cracker crumbs to firm it up. She flavoured it with garlic, dill and parsley. I loved her observation that its golden hue reminded her of the royal wedding.

Easy Peasy Nut Roast
Torwen of Torwen's Blog
Reading, UK

Torwen shares my love of nut roasts and demonstrates that they are not just for winter, with his great summer take on the loaf. He was inspired by poppy seed encrusted pea burgers to make a glorious green nut roast filled with peas. It was a simple vegan gluten free recipe with cashews and brazil nuts, onion and garlic being the other ingredients. Easy peasy indeed!

Nut Roast with Za’atar
Vanessa of Sweet Artichoke
Switzerland

Vanessa made her first nut roast for this event and was very pleased with discovering how good they taste. I found her discussion of the French approach to nut roast fascinating. Finally she settled on a nut roast flavoured with za'atar, a middle eastern spice mix. It also had almonds, cashews, walnuts and red lentils. Sounds delicious.

Well that's all folks. If I have missed your nut roast, just let me know. Thanks again to everyone who joined in and to others who gave me their support in holding the event.

Update: I originally posted this round up on Thursday 12 May.  I avoided posting it on Friday 13th due to a superstitious inkling.  Then on Friday 13th, it was taken down as part of Blogger maintenance (oh the irony!) and two days later is still not restored (nor are a few lost comments) so I have reposted it

PPN Avocado Pasta

Every now and again I find an avocado in our fruit bowl that is fast approaching the time when it is only good for the compost bin. I am always on the lookout for quick and easy ideas. Avocado as pasta sauce seems a crazy idea but it works. I found out when last week's avocado threatened to ruin. It was a night when I had no energy. I tipped a handful of spaghetti in the pot, added a bit of seasoning and we had dinner on the table before we knew it.

The hot pasta warms the cool avocado but you do need the extra seasoning of the lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. I think the suggest basil would also work well. The recipe came from Oh She Glows where Ange obviously has a more powerful food processor than me. My garlic didn't really blend so next time I will use the garlic crusher. I even ended up stirring the sauce with a spoon to get rid of a few lumps.

I first saw this recipe on Bake Bike Blog where Lisa added some asparagus to the mix. I had a bit of leftover vegie haggis on hand so I scattered it on top. The avocado pasta is quite a heavy meal without additional veg or salad. I quite enjoyed it with haggis but in future I would try it with some tomatoes and cucumbers on the side for a really quick meal.

I am sending this to Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes who is hosting Presto Pasta Nights #213 this week. The event brings together some of the wonderful pasta dishes in the blogosphere each week and was founded by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. (And stay tuned for my own round up of my Neb at Nut Roast event - coming soon.)

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Treacle Scones for Remembrance
This time two years ago: PPN Cavolo Nero and Chickpea Pasta
This time three years ago: Meandering Musings on Split Pea Soup
This time four years ago: Pickled sprouts and vegan cheese doubts

Avocado pasta
adapted from Oh She Glows via Bake Bike Blog

• enough spaghetti for 2 people (Ange suggests 6 oz)
• 1 avocado - needs to be ripe
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-3 cloves of garlic, crushed (I used 1 clove)
• juice of 1/2 medium lemon
• 1/4 tsp fine grain salt
• black pepper
• handful of basil if you have it (I didn't)
• lemon zest, to garnish

Cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the packet - about 10 minutes in salted boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, blend the oil, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor and then add avocado (and basil if using). Continue to blitz until smooth or, if your food processor is like mine and leave a few lumps, give it a quick stir with a spoon at the end. Add salt and pepper to taste. Check seasoning and adjust as necessary (I think I could have done with a bit more lemon juice). When pasta is cooked, drain and stir the avocado sauce through. Serve with salad or steamed vegetables or vegie haggis if you have it.

On the Stereo:
Still: Joy Division

CC Crunchy Salad, Tofu Nuggets and Sylvia

Update: I have reposted an updated Tofu nuggets recipe in 2023.

I don't know how he did it.  E opened his bottle of chilli tomato sauce and it exploded everywhere.  Sauce found its way into his eye sending him yelping to the cold water tap.  Later we found blobs of sauce on the tv, the heater, my computer, the couch, the rug.  At the time we didn't notice because I was taking the above photo, E was rinsing his eye and Sylvia burst into tears at the uproar.  That was the last photo I took of the meal.

Sauce aside, it was an excellent meal.  I made tofu nuggets that came from Vegan Dad, a blogger for whom I have great respect.   It amused me that the other blogger I took some inspiration from was Your Vegan Mom.  (Mom, Dad, you're the best vegan parents!) I followed Vegan Dad's advice and pressed as much water out of the tofu as possible (see my tower of weighty tins above) rather than marinating them as Vegan Mum suggested. 

I am not usually one for cooking unmarinated tofu but this worked because the crust was so full of flavour.  Vegan Dad fried his but I followed My Vegan Mom and baked them.  They were really crispy.  Sylvia loved them dipped in tomato sauce.  (She loves anything dipped in tomato sauce).  She is so fussy that I couldn't believe how she hoovered her way through 4 or 5 of these.  They were just like fish fingers for vegan kids.  I would probably prefer them in dipped in mayonnaise or something like Sarah's Queso Dip.

I had made the tofu nuggets because I wanted something to make with the carrot and seed salad.  The salad was made for the Cookbook Challenge.  The theme was crunchy. (See what others made here.)  Not a great theme for the past few weeks when I have had toothache and then a cold, which left me wanting soft comforting soups.  After the Easter excesses, however, I was ready for a virtuous salad. 

I joined the Cookbook Challenge to nudge me into using cookbooks that get neglected too easily in this online world.  The salad was from the Rose Bakery's Breakfast, Lunch and Tea cookbook that I got for Christmas from Fran and John.  I admired the book greatly and then lost it in the clutter.  Having now made the salad and pancakes I must try and use this cookbook more. 

I made a Carrot and Seed Salad that had plenty of flavour and texture from marrying carrots, chives and sunflower seeds.  Instead of just using lemon juice I put in a spoonful of leftover guacamole.  It worked a treat but might have explained why the leftover salad was inedible the next day.  I suspect pure lemon juice would keep better than avocado.

The irony of the meal was that Sylvia and I had been out in town that day.  I had hoped to try the vegan sausage rolls at Lord of the Fries but they had stopped making them the day before (I had only seen them a week ago).  So we had sushi in Degraves Street while watching a jazz trio.  Sylvia had an inari.  I had thought she might like the rice stuffed in the tofu pockets.  She ate the rice but refused the tofu.  So it was all the more pleasing to see her eat the tofu nuggets.  There is more than one way to get tofu into a toddler!

I hope everyone (those with children and those who mother others) has had a nice Mothers Day in Australia and America.  We celebrated with a lovely trip out of town yesterday, which was just as well because I spent most of today in bed with a cold.  I thought it might be a good time to update you on Sylvia, who continues to entertain us.

Some of her latest amusements are babushka dolls, beaded necklaces and baking pumpkin scones with me.  Her favourite book is a Rupert Bear annual.  She loves all the characters - Bill Badger, Algie Pug, Lord Ozrik, Dicken of the Dell, but most of all she loved Gregory Guinea Pig.  She asks where they are and loves us to sing songs about them.  There have been a few firsts recently.  Sylvia has mastered the kazoo, had her first visit to the dentist (to watch me), and broken a drinking glass.  She is less and less keen to sit in the highchair, though there are still times it saves my sanity to strap her in.  She is still attached to dolly but now dolly has her own dolly, known as dolly's lady.

Update 2014 - I have updated the photo of the salad at the top of the post, having had a chance to photograph it in natural light without the tomato sauce drama to distract!

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Strawberry and mascapone scones and dumpling soup
This time two years ago: Surprising Beetroot Risotto
This time three years ago: MM Roasted Vegetable Vindaloo
This time four years ago: Seeking carrot dip in a sea of recipes

Tofu nuggets
adapted from Vegan Dad
serves 4-6

• 500g (about 1 lb) firm tofu
• oil spray

Milk mixture

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp seeded mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped chives (optional)
• 1 tsp chilli paste
• 1/4 tsp salt

Flour mixture

• 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp bush spice seasoning (or other seasoning mix)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Crumb mixture

• 1 cup crushed cornflakes (or about twice the amount in uncrushed cornflakes, crushed in a bag)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Press tofu for about 30-45 minutes.  Slice into fingers (mine were about 2 inches long and half an inch thick).

Place milk, flour and half the crumb mixtures into three shallow bowls and mix each well.  Dip a piece of tofu in the milk, then in the flour, then in the milk again and then in the crumbs.  Repeat with all tofu pieces.  I found that the crumbs got a bit soggy so I suggest only using half at first and refilling when you use it up.

Place crumbed tofu pieces on a lined oven tray.  Spray with oil.  Bake at 220 C (I had my oven on 200 C on fan forced) for about 10 minutes.  Turn them over and spray the other side with oil.  Return to the oven for about 15 minutes or until crisp.

Update: made these with cauliflower instead of tofu - lightly steamed florets of the head of cauliflower for about 10 min until tender.  Once dipped in the crumb coating I baked it for 20 minutes at 240 C.  Delicious! 

Update 2021: made these with panko breadcrumbs instead of crushed cornflakes, also fried them not baked, and they were excellent and so crispy.

Update 2023: I have posted an updated post on Tofu nuggets 2023

Carrot and Sunflower Seed Salad
adapted from Rose Bakery's Breakfast Lunch and Tea
serves 4

• 4 medium carrots
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• handful chives, chopped

Dressing

• Dessertspoon of lemony guacamole (or extra tbsp lemon juice)
• juice of a smallish lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp castor sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Dry fry sunflower seeds on low heat until golden brown.  While they are frying, trim, peel and grate carrots.  Stir in chives and sunflower seeds, leaving a few aside for garnish if desired.  Lightly mix the dressing ingredients and stir into carrot mixture.  Taste to check balance of flavours.  Serve with some chives and sunflower seeds for garnish if desired.  Eat on the day of making it.

On the Stereo:
Singles: New order

Tea Towels of Scotland

Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick

Today I share with you some tea towels in memory of my mother in law who died this time last year. She is fondly remembered in many ways, but so often with tea towels she loved so much.

Many of these tea towels are from my mother in law.  Not all.  Some bought by us.  Some sent by my sister in law HH.  All used and loved.  Wish my photography did them justice. 

Battle of Britain, from the War Museum at Edinburgh Castle

Edradour Distillery, Pitlochry, Scotland

A Celtic Blessing

The Crown Jewels, Scotland

A celebration of the Scots Language

Scottish Borders

The Lady, English weekly magazine

Christmas

Peebles

My niece's childcare centre

For fellow tea towel enthusiasts, I've found a few interesting links for tea towels lately.  The Independent newspaper had an article on the British institution of the tea towel.  Mangocheeks had a recommendation for buying tea towels online and I found lots of interesting tea towels at Anthologie thanks to a link from Lucy.  I was also sent a link for a designer tea towel site that I would love to buy from - www.todryfor.com.  You can see more of my collection on this tea towel post.

CC Cheddar Spoonbread

Eggs are a mystery to me.  I've never liked them.  Even as a child, my mum made me a separate dish when she made dinner with eggs.  Given this, it was no surprise that when it came to the Eggs theme for the Cookbook Challenge that I found it a tricky one. 

 

The theme called for a dish in which eggs were prominent.  Precisely the sort I rarely make.  I dislike cracking eggs.  I dislike their texture.  Any more than 3 eggs in a recipe is just too much for me.  I once made a cake with 12 eggs.  That was upon request.  Never again.  Another time I made a souffle with a friend.  Fortunately it was full of chocolate.  I considered making a vegan omelette for the Cookbook Challenge.  Or a vegan egg salad.  Such things interest me.  

In the end I returned to a dish I once made many years ago that intrigued me.  Spoonbread.  It hails from the American South and has been compared to a Yorkshire pudding and described as a cornbread souffle.  I vaguely recall it as being more sturdy than the delicate souffle, which is why I wanted to revisit it.

The recipe is from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen.  It was one of my first vegetarian cookbooks.  Mollie was one of my first vegetarian heroes.  I was ready to try anything she offered.  Even if it meant separating eggs and beating egg whites.  These days I tend to know what I like and follow my instinct more. 

I can barely remember making spoonbread the first time.  It seemed like a large recipe.  I halved it and decided to cook it in ramekins rather than a large dish.  The recipe didn't give as much guidance as a novice like me needed.  I don't cook eggs or spoonbread enough to know what I was doing.  It was only after it went in the oven that I got nervous because I know that souffles are to feared. 

I started to look up other cookbooks.  They advised that the souffle dish should be filled to the top and it should be eaten as soon as it came out of the oven.  I was waiting for Sylvia to come out of the bath and worried we wouldn't be seated at the table ready to eat as soon as it came out of the oven.  You can see in the above picture that I also didn't fill the ramekins to the top.

As it was, I needn't have worried.  This was as resilient as I had initially hoped.  No rise and fall.  Not even a lot of air in it.  It would have helped if the recipe had told me how to know when it was done.   I took it out when it was firm but not browned. It was cooked through.  That seemed right. We had it with a simple vegetable soup.  Not only did it wait for us after coming from the oven, but I put one of the leftover ramekins in the fridge and we ate it at room temperature 4 days later.  It still tasted good.

Sylvia wouldn't eat hers but she did enjoy making it with me.  I found a little ramekin for her.  I told her that it was a special one for her.  Since then, she will go to the cupboard and pull out these smaller ramekins and tell me they are special ones for Sylvia.

It was a nice meal but not something I am eager to make again.  The spoonbread seemed more like cornbread than souffle.  Quite frankly I prefer other cornbread recipes with less eggs and less dishes.  E agrees!

If you want to see what my Cookbook Challenge Comrades made, go to the community page.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Greens, Carrots and Garden Update
This time two years ago: GYO Bill’s Broccoli Salad
This time three years ago: What does a pagan eat anyway?
This time four years ago: Waiter waiter there’s a shark in my chilli non carne
 
Cheddar Spoonbread
adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest
serves 4

• 3 eggs, separated and at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 400g tin of corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup of yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cups of packed grated (medium sharp) cheddar cheese

Generously grease 4 ramekins with butter.  Heat oven to 400 F or 200 C.

Heat the milk in a saucepan until it just reaches boiling point and remove from heat before it boils (also known as scalding the milk).

Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or frypan and fry the corn and salt for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cornmeal and fry another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  I found this went quite dry and gritty.

Pour scalded milk into corn mixture and stir in.  It will thicken.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Stir in cheese and egg yolks.  Cool slightly.

Beat egg whites until stiff (I used electric beaters but a house mate of mine used to do it with rotary beaters in a copper bowl).  Gently fold into the cheesy corn mixture with a metal spoon.  Spoon into greased ramekins.  It is ok if it doesn't reach the top.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until it is firm to touch.  Eat hot but it doesn't need to be eaten immediately.  We had one leftover and popped it in the fridge for about 3 days and then ate it cold with dinner like a bread. 

On the stereo:
New Wave Playlist: various artists

Cheesy pancakes and a breakfast event

We had a lazy Sunday yesterday.  No rallying and ranting for May Day.  I only had enough energy to drag myself out of bed.  I did continue with my quest to find the ultimate cheese pancake recipe, which is timely, given that I am guest hosting Helen's Breakfast Club event. 

Pancakes first.  I tried to adapt an old recipe into cheese pancakes last year.  They were ok but not great.  I wanted them to be as cheesy and crispy as those I have eaten at the Pancake Parlour.  I have wondered about how they get the crust so cheesy.  It has occurred to me that maybe they just sprinkle melted cheese on the pancakes before they flip them the other side.  So that is what I did.

It made them crispy but not in the melting way of the Pancake Parlour.  However, what impressed me was the recipe I used.  It came from the Rose Bakery's Breakfast, Lunch and Tea cookbook (thanks Fran and John).  It is a cookbook with a beautiful green cover and lovely photos and text.  I love the introduction that encourages cooking with instinct rather than sticking religiously to the recipe.  I used a recipe that was intended to be for sweet pancakes but I drastically reduced the sugar and added cheese.  Midway through the batch I remembered a stump of chives in the fridge and added these too.

I'd love to say we sat down to a beautifully set tables with cloth napkins, vases of flowers and an array of side dishes but that is not my life right now.  We ate them hot from the fry pan as they were.  They were fantastic and fluffy.  Even Sylvia enjoyed them.  I couldn't resist drizzling a bit of maple syrup over a couple without chives.  The remainder were eaten cold with dinner.  While not as good cold, they were still rather tasty.   I think these would be great with some fried mushrooms and tofu scramble or even with a good tomato chutney.

Now onto the Breakfast Club blog event.  I have been a fan of this event which shares its name with a cool 1980s movie and encourages some interesting food first thing in the morning.  I am not a morning person but I do appreciate a good breakfast.  I grew up on cereal followed by toast with vegemite or peanut butter.  These days, as a vegetarian who doesn't like eggs much I find it harder to find savoury breakfast ideas.  I love the occasional sweet breakfast but it is just not as satisfying as a good savoury start.  Give me a good savoury pancake, bread, fritter, baked beans, muffin or fry-up.

When Helen of Fuss Free Flavours offered me the chance to choose a topic for the event I said it would have to be vegetarian and savoury.  So I announce that I will be guest host for

The Breakfast Club #11: Vegetarian and Savoury.

Breakfast Club: 
Because breakfast should be more interesting
than tea & toast or coffee & cereal!

How to participate.  Post a breakfast dish in May that is both vegetarian and savoury and just follow these guidelines:

• Indicate in your post that it is a dish for the Breakfast Club event, use the logo if you can, and link to both this post and to the Breakfast Club page on Fuss Free Flavours http://fussfreeflavours.com/breakfast-club/.
• Send the url of the post, your name, your blog name and a photo to gggiraffe07 AT yahoo DOT com DOT au.  Entries can also be sent to other events.
• You may send in archived recipes, but they must be republished and the logo and links above added please.
• If you use twitter please use #breakfastclub and tweet your entry.
• Closing date is Saturday 28 May 2011.

Don't forget to check out Breakfast Club #10 Pancakes round up at Krithi's Kitchen.

It is also timely to remind you that when I said to Helen I would host, I forgot that it would overlap with my Neb at Nut Roast event.  I am still accepting nut roast posts until Thursday 5 May.  And if you want to send me a nut roast that is suitable for breakfast, well I will accept that for both events in the next few days.  Now there's a challenge!  Meanwhile, here are my cheese pancakes as an offering for the Breakfast Club #11.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Butterscotch layer cake
This time two years ago: Mushroom and Lentil Ragout
This time three years ago: Planet of the Blogs
This time four years ago: Making friends with fennel

Cheese and Chive Pancakes
adapted from Breakfast Lunch and Tea from the Rose Bakery
makes about 18 pancakes small pancakes

3/4 cup plain white flour
1/2 cup plain wholemeal flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
75g (5 tbsp) butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk, or a little more
125 - 250g grated cheese
3 tbsp chives (optional)
extra butter for frying

Mix dry ingredient in a bowl.  Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave.  Add milk and eggs.  Whisk lightly with a fork and pour into the dry ingredients.  Stir in 125g cheese and chives (if using).  You may need to drizzle in a little more milk - maybe 1-2 tablespoons.  It is a thick pancake batter but the cheese makes it just a bit too stodgy.

Heat a large non-stick frypan over medium heat.  Melt a small knob of butter and either brush with a silicone brush or use a wad of kitchen paper towel to spread it thinly across the frypan.  When butter is sizzling, drop a heaped desssertspoonful of batter onto the frypan and use the back of the spoon to spread the batter a little.  You will probably fit about 3-4 of these on the frypan.

Cook for a few minutes until bubbles appear and the batter starts to look cooked.  If you wish, at this point you could sprinkle a bit of grated cheese on the batter before you flip.  Use an eggflip or spatula to flip the pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden brown.  If you have chosen to sprinkle cheese you can leave it a little longer because the cheese takes longer to get a golden brown hue but it will crisp up quickly.  Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.  Eat hot.

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