Peach Pancakes can be made with fresh or canned fruit.I like canned peaches with fruit juice or lightly sweetened. Canned fruit can get very mushy when cooked, but Peaches hold up quite well when mixed into pancake batter and sauteed.
I like to eat the peel on my fresh fruit, which canned peaches remove. Even without the fuzzy texture, sliced peaches, fresh or from the can, have plenty of peachy flavor.
Canned Peaches and fresh ones are still cheap enough for this Budget Epicurean. Make sure to wait for fresh Peaches to ripen soft.
No special tricks to this recipe, I just add sliced Peaches to a lightly oiled heating pan and pour on pancake batter
My recipe is basic; I use premixed pancakes from the box. Nothing special really. The average mix is usually just enriched flour, sugar, dried egg, and milk. Normally, you just add water. You can use your favorite mix, or even a homemade one. If price is no object, then get organic from Whole Foods or from your fave health food market.
I do like to finish my pancake with a pat of real butter. It's up to you if you want to go that far.
Check out my tasty breakfast, Pancakes made with sliced Peaches. I like to start my day with a sweet fruit.
Peach Pancake Recipe - Video
Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 44 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (2 servings, using a pancake mix)
1 cup pancake mix - any favorite
3/4 cup water - okay to use milk for a richer pancake batter.
1 peach sliced - add as many slices as you like.
1 tablespoon of cooking oil - to grease the skillet. Add more when needed, depending on how many pancakes you make.
Butter and your favorite pancake syrup - add as much as you like.
Directions Prepare pancake batter according to package directions. My pancake mix calls for 1 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of water.
Mix pancake ingredients in a bowl. When mixed, it will be like thick country gravy.
(If you are using frozen blueberries, it's okay to add them right to the batter. Defrosted or not, as they will warm up during pancake cooking.)
Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or griddle. Heat the pan over medium heat.
Slice a fresh peach and remove the seed. For canned Peaches, just drain. Okay to slice peaches into smaller pieces. Large slices tend to separate from the pancake.
Arrange on a hot pan or griddle. Add as many as you like, depending on the size of each pancake.
Brown pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, depending on the pan heat. When you see air pockets, then check the bottom of the pancake to see how it's browning.
The instant box of pancake directions mentions cooking time to brown each side as 1.5 minutes each....hmmm, they must be using a super hot pan! Best to just check the pancake for color as you go.
If you want a dark brown pancake presentation, then cook one side to get the right hue of brown, then cook the other side for a minute to finish. Serve browned side up on the plate.
My fave late-night snack is a fresh, toasted thick slice of breadwith a smear of real Butter, especially if the bread is Marble Rye Bread. Hey, I'll eat this almost anytime of day, when a small pang of hunger hits. Gluten + carbs = heaven!
Marble Rye & Butter - VideoPlay it here, video runs 53 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
I've been getting bread lately in the discount bin at my local Ralph's grocery store. Every week or so, I pick up a big, cheap container of plain yogurt and a can of coffee, and I always make sure to see what kind of breads are in the discount bin. I like to try out different types of bread when they're on sale.
When I saw a large round loaf of Marbled Rye, discounted for less than two dollars, I had to give it a try. "Day-old" bread may not be at its best right out of the bag, but when I toast bread from the discount bin, the outside is crisp, but the inside becomes soft, almost like fresh-baked bread.
Marble Rye Bread is a mix of light and dark rye dough. The raw dough is braided together to give a swirl of black and white bread. Marbled Rye creates a visually stunning sandwich. Serve it to impress a date or guests.
If I have toasted Bread & Butter, then I will use real butter, either with or without salt.
The flavor of rye is stronger than wheat and even sourdough, with an earthy, herbal flavor of caraway and fennel seeds. When baked, Marble Rye Bread is slightly chewy and dense. Regular Rye Bread is uniform in color, often with pungent Caraway Seeds sprinkled throughout.
I've eaten many Pastrami and Corned Beef Sandwiches here in L.A., and always order them on plain rye bread. The pungent rye goes great with rich and smoky Jewish deli thick-sliced pastrami.
Canter's Delicatessen, one of the oldest Jewish delis in L.A., had an anniversary celebration, practically giving away the sandwiches, and you can see the video below.
You can get all the tasty text and yummy photos for my Corned Beef and Homemade Pastrami recipes by clicking on the names.
There is nothing wrong with "Day-Old" fresh-baked bread, especially if you toast it and add a smear of butter -- that's the way I do it.
Potatoes - deep-fried, boiled, or baked - the end result is always deeply satisfying. It's also one of the most complete nutritional veggies -- it's what the stranded astronaut survived on in the book and movie, The Martian.
During these holiday meals in November and December, spuds are front and center of a family or friend gathering.
Are potatoes the cheapest veggie out there? I always get russets on sale for under a dollar per pound. And your Christmas table would not be complete without creamy and buttery Mashed Potatoes.
The spud originated in the South American country of Peru, where hundreds of varieties are available, but for my next cheap$kate recipe, I use Idaho's finest, the russet potato. They are ideal for boiling into Mashed Potatoes. Russets stay dry enough when taking on water during slow simmering. You can also use red or white potatoes for this recipe - you may need less milk or cream to finish.
Everyone knows how to make Mashed Potatoes, right? Well, just in case you are a newbie, here's one way to do them cheaply and easily.
Mashed Potatoes on their own are a bit bland. I usually make them for Thanksgiving and Christmas, when there is gravy and dressing to mix with. Or, lately, it is the topping for my British-style Shepherd's Piethat's baked with a beef stew underneath. And any type of gravy is what Mashed Potatoes crave.
Shepherd's Pie
The ingredients are few for Mashed Potatoes, just boiled tubers, milk, butter, salt, and pepper. And they all come cheaply. Butter is the most expensive ingredient, but I barely use half a stick. It's okay to substitute non-dairy milk like almond and oat beverages.
I always get russet potatoes for less than a buck per pound. They keep for a couple of months if you store them cool, dry, and out of direct sunlight. And the price is right, my recipe calls for cheap russet potatoes.
You can use any fat content of milk, or go all out and mix in cream.
Some cooks peel the potatoes first, but I find it's easiest to boil them so the potato skin slides off easily and you don't waste any of the flesh, which happens with a potato peeler.
I have a potato masher, but I have used a regular fork - just make sure the fork's sturdy, it can bend during potato mashing. It really depends on you how fine for mashing. I like to leave in some smaller lumps, so I don't go overboard. Be careful if you use an electric mixer because you can whip them until they become a gooey, sticky mess. Just taste as you go -- which applies to any recipe you make.
Next time you roast a chicken, save some pan juices to make gravy (for recipes, click here, or here) and be sure to mash some potatoes to sop it up.
Mashed Potatoes - Video
Play it here. Video runs 1 minute, 37 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (2-3 servings)
4-6 medium-sized potatoes - about 3 pounds. At least 2 cups total when mashed. I used russet, but okay to use any type you like, even sweet potato.
1/2 cup of milk or cream - Add more or less milk to suit your taste and mashed potato texture. Okay to use half and half or whipping cream. Using a milk substitute is fine.
2 tablespoons butter - okay to add more or less. Okay to use a butter substitute
Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions Clean dirt off potatoes.I boil potatoes with skin on; some cooks like to peel the potatoes first - it's up to you.
Add enough water to cover the potatoes. High heat until the water begins to boil. Reduce the heat to a low boil.
It should take about 1 hour, depending on how large they are. Done when a fork easily pierces the potato. (To lessen the boiling time, you can cut potatoes into large cubes and boil them - it should only take half an hour at the most.)
Cool off potatoes with cold water and peel them.
Add the peeled potatoes to a large bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Okay to use milk or butter substitute.
Season with salt and pepper. Mash it all together. You should get about 2 cups of mashed potatoes.
How I loved pancakes as a kid. And on this delicious National Pancake Day, I have it covered with my cheap$kate spin on a childhood breakfast, with the addition of fresh fruit.
Just check out my video below to see how easy it is to do.
Fluffy browned flour pancakes would jumpstart my day with a sugar blast of maple-flavored syrup. Hey, I grew up in the South in a small town, so we didn't have access to real New England maple syrup, but what we had was fine.
Of course, now I buy real maple syrup. I don't have pancakes as often as I used to, but when I do I make it a special occasion with the addition of fresh fruit that I add to the frying pan and then pour on the pancake batter.
That way, I don't need as much syrup since fresh and in-season fruit adds a layer of natural sweetness. And you'll never be bored with plain pancakes again if you try my versions of Fruity Pancakes, and I bet the kids will eat them up, too!
What fruit can you add? Just about any type you can find, really. Start with an easy-to-get sliced banana, then move on to peach, and more exotic ripe slices of mango.
It's easiest to use small whole fruit that is ready to add, like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Scroll on to see the fruity variations I've tried and pick a favorite to try yourself.
My recipe is basic; I use premixed pancakes from the box. Nothing special really. The average mix is usually just enriched flour, sugar, dried egg, and milk. Normally, you just add water. You can use your own favorite mix or even a homemade mix. If price is no object, then get organic from Whole Foods or from your fave health food market.
I do like to finish my pancake with a pat of real butter. It's up to you if you want to go that far.
Here is my basic Pancake Recipe using a box of mix and fresh blueberries. I like to make one large pancake, but you can make them any size you and your family or friends like, including small or dollar-sized.
Blueberries are ready to go, just a quick rinse and put them right on a lightly oiled hot griddle or pan -- no peeling or seeds to remove. Next, pour on the pancake batter and cook until browned on both sides.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (2 servings, using a pancake mix)
1 cup pancake mix - any favorite
3/4 cup water - okay to use milk for a richer pancake batter.
1/4 cup blueberries - add as many blueberries as you like per pancake, about a dozen or so.
1 tablespoon of cooking oil - to grease the skillet. Add more when needed, depending on how many pancakes you make.
Butter and your favorite pancake syrup - add as much as you like.
Directions Prepare pancake batter according to package directions. My pancake mix calls for 1 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of water.
Mix pancake ingredients in a bowl. When mixed, it will be like thick country gravy.
(If you are using frozen blueberries, it's okay to add them right to the batter. Defrosted or not, as they will warm up during pancake cooking.)
Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or griddle. Heat the pan over medium heat.
Rinse fresh blueberries and arrange on a hot pan or griddle. Add as many as you like, depending on the size of each pancake.
Brown pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, depending on the pan heat. When you see air pockets, then check the bottom of the pancake to see how it's browning.
The instant box of pancake directions mentions cooking time to brown each side as 1.5 minutes each....hmmm, they must be using a super hot pan! Best to just check the pancake for color as you go.
If you want a dark brown pancake presentation, then cook one side to get the right hue of brown, then cook the other side for a minute to finish. Serve browned side up on the plate.
I serve it hot with melted butter and a favorite pancake syrup.
Cherry Pancakes are at the topof my fave fruit-filled breakfast.
You do need to remove cherry seeds, but it's worth the effort, and since the cherry season only lasts a couple of months, you won't be making these too many times anyway, so give my Cherry Pancakerecipe a try.
Fig Pancakes are another favorite. I have a fig tree a few blocks away so I can get them for free when the tree starts bearing sweet fruit.
When store-bought, they are on the expensive side, but I've found packages of cheaper dried figs that work just fine.
Blackberries often show up at my local 99c Only Store, so they will end up in my Blackberry Pancakes. They are often quite large so I slice them in half before pouring on the pancake batter.
Mango Pancakes may be the sweetest fruit pancakes.You do have to wait for them to reach ripeness until they are soft to the touch, like a peach.
And they are well worth the wait. Check out your local ethnic market to get a good deal on them.
I'm late to Persimmons.It took living in Little Armenia in Los Angeles to come around. They sell them in the neighborhood mini-mall markets.
Persimmons are ripe when soft, and the flesh is like pudding. And they pair perfectly with pancake batter.
Go ahead and flip your own fruity Pancakes this auspiciously delicious day.
