Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes

Last week, a friend was over, and she made some cornbread with buttermilk. This morning, when I realized we still had buttermilk in the fridge, I was excited to try making these pancakes for the first time.  For three people, a half recipe was the perfect amount, with a little left over. These pancakes are going on the "make again" list. I love that I was able to keep some of them warm in the oven until they were all cooked up.

 I couldn't believe how crispy yet fluffy these amazing pancakes were. Even more delicious with some sautéed fruit. In a wok, I sautéed two sliced bananas and a cup of diced pineapple on medium heat for about 15 minutes in a little bit of butter with some cinnamon.

Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes (The Kitchn)

Mushroom Bacon Tart with Two Cheeses

For Christmas this year, I used part of a Williams Sonoma gift card to purchase a new chopper (just one more single purpose kitchen tool my friends will make fun of me for), which helped immensely with the sliced mushrooms and onions that were needed for this recipe.

Mushroom Tart (Martha Stewart)

I added chunks of gouda cheese, cooked bacon and sausage to the top, and didn't regret it. I also cooked the puff pastry for less time than suggested, since it will brown a little bit more when it's cooked at the end. This would make a great addition to any brunch, and without my additions, is a vegetarian recipe.

Herbed Trout

Trout is a newly discovered fish for me, and happily so. Emeril's take on Herbed Trout (Food Network) is yummy, easy to make, and fast. Dinner was on the table in about 20 minutes since the fish only took about 5 minutes to bake.  The herb sauce on the flaky fillets is extremely flavorful and lemony. As an added bonus I now have extra "Essence", a spicy herb blend used in this recipe.

Spicy Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa

I'm a really lazy marinator, and I love that even though this recipe calls for up to 3 hours of marinating, I was able to get away with only 30 minutes of marination, and with tasty results.

There's a cold going around, everyone in the house is suffering from the sniffles. I decided to make something spicy to help out. The pineapple salsa adds a layer of freshness to the juicy pork chops. which I served with Vigo yellow rice.  I followed the recipe exactly, adding a chopped fresh red bell pepper to the salsa, and using a shallot instead of red onion.
Marinated Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa

Classic Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie is a great way to use leftover potatoes from a Christmas feast, and that's exactly what I did! I used Alton Brown's Shepherd's Pie recipe for inspiration, using lean ground beef instead of lamb, leaving out the tomato paste and adding a 10 oz package of chopped mushrooms and extra corn. I also used Yukon golds to make the mashed potatoes. I used about 4-5 cups of mashed potatoes for the top. I also broiled the pie for about 3-5 minutes at the end to get it nice and brown.

Strip Steak with Ponzu Sauce

I am a big fan of asian flavors, and the ponzu in this sauce intrigued me. Ponzu is a citrusy soy sauce that has a really nice zing to it, especially with the steak. The combination of herbs and tanginess is delicious. As usual, I used a few of the many kitchen tools in my arsenal - a Cuisinart indoor grill for the meat, an Instant Pot pressure cooker for the rice, and a KitchenAid slicer attachment for the shredded veggies.

I followed the recipe exactly, and served it with sticky white rice and Szechuan green beans.

Strip Steak with Japanese Dipping Sauce

Maple Mustard Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is one of the first meals I cooked in our new kitchen in sunny Colorado. So far, adjusting for the altitude has been an interesting journey. Some dishes can be prepared in the same amount of time as always, while others seem to take extra time to polish. Up here, I cooked the salmon for an additional 10 minutes or so until it was finished. It's ready when it comes apart easily with a fork.

Brussels sprouts have an unfortunate reputation, but I love them! I'm always thrilled to find a new recipe that highlights this hated veggie. This dish was surprisingly easy to execute and looks extra fancy. The glaze couldn't be simpler, and the Brussels sprouts mixed with the red onions make a delicious combination.

Maple-Glazed Salmon with Brussels Sprouts (Real Simple)