Salmon Hash

The refrigerator was packed full of raw ingredients that remained from recently prepared meals. But what looked good for breakfast? Red potatoes, bell peppers and salmon - this sounded like a great opportunity to make some down-home style hash.

Ingredients (per serving)

3-4 oz. fresh salmon, diced

1 medium red potato, diced

1/4 c. bell peppers, diced

salt

black pepper

extra-virgin olive oil

seasoning (optional)

Method

Boil diced potatoes 10-12 minutes, until almost tender, then drain. In a skillet, add a bit of oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, cook for 2-3 minute, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced salmon, and season with salt, black pepper, and other optional seasoning - cook until salmon is fully done and potatoes begin to brown. Serve with an egg prepared any style.

A bit of extra seasoning of your choice can any hash more unique - this batch included a dash of spicy cumin-based seasoning.

Thin Crust Personal Pizza

This delight is so tasty that I make it the exact same way each time. Of course, you can vary toppings to your liking, I just happen to have this combination on hand often enough.



Ingredients (per pizza)
1 8" flour tortilla
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. marinara sauce
1/2 tomato, seeded & diced
1/2 an Italian sausage, cooked (I used MorningStar's Pre-cooked Italian Sausage)
36 grams (2% milk) shredded mozzarella cheese (err, a heaping 1/4 cup)
salt (optional)

Method
This recipe requires either an oven baking stone or a pan on bottom of oven that can withstand 500 degree F temperatures (such as a broiling pan).

Start pre-heating the oven to 500 degrees F.

Spread a very thin layer of sauce over the tortilla, leaving 1/2" dry around the circumference.

Using a brush, apply olive oil to the uncovered 1/2" tortilla lightly. Optionally salt to the crust. Kosher salt seems to have the best consistency.

Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella over the sauce, then add the tomatoes and sausage. If desired, shred a small amount of cheddar for marbled presentation.

At 500 degrees F, cook the pizza for 2 minutes 15 seconds or until desired done-ness. Watch the pizza, it cooks quickly.

Notes
This pizza goes really well with a salad to round off the meal.

S.O.S.

Some call it S.O.S. (sh*t on shingles), and to others it is creamed beef on toast. This dish is completely inspired from the old Navy cook at a small local diner in Bucksport, Maine.

Lately I've been creating breakfast dishes that I grew up with in Maine. This is just one installment in the Maine Breakfast series. This plate represents the goodness from a savory, warm, hearty homestyle meal.

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tbsp. wondra (or flour)
2 slices toast - "well done"
salt - to taste - quite a bit
pepper - to taste - quite a bit
2 pinches thyme

dash nutmeg

dash ginger

1/4 C. frozen Quorn grounds (meatless grounds)

(Optional)

1 super egg (1 egg + 1 egg white)

Method

If you opt in for the super egg, crack one whole egg (omega-3 if you got 'em) and one egg white into a dish. Prepare it fried-style as you prepare the gravy.

Slice prepared toast diagonally and tile the slices on your plate. A crunchy, light wheat toast is perfect for this meal. Prepare the gravy by mixing the milk, Wondra, salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg, and ginger in a sauce pan, continuously stirring over medium heat until it just starts to thicken then boil. Lower the heat and add the grounds, stir until heated and to desired consistency.

Pour immediately over toast and serve hot (*never wait, the toast will absorb the moisture and cool down quickly). Serve with a glass of water and hot cup of coffee.

Notes

This might be the first recipe I've mentioned Quorn grounds - they are unbeatable. I use them exclusively in any recipe that benefits from ground meat (taco salads, burritos, SOS, spaghetti, nachos, etc.). This is one item that if my local grocer did not carry them, I would probably request that they do.

Enjoy,

Craig Dugas

Hard-Boiled Egg

It seems like everywhere you look on the Web, people make hard-boiled eggs out to be an amazingly difficult food to prepare. What's up with that? I even read a method that suggests sacrificing one of the eggs to test for done-ness. Here's the method I use that's both quick and efficient.



Pick 3-12 eggs to fit in the bottom of your saucepan. Pour cold water over the eggs, covering by 1/2" to 1". Bring the water to a rolling boil and immediately remove the pan from heat. Set a timer for 13 minutes (large eggs). At 13 minutes, pour out the hot water while running the coldest water from the faucet into the pan to replace the hot water.



If your faucet does not provide cold (cold!) water, you might need to prepare a large bowl with water and ice, to cool the eggs rapidly. This helps to avoid any greening of the yolks.



This should provide many, many tasty hard-boiled eggs for your enjoyment.

Best Fried Rice Recipe

I've been trying to make a decent fried rice for 10 years, and like many people's at-home creations it usually just comes out "eh." Well tonight's creation was super tasty, so I thought I'd post my method and a trick or two that make all the difference.

I made this on-the-fly, so my sauce measurements are purely educated guesses. Add more or less to your taste.

Ingredients

1 cup dry rice, prepared (should make a couple cups)

Soy sauce

Teriyaki sauce (I use Tabasco Spicy, which is not spicy but quite flavorful)

Salt

Pepper

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup sliced carrot

2 stalks celery, sliced

6 green onions, sliced

Oil (extra-light olive or vegetable or peanut)

Honey

Brown sugar

1 1/2 cup raw beef tips

Method

Take your beef tips (or chicken, tofu, pork, etc) and place them in a marinade-worthy dish. Add a few shakes of soy sauce, a few shakes of teriyaki sauce, about 2 tbsp. honey, about 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1/2 tbsp. oil, and half the green onions. Set aside to let the flavors develop. I'll say right now that this was put together on a whim, and you could easily get by with just marinating in a bit of oil and soy + teriyaki sauces.

Heat up a small amount of oil in a large skillet on high heat. Once it's hot, add the rice and stir it around. Allow the rice to sit and cook for a few minutes, stirring just a few times. Push the rice to the outskirts of the pan, leaving a crater hole in the center. Add the meat in the center (make sure not to add any excess liquid, as this will likely ruin the recipe), spread it out and do not stir it. You want the seared flavor. If excess liquid gets in, it'll basically boil the meat, which sucks. Let the meat sear for 2-3 minutes, then give it a good stir. Repeat this until it looks pretty well cooked.

Now, toss on the load of veggies (everything else) and stir it all up. Stirring just a few times, give the veggies a time to cook and get better acquainted with the other ingredients. Now's a good time to add salt and pepper. I used a shaker of kosher salt, shaking liberally all around the pan, and the same with black pepper. With fried rice, my new rule of thumb is add as much as you think is necessary, then a bit more.

Now for my patented trick. Give everything a good stir and spread it evenly around the pan. Take your soy sauce and shake it about 8 to 12 times over the mixture, soon you'll hear a searing sizzle sound. Let it sear for at least 45 seconds, up to a couple minutes (depending on how hot your range gets). This really "fries" in the flavor. After it has been untouched for 45+ seconds, give it a stir then repeat the same process with teriyaki sauce. Let it sit, really cook into the rice, veggies and meat, sear sear sear. After you've waited an uncomfortable amount of time, stir it up again and you should see some tasty looking fried rice.

That's about it. Practice makes perfect, but I've had such great success with this method that I hope you do too.

Live well, eat well.

Craig Dugas

Twitter Recipes

I started an extension of the recipes here at http://twitter.com/tinyrecipes. This attempt at minimizing recipes comes from my distaste (no pun intended) of long-winded recipes that you run across which contain ingredients that you either never have on hand or are hard to find. With only 140 characters of typing space, most tiny recipes should be quick to make and contain minimal ingredients. Here's a sneak preview:

craig sandwich - layer: bread, lettuce, cheese, shrooms, avocado, bread, cukes, pepper, tomato, salt, sprouts, onion, lettuce, mayo, bread.

Check out the rest as we post 'em: http://twitter.com/tinyrecipes

Taco Seasoning

You know what grinds my gears? Buying pre-made seasoning. Sure, it's usually decent, but I'd rather know which spices create known flavors (General Tso's, taco seasoning, cajun seasoning, etc). Here's a taco / Mexican seasoning mix that I like better than the packets at the store (and is made from spices I keep on hand). Also, no es caliente (it's not spicy).

Mix the following:
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t black pepper
1/2 t salt (sea salt preferred)
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t oregano

We use this in the following:
Taco meat (beef or turkey or tvp)
Chicken or Chick'n

Hawaiian Delight Smoothie

This delight is inspired by Walh's Dairy Port, the happenin place in b-town during the occasionally warm coastal summer.




Ingredients
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup pineapple (fresh or canned)
1/2 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup water or milk (it's all about consistency, baby!)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp. chocolate fudge fat-free, sugar-free instant pudding mix.
1 tbsp. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 tbsp. flaked coconut (optional)

It appears to be a lot of stuff to be jamming into a smoothie, but honestly, the first 5/6 things are put into pretty much every smoothie I make, so no special grocery trips necessary. Mixing is done in a personal-sized Magic Bullet blender. Super quick and easy cleanup. This just happens to be the first of many recipes we plan to add that use infotastic devices first featured on tv. You can definitely use a regular blender, but like the GTXpress, the Magic Bullet has proven to be one of the most useful kitchen time-savers for around $50.

Method

• Add the following to your blending container
• banana
• pineapple
• ice
• water
• protein powder
• puddin mix
• Blend, 30 - 60 seconds until well mixed
• Give a quick rinse to the blender blade for next use
• Stir in coconut and walnuts
• Depending on consistency (more/less ice, milk), you can either eat this with a spoon or sip it. Despite the stirring spoon in the photo above, I sipped this and crunched up the coconut and walnuts during the process.

Nacho Mac & Cheese

I'm having a blast with the 300 calorie meals lately. My energy levels are back up, and I can wake up ready to rock n roll in the mornings and still have energy to do cardio and some horsing around in the evenings. Among other things, I've become more adventurous in cooking creations. This meal may take some tweaking in the future, but it served its purpose tonight.. a healthier version of mac n cheese.

[I'll inject a photo the next time I prepare this meal.]

Ingredients
63 grams Ronzoni Smart Pasta - Elbow Macaroni
1/2 cup milk (I use 1% organic)
1 tbsp. Wondra
1 tbsp. nacho cheese popcorn seasoning
Pepper
Paprika (optional)

Method

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil
• Toss in the macaroni, then move on to the sauce
• In a saucepan, mix milk and Wondra
• Heat saucepan on medium setting, stirring sauce very frequently
• After a few minutes, sauce will show thickening, add a few shakes of pepper
• Super optional - add a few shakes of paprika (this actually makes it a little spicy in the end)
• Continue stirring sauce and preparing macaroni
• Once sauce reaches the consistency of thick ketchup, mix in the cheese seasoning
• Drain finished macaroni, stir in sauce

A few notes

1. Smart pasta rocks. I personally like the taste as much as traditional pasta and it has a good amount of calcium and a bit of fiber as well. I recommend replacing any current pasta dishes with Smart Pasta for the nutritious benefit.
   
2. The nacho cheese popcorn seasoning I have is very low sodium and 1 tbsp. has 24 calories. I picked it up at wally world.
   
3. If you're used to adding salt or just have an average American salt diet (i.e. high sodium diet), this meal will not provide you with that salty taste each bite. I've put a decent amount of effort in reducing my personal sodium intake, and after a while, adding additional salt is rarely part of my culinary ways. If you're not concerned, add a few shakes of kosher salt to the sauce and you'll likely have a greater appreciation for this meal.
4. I have no idea what 63 grams of pasta comes out to in cup fractions, but I'll take a measurement next time. The amount was chosen since it comes out to about 200 calories of pasta. You can wing it pretty easily since a serving is 180 cals and tossing in a few more elbows. If you have a small food scale, that serves this purpose.
   

Chicken & Rice

This meal has it all, and rolls in under 400 calories! It's a healthy and nutritious version of an old Dugas classic. Another bonus -- this meal exhibits ultimate parallelism in preparation, that is, each part can be made nearly simultaneously.



Ingredients
4 oz chicken breast tender
2/3 cup prepared brown rice
2/3 to 1 cup Normandy vegetable mix (any decent veggie or mix is great)

Ingredients (sauce)
1 cup milk
2 tbsp. Wondra (or flour)
Chef Paul's poultry magic seasoning
2-3 scallions, diced
butter buds sprinkles
s&p


Method

• Start preparing the chicken breast (I use the GTXpress, 12 minutes total)
• Start preparing the brown rice
• Start preparing the vegetables
• Prepare the roux
• Combine milk, butter sprinkles, Wondra in a non-stick skillet, mix well, crank heat up to medium
• Stirring often, the roux should thicken after a few minutes, at that point, add the scallions and 1-2 tsp Chef Paul's seasoning
• Once the roux has thickened to your desired consistency, start plating
• Plating
• Make a bed of brown rice
• Slice chicken (optional) and lay on rice
• Pour roux over chicken,
  
• Optional
• Sprinkle a bit more Chef Paul's seasoning on the roux
• Garnish with a couple spring onions (optional)
• Accompany with vegetables, sprinkling on butter and other desired seasonings (I used Spike seasoning, another decent one would be Old Bay)

That's it. For a home-cooked meal, it doesn't take too long, and I've made a double batch so I can enjoy some leftovers later.

Nutrition Info
Brown Rice 150 calories, 1.5g fat, 3g protein
Chicken 100 calories, 1g fat, 24g protein
Sauce 100 calories, 1g fat, 6g protein
Vegetables 35 calories, 0.5g fat, 2g protein

Nutrition Totals
385 calories, 4g fat, 35g protein

Turkey Meatballs in Crema de Eneldo

The plan was to make Swedish meatballs, but our kitchen lacked the necessities for those, so we did some at-home Iron Chef, with the secret ingredient: TURKEY-SON (that's my Japanese chairman impersonation).



Ingredients (turkey meatballs)

2 slices whole wheat bread
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs (eggbeaters)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp dry dill
1 large clove pressed garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1 - 1.25 lbs. ultra lean ground turkey

Method (turkey meatballs)

• Preheat oven to 475 deg. F
  
• In a mixing bowl, add turkey, cheese, dill, garlic, salt
• Tearing bread into small pieces, add to bowl
• Add remaining liquid, mix with hands
• Line jelly roll pan with foil, spray with non-stick spray
• Roll meat mixture into balls 1-2" in diameter, spread out on tray
• Bake 8 minutes, remove from oven, flip each meatball
• Bake 5-8 more minutes, depending on size.

Ingredients (crema de eneldo)

3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp wondra or flour
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp dry dill weed
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne

Method (crema de eneldo)

• Melt butter in pan over medium heat
• Off the heat, slowly wisk in flour, until paste-like consistency is achieved
• Return to heat, add beef stock, stir until consistency is smooth
• Turn the heat to low, stir in sour cream, 1 tbsp at a time
• Once a desired consistency is reached, stir in dill, salt, lemon juice and cayenne

Finally, add a handful of meatballs to bowl and pour sauce on them. If desired, you could serve this over rice, noodles or pasta.

Note: these meatballs are versatile, and should be included in other recipes that need some added healthy protein.

Sunday Breakfast

Sunday mornings, I enjoy waking up, taking it easy and making some decent breakfast. Lately, it's been some combination of low-fat, high-protein foods with a bit of spice. Behold, the breakfast of Feb. 24.



Ingredients
non-stick spray
3/4 cup egg beaters
1 slice fat-free sharp cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

1/2 cup breakfast mix

1 fresh jalapeno

1 slice Franz 40 cal. bread
1/2 tbsp. whipped butter

1 Morning Star egg scrambler

Method

• Spray skillet with non-stick spray, heat to med-high
• Prepare breakfast mix in the skillet
  
• Scramble eggs, add cheese just before removing them from skillet
• Toast bread, butter
• Slice jalapeno into chips
• Microwave egg scrambler for ~50 seconds.

Nutrition
1 Morning Star Egg Scrambler: 60 cal, 2.5g fat, 3.5g protein
3/4 cup Egg Beaters: 90 cal, 0g fat, 18g protein
1 slice fat-free cheese: 30 cal, 0g fat, 4g protein
1 slice Franz bread: 40 cal, 0.5g fat, 3g protein
1/2 tbsp. whipped butter: 25 cal, 3g fat, 0g protein
1 jalapeno: 4 cal, 0g fat, 0g protein
1/2 cup breakfast mix: 70 cal, 1g fat, 3g protein

Nutrition total
319 cal, 7g fat, 31.5g protein

Breakfast Base

The green peppers were becoming too overpowering in my previously posted skillet mix, so I did some refactoring ("mixed it up," if you will), and have come up with what I believe to be a tasty, easy, 3-part breakfast base.



1/2 cup diced onions (from frozen section)
3 veggie sausage patties (Morning Star), cubed
4-5 small white potatoes, baked w/ skin, cubed

That's it. This mix lends itself to omelet filling, scrambled egg stir-in and a side (basically home-fries with sausage). It keeps in large freezer bag very well for months.

Grilled Cheese (nutrition-remix)

Grilled cheese is grilled cheese. No matter how you approach it – there's bread and there's cheese. The thing that makes this version unique is that health+nutrition are high and it dishes out 2 sandwiches (8 squares) per person. I started making this when I was eating 6 meals a day (~300 cal/meal) and wanted to mix in an old favorite. Full nutrition info is located at the end of the post, but it's good to know that each sandwich has 110 cals (10g protein, 1g fat). Make one for a snack, 2 for a meal, or 3 for a craving!



Ingredients
4 slices 40 calorie bread by Franz
2 slices fat-free cheese
non-stick spray or 1 tbsp. light butter

Method

• Prepare your non-stick skillet on medium heat
• Spray or lightly butter one side of each bread slice
• Assemble each sandwich on the skillet
  
• bread slice, butter-side down
• slice of cheese
• bread slice, butter-side up
• Cook each side until golden-brown, about 1-2 minutes
• Remove cooked sandwich, cut as desired

Nutrition info
4 slices bread = 160 cal, 12g protein, 2g fat
2 slices fat-free cheese = 60 cal, 8g protein, 0g fat

Total nutrition
220 cal, 20g protein, 2g fat

I took in a glass of milk to crank it up to 310 cals and 29g protein, but using double-cheese works just as well.

High Protein, Low Fat Breakfast

I've been loading up on protein, cutting down on fat & carbs lately and have come up with a pretty good quick breakfast that I make pretty much every weekday. This is prepared in my GTXpress101 cooking device, but can be made in a skillet. Unfortunately, I don't find the skillet version to be as good as the GTXpress version, but it's still pretty good.



Take a couple slices of some healthy bread, I use the Franz brand 40 calorie per slice whole wheat bread (yes, that's the name) that has loads of fiber, a bit of protein and only half a gram of fat per slice. Sometimes I lightly toast it, sometimes I do not. The bread doesn't make or break this breakfast, just use something low-cal if possible.

An aside about the skillet mix used... I've started mixing my own skillet mix, but it's easier to start with a nice pre-made mix. For that, I suggest Morning Star's Vegetarian Breakfast Starters. It's a hundred times healthier than the Jimmy Dean skillet mix I used to use. The nutritional part of the skillet mix isn't too important, since very little of it is added to the recipe, much less than one actual serving. Making your own mix is not difficult, just get a bunch of the same ingredients that are in these mixes ("cooked sausage/veggie sausage," diced green peppers, diced red peppers, diced onions, home-fry sized mostly cooked potatoes.

Ingredients
1/4 cup skillet mix
3-4 egg whites (how much protein do you want?)
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (0g fat, 30 cals, 6g protein)
2 slices healthy bread
1 slice fat-free american or cheddar cheese

Method

• Spray GTXpress with non-stick spray
• Split skillet mix between the two cooking chambers
• Turn it on, skillet mix will be cooked in just 2 minutes (or less)
• Mix 3-4 egg whites (6g protein each, 0g fat, 17 cal) with 1/4 cup Egg Beaters
• After the skillet mix has been in the unit for 2 minutes, split the egg mixture between both chambers
• Cook for 7 minutes exactly, works every time
• Place both bread slices apart on a plate
• Put 1 "omelette" on each bread slice
• Tear cheese slice in half, lay half on each omelette
• Pepper to taste
• Let dish sit for about a minute so the cheese melts
  

This breakfast is surprisingly tasty and healthy, and with a GTXpress it's super easy.

You can do the same thing with a traditional skillet, just prepare it as if it were scrambled eggs.

Nutrition info:
4 egg whites = 68 cals, 24g protein, 0g fat
1/4 cup Egg Beaters == 30 cal, 6g protein, 0g fat
Skillet mix = 30 cal, 3g protein, 0g fat (if vegetarian)
2 slices bread = 80 cal, 6g protein, 1g fat
1 slice fat-free cheese = 30 cal, 4g protein, 0g fat

Total nutrition:
253 calories, 39g protein, 1g fat

The Egg Beaters are a recent addition to this meal. Egg whites alone are very plain, and the consistency and color are greatly improved by adding the 1/4 cup of beaters. I've also found that Egg Beater brand egg substitute has a gram of fat, however the similar product at Costco has no fat. The costco version is also much, much cheaper than the name brand.

I purchased my GTXpress unit new at the local thrift store for 4 bucks, but for this use alone, I would've paid $40. It's that useful.

Jewish Coffee Cake

One of Craig's requested birthday cakes (2005).



Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar, butter and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Finally, stir in the sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the nuts, confectioners' sugar and cinnamon.
• Spread half of the batter into the 9x9 inch pan. Sprinkle a layer of the nut mixture, then spread the remaining batter and top with the rest of the nut mixture. Spread the melted butter over the top.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, until cake springs back to the touch.
  

Luscious Layer Bars

Jessie in all of her sweettoothedness prepared this dish one day and Craig's lack of such a sweet tooth was skeptical. However it was good.. really good. I recommend cutting this into small squares when it's finally cooled, because the amount of sweetness is ridiculous! Definitely a treat.



Ingredients
1 bag Betty Crocker choc. chip cookie dry mix (in cake aisle, near brownies)
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup flaked coconuts
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 deg. Fah.
• Spray 13x9" glass dish with non-stick spray
• Mix cookie mix, butter & egg
• Press dough into pan
• Bake 15 minutes
• Take out of oven
• Sprinkle w/
• Butterscotch chips
• Chocolate chips
• Coconut
• Walnuts
• Drizzle evenly w/ condensed milk
• Return to oven, bake 30-35 minutes longer (until light brown)
• Cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving
  

Chocolate Roll

This is a classic household dessert, served at every Thanksgiving. It isn't too much work and is great for kids to make. There are two varieties, one with walnuts and another with coconut. I enjoy both but some people don't like walnuts and others are opposed to coconut, so if you have a crowd, make both. The method below describes a chocolate roll created with both walnuts and coconut, change as desired. If you're in charge of dessert for party, this is a good one that many people haven't yet had the pleasure to try.

Ingredients
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 beaten egg
10 oz. package mini marshmallows
1 tbsp butter
1 pkg German sweet chocolate
Salt
1 capful (tsp) Vanilla
Walnuts
or Coconut

Method

• Mix together sugar and egg in a mixing bowl
• Melt butter and chocolate together and mix into sugar mixture
• Stir in a pinch of salt
• Add marshmallows and a handful of chopped walnuts
• Wash up and mix together with your hands
• You could try it with a spoon, but hands will give you the best mixing
• Mix well
• Line wax paper with coconut (or walnuts if you desire no coconut) and pour the mixture in a log on the paper
• Roll the log until it is covered with coconut (this is where you could be rolling it in walnuts instead)
• Wrap with the wax paper like a giant Tootsie Roll, twist off ends, store in a cool place (fridge is okay) until ready to serve
• Serve in slices, about 1/4" or a little thicker in width
  

Cincinnati Chili

I hadn't heard of "Cincinnati Chili" until visiting my mom in Cinci for Christmas in 2001, but it was clear that I had to try this local favorite while there. It's nothing like Texas chili, but I recommend you try it at least once because it is pretty unique. This is great as a crock pot recipe. I haven't tried it with vegetarian ground "beef," but I'd expect it to be pretty good (as I've been using more vegetarian meats in my cooking and many are the same or better than real meats).

Ingredients
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (29 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) peeled whole tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 clove garlic (whole)
3 bay leaves
Prepared spaghetti
A heap of small shredded mild cheddar cheese (mild is important, as is small)

Method

• Brown beef, cook onions with it and drain
• Add beef & onions to crock pot
• Add rest of ingredients to crock pot (this recipe is so easy!)
• Cook on low, 4-5 hours
• Remove bay leaves and garlic
• Serve on a bed of spaghetti

Options - 3-way, 4-way, 5-way

• 3-way
• Add a heap of shredded mild cheddar on top of chili
• 4-way
• Add a heap of shredded mild cheddar on top of chili
• Add fresh chopped onion on top of cheese
• 5-way
• Add a heap of shredded mild cheddar on top of chili
• Add fresh chopped onion on top of cheese
• Add kidney beans on top
• Coneys (little hot dogs)
• Place a prepared hot dog in a bun, top with chili, serve as is or 3- 4- or 5-way
• If desired add mustard to hot dog before topping

Baked Linguine with Cheese

Pasta with sauce is terribly easy and terribly boring. Baked linguine with cheese takes only a bit more effort and tastes great!



Ingredients
12 oz. linguine
4-6 oz. Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 jar preferred spaghetti sauce
Pam non-stick spray
Parmesan+Romano (+Asiago) "shaker cheese"

Method

• Prepare linguine as you would any other pasta
• Spray a 9" square glass dish with non-stick spray
• Cover the bottom of glass dish with 1/2 sauce (1/4 jar)
• Very lightly add shaker cheese to sauce in dish
• Drain linguine, allow to dry for a few minutes
• Lay linguine on top of sauce
• Add remaining sauce by tablespoon-fulls to top of linguine, do not spread
• Add another light dusting of shaker cheese atop of sauce
• Spread Colby-Jack shredded cheese evenly on top
• Cover with tin foil, bake at 350 deg. Fah. for 20-25 min.

Quesadilla

Quesadillas are quick and easy to make, but I've seen many people mess up the process. Too much cheese, folding too early, using a tortilla for both top and bottom... these are just some of the more common mistakes. Quesadillas were the most popular appetizer at the restaurant I worked at, so making the perfect one had to be a seamless series of steps, executed at just the right times. The following steps are quite verbose, but for no extra charge you get my memory's step-by-step process of making a great quesadilla.

With that said, the process of making a quesadilla fantástica is as follows:

Ingredients
1 flour tortilla
Soft or melted butter, enough to lightly coat one side of the tortilla
Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
Seasoned chicken (optional)

Method

• Preheat a skillet on the range at medium setting.
  
• Lightly butter one side of a tortilla.
• Place tortilla, butter-side down on skillet.
  
• Sprinkle shredded Colby-Jack cheese on half the tortilla, but make sure you can still see some white tortilla through the cheese. If you cannot see any tortilla, you've over-cheesed.
• Optional -- add seasoned chicken on top of the cheese. Make sure you use much less chicken than cheese.
• Cook for about 1 minute, then lift the tortilla slightly to check if it is at a nice toasty, light, golden-brown color.
• When tortilla reaches a light-golden color, fold empty half over cheesy half, press down lightly so it stays put.
  
• Allow quesadilla to cook for another 30-45 seconds, the cheese should be melted by now.
• If the cheese is not completely melted, flip tortilla and allow it to cook for another 30-45 seconds. Flipping will assure even toastyness of the outer shell.
• Remove cooked quesadilla and place on a cutting board.

Cutting technique
Quesadillas could be cut any way using any knife, but here's my preferred way with my preferred knife.

Place the tip of your favorite sharp Chef's Knife on the cutting board at the center of the flat side of the quesadilla, so the blade and handle are above the rest of the quesadilla at a 45 degree angle. One hand is holding the handle, and the other is resting on the top, dull side of the blade. In a rocking motion (keeping the front of the blade touching the cutting board), smoothly cut through the center, creating two equal triangles. Reverse the motion you just made until the blade is back at the 45 degree angle position. Push your handle hand forward to cut the far triangle in half, cut, then pull back to cut the final triangle, resulting in 4 total triangles. Four is the ideal count for a 10-inch tortilla, 6- to 8-inch tortillas may only require 3 triangles.

Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of one or more of the following:

• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Salsa (keep in mind that it is difficult to scoop chunky salsa with a quesadilla triangle)
• Pico de Gallo (may be difficult to scoop)
  
• A zesty ranch-based sauce

If you're looking to make a full circle tortilla, it is highly recommended that you make two half-circles, independently. Flipping a quesadilla that uses two tortillas at once (so no folding would be required) can result in cheese falling out the sides and is generally difficult to manage.

Craig Sandwich (veggie)

Only Jessie could enlighten us as to why this is named as such, but don't let the name fool you... this is one of my favorite things. The idea behind this is to get the most flavor out of healthy vegetables as possible. There are countless possible variations, just adapt it to your personal taste.

There is just one basic rule to assembling your own masterpiece: alternate layers of slippery veggies with layers of veggies that have more friction. If you fail, and you will know if you did, you end up with a huge mess during the devouring process. I've failed more than once! Remember, avocado is a slippery mistress, so use extra caution near it (it never hurts to put a few sprouts on that layer for non-slip insurance).

This does not have to be a triple-bread-slice sandwich, but that's Craig's preference. Jessie is more of a double-slice (traditional) girl.



Note on the ingredients: size does matter. It all depends on the size of your bread slice. The list here is for a rather large slice of bread, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients (per sandwich)
2 leaves Romaine lettuce, patted dry
1 mushroom, fresh, sliced
1/2 medium avocado, sliced
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
9 slices cucumber
4 slices tomato
1 slice American or Cheddar cheese
1 thin section of a yellow or white onion
salt (recommended)
pepper (recommended)
mayo

Method

• Toast bread lightly, if you desire or if you have pathetic, weak bread on hand.
• Layer the following
• 1 slice bread
• 1 leaf lettuce
• 1 slice cheese
• mushroom slices
• avocado slices
• 1 slice bread
• cucumber slices
• pepper
• tomato slices
• salt
• sprouts
• onion slices
• 1 leaf lettuce
• layer the bottom of the top bread layer with mayo
• last slice bread
• Holding the sandwich firmly, use a bread knife or other sharp serrated knife to slice in half.

My guess is that this sandwich would be awesome on rye, but we never have rye around. Just food for thought.

Frenchy Cake (Pudding Chomeur)

Jessie went on a French-Canadian cooking spree and this is one of the delights that came of it. Probably one of the most unhealthy thing's you'll ever eat, but very satisfying to say the least. We used some pure northeastern maple syrup and suggest you do the same.



the recipe has been misplaced.. i'll add it once i find it!

Panini

Before traveling to Italy, I never created a panini at home, and that's probably for the best. I'm sure I would have winged it and it wouldn't be nearly as good as this one that my brother introduced to me. These are very rich in taste and salty, which often irritates the top of my mouth, but it is so worth it! We've tried variations using local, inexpensive cured meats (even Carl Buddig's 50 cent packages) and have never been disappointed.




Ingredients (for each Panini)
1 Ciabatta roll
1 tsp pesto sauce
1 tsp mayo or olive oil
1 slice pancetta
1 slice prosciutto
2-3 slices of tomato
2 oz. fresh Mozarella, peeled (FRESH)

Method

1. Preheat panini griddle to medium heat.
   
2. Slice Ciabatta bread in half
3. Spread pesto on bottom half
4. Lay cheese on the pesto layer
5. Order the meats on the cheese layer
6. Add optional tomato slices above the meat layer
   
7. Spread mayo or olive oil on top half
8. Place uncooked sandwich on griddle, lower griddle top, and press firmly on sandwich for 10 seconds.
9. Allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until desired consistency.

Serve with Panini sliced in half to allow center to cool. Other meats we have tried with success include Armour Dried Beef Slices, cooked bacon, Carl Buddig Meats (Pastrami, Beef).

Chipotle Chicken Breast

I'm a huge fan of the smoked jalapeño flavor, chipotle, and put together this recipe to make some slightly-spicy, seriously flavorful chicken. Locating chipotle seasoning at the grocery can be difficult... We found it at World Market.




Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts, trimmed
1 tsp. chipotle seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced/pressed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl
   
2. Add olive oil and lime juice to dry ingredients to create a marinade
3. Marinate chicken in a sealed container/bag and refrigerate for at least 30 min. (or overnight)
4. Prepare chicken using your preferred method (grilled, oven baked, broiled, griddled)

Grand Biscuit Open-faced Egg Sandwich

After watching countless infomercials and ultimately picking up a new GTXpress101 cooking unit at the Salvation Army, we went to town making food in it every day. It heats up in


Ingredients
1 fridge "grand biscuit" (from the pop-open container)
2 egg whites
1 strip of microwave bacon, cut into pieces
1/2 slice American cheese

Method

1. Preheat GTXpress101
2. Flatten/stretch one biscuit to fit one Xpress well
3. Spray well and top with Pam
4. Place biscuit in well
5. Place cheese on top of biscuit
6. Place egg on top of cheese
7. Place bacon pieces on top of egg
8. Cook 8-9 minutes
   

Mini Pies

Mini Pies are super easy, quick and tasty. This recipe is for mini apple pies, but you can fill them with any sort of pie filling (cherry, pumpkin, cream-style, meat, etc.). Also, you can leave them uncovered or add any style topping of your choice. Without tops, recipe yields 48 mini pies.



Ingredients (pie crust)
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 cup ice cold water

Method (pie crust)

1. Combine dry ingredients
2. Cut in butter cubes
3. Once dough starts to take shape, mix in cold water
4. Put dough aside

Ingredients (pie filling)
3 apples cut in small cubes (Fuji apples work well)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp plus a pinch of cinnamon
2 tsps sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream or buttermilk

Method (pie filling + baking)

1. Combine pie filling ingredients, put aside
2. Roll out dough on flour-coated surface
3. Spray mini muffin pan with Pam
4. Using a biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut dough rounds (test for pan fit)
5. Put rounds in mini muffin pan
6. Fill each dough crust with apples (or other pie filling)
7. Cook at 375 deg. Fah. for 20-30 minutes (done when crust just starts to brown or is solid to the touch)

Makes 48 mini pies, or 24 mini pies and 2 medium pies.

Stuffed Mushrooms

I have had more people ask me for my Stuffed Mushrooms recipe than any other, so I decided to cook it up as a dinner side. Here's the recipe so you can impress your friends with your culinary expertise.



Ingredients
12 open cap mushrooms
4 spring onions - minced
2 tsp. olive oil
3.5 oz. bread crumbs
1 tsp. fresh oregano
3.5 oz. feta cheese

Method

1. Sautee chopped mushroom stalks + onions in oil until browned.
   
2. Mix stalks, onions, bread crumbs, cheese and oregano in a bowl and set aside.
   
3. Pack the stuffing mix in the open caps and bake @ 350deg. F 8-10 minutes.

Notes (important!)

• The mixture should be dry. If it is too dry, and I mean too dry, you may add a small addition of oil.
  
• Resist any temptations to use salt+pepper.. they will not bring anything to this dish.
• Substitutions for this recipe are numerous, for example last time I omitted the oregano by simply using Italian bread crumbs.
• Another idea is replacing feta cheese with Italian sausage.

Beer Bread

This recipe is around for one reason... It is one of the easiest things to prepare, and all of the ingredients are on-hand (except maybe the beer). If you aren't much of a beer drinker, some local shops sell 12oz. bottles as singles for around a buck. Also try mixing up which beer you use, it impacts the taste of the bread.

Ingredients
3 C. flour
3 t. powder
1 1/2 t. salt
3 T sugar
1 can/bottle (12oz.) beer at room temp.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. Fahrenheit.
   
2. Mix dry ingredients in a steel bowl.
   
3. Add beer, mix.
4. Coat bread pan with non-stick spray.
5. Pour mix in bread pan, bake 1 hour.

Preference is for microbrews over domestics.

Pancakes

This is bar-none the best pancake recipe I've ever come across. Not only is it easy, but we almost always have all of the ingredients on-hand without planning ahead. Beware -- this makes a big 'ol pancake.

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 T vinegar
2 C. flour
2 T veg. oil
2 t powder
2 t soda


Method
Prepare this how you'd prepare any pancakes. Mix all ingredients and cook on a skillet (lined with butter, preferably, or non-stick spray if you like).

Garlic-Parsley Creamed Potatoes

I used to get parsley at the local farmer's market in Missoula, but they'd give you a freakin huge handful of it for a buck. I never could find anything aside from the dish I was preparing to use it in, so I found this side-dish to help use some more of the parsley. It always took a lot longer to cook than I expected, but I like thicker sauces than most.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. un-peeled new potatoes, quartered.
1/2 stick butter
3 T minced garlic
3 T fresh, chopped parsley
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups milk
salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan.
2. Add quartered potatoes and saute over medium heat until slightly browned on outside but not cooked through.
3. Add garlic and parsley and saute for about a minute more.
4. Add milk, water, salt and pepper.
5. If liquid does not cover the potatoes, add more water and milk until potatoes are covered.
6. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat and simmer lightly until potatoes are tender and sauce is thickened.
7. When finished, sauce should not be at all 'soupy', but just thick enough to cling to potatoes when served. (I like it a bit thicker than that)
   

Homemade Croutons

After making croutons with this recipe about four years ago, I've not gone back to purchasing them in a box at the store. They are much more flavorful and not hard as a rock.


Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil (We use Bertolli's Extra Light Tasting)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 loaf/8oz. French bread (or equivalent sliced bread) cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese (optional)

Mixing up the spices is definitely OK for this recipe. Exclude what you don't like, include something not listed if you please.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Fahrenheit.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix olive oil and spices.
3. Add bread cubes, toss to coat.
4. Spread cubes on a pan, bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove and let cool, store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
   

Dill Dip (Very Easy)

Whenever we need a universal dip that we can agree upon, it usually ends up being this dill dip. It's easy to make, it goes with pretty much anything, and it helps to enhance other flavors rather than mask them. But wait.. there's more! It only takes a few ingredients and 2 minutes to make. Don't skip the chilling step at the end, though, those flavors need time to get to know each other (and the dip gets much thicker, too).

Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons fresh chopped green onions (optional)
1+ tablespoon dill weed (add more to taste)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

1. Pick out a smaller tupperware bowl with lid
2. Add sour cream, then mayo and lemon juice and stir
   
3. Add green onions (optional)
4. Add dill weed, taste, repeat
5. Stir dip until well blended
6. Seal the bowl and place in the fridge for at least one hour (2 is better)
7. Dip will thicken and flavors will meld during the chilling process

This dip has been tasted with:

• Veggies
  
• Potato chips
• Gyros

Gazpacho With Garbanzo Beans

Perfect for those hot, summer days when you can't stand the thought of using the oven. And at only 191 calories per serving, you can eat it guilt-free.



Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups unsalted vegetable juice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped and seeded
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice

Method

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Stir well.
2. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until well chilled.

Bread Stuffing

When I was younger, at least once a year we ventured to Berlin, New Hampshire and the food was always delicious and plentiful. This stuffing side dish is superb if you're looking for a homemade alternative to Stove Top. Also, it's a little crunchy in the end :)

Ingredients
1 loaf white bread, toasted and put through a grinder
Salt & pepper
Bell's seasoning
A little bit of melted butter
A little bit of water
Chopped onion

Method

1. Mix all ingredients and add to a glass baking dish
2. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes

Easy Beef Wellington

This dish is very simple and very heavy. Experience has shown us that finely chopping the onions is quite important.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 pint sour cream
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
3 packages crescent rolls

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown the onion and the ground beef. Drain.
3. Add the sour cream, mozzarella, and oregano to the beef. Mix together and simmer.
4. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch glass dish.
5. Spread 2 of the packages of the crescent rolls around the base and sides of the dish.
6. Spoon beef mixture into dish.
7. Spread remaining crescent rolls over the top of the beef.
8. Cook 20-25 minutes.
   

Authentic Guacamole

I ran across this diamond in the rough on a Spanish newsgroup a while back. People were raving, so I translated it, prepped it and ay dios mio!!

FYI -- This treat rarely makes its way to the refrigerator, but keep in mind that avocado doesn't last much longer than a couple days after it has been prepared. Another note -- if you're sensitive to heat, the jalapeño pepper(s) doesn't add heat as much as it adds flavor, so I'd suggest at least adding 1/2 to 1 pepper.

Ingredients

1 large avocado (or 2 medium)
1 large tomato, chopped (or 2 Roma)
Cilantro, finely chopped, to taste
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1-2 jalepeño peppers, minced (optional)
juice from a small lemon (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel the avocado and remove the core
2. Crush it with a fork until desired consistency
3. Add the chopped ingredients
4. Add the lemon juice
5. Lastly, add the salt and pepper to taste

Carrot and Feta Risotto

This is a good dish when you're in the mood for a meal that's rich and flavorful.



Ingredients
5 cups vegetable stock
4 carrots, shredded
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 teaspoon dry dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
juice of 1 lemon
200 grams feta chesse
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Bring the stock to a boil.
2. Put the carrots in the stock, lower the heat, and simmer gently.
3. In large wok or saucepan, add the olive oil and onion. Saute the onion until soft but not brown.
4. Carefully add the rice and stir until the grains are coated evenly in oil.
5. Add the dill to the rice mixture.
6. Add 1 cup of the stock to the rice and stir.
7. When the previous cup of stock is absorbed by the rice, add another cup.
8. Continue adding the stock to the rice like this until all of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender but al dente.
9. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, feta cheese, and parsley.
10. Serve immediately.
    

Skillet Lasagna

Meatloaf mix is a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal. If you can't find it, ground beef (or whatever other ground meat you may have on hand) works just fine.

Ingredients
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound meatloaf mix
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus 2 more tablespoons)
ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Method

1. Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.
2. Heat oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
3. Add onion and salt and cook until onion begins to brown (about 5 minutes).
4. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add meat and cook, breaking apart meat until no longer pink (about 4 minutes).
6. Scatter pasta over meat but do not stir.
   
7. Pour diced tomatoes with juices and tomato sauce over pasta.
8. Cover and bring to simmer.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low and summer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender (about 20 minutes).
10. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup parmesan.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Dot with heaping tablespoons ricotta. Cover and let stand off heat for 5 minutes.
13. Sprinkle with basil and remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan.
    

Cheesy White Sauce

This is Craig's favorite crepe filling.



Ingredients
1 cup cold milk
2 tablespoons Wondra
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 cup American cheese

Method

1. In 1-quart saucepan, stir together milk, Wondra, butter or margarine, salt, and pepper
2. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sauce boils.
3. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add ground mustard and cheese.
5. Continue heating until cheese has melted.
   

Cherry Crepe Filling

This is Jessie's favorite crepe filling. It's excellent served with whipped topping.



Ingredients
1 can (17 oz.) pitted dark sweet cherries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water

Method

1. Drain juice from cherries into a small saucepan. Set cherries aside.
2. Add sugar and lemon juice to cherry juice.
3. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
4. Mix cornstarch with water and add to juice.
5. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Add cherries.

Parisian Anniversary Crepes

This tasty crepe recipe is straight from the Paris hotel in Las Vegas! Any non-stick cooking surface should do just fine, but the novelty of a sleek, slim specialty crepe pan for about ten bucks made this pan a good buy.

crepes



finished crepe


Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 eggs
6 tablespoons butter; melted and cooled
2 cups milk
2/3 cup water

Method

1. In a food processor set with a metal blade, place the flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Add the eggs and process with pulsing action.
3. Add the butter, milk and water.
4. Pulse to combine.
5. Pour batter into container and refridgerate for 1 hour
6. Spray frying pan or crepe pan with a non-stick spray. Heat pan.
7. When hot, ladle enough batter to thinly coat the surface of the pan.
8. Cook on 1 side and flip. Cook on the other side.
9. Remove from pan and let cool.
10. Continue making crepes, spraying pan prior to making each one.