Every so often we get a craving for pancakes for dinner. This becomes breakfast for dinner as we have eggs or some kind of meat (sausage, bacon, ham or Canadian bacon) to go with them. Then comes the warm maple syrup or fruit preserves.

     But pancakes don’t require a sweet topping. Why not a savory pancake? With a savory topping and/or filling? Crepes can be savory. Blini filled with meat (thus blintzes) can be savory.

     So we set out to create a savory pancake. We adapted a recipe from the Joy Of Cooking for a cornmeal pancake to go along with a smoked baby clam cream sauce. Smoked baby clams, smoked baby mussels, or smoked scallops can be found in most grocery stores.

Savory Cornmeal Pancakes

1 1/4 Cups yellow cornmeal, prefer fine, stone ground
3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 Teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper

1 2/3 Cups milk
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, melted
2 Large eggs

Additions:
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped chives
3/4 cup of corn, drained

Whisk the dry ingredients (items 1-5) in one bowl, wet ingredients in another bowl (items 4-8). Pour wet ingredients on top of dry and whisk together until just combined. Batter will be thin. Stir in chives and corn.

You can make any size pancake that you wish. We prefer to make them about the size of a Hellman’s Mayonnaise jar lid (screw on lid, 32 oz jar) or standard coffee mug circumference. Cook until the top of each pancake has formed bubbles - once the bubbles have popped, flip. Cook until bottom is lightly browned.

This batch makes quite a few pancakes that can be frozen for later use. We recommend that you pre-heat your oven for 170-200 degrees to keep the pancakes warm while you finish cooking the rest.

Standard White Cream Sauce

2 Tablespoons of finely minced onion
1 Tablespoon of finely minced garlic (optional)
2 Tablespoons of butter, margarine or olive oil (or a mix)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 Cups milk
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté onions and garlic in melted butter/margarine/olive oil for a few minutes until translucent. Whisk in flour. Stir for 2-3 minutes to slightly brown the flour butter mixture (roux). Slowly stir in milk. Once incorporated, add nutmeg. Simmer lightly, stirring frequently for 6-8 minutes. Add 1 can of smoked baby clams, smoked baby mussels or smoked scallops. Simmer and stir for another 2-3 minutes for the flavors to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

     Serving ideas: Serve with a grilled steak and grilled asparagus

     Kosher Option: Simply use margarine, olive oil and non-dairy creamer in place of milk products if your serving with meat. And, of course, skip the shell fish and pick up some Kosher smoked fish like lox or trout!

     Vegetarian Option: Saute mushrooms instead of fish and use liquid smoke for the sauce. If you don’t have liquid smoke, sprinkle smoked salt on top of the sauce just before serving

Tags: Breakfast Foods, Dinner Ideas, pancakes, Recipes, sauces

     Dinner’s On The Table is looking to assess the needs of the Mid-Hudson Valley Jewish Community for Kosher Meals.

     At present, there are few, if any Kosher Restaurants in the area. Depending on your location, you have to travel over 50 miles to find one. And if you don’t wish to cook, you’re stuck with horrible pre-made Kosher frozen dinners from the grocery store. Dinner’s On The Table Personal Chef Service offers you a delicious alternative for a Kosher family dinner.

     Please take a few moments to take our short, 5 questions survey. By taking our survey and leaving your contact information, we’ll take $100 off your first Personal Chef cookdate or 25% off of your first Shabbat Meal. (Your contact information is safe and confidential. We don’t share this information.)

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yKdhO_2f_2bG6gKCB4Qwgdn92g_3d_3d

Tags: Kosher, Personal Chef

    ::Update - Shabbat Meals has been postponed. Please visit our Kosher & Shabbat Meals page for updates.

     Beginning in June we’re partnering with the Dutchess County Jewish Community Center to offer Kosher-style Shabbat Dinners (and you don’t have to be Jewish!)

     The inaugeral offering will be Herb Roasted Chicken with your choice of 2 sides: Challah Stuffing with Mushrooms, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Green Beans (in margarine and olive oil of course) and a Vegetable Stir Fry of Broccoli, Red Peppers and Onions.

     Vegetarians can enjoy Pasta Primavera with a Fresh Salad and Home-made Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.

     You can also order Chicken Matzo Ball Soup! For Pricing, visit our Shabbat Meals page.

     Our goal is to help bring busy families together again for the Shabbat Meal with delicious homestyle meals you can enjoy all Sabbath long.

     Prepaid orders will be taken starting Monday, June 1 through Thursday, June 4. Orders will be available for pick up at the JCC on Friday June 12 from 9 am to 1 pm. (If you’re home bound, delivery can be arranged)

     To place your orders, please call Liz at 845-471-0430 or email chefjill@dinnersonthetable.com with the best time to call you.

     If you have any questions, please call Chefs Jill or Ira @ 845-773-9013.

Visit our Shabbat Meals page for more information.

Tags: Kosher, Shabbat Meals

     I’ve had many inquiries about cooking for a Vegetarian.  It’s not as difficult as it sounds.  Most of us eat at least one Vegetarian meal a week. 

     When’s the last time you had Eggplant Parmigan?  Yup, it’s a Vegetarian meal.  Bean Burritos, Fettuccini Alfredo, Veggie Omelets or Quiche are all Vegetarian meals that don’t require any special ingredients.  Now there are plenty of ingredients that you either need to purchase or make yourself for other dishes, but many Vegetarian meals can be prepared easily by anyone with just a few kitchen skills.  The really hard part is making sure the meal is balanced.  Many Vegetarians don’t get enough protein, and alternately have too much fat or carbs in their diets. 

     I’ve seen the Vegetarian offerings at restaurants.  Some get it right and offer delicious, nutritionally complete meals.  While most just offer a veggie burger or a veggie plate.  Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and rice.  Now THAT’S going to make me want to give up meat?!

     What makes matters worse for many Vegetarians is having to prepare meals for themselves and the meat eaters in the house.  It’s just too much work!  Nobody wins.  How does someone who doesn’t eat meat prepare a chicken dish?  I know I taste everything I make.  There are a few foods that can substitute easily for meat.  Seitan and tofu are good sources of protein.  When prepared properly, they’re both delicious!  I know what you’re thinking… TOFU????? YUK!  It has no flavor, and I don’t like the texture.  Not so if you do it right!  If you want your tofu to taste good, you need to infuse it with flavor. 

     Place a skillet over medium heat.  Add your choice of flavors.  Soy sauce and toasted sesame oil are really nice for Oriental dishes.  Heat the sauce then add cubed, dried tofu to the skillet.  Allow the tofu to cook for a few minutes, until at least half the sauce is absorbed and the tofu starts to brown.  Flip the pieces over and continue to cook until all the sauce is absorbed and the tofu is browned on the bottom.  Remove from skillet and prepare the rest of your dinner.  Toss tofu cubes in at the end to avoid breaking the tofu.  (If you don’t use all of the tofu, you can top a tossed salad with it for lunch the next day)

     You can use any marinade you like to get similar results.  Think pesto, a nice vinaigrette, any Indian spice mix with a bit of oil.  The options are endless and delicious!

     Call us to set up a cook date!  We can whip up healthy meals for homes with both Vegetarians and meat eaters.

     For more information on adding green to your diet, check out www.greenyourdiet.org  

Tags: healthy meals, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, tofu, vegetarian

     In the 10 years I’ve lived in Dutchess County I’ve seen a small explosion of Asian restaurants and Asian grocery stores that have really expanded my interest in Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisines. As chefs this is fantastic because we are able to buy ingredients at these stores that just aren’t found at Stop and Shop, Hannaford or Price Chopper, which allows us to prepare truly authentic dishes for our clients (and ourselves) without traveling to Westchester, New York City or Northern New Jersey.

     But who would have guessed we would be lucky enough to have a Burmese restaurant open up…in Hyde Park! 

     Burma, formerly known as Myanmar, is sandwiched between China, Thailand, Laos, India, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. And you’re correct if you guessed that Burmese food is influenced by these surrounding countries, yet it has a flair all of its own.

     KT Sushi is located in the small shopping center across from Twist and the former Amish Market in Hyde Park on Route 9. Amish Market was one of our favorite grocery stores because you could find some interesting specialty foods there. But we also loved to grab a Hawaii Roll or Spicy Tuna Roll as well.

     If you miss Amish Market’s sushi bar, you can find the sushi chefs over at KT Sushi. They liked the area so much they decided to stay and open a restaurant. However, while sushi is 60% of the menu you can explore authentic dishes from Burma just a few miles from home.

     Now, while they do have a couple of tables in the back for eating there, they are built more for the takeout crowd - perfect for that quick lunch or dinner.

     Our favorites include Spicy Beef, Green Chicken Curry and Burmese Noodle Soup which is a delightful blend of chicken, egg, scallions, lemon juice, and noodles in a coconut milk broth.

     We find inspiration for menu items that we offer you from our own experiences. We’re currently perfecting some Burmese dishes and we’ll be adding Burmese recipes to our list later this year.
 

Tags: Asian Cuisine, Burmese, Chinese Food, dinner, dutchess county, Grocery Stores, lunch, Restaurants