Celebrating Mother
No Better Way Than with Food
2009-05-08
By Courtney Nzeribe
This time of year always makes me wistful and nostalgic for my Mother. She passed away almost a decade ago, but I feel her spirit in me when I’m in the kitchen. Particularly lately. One our greatest joys was the time we shared cooking and creating together.
The first dish she ever let me cook was an omelet at the age of 10 under her watchful eye. I progressed from there and stunned her and her friends by broiling my own lamb chops for dinner at 12. I wasn’t much of a baker or sweets type until later, after she passed. Mommy was The Cake Queen and could spend hours analyzing and perfecting her recipes.
Now as an adult I understand how baking became her refuge and soothed her soul. My mother was a clinical social worker by day, and spent her life both at work and home nurturing others and making their worlds a better place. Her food was just an extension of the love and joy that brought brightness in a sometimes not so fair world.
Most of you have a similar story, and there’s no better way to reward the mother or mother figure in your life than with the nurturing that a home cooked meal can bring.
Whole Wheat Stuffed Pancakes with Roasted Balsamic Strawberries
Serves 2 (2 stuffed crepes each)
The following recipe can be made with All Purpose flour as well, but I chose the healthier option of whole wheat flour. If you can’t find Labna, a low fat calorie Middle Eastern Yogurt Cheese, use strained Greek Yogurt, Neufchatel, or regular cream cheese. All would work.
Roasted Strawberries
1 pint Strawberries, washed and hulled
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Preheat oven to 350. On a baking sheet with sides, sit strawberries upright. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Drizzle Balsamic Vinegar. Roast in oven, checking, and stirring every 10 minutes or so as the sugars starts to caramelize, and to prevent burning. After having roasted for about 40 minutes remove from oven. Berries should have softened and nice glaze has formed. Let cool.
Whole Wheat Crepes
3 tablespoons melted butter
¾ cup whole wheat flour
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs beaten
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon Cointreau or Triple Sec (vanilla extract would work)
1 tablespoon sugar
Butter for pan.
Filling
Labna (Middle Eastern Yogurt Cheese), Neufchatel, Strained Greek Yogurt, or Cream Cheese
Mix all dry ingredients together (flour, salt, sugar). Add beaten eggs, milk, melted butter and Cointreau. Mix until batter is smooth but runny. Allow to sit for an hour at room temperature.
Eat a crepe or shallow fry pan with a dab of butter. Carefully pour the crepe mixture and quickly spread with a spatula or scraper until it forms a thin layer covering the pan ( tilt the pan to help). On medium heat, allow to cook until the top surface appears on the dryer side before flipping over carefully.
Spread filing cheese over crepes carefully and fold into quarters. Keep on warm plate until all are made. Serve with Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Topping and a dollop of more yogurt cheese.
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