Week 6 Monday: Puffed oven Pancakes and Bacon; Zuppa Bastarda, Salad, and Ritz Ice Cream Dessert

 It's Monday morning of Week Six.

 

It's MONDAY again! :)

 

And today I am excited because one of my absolute FAVORITE breakfasts is on the menu. I learned how to make these in Home Ec in Jr. High. And my husband and kids LOVE them as much as I do. Puffed Oven Pancakes!. They are like a hybrid of pancakes, eggs and crepes. They have a texture closer to eggs than pancakes - so kind of like a super thick, puffy crepe. You serve them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and maple syrup. Aaah...heaven! With crisp, salty bacon on the side.

 

On the menu for dinner is a dish I have never made before but I am excited to try it. It's a traditional Italian dish with a conflicted history - based on whether it is made with black or white beans. The story goes that the first zuppa bastarda (literally "bastard soup") was the creation of a frugal peasant who, needing to feed her family, used the cooking liquid from white beans to soak stale Tuscan bread that she served as a soup to fill their hungry bellies. The recipe that I am using asks for barlotti beans - but I couldn't find any at the store so I bought a tri-bean blend. It's served over olive oil drizzled bread. It should be good - and it's definitely different than what we've had lately. Not serving the same things over and over is a main goal of mine.

 

It's Monday so we are having a ice cream dish. Today on the dessert menu is Ritz Ice Cream Dessert. I've made this only once before, but I've seen it served at get togethers before. It's fairly simple to make. And it's a great combination of salty, sweet and creamy.

 

 

Puffed oven Pancakes and Bacon

 

Zuppa Bastarda, Salad, and Ritz Ice Cream Dessert

BREAKFAST: 

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt margarine in pie or cake pans inside oven.

2. Break eggs into blender.

3. Add milk, sugar, salt and flour. Blend until smooth.

 

 

 

4. Blend until smooth.

5. Pour batter into pans right into the melted butter.  

 

 

 

6. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until puffy and golden.

 

7. Cut into halves or fourths. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle syrup over.

 

 

 8. ENJOY!

 

 

 

DINNER: 

1. Add beans to pot.

2. Add chopped onion and garlic.

3. Add sage, salt and pepper. Cook until heated through.

4. Place slice of bread in bottom of each serving bowl.

5. Drizzle olive oil over each piece of bread.   

 6. Ladle beans over bread.  

 

  7. Sprinkle with Parmesan. ENJOY!

 

 

DESSERT: 

1. Melt butter and pour in 9x13 inch pan.

 

 

2. Crush crackers.

 

3. Sprinkle cracker crumbs into melted butter in pan.

 

4. Add sugar to crumbs. Mix sugar, crumbs and butter. Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture.

 

5. Mix vanilla pudding mix and milk in large bowl until thickened and firm.

 

 

6. Soften ice cream and pour into bowl of pudding.

 

 

 7. Mix well until it is a uniform mixture.

 

8. Spread over crumbs and smooth out.

 

9. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over the top.

 

10. Refrigerate at least an hour or until frozen. ENJOY!