Pumpkin Pancakes

We made the yummiest breakfast ever the other day.
At least, Burke and I loved it.
The kids were foodie wimps.
I first had it at my sister's house in Ohio.
Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Syrup=YUM!
I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Pancakes With Hot Cider Syrup
HOT CIDER SYRUP:
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
In a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
For pancakes, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with the syrup.

Cafe Rio Tortilla Soup

I was craving soup the other day.

Warm, gooey, chicken and vegetable soup.
Cafe Rio sounded soooo good.

But too much effort to drive 20 minutes for soup.

So I found this recipe HERE.

Made it for dinner and it was sooo good.

I adjusted some of the ingredients to taste (Burke hates cilantro, I LOVE garlic, and there was no coriander to be had).
I also added some cubed avocado (got that from the food coop I joined and also LOVE).
MMMMM. Good stuff.

Cafe Rio Soup
(4 WW points/serving with the avocado and fat free mozzarella on top).
from the "I Love To Eat Good Food" Blog
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and very finely diced
1 stalk celery, very finely diced
1 15 oz. can diced or whole tomatoes
1/2 bunch cilantro, stems discarded
1 small can mild diced green chili's (I only used half of this)
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Heat oil in large pot. Saute onion until clear. Add garlic, carrots and celery and continue to cook for a few minutes. In a blender, combine tomatoes, cilantro and chili's. Blend until smooth. Add pureed mixture, broth and seasonings to the pot.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Top with:
cooked and shredded chicken
mozzarella, cheddar or jack cheese
guacamole
fresh pico
corn tortilla strips (cut corn tortilla into thin strips, then fry in oil until crispy. Season with salt)
lime juice

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

As anyone who has ever dined at my home can attest, I am no chef. I'm not even at mess hall cook status.
But, I did find a fabulous recipe for Cucumber Tomato Salad that I tweaked which turned out to be really, really good... if I do say so myself.

Cucumber Tomato Salad
1 large cucumber
3-4 tomatoes (depending on size)
1/8 c chopped red onion
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2-3 T olive oil
1 t salt
1 t sugar

Mix oil, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Add cucumber, tomato, and onion. Chill, serve, and enjoy.
A great way to use the cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden.