Banana Chocolate Chip Blender Pancakes

Every Friday we have pancakes for breakfast and this is the recipe we always use. I inherited about 20 #10 cans of whole wheat a couple of years back and I figure, use it if you've got it. We prefer the white whole wheat kernels and substituting the apple sauce for the oil makes them surprisingly fluffy. So crank up your Jack Johnson (I always think of his Banana Pancake song when I'm making these) and pretend like it's the weekend. (See what I just did there?)

Recipe from my wonderful Mother-in-Law
Makes 12-16 pancakes

1 cup whole wheat kernels
1½ cups milk, divided
½ cup oil (or applesauce)
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, peeled and lightly mashed

Add the whole wheat and 1 cup of milk to your blender. Blend on high for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the milk and blend again, on high, for 2 more minutes.

Next, throw in the oil, salt, baking powder, and eggs. Blend until JUST combined. Add the banana and mix briefly! You still want chunks of banana in the batter. Just mix briefly. Briefly. BRIEFLY. so that everything is evenly distributed.

If you have an electric griddle, set it to 350. With a pan on the stove, keep it at medium/medium-low. You don't want the outside to burn before the inside is cooked. Pour the batter onto your griddle/pan and then sprinkle several chocolate chips on top. Wait until the pancake is covered with little bubbles and then flip. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and then devour.

Winter Minestrone Soup

This is the prettiest soup I have ever made and please don't judge that statement based on my photo. It's much prettier than that. This is an incredible combination of acidic tomato, sweet butternut squash, creamy beans, and earthy vegetables.  I usually double the recipe (requires two pots) and the freeze it. Make it up through the 30 minute simmer. Then ladle it into freezer-safe containers, cool it and then freeze it. When you want to use it, thaw it in a large pot and add cooked pasta, spinach and pesto. If you leave out those three ingredients when freezing it keeps very well. 

Side note: At my grocery store, Tubetti pasta is also labelled 'salad pasta'. 

Recipe adapted from the ever-lovely, Ina Garten
Serves 8 people

Ingredients:
4 ounces bacon, ½-inch diced
1 ½ cups large diced yellow onions
3 carrots, peeled and ½-inch diced
3 celery stalks, ½-inch diced
2 ½ cups peeled butternut squash, ½-inch diced
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (26 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
8-10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
6 to 8 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 (15 ounce) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, like orzo or tubetti
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or enameled cast-iron pot. Add the bacon and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, butternut squash, garlic, and thyme. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes (stirring occasionally), until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to get any flavorful bits off of the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. 

Add the canned tomatoes (including juices), 6 cups of broth, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1½ teaspoons of peppers. Bring to a boil, the lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.  While the soup cooks, bring a pot of water to boil and prepare the pasta, according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside. 

Once the vegetables are tender, discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. A fair amount of liquid will evaporate while the soup simmers so if you get to this point and feel that your soup needs a little more liquid, add up to 2 cups of broth. Add the spinach and toss to wilt. It may look like the spinach won't all fit, but I promise it will. Stir in the pesto. Salt to taste. 

Sprinkle with parmesan, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.