favorite fluffy pancakes

adapted from Martha Stewart's Basic Pancake Recipe

note: this makes a large batch of pancakes. you can freeze them (with sheets of wax paper in between the pancakes to keep them from sticking), refrigerate them for a few days, or scale the recipe down by 2/3 or 1/3 if you prefer. it will still work.

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1 cup yogurt (Greek or regular) 
• 2 cups milk 
• 3 large eggs 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned into measure and leveled) 
• 6 tablespoons sugar 
• 2 tablespoons baking powder, sifted or forced through a sieve 
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 

place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl or jug and melt in microwave (30-60 seconds). add the yogurt and milk, then the eggs. whisk until smooth. add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, and whisk just until combined (a few lumps are fine, and even preferable).

cook over medium heat in buttered skillet. pour out ¼ – ½ cup of batter at a time, and cook until bubbles start to dry out on top and edges begin to firm. flip and cook 30-60 seconds longer, until middle of pancake springs back when you press it lightly with your finger. adjust heat under pan so pancakes get as brown as you'd like during this cooking process. stack on a plate until all are done.

photo courtesy of Charles Geiger

homemade ranch dip, from scratch!

easy and delicious, with just the right balance of herbs and tangy-ness; this is the perfect consistency for dipping crackers, chips and/or veggies. to use it for salad dressing, either substitute buttermilk for the Greek yogurt, or thin out the dip with a bit of buttermilk or plain almond milk. kids and adults alike love it! don't buy the powdered junk in packets (filled w/preservatives, sweeteners and the like) -- whip it up at home in your blender or food processor.

• 1/2 cup homemade mayo (preferably made with light olive oil, macadamia nut oil or another paleo-approved oil)
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt (or buttermilk, if making salad dressing)
• 1  clove garlic, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

snip the chives with kitchen scissors, or slice thinly with a knife into small rounds. roughly chop the parsley, then throw all the ingredients into the food processor or blender and process, scraping down the sides as needed.

tandoori-style chicken breasts

obviously, not actual "tandoor" chicken, because I don't have a tandoor oven to cook it in. most authentic flavor comes from grilling, but roasting works as well.

tandoori chicken breasts

adapted from Savoring India by Julie Sahni

3-4 split chicken breasts (with skin and bone)

1 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek)

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large or 2 small lemons)

2 large cloves garlic, grated

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon (a pinch) ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1 small white onion, sliced into medium-thick half-moons

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

fresh cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges to garnish

classic tandoori chicken is usually skinless, but since chicken skin is one of my favorite culinary delights (when cooked properly -- crisp and brown), I'm experimented with leaving the skin on this tandoori style chicken. since I make my own yogurt, I usually keep several different thicknesses on hand. thick Greek yogurt is wonderful with fruit for breakfast, or atop baked potatoes, but I find thinner yogurt is quite useful, too. I made this marinade with un-strained, plain yogurt, and even added a little additional whey (strained from the Greek yogurt) to help it penetrate the chicken better, and for flavor. the smoked Spanish paprika gives the finishes dish a little more "grilled" flavor, especially helpful if you roast (rather than grill) the chicken, but you can substitute regular paprika.

rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. mix the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger (both are very easily grated on a microplane, which every cook should own for all kinds of kitchen purposes!), cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves and black pepper. add salt to taste. place the chicken breasts in a non-reactive baking pan, plastic food storage container or a large ziplock bag. pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken and rub it in well. cover (if using a pan) or seal (if using a ziplock bag or plastic storage container) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

at least 30 minutes before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator, and preheat the oven to 400 °F. lightly oil a baking/roasting pan (you can use the same pan in which you marinated the chicken; just wash and dry it first), and arrange the chicken breasts, skin up, evenly spaced in the pan. spoon any remaining marinade over them. toss the sliced white onion with the oil in a small bowl and strew the sliced onions over the chicken breasts. place the pan in the oven and cook for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. test for doneness by inserting an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat; they're ready when the temperature registers 165 °F to 180 °F (another way to check: look for the juices run clear when pierced with a knife near the bone).

*note: you can also roast an entire chicken this way -- just prepare the marinade in a similar way. using a small paring knife, cut slits in the thickest parts of the breast, thighs and tops of the legs with a stabbing motion, to help the marinade absorb. place the whole chicken in a roasting dish and arrange the onion slices around, placing a few inside the chicken cavity.

garnish with fresh cilantro and wedges of lemon. serve with freshly cooked basmati rice and a fresh cilantro-coconut chutney and/or raita (both recipes below). serves 4.

cilantro-coconut chutney

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro (minus a bit used to garnish the chicken and/or make raita), stemmed and roughly chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chile, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed, and minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon water, if needed
• pinch of salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed (sometimes called brown mustard seed)

in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, grind the cilantro leaves, chile, ginger, coconut, sugar, lemon juice and oil (add water if needed to help process to a paste). when processed, add salt to taste. toast the mustard seeds in a pan over medium-high heat until they pop and turn grey, and stir into the chutney. refrigerate until time to serve.

raita

• 1 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek)
• 1/2 medium-large cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 5-6 cherry or grape tomatoes, diced
• 2 green onions, minced
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons of water or milk to thin sauce (if using Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seed (sometimes called brown mustard seed
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala

combine the yogurt, grated cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, green onion, cilantro, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, water or milk (if needed to thin the sauce a bit), salt, and sugar (if needed to balance flavor). toast the mustard seeds lightly in a pan over medium-high heat until they pop and turn grey (they add a wonderful toasty flavor), and stir into the raita. cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, taste for seasoning, and top with a pinch of garam masala to serve.

orange-berry buttermilk muffins

2 large eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar (to your taste)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1-1/2 tablespoons citrus zest (tangerine zest is especially good, but orange, lemon or lime zest will also work quite well)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups AP flour
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, or a combination)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

preheat oven to 400°F. line twelve muffin cups with paper liners. lightly beat eggs and sugar together in a large bowl, then add buttermilk, melted butter, citrus zest and salt. add flour one cup at a time and mix until just combined (don't overmix!). stir in baking soda until distributed throughout (batter will start to inflate a bit at this point). gently fold in berries with a spatula. divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups; bake for 20-25 minutes. muffins are done when tops are golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out perfectly clean. cool on racks.

*notes: if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute milk soured with citrus juice (place 1 tablespoon fresh citrus juice in a measuring cup and add regular milk to reach the 1-cup mark) or yogurt thinned with a bit of milk or water. another option is to use regular milk, and replace the 1/2 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons baking powder, but the muffins won't be quite as yummy nor will they be as tender as those made with buttermilk.

I made a batch of these this morning with tangerine zest and frozen organic blueberries, and I don't care if this is considered bragging -- they're delicious. I didn't have my muffin tin handy when I first experimented with this recipe, so I placed all of the batter into a buttered glass loaf pan. I reduced the heat to 375°F and the loaf browned just a bit before it was completely done inside; next time I'll try baking at 365°F. finally (perhaps needless to say), I used my homemade butter and buttermilk when baking these, but the commercial versions will work just as well.

the best homemade frozen yogurt

this will be easiest with an ice cream freezer (I have a small Cuisinart that's ideal, but for the life of me, I can't locate the freezer bowl, darn it!), but can still be made without too much work using a food processor and, of course, a freezer. the following recipe is for the flavor I happen to like best (lemon), but feel free to vary it by leaving out the lemon zest/juice and adding vanilla or any other flavor you desire. I occasionally reduce the amount of lemon, and add 2 pints of washed, hulled, pureed strawberries -- use/add whatever sounds good to you.

1 quart (give or take -- this isn't exact science) greek-style yogurt
zest and juice of 3 lemons (again, more or less is fine)
1/2-2/3 cup sugar (you know the drill here by now)
(optional: 1-1/2 - 2 cups pureed fruit, lemon and sugar adjusted as desired)

combine the yogurt, zest, juice and sugar (and optional fruit) in a food processor fitted with an s-blade and check for flavor. remember, freezing will reduce the flavor levels somewhat, so make it just a little too lemony and a tiny bit too sweet -- when frozen, it will be PERFECT.
1. if you have an ice cream maker, dump it in and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. if you don't, scrape the yogurt mixture into a plastic container that's large enough to leave plenty of room for expansion, and also for you to get in there and stir it around a lot as it freezes (to break up ice crystals as they form). stir it with a heavy spoon or a sturdy whisk every 30 - 60 minutes, until well frozen. beat it well, then leave it to freeze for several hours. when you come back to check it, it will be frozen a bit too hard, so break it into chunks and puree it in the food processor until creamy and smooth (you can add a little extra un-frozen yogurt to facilitate this; it's also the ideal time to adjust the flavors). re-freeze for a few hours and it's done.

it's hard to think of anything more refreshing than creamy, tart, lemony frozen yogurt. I hope you all enjoy it!

p.s. it's also really good with NO flavoring other than sugar, and maybe a tiny pinch of salt. Japanese matcha tea powder is another fantastic addition -- have fun with it!

best greek yogurt ever

this is so easy it's ridiculous! this method makes rich, creamy yogurt that you'll want to consume in outrageous quantities. when I was a kid, my dad went through a yogurt-making phase, but we never knew to strain it to make this wonderful greek-style yogurt. I happen to think my method's a bit easier (the hubris of a child!). here it is:

1 gallon whole milk (or other, depending on your needs/taste; this is just what I prefer)
1 cup fresh, unadulterated yogurt (when I first started making my own yogurt, I used my favorite brand of greek-style yogurt, but now I just save a cup of each batch I make to innoculate the subsequent batch of yogurt)

heat the gallon of whole milk to 175-185 F (***do as I SAY, not as I do: I find that milk tastes too "cooked" for my taste at 185 F, so I heat to about 150 F without problems***) -- use a food thermometer for this -- DON'T GUESS! heat it slowly, so it won't get scorched on the bottom
fill your sink with ice water and plunge the pot into it to cool the milk to 110 F (again, use the thermometer for accuracy), making sure the water level is appoximately equal to the level of yogurt in the pot
add the cup of yogurt to the cooled milk, whisking thoroughly
cover up the pot and place it where it will maintain its temperature for 6-8 hours (I use my gas oven, off, but with the pilot light on, and it works perfectly)

after the time is up, check the yogurt: it should be thickened and somewhat tart (leave it another hour or two if you want it thicker and/or more tart). it will be NOWHERE near as thick as the final product we're making, though; first we have to drain off about half of the whey. to do that:

sterilize ALL the following equipment, including the cheesecloth (or other fabric used to strain the yogurt): colander, cheesecloth, large glass bowl, large plate
line a metal colander with a large cheesecloth or other fine, smooth fabric (I use a pillowcase that I wash with detergent and bleach each time before use), and place that lined colander in a larger glass bowl. pour the yogurt into this contraption, fold the fabric over loosely over the top of the yogurt, and cover it all with a large plate, then place this in the refrigerator. drain the yogurt for 1-3 hours, until thickened to your preference. SAVE THE WHEY! it has many many uses (my friend Charles says "SAVE THE WHEY!" would make a great bumper sticker).

scrape the thickened yogurt into sterile containers, label with the date and refrigerate. this IS the same as the yummy, thick greek-style yogurt you can buy at the store -- but now, you can control how tart it is (longer fermentation = more tart yogurt), the fat content (obviously, by choosing skim, lowfat, reduced fat or whole milk) and the thickness. it's good stuff, PERFECT for my favorite frozen yogurt recipe (that's next)!

strawberry/greek yogurt granita

1 quart best, ripest, reddest organic strawberries, washed, dried and hulled (green tops removed)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup or more sugar, to taste (I like it pretty tart, so use a little less)
tiny pinch of salt

blend it all together in a food processor fitted with an s-blade. freeze it, taking it out every 45 minutes or so to beat it smooth (I use a flat whisk for this). eat it up. heavenly.