COUNTRY PANCAKES WITH APPLE

1       Cup                all-purpose flour
2       Tablespoon      sugar
1 1/4  Teaspoon        baking powder
1/4     Teaspoon        backing soda
1/4     Teaspoon        salt
1        Cup                butter milk (or soured farm milk)
1        Egg
1/4     Teaspoon        vanilla extract
2        Tablespoon     melted butter
1 Large apple - cut into 1/2 inch cubes, with skin and roll in 1 tablespoon of sugar

PREPARATION:

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg with butter milk, vanilla. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir. Gently combine butter milk and vanilla and mix until the batter is consistent. Batter will be thick.

Heat your pan with a little butter and ladle batter in the pan. Add apple cubes to the uncooked side of the pancakes and gently fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn each pancake and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove pancakes from the pan and serve with maple syrup, a generous dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon, or sour cream.

These pancakes are very, very good with pork breakfast sausage.

NOTE: to make the butter milk pour 1 Cup of milk and 1 Tablespoon of vinager/lemon juice. Let rest for 5 minutes and butter milk's ready!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

These were the first cookies I made by my own, and believe me, when I took them out of the oven, I tried one to taste it and they were so good that I ended eating like 10 of them in a row. They are pretty simple and quickly/easy preparation. They are amazing, try them!

8     Tablespoon      butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
1/2  Cup                crunchy peanut butter
Heaping 1/2 Cup      superfine sugar
Heaping 1/2 Cup      brown sugar
1      Egg                lightly beaten
1/2   Teaspoon        vanilla extract
1/2   Cup                all-purpose flour
1/2   Teaspoon        baking soda
1/2   Teaspoon        baking powder
1 1/3 Cups              rolled oats
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. Grease 3 large baking sheets. Place the butter and peanut butter in a bowl and beat together, then beat in the sugars. Gradually beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the mixture, add the oats and stir until just combined.

Place spoonfuls of the dough on the baking sheets, spaced well apart, and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool in the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

SPANISH LENTILS

These lentils are so fantastic. These are the best ones I have ever eaten, and even though the texture of them is the same, the flavour is much better than other beans recipes I have made before.

1 Tablespoon         olive oil
1/2 Cup                minced onion
1/2 Cup                minced celery
1                         garlic clove, minced
3/4 Cup                lentils
2 Tablespoons       chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 Cups                 chicken stock
2 Tablespoons       chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic. Cover and cook. Stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.

Add the lentils to the vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes and chicken stock. Add satl and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil with the lid on and reduce heat and let to simmer until lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Stir in the parsley just before serving time.

YOGURT

It's so ridiculous how easy is to make this recipe, that saves your pocket some extra dollars from a package of 4 little cups of yogurt, and the best thing is that you can have a nice breakfast everyday with it and without any chemical included.

1 Liter                 milk
1 Tablespoon       vanilla
1 Cup                 uncoloured yogurt

1. In a saucepan, pour the milk and vanilla and bring to a boil in a medium heat.
2. Let it cool for 1 hour.
3. Pour the yogurt into the milk, stir well and let it rest for 1 day or until it is thick enough.

PIZZA

I was so amazed when I made my first homemade pizza by myself. It is so simple that in 45 minutes you're eating an exquisite and tastefully good looking pizza. The recipe is really easy to make. I remember the first time I was making it, I couldn't stop saying "I can't believe I just made pizza dough, it's so simple!". And the best part of it was when it came out of the oven all red coloured with these toppings upon ready to be eaten. And besides it is the healthiest pizza you will ever eat without having that much of fat you'll find in the regular ones.

For Pizza Crust:

1     Cup                  self-rising flour
1/2  Teaspoon          salt
2     Tablespoon        olive oil
1/3   Cup                 warm water (more if needed)

For the Topping:

1 Onion
1 Tablespoon       olive oil
1 Can                 tomatoes sauce (300 g)
1 Teaspoon         dried oregano
1 Teaspoon         dried basil
Mozzarela Chesse (all you wish)

1. Preheat the oven 450 F / 230 C.
2. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil stirring all the time.
3. Slowly pour the warm water into the flour and oil mixture, stirring while you pour. When the water is mixed into the flour, use your hands to form the mixture into a ball.
4.Sprinkle some flour onto a cutting board. Turn the ball of pizza dough out onto the cutting board, then knead it until it is smooth and soft.
5. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle or the form you wish to make. Put the pizza crust into a grease baking sheet and set it aside.

6. Peel the onion and finely chop it.
7. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 3 minutes or until it gets tender.
8. Add the tomatoes, oregano and basil to the saucepan. Simmer this tomato sauce for about 15 minutes.
9. Spoon the tomatoe sauce over the pizza crust, spreading it with the back of the spoon.
10. Thinly slice the mozzarella cheese and arrange the slices over the top of the pizza.

11. Put the pizza into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

 NOTE: if you want, add to the topping all vegetables you wish but putting the cheese at the end to protect them from the heat.

YOUNG THAILAND HOT SAUCE

3 Tablespoon      lemon or lime juice
1 Tablespoon      chopped garlic
3 Tablespoon      fish sauce
1 Tablespoon      sugar
1 Tablespoon      finely chopped fresh chilies (6-7)

1. Mix all ingredients together, stir to dissolve the sugar and let rest for 3 minutes.

NOTE: if you don't have fresh chilies, you can use 1 tablespoon of chili powder instead.

THAI CHICKEN WINGS

   When it comes to mind Chicken Wings, it's all about hot vegetable-oil in a pan and french fries upon the table. But since I looked through this recipe, came all over me the sensation of an unique flovour and a different meaning of all the world known chicken wings. They are the tasty enough to blow your tongue out of your mouth.

8        Chicken Wings

Marinade:

1 Tablespoon      black pepper

1 Tablespoon      ground ginger

1 Tablespoon      chopped garlic

1 Teaspoon        sugar

1 Tablespoon      soya sauce

2 Tablespoon      vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon      lemon/lime juice

2 Tablespoons     cayenne/chili powder

1.  Cut off the thin arm of the wind and save for stock-making. Separate the remaining wing into its two parts by cutting at the joint. Reapeat with all 8 wings, to end up with 16 pieces. Place wings pieces in a bowl and add all the marinade ingredients. Toss and stir to blend well. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24.

2. When ready to bake the wings, preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Roll the wings in the marinade and then transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning them after 15 minutes and basting with the left over marinade. Take them out when they are shiny and golden brown with some crisp edges.

3. Serve immediately, toppeed with some coriander leaves and accompanied by Young Thailand Hot Sauce.