Dandelion deliciousness

Dandelions. They're a huge problem in Hutchinson this year.

About 30 minutes ago, I told The Hutchinson News Facebook friends to "like" if their yards are full of the yellow flower weeds. Now there are more than 60 "likes."

My yard is also full. I pull them and they come back. It was actually EXTREMELY annoying, until I found this recipe.

Apparently dandelions are edible. Bob Colladay suggested making dandelion wine. I thought he was joking until I found this recipe. Who knew?!?!

Apparently they're good for you. The roots are antiviral. They can help stabilize blood sugars, according to foodscout.org.They help with digestion, lower cholestoral, detoxifying the liver... and ladies, they help with bloating during... that time.

Dandelion greens are incorporated into a lot of recipes. Food Network's Emeril Lagasse is known for throwing in a few greens with his dishes - BAM!

But when I found this recipe for dandelion pancakes, I was intrigued. Dandelion flowers are not as nutritious, but they are still edible.

Oh, and a tip from pretty much everyone - don't pick your dandelions too close to the road or where dogs might have "marked" them. Also find dandelions that have not been sprayed.

Dandelion Pancakes
3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup milk (1 cup for looser batter)
1 egg
About 30 dandelion flower heads
a pinch of salt
Coconut oil for frying

In a small bowl, mix the flour with cornmeal and then add milk and egg. Whisk to combine. Mix in dandelion flowers and salt to the batter. Heat 2-3 Tbsp. of oil in a skillet. When it's hot, drop rounded spoonfulls of dandelion batter into the oil.
Cook the pancakes on one side until brown, and then flip over nad cook on the other side. When they're brown on both sides, remove them from the skillet and drain the excess oil on a paper towel.
Serve with your favorite topping.

- Winnie Abramson on her blog Healthy Green Kitchen, healthygreenkitchen.com. She used organic ingredients in her blog, so feel free to try those.

Restaurant feedback

I got a letter from the Wheatland Cafe the other day. The restaurant was the featured Kristen in the Kitchen restaurant in February.
Darrell, Shannon, Harold and Sally Bauer said the story and video has brought the positive response from the restaurant.
They said the restaurant had several calls from Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, Ulysses, Hutchinson, Emporia, Liberal, Medicine Lodge and Claflin. It helped them sell five of their cookbooks, and several called just to say they made the cinnamon rolls.
The Sunday buffet was "extra busy" on March 4, the Sunday after the column ran. Several people told the Bauers they read the article and came to try it out.
It's so nice to hear feedback on how the show benefits restaurants. People are these restaurants work hard and deserve an extra pat on the back. It's great to have the opportunity to give them a little credit.
If you have a restaurant you think would be a good fit for Kristen in the Kitchen, please let me know.
Either shoot me an email at kroderick@hutchnews.com or call me at (620) 694-5700 ext. 331. I have a few restaurants in mind, but I love to feature the mom and pop restaurants people might otherwise not know about.

Are you Pin-terested?

I think I'm a little behind on the times.
I recently discovered an Internet phenomenon called "Pinterest." Really, it's great.

On Monday night, a friend posted healthy recipes she was trying. They looked delicious, so I had to ask her where she got them.
She directed me to "Pinterest." It was a pleasant surprise.
The website suggests you connect with your Facebook or Twitter accounts. It allows you to connect with friends and share cool things you've seen online.
If you see something cool online, you're supposed to "Pin" it.
I was naturally drawn to the "Food and Drink" section.
The recipes are outstanding. Many come from blogs. People have created blogs to try out various recipes. There are decorative desserts, delicious looking entrees and more!
Don't worry if you're not a food fan. There is something for everybody on Pinterest!
Check out a story soon about this awesome website in The Hutchinson News.

Scalloped Cauliflower Casserole

I can’t remember specifics about the first time my mother made Scalloped Cauliflower Casserole, but I can definitely remember the smell.
It reeked.
I was lying in my bed some holiday morning – I can’t remember if it was Christmas or Thanksgiving – and I thought my mischievous brother had put socks he’d worn during long runs over my face.
I couldn’t imagine where it was coming from. So, naturally, it called for an investigation.
My nose led me to the kitchen, where my mother was stirring something in a boiling pot. I didn’t realize it was cauliflower.
She assured me the result would be well worth the odor.
A few minutes later the smell had subsided. When we got to the table about an hour later, the casserole was right next to the turkey. I had to make sure it didn’t taste like feet.
It didn’t. It was amazing.
My mother had the same experience when she was little. Her great aunt Edna Oakes, who lived in Kingman, would make this for holiday dinners. The cooking cauliflower had the same aroma, yet the end result was delicious.
Aunt Edna passed the recipe to my mother, she gave it to me and now I am sharing it with you.
In our family cookbook, my dad even wrote “It’s not a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal without the scalloped cauliflower.”
So try it. You will be glad you did.

Scalloped Cauliflower Casserole
1 head cauliflower
3 Tbsp. butter
1 ½ c. milk
½ lb. Shredded American cheese
1 c. chopped dried beef
3 Tbsp. flour
Salt and pepper
Buttered crumbs

Break cauliflower up and cooked in boiling salted water until tender (about 30 minutes). Drain and arrange in casserole dish. Add meat. Make cream sauce with butter, flour, milk and seasoning. When thick and smooth, add ¾ of cheese. Stir until melted. Pour sauce over meat and cauliflower. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with crumbs and remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes more.

- Edna Oakes

Whoopie pies

Thank you to everyone who showed up at The Hutchinson News open house! We appreciate it.

As a thank you, here is the recipe for whoopie pies with mint buttercream filling from a whoopie pie book by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwill. They are easy and delicious!

Classic Chocolate Whoopie
1 2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter at room temperature
1 c. brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat together butter, shortening and brown sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat again.
Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk into the batter and beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the flour mixture and milk, then beat until completely combined.
Drop about 1 Tbsp. of batter onto baking sheets and repeat, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, or until pies spring back when pressed gently.
Remove from oven and let cakes cool for about 5 minutes.

Mint Buttercream
2 c. confectioners' sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat together confectioners' sugar and the butter until mixture is crumbly. Add heavy cream, vanilla, mint extract and salt and beat until smooth.

Whoopie for Open House

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!

It seems we need to add that in there, since Thanksgiving seems to be forgotten in the hoopla of Halloween and Christmas. Yet I am guilty of indulging in the Christmas spirit a little too early.

My tree is up, and yes, I'm already making some Christmas goodies. This year the food might not be my fault, though. I am baking for our Third Thursday Open House at The Hutchinson News. Kids can sit on Santa's lap and their parents can get a behind-the-scenes look at The News.

My desk is clean and I have my Charlie Brown Christmas tree set up. Amy Bickel made sure we have enough hot cocoa and cider for everyone who attends.

A few of us were told to make three dozen cookies to make sure every kid and parent gets a sweet treat as they head through The News.

If you know me, you'd know that I have a hard time making anything normal. I like to experiment and let people try something new. Hopefully mint-chocolate whoopie pies will do the trick.

For my birthday, I got a book of Whoopie Pies. I have experimented with the cookies and cremes to see which ones work well together. Half of the chocolate cookies are already made for Thursday's open house. I now need to add the mint creme, complete with small bits of peppermint.

So come to The News open house if you want to try them. If you can't make it, I'll have the recipe up soon!

It's hot!

There's no denying that it's hot outside. Not just a little, but a lot!
I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't want to slave over a hot oven. I want to find a way to stay cooler.
When I was younger, I used to love these hot summer days. My mother would find ways to make delicious treats using the stove as little as possible.
My favorite was a swimmer's seafood salad that she pulled from a U.S. Olympic cookbook. It brings me back to sitting at the table with my brother waiting for our cool treat to arrive.
When I got older, I realized how easy this treat is. I think it's time to make it again...

Swimmer's Seafood Salad
1 package seafood flakes
1/2 c. sliced celery
1/3 c. mayonnaise
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 Tbsp. Sliced green onion
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Shred seafood. Mix with celery, mayonnaise, eggs, onion, lemon juice and mustard. Serve with lettuce, sliced whole wheat bread and sliced plum tomatoes if desired. Makes about 4 servings.