Allergic To Milk? Try This Pancake Recipe

Dear Laura: I am looking for a recipe for pancakes that does not have milk in it. We love pancakes and waffles, but one of our children is allergic to milk. Commercially made mixes without milk are expensive and hard to find. - Patty, Spokane

Dear Patty: This recipe is from “The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook,” by Marjorie Hurt Jones (Rodale Press). It’s one of several pancake and waffle recipes in the book.

Buckwheat Pancakes

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup soy or amaranth flour

1/2 cup arrowroot

1/2 cup ground nuts

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1-1/2 cups warm water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional

Combine the buckwheat flour, soy or amaranth flour, arrowroot, nuts, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir to blend.

In a separate container, combine the water, oil, maple syrup or honey, lemon juice and almond extract. Stir into the flour mixture. If necessary, add more water to make thin pancakes.

Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a preheated, ungreased nonstick griddle or frying pan. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until brown.

Yield: 20 to 24 small pancakes.

Dear Laura: I’d like a recipe for making baklava. Can you help me? - Erica, Otis Orchards

Dear Erica: The base for baklava is a tissue-thin pastry called phyllo, or filo. A very simple pastry of flour and water, phyllo requires such great skill in kneading, resting and stretching that it is nearly impossible to make at home. Most cooks and recipes recommend using frozen phyllo dough, which is usually found near the pie shells and desserts in supermarket frozen food sections. If preferred, homemade strudel dough may be substituted.

When using frozen phyllo sheets, thaw slowly in the wrapper as directed on the package. Keep covered and plan to use exposed sheets immediately.

This version of baklava is from a book that has been in my collection for several years, “Best of International Cooking,” by Annette Wolter and Christian Teubner (HPBooks).

Baklava

1 (1-pound) package frozen phyllo dough (20 sheets)

3-1/2 cups chopped walnuts (about 1 pound)

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1-1/8 cups melted butter (more or less)

Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

5 tablespoons honey

Juice and grated peel of 1 lemon

Thaw phyllo according to package directions. Lightly butter a 9- by 13-inch baking pan; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine nuts, bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.

Open package of phyllo; to prevent it from drying while you work, keep phyllo covered with a slightly damp cloth or plastic wrap. Place 1 sheet of phyllo in the buttered pan, folding to fit. Lightly brush with melted butter. Repeat layers of phyllo and butter 5 more times. Spread with about 1 cup of the nut mixture; cover with 3 more layers of phyllo brushed with butter. Repeat layers of nut mixture and phyllo 2 more times. Spread final cup of nut mixture on top and add the remaining 5 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter. Brush any remaining butter over the top.

Use a sharp knife to cut or score top layers of phyllo in diamond shapes. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, prepare syrup. Combine sugar, water, honey, lemon juice and peel in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Pour hot syrup evenly over top of baked baklava. Cool to room temperature; cut through remaining layers, following initial scoring.

Yield: About 24 pieces.

Dear Laura: I had a recipe for fried rice and one for Chinese hot mustard that I think were in a Dorothy Dean cookbook. Unfortunately, I lost the cookbook during a recent move. Can you help me? Thank you. - Shirley, Wilbur, Wash.

Dear Shirley: These recipes were in the March 1977 Dorothy Dean leaflet.

Chinese Mustard

1/4 cup dry mustard

1/4 cup boiling water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Pinch turmeric

Stir boiling water into the dry mustard. Add remaining ingredients; stir until well blended.

Yield: 1/3 cup.

Fried Rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup diced cooked pork, ham, chicken or shrimp

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 cups cold cooked rice

1 (2-1/2-ounce) can mushrooms, drained

1 cup bean sprouts

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Cook pork, ham, chicken or shrimp in oil until brown. Stir in soy sauce, rice, mushrooms and bean sprouts. Cook until thoroughly heated. Make a well in center of mixture; add eggs. Cover; cook until eggs are half set. Uncover; continue cooking, stirring to mix egg and rice. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve garnished with onions.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

, DataTimes MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Laura Carnie, a certified family and consumer scientist and food consultant in Coeur d’Alene, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. As many letters as possible will be answered in this column; sorry, no individual replies.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Laura Carnie The Spokesman-Review