Vegan Pancakes with Apple Jelly

I have a confession, I struggle to make a basic pancake. I've literally tried everything, and had very little success. Each time I try something is off. But I have a small pancake lover in my house, so I continue trying because of her. And honestly, she'll eat most of my sad attempts at pancakes. But why should she have too, we're both better than this...LOL. So today (per her request) I decided to do another recipe test to come up with a pancake that was more than just edible. And to my surprise it worked. And it just happens to be vegan and healthy. I think I just crushed it! This recipe makes about 6 medium pancakes.

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup applesauce (all natural, unsweetened)

1 cup of Almond milk 

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

2 tablespoons oil for frying (I used olive oil because that's what we have in the house but most oils should work fine)

Apple Jelly (optional, but such a great option!)

I mixed all the dry ingredients together, and then added applesauce and Almond Milk. I used a cast iron skillet, which I preheated then oiled. Keep heat at medium-high. Pancakes cook pretty fast, watch for bubbles then flip. Keep pan greased. I use a paper towel dipped in oil to grease pan. This keeps pan lightly greased without deep frying pancakes. And no need for syrup top with apple jelly. 

These pancakes were a HUGE hit. They were eaten for breakfast and lunch. This is a new breakfast item for rotation. 

Crossover Blog: Getting my toddler to eat green veggies

One word: Smoothies

This cool treat has gotten my toddler to eat more green veggie than I have ever. Don't get me wrong my little munchkin eats pretty good. Her favorites are bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and she'll try most stuff if forced or bribed. But if it's green, it gets pushed to the side. So I started making her smoothies and she loves it. She also gets a cool straw to use when she drink them, so that doesn't hurt either. 

As I mentioned in Refrigerator/freezer/pantry Staples I like to keep frozen fruit on hand. I mostly buy store bought frozen fruit, but some fruit I buy in season and freeze myself. Since bananas are not typical a fruit you can buy commercially frozen, I freeze my own bananas and strawberries. Commercially frozen fruit is fairly sweet. It's usually picked at peak seasons then frozen. Also if you use frozen fruit, you don't have to use ice and water down your drinks. As the fruit begins to melt, it will liquify a bit more.

I keep peaches (also used for my teething baby boy), pineapple and mango on hand. Then I add any fresh veggies I have in the fridge (carrots, spinach, kale). I also throw in some ginger for good measure especially during winter, try to boost the immune system and ward off the germs. I normally add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh juice or almond milk. I recently tried just using natural no sugar added applesauce and no liquid, it worked..so excited about this revelation! And then I blend.

Until recently I was using my food processor for my frozen treats. Mainly because I was put on a kitchen moratorium until we moved into a place with a bigger kitchen. Plus I wanted one of those $600 blenders, which was way out of my price range. So I settled for a Ninja which I have been pleasantly surprised with so far. It blends well, even the tough stuff. My biggest gripe is that fact that you have to continuously hold the button down for the individual cups, you can't just put it on low or high.


Here are a few of my smoothie combinations, that have been hits:

Peach, Spinach, Ginger, Pineapple, Juice

Peach, Mango, Pineapple, Ginger, Juice

Applesauce, Pineapple, Ginger, Strawberry, Spinach, Banana

Carrot, Pineapple, Ginger, Mango, Applesauce


Also I make banana ice cream you can sneak protein into this using nut butter or even plain nuts. Go wild.
2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup milk (you don't need this liquid, but it gives it a frozen yogurt consistency that I love)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional)

Apple Picking

We went apple picking this past weekend. This is an activity we started our 2nd year in New York. It was so much fun. And it has been a family tradition every since. If you decide to go the best time is mid-September although most farms offer it from the beginning of September until the end of October. The difference in the times you go can effect the variety of apples you have to choose from and the amount of apples left. 

We went to BJ Reece Orchards. It was super crowded, but we still had a great time. At a friend's suggestion we got a groupon before going. The front gate attendants were accommodating. It was hard to get reception for I took a screenshot to ensure I could show the Groupon purchase. It included all the fun activities the farm had to offer including pony rides, petting farm, apple cannon, jumping pillow, cow train to name a few. Needless to say my toddler had a blast. 

Unlike our first trip to the farm 2 years ago. We bought 2 of the biggest bags of apples we could buy, knowing we would go through them in a matter of days. Plus I bought a bag of Granny Smith (my husband's favorite) because there were no more left to pick. So our apple arsenal is full. Now what to do with all these apples. I was so excited to get started. My first task dehydrated apples for granola. This was such an easy task. My biggest problem was not having an apple corer, this made this process a whole lot harder. If you don't normally core apples you don't really need it. But it makes the hard task of coring an apple much easier. But there's hope, you can use a paring knife. Be careful and take your time.

Dehydrated Apples

5 Apples, peeled and cored
1/2 lemon juice
4 cups water

After peeling and coring apples place in lemon water. Cut apple about 1/2 inch thick place back in lemon water to keep from browning. Then place on pan to bake at 250 degrees for approximately 2 hours, depending on thickness.

 

So initially I tried to use my mandolin to slice apples, but realized a few apples little too late that the apple slices were way to thin. When I'm cutting and chopping I'm in the zone. So I opted for another use for these babies...apple chips! 

Apple Chips

3 Apples, peeled and cored
1/2 lemon juice
4 cups water
1.5 cups of oil for frying
1/8 cups of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

After peeling and coring apples place in lemon water. Slice apples on thinnest mandolin setting while still maintaining shape and structure. If they can't be handle without breaking there a tad too thin. Place slices of apple on paper towel to remove moisture, let sit for about 10 minutes. Heat oil to fry. Lightly fry until golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain oil. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on freshly fried apple chips.

Sorry I couldn't get better pictures of apple chips. They were flying off the paper towel like hot cakes, thanks to my husband, daughter and father-in-law.

Granola

3 cups of oatmeal
1/2 cup of dried fruit (apples, mango, pineapple, your choice)
1/2 cup of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, anything)
1/2 cup of honey or agave (maple syrup, sorghum, insert choice sweetener)
1/4 cup of oil (coconut, olive, almond, you choose)
1 teaspoon flavoring  extract (orange, vanilla, lemon, mint, have at it)
1 teaspoon of seasoning (cinnamon and nutmeg, pumpkin spice)
1/2 teaspoon of salt (non-negotiable)
1/2 cup of raisins

Mixed dry ingredients minus raisins then add oil, honey, seasoning and extract. Bake at 325 for approximately an hour, turning every 20 mins until golden brown. Watch carefully granola can burn in just minutes. I've learned this time and time again. Take out of oven let cool and mix in raisins. My first time making granola I mixed raisins in and baked them...big mistake. Store in airtight container for about 1 week.

I love granola because the posssilbites are endless. You can mix and match to your delight. It makes a great snack, breakfast or topping. And being able to dry your own fruit to add in makes it even more delightful.

I still have tons more apples, so I'll be back with more apple recipes later.

Califlower Do's and Don'ts

So lately cauliflower has become the unsung hero of the vegetable draw. People boast of turning it into buffalo "wings," pizza crust, chinese food, mashed "potatoes"...you name it. So I had to get in on this action. I started trying out the recipes you've wondered about, and I'm here to tell you if they're legit or not.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (Legit) - You can tell it's not the pillowy dough we all love, but it still have amazing flavor. If you do it correctly it hold together very well. You can load it with all the toppings you want. You get all the taste with no guilt. I call that a win-win. Now binge eating pizza every day of the weekend isn't cause for pause.

Mashed Cauliflower (Not Legit) - It just can't take the place of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. Sorry. But good luck trying. I get it, cauliflower is like potatoes long lost less starchy cousin. I tried this without the recipe because I usually don't need a recipe for mashed potatoes, little butter, cream, and salt and there you have it. So I started by boiling the cauliflower, I drained it. One thing I might change if I tried this recipe again is trying to get more water out. I mean really get it as dry as I can. Cauliflower is made up of a lot of water, then boiling it in water. It's a watery mess which is my biggest reason for giving it a thumbs down. So if you try it I suggest use a cheese cloth or towel to really ring out the water. Next, the good stuff for a head of cauliflower I would use 2 tablespoons of butter (hey, it's cauliflower! lol). Followed by about 1/4 cup of cream, blending until smooth and salt to taste.

Buffalo Cauliflower (Meh.) - This one you'll have to decide once you taste it. It was a hit at a dinner when I made it, so I didn't wipe it off the list completely. But I'll need to tweak the recipe before I serve it again. First, I made a simple batter and baked cauliflower. I would skip this step all together. The cauliflower just doesn't need the batter to me. I would just roast the cauliflower and add buffalo sauce, then bake for about 10 more mins. Which would just make it meh again at best, in my tastebud's humble opinion.

General Tso's Cauliflower (Legit) - I tried the recipe for General Tso's cauliflower from Pinch of Yum, and was so pleasantly surprised. I can't wait to try it again. The cauliflower hold ups nicely to the sauce. It isn't overpowered by it, and frankly, you don't miss the (insert meat option) here. I liked her batter recipe, I would add about 1/4 cup more water for consistency sake. 

Batter:

• 1 cup flour
• ⅔ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup of water

You want something like a watery pancake batter. It should lightly cover cauliflower. Also fry cauliflower until well down. Cauliflower has a high water content so it takes some time to get it crispy. Drain on paper towel. Note: Try not to eat all the cauliflower before sauce is ready. 

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup honey (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (optional)

Saute garlic and ginger for about a minute. Add remainder of ingredients, turn on low. Sauce is ready when it begins to thicken, simmer on low about 5 to 7 minutes. Honey acts a thickener, adjust honey accordingly.  

Roasted Cauliflower (Legit) - Toss with olive oil and salt. Bake at 425 for 35 to 40 mins. Until cauliflower starts to crisp. Even with all the other recipes above, this is my favorite way to eat cauliflower. I literally can eat all of it by myself. My 8 month old was an immediate fan, I even my pickiest eaters to taste it, my husband and 2 year old.

(This is after I "tested" them to make sure they turned out ok)

My conclusion cauliflower is definitely an unsung hero. It's so unassuming, it really is a blank canvas waiting to be used. I do have a few more cauliflower recipes I want to try, so I'll be back. Until then go forth and eat!

Acorn (Winter) Squash Soup

So I have decided this winter, we should always have soup readily available. And I've been taken with squash soups...of all kinds. This week I'm trying out winter squash. And I am/was so excited.  This is my first time cooking winter squash.

It's dangerously similar to butternut squash. So I prepared it the same way I do for my butternut squash. I cut it and deseeded it. Rubbed with some oil olive. This tends to help with the burning.

I baked it on 425 degrees for about 45 mins. I let it cool before blending it.

Next I blended roasted squashed with 5 cups go vegetable stock. About a cup for each half per squash half. You can totally use water, but Broth gives it a little more oomph. And this helps you use less salt. Add more or less broth (water) you get it to the consistency you want. 

Move this soup party to the stove. Add 1/2 of agave to the soup. I was going to use honey, but I have a baby under 1, so agave works better for us. You can add as more or less  Next add spices, 1/2 tablespoon of pumpkin spice and 1/2 tablespoon curry powder. I would normally use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, but I decided to use my pumpkin spice because it's fall. Pumpkin spice has cinnamon and nutmeg in it, so it's great for this soup and fall.

Bring to simmer. If you want a bit more decadence and flavor add 1/4 of cream. Or just leave it vegan. Either way enjoy!

Refrigerator/Freezer/Pantry Staples

I love going to the grocery store. Secretly everyone has some weird chore they actually love. Mine is grocery shopping. I go to the grocery store, once maybe twice a week. I go a lot also because I buy a lot of fresh produce. I spend a majority of my time in the grocery store in the produce section. And I a produce snob. As much as I make fun of those hippie farm-to-table people, I'm one of them. I try to cook things in season. I buy new things to try out. My zen is found in the produce section.

So I mostly post new and exciting recipes. But we have also have some staples that we like in this house. I have to have avocado, tomato, cheese and eggs on hand for my husband impromptu omelet craving. He also needs potatoes for midnight hashbrowns. My toddler likes fresh noshes like pepper, apples, cheese, cucumbers, crackers. It's her own little fresh charcuterie plate.

Also I like to keep my fresh clean and void of old stuff. At the beginning of the week my fridge is full, but not overflowing. By the end of the week it should look pretty barren. I cook Monday - Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays are for leftovers, Saturday - Sunday are a toss ups. Random fact, I hate leftovers. I've started to try to embrace them at least for a day, but that's the longest I give them. But as long as I have my staples I can make almost anything. It's no iron chef pantry (I have dreams about this pantry), but it does the job.

Fridge:
Heavy Cream
Butter: My husband is huge fan of Kerrygold.
Cheese: I like to try new cheeses out. I found a fantastic cheese blend from Whole Foods.
Eggs
Apples

Seasonal fruits: Watermelon, strawberries, mango
Sweet bell peppers
Ginger: Smoothies, Juices, Chinese food, you name it
My Wheat Meats and other treats: Tofu, Sweet Earth Seitan (my favorite), Westsoy Seitan

Freezer:
Broccoli: My go to when I've failed to properly plan during a grocery trip.
Frozen fruit: Mangoes, pineapples, peaches (these are a teething baby's best friend), strawberries, bananas

Pantry:
Coconut milk
Beans (Canned and Dry): Pinto (dry and canned), garbanzo (dry and canned), lentils (dry)
Onions
Potatoes
Rice: Parboiled on occasion basmati (I just learned how to cook this correctly.)
Flour: All-purpose white because everything else scares the non-baker within me.
Oatmeal
Sugar: I try to not use sugar unless I'm baking. I prefer honey or agave.
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Honey: I'm shy about using it right now because I have a baby under 1 in the house. But once he's ready. It'll be back in everything.
Agave: This is what we use instead of honey.
Garlic
Pasta: We have SO much pasta. Mostly because it's what my husband makes his lunch with.

Missing any of these items means a quick trip to the grocery store. I just started keeping butter and cream on hand because it's what makes the world taste good. I'm trying to do more natural cooking, so I'm looking to do more cooking substitutions with applesauce and whole wheat, those may become staples soon too.

Mexican Street Food

Ever since I visited Bartaco in Nashville, I've wanted to recreate my own tacos at home. I had the baja fish taco, portobello with queso fresco taco, cauliflower taco, and falafel taco plus the mexican corn. They were all pretty amazing, the flavors were so deliciously complex. I would have love to recreate them all, and maybe eventually I will; but for now I needed to do something quick and easy, but just as delicious.

So I made Mexican corn and Portbello mushroom and avocado taco. It was amazing. And so simple. I've made tacos before but it was something about these. I can only think it was my choice of ingredients. I tried to stay as authentic and as fresh as possible.

First, I used corn tortillas usually I pass these little gems for flour ones, but they're growing on me. Next, I used meaty, hearty portobello mushrooms. Simply prepared, just sautéed with olive oil and salt (if you're not watching your figure use butter, the flavor increases exponentially). I made a pseudo salsa with onion, tomato and cilantro. And topped with avocado and cotija cheese. Let me talk about this cheese real quick, it's subtle but it packs a lot of flavor. But if you want "authentic" mexican flavor, use this.

Finally, I grilled some corn on my griddler (yes it's still going strong). I coated it in miracle whip. I used miracle whip because it was what was in my fridge. But normally you would use mayo. Cover it with Cotija cheese. It crumbles in your hands, which is how I crumbled mine. But I would recommend used a food processor or maybe coffee grinder for a finer crumble. And lastly a dash of cayenne and sprinkle of cilantro. Prepare to indulge in a little taste of Mexican street food.

Eat This Not That: Lettuce at least try

I'm trying to my watch my diet. So I am starting my own "Eat this not that" cause it's better for you challenge. So I tried the lettuce burger today. It was delicious! Everything I love about a burger with only minimum sacrifice. Like skipping the fudge on brownie ice cream sundae, is it really worth the 40 extra minutes on the elliptical? I think not.

It was my first time trying this at home. I get it all the time at Red Robin. I do it for the fries! I figure 3 baskets of fries is worth 2 slices of bread lol. Anywho, it was so easy. And I didn't miss the bread. I definitely suggest using a large amount of lettuce to keep ingredients in. Other than that...treat like a normal burger.

(Please excuse small Pink dog in pic. He was my sous chef for the day)

My Herb Wall

I finally got my indoor herb garden going. I'm starting with some good basics: Rosemary, Basil, Mint, and Cilantro. This will be trial and error...I'll keep you posted.