Vegan Pancakes

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Vegan Pancakes

Pancakes are perhaps one of my top 5 guilty pleasure foods.  As soon as I found out how to make perfectly round and fluffy ones at home, Mary and I would frequently have them for brinner and weekend brunches. Then I stopped eating butter and had to start the journey of perfecting the recipe all over again. After countless batches, I believe I found it!

The key to fluffy vegan pancakes is to mix equal parts baking soda and baking powder. This creates just enough rise so you are not eating syrup slathered bread (well, I guess technically you are…) and enough air pockets inside to get that fluff.

For liquid ingredients, you can use any non-dairy milk, or even water if you had too. My favorite is unsweetened almond milk.

Do not forget to add the vanilla!

Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegan sugar (I use Florida Crystals)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups almond milk
2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Sift together all of the dry ingredients, including the sugar, in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, milk, and vanilla.  Pour the wet into the dry, being careful not to over mix.  If it is too dry, add another splash of almond milk.  At this point, you can add berries or chocolate chips.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop the batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side.

Makes 8-10 three inch wide pancakes.

Chili-Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash

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So first off, I have to admit, I didn’t make up this recipe; it’s from Real Simple. But I wanted to share with everyone since it’s paleo-friendly and just so good! Sean and I have broiled the pork in the oven before, and it works great, but we found that it does take much longer than the recipe says it does (it took us ~30 min to get the internal temp to read 145-deg). Recently we acquired the “Big Easy Infrared Oil-less Turkey Fryer” (and yes, it’s as awesome as it sounds), so in the picture you see we cooked the pork in our new infrared “grill”. And by “we” I mean Sean, he’s the grill-master :-)

My job was to take care of the sweet potato hash. The recipe has you grate the potatoes and cook it in oil, but when we tried that in the past the hash always got too mushy; it never got crispy like it looks in Real Simple’s picture. So instead of grating the potatoes I cooked them in the microwave until tender and then cut them into cubes. I cooked the shallots and then added some grass-fed butter to the skillet to help give the sweet potatoes some nice color and crisp.

I love this hash. It reminds me of a healthier paleo-friendly version of the homemade hash my parents used to cook me, my sister and brother on Saturday mornings (with pancakes and eggs of course)!

ps – Our favorite hot sauce to douse this in is Texas Pete. Usually we are fans of Frank’s Red Hot, but the hint of sweetness in the Texas Pete really adds something special…

 

Quick and Easy Egg Substitute

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Trying to bake egg-free but can’t figure out how everything is going to stick together? My go-to egg substitute in baking is to mix 1tbs of ground flaxseed meal with 3tbs of warm water. Let the mixture stand for about five minutes and you will see it begin to look like the texture of a whisked egg.

This replacement has been successful in baked goods like cookies, muffins, breads, and just as well in veggie patties.

Your baked goods stick together and you are getting some extra fiber!

Brands I like:

  • Bob’s Red Mill Golden Flaxseed Meal
  • Hodgson Mill Milled Flaxseed

Both are readily available at your local supermarket. (I was actually able to find some up in Liberty, NY…so you should be able to get it wherever you are!)

Sneak peak at some cookies I made this weekend.

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Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

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Vegetables are often overlooked when grilling. And with beer in hand, grilling is what I like to do on warm Sunday afternoons. So next time you throw those steaks on the grill, consider grilling some veggies to go with it.

I used to make this salad with red potatoes or yukon golds. Since going paleo, I decided to try it with sweet potatoes and it came out great. I used to add some honey to the vinaigrette but I left it out of the sweet potato version. For even a bit more bite (a little less sweetness) I might try replacing the cider vinegar with red wine or rice vinegar. For our non-vegetarian friends, may I also suggest some bacon?

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

For the salad…

  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 jalapenos
  • 6 green onions
  • ~1/4 c. parsley + more for garnish
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

For the vinaigrette…

  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard

Instructions

  • Wash the sweet potatoes and slice about 3/4″ thick. Boil the sweet potatoes until they are barely fork tender. Don’t overcook them since they will be going on the grill. I think if I could cook a vegetable medium-rare, that’s about where these would be.
  • While the sweet potatoes cook, trim the ends from the green onions and peel and slice the red onion about 3/4″ thick. Don’t go too thin with them since all of this is going on the grill. I get about 3-4 slices per onion.
  • Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing all of those items well.
  • After the sweet potatoes have cooked drizzle all the veggies with a little bit of oil and season them with salt and pepper. Throw them all on the grill. Pull the green onions off after a quick char (that will go pretty quickly). Cook the sweet potato and red onions on each side until they have a nice char as well. Turn the jalapenos frequently until the outside skin is blistered and charred. The jalapenos, onions and sweet potatoes take about the same amount of time, about 6-10 minutes total.
  • After the veggies are done dice the jalapenos and onions. Cut the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Combine the veggies and dress with the vinaigrette while everything is still warm. Mix in the fresh parsley and serve while still warm or at room temperature.

 

 

Pan-seared Sea Scallops with Braised Leeks

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Leeks are vegetables in the onion and garlic family. They are pretty robust plants that basically look like big green onions. Instead of forming into bulbs, they produce leaf sheaths in a long cylinder. We found pre-trimmed leeks at Trader Joe’s this week. They were already pretty clean. I just trimmed off the ends and soaked them in water for a few minutes. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for new ways to add leeks to our regular menu, especially since TJ’s makes it so easy.Sweet Scallops and Braised Leeks.

I’ve never cooked leeks and honestly, I’ve never really thought about them until now. We were really interested in trying them last week after watching Growing a Greener World on Saturday morning. Nathan Lyon made a recipe with braised leeks and pan-seared tilapia which looked incredible. I won’t re-post the leek recipe here since I followed it basically to the letter. I did use homemade chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock. I made this with seared sea scallops instead of tilapia since we had the scallops on-hand. After trying a few of Nathan’s recipes though, I’ll be sure to try that tilapia as well.

For the scallops…

  • In a pan, heat about a tablespoon each of olive oil and grass-fed butter.
  • Once the oil and butter are hot, place the scallops in the pan and sear (~2-3 minutes) on each side.
  • Make sure the pan is hot. The key is to not overcook them. They should have a deep golden color on the outside and still be sweet and tender.

CSA Week 3

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Swiss ChardIt’s week three of the CSA and holy lettuce! We just finished our salad from last week and here comes round two. What I’m really excited about is the swiss chard though. I’m not sure that I’ve ever eaten this particular vegetable much less prepared it. It looks like it could be good sautéed and Eric recommended trying it in a raw salad.

Two more pints of delicious strawberries this week. The bad news it looks like the rain and cold have hurt the ripening strawberries. The good news is that the rain helps the blueberries and blackberries and those have survived the cold so far. I’m looking forward to both! For the first time the farm  is also growing mushrooms. An email update says they’ve cleared some trees and shrubs where the mushroom logs are incubating and preparing the area for production.

 

The box this week included:

  • 1/4# arugula
  • 1 large lettuce (not sure what kind exactly)
  • 1/4# spring salad mix
  • 1 bunch rainbow swiss chard
  • 2 pints strawberries

Tempeh with Cabbage and Onions

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Cabbage

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Cabbage is part of the Brassica genus of plants known more commonly as the group of cruciferous vegetables, it is a great source of Vitamin C, is low in calories, and high in fiber.

We sautéd with onions, garlic, and tempeh to make a main dish that packs a serious punch with nutrients, flavor, and overall satisfaction.  I definitely would make this one again! We served with an avocado, tomato, and romaine salad.  (Recipe was adapted from christinacooks.com.)

Recipe

Makes 4-5 servings and is perfect for lunch the next day!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced into thin half moon slices
8 ounces tempeh, crumbled
Bragg’s liquid amino (for some extra amino acids!)
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
1/4 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Directions

Place oil, garlic, and onions in a skillet over medium heat. When the onions begins to sizzle, add tempeh, a splash of liquid aminos, and the rice syrup. Sauté for 3–4 minutes, until the tempeh is beginning to brown and the onions are soft.

Stir in cabbage and corn and, season to taste with another splash of aminos; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the cabbage is quite soft, 10–15 minutes. Serve with a side salad or a grain of your choice.

Meatza

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I first saw this idea online several weeks ago. I don’t remember exactly where but I’m grateful for the inspiration. Jacquie and I eat this almost once a week! We use the same basic concept of a pound of grass-fed ground beef combined with an egg, basil and oregano pressed in a pie plate. After baking the meat for about 15 minutes, I take it out of the oven and add a little bit of tomato sauce and whole milk mozzarella. Then we try to get creative with toppings and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Quick and easy. Served with a side salad makes enough for dinner plus lunch the following day.

Some ideas for toppings…

  • Liberal amounts of veggies. Peppers, red onion, olives, mushrooms…
  • Sautéed onions, crispy bacon pieces, sliced jalepeno
  • Spinach and feta (pictured)

Meatza

Ingredients

  • 1# of grass-fed ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp each of oregano and basil
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4 ounces of whole milk mozzarella cheese
  • 1 c. tomato sauce
  • creative meatza toppings

Instructions

Combine the beef, egg and spices and mix thoroughly. Press the mixture evenly in a pie plate. Bake at about 400 F for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain the excess fat. Top with sauce, cheese and toppings and put back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the toppings are cooked.

CSA Week 2

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CSA week two is here already. We just managed to finish the lettuce from last week when another pound shows up, plus 1/4# of spring mix. Good thing I like salad. Some of the ingredients are the same as last week and some are new. Here’s what we got and what the plan is to use it all in a week. I’ll update this post if I do anything particularly interesting with any of these ingredients:

  • 3 pints of strawberries. These are the most delicious strawberries I have ever had. So sweet and juicy they don’t need any help. As of now, we finished 2/3 pints. I’m doubtful the third with survive the night.
  • 1# lettuce . That’s a lot of lettuce. We saw a great episode of Growing A Greener World on PBS this weekend where he made a green bean and tuna salad.
  • 1/4# spring mix.  More salad of a different variety. Looks delicious. I’ll probably make a salad for lunch similar to last week. Also, pistachios are great on salads.
  • Broccoli. Steamed combined with toasted almonds and crispy shallots.
  • 1/4# asparagus. Wrapped in proscuitto and drizzled with olive oil. Baked in the oven at 400 F for about 15 minutes until the proscuitto is crispy and the asparagus is tender.
  • Bunch of field onions. We had these already with “meatza” (think pizza with a ground beef crust or meatloaf with pizza toppings).  This one I topped with sautéed field onions, bacon and sliced jalepeno.

 

Pork Chops with Balsamic Roasted Onions

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In last week’s CSA box we received some field onions. I use onions in recipes almost every day but I wanted to try to create something that made the onions stand out on their own. I decided to make a grilled seasoned bone-in pork chop paired with roasted onions with a balsamic vinegar reduction. There was rain in the forecast so I decided not to venture out to the grill and broil it instead.

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in pork chops
  • seasoning (below)
  • 2 c. sliced sweet onions
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

Directions

  • Season both sides of the pork chops and bake at 375 F or grill until internal temperature reads 145 F, turning once about halfway through cooking.
  • Spread the sliced onions on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place the onions in the oven and roast until they are soft and golden. I put them in about the same time as the pork and both took in the neighborhood of 30 minutes.
  • While the pork and onions are cooking pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Stirring often, simmer about 15-20 minutes or until the vinegar reduces about half. Remove from the heat and let cool. It will thicken up more as it cools.
  • Plate the onions over the pork and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. I served ours with steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

For the seasoning:

2 parts each of salt, pepper, dried onion

1 part each of dried parsley, coriander, granulated garlic