Apple Cinnamon Topped Pancakes of Awesomeness

 

There comes a time in every girl's life when she screams to the heavens, "I need some fucking pancakes!" Hormones, or whatever. I don't know. I just know I heeded the call of the wild and made some killer fucking pancakes. 

I've never made an apple topping for pancakes or waffles, or any food, actually. But, I do love me some apple pie, so I took that idea and ran with it. 

The following recipe makes enough for 2 adult-sized servings of apple topping. I don't have a fancy recipe for the pancakes; I use Bisquick, almond milk, and a little vanilla extract. 

What you need for the apple awesomeness:

• 2 HoneyCrisp apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (so they cook more quickly)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 TB Earth Balance vegan spread
• 2 TB orange juice
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp (or more) cinnamon
• pinch of salt

What you do with it:

1. Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. Add all ingredients and mix well. 
2. Once the mixture starts bubbling, I turned the heat to medium-low and simmered for about 30 minutes. Be sure to stir and taste the mixture every 5 minutes or so, so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. 
   
3. I cooked mine until the sauce cooked down to a syrup. Feel free to add more or less of everything. I liked mine pretty cinnamon-y, but if at all possible, add the cardamom. It really brings the flavor to a whole new level. 

Savory Chickpea Crepes - 1st attempt

Let me start by saying that I have never eaten a crepe in my entire life...vegan or not. So, I had no idea how thick to make the batter. These ended up somewhere between a crepe and a pancake in their thickness. Seeing how much I love pancakes anyway, I wasn't disappointed.

I'm that weird person who eats her regular pancakes without syrup, preferring a more savory flavor. That was my inspiration for trying to make a savory (and spicy) crepe. So, I suppose I should maybe try calling these pancakes since they were thicker than a crepe. Whatever. The whole point is that these turned out so deliciously that I had to share them with you. I am trying to think of some sort of sauce to use with them, but I'm coming up dry. I did, however, use some mint chutney (just a smidge), and it was tasty.

I will definitely be trying these again, thinning the batter out a little bit to see if I can make them more crepe-like in their density. Regardless, make these. They are delicious.

Makes 4 pancakes/crepes/whatever about 4 inches in diameter

What I used:

• 1/2 cup chickpea flour (also called besan flour)
• 2/3 cup water or slightly less
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 TB fresh cilantro, minced (or 1 TB dried)
• 2 tsp Earth Balance

What I did:

• Mix together the flour and water in a bowl until it's mostly lump-free. Add in the other ingredients (except the Earth Balance) and mix well. 
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add in 1/2 tsp of the Earth Balance.
• Once the butter melts, pour 1/4 cup of the chickpea mixture to the pan. When it starts to get air bubbles and the edges look dry, flip the pancake and cook another 2 minutes. 
• Repeat until all the butter and batter are used up.

My 1st Chia Smoothie

Alright, dudes. I decided to try adding chia seeds to a smoothie. It's supposed to add protein and essential fatty acids, so I thought, "Eh, why not?"

It turned out quite well and way more filling than I would've thought. I read that there are 3 ways to add chia to your smoothies:

• soak the seeds in liquid a few minutes to let it gel up and soften the seeds
• grind the seeds in a coffee grinder
• or add them straight when you start blending in the, well, blender

I took the soaking route. I was not wanting to have crunchy whole seeds in my smoothie. I soaked 1 TB of chia seeds in 1/2 cup of coconut milk for about 6 minutes while I was gathering the other ingredients. According to MyFitnessPal, this smoothie is 203 calories.

Here's what I used in my smoothie:

• 1 TB organic chia seeds
• 1/2 cup Silk coconut milk
• 1/4 cup organic blueberries
• 1/4 cup carrot (1 smallish carrot)
•  1/4 cup fresh pineapple
• 1/2 small banana
• handful of ice
• 1/4 cup water

Here's what I did:

1. Mix the seeds and coconut milk together in a small bowl and let sit at least 5 minutes for the seeds to soften and gel up.
2. Add all of the ingredients into the blender and blend on high until smooth. Leave out the water if you prefer a thick smoothie. 

Quinoa Avocado Toast

I've been on this big quinoa kick lately. I've discovered that I really love it, and not just "like" it. This is kind of a big deal. Like many people, I've been trying to move toward a healthier plant-based diet, as opposed to the way I had been eating. I have always been a sucker for the vegan convenience foods, and I'm trying to cut down on my processed food and increase my whole foods. And quinoa is really helping me get away from pasta and rice because it's packed with protein and fiber, along with some important nutrients. So, yeah, I'm digging it. It keeps me nice and full, which is great for me and keeps me from snacking on junk between meals. This breakfast has become my new favorite lately.

My pudgy little tootsies need a new pedicure.

I also just decided to give sprouted grain bread a chance. I've always been a fan of wheat and multi-grain breads, but this bread rocks! It's dense, but not too dense. It's a bit chewy and has a slightly nutty flavor that goes exceptionally well with the quinoa, which also has a nutty flavor. Back when I could eat nuts (and not break out in hives), I would toast up almonds and add them to quinoa for a bit of crunch. It was fantastic and I highly recommend it. But, now I'm a jealous bitch because you can eat nuts and I can't. Wow, that sounds naughty, but I didn't mean it that way. Get your head outta the gutter, foo!

Okay, so, here's how I made this delicious breakfast of awesomeness:
Serves 2.

What I used:

• 2 slices sprouted grain bread
• 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 slices tomato
• 2/3 medium-size avocado, mashed
• Herbamare seasoning

What I did:

1. Bring water to a boil in a small pot with lid. Once it's bubbling, stir in the quinoa. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium or medium low and let simmer 15 minutes. Fluff with fork.
2. In a bowl, mix mashed avocado with quinoa and season with a little Herbamare. 
3. Toast the bread. 
4. Slather the quinoa/avocado on the toast and then top with tomatoes. 
5. CHOW DOWN

This breakfast came at the suggestion of my very dear pal, Nicole of Nicole Eats. She's a tremendous inspiration in my cooking. Love ya, lady!

Lazy Breakfast - VeganMoFo #1

You caught me. I forgot to buy groceries for the start of Vegan MoFo. I spent yesterday tiling my kitchen and completely spaced the fact that MoFo started today. So, what I did was have a super lazy breakfast. I baked some canned crescent rolls (check labels, some are vegan). They aren't healthy by any means, but they are good in a crunch. I added some nuts for a few healthy fats. These were a Germack brand mix of salt and pepper pistachios and cashews (they're called Castachios).Germack is a local Detroit nut company that roasts stellar nuts. No joke. They rule.

Now, I have to get my ass in gear and get to work. Ah, the life of a librarian.

Happy MoFo 2012

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

I decided to start doing an occasional Wordless Wednesday post when I get busy. So, here's what I've been up to for the last week:

Flowers from one of my favorite library patrons.I have the BEST job ever.

Homemade baked falafel with lemon tahini sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veg.

Adorable tiny bird at my feeder having its dinner while I cooked mine.

The awesome pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting I made for a dear friend.

Zen at the park.

Walking the pup at the park.

I grilled some pineapple. First I soaked it in full-fat canned coconut milk, then I grilled it and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Spotted this little guy on a dandelion out behind my house.

Vegan sausage gravy and biscuits with bananas for breakfast. Hell yes.

Crappy picture of the fabulous nachos I had. 'Chos are my excuse to eat tons of guacamole.

Due to horrific storms, we went without electricity for 8 hours.

I discovered the awesomeness that is the Nature's Harvest dry roasted edamame. So Yum.

New Rollerblades...finally. It's been so many years since I skated. Yes, I skated through my neighborhood in my librarian clothes after work. It was awesome.

I couldn't resist. I wear it on my work badge.

Vegan Sausage Hashbrowns

If you come here often, you probably already know that I love hashbrowns. Who doesn't? Well, I decided the other day that I really needed hashbrowns, but I really wanted a little extra kick to it. What better way to make breakfast than to make it all in one dish? Dudes. Adding sausage to the hash was a stellar idea. I'm totally hooked on LightLife Gimme Lean Sausage, and find excuses to use it whenever possible (it just made an appearance on some pizza recently,too).

This is just a 1-person serving. You can do the math to double or triple the recipe. I'm feeling too lazy to do it for you. Come on, cut a chickpea some slack. I'm a hard-working librarian again.

What I used:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen hashbrowns (I use frozen to save me some time. Feel free to use fresh)
• 1/4 tube of Lightlife Gimme Lean sausage, broken into bite-sized pieces
• 2 TB diced bell pepper
• 3 TB diced onion
• pinch fennel seed, crushed
• pinch red pepper flake
• pinch sage
• pinch garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp oil 

What I did:

1.  Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add all the ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and peppers are soft, the sausage is browned, and the hashbrowns are golden. NOM NOM NOM

Cheesy Vegan Southwestern Hashbrowns

I am, and will always be, a fan of hashbrowns. This dish is no exception. Dudes, it was awesome. A little spicy, and packed with tastiness. Don't like hashbrowns? We can't be friends anymore. Sorry. I just can't comprehend someone disliking potatoes. It goes against everything I stand for! So, suck it up and tuck into a tasty southwestern breffast. Do it.

Makes enough for 2 as a main.

What I used:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked potato hashbrowns
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1/4 bell pepper
• 2/3 cup chunky salsa
• 1 tsp taco seasoning (I make my own blend)
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 TB oil
• 1/4 cup Daiya cheddar (I know the pepperjack would be even better)
• salt and pepper

What I did:

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Saute the onion, pepper and garlic for a few minutes. 
2. When your onions are almost translucent, add the potatoes.  You may need to add a little more oil to keep it from sticking to the pan. Cook, stirring regularly for about 8 minutes. Add in the beans, corn, seasoning and salsa. Mix well. Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until the potatoes start browning.
3. Remove from heat and fold in the cheese. Chow down.

Latest Addiction: Vegan Sausage Gravy

There are few things I like better than comfort food on a cold winter's day, and what's more comforting than biscuits and gravy? I've been wanting to veganize a sausage gravy for years, but I was scared of fake sausage because I never could eat the chunks of real sausage in the gravy. Okay, okay, I was a weirdo. I liked the taste of the sausage gravy, but not the sausage, itself. I had some serious food texture issues when it came to meat. So, you can understand my hesitation to try something that had the potential for weirdness. But, my dearest pals, I have created a success. You should totally make this ASAP!!!

What I used:

• 2 1/4 cups almond milk
• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 7 ounces vegan sausage, its about half a tube. Then break into small chunks. (I used LightLife Gimme Lean- click here)
• 3 1/2 TB flour
• 1 TB coconut oil or your preferred cooking oil
• 2 TB Earth Balance or other vegan butter
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp fennel seed, partially crushed between your fingers
• salt to taste
• lots of pepper

What I did:

1. Heat a high-sided skillet (nonstick works best, take my word for it-- I've made it a lot of times) over medium heat. Add the coconut oil. Once hot, add the onion and crumbled sausage along with the red pepper flakes, sage and fennel seed. Stir regularly until the onions are transparent and the sausage is lightly browned. Once that is done, remove from heat and put in a bowl. 
2. Now, return the skillet to the burner with the earth balance and the flour. Mix into a golden paste (aka- roux). Then slowly whisk in the milk. Use your whisk to scrape the bottom of the pan, loosening up the roux along with the little crusty bits from the onion and sausage. Add some salt and pepper to the milky mix. The cooking of the gravy will take 12-15 minutes total and requires a LOT of whisking. Once it starts to bubble, add in the sausage. Now you will want to whisk pretty much non-stop until it reaches your desired thickness. You don't even have to mix fast, just continually, so no milk or flour burns to the bottom of the pot. Also, the constant whisking keeps it from getting lumpy. Note to remember: gravy thickens more after it is removed from the heat, so once it gets pretty thick (mine took 13 minutes), remove the pot from the burner.
3. Let rest a few minutes to let the gravy thicken a bit more and generally get more awesome. It should look something like this (pardon the poor lighting in this one)

Now, You can serve it up however you want, but I definitely recommend biscuits. You are going to flip for this gravy.

My Wintry Morning

This is what I woke up to. Kind of beautiful...unless you have no soul (in which case I wonder why you bother visiting a vegan website in the first place). Really. Why would you even bother?

This is the first snow of the year and I'm totally giddy for it. By February, I'll be over it, but for now, I just want to enjoy it.

Anyway, cold, snowy mornings always make me hungry for a hot breakfast. So, I remedied that situation by making this:

Chelsea waffles from Vegan Brunch (altered, of course) and some oniony, mushroomy, cheesy hashbrowns.

You can tell that I love my hashbrowns. I could eat them pretty much every single day without complaint. The Chelsea waffles from Vegan Brunch were altered because I didn't have all the ingredients in the recipe. It calls for barley malt syrup, which is ridiculously expensive around here, so I subbed in maple syrup. It also calls for canola oil, but I used coconut instead. Ever since I first tried these waffles, they have been my favorite. I've probably made them 15 or more times. I usually make a full batch so I can freeze the rest for quick breakfasts later on. They're awesome popped in the toaster and topped with a good slather of Earth Balance. Mmmm, dudes. I know I always talk about Vegan Brunch, but for real, YOU NEED THIS COOKBOOK. Best cookbook purchase I've ever made.

Here's the rest of my lovely snow photos from this morning.

OMG Hashbrowns

I woke up with an angry belly demanding food...NOW! Well, dudes, I just cleaned out my freezer last night (it was long overdue) and discovered that I still had half a bag of hashbrowns hiding in there. Does anyone else put stuff in the freezer intending to use it, and forget about it for months? I'm trying hard to knock that off because I hate wasting food. But, we shall see. Oh, yeah, so I found the hashbrowns. I am one of those people that loves potatoes...always have always will...and you can't make me change. So there.

Well, as I already mentioned, I woke up super hungry, so I took matters into my little paws and made a very tasty little (okay, okay, the pile of hashbrowns was quite sizeable) breakfast.  You can probably add any veggies you want, but had some broccoli left over from making Chickpea Broccoli Casserole yesterday, so I used some broccoli. Along with that, I added some fresh mushrooms and red onion I had in the fridge.

I'm not sure if you have ever been to Waffle House, but they are kind of famous for their hashbrowns. There, you can add all sorts of stuff to them, including meats (blech) and chili, along with several veggies, fungi and cheese. Having always been a fan of customizable hashbrowns, I took a page from their book. So, my kitchen became a vegan Waffle House this morning. And it was good. Very good. I think the only thing that could have made it better would be if someone else had cooked it for me. But, such is life.

These hashbrowns are ridiculously easy to make. And they take very little time. My version below makes 1 giant serving or 2 average size ones. Don't judge- I ate it all by my lonesome and I am stuffed.

What I used:

• 2 cups frozen hashbrowns
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup broccoli cut into tiny florets so they cook faster
• 3 white mushrooms, chopped small
• 1 1/2 TB coconut oil (or other oil)
• salt and lots of pepper

What I did:

1. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once melted and hot, add the broccoli and onion. Cook about 4 minutes. Then add the mushrooms. Cook another 3 minutes. 
2. Add the frozen hashbrowns, stir well to coat with the little bit of oil that remains. Cook about 3 minutes, then stir in the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed. Then, flatten the hashbrowns down into the pan and let cook until browned to your liking. You can add more oil, if you need to. 

See! Too easy. And dogs love it too. Check out Daisy waiting patiently for them to get done (she likes potato, but not veggies....silly girl).

Here's what I made this day last year: Vegan Pierogies!! <--Click Me!

Chocolate Chip Scones a la Vegan Brunch - Vegan MoFo #20

Chocolate Chip Scones! OMFG! These are yet another reason that I absolutely must insist that you buy Vegan Brunch by Ms. Isa Chandra Moskowitz. We are completely in love with these buggers. They're perfectly crispy abound the edge and soft and flaky inside. They go perfectly with some vegan butter and a glass of cold almond milk.

I halved the recipe, making 6 huge scones. I used almond milk, butter flavor shortening, and coconut oil instead of the soy, plain shortening and canola oil, respectively. Mucho, mucho awesome.

Vegan Brunch is absolutely, hands down my most used cookbook. Do you really need another reason to buy this book already? I swear, I feel like I'm always trying to convince you guys. I'm like a crazed vegan cookbook pusher. Just do it.

Biscuit Queen - Vegan MoFo #9

I am the queen of the simple drop biscuit. See photo above if you don't believe me.

If there is one thing I loathe, it's having to roll out, well, anything. Even pizza dough just gets smooshed down with my bare hands. I hate rolling pins and I hate rolling. Thus, the drop biscuit is king in my world. You just mix some stuff together and use a fork to flop it out onto a baking sheet. I don't have an exact recipe...and I don't use the recommendation on the box. I know when the dough is perfect based on appearance and texture. I've been making these for 20 years, so I know what I'm doing. Sheesh, that makes me sound old. The fact is, that I am only 30, but I started making drop biscuits when I was a kid.

I can't really even classify this as a recipe, since I use no actual measurements. I use about 2 cups of Bisquick. Put it in a mixing bowl. Then add almond milk, maybe 1/2 cup...I don't know. I just keep mixing/combining with a fork until I see no dry spots. For perfect biscuits, you want a stiff dough that's not wet. If it's too wet, add a bit more Bisquick. It's so easy. Heat your oven to 440 degrees F (yes, 440). Cook about 10 minutes on the middle rack. The edges and peaks will be lightly browned. Now slather it with vegan butter and some jam or honey. This batch should make at least 6 biscuits.

See, it's easy. And delicious.

Tasty-Ass Hashbrowns - Vegan MoFo #7

Mmm. Yup. Hashbrowns. Don't ask me why I never made them before. I honestly don't know. I always just went to a diner and got them whenever I had a craving. But, the diner version has never been as tasty as these turned out to be. Maybe it's because these were made with love? Or maybe it was the coconut oil. That's probably more likely the case. Whatever, they are super easy and super tasty. In part of the batch, I mixed in some Daiya cheddar shreds and it was lovely. You need these potatoes. Like, now. Enough chatter. On to the recipe!
Serves 3-4 as a side or 2 as a main dish.

What you need:

• 1/2 bag frozen shredded potatoes (you could probably use fresh, but I don't know)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 4 cremini/baby bella mushrooms, sliced and chopped
• 2 TB coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper
• vegan cheese (optional)

What you do:

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil and let it melt.
2. Add the onion and bell pepper and let cook about 3 minutes. 
3. Add the shredded potatoes and mix around to get the oil on the potatoes. Add in the spices and stir again. 
4. I cooked mine about 8 minutes, added mushrooms and stirred it up. Cook another 6-8 minutes. The potatoes were just a little browned. If you want them crunchier, cook them longer. Add cheese in the last few minutes of cooking so it will melt, but not burn. 

See how easy that was?

Vegan Bisquick Waffles! - Vegan MoFo #6

Some days, a girl just need waffles. Today is that day!

I usually make waffles with nuts or fruit of some sort, but I wanted plain waffles today. Sometimes they're better than the fancy ones. You may be mega-cool and already know, but Bisquick is vegan. I was overjoyed to find out as I always loved making their drop biscuits. I bought a giant 5-pound box recently. Hey, don't you judge me! This stuff is awesome. You can make so much with it. I just realized this morning that the box shows waffles. Well, once I saw that, I knew I had to give it a shot.

I finally stumbled on a jar of coconut oil a few days ago, I was overjoyed to get to put it to use in these.  Worked perfectly, if I say so myself.

The recipe is straight from their box, but I veganized it. Maybe next time I'll some pecans....mmmm.....
This will make 4 or 5 6-inch waffles. 

What you need:

• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 1 1/3 cups almond milk
• 2 TB oil (I used coconut)
• 1 flax egg (1 TB ground flax mixed with 2 1/2 TB warm water)
• cooking spray

What you do:

1. Preheat your waffle maker.
2. Use a whisk to mix all ingredients until just combined.
3. Spritz your waffle maker with some cooking spray, and scoop batter into the center of the iron and close the lid. Don't be that person that opens it too soon and ruins the waffle. Wait for the beep. Maybe yours doesn't beep? Hmm. Then wait until the waffle maker stops steaming.

That's it. Was that so hard? Now smother it in butter and some syrup and you'll be all set.

Pumpkin Pancakes a la Vegan Brunch

Pumpkin pancakes, eh? Hmmm. I don't know about that. I'm not a huge pumpkin lover. I am, however, a huge pancake lover. Wait, that sounds like I'm huge. I'm not. I'm actually quite short. I think what I mean to say is that I love pancakes in a major way. Yeah, that sounds better...although a little pervy. Whatever. The point is that I wanted comfort food in pancake form. I also wanted something different than the basic pancake, so I grabbed Vegan Brunch, which just so happens to be my most-used cookbook ever. I flipped right open to the pumpkin pancake page. I was at first appalled, then curious, then obsessed. Adding pumpkin to a pancake seemed blasphemous and wrong, but I shun society's norms and flipped "the man" the bird. I made the pancakes. And they were heavenly.

These pancakes are yet another reason that you need to buy Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Every single recipe I've made has been a complete and total hit. I've never experienced that with any cookbook before. I'd love to share the recipe with you, but it isn't mine to share. Maybe you want to check your local public library before you take the plunge...Or maybe you are brave and adventurous and want to jump right into buying it. Either way, I don't think you could possibly be disappointed.

The only alterations I made to the standard recipe were:

• I was out of canola oil, so I melted 2 TB of Earth Balance instead.
• I added chopped walnuts to half of the batch, and I am so glad I did. I love me some nuts.

They were awesome plain. They were extra awesome with a smidge of Earth Balance smeared on top. I am told they are super extra awesome maple syrup, but I hate how syrup makes pancakes soggy, so I abstain.

As for eating the rainbow, I'll make up for the lack of colors later when I eat my salad. These pancakes only have 1 color:
Orange- Pumpkin puree

Now, buy the book already. I would lend you mine, but I know your type: you'd never give it back.

Blueberry muffins...an experiment in veganizing

This Saturday, I purchased a heaping pint of blueberries from the farmer's market for $3.00, and I've been munching them the last few days, noticing last night that they were starting to get a little soft. So, what is a chickpea to do when she still has about a cup of blueberries left? She makes muffins. I've made them before, but it's been ages, so I started looking around online. Sadly, none of the vegan ones were looking all that great. I found this basic muffin recipe from the King Arthur Flours website and decided I needed to veganize it. The result? Yum. Maybe next time I'll add a little streusel, but this time, I went basic. I wanted to make sure the recipe translated into a tasty muffin on it's own. It did! So damn tasty. Or, maybe it's just that I haven't had bloob muffins in a really looooong time. Whatever the case, they rocked, especially with a little Earth Balance slathered on.

In addition to this tasty muffin, I learned a couple tricks from their website.

• Add the fruit to the dry ingredients so they don't fall to the bottom while baking. Totally worked.
• Turn the heat super high during the pre-heat, then once you put the muffins in the oven, drop the temp. This will make your muffin tops rise rounded.
• Oils aren't necessary to the muffin, but I added half to keep them moist. 

I did alter the recipe slightly, as veganizing requires one to do. Plus I added a different extract instead of lemon. So, without further ado, here is my altered version of the King Arthur Basic Muffin Recipe.

Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour (or just cut the wheat and use all unbleached. Whatever)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 TB oil or melted butter (optional)
• scant 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• scant 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 flax egg (1 TB ground flax, 3 TB warm water mixed and set aside 3-5 minutes to thicken)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (you might be able to use frozen, but I haven't tried)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 500 (yes, 500) degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 6 liners and set aside.
2. Mix your flax egg in a small bowl and set aside. Then, in a large liquid measuring cup add the milk and vinegar and set aside to "curdle." This makes a version of buttermilk. Let set 3-4 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until it looks homogenous. Now gently stir in the blueberries. 
4. In a bowl, combine your egg, milk, extracts and oil. 
5. Add the wet bowl to the dry and stir until just combined. Some chunks are okay!
6. I used a 1/4 cup scoop to fill the muffin papers 3/4 of the way full. Then put them in the oven on the middle shelf. Once you close the door, turn the temp down to 400 degrees F.

7. Bake about 18 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You know that, though. Let them cool about 5 minutes otherwise you'll burn yourself on those hot blue orbs. Not that I'd know anything about that.......

Spicy Tofu Scramble

I've been told I'm a rare breed of veg...I don't especially love tofu, in general. But, I'm making an attempt to try more ways of cooking and eating it. Thus, the spicy tofu scramble. I ate mine with some hot salsa and flour tortillas like a breakfast taco/burrito. They were incredibly tasty. I've only made tofu a couple of times, so I am always surprised when I have success with it. Lame, I know. I can't help it. I just have texture issues, but a very thorough pressing does help with that. I simply cannot enjoy juicy tofu. Blarg. Moving on....

I love food with a kick, and that's what I was really craving today. I used a little bit of everything in this scramble as I had lots of odds and ends in my fridge that needed to be used up. Really, you could probably use any veggies you want. I don't have an exact recipe for this one. Fly by the seat of your pants, live a little. Be creative. Make it yours.

This pseudo recipe make enough for 4 little tacos or 2 big burritos. I only say pseudo because I'm not certain of the measurements. I just kind of threw things together without much thought.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 block tofu, pressed, then crumbled with your fingers or a fork
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 TB green pepper, diced
• 4 cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 roma tomato, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp my taco seasoning (or your favorite brand)
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flake
• salt & pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil

Method:

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and heat for 2-3 minutes. Add in the onion, green pepper, garlic and tofu along with all of the spices. Stir well to coat the tofu in spices and oil. Cook about 5 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are softened, which took me about 4minutes. Don't forget to stir regularly though so that everything cooks evenly.
3. When it is pretty much done, add in the chopped tomato and cook until heated through. Maybe 3-4 minutes. Any longer and it will pretty much disintegrate the tomatoes. Serve on tortillas and top with some warmed salsa. I just put mine in a tiny ramekin and heat in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Mmm mmm. So tasty and spicy.

Raised Waffles a la Vegan Brunch

One of my most beloved breakfast foods has to be the humble waffle. You can add all sorts of spices, nuts and fruits, and it pretty much always tastes lovely. You should know now, though, that I am a waffle outcast. I just can't bring myself to put syrup on my waffles. There is the rare occasion where I will dip a bite or two in some maple syrup. But, as I said, it is rare. But, feel free to drown your sorrows in syrup.

While we are talking about my favorite things, let me mention my most-used cookbook as of late: Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I've tried quite a few of the recipes and they were all a success! And, I never feel like I need to alter her recipes. That's where these waffles came from. They're called Raised Waffles because they use yeast for leavening instead of baking soda/powder. They do take a little time to let rise, about 45 minutes, or you can let them rise in your fridge overnight. I haven't tried the overnight rise yet, so I can't really comment on that. Today was the second day in a row that I've made these waffles. We absolutely LOVE them at my house. There's just something wonderful about them. They're nice and light inside with a bit of a crispy outside. SO SO SOOOOO good.

One of Ms. Moskowitz's recommendations is to add some chopped pecans to the batter just before cooking, so I tried that for part of my batch. It was really good. But, I like the plain waffle with a little vegan butter the best. Maybe next time I'll add some fruit. Who knows. But, I do know that this is definitely one of my all-time favorite waffle recipes ever. The recipe is on page 98 of the excellent Vegan Brunch.

For all of the recipes I've tried so far, I give the book a 4.5 out of 5. I love it. Snag a copy at your public library or local bookstore. And, by the way, no one has sponsored this post. I just wanted to share my love for my recent fave cookbook.

Vegan Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits made VEGAN? Hell yes. I may have mentioned this already, but I ordered the giant 5lb bag of Daiya cheddar from Vegan Essentials recently because I loathe driving 80 miles roundtrip to WholeFoods just to buy it. So, as I was digging through my fridge this morning trying to decide what to make for breakfast, I saw a baggie of cheddar calling my name (lightbub over my head). I had been really wanting to try to make a vegan cheddar garlic biscuit, so I did. And I can say this with absolute confidence: I rocked this recipe. The only way you won't like it is if you're a complete hater of Daiya. In which case, we can no longer be friends. Sorry. End of the road.

When it comes to cooking pet peeves, I hate rolling out doughs of any kind, so I made these biscuits "drop biscuits." Sort of amoeba-like, they're free-form, kick-ass yumminess. I suppose you could use some fresh garlic, though I don't really know how that would turn out. Don't blame me if it's shitty...I tried to warn you. Though I highly recommend melting the butter and some garlic salt (not powder) and brushing it over the cooked biscuits. So good. And kind of like the old-school cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster, which was the only thing I ever ate there when I was younger. Now you know the story, get to work. Make these biscuits.

Makes 4 large biscuits....and I'm not ashamed to admit that I ate 2.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plus 1 TB all-purpose flour (unbleached, of course)
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 TB butter flavored shortening
• scant 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup Daiya cheddar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Optional ingredients for glazing the tops:
• 1 TB vegan butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic SALT

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 430 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper
2. Pour the milk and vinegar into a measuring cup and let sit about 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, start step 3.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and shortening. Use a fork or pastry cutter to mix until the shortening pieces are no larger than pea-size.
4. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and no dry spots remain. Then, gently fold the cheese into the dough. The dough should be kind of sticky, yet firm. It will want to stay in one big piece.
5. Use a fork and scoop out the batter into 4 equal-sized chunks on the baking sheet. 

6. Bake on middle rack for 14-18 minutes. The biscuits will be lightly browned around the edges and bottom. 
7. Then, melt the butter and garlic salt in a tiny bowl in your microwave. Mix well and brush it on the tops of the biscuits, if you feel like it. I highly recommend it.

Well, what are you waiting for? Make them already! Don't make me tell you again *fist shake*