Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

This AMAZING recipe is a combination of cinnamon roll recipes from Forks Over Knives and VegNews Magazine.  It's a lot of trouble, but totally worth it for a special occasion.

Ingredients:
1 cup unflavored plant milk, warmed
1 pkg active dry yeast
4 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1⁄2 cup mashed potatoes (nothing but potatoes, cooked and mashed)
1⁄3 cup + 1 T. maple syrup, divided
2 T. ground flaxseed
1⁄2 t. + 1⁄3 t. salt, divided
4 T. room temperature vegan butter, divided
2 apples, peeled and petite-diced
10 T. granulated sugar, divided
3⁄4 t. + 3 T. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1⁄4 cup unflavored plant milk

Method:
1. In a large bowl combine 1 c. warm milk and yeast; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 c. flour, potatoes, 1/3 c maple syrup, flaxseed, and 1/2 t. salt. Measure 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, and stir in as much of this flour as you can. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining measured all-purpose flour to make a soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (1½ to 1¾ hours).

2. In a skillet, melt 1 T butter over medium heat. Add apple and 1 T. maple syrup. Saute until very soft, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. For the streusel topping, combine 6 T. granulated sugar, 5 T. all-purpose flour, 3/4 t. cinnamon, and 1/3 t. salt. Add 3 T. room-temp butter, and toss with 2 forks until mixture appears crumbly.

4. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, cover with a towel, and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/4 granulated sugar, and 3 T. cinnamon. Roll dough into a 13 x 20-inch rectangle. Brush 2 T. melted butter over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar mixture (It will seem like a lot.) and layer with cooked apples, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel topping over the apples.

5. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. With long end toward you, roll dough toward unfilled border evenly into a log. With seam side down, use a sharp knife to cut log into 12 equal pieces. Place rolls, cut side up, into prepared pan in 4 rows of 3, leaving some space between rolls.

6. Brush top of dough with some plant-based milk and sprinkle with remaining streusel topping. Pat down gently to adhere to dough.

AT THIS POINT: If you are preparing the night before, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Remove from fridge the next morning and continue.

7. Place pan in a warm part of the kitchen covered with a towel for a 2nd rise, 45 minutes-1 hour or until rolls have expanded. Preheat oven to 375 while rolls rise.

8. When rolls have risen, bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow rolls to cool for 10 minutes before glazing. While rolls cool, whisk confectioner's sugar with 1/4 c. plant-based milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over rolls and serve.

Fantastic Salad

A lovely, easy rainbow salad brought to you by me...

Ingredients:
pre-washed, packaged spring mix
chopped red cabbage
shredded carrots (I buy the packaged, pre-shredded kind when I'm super busy.)
roasted red peppers, chopped (Make sure there is no sugar in the brand you buy.  I use Mezetta.)
yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
canned red beans, rinsed and drained
vinaigrette dressing (homemade or your favorite brand)
pepitas (These are hulled pumpkin seeds.  I buy them in bulk at Whole Foods.)
pepperoncini peppers

fancy crackers, for serving (I like La Panzanella's rosemary crackers.)

Method:
Using amounts suitable to you, combine the spring mix, chopped red cabbage, shredded carrots, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and red beans in a salad bowl.  Toss with a small amount of vinaigrette.  Top with pepitas and serve with pepperoncini peppers and fancy crackers.

Cornbread Dressing

I know I'm posting this too late for Thanksgiving (this year), but here's something you can make for Christmas.  Vegans, I'm sorry this isn't vegan...it's got eggs.  However, I don't see why you couldn't use Ener-G's Egg Replacer in the cornbread recipe (here), and I KNOW you can skip the eggs in this recipe.  The dressing might not be as firm, but it will taste just fine.
The foundation of this recipe is from Irma Rombauer's Joy of Cooking with plenty of tweaks.  The cornbread recipe is from my sweet grandma.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. plus 2 T. canola oil, separated
1 recipe of cornbread (recipe here)
1 T. plus 1.5 t. dried sage
2 c. chopped onions
1 c. finely chopped celery
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
 3 c. vegetable broth/stock, separated
2 eggs, beaten, optional

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Pour 2 T. canola oil into a 9" x 13" baking dish, and use a paper towel to coat the dish with the oil.

Using clean hands, crumble the cornbread in a large bowl to the desired texture. (I like mine very crumbly, so I have almost no chunks in it when I'm preparing it.)  Mix the sage into the crumbled cornbread so that it is evenly distributed.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 c. canola oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onions and celery until the vegetables are soft.  Stir the salt and pepper into the vegetables, then stir the vegetables into the crumbled cornbread so that they are evenly distributed.

Mix 2 cups vegetable broth/stock and the eggs, if using, into the cornbread mixture, 1/2 c. at a time, so that the mixture is uniformly moistened.  Spread the mixture evenly in the oiled baking dish, and pour the remaining 1 cup vegetable broth/stock evenly over the top.  The pan will look very moist; this is normal.

Bake for 45 minutes, and serve hot.

Fried Green Tomato Biscuit Sandwiches

After bringing in all our green tomatoes last week to save them from the impending frost, I had this fantastic and fantastically Southern breakfast of fried green tomatoes (recipe here) and gravy (recipe here) on biscuit (recipe here) sandwiches.  Too delicious!

Tempeh Breakfast Sandwich

I am not really a huge fan of traditional breakfast fare.  Too starchy, meaty, eggy, or sweet, in general, for my tastes.  Don't get me wrong, I love homemade biscuits (I'm from the Southern U.S., so I have them nearly every weekend.  Recipe here.), and I definitely want pancakes or waffles every once in a while, but usually I'm looking for something off the beaten path.

One of my new favorites is this breakfast sandwich, which I guess you could really eat at any meal.  It's filling and tasty!  Fry up the whole package of tempeh, and you'll have sandwich fixin's for the week.

Ingredients:

canola oil

soy sauce

smoked paprika

tempeh (I love the Lightlife "Garden Veggie" variety.), cut into 1/4-inch strips

bagel

avocado slices

roasted red peppers (from a jar or from your grocer's olive bar)

Method:

In a non-stick skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat.  Add soy sauce and smoked paprika to taste, then add the strips of tempeh.  Fry the tempeh until browned on the bottom, then flip and fry the other side until browned as well.  Remove from pain and drain on paper towels.
NOTE:  I usually fry up a whole 8-oz. package of tempeh at a time, which takes about 3 T. canola oil and maybe 1/2 t. of soy sauce and a heaping 1/4 t. smoked paprika.  I'm guessing, but the amounts are flexible.

Toast both halves of the bagel in a toaster.  Sandwich tempeh strips with avocado slices and roasted red pepper, and enjoy.

Apricot Oatmeal Muffins

I found this healthy recipe online at the Betty Crocker website while looking for something to do with the dried apricots I'd bought as a snack for Scott.  He didn't like them as much as the dried mangoes we had previously.  But after I chopped them up in muffins, everyone likes them!

 

 Ingredients:

3/4 c. AP flour

1/2 c. plus 1 T. old-fashioned oats, separated

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 egg (Vegans can use Ener-G's Egg Replacer product.)

1/2 c. packed brown sugar (I love brown sugar!)

1/3 c. plant-based milk

3 T. canola oil

1/2 t. almond extract

1/3 c. finely chopped dried apricots

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease only the bottoms of SIX regular-sized muffin cups OR line them with paper baking cups.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, 1/2 c. oats, baking powder, and salt.  In a small bowl, beat the egg (or replacer).  Mix the brown sugar, plant-based milk, canola oil, and almond extract together with the egg (or replacer).  Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until the flour is just moistened.  Fold in the apricots.

Divide the muffin mixture evenly between the SIX muffin cups.  Sprinkle each with 1/2 t. oats.

Bake 23 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Remove from pan to cooling rack.  Serve warm.  Makes six healthy muffins.

Tofu Cubans

I got this excellent Cuban recipe from Food Network magazine...and no, I didn't substitute the tofu for something else.  Their recipe called for it!  Although I was a little skeptical about the combination of the ingredients, these sandwiches were so good last night that we're having them again for lunch today.  YUM.

Ingredients:

1 14-oz. pkg extra-firm tofu, well drained (Not the silken kind.  I like to freeze my tofu for 24 hours, then thaw it.  It improves the texture.)
1.5 T. canola oil
1 small onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

juice of one orange

4 small hoagie rolls, split

1/4 c. yellow or stone-ground mustard (optional)

2/3 c. roasted red peppers, drained

1/2 kosher dill pickle, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

Method:

Squeeze the excess moisture out of the block of tofu.  Lay the tofu on a cutting board and cut into 8 equal slices.

Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion is translucent.  Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.

Add the tofu slices to the iron skillet and pour the orange juice evenly over the tofu. Salt to taste.  Turn the heat to medium-high, and cook until the tofu is golden, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side.  Remove the tofu from the pan.  Turn heat back down to medium.

Spread the cut sides of the rolls with mustard, if using. Sandwich each prepared roll with 1/4 of the peppers, pickle, tofu, and onion mixture.  Working in batches, add the sandwiches to the hot cast-iron skillet, then top with another heavy skillet to flatten.  Cook until golden brown, 2 - 3 minutes per side.  Serve warm.
(I admit, sometimes I skip cooking the whole sandwich and just layer the onion/garlic mixture, tofu, pepper, and pickle on the roll and get chomping!)

Serves 4.

Cornbread Pancakes

Cornbread without having to make an entire skillet of cornbread!  This is perfect for me and Scott so we don't have to struggle to eat an entire skillet of cornbread between just 2 people before it goes bad.  This recipe came from www.simpledailyrecipes.com, and I made only minimal adjustment to the post.  And, oh yeah, it's vegan!  Woot!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. yellow cornmeal (not cornbread mix)

1/2 c. unbleached AP flour

2 1/4 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

3/4 c. plant-based milk

2 T. canola oil

1 T. white vinegar

1 T. vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance brand.)

Method:

In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together.  Add the milk, oil, and vinegar and stir until mixed.

Heat a griddle (I use cast iron.) over medium heat.  Put 1 t. vegan margarine on the griddle and melt to coat.  Add 1/4 c. of the batter to the griddle, and cook 1 - 2 minutes (until golden on the bottom and dry-ish on top), then flip.  Cook until the other side is golden and the cake is cooked through.  Repeat with remaining batter, refreshing the melted margarine as needed.  Serve hot.

Makes 5 - 6 pancakes.  Doubles easily.

Stuffed Zucchini

Here is a timely, seasonal recipe from Food Network magazine: stuffed zucchini!  We had this last night with lemony couscous, chickpeas, and steamed carrots.  A lovely Mediterranean meal!

 

 

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini

salt, to taste

1/3 c. panko bread crumbs

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 c. mixed chopped fresh herbs (I used 3 T. fresh oregano and 1 T. fresh lemon balm.)

2 T. chopped walnuts

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 T. olive oil

freshly-ground pepper, to taste.

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

 

Split the zucchini lengthwise.  Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and make a cavity for the filling.  Season the zucchini shells with salt.

 

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, tomato, herbs, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon this filling into the zucchini shells and place in a baking dish sized to hold all 4 shells.

 

Bake 25 - 30 minutes, then serve warm.  Serves 4 as a side dish.

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Yesterday I set out to make some muffins for breakfast, and I thought I'd make the cranberry pumpkin muffins I previously posted (recipe here).  However, when I started getting out all the ingredients and getting everything ready, I just felt like it was too heavy, too autumn if you will.  I was feeling more spring.  My eyes noticed the poppy seeds in my spice cabinet, and the thought of lemon poppy seed muffins really fit the bill:  I had a fridge full of lemons, my muffin papers are the colors of easter eggs, and the flavor had a spring-like profile.  Done!

This recipe is based on the one in the quintessential cookbook Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker.  They were totally delicious.

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder (try to find aluminum-free baking powder)

1/2 t. salt

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1.5 T. poppy seeds

2 large eggs (vegans could use Ener-G Egg Replacer), lightly beaten

1 c. plant-based milk

1/3 c. brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. plus 3 T. canola oil

1 t. almond extract

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 T. grated lemon zest

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Either grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line the tins with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and poppy seeds.

In another medium bowl, mix the eggs (or Egg Replacer), plant-based milk, brown sugar, canola oil, almond extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Stir until JUST MIXED, keeping the stirring to a minimum.  Too much mixing will make the muffins heavy, so the batter will be (and should be) lumpy.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.  Bake about 20 minutes or until muffins are golden.

Soft Pretzels

Scott recently made some soft pretzels, and I think they would be PERFECT for your gameday party on Sunday.  He used an easy recipe from the 75th anniversary edition of Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker.  Scott and I both highly recommend this cookbook.  Check out his delicious results, below!

 

 

Ingredients:

1 c. warm water (105 - 115 degrees F), separated

2 1/4 t. active dry yeast (1 envelope)

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. vegan margarine, melted (I like to use Earth Balance brand.)

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 T. plus 1 t. baking soda

coarse salt

 

Method:

In a large bowl, combine 1/2 c. warm water and the yeast.  Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

 

Add flour, margarine, sugar, and 1/2 t. salt.  Mix this by hand while slowly pouring in the other 1/2 c. warm water.  Stir for a minute, adding more water if needed to make a moist but not sticky dough.  Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat it with oil.  Loosely cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 - 1.5 hours.

 

Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 - 12 pieces, depending on how thick you want the pretzels.  (The recipe calls for 12 pieces, which is what Scott made.)  On an unfloured work surface, roll each piece into a ball.  Loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

 

Grease 2 baking sheets.  Roll each ball int an 18-inch-long rope, working from the center outward and slightly tapering the ends.  To form the pretzels, lift the ends of the rope and bring them to meet at the 12 o'clock position, forming an oval.  Twist the 2 ends once or twice around one another about 3 inches from the ends, then fold back down over the oval pressing the twist at the 6 o'clock position of the oval.  Place the pretzels on the baking sheets, cover, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in volume, about 35 minutes.

 

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Bring 8 cups of water plus the baking soda to boil in a large pot or Dutch oven, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Using a slotted spoon, gently slide one or more pretzels into the simmering water.  Simmer for 30 seconds, then flip over and continue to simmer until puffed, approximately 30 more seconds.  Returned to greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt to taste.

 

Once all the pretzels have been boiled and salted, bake until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes.

 

Makes 8 - 12 pretzels.

Vegan Southern-Style Biscuits with Vegetarian Sausage

I previously posted the recipe for vegan Southern-style biscuits (link here).  Scott loves it when I serve them with Morningstar Farms vegetarian sausage.  Unfortunately, the sausage is not vegan, but if you put vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance vegan margarine.) and/or fruit preserves on them, it is still delicious!  You can serve them with pan-fried potatoes for a REAL Southern breakfast, vegan-style.

Olive Oil and Black Pepper Toasts

This recipe is RIDICULOUSLY easy to be so delicious.  Perfect with an Italian meal...

I don't think I really got it from anywhere, but maybe I did.  I don't remember, but if I did, I'm glad I did!

Ingredients:
French bread
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat the broiler of your oven.

Slice the French bread to the desired width.  Pour extra-virgin olive oil into a plate.  Put one cut side of each slice into the oil, then place on a baking sheet, oil side up.  Grind black pepper over the oiled tops.

Broil until the toasts reach the desired brownness.  Watch them carefully, because once they start browning, they brown fast!

Bruschetta

It's so hot recently that there are days I can barely stand to turn on the oven or stove to prepare a meal.  This bruschetta is the perfect answer on those days.  I do have to turn on the stove, but only briefly.  Plus, it uses the produce that is so perfectly in season right now.  It's easy to think of this is a light dinner (and I often do), but it's definitely not low-cal due to all the olive oil.  It does, however, have a lot of health benefits.  Check out the benefits of eating garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes when you get a chance.  You'll be impressed.  And now, on to the recipe, which was inspired by a scene in Julie and Julia where "Julie" is making some delicious-looking bruschetta for dinner.

Ingredients:
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus approx. 1/4 c. more for frying the bread
1/4 c. onion or shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 - 5 fresh tomatoes, cored and chopped (I'd say 3 if you're using slicer tomatoes or 5 if you're using Roma-style tomatoes.)
1 T. fresh basil, minced
salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
1/2 baguette, sliced on a long diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Method:
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion or shallot, and sauté until the onion is translucent (5 - 8 minutes, approximately).  Add the garlic, and sauté a minute more.  Add the tomatoes and sauté until heated through but still in chunks.  Stir in the basil, and add salt and pepper, to taste.  (I season generously.)  Remove the tomato mixture to a serving bowl.

In the same skillet, add 2 T. olive oil and maintain a medium flame.  Add a generous amount of freshly-ground black pepper, then arrange the slices of bread in the oil.  Allow the bread to brown on the lower side, then turn each slice over to brown the other side.  When you turn the bread over, it may be necessary to add more olive oil and pepper.

Remove the toasted bread to dinner plates.  (This usually serves 2 in our house, but that may be more or less in yours.  Hey, to each their own!)  Spoon the warm tomato mixture over the toasted bread, and enjoy.

NOTE:  If I have leftover tomato mixture after dinner, I might save it for a snack.  Spoon it over buttered (vegan-margarined, really) slices of baguette bread with extra black pepper.  Just stand over the sink to catch the juices, and delight in your messy, delicious snack!

Mayonnaise Rolls

Did that title get your attention?  Mayonnaise rolls sound like strange things, indeed, no?  Well, they are actually quite delicious, and this is one thing I use mayonnaise for even though I don't like mayonnaise, per se.  The rolls go really well with a soul food-type of meal.  They are yeasty and slightly sweet with a cake-y texture.

I got this recipe from my mom (Hi Mom!), and I'm not sure where she got it.

2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise if you want the rolls to be vegan)
1 pkg. (or 2 and 1/4 t. if using a jar) bread yeast (This is for flavor only, not for rising.)
1 c. plant-based milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a muffin pan using canola oil, nonstick spray, or vegan butter.

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add mayonnaise (or vegan mayo) and plant milk, stirring until blended.  Evenly divide the dough among 10 muffin cups.  (Most muffin pans have 12 cups, but this recipe makes about 10 rolls comfortably.)  Bake until golden brown.

Muffins

Here's a basic muffin batter that you can build several different types of muffins with, along with some ideas of what to do with it. I got the original blueberry muffin recipe (slightly tweaked, as usual) from Peta's Compassionate Cook cookbook.

Making muffins on Sunday morning makes breakfast on Monday and Tuesday a breeze. You just grab a muffin from Sunday's batch, and voila! A healthy breakfast with no effort!

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. non-aluminum baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. plant-base milk
1/4 c. canola oil (or 1/2 stick vegan butter, melted)
1 egg, beaten (or use Ener-G's Egg Replacer for an equivalent amount if you need the recipe to be vegan)

To make the muffins, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Either grease (using butter, canola oil, or nonstick spray) a muffin pan or line the muffin tins with cupcake papers.

Combine the dry ingredients in a 2-quart bowl with a fork. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, mix until just combined.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full (or evenly among 12 muffin tins) with the batter. Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden-brown.

NOTE: Store leftover muffins in a sealed container in the fridge. Let them cool completely before sealing them away.

Some ideas to add to the batter:
1. 1 c. fresh blueberries, washed; 1/4 t. grated lemon zest; and 1 t. lemon juice
2. 1/2 c. chopped walnuts, 3/4 c. vegan chocolate chips, 1 t. almond or vanilla extract
3. 1 t. orange extract, 1 t. vanilla extract, and 1 c. chopped pecans
4. Use your imagination! Think of chopped pecans or walnuts and/or poppy seeds and/or dried cherries and/or cinnamon and/or craisins and/or grated carrots and/or sprinkle sugar over the surface to make the muffins sparkle. Almost anything goes!

Cornbread

I am a Southern girl. I may have a cosmopolitan set of values or an eclectic variety of tastes, but my roots are true Southern. And nothing - NOTHING - is as quintessentially Southern food as cornbread. It transports me directly back to my childhood when my grandmother would make us a skillet of cornbread and a big pot of white beans for a meal. I still love that meal, so I made it last night. All Scott could do was roll his eyes while I exclaimed my love for cornbread every time I took a bite.

Here's my grandmother's recipe for cornbread (with some slightly modified ingredients to align with today's healthier values). I know some people don't share family recipes, but this stuff is too good to keep to myself.

2 c. yellow cornmeal (Since corn is one of the most common foods to be victimized by genetic engineering, consider getting organic.)
a little more cornmeal to spread in the skillet
1 c. all-purpose unbleached white flour
1 T. plus 1.5 t. non-aluminum baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
1 stick of vegan margarine (or 1/2 c. canola oil, but the flavor won't be quite as rich)
3 free-range eggs, beaten (or substitute Ener-G's egg replacer if you need the product to be vegan)
1 3/4 c. plant-based milk


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the stick of margarine in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, and put the skillet in the oven while it is preheating to melt the margarine. Don't let it burn while you're busy doing other things. (If you're using the canola oil instead, just pour it into the skillet and let it get warm in the oven while it's heating up.)

Mix the dry ingredients with a fork in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients, including the margarine or oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Sprinkle cornmeal over the margarine or oil to cover the bottom of your iron skillet. Pour in the batter. Cook at 400 degrees F until the bread is golden-brown on top and has pulled away from the sides of the skillet. Eat warm, with or without margarine. Perfect with a big pot of white beans and, perhaps, some sautéed kale or collard greens!

NOTE: Some people find cast-iron cookware a mystery. You are not really supposed to scrub them out with soap and water, because you want the cookware to become "seasoned." I can't stand the thought of not scrubbing mine clean, so I do so anyway. I then use a paper towel to coat the surface with a thin layer of oil to keep it from rusting. My cookware has still seasoned to a fine, black finish. Lodge cookware is what I use for cast-iron skillets and griddles.

Firecrackers

There is no excuse for this recipe other than its deliciousness and vegetarianness. There isn't anything "nutritious" about them, and they're not low in calories. But dang, they're tasty and addictive!

Vegans, be sure to check the ingredients on the ranch dip mix and the crackers to be sure. The ingredients will vary from brand to brand.

Ingredients:
1 box saltine crackers
1 package dry ranch dip mix
1 and 1/3 c. canola oil (as if crackers are not fattening enough already, right?)
2 T. cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Method:
Put the crackers in a large bowl or container. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over the crackers. Cover bowl or container securely and begin to turn over and over slowly to coat the crackers while not breaking them. Do this for about 4 minutes. Believe it or not, the crackers will absorb most of the oil. (I know I had a hard time believing it when I began.)

Move the crackers to new container to store or serve.

Serving suggestion: If you only need these to be vegetarian, you could serve them with slices of organic cheese to balance the spiciness of the cayenne.

Pancakes - The Quintessential Weekend Breakfast

I have had pancakes BOTH MORNINGS this weekend. Naughty, I know, but when they're as good as these, it's hard to resist. The original recipe I adapted was printed in The Commercial Appeal.

Ingredients:
1.5 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda plus another heaping 1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 free-range eggs (If you want to make this vegan, try substituting Ener-G egg replacer. You can probably pick it up at Whole Foods or buy it online.), beaten with a fork
1 c. rice milk
6 T. vegan butter, melted
1 T. fresh lemon juice (optional)

Method:
Start heating a greased (with margarine, canola oil, or nonstick spray) skillet or griddle over medium heat. The pan needs to already be hot when you put the pancake batter on it, but don't let the grease start smoking while you're working on the batter. I use a perfect cast-iron griddle that it is already beautifully seasoned and hardly needs any grease at all. It's the same pan I use to make vegan biscuits.

In a medium bowl, use a fork to thoroughly combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, rice milk, and lemon juice (if using). Barely mix ingredients before stirring in the melted margarine. Mix until just combined. The batter will still be lumpy.

Pour 1/4 c. batter onto your heated griddle. Keep an eye on the under side using a spatula. It shouldn't get too brown until the sides of the cake are starting to dry out and bubbles are coming to the surface of the batter. If it's browning too fast, turn the heat down. Once there are bubbles surfacing on the wet side of the cake, the edges are dry, and the bottom side is brown, flip it with a spatula. When the 2nd side is browned, plate it up and enjoy. Serves 2-3.

Cooking pancakes is only part recipe...it's also part art. Often, the first one doesn't turn out while you're getting the heat just right, so don't fret if that's the case. These pancakes are fat and fluffy. Here are some serving suggestions:

1. Serve with warm syrup and possibly some chopped nuts. I don't even put butter/margarine on my pancakes. Honestly, I don't miss anything in flavor without it. I just get to skip all those extra calories and fat grams.
2. Serve the pancakes plain, topped with fresh berries and/or confectioner's sugar.
3. Sneak some chocolate chips in between hot pancakes. Gooey chocolate rocks!
4. Serve topped with vegan yogurt and chopped nuts. This still gives you a rich mouth-feel with more nutrition than syrup.

Variation: Right after you pour the batter onto the skillet or griddle, press a few fresh blueberries into the wet side for warm blueberry pancakes.
Happy weekend!

Kale Calzones

Serve these with your favorite tomato-y pasta sauce (from a jar or homemade), and no side dishes are necessary with this entrée! I wouldn't describe this dish as "easy," but only because it's time-consuming. It is well worth the effort!

about 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 small zucchini, diced (optional - I had one freak zucchini left over from gardening season.)
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and minced (NOTE: A clove of garlic is one section of the head of garlic. Some people don't know.)
1 bunch kale, washed and destemmed then torn into bite-sized pieces
1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
pizza dough for 2 pizzas (This can be your favorite homemade dough or store-bought refrigerated dough. Be sure to check ingredients if you need a vegan dough.)
your favorite tomato-y pasta sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and zucchini (if using) to the oil, and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and some salt, and sauté 2 minutes more. Add the kale and stir to coat. Keep stirring until the kale has wilted down but not dried out. (You may have add the kale in batches, depending on how large your skillet is. If your skillet gets full of kale, let it wilt down some, and add more. Keep repeating until it's all in there.)

Once the kale is wilted down, add the beans and stir so that everything is mixed. Add salt and black pepper to taste. (Remember that too little salt makes a dish bland, so unless you're watching your salt, taste it and add more if it's bland.) Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to the proper temperature for your pizza dough, just as if you were cooking pizza.

Divide your pizza dough into halves, then divide each piece into halves, then divide each piece into halves again. You should have 8 equal-sized pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll the first piece into a large circle. Put 1/8th of the kale and bean mix in the middle of the first circle, then fold the circle in half so that it looks like a half moon with the kale mix as the filling. Using the tines of a fork, press the edges of the top and half of your calzone together. Prick the top of the dough several times with the fork, and move it to a baking sheet or pizza pan. Repeat this process with the remaining 7 circles of dough.

Bake your calzones until they are golden brown. In the meantime, heat up your pasta sauce.

Serve the calzones warm, covered with the warm sauce.