Papaya, Banana, Strawberies, Blueberries

This is a great way to start your day!  Some people have been told or taught that whole grains are needed to make a complete, balanced, or filling meal.  As someone who is mostly grain-free, I feel incredible without whole (or refined) grains and on a raw, fresh/unprocessed diet.  I have said it before, but I’ll say it again – my skin has never looked better.  I have 10-year-old scars that are disappearing, previously keloid, red, raised, that on a healthy, mostly green vegan cooked diet did not disappear.    

Becoming a raw foodist isn’t a new fad; all other animals except humans (and the companions they feed with their processed foods) eat raw, and humans originally ate all raw as well.

Scrambled Tofu and Roasted Potatoes

Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen (for potatoes)

The potatoes are the Greek lemon & oregano, also with garlic.  The tofu is based on the mini crustless quiche recipe from Fat Free Vegan, with broccoli, Monterey Jack Vegan Gourmet, onions, baked and then scrambled, with basil added.

Pineapple, Strawberries, and Blueberries

Now, these fruits, I cannot complain about!  I eat them almost every day. 

Buckwheat Pancakes, a Marcus Specialty

If I told you that these pancakes taste as good as they look, I wouldn’t need to say more, and yes, they do, but I also want to note that they are partially whole-grain, and I ate my portion with minimal syrup and no Earth Balance.  Aren’t pancakes always better when someone else makes them?  Yum!

Sweet Potato Scones w/ Maple Glaze

 

While this is a tester recipe, I have made it many times, as the scones are so good!  I’ve even made them lower in fat, but they do taste best when you use the original recipe.

These are going to be a part of the Thanksliving potluck dinner tonight.  I hope to get some good pictures of the rest of the food!

VeganMoFo – Pumpkin Oatmeal

A Rare Breakfast Post!

Makes one large bowl or two smaller-size bowls

2 cups water

3/4 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. cubed pumpkin or sweet potato (fresh or frozen) or pureed pumpkin or sweet potato

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

Non-dairy milk and brown sugar, to taste

Heat the first seven ingredients in a pan until simmering, then lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring here and there, for 4-5 minutes.  That’s it!

A Pancake Tip

Don’t be mad at me – I have no pictures to share this week yet! 

 I do, however, have a pancake tip and recipe.  Add chickpea flour.  It adds great flavor, and I got the idea from Isa, who uses chickpea flour in her excellent French toast recipe in Vegan With a Vengeance.

Makes 8 large pancakes.

2 cups soy-rice milk or other nondairy milk.  Add 1 T. lemon juice for buttermilk effect.

1 c. unbleached white flour

1/2 c. chickpea flour

1/2 c. whole-grain spelt flour

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 T. agave nectar

1 T. neutral-flavor oil

Pinch of cinnamon, if desired.

Mix ingredients together, leaving some lumps, and let it set for 10 min. while you preheat your skillet. 

Nothing Says Friendship

Better than Banana Peanut Butter Muffins…

 

WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS!  HOW ARE WE LIVIN’, SANCTUARY, GOERS?! 

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Peanut Butter Banana Muffins w/ Chocolate chips Vegetarian Times, March 2007 (Adaptation)Serves 6-12

1/2 c. whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 c. unbleached white flour

3/4 c. light brown sugar or raw sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 medium bananas, mashed

1/3 c. unsweetened crunchy peanut butter

1/4 c. soymilk, applesauce, or soy yogurt

1 egg replacer (as in Ener-G mixed with water or flax) (optional – these will hold together, as most baked goods, without it)

2 T. canola oil

3/4 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder & soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together bananas, peanut butter, soymilk, egg replacer, vanilla, and oil. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter evenly between the muffin cups (12).

Bake 18-20 min. or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 15 min.  GREAT EATEN WARM….you know, to test and make sure they taste good.

Tropical Fruit Pudding and Hempnut Milk

Sensational Stevia Desserts (nonvegetarian cookbook)

This is a great salad which is pretty easy to make, once you get the pureeing parts done!  The main base is bananas, silken tofu, coconut extract, and stevia.  To one part, I added strawberries and the other, raspberries (my variation).  Also shown in the middle is a mango puree and fresh blueberries and strawberries.  Yum!

The making of hempnut milk:

It looks like I’ll need to strain it a little bit to remove the froth, or maybe that disappears when it cools.  Either way, thanks, Sue, for the maker!  I am going to make tofu tomorrow.

English Muffins

 

Shown here toasted and with agave nectar.

I found this recipe online and will just cut & paste it, using vegan and healthy versions, of course!  These are DELICIOUS muffins and pretty easy to make.  Much better than store-bought.

English Muffins

Whisk these together in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside until foamy: 1/2 cup warm water

3 tsp. yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

Place in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup (or in small saucepan over medium-low heat:)

1 cup hot water

1 tbsp. nonhydrogenated shortening

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 cup soymilk powder

Whisk together and microwave for 1 minute, or warm over low heat for a few moments until the mixture is hot and the shortening starts to melt. (It doesn’t have to melt completely.) Cool to lukewarm (make sure it’s not too hot, or you’ll kill your yeast!)

Sift together:

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. salt

When water & shortening mixture is cooled, add to the yeast mixture, using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or mix like crazy by hand with a wooden spoon.) Add 1 1/2 cups of the sifted flour mixture, and mix on low until combined. Turn mixer to medium-low (about speed 3 on a KitchenAid) and slowly add additional flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until you get a stringy, springy, wet batter. Cover and set aside to rest for half and hour.

After resting, turn the mixer back on for about 2-3 minutes on low speed. The batter should be really stringy now, and relatively difficult to finagle, so the next part is the only tricky phase. Preheat a griddle or cast iron skillet to around 300°F. (I say around, because on my electric skillet 300° is too hot, although 275° is not hot enough; you’ll have to keep an eye on things.) If you have English muffin rings, wipe with a little oil or hit them with cooking spray, and place on the heated griddle. Ladle a scant 1/3 cup into each ring. 

Cover the skillet or griddle and cook for about 5 minutes, then flip them over and cover again, cooking for another 5 or 6 minutes.

 

Remove to a rack in a warm oven to hold while you cook the rest of the muffins.