Pumpkin Pancakes

Quite the stack of pancakes!  They're light, fluffy and not candy-sweet.  They also reheat super well (10 minutes at 350F).  I know this because I actually respected the servings it yielded.  I know, Christmas miracle!

 

Because I didn't have very much ground ginger, I put in the recipe the amount I would have liked.  In lieu of that, I used this fantastic ginger syrup.  It's a strange taste, doesn't work with everything, but it was excellent with these puppies.  Regular syrup, agave, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar... all of those no doubt would work.  And for once I didn't add margarine.  I am pleased to report that it wasn't missed.  Well, without further ado, here's the recipe!

CONTENTS

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 TBS vegetable oil

2 TBS vinegar

1 TBS cornstarch

2 cups flour

3 TBS brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

FASCIST DIRECTIONS

1. In one bowl, mix the milk through the vinegar (wet ingredients).

 

I know, it looks terrible, but it blends nicely into this:

2. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.  Also known as the rest.

 

 3. Then mix them together, being careful not to overmix.

Tah-dah!  Batter up!

4. Measure about 1/4 cup (I used two HEAPING spoonfuls for most) into a heated pan with some sort of non-sticking element.  I just used about a tsp of oil per batch.

5. Measure out, top with topping of choice and enjoy!  

 

Yummy... And, you'll have pumpkin leftover to make other enjoyable meals!  Like the pumpkin chili recipe, or the pumpkin pudding... Just sayin'...

Savory Donuts: Leek and Rosemary

My mission of making savory donuts has been achieved!

Savory mini donuts... Best kind of savory donuts.

I refused to let my mini-donut maker remain just a dessert appliance.  As much as I love desserts in miniature,  there had to be more that it could offer.  The waffle maker I used to have was an excellent toasted-sandwich maker (and lemon-corn waffle maker!), furthering its culinary applications.  Mini donut maker? Impulse buy, true, but surely it could be used for other circular foods.

Yes, it can.  These are quite lemony, but I've made them without the lemon as well and they're still just as good.

SAVORY DONUTS: LEEK AND ROSEMARY

approx. 15 mini-donuts

CONTENTS

2 tsp olive oil

1 small leek, washed and finely diced

1 cup AP flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

2 flaxseed "eggs" (2 TBS flaxseed meal with 6 TBS water)

1 1/2 tsp margarine

1/2 cup water

Dried rosemary (about 1 TBS) crushed

Sprinkles of red chili pepper flakes

FASCIST DIRECTIONS

1. Make the flaxseed mixture to set aside to thicken.  Prepare your mini donut maker, if you have one.  Or heat your oven to 425F and prepare either a mini donut pan or something to bake in.  If you go for a loaf of sorts, then you will most likely have to adjust the baking time (start by baking the total added amount, roughly 24 minutes).

2. In a small saucepan or frying pan, heat the oil and cook the leeks until they have softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the margarine and mix. Turn off the heat at remove the pan to another area to cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, mix the AP flour, baking powder, ground black pepper and lemon zest.

4. Add in the flaxseed mixture, water, rosemary, red pepper flakes and cooked leeks.  Stir until combined well and sticky.

5. Fill each donut mold with the batter until it's about half full.  In my case, I bake 4 minutes and then flip them over, and bake for another 4 minutes. 

6. Set each batch aside to cool on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining batter til done!  Viola!

So totally awesome.  These keep for several days in an airtight container.

Mmmm... yummy....

Roasted Dill Taters

Ah, another super simple recipe that takes a while to cook just because we're dealing with potatoes in the oven and... well... they take a while.  But it's the perfect "low-maintenance" meal because you can chuck it in the oven and go do something (not too far away... I don't recommend that).

I served this alongside another super quick addition, Gardein's badass Crispy Tenders.  Oh, and a dollop of vegenaise.  Mmmm...  I had a ton of fresh dill from Mom because you can't buy reasonable amounts of fresh dill, you have to purchase a whole bush.  We only needed a few tablespoons for a recipe we made, and thus I wound up with CUPS of fresh dill.  Luckily, as a fresh herb, it can be used in bulk amounts and still be awesome.  

ROASTED DILL TATERS

2 servings.

CONTENTS:

2 medium potatoes, roughly chopped

1 TBS olive oil

1 cup fresh dill, chopped

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

and something to serve with... like the aforementioned Tenders

FASCIST DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400F.  Prepare potatoes.  Toss them with 1 TBS olive oil and place them in a baking dish, about 9x13 or whatever works for you to have an even layer.  Cover with foil and roast about 40 minutes, til tender.

2. Meanwhile, chop the onions and the dill.

3. Remove the taters and add in the onions and dill, salt n' pepa.  Mix it up well and return to the oven, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. 

4. Serve alongside whatever you choose!  It's awesome, very impressed with myself.

Mmmm... yummy...

Easy White Sauce + Onion Dill Pasta

Who knew that making a white sauce (like the kind in a regular alfredo dish) was so freakin' simple??? And so few ingredients! I'm going to be making this ALL the time now.  So easy... and such a great base for all kinds of awesomeness.  I've steered clear of trying to make it simply because I associate it with beaucoup cheese.  Surprise, so totally not.  And it's so versatile!  On veggies, pasta, breads, spoons!  Yum!

This recipe spawned from the need to finish up all that freakin' fresh dill I had.  It was almost from nostalgia because I thought of mixing it with pasta (dill rocks with anything, truly), but I didn't want to just add it in with margarine.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  On a whim I thought to myself, "Self, surely you can easily veganize a white sauce." I then replied "Quit calling me Shirley." Ha.

Much to my aforementioned surprise, it's embarrassingly easy.  So I bring to you to simplest and fastest white sauce you can make!

EASY WHITE SAUCE (and Onion Dill Pasta)

2-4 servings

CONTENTS

1 cup milk

2 TBS margarine

2 TBS flour

pinch salt

Yes, that's it.

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped fresh dill

4 oz whole wheat pasta (2oz each)

sprinkle of nooch on top, optional.

FASCIST DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the margarine and whisk in the flour.  Whisk til evenly blended, no lumps allowed!  This should be over medium heat.  Soft bubbling action.  Also, in another pot, prepare the pasta according to package directions.

2. Add the milk and continue to whisk.  Raise heat to bring it to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer as long as it takes to get the right consistency.  I believe it only took 7 or so minutes for me.

3. Chop the dill and onions.  In hindsight, I would have sauteed the onions (or caramelized them, even better). 

4. Whisk in the dill and onions (and salt n' pepa if using).  At this point I recommend switching to a spoon of sorts because the whisk proved difficult to use. 

 5. That's it!  Serve!  Base of pasta... 

...and in my case I added the onion separately but again, I recommend pre-cooking them somehow.  They were a bit overwhelming...

...Add the white sauce...

...and sprinkle on some nooch! 

Totally awesome. I can't wait to try this sauce with other flavors!!  

Yum!!!

Chick'n Noodle Soup for the Soul

I wanted this to read like the voice announcing "Resident Evil: 4" because it's awesome... I tried to find a video but all I can find are multi-minute walk-through.  As awesome as that game is--read: terrifying--the title reading is hilarious.  This guy says "Resident Evil" and then pauses, dramatically, before bellowing out "Foooouuuurrrrrr."  Classic!  So, I wanted this to be "Chick'n Noodle Soup...." dramatic pause.... "for the Sooouuuuulllllll."

Rod wasn't feeling good, and nothing says comfort like a healthy stew.  Well, Mac n' Cheeze might... MMmm... Mac n' Cheeze.... [Homer-style drool].

I had a terrific amount of fresh veggies courtesy of a Groupon I had.  Maters, Taters, Peppers, Mushrooms.  Hey, how did that non-rhyming word get in there???  Also corn, onions, and garlic.  For quickness, I threw in some additional frozen veggies, add broth and tofu-noodles and some Chick'n Scallopini and viola!  Nutritionally-dense soup for my sick hubbie.  It may not have gotten rid of the cold, but it sure tasted good!

CHICK'N NOODLE SOUP FOR THE SOUL
Four servings of soup base, and 1 noodle packet is good for 2 people, plus 1 scallopini each.

CONTENTS

2 chickn' scallopini (or one per person)

4 cups fresh kale, chopped

1 small white potato, chopped

1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed

6 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered

1 small white onion, chopped

1/2 large red bell pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

2 cups mixed frozen veggies to seal the deal (mine has broccoli, cauliflower and carrots)

4 cups broth

1 tsp each dried rosemary, tarragon, basil, oregano, thyme

pinch of salt and some black pepper

1 package noodles (ramen would be awesome too... just sayin')

FASCIST DIRECTIONS

1. In a large soup pot, heat some oil and cook the scallopini.  Set aside to cool a bit.

2. Chop all of your vegetables.  Also chop the scallopini.

3. In that same soup pot, add all of the ingredients except the cooked scallopini, tomatoes and noodles.

 Including the herbs... 

 4. Let it simmer about 15 minutes, checking to see if the potatoes are soft.  May need to cook an additional 5 minutes or so to soften those up. 

5. When done, ladle out into bowls and add the noodles.  Mix.  Top with chopped scallopini and chopped tomatoes. 

It is just delicious.  I served with both a fork and a spoon... No excuses not to eat it all up! 

Yum!!

Pan Cornbread and Lentils--Stack

My original idea was to make lentil cakes but I was getting too hungry to let the mixture cool enough to form patties and then cook.  Some other day.  But this turned out awesome all the same, so here you go!

I'm a HUGE fan of cornbread.  There's something about the gritty texture of cornmeal that just makes me so happy.  If cornmeal had a page on facebook, I'd like it.  Hm... now I wonder how many ingredients have pages... not that I need any more distractions today!

Two-part recipe since it's both the Pan Cornbread and the Lentils, but since they are made at the same time, I'll just list them all at once.

PAN CORNBREAD AND LENTILS--STACK

2 hefty servings, but really it could be 4 if you just make more [smaller] cornbread out of the batter and quarter the lentils.

CONTENTS

1 cup dried lentils

2.5 cups water

2 tsp each dried oregano and thyme

A couple of bay leaves that you should remove before smooshing

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup Unbelievable BBQ Sauce or any tomato sauce would do fine

1/4 cup AP flour

and then...

2/3 cup AP flour

2/3 cup cornmeal

2 TBS vegetable oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2c milk, more or less

FASCIST DIRECTIONS

1. Bring the lentils and water to a boil.  Add in the bay leaves (hold the other herbs til later) and simmer about 15-20 minutes.  You may need to add more water partway through if it's being absorbed and the lentils are still firm.

2. Meanwhile, mix the 2/3 cup flour with the cornmeal, baking soda and salt.  Add the oil and mix well.

3. Add the milk and mix until a goopy batter forms.  You may need to add more milk to achieve the right consistency.  Hopefully the picture below will give you a good idea... 

4. Heat a frying pan and drizzle a little oil.  Drop by spoonfuls onto the hot pan and sizzle each side til golden brown, about 3 minutes max. 

Flip and cook the other side. 

5. Set the pan cornbread aside and get the lentils ready.  Remove the bay leaves and add the dried herbs.  Smoosh them with a potato masher til pretty well incorporated. 

6. Add the garlic and smoosh some more. 

7. Mix in the BBQ sauce and flour...

...and stir really well...

8. Stack away!  Layer one cornbread patty, top with some lentil goop and then top with other piece of cornbread!

As you see, I topped with roasted cashews.  I can't get enough cashews.  They're totally optional, but totally recommended.

I still want to remake this with more patience and start earlier so I have time to make lentil patties. I think it would stack together awesomely, but this will due in a pinch! 

Yum! Messy and delicious!