Chia Seed Pancakes

Whenever a food idea comes to me in a dream, I do everything in my power to make that dream a reality. The last food recipe which came to me in a half-asleep dream was the peanut butter, banana sweet potato. That was delicious, and so is this next idea: Chia seed pancakes.

Chia seed pancakes may not be entirely my original idea, however, I’ll still credit my half-asleep mind for the thought. They were delicious.

The Recipe:
1 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 cup oats
1 cup soymilk
1 egg replacer egg (this could probably be omitted)
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp honey (could replace with agave)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp chia seeds

Mix it all together, and cook.
Makes 4-5 pancakes.

I found this recipe online. There are several other great chia seed recipes along with this one. I’ll definitely be trying some of these recipes in the near future.

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Tried and Tested: Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

Sorry for the uber late Thanksgiving post. But, hopefully some of these recipes and ideas can at least benefit someone for next year’s Thanksgiving:

I’m honestly not sure if I took any photos over Thanksgiving, which is a shame, because I have a ton of great recipes to recommend. Either way, I feel it’s necessary to share all of the great (and easily convertible) vegan recipes we made over Thanksgiving dinner.

1. Vegan Pumpkin Pie

I searched for days to find a delicious and simple recipe for vegan pumpkin pie. Last year at Thanksgiving my vegan (and gluten free) pumpkin pie recipe was a failure, however, this year things turned out much better. I found this recipe on a blog called So Good and Tasty. I didn’t use the recipe for the crust (although it looked delicious), because it seemed too time consuming, however the important part- the pumpkin center- was all that really mattered to me.

I love this recipe because it uses coconut milk, which just seems like a stroke of genius. I made the pie on Wednesday evening after returning home from school. Once I arrived home my Mother gave me a list of demands to accomplish, (all baking oriented of course) and I got to work. The first thing on my list was this pie. It was also the last thing I put in the oven, so it ended up a little overcooked. (However it was still fantastic!)

2. Cornbread

I can’t remember the last time I ate my Mom’s cornbread. Its the most delicious treat, and made even better by the fact that I can pour syrup all over it without an ounce of guilt. I used a recipe from an old cookbook that my Mom always uses, and made it vegan. Thankfully, it was quite simple to convert.

3. Cranberry and Orange Muffins

I’m not really sure how this is a traditional Thanksgiving food, but it was on the list of things my Mom wanted me to make once I returned home. I pulled the recipe out of my Mother’s Betty Crocker cookbook, and made it vegan. Also quite a simple conversion. Unfortunately, I can’t say how good these were because I still have yet to try one! However, they did disappear quite quickly…

4. Veggie Loaf

This recipe was all my Mother’s doing. She’d emailed me about this delicious vegetable loaf she’d eaten a few months ago and said that she would make it for me for Thanksgiving dinner. Good to her word, the loaf was actually quite good, however I’m not sure it really suited my tastebuds well. It tasted a little too much like stuffing, which I’ve never been a fan of. However, I have to recommend this recipe to anyone who might just love it!

5. Pumpkin Spice Cookies

When I came home I found a bag of these sitting on the counter with my name on it. Literally, a dream come true. A bag full of delicious, homemade cookies, just for me! Apparently these cookies freeze well, because my Mom said she baked them over a month ago and simply stuck them in the freezer for the next time I came home. I would never have guessed, because they tasted delicious and freshly baked.

6. Zucchini Banana Bread Pancakes

Again, I have no idea how this relates to Thanksgiving, but my Mother made them for breakfast on the big day, and they were just as delicious as usual.

7. Pumpkin Bread

Again, my Mom is taking on vegan baking on her own time. She made loaves of pumpkin bread to give everyone on Christmas (freezing them again), and I got to taste one of the fresh baked loaves. Delicious, and highly recommended.

8. Mashed Potatoes

These are super easy to veganize. Just peel and boil the potatoes, mash them, add a bit of vegan butter and soymilk, and keep mixing until desired consistency is reached. Vegan mashed potatoes don’t typically come out as creamy as “regular” mashed potatoes, however I’ve never heard any complaints about them, and I think they taste just as delicious!

Maakouda aka Deep Fried Mashed Potatoes

Last week I was introduced to a traditional Moroccan treat called Maakouda. Maakouda can be made in different ways, but basically its just deep fried mashed potato.

The maakouda I tried was similar to this recipe, the main difference being that it was deep fried. (And thus, quite delicious!) The maakouda was served with a soup called harira, which I didn’t try because it had large chunks of beef in the bottom of the bowl. However, this soup could easily be made vegan by simply removing the meat.

I ate about three or four maakouda before having to stop. They were delicious, and (thankfully) vegetarian. Even if you’re not a fan of fried foods I’d recommend trying maakouda at least once. The price was extremely affordable, and well worth it.

Product Review: Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl

Although I am a self-proclaimed peanut butter lover, I have never been one to eat peanut butter straight from the jar. This peanut butter is different. I’d seen different products from Peanut Butter & Co. on the shelf at the supermarket for a while now. I’ve been neglecting to try them, and I’m sorry I waited so long.

This is delicious on cinnamon raisin bagels, on raisins themselves, and (I’m assuming), in oatmeal. Unfortunately, I’ve been so focused on putting this on bagels that I haven’t yet had a chance to try it in my oatmeal (although I’ve heard good things).

When I first tasted this I thought it was a bit too sweet. However, I tried again the next day, spreading a generous amount on my morning bagel, only to find that it is absolutely delicious. Just reminds me how much I love trying new things.

Have you tried any delicious new products lately?

How do I Eat Thee? Let me Count the Ways…

I don’t know if Elizabeth Barrett Browning was talking about sweet potatoes when she wrote her poem, “How do I Love Thee? Let me Count the Ways…”, but I think it’d be a smart bet to say she was.

Since I started my blog last August I’ve been trying to experiment with new and different foods. Some foods I had never tried before, and others I had tried before, and didn’t find very appealing. Either way, I’ve definitely broadened the variety of foods I eat since becoming a vegan.

One of the foods that most surprised me, something that is so versatile and surprisingly delicious, is the sweet potato!

This oddly shaped root vegetable has been the inspiration for many different meals and snack items that I’ve made over the past year, and also quite a few that I haven’t yet gotten the chance to try.
And to think, it all started with the peanut butter sweet potato. At the time, I thought this was disgusting! I had to force myself to eat even half of it. But over time, after sweet potato pancakes (they’re pumpkin here, but sweet potato can easily be substituted for the same effect.), sweet potato cinnamon rolls, spicy sweet potato fries, and the always delicious, peanut butter banana sweet potato, I was sold!

These sweet potato cinnamon rolls were super delicious on Christmas morning! But lets not forget about the traditional sweet potato pie!

Some Recipes I Want to Try:
- Sweet Potato Hummus, from the Fourth Broomstick
- Sweet Potato Latkes, from Ari Cooks
- Sweet Potato Burritos
And the list goes on…

I guess the moral of this story is, don’t judge a book by it’s cover… or perhaps more appropriately, don’t judge a root vegetable by it’s odd shape and your own initially formed opinions.

A Tribute to PB&J

If you don’t already know, my favorite thing in the world is a good PB&J. I eat one just about every day. (And trust me, I have to limit myself to just one.)

Last year I made the switch to natural peanut butter, mostly based on my friend Meaghan’s assessment. I was tough to convince at first, but now I’m a huge fan of the East Lansing Food Co-op’s natural crunchy peanut butter and organic fruit preserves. (I must say though, Meijer’s natural crunchy peanut butter is just as good!)

You know what they say, a PB&J a day keeps the doctor away!?

To be completely honest, there once was a time in my life when I was very afraid of eating peanut butter. (Not an actual phobia, mind you, but I think I did have a nightmare once!) I’ve mentioned before my fear of foods with too much fat. But, obviously, I’ve come around to the idea.

Peanut butter is indeed a very fatty food, but it has a lot of beneficial fats that your body needs. I think as long as it is consumed with a healthy diet (and not in crazy amounts) that peanut butter can be entirely beneficial.

Most of my protein comes from nuts. I’m relatively confident that if I didn’t eat as much peanut butter and nuts as I do, that I wouldn’t be able to maintain my relative energy level throughout the day. So, I’m happy to say, I love peanut butter!

Other Pea-nutty links:
- Health Benefits of Peanut Butter
- Peanut Butter Trivia
- George Washington Carver = My Hero!
- Is Peanut Butter Good for You?