Bananas without a brain?

I have never even considered making pancakes that are not from a boxed mix, expcially a vegan version. While the title was encouraging that this would be an easy recipe to make, it would also guarantee feelings of inadequacy should I mess this up. Luckily, they turned out well-super yummy and sweet. I used rice flour to make them gluten free, so I could share with my wheat-intolerant dog. I think he appreciated that! Now, if I could only figure out how to bake and cook with flour without wearing half of it. Next time, perhaps.

Brainless Banana Pancakes

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 banana, mashed
1&1/4 cups soy or rice milk
2 tbsp raw sugar
sliced fresh fruit (garnish) I used slice banana and strawberries

In a large bowl sift the flour and baking powder together. In a small bowl, mash the banana with a fork and add 1/4 cup of the milk, mixing until there are no lumps. Add the banana mixture, sugar and remaining milk to the dry mix and stir together thouroughly. Pour desired size of batter into a hot, non stick pan and cover with a lid. Let sit on medium heat until the centre starts to bubble and become sturdy. Flip pancake over and cook other side until golden brown.  Garnish with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Vegetable Biryani

I put great effort into providing  my omnivore friends with interesting and easy vegetarian recipes for them to try, so it is an absolute pleasure when the favour is returned.

My friend, Esther, loves this recipe and even swears it is great to eat cold the next day. I made this Wednesday night for dinner and added a little more heat to this recipe by adding a bit of garam masala powder.

I have never been a fan of raisins in cooked dishes so I planned not to include them in my version of the recipe. However, in my effort to be open and adventourous, I threw caution to the wind. Well, actually I just threw the raisins in the pot and I am glad I did. The slight sweetness adds just the right compliment to the spicy flavours in this dish.

Vegetable Biryani
3/4 cup dried lentils
2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry paste
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup raisins
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup green peas
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)

In separate pot, cook lentils in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.  In separate large pan, heat oil over medium-high heate. Saute onion until they are a deep golden colour. Add carrots, garlic, curry paste and pepper. Saute 3 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, rice, raisins and lentils to coat.

Add stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and vegetables are tender; about 20 minutes.  Stir in peas and warm through for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds (if using) and serve.

A cabbage as big as my head!

Last winter I signed up for a bi-weekly delivery of an organic fruit and vegetable box, as it was a great way to support local farmers and start eating more vegetables. The interesting challenge was that I never knew what I was going to receive in my box, which caused me to seek out new recipes and opened up a whole new world of healthy meals that I probably wouldn't have tried on my own.

However, my enthusiasm for the organic food adventure became quickly dampened when each and every time I opened my box, I was greeted by the sight of a gigantic cabbage, the proportions of which would be more suitable for a sauerkraut cook-off during Oktoberfest than a single person household.

I went through many recipes to deal with my over-abundance of cabbage, many of which I am too kind to share with you.While I do admit that my backyard bunny(and probably his 45 friends) really scored that winter, I did succeed in finding two dishes that I really enjoyed.  I hope you do, too.

Stir-Fried Cabbage with Peanut Sauce

2 cups shredded cabbage                               2 stalks celery
1 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup veg stock( I use the vegetarian chicken stock from Bulk Barn)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar                                 1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
1 carrot                                                        1 tsp soy sauce or Braggs
2 tsp olive oil
1.5 tbsp peanut butter                                  1/2 tsp chili powder

Shred cabbage and slice carrots into thin strips with a vegetable peeler. Thinly slice celery.
Heat oil in a large non stick skillet or wok.  Add chili powder and saute briefly. Add cabbage, carrot and celery and stir-fry 5-8 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt. Add soy sauce and stock and stir well to combine. Cover, reduce heat and let cook for 5 minutes.
Combine peanut butter and vinegar. Uncover cabbage and increase heat. Stir in peanut butter mixture. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and the peanut butter has melted into the cabbage.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Vegetable Borscht

1 red onion, chopped                                     4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped                                 2-4 beets, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil                                                1-2 cups cabbage, chopped (purple adds nice colour)
1 cup spinach                                                  1 can diced tomatoes
2.5 cups veg. stock                                         1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 tsp horseradish (I substitute  1tsp.dijion mustard)

In large pot, saute onions, garlic, carrots and beets in oil on medium heat. until onions are translucent. Add the cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, stock, pepper and horseradish. Simmer on medium heat for 20-30 minutes or until carrots and beets can be pierced easily with a fork.

Cold comfort: cooking when you feel like cr*p

Right now, it seems that everyone either has a cold or is fighting one. While the last thing anyone wants to do when they are sick is spend alot of time in the kitchen, there is nothing more comforting like a piping-hot, spicy bowl of soup.  I have designed this recipe with shortcuts, so you can chill on the couch while this is cooking. A tip for my male readers:  the extra time provides ample opportunity to whine loudly about how sick you are.

This soup is great for colds as lentils are high in protein, calcium, potassium, zinc(a cold fighter), and iron. The vitamin c in the tomatoes not only fights colds but enhances iron absorption. Garlic and cayenne pepper have been proven to fight cold side effects.

Rustic Tomato Lentil Soup
As much garlic as you can stand, minced (garlic powder is fine)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups of frozen vegtables, thawed (I used mixed frozen vegs)
2 stalks celery (optional)
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can diced tomatoes, including juice
2 cups cooked lentils (pre-cook or used canned)
pepper (to taste)
cayenne pepper (to taste)

In a large pot, add stock, lentils,celery, onions, and canned tomatos. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add  vegetables, pepper, cayenne  and garlic powder. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Green Goo as a Winter Survival Technique

We are currently in a brutal cold snap here in southern Ontario, which sets off in me a strong instinct to hibernate. While I am aware that most hibernating animals don't eat, this grumpy, winter-hating bear loves to include spicy comfort food as part of her winter survival plan.

My number one favourite winter warm-up is indian food. The buffet I frequent has this amazing palak paneer dish. I could eat a whole plate(or 2) of just that, along with naan bread of course!!

Traditional "paneer" is cubed cheese, but I replaced it with tofu. This recipe is so flavourful, you will not miss the cheese.

Palak Paneer

3 medium onions
half package of firm tofu, cubed
2 tomatos, finely chopped or tomato puree/sauce (amount to taste)
2 green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala (get in the "ethnic foods" section in most grocery stores)
1 tsp sugar
Large bunch of spinach (I substituted collard greens as it has more calcium)
2 tbsp olive oil



In a large saucepan heat a splash of olive oil and saute onion until brown.  

Add the spinach, handfuls at a time until it is cooked down, about 15 minutes total. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Mix in the spices.

Pour spinach mixture into a blender or food processor and add the tomatos and blend for 15 to 30 seconds, or until the spinach is finely chopped. Pour back into the saucepan and keep warm over low heat. (you can skip the blending if you don't want your spinach to be paste-like)

In a medium frying pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat, and fry tofu until browned;  add to spinach. (I simply cooked the tofu in the spinach to keep down the fat/calorie content)

Add tofu to spinach and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Serve with rice or naan bread.

I eat brownies for breakfast!

Who doesn't love hearing a juicy confession? Especially when it comes to food. It's downright uplifting to learn that someone who appears to have it all together ripped through an entire bag of oreos while watching Everyone Loves Raymond re-runs.  Female bonding at it's best! Well, surprise! These brownies are healthy. Raw cacao powder has more antioxidants than blueberries and the walnuts provide omega 3s and there is no added sugar to be found! More like a tasty energy bar, it is perfectly acceptable to have a bite of this with your breakfast. (In my world, anyway)

No Bake Brownies

1 cup medjool dates, pits removed (I used baking dates-may be the same thing)
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup cacao powder ( you can get this at any health food store, or health section in Loblaws stores)
pinch sea salt
1 tbsp to 1/2 cup raw cacao nibs, to taste (I  left this out and used  1/4 cup shredded coconut instead)

Mix: Grind walnuts in food processor until it forms a course powder. While machine is running, add dates, cacao powder and salt, processing until a moist, crumb-like dough has formed.

Spread into an 8x8 inch pan, sprinkle with cacao nibs and press firmly into a solid brownie layer. Cut into bite-size squares and serve. Alternately, press and roll into small balls to make brownie bites.

*I found this mixture to be fairly crumbly, so I added a touch of water to the mix and put it back in the food processor. I also added a bit of cinnamon to the brownie dough to give it a bit of a kick.

Fear not, it is shepherd's pie!

Merry Christmas (or boxing day actually) everyone! 

As I wanted to align my cooking theme with the current holiday, I chose shepherd's pie. Perhaps because it is my favourite part of the Christmas story."Fear not, for I bring you tidings of great joy" I think it is truly amazing that it was the shepherds, the outcasts of society at that time, who were the ones to receive this message and not the high and mighty. Whether or not you celebrate the birth of Jesus, no matter what religion you are (or are not), let's just choose to meditate on his message of love and his most important command: "Love your neighbour as yourself" . It does not matter if our "neighbour"  is black or white, muslim or christian, dog, chicken or cow. If we treated ALL others with love and respect, this earth would be paradise. 'Nuff said, let's eat.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

There are so many ways to make meatless shepherd's pie.  Mine may not be the healthiest; but it is my once in a while comfort food. A great alternative is to use lentils with canned tomatoes and spices instead of the veggie" beef' and "gravy". As I often say, don't be afraid to play with a recipe. This is a made up recipe so there are no measurements-sorry.

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Make mashed potatos as you normally would; you can use soy/rice/almond milk  or veggie stock instead of real milk.  
• Heat the veggie ground beef, and chopped onions and garlic in a lightly oiled pan on medium heat. 
• Mix in corn, peas, or whatever you want to the mixture.
• I then add veggie gravy: mushroom gravy is great or I use St. Hubert's poutine gravy.(I underlined poutine because it is the only one with no animal products, though always read the label as ingredients change).
• Mix together and simmer for a minute or two.
• Pour mixture into oven safe dish and top with mashed potatos.
• Heat in oven for 30 minutes or until potatos are lightly toasted.