May 25, 2014May 25, 2014 by betsy

Perfect Vegan Flax Seed and Oatmeal Pancakes for One (Easily Multiplies)

Yield: 1 serving (easily multiplies)

With a little more time in the morning on Memorial Day, perhaps these pancakes are just what you need to start your day…But they go together quickly enough for almost any day!

My sister-in-laws generously gave me a Nutri-Bullet as a hostess gift at Thanksgiving. It is genus in design and engineering and I have been making smoothies religiously for breakfast, cutting way down on my Starbucks bill (I love their Green Tea Soy Frappuccinos!).

I was never much of a breakfast eater, especially on weekdays. Even in high school, I preferred to drink my breakfast. In those days, dairy was part of my diet, and I was a Carnation Instant Breakfast fan: just stir and go.

But on this sunny morning, I woke up and was craving something I could chew. We had “Everything” bagels and Tofutti sliced cheese, but I wanted something with a little sweetness. Since my husband and already eaten his bowl of oatmeal, I decided to whip up a very petite serving of pancakes that weren’t nutritionally void. Mentally scanning the pantry, I lighted on healthful flax seed and oatmeal.

They were divine. Exactly what I wanted: something satisfying absent any heaviness. And the recipe easily multiplies for as many as you want to feed.

Happy, Healthy Memorial Day!

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I only keep white whole wheat on hand)

1 teaspoon natural sugar

1 tablespoon flax seed

1 tablespoon old-fashioned oatmeal

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

4-5 tablespoons soymilk (or your favorite non-dairy milk; I prefer soy for its protein content), or enough to make a thick batter

Optional accompaniments: vegan sour cream and maple syrup

Spray a cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a small bowl, make a well in the center, add soymilk, and whisk until completely combined. Spoon batter into skillet, evenly dividing to make three pancakes. This batter really won’t bubble, so look for a slight rise and a slightly toasty aroma which will take approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and, again, look for a little more pronounced rise and the same toasty aroma; again about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet to plate and enjoy with your favorite accompaniments. One of my favorite combinations is a little vegan sour cream spread between each pancake, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a dollop of sour cream on top.

January 4, 2014January 5, 2014 by betsy

World’s Easiest Vegan Kale “Kakes”

DSCN2334 Yield: 12-2.5-inch cakes

(4 servings)

A recipe prepared by Giadia De Laurentiis on her “Giada at Home” Food Network program inspired this recipe: waffles with pancetta (ick!) and cinnamon. The inspiration was certainly not pork(!); rather it was the combination of sweet and savory.

Since it was New Year’s Day, I was wanting “good luck” foods, and I had already enjoyed griddled tempeh with maple syrup and vegan Hoppin’ John for breakfast at the Sanderling Inn. So, I was craving greens for dinner. And these “kakes” took the cake!

I enjoyed mine without any spices, but feel free to kick them up with curry powder or whatever your imagination seizes on.

1 cup all purpose or white whole wheat flour (I use the latter)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup unsweetened soymilk + 2 to 4 tablespoons, if necessary

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted in skillet

3 cups very finely chopped kale (I use a food processor for this task, processing the kale in two batches.)

Filling, topping, and garnish of your choice (I like vegan sour cream, cashew cream or a jam/chutney for the filling, maple syrup over the top, and a garnish of toasted pumpkin seeds or nuts, but the sky’s the limit!)

Place all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center, add 1 cup soymilk and the melted butter, and whisk just until combined. Stir in kale–it will look like way too much–and add additional soymilk to create a thick spoonable batter.

Lightly spray skillet in which butter was melted with nonstick spray and spoon batter into 4-2.5-inch circles, lightly smoothing top if necessary. Cook a couple of minutes or until lightly browned, flip with a spatula and cook for an additional 2 or so minutes on reverse. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with sour cream, cashew cream, chutney, etc., a generous drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds or nuts.

December 24, 2013August 15, 2014 by betsy

On the Second Day of Christmas…Vegan Baked Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal

I wanted to re-publish this recipe today, so that you could procure any of the few ingredients you don’t have on hand, as this tantalizing breakfast treat–like bread pudding for breakfast–with the healthful base of oatmeal needs to sit overnight.

It goes together in a snap, bakes up beautifully every time, and is a proven hit with men and non-vegans. Everyone in your house will wake up to the aroma of Christmas personified and your oven will do all the work while you enjoy your family around the tree.

September 21, 2013September 21, 2013 by betsy

“Righteous” Vegan Peanut Butter and Fresh Apple Pancakes with Peanut Butter Maple Syrup

“Your peanut butter-apple pancakes were righteous!”

So proclaimed Gary Loewenthal of Compassion for Animals and Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale in an email last week.

He then explained that he had been invited to give a vegan cooking demo and talk at a health food store near him and asked if he could prepare my recipe and print it for the attendees, with a credit and link to The Blooming Platter.

That required no thought at all, only a resounding “Of course!” especially when he said, “One thing I loved about the pancakes is that the PB was not overpowering. I love PB but it blended beautifully.”

I haven’t made my Vegan Peanut Butter and Fresh Apple Pancakes with Peanut Butter Maple Syrup in a while, but he reminded me how good they are; and, with local apples cropping up this autumn in farmers markets everywhere, I thought I should post a link.

What a great way to celebrate the first weekend of fall. Thanks, Gary!

August 21, 2013August 22, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Fresh Fig Upside Down Pancakes

Fig Upside Down Pancakes Yield: 8 servings (16 small pancakes)

The other morning, for some reason, I was thinking about pineapple upside down cake and how nicely that translates into pancakes. Suddenly, I had to have pancakes, though I am not much of a breakfast eater, unless I have breakfast for lunch. I didn’t have pineapple, but I did have fresh figs and Vegan Fresh Fig Upside Down Pancakes were born!

The ground sumac– a beautiful earthy red powder derived from a berry of the sumac bush–is used in Middle Eastern and Greek cooking. Since I think of figs in relation to Middle Eastern cuisine, and since I thought that the earthy lemony flavor of the sumac would complement the sweetness of the figs, I chose to add a little to the batter. It‘s not absolutely essential, but it is delicate, delicious, and adds such a special quality. Find sumac in Middle Eastern grocery stores and online.

Sage, too, is used widely in Middle Eastern and Greek cooking and I happen to have quite an abundant crop of it this year. So I decided to garnish the pancakes with some of their most small and tender leaves to add a subtle sage-y flavor. Eaten together, the trio is transcendent!

2 cups white whole wheat flour (this is what I keep on hand, but unbleached all purpose is fine, as is a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat)

1/4 cup natural sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Optional, but delicious: 1/2 teaspoon sumac

2 cups plain soymilk (I used lite, as that’s what I had)

Nonstick spray or canola oil

8 fresh figs, stemmed, halved and sprayed with nonstick spray or brushed with oil

Accompaniments: agave nectar and a sprig of small tender fresh sage leaves (yes, sage!–sounds a little odd, but is delicious with the figs!)

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients, make a well in the center, add soymilk, and whisk ingredients together until smooth. Heat a large well-oiled skillet over medium high and make pancakes, 3 or 4 at a time, using 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter (they should be about 3 inches in diameter). Cook for about a minute, lay a fig half, flesh side up, in the center of each pancake, pressing very gently. You don’t want to submerge or for the batter to hide the fig when you flip it. Cook for another minute or two or until golden brown on the other side, carefully flip, and cook until set, another couple of minutes or so. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping pancakes warm while you cook the entire batch. Serve pancakes, fig side up, with a drizzle of agave nectar and a sprig of fresh sage. Note: if a very thin layer of the batter has eased over the edge of the fig, just pinch it off to reveal the perfect shape of the fig.

June 12, 2013June 12, 2013 by betsy

Single Serving Vegan Granola Pancakes with Sour Cream, Maple Syrup and Fresh Fruit (Recipe Easily Multiplies)

Yield: 1 serving (2 small pancakes) [recipe easily multiplies]

These golden disks of textured bliss would be perfect for any Father’s Special Day. Go Dairy Free kindly published my recipe for all to enjoy. Just click HERE. And if you’re interested in the back story, read on!

When I first met my dear friend, Yvette Hetrick, a foodie and entertainer extraordinaire, many years ago, she rhapsodized about granola pancakes that she and her husband, Randy, would devour for weekend brunches in, I think it was, San Diego. when they were dating.

She has a memorable way of describing food and I was sold from her first mention. I have even tried to reproduce them before with no luck.

But, for some reason, I was craving them recently, my husband–who has cleaned up his eating act somewhat–had some Bare Naked Granola in the pantry, and I had some local Pungo strawberries fresh from the farmer’s market in the fridge.

My husband, a creature of habit and routine, is on an oatmeal kick as part of his new approach to eating. So I knew he wouldn’t want any pancakes, no matter how irresisistable to the rest of us. There was only one thing to do: create a recipe for a single serving that could be easily multiplied to serve a family or a crowd. And I’m so glad I did!

My fairly thick batter is the perfect consistency to support the granola. Be sure to serve them granola-side up so folks will know these are no ordinary pancakes even before the first bite!

Happy Father’s Day!

May 11, 2013 by betsy

Mouthwatering Mother’s Day Breakfast/Brunch: Vegan German Chocolate Pancakes with Coconut Pecan Maple Syrup

Yield: 4 servings

Recently, I returned from a Spring Break trip to visit my family where I made my Papa his favorite vegan brownies. But he and my Mama both have birthdays coming up, and I was reminded that his very favorite cake is German Chocolate. So, back home in Virginia and with German Chocolate Cake on my mind, I decided I had to make Papa’s favorite cake as pancakes.

My Vegan German Chocolate Pancakes with Coconut Pecan Maple Syrup are somewhat rich and filling, so I like to eat a stack of three because that looks so nice, but keep them on the smaller side, so as not to weigh myself down for the day. Other than the flour, soymilk, and pecans–and the coconut to some extent– there is not a lot of nutrition here, so be sure to serve this divine indulgence with a side of fruit and maybe a little vegan yogurt.

Also, in the “rich and filling” department, I have recently started making quesadillas using non-stick spray instead of my beloved canola oil-vegan butter mixture to grease the skillet. So, for the sake of calorie reduction, I decided to try it with these pancakes and was VERY happy with the results. But feel free to go for the higher calorie option if you want a bit more rich flavor. I generally use a couple of tablespoons of each for a 4-serving batch of pancakes.

Thanks to Alisa Free, the “Go Dairy Free” Queen, for publishing the recipe on her popular, one-of-a-kind site. Click HERE or on the link above to go straight to the recipe.

November 12, 2012November 12, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Smokey Pumpkin Grits with Maple-Roasted Pepitas

Yield: 4 servings

This golden and delicious dish personifies fall. Whether you serve it for breakfast or brunch, as tapas, or as a side dish, it is sure to satisfy as a warm and comforting ode to autumn.

When I was growing up, my family probably ate cheese grits for breakfast on more Sundays than not. When I became vegan, I learned that cheesy grits need not be a faint and distant childhood memory, thanks to nutritional yeast.

For this recipe, I make the grits even more creamy and golden, with just a hint of smoke and savory sweetness, by incorporating coconut creamer, smoked paprika, vegan butter, and pureed pumpkin. The creaminess of the grits is perfectly set off by crunchy pepitas lightly toasted with more nutritional yeast, salt, and just a hint of maple syrup.

For some recipes, the garnish is nice, though not necessary. But for this one–though I would still make the dish even if I didn’t have fresh sage growing in the garden–I feel that tiny, tender and very young sage leaves add the perfect finishing touch to balance and accent all of the other flavor notes.

Find the simple and simply addicting recipe HERE at One Green Planet!

September 25, 2012September 25, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Peanut Butter and Fresh Apple Pancakes with Peanut Butter Maple Syrup

Yield: 8 pancakes (4 servings)

After a little gardening, yoga, and errands, I didn’t get around to “lunch” until about 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

I was craving one of the fresh Virginia grown apples I had just purchased at the farmer’s market with a little peanut butter. But I was afraid I would be hungry an hour later.

So, I decided on filling–but not heavy– fall pancakes made from the same wholesome ingredients. What a good decision! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. (Okay, and Minnie too. I made one for our “little” Great Dane, my constant kitchen company aka chow hound.)

Just go to One Green Planet, where I am this week’s featured “Green Monster,” for the simple recipe. Now you can enjoy everyone’s favorite after school snack for brunch!