Banana Berry Pancakes

Here is a recipe that I dramatically altered from All Recipes. It was originally a banana pancake recipe, but I removed some banana, added whole wheat, took out the dairy, added frozen berries, and halved the sugar.

Banana Berry Pancakes

1/3 cup frozen or fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries or blackberries)
1 medium sized banana
1 cup vanilla soymilk
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 large egg
little less than 2 T canola oil
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour

Mash the banana in a medium sized bowl and add soymilk, egg, oil, and sugar. Mix well. Add the white flour and stir in the whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder and finally the berries.
Heat the pan to med-high and coat liberally with margarine (or butter, whichever you prefer). Wait a couple of minutes until the pan heats up and then pour in the pancake batter- about a 1/4 - 1/3 cup. This recipe produced 11 pancakes for me.

Appreciating Fall and Spaghetti Sauce

Summertime is almost behind us in Oneonta, NY. Leaves are yellowing, kids are once again toting backpacks and tired looks. College students have disrupted our quiet streets, making us realize that warm, humid days are sadly over. Autumn yields its' own luxuries- the smell of crisp, dry leaves, apple cider, butternut squash, and scary movies.
Winter's solemnity hasn't quiet settled, but one does feel a tranquility not experienced for many months. Children open books instead of going for late evening swims. Vacationing comes to a close and we enjoy a hot cup of tea from the comfort of home instead. Food nourishes and warms, preparing us for the long nights ahead. Cooking is also more pleasant when the kitchen isn't a humid 90 degrees.
I'm looking forward to breaking out my crockpot again. Fresh, corn soup adorned with sprinkles of hungarian paprika. Home-baked wheat bread with a touch of honey. Apple dumplings flavored with cinnamon baking in the oven. Making spaghetti sauce from scratch.
The most delicious spaghetti sauces are made from the humblest of ingredients: lots and lots of roma tomatoes, red wine, italian herbs, olive oil, tomato paste, salt and a pinch of raw sugar. First I cook down fresh, coarsely chopped tomatoes in a crockpot. Don't be alarmed if this takes forever or if 10 lbs of tomatoes reduces by more than half. Use your own garden-fresh goodies or you will spend a fortune. I use a bit of olive oil (use 1 tsp as needed) to keep everything from sticking. After the tomatoes cook down quite a bit, I add the wine, italian herbs, tomato paste, salt and sugar to taste. I'm more liberal with the wine and italian herbs than anything else. Use the rest of the ingredients sparingly and gradually. Be prepared for this venture to take a good 12 hours or so. Then enjoy!

Smoky Mixed Vegetables with Black Beans & Limey Guacamole

I served this with Limey Guacamole & brown rice.

Smoky Mixed Vegetables with Black Beans
1/2 bag of Quorn grounds
15 oz can black beans
10 oz bag mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
3 oz fresh or frozen green beans
15 oz canned, crushed tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 small onion
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or more, to taste)
1 packet Simply Organic Southwest Taco seasoning
few shakes cumin
few shakes coriander
3 T olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (optional)


Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft on medium heat in a small, cast iron skillet (or similar). In a medium-large sized saucepan, mix Quorn grounds, beans, mixed vegetables, green beans, tomatoes, the onion and garlic mixture, and taco seasoning. Cook covered at medium heat for 7 minutes. Add rest of spices (except for parsley). Cook uncovered at medium-low heat for another 15 minutes, until thoroughly warm.
You can grate up some jack cheese to accompany the dish, if desired.

Limey Guacamole

1 small clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
hot sauce of choice (I used 1/2 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce)
2 T mayonaise (or Nayonaise)
2 T lime juice
3 avocados
salt, to taste
1 tsp. olive oil or olive oil spray

Saute chopped onion and garlic with olive oil in small, cast iron skillet until beginning to brown. Mash avocados in small bowl. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Loving Food, Not Politics

Pre-1990's there was a group of staunch vegetarians, who were the proud few in America daring to challenge the ideals of an equally staunch multitude of meat-eaters.
Remember life before Garden Burgers? Remember when tofu was only served in Asian restaurants (that's how it was for most of the country). Free-range eggs were nearly unheard of and no one asked where their meat came from. Peta didn't get nearly as much publicity and no one questioned whether milk was good for you or not.
Today I see less strict vegetarians, but more people who eat less meat. I've had quiet a few customers (I waitress) who ask where there meat comes from, if it's organic, if it is free-range, etc. Not only did the meat industry take a hit when Mad Cow Disease scared beef-lovers out of their wits, but the majority of people have adjusted their thinking towards vegetarian-based meals.
Over the years, vegetarians have preached health instead of merely ethics. People have listened to both. I've had many friends, family and acquaintances ask for advice or recipes that would bring healthier meals to their tables. I've taught several vegetarian cooking classes to mostly meat-eaters and everyone loved the meals, regardless of the fact that no meat was present.
What the American public first recognized is that a meal does not nutritionally require meat, and vegetarian-based diets can be healthier. Then, we realized that vegetables actually taste good. I expect the next step to catapult home cooked vegetarian meals into everyday staples is sustainable living. The average family won't have the resources or income to buy meat on a daily basis.
Meat is a luxury. Vegetables are cheaper to produce, require less fossil fuels and less space. Although I'm a strict vegetarian, I approve of what I see coming. Even if fewer people are strict veggies, I applaud those who eat animals conscientiously. I embrace those who are learning how to create a meal around the mighty asparagus without turning up their noses. Instead, I want the world to respect vegetarian food for what it is- delicious and compassionate.

Raw Time of the Year

I'm not sure exactly why this happens (I have a few guesses, however) but every winter, sometime after Christmas, my body tells me to go raw. The other morning I woke up around 4 a.m. craving a smoothie. The next day there were fruit salad cravings. Suddenly I mapped out a whole month of daily menus for the next month, mostly comprised of raw recipes.
Yesterday my family and I took a trip to the Honest Weight Co-op in Albany, NY (which I recommend). Left there with varieties of raw nuts, fresh veggies and fruits, and little "treats" that I felt would make going raw easier. In the past I've done 100% raw, but one of the nut butters I bought yesterday wasn't raw (although it had no other ingredients) and I've been drinking Kombucha juice (which the label says is raw, yet I have my doubts since Kombucha usually contains sugar).
Anyway, why raw this time of year? After a month of consuming heavy foods, a cleanse is the perfect way to come into the new year feeling refreshed. Fresh veggies and fruits also inspire us to look towards the bounties of Spring. Food that is living makes our bodies feel energetic at a time of year when most people would rather hibernate than wake up at 6 a.m. to go to work or school.

Pairing Vegetarian food with Beer, part 4

I prefer saving the most rich, desert like beer for the last course. Recently I tried a simply amazing brew called Three Philosophers from Ommegang brewery. A strong, thick, malty ale with interesting cherry notes. This beer would taste wonderful with a chocolate cake that has raspberry or strawberry filling.
Any kind of imperial stout like Storm King by Victory or Old Rasputin by North Coast also rings well with chocolate.
Cheesecake or vanilla ice cream would be delicious with a Framboise lambic by Lindemans.
One of my favorite desert beers that pairs well with many foods (fruit, nuts, chips, cheese and crackers, or something rich and sweet) is Samichlaus. It has a pretty high alcohol content so splitting it with someone would be wise.

Pairing Vegetarian food with Beer, part 3

What food and drink to serve as the main course depends largely upon what is in season- as well as the style of food that was served previously.
Vegan sushi with seasonal veggies or stir-fry and rice would be delicious with an IPA. If you are not an IPA kind of person, try an ESB. Negro Modela would also be nice.
Stuffed portobella mushrooms or fettucini alfredo with spinach match well with an oatmeal stout like Wolaver's or Anderson Valley.
Something heavier like a mushroom stroganoff or vegan loaf with mashed potatoes would hold up to the strong taste of a scottish style ale nicely. Kilt Lifter by Pike is a thick, hearty ale. Skullsplitter is for more adventurous tastes who aren't afraid of a higher alcohol content. This would also make a great beer for those who wish to finish the evening with a lambic instead of something super-strong.
The common theme for dinner ales is something malty and rich, yet still not too rich or overwhelming. Save the imperial stout for desert!