Savoury Pancakes II, Leek Pancakes with Mushroom Sauce

Mm, they were so good last time I had to try another version of these.  This time they’ve got leeks in them, and they are topped with a creamy vegan (or not) mushroom sauce.  Brunch, dinner, an appie – these are good anytime!

What you need:

4 eggs, separated

1 cup flour

1 & 1/3 cups cottage cheese

salt and pepper

1 leek, sliced

butter for frying

grated parmesan for serving (optional)

For the mushroom sauce:

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

10-12 button mushrooms (or any others of you’ve got some fancier ones)

a few leaves of fresh sage, chopped (a little thyme would work well as a substitution)

2 tablespoons butter plus some for cooking the shallots and mushrooms

2 tablespoons flour

1/2-3/4 cup soy milk (or regular)

1/3-1/2 cups white wine

2-3 tablespoons cream cheese/ soy cream cheese (optional)

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  To begin the mushroom sauce, heat a frying pan, add a little butter and cook the shallots for a minutes.  Then add the garlic and mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are cooked through.  Set aside.

2.  Heat the butter, then add the 2 tablespoons of flour.  Cook for a minute or two, then gradually add the soy milk (or regular milk), stirring each time you’ve added a little, making sure it doesn’t get lumpy.  Before it gets too runny begin adding the wine, a little at a time.

3.  Add the mushroom and shallot mixture to the cream sauce, then add salt and quite a bit of pepper to taste, along with the sage.  Set this aside, reheating just before serving.

4. To begin making the pancakes,  heat a frying pan and add a little butter, then the leeks, and cook for a few minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow the leeks to cool a little.

5.  Beat the egg whites until they are very fluffy and a peak forms when you take the beater out.

6.  Mix the egg yolks into the flour, salt and pepper.  Fold the egg whites into this yolk mixture, then add the leeks, stirring until it is just combined.

7.  Heat a frying pan to medium high.  I made small pancakes so they wouldn’t break apart easily.  Try making one first to see how long they take to cook and to make sure your pan is the right temperature.  When one side has browned nicely it’s time to flip it, then the other side needs about a minute.

8.  I like to serve them as soon as they come off the pan and eat them while they’re hot.  Top with the mushroom sauce and a little grated parmesan.

Spicy Garlicky Green Beans

These beans are a super easy little side dish.  Depending on the amount of spice you like, add more or less of the crumbled hot pepper.

What you need:

green beans

2-3 garlic cloves, sliced

olive oil

dried hot chili pepper

salt to taste

What you do:

1.  Heat a frying pan to medium high and add a little olive oil.

2.  Add the beans and garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring from time to time.  Crumble the dried pepper and throw it in.   Add a little water and put a lid on it for a minute or so, or until the beans are slightly softened.

3.  Add a little salt to taste, and you’re ready to go!

Oatmeal Snacking Cake with Nutty Topping

Moist, nutty, and not as dense as you might think!  Another great recipe from Lottie + Doof, and if you need justifying you can say, “It’s good for me, it’s got oatmeal in it.” The cake is good, but for me it’s a vehicle for the topping, a German chocolate cake-style topping, all nutty and buttery – you can’t go wrong.

This one is pretty easy to make.

What you need:

1 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cup water at room temperature

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Icing:

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 tablespoons milk (I used soy creamer because it’s what I had)

3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut (I used unsweetened and it worked great!)

3/4 cup chopped pecans

What you do:

1.  Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit extra to stick up around the edges so you can grab onto it later. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Stir the oats and water together in a small bowl and let sit for about 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.

3. Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a bowl.

4. Beat the butter and sugars for a few minutes until it is “the consistency of damp sand.” (not my words, but that’s the way you want it to be)  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until combined, then add the moist oats, and stir again until just combined.  Pour into the lined baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

6.  When the cake it baked, take it out of the oven to cool for about 10 minutes.  While you are doing this you can prepare the broiled topping.  It’s a good idea to melt the butter ahead of time, though, so you can do this while the cake is baking.

7. Add the milk, sugar and nuts to the butter and mix it all together.  Sprinkle it on top of the cake and press it down a little.  Put it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn!

8.  Let it cool for about an hour, then you can take it out of the pan by pulling on the parchment paper.

Savoury Pancakes I – Red Onion and Broccoli

My friend Jen got me thinking about this dinner pancake thing. It’s an all-in-one type of meal, good for dinner, lunch or brunch. Because of the beaten egg whites they are quite light, almost like a pan-fried souffle, and your veggies are built right in. I served them with slices of avocado on top, but plain yogurt or some fried mushrooms would make great toppings too!

What you need:

6 eggs, separated

1 cup flour

1 & 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1 head of broccoli, separated into small florets

1/2 red onion, diced

What you do:

1.  Cook the onion in a little olive oil until slightly browned.

2.  Beat the egg whites until they are very fluffy and a peak forms when you take the beater out.

3.  Mix the egg yolks and cottage cheese into the flour, salt and pepper.  Fold the egg whites into this yolk mixture, then add the onions and broccoli, stirring until it is just combined. I made the mistake once of stirring too much, and they got a bit tough and weren’t very fluffy.

4.  Heat a frying pan to medium high.  I made small pancakes so they wouldn’t break apart easily.  Try making one first to see how long they take to cook and to make sure your pan is the right temperature.  When one side has browned nicely it’s time to flip it, then the other side needs about a minute.

5.  Top with something savoury and eat them while they’re hot!

Roast potatoes in Duck Fat

I try to make my recipes accessible, using ingredients that people are likely to have on hand.  For this one, though, you’d need to have some duck fat on hand.  Sure you can use a substitution, but then you can’ t make the best roast potatoes you’ve ever had!

What you need:

4 baking potatoes

2 tablespoons duck fat

salt and pepper

fresh rosemary

What you do:

1.  Scrub the potatoes and cut into rounds about 1.5 cm thick and place in a bowl.

2.  Heat up the duck fat and coat the potatoes with it.  Place them on a baking sheet, then sprinkle generously with salt.  Chop a little rosemary up and sprinkle it on top.

3.  Bake for about an hour at 300F.  After about the first 25 minutes flip them over and continue baking.

4.  When they are very brown on both sides they are ready, just crack some pepper on top and you’re set to have the best potatoes EVER!

Cajun Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers are so colourful and tasty – enough to impress guests, or just a beautiful meal for yourself.  It’s not too tough to make, and it’s all good for you, even vegetarian!  You just cook up some veggies and mix them with quinoa, beans and spices, stuff it into the peppers and bake.  The pecans on the top of the finished product give it that something extra special.

I love that it’s a meal all on its own, but you can add any side dish you like.

What you need:

3/4 cup quinoa

4-5 peppers, multi-coloured if possible

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

3/4 -1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

3 teaspoons cajun spice mix

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup cajun pecans

What you do:

1.  Rinse the quinoa, then bring to a boil in 1 & 1/4 cups water.  Cook for 15 minutes, then let rest for 10 minutes.

2. Cook the onion in butter or olive oil until slightly browned, then add mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are done.  Add wine, if you want, and cook until it is evaporated.

3.  Add cajun spice mix and stir, then add the corn, beans and cilantro, and stir until it’s all mixed evenly.

4. Cut the tops off the peppers and empty them of their seeds and membrane.

5.  Fill the peppers with the quinoa mix, then pop them in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes.

6. Top with the chopped pecans and serve them up!

Cajun Pecans

I made these to top my Cajun Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, but they’d be great on a salad or just as a treat on their own.

What you need:

1/2 cup pecans

2 teaspoons butter or olive oil

2 teaspoons cajun spice mix

What you do:

1.  Melt the butter or oil in a frying pan.  Add the pecans and stir until they are coated.

2.  Add the spice mix and stir until all the nuts are thoroughly coated.

3.  Cook on medium-low heat, stirring from time to time so they won’t burn.

4.  After 5-8 minutes remove the nuts from the pan and let them cool.

Use them whole or chopped up however you wish!  Leave a comment below if you’ve discovered a new way to use them, or if you just like them!

Cajun Spice Mix

No need to buy a package of pre-mixed cajun spices.  If you’ve got a spice rack/drawer/bin going, you probably have all of these ingredients already.  There are so many cajun spice mixes out there, so I looked at a whole bunch of them and used the ingredients they all have in common, then added the ones that I thought would make it taste the best.  I happened to be staying with friends who had gumbo filé in their collection, but it’s not necessary to add if you don’t happen to have it in your rack/drawer/bin.

I’ve used this mix on my Cajun Pecans and in Cajun Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.

What you need:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 & 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried mustard

1/2 teaspoon gumbo filé  (if you have it)

What you do:

1.  Mix it all together!  Store it with your spices.

London Fog Tea with homemade vanilla syrup

This picture actually shows London Fog teas with whiskey, on a gorgeous early spring day in the sunshine.  It was still a little chilly, so the hot tea and whiskey warmed us up a bit!

It’s ridiculously easy to make the syrup, and you can substitute the vanilla for your favourite extract for other uses.  Almond is great too.

This tea is pennies a serving, saving you the many dollars that coffee shops charge.

What you need:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

milk/ plain soy milk

strong Earl Grey tea

What you do:

1.  Heat the water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.  Boil, stirring for about a minute, then add the vanilla, stir and remove from the heat.  This syrup will keep indefinitely, so pour it into a jar, and stick whatever you don’t use into your cupboard for next time.

2.  Make some very strong Earl Grey tea.

3.  Heat some milk/soy milk.

4.  Pour about 1/3 cup of the tea into a heated mug, then add 2/3 cup of milk.  If you’ve got a frother, go ahead and add some frothy milk to the top.

5.  Add about a tablespoon of the syrup and stir it in.  Taste it to see if it’s sweet enough for you.

Sit down and enjoy your hot cuppa with a friend, or take a quiet moment to yourself.

The view from Rudy and Maureen’s, where we enjoyed a hot cuppa.

Pepita Pesto on Spaghetti Squash

I told a friend that I’d make a green meal for St. Patrick’s Day.  I wanted to use natural greens (no food colouring), so here’s what I came up with – green pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, in basil pesto.  I chose spaghetti squash because it’s nice and light.

What you need:

1 spaghetti squash

1/4 cup  toasted pepitas (otherwise known as pumpkin seeds)

3/4 – 1 cup basil

1/2 clove of garlic

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (I use lactose-free l’Ancetre brand)

olive oil

salt

pepper

What you do:

1.  Cut the spaghetti squash in half and bake for 30-40 minutes on 400F, or until you can remove the squash easily with a fork in stringy strands.

2.  Toast the pepitas lightly.

3. Place the pepitas in the food processor and grind well.

4.  Add basil, garlic, salt and a bit of pepper to the pepitas and add as much olive oil  as you need to make it smooth.  Then add the parmesan and give it one last whirl.

5.  Remove the squash from its shell with a fork.  Top with pesto.

I’m serving it with peas, but that’s just to add more green for St. Paddy’s Day!