July 2, 2009

Slow Rise Pancakes

I thought I needed only one pancake recipe.

Man was I wrong.

Now, I’m not the plan-ahead type. It’s really a challenge for me to prep food for the following day; not only am I lazy, I’m also pretty fickle. My cravings can disappear nearly as quickly they arrive, so planning ahead doesn’t always work out for me.

But I have been making some bread recently, bread that starts off with a wet yeast dough that sits overnight to gain flavor. It’s a handy trick — you get some great flavor from the yeast without needing a sourdough starter handy.

The other morning I woke up at some unfavorable hour craving apple pancakes. Suddenly one part of my brain connected with another and I had it; yeast risen pancakes. It’s not an original idea by any means, I just don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me until now. Not only would yeast risen pancakes have extra flavor added by using a slow-rising batter, but you could omit baking soda and baking powder altogether, creating a cleaner tasting pancake.

I knew they were going to be good, but I had no idea how good.

I mean, I really think these are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. They are most certainly the best pancakes I’ve ever made.

If you can get yourself to stir the simple batter together the night before and toss it in the fridge, I think you’ll thank yourself the next morning for your forethought and dedication to a delicious breakfast. These pancakes won’t let you down.

Slow Rise Pancakes
Makes 8 thick 5″ pancakes

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast (one packet)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 Tbs Oil
1 Ener-g Egg, prepared (1.5 tsp mixed with 2 Tbs water)
1/3 Cup Soymilk, for thinning the next morning, if desired

Whisk all the dry ingredients together until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the 1/3 cup of soymilk) and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Use batter anytime the next day.

Once you’re ready to make pancakes, remove the batter from the fridge and stir in up to 1/3 cup of soymilk to thin it if needed/desired. Let the batter sit out on the counter for 20-30 minutes. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with spray oil and wipe out the pan.

Using a 1/3 cup measure, begin making pancakes. I added apple slices to the batter before it set:

You can add anything you fancy: blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, strawberries, etc.

Once the top is bubbly and the edges are set, check to make sure the bottom is brown. Flip:

Cook on the other side for another few minutes until browned. Stack pancakes in a low oven to keep warm, serve with earth balance margarine and maple syrup.

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Thanks for forgiving me a little break in posting, this quick little recipe is a way for me to get back into the swing of blogging. And also thanks to VegNews for nominating me for the 2009 Veggie Awards! If you’d like to vote for my blog, and have a chance to win some cool prizes, click the banner below. Thanks for your support!

May 27, 2009

Chili Almond Asparagus

Sorry for the absence, I got pretty sick and needed to take some time off from… everything. Before asparagus season passes us by (it will be gone before you know it!), I thought I’d offer up this simple but flavorful and beautiful side dish.

There are lots of times where I’d like to make a little side dish, but I just don’t want to work too hard at it. Here’s a great recipe for just such an occasion. It’s fancy enough for company, but easy enough for everyday dinner. I first got the idea when I tossed some asparagus in a powdered faux-chicken soup stock and then roasted them. It gave the asparagus a lovely flavor, while helping the spears get golden brown and slightly crispy.

The bare-bones version of this recipe is just tossing the asparagus in oil, a little soup stock powder, and roasting until tender. This version here is the next-step, adding just a few ingredients for a lot more flavor.

Chili Almond Asparagus
Serves two to four as a side

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds, roughly crushed and divided
1 Tbs Powdered Soup Stock (I used Bill’s Chik’nish Seasoning)
2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
1 lb Asparagus Spears, trimmed
2 Carrots, peeled
2 tsp Peanut Oil (or any kind you like)
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil (or any other kind)
Fresh Zest and juice of 1 Lemon

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Roughly crush the almonds so that most are ground fairly fine, but there are some larger pieces of almonds left in the mix. Mix together 1/2 of the ground almonds, the soup stock powder, and the chili flakes.

Trim the carrots to the same length, roughly, as the asparagus spears. Half the carrots lengthwise, then quarter them, and continue cutting each piece lengthwise until you have lots of long, flexible, thin strips of carrots.

In a large bowl, toss the carrots and the asparagus spears in the oils. Sprinkle the almond seasoning over the asparagus and carrots and toss well, making sure the coating sticks to the veggies.

Arrange the veggies in one layer on a parchment covered baking sheet. If there is any seasoning left in the bowl, scrape it onto the veggies.

Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and starting to color. Finish under the broiler for a few minutes (watching it, it’ll burn easily) until brown and crispy in places.

Top with the remaining almond pieces, lemon zest, and season with a sprinkle of lemon juice if desired.

This is best served hot/warm. The asparagus should be cooked through and tender, but not mushy. It’s a perfect compliment to any spring dinner or lunch.