Vegan Pancakes

My new favorite breakfast. Healthy pancakes. I've made a million recipes before but taking out egg makes things a bit different. The texture isn't as fabulous. This recipe is good, though! The outside crisps up (which is how we like it) and the inside is airy, not doughy. I've been popping these from the freezer into the oven these past few mornings and they're great! 

Vegan Pancakes

2 cups oat flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

4 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups almond milk

4 Tbsp applesauce or pumpkin

1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in the other. Combine the two just until mixed and let the batter rest for 15mins. Heat skillet. Fry like regular pancakes! I made a strawberry rhubarb compote and topped with that and blueberries. 

Black Bean+Brown Rice

This is one of my fav recipes from my cousin Glenda. She calls them "Truly Authentic Burritos".  They take a tiny bit more prep work but are so worth it! Besides, the beans freeze so well that making a big batch ensures quick freezer dinners. You can actually assemble them (minus sour cream) and freeze the burritos for later use. I used some vegan sour cream for the first time and it passed the taste test! Not the exact same, but close enough. :-) 

Black Bean+ Brown Rice Burritos

4 cups black beans, soaked overnight and rinsed

4 bay leaves

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup corn, cooked and seasoned

Tortillas

Sour cream, guacamole, salsa, limes

salt and pepper to taste

Dump beans in crock pot and cover with water. Add onion, bay, and garlic. Cook on low for 6 hours or until beans are done (high for 3-4 hours). Add more water throughout if beans are exposed. Remove bay leaves. Once done, I use a slotted spoon to remove the beans and drizzle with a little of the "broth". Salt and pepper to desired taste. Warm tortillas in a skillet until soft. Stack in paper towels to keep them warm. Assemble as desired. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top. So delish! 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I've never made butternut squash soup before so I was excited to try this recipe. Total new fav soup for me! Perfectly creamy without even using cream. Roasting the vegetables in a pan made the flavor so amazing. Bold but not overpowering. This made quite a big batch, but I have heard it freezes well and I love it so much I don't mind leftovers. :-) 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash
1 sweet onion
3 garlic cloves, peeled or minced
2 cups vegetable(or chicken) broth (plus more for final step)
salt and pepper to taste

Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place face down in a large pan. Peel and thickly slice onions. Add to pan. Same with garlic. Add vegetable broth. Bake on 375 for 45 mins to 1 hour or until the squash is soft. Cool slightly and scoop out flesh of squash. Discard the skin. Blend squash with roasted onions, garlic, and broth in small batches. Transfer to large pot. Add 2-4 more cups of vegetable broth depending on the consistency you want your soup. Salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently and serve warm.

Ready to pop in the oven! 

All roasted and ready to blend. At this point, the house smelled positively divine!

Total perfection paired with some greens and a wheat roll! 

Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash is a fall favorite that is excellent in pasta, dips, soups, and surprisingly, makes an awesome butternut apple butter to spread on toast! It can also be used in place of oil in muffins or cakes. Ever had pumpkin squash muffins with a maple glaze? So yum!

 I got a bulk order in from Azure this past month and have been putting off preserving them for a long time. I don't know why, though, because roasting and freezing them is super simple! Here's a quick photo tutorial on preserving butternut squash. 

First, halve the squash and scoop out the seeds.

Place face down in a pan filled with 1/4 inch water and bake on 375 for about a half hour, 45mins until squash is tender

Let cool and scoop out flesh into bags or containers. I did one squash per bag. I also didn't puree the squash as my kids mashed it in the bags after they were filled. 

My little helper, scooping out squash! I love her little vintage play dress. 

That's all! Now I have enough squash to get me through until next year! 

Pinterest Pasta

This recipe has been floating around Pinterest everywhere and I've been wanting to try it out! It's been tagged as the quickest pasta ever and I agree. Start to finish, it's about ten minutes depending on how long your pasta boils for. There aren't really quotients; it's more a recipe that you adjust to suit your taste. Also, this isn't the exact recipe as online but I like to add to recipes what I feel is missing, like basil! 

Please be a dear and don't starve yourself from the glorious opportunity to add shaved Parmesan cheese to the top of this!! If I had some in home, I so would have ;-). 

Pinterest Pasta

1 box pasta of your choosing

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 gloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp parsley

2 tsp basil

1/2 or whole lemon, juiced

salt+pepper to taste

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Boil pasta. Drain. Toss with ingredients. Add more oil if it's too dry. Season to taste. Total...yum!