Category Archives: Recipes

Recipe: Pico de Yummy (Avocado Corn Salsa)

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pico de yummy avocado corn salsa recipe
As I mentioned in my menu wrap up, I decided to improvise a side dish for last week’s Grilled Salmon, and since last week’s recipe was the first one in a while, I thought I’d take a minute to share this recipe with you too.

I didn’t want to have to use all the lime juice called for in the original recipe due to my citrus allergy, plus, we had a bunch of fresh corn sitting in the fridge, threatening to go bad, so I made up my own fresh salsa recipe with Rick’s two favourite foods: avocado and corn.

Check it out after the jump.

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Recipe: Maple-Chai Granola

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maple-chai granola recipe
I made the “mistake” of introducing Rick to Gourmet Granola a few months ago. I say “mistake” because, while I was happy that he gobbles it up whenever he has a chance, I’m afraid that it’s a little too rich in price for us to be buying when it’s not on sale. But it’s so great to have on hand for last minute snacks or as a quick, healthy, breakfast option I finally decided it was time to try making my own.

Part of the reason I’d been hesitating is that I can’t actually eat granola myself. I’m allergic to oats. And nuts. And chocolate. And citrus fruit… I could go on for days. Basically, there’s a lot of awesome healthy foods that I can’t eat without breaking out in an awful, prickly rash that eats my skin. But, that’s doesn’t mean that Rick can’t or shouldn’t eat them. And since the cholesterol lowering power of oats is something that his mayo loving self should really be adding to his diet, I’ve been making a concerted effort to get oats and granola into his gullet.

I used this Food 52 recipe as a base and just substituted whatever nuts and seeds I happened to have on hand for the ones the recipe suggested. The results were a little more “candied” than I would have liked, so you’ll notice that I left the brown sugar out of my recipe. I also added some spices to give it a little chai-inspired kick and make it a little more special.

Full recipe after the jump.

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Recipe: Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes

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Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe

When Rick and I started dating I was surprised to discover that what I called a pancake and what he called a pancake were in fact two very different creatures. The fluffy, flap-jack style cakes I grew up eating are a rarity at the local brunch places and in fact, Rick had never eaten an “Anglo style” pancake until I made one for him. He’d grown up eating thin, egg-y crepes, as I suspect many Quebecois do. But luckily, he loved them, being somewhat better at absorbing maple syrup than a French crêpe; and I can usually count on a promise of pancakes to lure a reluctant Rick out of hibernation on the weekend.

I had made a bunch of carrot cake cupcakes for a wedding consultation this weekend and had some shredded carrot left over, so on Sunday I decided to whip up some carrot cake pancakes for brunch. I used whole wheat pastry flour to make them a little more hearty and added some vegan cream cheese for added richness. The results were unbelievably moist and flavourful! I recommend eating them with lots of pure maple syrup, or even a pat of vegan cream cheese.

Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes (Adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan with a Vengeance)
1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour (or just use more whole wheat flour, it’s up to you)
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg (I grate mine fresh in, so much yummier!)
2 Tbs Canola Oil
2 Tbs Pure Maple Syrup
1 Cup Soy Milk (I used Vanilla, but you could use plain and just add a little vanilla extract)
1/3 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Vegan Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Carrot

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking powder, spices and the salt. In another bowl (I use a glass measuring cup) mix together the oil, syrup, soy milk, water and cream cheese. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a whisk until everything is just moistened. Do not over-mix as this could make your pancakes rubbery. Fold in the shredded carrot and let the mix sit for a few minutes.

Preheat your oven to 200F and melt a small pat of Earth Balance margarine in a non-stick pan. When the margarine just starts to bubble, ladle in some pancake batter (1/3 cup for medium pancakes, 1/2 cup for large ones). Cook for a couple of minutes, until the edges start to lift and bubbles in the middle no longer close. Turn and cook for another minute or two, then transfer to the oven to keep warm. Continue cooking until all the pancake batter has been used.

Top with maple syrup and enjoy!

Recipes: Vegan French Toast with Sticky Banana Topping

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Vegan French Toast

French Toast has got to be one of my favourite ways of using up leftover bread and I’ve been struggling for years to come up with a recipe that doesn’t include 8 billion eggs and a bunch of cream. I’ve tried using mashed banana, straight soy milk and tofu based batters, but none of them yielded the crunchy crust/custard-y center I’ve been striving for. Until now.

I originally put this one together for my father since he has recently developed an interest in vegan cooking due to a sudden intolerance to eggs and dairy. Since it was the holidays at the time I actually used a mix of Soy Nog and Silk creamer, but I’ve also made it with regular soy milk and it’s turned out just fine.

Vegan French Toast

1 Cup Soy Milk (you can also substitute soy creamer like Silk)
2/3 Cup Chickpea Flour
2 Tbs Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Cardamon or Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla
Half a loaf of French bread
Earth Balance Margarine

Whisk together the first five ingredients and allow to sit for a couple of minutes while you prep the bread. Slice the bread about an inch thick if it is not already sliced and take off the crusts if you like (I usually don’t bother, but I guess it depends on your bread and your personal preference). Soak the bread slices in the batter while you heat up a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Melt a little Earth balance in the skillet and then begin adding the batter covered slices. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until a golden crust starts to form, then flip and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. Enjoy immediately with maple syrup or my Sticky Banana Topping, which is a great way to use up overripe bananas.

Sticky Banana Topping

Sticky Banana Topping (adapted from Healthy Happy Life)
2 Very Ripe Bananas
2 Tbs Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Vanilla

Slice the bananas into thick chunks and toss with the syrup, cinnamon and vanilla. Melt 1 tsp of Earth Balance in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add banana mixture and cook for 5 minutes or until bananas are caramelized and everything is sticky and gooey. Serve over French toast, pancakes, oatmeal or anything you like.