Vegan Pancakes with Strawberries and Bananas

Pancakes aren't something I make often now that I'm low grain but I couldn't resist this delicious looking vegan recipe my cousin posted on her facebook page. Note: you can make it grain free by substituting milled flaxseed for the flour and egg whites for the coconut milk. Of course, then it won't be vegan ;)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
generous 1/4 tsp nutmeg
generous 1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 cinnamon
pinch or two kosher salt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 cup warm water
oil, for skillet
strawberries and bananas

Directions:
Preheat the over to 250 degrees and grab a baking sheet. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, coconut, baking soda, baking poder, spices and salt) in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (coconut milk, warm water, vanilla, maple syrup) and then add to teh dry ingredients. Whisk well until no clumps remain.
Preheat the skillet over medium heat and add some oil on the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter, per pancake, onto the skillet and quickly smooth out a circle with the back of a spoon. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the bottoms of the pancakes are golden. Reduce heat if necessary. Transfer to baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
Slice strawberries and bananas for topping.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Tomatoes and Fontina

In the past couple years I have discovered that I LOVE Portobello mushrooms. They are one of the only foods I know of that can be substituted for both meat, such as in a vegetarian stew, and bread, for example as buns for a hamburger.

In this recipe they do double duty. The tomato and onion mixture could be served over either a chicken breast or bruschetta. And the fact that it’s higher protein and lower in carbs that the later makes it a much better healthier choice.

Ingredients:

4-6 medium or large Portabello mushrooms

olive oil spray

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I sautéed fresh spinach in olive oil)

1/3 cup chunky tomato sauce

½ cup sliced green onions

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

3 oz (about ¾ cup) fontina cheese, shredded

Directions:

Heat oven to 375. Remove stems from mushrooms. Spray both sides of mushrooms with oil; arrange on a baking pan. Bake for 10 mins, turning once. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine spinach and tomato sauce. In another bowl combine green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper. Remove mushroom caps from the oven; place cut side up on baking pan. Spoon spinach mixture into mushrooms, dividing evenly. Top each with an equal amount of the tomato mixture and sprinkle with fontina cheese. Return to oven until heated through and cheese begins to melt, 5 to 8 minutes.

Herbed Pork Chops with Apples and Pecans

I probably should have included this with my "fall" recipes but I was too busy exploiting pumpkins and cauliflower.

This recipe excited me for several reasons. First of all, I love pork. Second, as I don't bake, I don't have many opportunities to "glaze" pecans.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp plus 1 pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp safflower oil
4 bone-in pork chops, trimmed of visible fat (about 1/14 lb total)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tsp unsweetened raisins
2 small Red Delicious apples halved, cored and skin pierced several times
1/4 cup chopped toasted unsalted pecan pieces
2 tsp raw honey
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 packets stevia

Directions:
In a small bowl combine thyme, onion powder and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Season pork chops with thyme mixture and add to skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until barely pink in center.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk 2 tbsp water and cinnamon. Add to a medium nonstick skillet. Sprinkle raisins over top, then place apples cut sides down in skillet. Heat on medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until apples are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 4 minutes.
Remove apples from skillet and place cut sides up on a serving platter. To skillet, add pecans, honey, vanilla, stevia and pinch salt and stir to combine. Spoon mixture over top of apples, dividing evenly. Serve with pork chops.

Homebrewed Booch

My own brew in reused bottles

I have a confession to make. It’s one that I have kept hidden for fear of being ostracized by mainstream society and accused of being a hippie or, worse, a tree hugger! But, here goes...I am completely addicted to Kombucha.

It started out innocently enough. Every couple months the display of brightly colored bottles would catch my eye on my way out of Whole Foods and I would decide that I had to try the new flavor or the one with chia seeds.  Pretty soon I was grabbing one every time I shopped and eventually I was making special trips for the sole purpose of buying Kombucha. You’ve probably seen the viral video “Whole Foods Parking Lot” where DJ Dave claims he’s “been on edge ever since they took Kombucha off the shelf.” Yikes. I can only imagine.

So what is Kombucha? Put plainly it’s a slightly carbonated, fermented tea. The idea of drinking a “fermented” beverage may not sound appealing. However, it’s the same process by which beer and wine are created. A sugar solution is created, then injected with one or more strains of yeast or bacteria which consume some of the sugar and convert it to alcohol.*

As for what’s so amazing about it, Kombucha is said to have a number of health benefits ranging from cancer prevention to reducing gray hairs! However, the only benefits I have personally experienced are improved digestion and increased energy. Kombucha is full of probiotics and other healthy amino acids, which help to detoxify the liver and eliminate waste. As for increased energy I may be experiencing a placebo effect but I have found that drinking a bottle of Kombucha in the morning is even more effective than a cup of coffee. (And if you know me you know what a bold claim this is!)

A few months ago I was thrilled to find that supermarkets such as Vons and Pavilions had begun to carry Kombucha. However this only made it more convenient, not cheaper, to purchase.  My friend Sarah suggested I start making my own which sounded crazy. I might as well brew my own beer! (Hmmmm.) But after conducting some research I found a great resource here in la (and available online for those outside the area.) I was able to get all the supplies I needed as well as tons of helpful tips and advice. 

I am proud to say that I have just completed my first successful batch of Kombucha and it’s just as delicious as the store bought. All it cost me was the tea bags and sugar, which I already had in my pantry, and the flavoring. (I got my culture from Sarah but you can also purchase online.)

Supplies:

Removing the culture from my first batch

Tea kettle or pot

1 gallon glass container

3 quarts of purified water

1 cup of sugar

4-5 tea bags

1 “SCOBY” and 1-2 cups of starter liquid (available online) 

Tightly woven cloth cover and rubber band

Brewing Recipe:

Heat 4 cups of purified water in a tea kettle. Just as the water starts to boil, turn off heat and let cool 1-2 minutes, then add to your brewing vessel. Add 4-5 tea bags (green, black or combo.) Steep 5-10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. Add 2 quarts (8 cups) of purified water; this should bring the temp of the boiled water down to lukewarm. Add SCOBY and starter liquid (the entire contents of the plastic bag you get online.) In future batches retain a cup from the top of your brew. Cover container with a tightly woven cloth and rubber band. Place the container in a dark, warm ventilated area for 7-21 days. A new culture will form on the top.

Bottling:

With clean hands remove the cultures and place in a clean jar. Ladle 2 cups of liquid from the top of brew and place over cultures, then close the jar. This will serve as the culture and starter liquid for the next batch. Find clean bottles with tight fitting lids. (I reused store bought Kombucha bottles.) If flavoring the Kombucha place fruit/juice/ flowers etc. directly into the bottles. Place bottles in the sink, insert a funnel in your first bottle and ladle or pour the Kombucha into it. Screw on lids and set aside 1-3 days, burping the bottles to release carbonation. Move bottles to the fridge a they reach the desired carbonation/ flavor. This halts fermentation occurring due to flavoring.

*Many popular brands of Kombucha were pulled from the shelves of Whole Foods in June of 2010 after alcohol levels of 0.5 to 2.5% were detected in some strains. (This is the “kombucha crisis” to which DJ Dave refers in his rap.) Store bought brands now contain only “trace amounts of alcohol.” 

Australian adventures...

Surfing in Noosa

Sorry for the prolonged absence but I’ve been on my honeymoon! I have so many amazing stories and pictures to share but given the theme of this blog I’ll try to stay on topic.

I’m happy to report that Australia is one of the healthiest, most fit countries I’ve visited. At times I felt like I was in Santa Monica as the gluten free diet is very popular and restaurants boast about their offering of gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and even paleo items.  Juice shops can be found all over town, the equivalent of Starbucks here in the states. Subway sandwiches can also be found in every major city and the menu includes fresh fruit smoothies. Oh and SUSHI!!!! Sushi is extremely popular, maybe even more so than in California (if that’s possible!)

Fitness-wise they are very active. EVERYONE surfs, at least in the coastal cities. Dave and I had a view of the ocean from our apartment in Noosa and were a little intimidated by the number of surfers we saw. But when we got to the beach we realized that many of them were children! Lots of girls too which was inspiring. Paddle boarding and snorkeling are also popular and I was in good company when I ran the opera house stairs.

Shrimp on the Barbie...we had to

Now for the unhealthy aspects of this culture. First of all, I have never seen so many McDonald’s ("Macca’s") or Burger Kings ("Hungry Jack") in my life! Of course I realize Sydney is a huge tourist city and we were there during the most popular tourism season of the year (summer/ new year’s eve) so maybe they cater to tourists and not locals.

Diving the Great Barrier Reef

My other big complaint . . . the SMOKING.   Again, it may have been tourists smoking and not locals but I couldn’t walk down the street in Sydney without gagging. Dave didn’t seem to mind or even notice which shocked me. Then I realized that smoking in restaurants and bars was still permitted in Michigan until a few years ago. (I have only a vague recollection of smoking sections in California restaurants during my childhood.)  

If my company happened to transfer me to our Sydney office I definitely wouldn’t complain. For the most part it suits my lifestyle perfectly (they are also extremely eco conscious which I love.) But I will settle for visiting again in a few years. Perhaps I’ll head to the west coast and do a bit of wine tasting. And the one other thing I wasn't able to do. . . hold a Koala:)