CINNAMON APPLESAUCE PANCAKES

Hello again!

Its been a very busy month with life in general, all good and I hope everyone is doing well. Things should be back to normal and I hope to post a new recipe once a week from now on. Today I share with you a very easy pancake recipe to add to your pancake repertoire. As the title suggests, these are filled with the goodness of apples and cinnamon. I used an organic jarred unsweetened applesauce here but you can make your own pretty easily following this recipe from Food 52. I did some of the pancakes with apple slices cooked in and some without, feel free to do the same or any way you prefer. I personally loved the ones with the apple slices, they cook up soft and tender while adding a bit of texture. So good! Mix up the spices and flours to suit your taste and/or needs. For this recipe I've used cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. You may opt to replace the nutmeg with cardamom or allspice, or keep it simple with just cinnamon. For the flour, spelt is my absolute favorite but of course you can sub in your favorite flour or flour blend. These pancakes are every bit as good as they sound. Tender and fluffy, I'm pretty sure you'll be whipping these up often! 

Simple, wholesome and delicious!

CINNAMON APPLESAUCE PANCAKES

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour, or flour of choice
• 2 tablespoons coconut or organic pure cane sugar 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 -1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of mineral salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, for greasing

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack while oven is heating.

Heat griddle as per instructions or if using a large skillet heat over medium high heat.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, mix well. Next, add in the applesauce, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract, mix until just combined, do not over mix. Your mixture may seem to foam up a bit due to the baking powder, this is normal.

Clean and quarter an apple, remove the core. Cut into thin slices about 1/8 - 1/4 inch. 

Place about 1 teaspoon of oil on the griddle/skillet and spread evenly over the cooking area (I use a silicon brush). Lay two sliced apples next to each other on the griddle. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop batter and place over top apples, gently helping the batter to cover the apples and form a circle. Cook until bubbles form on the top and edges start to look dry, about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes per side, or until golden.

If not adding apple slices, scoop batter as noted above and place on griddle. You won't need to help the batter, it will do its magic on it's own without the apple slices underneath. Continue as directed above.

As pancakes become done, place them in the oven on the warm cookie sheet to keep warm until all pancakes are ready.

Serve with pure maple syrup. A few fresh apple slices would also be great to serve.

Makes 9 pancakes, serving 3.

Notes:

Make a vegan buttermilk by adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or juice of 1/2 small lemon to the milk 10 minutes before using.

I used Fuji apples, they are my favorite. Use your favorite apple.

Vary up your spices with cardamom, allspice or cloves in place of the nutmeg.

For maximum fluffiness, once you place the batter on the griddle, do not flatten out the top to try to spread the pancake. I learned this from experience, my pancakes weren't bad but just not as fluffy as they could've been.

For thicker pancakes use less milk, for thinner use more.

I'd love to see your re-creations!

#thesimpleveganista

CARROT BANANA BREAD

Lots of baking going on around here lately. I've been wanting to make a carrot banana bread and have finally got around to doing it. It's a nice textured bread, moist but not too moist and not too dense. The batter can handle the addition of walnuts and other dried fruits but for the sake of my daughter I've left those out. The recipe is adapted from my Banana Tea Bread which has been a wonderful recipe to work with! I have plenty of notes in this recipe so you can vary it up and change it around when the mood strikes. I don't usually add anything to breads like these when eating but this would be nice with a smidge of Cashew Sweet Cream. I hope you find you love this carrot banana bread as much as I do. It's a keeper and a great way to add in extra vegetables!

P.S. The cooking holiday season is just around the corner! I have a nice collection on pinterest of 250+ vegan recipes for you to consider adding to your holiday table. Am I missing any great recipes you'd like to see? Let me know and I'll add it. You can find the resource here: VEGAN THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS RECIPES 

Mix your dry and measure your wet ingredients (I measured the oil and milk in one cup)...



Grate your carrots, mash your bananas...



To the dry ingredients, add oil, milk and bananas, mix well but don't over mix. Lastly, fold in carrots.

My bread just slightly cooled and moved to it's storage place. Once it's cooled and covered, it will look a bit moister and darken in color. I did another loaf here where you can see the difference, this is 12 hours after being covered. I would've taken more pics of the loaf shown here but it was eaten too quickly!

CARROT BANANA BREAD

Ingredients

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1/3 cup organic pure cane or coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup vanilla or unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup light flavored olive oil or warmed coconut oil (see notes)
• 3 medium bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cup)
• 3 carrots, grated (about 1 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Optional Toppings

• sprinkle of raw sugar (pictured, my daughters favorite topping)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder & soda and salt, mix well with large slotted spoon or fork. Add milk, oil and mashed bananas, mix well, but don't over mix, making sure there are no clumps of flour (especially on the bottom of the bowl). Fold in carrots. In a lightly greased 9 x 5 loaf pan, place mixture and bake for 50 - 55 minutes on the middle rack, rotate pan half way through.

Let cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely. Store covered. Serve warmed or at room temperature. Slices would pair nicely with this Cashew Sweet Cream.

Serves 8.

Notes: 

The riper the bananas, the less sugar you'll need. If your bananas are not very ripe, you may like to add a tablespoon or so more.

If you don't have baking soda on hand, use 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) baking powder instead of 2 teaspoons.

If using coconut oil, be sure your milk is at room temperature or warmer. If adding straight from the refrigerator, the coldness will harden the coconut oil.

Replace the oil with applesauce for oil-free bread. Bread may be a little denser. 

Make gluten-free by using a GF flour blend.

Feel free to leave your carrots unpeeled. I felt mine needed it this time but usually skip this step whenever I can.

Fold in 1/3 - 1/2 cup dried fruit of choice. Raisins, currants, cranberries or chopped apricots or dates would work nicely. 

Add in 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg for another layer of flavor and variation. 

DAMN DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

It's cookie time! And not just any cookie, but 'damn delicious' chocolate chip oatmeal cookies! If you're uncomfortable with that title, you can just call them darn delicious, amazingly delicious, delectably delicious or incredibly delicious. But however you say it, they are seriously delicious! 

I've been playing around with this one for a good minute and finally have a great crowd pleasing recipe to share. I love introducing easy transitional recipes here, especially for desserts, and this is one of them! This cookie is reminiscent to the old favorite chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipes you may have grown up with. You can share these with friends, relatives and co-workers with confidence. I bet they wouldn't even guess that they're vegan either! I received a seal of approval from my daughter and her peer cousin, both thought these were delicious. I also tried them out on friends and had positive feedback as well. After consulting with my daughter and other family members, it was agreed that these are 'damn delicious' and so it goes. These have been tried and tested by myself over and over just to be sure I can give them such a prestigious title. 

I used a recipe from Bob's Red Mill as my template. I reduced the sugar a bit, you may even be able to reduce it a tad as well, maybe down to 1/2 cup. I used coconut oil in place of butter and banana/flax egg in place of the eggs. It took a few tries to veganize it just right but I finally got it. My first batch was like oatmeal biscotti nugget cookies....super dry but the flavor was spot on. I upped the oil amount and played with using a combination of coconut sugar and maple syrup. That worked perfectly adding extra moisture, you may even consider using non-diary milk in its place. I've also included a gluten free option that is pretty darn delicious too! If you're familiar with the Trader Joe's Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies than you will love these cookies. This recipe using the spelt flour is similar in taste. In fact, I picked some up to make a taste test and there isn't much difference except mine are freshly made and do not contain shredded coconut. These are soft, tender cookies with a nice chew and tons of flavor. These cookies differ a bit from my last ones, Almond Butter Cookies (4 ingredients). Those cooked up and reminded me of a no bake cookie with a nice cooked shell. Makes my mouth water thinking about them! The cookies I share with you today are different, more traditional and crowd pleasing. I hope you enjoy them and share often with friends and family. They make for great gifts all boxed up and pretty!

In steps, mix your wet ingredients and then slowly add in the dry...

Mix in the flour making sure to scrap the bottom to ensure there are no flour clumps...

Next, add in the oats and the chocolate chips last...

Caution, this mixture is highly addicting!

Scoop out rounded tablespoons, place on baking sheet, bake and let cool...

Serve with a nice chilled glass of non-dairy milk...

Damn delicious is right!

DAMN DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients

• 3 cups oats, quick or regular
• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour OR 2 cups oat flour
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar or organic cane sugar
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup coconut oil (in either a creamy or liquid state)
• 1/2 large banana, mashed or 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or unsweetened almond milk (at room temp or warmer)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli Semi Sweet or Enjoy Life, both vegan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If using flax eggs, in a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoons water. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to gel up. If using banana, in small bowl mash your banana as smooth as possible, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil and sugar, mix well. Add in mashed banana/flax egg, vanilla and room temperature maple syrup (make sure maple syrup/milk is at room temp or higher to prevent the coconut oil from hardening and clumping when they come together).

In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the flour, cinnamon and baking soda. Slowly add in the flour, mixing well to combine scraping the bottom to make sure there are no flour clumps. Add in oats, mix well. Lastly, add in chocolate chips, mix again.

Line a cookie/baking sheet with a silpat, parchment paper or lightly grease with coconut oil. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of mixture and place on sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool a few minutes and enjoy.

Makes approx 24 cookies.

Cookies can be stored in an air tight container.

Notes:

For the flours: I have given a gluten free option using 2 cups of oat flour. To make oat flour at home, place 2 cups oats in food processor and blend until flour consistency. If using non-gluten free flour, you can use 1 1/2 cup whole wheat, whole wheat pastry or all-purpose flour. I recommend using spelt flour as it bakes up beautifully and has a sweet, nutty flavor. It's my favorite all around baking flour! If you have a mild gluten intolerance you may be able to get away with this flour, although it is not gluten free it is different than most of the wheat flours of today as it's not hybridized.

For the oil, coconut oil tends to harden when temperatures are cooler. If your coconut oil is hardened you will want to warm it gently to a creamy or melted state. I have made these using both consistencies with good results. You could also reduce the oil to 2/3 cup with good results.

Adjust the sugar amount to suit your taste. These would still be great but a little less sweet using 1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar, especially if using the maple syrup.

If you don't have pure maple syrup on hand or you just don't want to use it, opt to use non-dairy milk in place of the maple syrup.

I made all my batches with the mashed banana option, coconut sugar and quick cooking oats.

The pictures of the plated cookies are made with spelt flour. The cookies cooling on the rack are the made with oat flour. I did this so you can see the difference. See here for spelt flour cookies cooling.

I hope you enjoy these cookies for years to come!

CHOCOLATE CHAI POPCORN (STOVETOP)

I love popcorn, from simple to unusual flavors, it's easy to make and fills that snack void perfectly. I can easily sit and finish off a whole bowl all by myself. I've been experimenting with different popcorn toppings lately just for fun.  You may already be familiar with my last one, Sweet Zen Popcorn, which is a green tea and sugar mix. Green tea is good for you so why not put in on popcorn too! This chocolate chai seasoning came about on a whim and ended up being a great combination. Hints of cacao and warming chai spice flavors with a touch of sweetness makes for another delicious popcorn topping.



My preferred method of making popcorn is the stovetop method where it's popped in a large stock pot. I purchased the stock pot you'll see here from Etsy which is super lightweight making it easy to do the happy dance at the end when adding my spices. It only cost me $20 and can be used for a variety of things, unlike the popcorn machine. Although the popcorn machine is good for those who prefer the convenience of not having to do much. Keep in mind that you can make the stovetop method without any oil, or a tad less than the recipe calls for, but the seasoning won't stick as well. Speaking of oils and nutrition, one cup of air popped popcorn contains only 30 calories per cup. Our 3 tablespoons of coconut oil contains around 350 calories and the spices add very minimal calories, not enough to factor in. Altogether, this recipe contains approx. 770 calories for about 14 cups of popcorn. Not too bad if you like to share! I hope you enjoy this version of gourmet popcorn I've brought with me today. I've got a few more in mind to share in the future so we'll have plenty of options when it comes to gourmet popcorn. Cheers!



Gather your ingredients and let's get popping!

CHOCOLATE CHAI POPCORN

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup organic popcorn
• 3 teaspoons coconut sugar or organic cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons cocoa/cacao powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon clove or nutmeg
• pinch of mineral salt, optional

In a small bowl, mix your spices. Feel free to use heaping measurements. Measure your popcorn. 

In a large stock pot, add coconut oil, cover and heat over medium high heat for about 2 1/2 minutes. Add popcorn, cover with lid, place dish cloth over the top with the ends wrapped around the side handles and shake back and forth continuously, or at least every 10 seconds give a good shake, until you hear popping, anywhere from 1 -3 minutes. Continue shaking back and forth to prevent popcorn from burning. Once popping comes to a minimum, lift lid, add spices, cover tightly, carefully lift pot and tilt, round and round, upside down, every which way you can while twirling your hips and doing the happy popcorn dance. It's the best way to really get that popcorn coated and ready! Lift the lid, if you have a lot of seasoning on the lid or sides of the pot, scrap it off with a flat edged spatula and mix it in.

Serve and enjoy with a smile.

Makes about 12 to 14 cups.

Notes:

If you don't have all the spices, you can still make a flavorful topping using just a few...try simply using sugar, cocoa and cinnamon.

If you happen to have the Tazo Chai Tea bags on hand, they will work too. Cut open 3 tea bags, combine with sugar and cocoa. Add once popcorn is ready.

I went for sweetness on this recipe, feel free to omit the sugar or lessen it. If you omit the sugar, you may opt to add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for a more authentic chai spice.

I'd love to see your masterpieces!
#thesimpleveganista

ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES (4 Ingredients)

As you can tell from my recipe collection, I'm not much of a baker. Now I know why... If I bake it, I will eat it! I'm usually very content with dipping my dark chocolate in almond butter every night but have been wanting to test out a new nut butter cookie. I'm not a fan of all the typical ingredients that go into many baked goods like butters, tons of sugar and flour. This is why I love my raw cookies and balls so much. They are clean (meaning whole foods), easy and always come out great, unlike baking which is a little tricky sometimes, probably another reason I don't bake very much. So the trick for me is finding baked goods that use minimal ingredients and taste great too. These cookies fit the bill for me! For the person who usually uses butters and such in your recipes this cookie will be a bit different to you but I encourage you to give it at try and see for yourself. It reminds me more of a no bake cookie but with a wonderful baked outside texture. For someone who is already adapted to eating this way....you should have no problem with these!

The recipe I share with you today is something other than what was intended. It was originally going to be a peanut butter cookie but I ended up using almond butter instead. I also expected it to look like a traditional cookie once done. My first try came out flat, which wasn't a bad thing but they were too soft to pick up without falling apart. Flavor wise they were perfect, although a little too sweet. I tried again using less sugar and baking them a little longer to see if that would help stiffen them up. The result was cookies that reminded me of lace cookies, or something close to that, hence the original title. Once cooled a few minutes, they were sturdy. Perfect! So voila, we have 4 ingredient almond butter cookies. or almond butter thin cookies. And even more so, my baking experience wasn't a total loss. After a few attempts with ingredients and baking times, I finally have a recipe that I can stand behind. They have a nice density and chew, good texture and not too sweet. A little crispy on the edges with a nice chewy middle. And with only four ingredients, well technically five if using the flax egg, this is such an easy recipe to make. And they pair perfect with a nice glass chilled glass of non-diary milk or lemon water. I have been thoroughly enjoying all this cookie testing! I hope you will enjoy this cookie...not too soft, not too crisp...just perfectly in the middle. And, for what they are with only 4 ingredients...I'm completely satisfied with the outcome. If you appreciate a clean cookie, you may really enjoy these too! 

Just a note: I tried making these with peanut butter hoping it would be the same results but didn't care as much for the outcome with this recipe. It was a more traditional looking cookie that was soft and tender with a velvety texture. Maybe that is something you might like to try! I hope to have a peanut butter cookie recipe soon as I know not everyone has almond butter available and I want a go-to peanut butter cookie recipe! 

 

Gather your few ingredients...

 

Mix dough well, place rounded scoops on baking sheet, flatten and bake...

Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy these incredibly simple and flavorful cookies!

ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or organic pure cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 flax egg (1 heaping Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp non-dairy milk or water) or 1/3 banana, mashed
• 3 level tablespoons oat flour or flour of choice, optional (see notes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start by making your flax egg. In a small bowl, place flaxseed meal and water/milk, stir and set aside to set, about 15 minutes ideally. Or if using banana, mash well in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine nut butter, sugar, vanilla and flax egg/banana. Mix well until dough is stiffened and hard to mix, about 1 minute. Line baking sheet with a silpat, parchment paper or lightly grease with oil. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out rounded scoops, place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Using a fork or your index and middle finger, gently press to flatten, making a crisscross pattern. Your dough will seem oily and stick to the fork, it's normal with the almond butter, just be patient..you'll be rewarded soon. Feel free to sprinkle a little sugar or salt over each cookie. Place baking sheet on middle rack and bake 12 - 15 minutes. (edit: I tried different baking sheets with different results. Cooking time will vary from sheet to sheet. The sheet shown was baked for 15 minutes, other sheets require lower cooking times or the edges will brown more than you may like.) Remove from oven and let cool.

These are best stored covered on a couple paper towels, the paper towels will help soak up some of the natural oils.

Makes approx. 14 cookies (that's if you don't eat the batter!).

Notes:

For this recipe I used Trader Joe's Raw Almond Butter, Creamy and Crunchy, both worked well. Keep in mind that other brands of almond butter may contain added sugars...adjust the sugar slightly by reducing a tablespoon or so if you like. Also, keep in mind that your cookies may vary in shape depending on what type/brand of almond butter you use.

Try subbing in 1/3 of a banana for the flax egg. I did a few trials with this method and had great success!

As noted above, I tried making these with natural peanut butter hoping it would be the same results but didn't care as much for the outcome with this recipe. Of course, you can try if you like and find you like it. They were soft, tender with a velvety texture.

If you want a more traditional cookie (like the ones below), add 3 level tablespoons flour (oat, spelt, whole wheat pastry or all purpose gluten free) to the mix and bake for 12 - 13 minutes. The addition of the flour will help soak up some of the natural oils making these a crisper cookie with a nice chew. I used chunky almond butter for the cookies below. Again delicious! (If you want a traditional looking cookie without the flour, try using refrigerated almond butter and mix the batter once the oven is ready. I didn't test this out yet with the almond butter but I have a feeling it will work great!)

However you like your cookies...enjoy the deliciousness!

I'd love to see your masterpieces!
 #thesimpleveganista

SWEET ZEN POPCORN

Gourmet popcorn lover's delight!

Popcorn is my new obsession, along with all kinds of green tea!

I've decided to give up coffee in the mornings (again!), and have been replacing my morning cup with a cup or two of green tea with a splash of almond milk instead. This was the way I used to have my coffee...so good...even the green tea is great with a splash of almond milk. On this third day, I'm finally back to normal and not feeling so lethargic all day. Hooray! Part of that was my crazy schedule over the weekend. Sometimes recouping takes a little longer than normal and the lack of coffee sure didn't help to get back on track. I'm blessed to not have had any headaches this time around either. I'm sure the small amount of caffeine in the green tea has helped offset that somewhat. Hooray again! If you've ever gone through the process of giving up your normal coffee routine, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. ;)

Now, let's talk about this popcorn and green tea mashup. It's very zen and completely addicting!

Two of the green teas I've used most lately are a green tea with matcha and the Zen green tea from Tazo. The Zen tea is a 'harmonious' blend of green tea, lemongrass and spearmint which made for a really interesting twist on my new popcorn obsession. Green tea is very good for you and with added flavors can make for a really wonderful popcorn seasoning. My mind was thinking kettle corn and so I added a bit of sugar to the mix giving it a subtle sweetness as well. I also added a smidge of salt, but be careful with the salt as too much will ruin this lovely combination..so much that I have just left it out of the recipe (add salt to your discretion). The result of the recipe below was delicious and unusual! A recipe I will come back to time and time again. I also tried the green tea with matcha which of course was super too but decided to use the Zen Tazo Tea here because it's a bit more unique with the lemongrass and spearmint flavors. So today I leave you with a fun recipe to try. When your feeling tired of the all the usual popcorn seasoning, this will be a welcome change. Who knows, maybe you, or I, will find other tea flavors to try out taking popcorn to a new level!

Sweet Zen Popcorn

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 2 Tazo Zen tea bags (or your favorite green tea or matcha blend)
• 2 - 3 teaspoons coconut or organic pure cane sugar

Cut open the tea bags, place tea in a mortar or small bowl along with the sugar, grind to a fine grind. You can also use a small blender/ coffee grinder for the job. Set aside.

Stock pot: In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium high to high heat (for me my gas stove was set between 4 & 5...adjust as necessary. I went through two batches with not so good results, a little lower heat worked best for me). Once the oil has melted, add popcorn kernels, swirl the pot to coat the kernels. Cover, shake every 10 seconds or so to move the kernels around. You want to move them around so they don't burn on the bottom. You should here continual popping about 3 minutes in, at this time you can stop shaking, listen for the slowdown of popping. Turn heat off, uncover, add seasoning, cover and carefully shake the pot every which way to coat your popcorn. Lift lid, if you have a lot of seasoning on the lid and sides of the pot, use a flat edge spatula to scrap it off and mix it in.

Popcorn maker: Add popcorn, cook as directed and move to a large bowl. In a small bowl, melt coconut oil. Once popcorn is done, drizzle with oil and top with seasoning, toss to coat well.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 12 to 14 cups.

Notes:

Using the oil in the stock pot will not make the popcorn oily at all. Using the oil with the popcorn maker method may leave an oily residue on your popcorn and fingers.

You may like to add a pinch of mineral salt. FYI, too much will ruin the flavor combination which is why I left it out. I learned from experience and much prefer the soft subtle of the sweet with the flavors in the Zen tea. Add salt to your discretion.

Enjoy!