This is my favorite breakfast grain by far. Breakfast barley is easy, hearty, filling, full of fiber & flavor, and not to mention stick to your ribs delicious! Feel free to get creative with the add in's if you're not feeling the apricots, pecans, & cranberries. :) Enjoy!
Makes 4ish servings.
Whatcha need:
1 1/2 cup apple juice (or cider)
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup dried pearl barley (rinsed & soaked overnight, or for a few hours)
1 tablespoon of Pumpkin Spice
10 dried apricots, chopped into quarters
a handful of dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (garnish)
In a large saucepan, combine the juice, water, barley, spices, apricots & cranberries. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 40-50 minutes or until barley is cooked. Garnish with pecans and serve with Soy or Almond milk.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies!!
Finally, A reason to eat more cookies! The whole wheat flour makes these cookies a little healthier, a little heartier, and little cakey-er. No complaints, here. :)
Whatcha Need:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (light)
1/2 cup almond milk (or your nondairy milk of choice)
2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
3 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixing bowl, m,ix together the sugar and oil for about a minute. You want to make sure all the brown sugar lumps are broken down. Add almond milk and arrowroot and beat vigorously until there are no clumps. Mix in vanilla.
3. Add half the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Mix in the remaining flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon on baking sheets either lined with parchment paper or lightly greased. Space cookies about 2 inches apart flatten them down a bit with your fingers.
5. Bake 10 minutes for soft, chewy cookies. 12 minutes for crispier ones. When they're done baking let the cookies rest on the sheets for about 5 minutes before transfering them to wire racks to finish cooling.
EAT UP! :)
Whatcha Need:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (light)
1/2 cup almond milk (or your nondairy milk of choice)
2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
3 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixing bowl, m,ix together the sugar and oil for about a minute. You want to make sure all the brown sugar lumps are broken down. Add almond milk and arrowroot and beat vigorously until there are no clumps. Mix in vanilla.
3. Add half the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Mix in the remaining flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon on baking sheets either lined with parchment paper or lightly greased. Space cookies about 2 inches apart flatten them down a bit with your fingers.
5. Bake 10 minutes for soft, chewy cookies. 12 minutes for crispier ones. When they're done baking let the cookies rest on the sheets for about 5 minutes before transfering them to wire racks to finish cooling.
EAT UP! :)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Pumpkin Pancakes (from "Vegan Brunch" By Isa Chandra Moskowitz)
Hooray for fall! These pumpkin pancakes are hearty, warm, filling, and spiced to perfection! The book recommends a cranberry sauce of sorts but I created a little delicious concoction of my own with Maple Syrup, Earth Balance Butter, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Cranberries & Walnuts.... heated on the stove until bubbly and thick. PERFECTION!
I also tweaked the flour, instead of doing a full cup of all purpose flour, I did have spelt four and have regular. They turned out great, so either way it fantastic.
(This is an AMAZING book, every recipe sounds better than the next, I highly recommend running out and buying it! Hurry! Buy "Vegan Brunch")
Whatcha need:
Pancakes
3/4 cup pureed or organic canned punpkin
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup of almond milk (any nondairy milk will do)
1/2 cup of water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
Cooking Spray
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, milk, water, vinegar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Mix until there are very few clumps left. As usual, be careful not to over mix.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium head for atleast 3 minutes.
Spray the pan with a light coat of cooking spray. Pour pancakes in 1/2 cup measurements, one at a time, and cook until the top looks somewhat dry (about 3-4 minutes, or so). Flip over and cook for another minute.
Transfer to a plate covered with tinfoil to keep pancakes warm while you prepare the others!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Liz's Lentil & Brown Rice Casserole
This is such a nice, hearty casserole that's easy to make and really easy to eat. :) Try other veggies in there too... whatever needs used. (this is my favorite combo.) You can have this as a main dish or served as a side... either way, it's a winner.
Whatcha Need:
3/4 cup dry red lentils
3/4 cup brown rice
3 cups of vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes (or crush your own from the garden!)
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Dried Basil
24 Seasoning Mix
Black Pepper
3/4 cup vegan shredded cheese (optional)
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large casserole dish, combine all the ingredients and stir to combine (except cheese!). Cover with foil tightly and bake for 1 1/2 hours (stirring every half hour). Remove lid, sprinkle with cheese and broil uncovered until cheese has melted. (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!)
Makes 4-6 servings. :)
So delicious....
Friday, July 30, 2010
Mashed Cauliflower Smothered with Caramelized Onions, Black Beans & Collards
An uber healthy, light take on the beloved Shepherds Pie... plus it's crazy cheap to make this meal. This is one of those things that you truly have to try to make up your mind on how delicious it is. Easy, healthy, delicious, cheap AND super hearty... this meal is sure to please.
Serves about 3-4 hearty bowl fulls. :) nom nom...
Whatcha Need:
Creeeeamy Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of Cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets
4 tablespoons of Earth Balance Buttery Spread
About a 1/4 cup of Almond Milk (you can also used Plain Soy or Rice Milk)
Sea Salt, Pepper, White Pepper
Clean, cut and rinse the cauliflower, place in a medium size pot, cover with water, and boil. Just like you are making mashed potatoes. I like to salt the water just a touch. Boil until tender, usually about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the florets.
Once fork tender, drain well. Add the Earth Balance, Salt, Pepper, White Pepper, and Almond Milk. Mashed with a masher until very smooth... you can use the hand mixer, but I find cauliflower likes to fly. Catch my drift? For a cleaner experience, just mash the old fashioned way. :)
Caramellized Onions & Black Beans (Also really good served over rice!)
EVOO
1 large Onion, half moons
1 can of Organic Black Beans (rinsed REALLY well, get the strainer out for this job!)
1 tablespoon of Brown Rice Syrup (if you don't have brown rice syrup, just omit this ingred.)
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Sea Salt, Pepper, Thyme, 21 Seasoning Salute
In a pan, bring the onions, oil, brown rice syrup and pinch of salt to a nice, slow simmer over med/high heat. Baby the onions, you want them to caramellize, not burn or get crunchy. Stir often. After about 10-12 minutes they should be looking good, add the spices and drained black beans. Let simmer, on low for about 5 more minutes.
Steamed Collard Greens
About 5-6 Collard Green leaves (You can also use Kale or Spinach... I just really liked the "meaty" texture of Collards for this dish)
Clean and de vein the greens. (the center vein, get it outta there. blegh!) And give the greens a very rough chop. If you have a veggie steamer, steam the greens with a pinch of sea salt & water for about 5 minutes, until they are a deep, rich beautiful green hue. If you don't have a steamer, you can microwave them or boil the greens. (NOTE: If you choose to boil the greens, wait to de vein and cut until after cooked. They will loose all their nutrients!)
Toss the greens into the Beans & onions.
Take a nice heaping spoonful of the Mashed Cauliflower and put into a bowl, and then like you would gravy, smother it with a heaping ladle of the beans, onions, and collards. You can also garnish with some red pepper seeds... mmm.
Enjoy with a nice piece of bread and earth balance buttery spread, and ya got yourself a hearty, healthy, and economically friendly meal. Woo hoo!!
Serves about 3-4 hearty bowl fulls. :) nom nom...
Whatcha Need:
Creeeeamy Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of Cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets
4 tablespoons of Earth Balance Buttery Spread
About a 1/4 cup of Almond Milk (you can also used Plain Soy or Rice Milk)
Sea Salt, Pepper, White Pepper
Clean, cut and rinse the cauliflower, place in a medium size pot, cover with water, and boil. Just like you are making mashed potatoes. I like to salt the water just a touch. Boil until tender, usually about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the florets.
Once fork tender, drain well. Add the Earth Balance, Salt, Pepper, White Pepper, and Almond Milk. Mashed with a masher until very smooth... you can use the hand mixer, but I find cauliflower likes to fly. Catch my drift? For a cleaner experience, just mash the old fashioned way. :)
Caramellized Onions & Black Beans (Also really good served over rice!)
EVOO
1 large Onion, half moons
1 can of Organic Black Beans (rinsed REALLY well, get the strainer out for this job!)
1 tablespoon of Brown Rice Syrup (if you don't have brown rice syrup, just omit this ingred.)
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Sea Salt, Pepper, Thyme, 21 Seasoning Salute
In a pan, bring the onions, oil, brown rice syrup and pinch of salt to a nice, slow simmer over med/high heat. Baby the onions, you want them to caramellize, not burn or get crunchy. Stir often. After about 10-12 minutes they should be looking good, add the spices and drained black beans. Let simmer, on low for about 5 more minutes.
Steamed Collard Greens
About 5-6 Collard Green leaves (You can also use Kale or Spinach... I just really liked the "meaty" texture of Collards for this dish)
Clean and de vein the greens. (the center vein, get it outta there. blegh!) And give the greens a very rough chop. If you have a veggie steamer, steam the greens with a pinch of sea salt & water for about 5 minutes, until they are a deep, rich beautiful green hue. If you don't have a steamer, you can microwave them or boil the greens. (NOTE: If you choose to boil the greens, wait to de vein and cut until after cooked. They will loose all their nutrients!)
Toss the greens into the Beans & onions.
Take a nice heaping spoonful of the Mashed Cauliflower and put into a bowl, and then like you would gravy, smother it with a heaping ladle of the beans, onions, and collards. You can also garnish with some red pepper seeds... mmm.
Enjoy with a nice piece of bread and earth balance buttery spread, and ya got yourself a hearty, healthy, and economically friendly meal. Woo hoo!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
THE Veggie, Bean, & Barley Soup.
I swear, we live on this. This soup is fantastic and easy. Most of the time I just throw in the pot whatever needs to be used up! The recipe changes slightly every time, it's just so versatile. I make a pretty large pot of this when I make it, so it's also great if you have major left overs to just pour into glad ware and freeze! Perfect for lunches and those nights you don't feel like cooking anything.
When it comes to veggie broth, I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth, it comes in a little jar and it is delicious. It's organic, takes up very little space, and packs a lot of punch. (32 servings for around $7... heck yeah!) If you use a broth like this, this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of it. You can get this at Giant Eagle, folks! It's great.
Cooking tip: When cooking with fresh veggies, adding a pinch of salt before they start to cook holds in all those vital nutrients we need. It also helps with flavor, of course. :)
Whatcha Need:
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 (large) yellow onion, half moons
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 carrots, chopped (if they have their green tops... use those too! just chop them up.)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large daikon radish (amazing amazing vegetable, google it!!!)
1 zucchini, cubed
1 tomato, chopped
3 red potatoes,cubed
1 can of Organic Garbonzo Beans (rinsed well)
1 can of Organic Black beans (rinsed well)
When it comes to veggie broth, I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth, it comes in a little jar and it is delicious. It's organic, takes up very little space, and packs a lot of punch. (32 servings for around $7... heck yeah!) If you use a broth like this, this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of it. You can get this at Giant Eagle, folks! It's great.
Cooking tip: When cooking with fresh veggies, adding a pinch of salt before they start to cook holds in all those vital nutrients we need. It also helps with flavor, of course. :)
Whatcha Need:
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 (large) yellow onion, half moons
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 carrots, chopped (if they have their green tops... use those too! just chop them up.)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large daikon radish (amazing amazing vegetable, google it!!!)
1 zucchini, cubed
1 tomato, chopped
3 red potatoes,cubed
1 can of Organic Garbonzo Beans (rinsed well)
1 can of Organic Black beans (rinsed well)
1/2 cup of Barley
1 cup of chopped Spinach
Fresh cracked Pepper, Rosemary, Basil, White Pepper, Sea Salt. (and a DASH of cinnamon)
4 cups of water
4 cups of veggie broth (or 2 tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth)
Put the extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, chopped carrots, celery, and two pinches of sea salt. Stir until shiny with oil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, on Med/High heat.
Then add the daikon (chopped into medallions), zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the rinsed beans, seasonings, greens, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the water & broth. Should be just enough to cover all the veggies. Then add your barley.
Bring to a slight boil and then leave to simmer for about 45 minutes until barley is cooked.
1 cup of chopped Spinach
Fresh cracked Pepper, Rosemary, Basil, White Pepper, Sea Salt. (and a DASH of cinnamon)
4 cups of water
4 cups of veggie broth (or 2 tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon Veggie Broth)
Put the extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, chopped carrots, celery, and two pinches of sea salt. Stir until shiny with oil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, on Med/High heat.
Then add the daikon (chopped into medallions), zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the rinsed beans, seasonings, greens, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the water & broth. Should be just enough to cover all the veggies. Then add your barley.
Bring to a slight boil and then leave to simmer for about 45 minutes until barley is cooked.
Easy Weekend Pancakes
I recently made these amazing pancakes from the cookbook "Vegan Yum Yum" (www.veganyumyum.com). And I must say, it was worth sharing. Easy, delicious, and wholesome. The perfect Sunday Brunch! (Pre-make the batter the night before to make it SUPER easy! Just cover and store in the fridge.)
I did make a few tweeks when I made my pancakes, I used Almond milk instead of Soy and also added a dash of cinnamon. And remember folks... use REAL maple syrup! Yes, it may be a touch pricey, but it's worth it! You use less and you're not eating maple flavored high fructose corn syrup... SICK!
I topped mine with Real Maple Syrup, Earth Balance Buttery Spread, Walnuts, and a Banana. ENJOY!
Easy Weekend Pancakes
Makes about 25 Silver Dollar Pancakes, enough for two people
1 1/2 Cup Soymilk
1 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Oil
1 Cup Spelt (or all-purpose*) Flour
1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Extract (any flavor, I used orange, but vanilla is a no-brainer)
1-2 Tbs water, to thin batter if needed
*If using only all-purpose flour for this recipe, you may need to add more liquid. Regular flour absorbs more moisture than spelt.
Add soymilk to your blender. Add remaining ingredients except the water and blend for a few seconds until combined. Scrape down any dry flour stuck to the side of the jar and blend again. Place the top on the blender and refrigerate overnight. You can also use the batter immediately.
In the morning, place the blender back on the base and add 1-2 Tbs of water, blend to mix. This re-thins the batter that had thickened overnight.
Preheat oven to 200ยบ F, or the lowest setting, and put an oven-safe plate on the middle rack. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Pour the batter directly into the center of the UNgreased heated pan. I like silver dollar sized pancakes, 2 1/2 to 3″ in diameter, but you can make any size you want. This batter should create fairly thin pancakes.After a few minutes of cooking, you’ll see the bubbles form and set on the uncooked side of the pancake. The batter will start to set, and it will change color from white to dull yellow. This is when you should flip. If your pancake isn’t brown by this time, turn your heat up. If it is overly brown, your heat is too high.While cooking the pancakes, place the finished ones directly into the oven on the plate. Stack the pancakes as you go. This will keep the whole stack warm while you’re cooking them.
While the pancakes are cooking, feel free to add blueberries, chocolate chips, or anything else you can imagine. Serve with vegan margarine (Earth Balance) and maple syrup.
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