Monthly Archives: December 2012

Dec 21

baked apple streusel pancake bars

Baked Apple Streusel Pancake Bars

Moose and I are hopping on a plane soon to head south for the holidays. But before I go, I leave you with what I believe is the perfect pancake alternative.

The thing about pancakes is, I suck at making them. I lack the patience and focus necessary to stand over a griddle/skillet for a prolonged period of time, pouring and flipping and waiting when there are so many more important things I could be doing (like pretty much anything else other than making pancakes). But these pancake bars are poured in a pan and baked like a cake! You only have to wait once, and you can go do anything that you want during the wait time because the oven is watching over your little pancake babies for you. Genius!

 

Baked Apple Streusel Pancake Bars
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 20
Printable recipe

Pancake ingredients:

  • 2 3/4 cups soy milk, plain or vanilla
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons refined sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy yogurt, plain or vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter substitute, melted
  • 1 Gala apple, diced
  • 2 cups vegan granola, any flavor (I used maple cinnamon)

Streusel ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter substitute, melted
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9×13″ pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the soy milk and distilled white vinegar. Set aside so it can transform itself into “buttermilk” while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.


In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and refined sugar.

In a separate bowl, stir together the yogurt and melted vegan butter.

Add the yogurt and butter mixture and the “buttermilk” to the dry ingredients and stir.

Stir in the apples and granola.


Pour the pancake batter into the pan. Stir all of the streusel ingredients together and drizzle the streusel over top of the pancake batter.

I drizzled mine in clumpy lines

and then used a fork to lightly spread the streusel around.


Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the top of the pancake springs back when you press it. Allow the pancake to cool on a wire rack.


Slice the pancake into bars.


You can dig into them immediately either as is or with maple syrup, apple butter, etc. Or you can store them to devour throughout the week. I also recommend freezing the bars individually for a quick breakfast or snack in the future.

I hope that the rest of your 2012 is safe, healthy and filled with love. No matter where you go or what you do, remember that there is one special someone who loves you and wishes you well.

Sebastian.

Dec 10

chickpea winter 2012

Chickpea Magazine

Hi friends! The Winter 2012 issue of Chickpea is out and it is, as always, beautiful!

I am grateful and honored to have my Bourbon Chocolate Cake Pops featured on pages 76-83. The photos are by Cara Livermore and man oh man, she did an amazing job!

image courtesy of chickpea magazine

I wish she would come over and photograph all of my food

image courtesy of chickpea magazine

and my cats

image courtesy of chickpea magazine

and me

image courtesy of chickpea magazine

You can read Chickpea online for free and you can also order a print copy here.

Chickpea is stunning in print. I’m not even kidding. It’s a work of art. I’m seriously considering printing and framing the section on root vegetables. How sweet would this look hanging in my kitchen if I actually had room on my little walls to hang anything?

image courtesy of chickpea magazine

You can pre-order a copy to have it sent straight to your home, or you can pick up an issue in person at these locations in a few weeks.

I think that a copy or a subscription to Chickpea is a wonderful holiday/birthday/any day gift. Gift it to your loved ones. Gift it to yourself! You’ve been so good this year. You deserve it.

Dec 05

chestnut soup

Chestnut Soup

Hi gang! I made some Chestnut Soup for One Green Planet this month.

It kind of looks like sludge, but I promise it is delicious. It’s a creamy, nutty vegetable soup disguised as a bowl of mud.

Yum!

Chestnut Soup
Recipe adapted from Gourmet via Epicurious
Serves 3-4
Printable recipe

For this recipe, you will need a cheesecloth and kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter substitute
  • 1/4 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup diced carrots
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 sprig of parsley
  • 1 whole clove
  • 1/2 California bay leaf
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cups of cooked and peeled whole chestnuts, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened soy creamer
  • sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper

Butter one side of a piece of parchment or wax paper, cut to fit into a heavy saucepan.

Melt the vegan butter substitute in the  saucepan over low heat. Stir in the celery, carrots and onion.

Place the piece of wax/parchment paper on top of the vegetables, buttered side down.

Keep the heat set to low and cover the pan with a lid and allow the vegetables to sweat for 15 minutes.

Wrap the parsley, clove and bay leaf in a cheesecloth and tie in a bundle with kitchen string.

Uncover the vegetables and remove and discard of the piece of wax/parchment paper. Add the vegetable broth and herb bouquet to the saucepan.

Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add in the chestnuts and wine, and continue to simmer for 3 more minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Puree the soup in small batches in a blender, returning each batch to the saucepan once blended. Stir in the soy creamer, pepper and salt.

Reheat the soup, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately, or allow soup to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.