I took this photo of a green smoothie

I don't remember which smoothie it was. Clearly, it had kale in it. I wanted to post it cause it's pretty! (If you haven't made a green smoothie, they generally turn out this colour, unless they have a lot of dark coloured berries in them, or chocolate).

Fluffy Pancakes with Berry Sauce and Tofu "Bacon"

Pancakes

My pancake recipe is based on the pancake recipe on p. 133 of Jean Paré's Company's Coming: Muffins and More (I love her books. Many of her recipes - particularly her baking ones - are very easy to veganize).

• 1 C white flour
• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
• 1 Tbsp baking power
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp corn starch or mixed-starch egg replacer

Mix the above ingredients together. Make a well in the centre, then add in:

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups soy or almond milk
• 1/4 cup water or soy/almond milk

Stir batter together until just mixed. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a hot, greased pan or griddle (you know it's hot enough when water flicked onto it 'dances' or bubbles quickly to nothing). When bubbles appear in the pancakes, flip them.

Variations:

Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to finished batter.
Blueberry Pancakes: Mix 1/2 to 2/4 cup blueberries into dry ingredients before adding wet ingredients.
Banana Pecan Pancakes: Add 1 chopped banana and 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the finished batter.

Fruit Sauce

Put about 1 Cup of blueberries, strawberries or mixed berries in a pan with a few tablespoons of water, just enough to keep the berries from sticking to the pan.
Cook berries on medium heat until they begin to bubble and break down.
Mash berries with a potato masher.
Mix 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 2 Tbsp of sugar with enough water to make a smooth paste.
Add the cornstarch mixture into berries, while stirring over low heat.
Continue to stir the berries on low heat until they form a thick sauce. Taste them, and add more sugar to taste if necessary. You can also add cinnamon for flavour, if desired.

Tofu "Bacon"

I can't really take credit for this recipe because it's something my ex used to make. I have no idea where she got the recipe, which I never got from her. Luckily, I've managed to reproduce the flavour on my own, since I more-or-less knew how it was made.

• 1/2 block firm or extra firm tofu, drained, with excess water squeezed out, cut into strips 1/4 inch thick or even thinner. (Can use frozen and defrosted firm tofu as well.)
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
About 4 drops natural liquid smoke
about 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Coat a cast iron frying pan (preferable) with a generous amount of canola oil, though not enough to deep-fry. Fry tofu on medium heat, flipping once, until it is crisp and golden brown on each side.

While it is frying, mix the three liquid ingredients together. When the tofu is fried to golden, pour 1/2 this mixture over it. It will bubble and hiss a lot. You might want to turn the heat on your burner down a bit beforehand, or it could smoke due to the sugar content.

Once the bubbling has gone down a little, sprinkle nutritional yeast liberally over the pieces. Flip them over. Pour the remainder of the liquid over the tofu. Again, for the bubbling to subside a bit, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

This might not be the most healthy food ever, but it's probably more healthy than pork and it is really quite deliciously salty, sweet and crispy, and an excellent compliment to pancakes or sandwich filler. (Try it in a BLT!)

Lentil Dal with Nan, Jasmine Rice and Steamed Veggies

From Fresh From the Vegetarian Slowcooker by Robin Robertson, p. 103. I give it 4/5 stars. Could be spicier, and haven't quite figured out what to add to make it so.

The nan pictured here is store-bought.

Sticky "Wings" and Glazed Veggies

I got this idea from the ever wonderful Vegan Dad. Instead of making his seitan recipe, however,  I usually make my okara seitan forming it into wing-sized bits and baking it as usual on parchment paper, then coating each piece with Vegan Dad's sticky sauce and then putting them back into the oven to heat through and get all gooey. I also cut his sauce recipe in half, since I find it makes way too much for the two of us. Generally, I serve the wings with rice and vegetables. Here, they're served with veggies fresh from the farmer's market, glazed with 2 tbsp marmalade and 1 tbsp margarine. (Basically, just mix margarine and marmalade around in the veggies as soon as they're done steaming). Another glaze I like is 2 tbsp apricot jam, 1 tbsp margarine and 1 tsp grated orange peel. Yum!

GUEST POST: Spicy Garlic Tofurky Sausage Casserole

This recipe is quick and tasty, and should be modified according to your own tastes and preferences.

Total Cooking Time: 20-25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS (and tools)

2-3 servings of pasta (your choice, though rotini works well)
1 Onion, chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Mushrooms, minced
1/2 or 3/4 cup of chopped broccoli (cook's choice)
2 Sun-dried tomato sausages (or other brand or flavor preference), chopped into many pieces
1 tbsp crushed red chilies (or to taste)
1 tbsp oregano (or to taste)
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce (your choice)
A large frying pan, sauce pan, or flat-bottomed wok.

DIRECTIONS

1. Put water on to boil; begin cooking pasta
2. Chop up both the sausage and all the veggies
3. Pour oil into a pan so that it evenly coats the bottom, and turn on heat to just above medium
4. When oil is heated, toss in the garlic
5. Cook garlic for 1 minute, or until it threatens to turn brown
6. Toss in sausages and cook for 1-2 minutes (heat and pan dependent)
7. Toss in mushrooms and onions; cook until onions are translucent, stirring often
8. Add broccoli; cook for 1 minute
9 Turn heat down to minimum
10. Take drained noodles and toss into pan; toss noodles with cooked ingredients, cooking them evenly
11. Add pasta sauce, crushed chilies, and oregano; toss everything together until coated evenly and serve.
12. Garnish with fresh parsley, pepper, and vegan parmesan cheese as desired

(Serves 2-3)

GUEST POST: Indian Saffron Rice

From the kitchen experiments of Phebe's partner-in-food and chocoholic Jon, this recipe for fragrant saffron rice is a revision of the one found at allrecipes.com. Serve with naan and/or curries of various sorts. The amounts listed here were enough to feed a potluck crowd, so less people probably calls for half the ingredients (or you can just have leftover saffron rice for a few meals). 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Packet (1/8 tsp) of Saffron
1 Cup uncooked basmati rice, not rinsed
2 Cups of boiling water, divided into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup.
1 Tbls vegan margarine
1 Tbls coconut oil
1 Tbls lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour the contents of the saffron packet into 1/2 cup of boiling water.

2. In a pan or pot with a tight lid, melt the margarine and coconut oil over medium-high heat. Pour in the rice and salt, stirring together. Cook while stirring constantly, until the rice begins to absorb the margarine and oil. It will look shiny and there will be a light frying sound. However, it should only take a moment or so. Do not brown the rice.

3. Quickly pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cup of boiling water and the saffron water. Be wary of the violent hiss and rising plume of steam that will result. Quickly add the lemon juice and the sugar. Cover immediately, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, after which the rice should done. Note that in our experience, there was no obvious boiling happening other than condensation on the lid of the pot.

4. Remove lid; taste the rice to determine whether it is cooked through.

5. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve.

(Makes 6 servings).

Green Smoothie: "You Are My Sunshine"

I wanted something that would taste fresh, but also kind of "warm" (for a cold smoothie) and comforting on this somewhat chilly morning. This is hitting the spot.

You Are My Sunshine Green Smoothie
• About 2 cups washed spinach leaves
• generous handful of fresh parsley
• 4 or 5 baby carrots (I had a bunch of those pre-peeled and bagged ones for a party) or one regular carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen or fresh mango
• 3 dates
• 1 slice lemon, including peel
• 1 slice peeled fresh ginger root
• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups soy milk or other milk of your choice

Blend everything together in blender, going from low to high setting, until it is smooth and delightfully green!