vegetarian Archives - Page 6 of 13 -

March 24, 2015

Muesli Pancakes

We’re now getting back to our normal routine after my daughter was sick with a fever last week and missed nearly the entire week of school. It wasn’t all bad since it gave us a chance for us to slow down a bit and get in lots of extra snuggle time. I made her homemade chicken noodle soup among some other favorite foods, but for about five days, she ate nothing besides smoothies and these muesli pancakes. Something about these pancakes worked for her in her sickness and I felt comforted that she would at least eat something. They are a variation of these blueberry oatcakes, which are also a favorite, except raisins and dried apples replace the blueberries and a combination of oats, barley, rye, and seeds replace the plain oats. This multi-grain muesli is such a wonderful mixture of grains, seeds, and fruit and I’ve been finding all sorts of uses for it. Note that the muesli does need to be soaked overnight in yogurt the evening before you make these so plan ahead accordingly. These pancakes are pleasantly hearty, soft and tender, and full of so many wholesome ingredients. Hope you enjoy!

Muesli Cakes

Ingredients

2 cups multi-grain muesli
2 cups plain yogurt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons honey
1 mashed banana, about ⅓ cup
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Unsalted butter for frying

Instructions

The evening before, mix the muesli and yogurt together in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, add the eggs, honey, and mashed banana to the muesli and yogurt and mix together with a wooden spoon.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flour, flax, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until dry ingredients are just incorporated. Batter should be fairly thick.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or griddle. Ladle the oat batter into the pan, spreading batter if necessary to make circles about ⅓" thick. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the underside is golden brown and then flip to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm along with maple syrup, if desired.

March 17, 2015

Kale Salad Tortillas with Za’atar Yogurt

I made lunch for just myself yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at the newfound freedom that went along with that. Cooking for only myself is something I rarely do these days so I found it refreshing not having to worry about pleasing anyone else’s palette besides my own. Don’t misunderstand, some of my greatest joys come from cooking for others and I love bringing people together to share a meal. It’s a privilege to be able to feed and nourish others. Lately though my kids have become frustratingly pickier eaters (Aren’t they supposed to become less picky as they grow older?!) and it’s interesting how my choices in food differ when it’s just me. These kale salad tortillas with za-atar yogurt… these are what my dreams are made of.

I mostly used the recipe for this kale salad, except this time I added thinly sliced fennel and substituted sunflower seeds and pepitas for the pine nuts. For the tortillas, I used sprouted multigrain, which I heated directly over an open flame on the stove. Carefully heating the tortillas this way achieves those beautiful charred edges without using a grill. I often find all-natural sprouted grain tortillas stiff and dry, but after a few minutes of heat, they become soft, pliable, and so much more toothsome.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that has lots of variations, but is usually a mixture of dried thyme, sumac, roasted sesame seeds, and salt. You can buy it pre-made in the spice aisle or make your own. The za’atar yogurt layered at the bottom and drizzled on top gives these tortillas that extra kick in flavor and creaminess. It adds a slight tang and complements the bright lemony kale salad perfectly. I ate all three of these for lunch.

And as it turns out, Ryan ended up giving these leftovers a thumbs up and my little girl willingly gave the salad a try, so there may be opportunities for me to make this again for the family after all.

Kale Salad Tortillas with Za'atar Yogurt

Serves: 12 6-inch tortillas

Ingredients

Kale Salad

1 bunch kale
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
¾ cup thinly sliced fennel (about ½ fennel bulb)
3 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons toasted pepitas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
dash of pepper
Za'atar Yogurt
1 cup plain whole milk or low fat yogurt
1 teaspoon za'atar
pinch of kosher salt
sprouted multigrain tortillas

Instructions

Kale Salad

Remove kale leaves from the tough stalks and thinly slice kale into shreds. Toss with the cabbage, carrots, fennel, and seeds.
Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together. Pour over salad, tossing together until salad is evenly coated. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Allow salad to marinate in dressing for 15 minutes or so while preparing tortillas and za'atar yogurt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, za'atar, and salt. Set aside.
To prepare tortillas, turn a stove burner to medium high. Using tongs, carefully hold a tortilla over the open flame, about 2 minutes per side until tortilla becomes soft and pliable and edges begin to char. While tortilla is still warm, gently mold tortilla into a taco shape. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
To assemble, spread 1 tablespoon za'atar yogurt on the bottom of the tortilla. Top with kale salad and an additional drizzle of yogurt. Serve immediately.

February 26, 2015

Homemade Spelt Pasta

For years I kept the pasta maker that was passed down from Ryan’s grandmother stashed away in the back of our pantry where it was easily forgotten. The whole process of homemade pasta making seemed intimidating and tedious and the pasta maker remained untouched for the longest time. Homemade pasta had been near the bottom on my long list of recipes to try. Then all of the sudden last year, the idea of making my own pasta intrigued me. I finally tried it and oh my goodness, homemade pasta takes pasta to a whole new level. Spelt flour has been a favorite to bake with for some time now and I also love it in this pasta. It gives the pasta a slightly nutty flavor without having an overwhelming wheat flavor. Realistically, fresh homemade pasta will not be the new normal around here, but it is a special treat once in a while. It does take some time, but it’s really not as much work as I had expected. There are two methods to making the dough- by hand or with a mixer or food processor. From my experience, I’ve had consistently better results when I make it by hand.

First, make a well in a mound of flour and fill with the lightly beaten eggs and olive oil. Use a fork to gradually incorporate the flour, starting in the middle and working outwards.

Knead the dough together by hand until the dough is smooth and flexible. Form the dough into a ball and allow to rest.

Make flat sheets of pasta through one side of the pasta machine.

Then cut those sheets into strips of noodles with the other side.

You have pasta!

Spelt Pasta

Ingredients

2½ cups whole spelt flour (10 ounces)
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3-6 tablespoons water

Instructions

Make a mound of flour and sprinkle the salt across the top. Use a spoon to create a well in the center of the mound.
In a liquid measuring cup, lightly whisk together the eggs, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of water. Pour the mixture into the well. Using a fork and a circular motion, gently incorporate the flour starting from the center and working outwards until all of the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough with your hands, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary, until you can form a soft ball of dough. Continue to knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and flexible. Form the dough into a ball and cover with a glass bowl or plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest and relax for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.
Secure pasta machine to the edge of a countertop. Divide dough into quarters. Take one of the quarters and keep the remaining three quarters covered. Flatten and shape the piece of dough into a rough rectangle. Start with the rollers on the thickest setting (this is #1 on my pasta machine) and roll the dough through the machine. Fold the dough into thirds towards the center of the rectangle. Roll the dough through the machine again starting with the open end of the dough. Fold and repeat once more. Continue rolling the pasta through the machine, gradually adjusting to the thinner settings. I like to roll the dough twice through at each setting and I stop at #4 on my pasta machine. After #3, the dough becomes quite long and I cut the dough in half to make the length more manageable.
Choose the size noodles you would like from the opposite side of the pasta machine and roll the thin sheets of pasta through the machine to cut into noodles. Allow pasta to dry on a pasta rack.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining quarters of dough.
To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir immediately to avoid sticking. Boil 2-4 minutes, until pasta floats to the top and is tender.

Notes

very slightly adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals