Robin Robertson

Happy Monday!  How about some Flax-Berry Pancakes to get this week rolling? 

I hope you are all enjoying my 30 Days of Vegan Cooking to celebrate World Vegan Month featuring with recipes from the Revised Edition of Vegan Planet. 

Flax-Berry Pancakes

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

Many people include flaxseeds as part of their daily diets because they are an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. Ground flaxseeds blended with water are used to replace eggs in this pancake recipe—a nutritious way to start your day. Blueberries are the classic fruit choice, but feel free to substitute another fruit, if you like. Serve with pure maple syrup or blueberry sauce.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons natural sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1/4 cup water

1 1/4 cups nondairy milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup fresh blueberries, picked over, or thawed frozen blueberries

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

2. In a blender, combine the flaxseeds and water and blend until viscous. Add the nondairy milk and vanilla and blend until smooth.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing with a few swift strokes until just moist. Fold in the berries.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Ladle about 3 tablespoons of the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook on one side until small bubbles appear on top, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake with a metal spatula and cook until the other side is lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Keep the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you prepare the remaining pancakes.

 

And on the 17th Day of 30 Days of Vegan Cooking there was Three-Flavor Vegetable Pancit, of course!

Although the recipe calls for a small amount of tofu, seitan, and tempeh (it’s a great way to use up leftovers), the dish is equally delicious if made with just one of them – or you could leave them all out and add sliced mushrooms instead — or just some extra vegetables. Reconstituted soy curls are also great in this dish.  The point is, use whatever you like or have on hand – the recipe is very versatile.

 

Three-Flavor Pancit

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

 Ingredients

8 ounces wheat or rice vermicelli

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil

6 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

4 ounces seitan, cut into thin strips

1 cup crumbled steamed tempeh

1 small onion, chopped

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

4 cups shredded cabbage

2 carrots, shredded

4 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup water

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas

4 tablespoons low-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, for garnish

Lime or lemon wedges, to serve

Crushed peanuts, optional garnish

 

Directions

1. Cook the vermicelli according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Toss with the sesame oil and set aside.

 

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium-size bowl. Add the seitan to the same skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the tofu. Add the tempeh and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the tofu and seitan.

 

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrots, and scallions and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in up to 1/2 cup of water so the vegetables don’t stick. Add the peas and the reserved tofu, tempeh, and seitan. Add 1 tablespoon of the tamari and stir to coat. Add the noodles, lime juice, and the remaining 3 tablespoons tamari and cook until hot, about 5 minutes, tossing gently to combine. Garnish with the cilantro and serve hot with the lime wedges. Sprinkle with peanuts if using.

 

Be sure to stop by the Virtual Vegan Potluck to get my recipes for Spicy Walnut Green Beans (and lots of other great recipes).

And stop by here tomorrow for Recipe #18 – Flax-Berry Pancakes, and an updated schedule for the One-Dish Vegan Blog Tour.

This time of year, we can’t seem to have enough pumpkin recipes, so today’s featured recipe in 30 Days of Vegan Cooking adds another one for your consideration.  I present Recipe #16 from the Revised Edition of Vegan Planet: Savory Pumpkin Bites with Green Chile Aioli. 

Pumpkin, walnuts, and sage combine to give these tasty bites a rich depth of flavor. But it’s the accompanying green chile aioli that sends them over the top.  You can shape them into small 1-inch balls or flatten them a bit into small 2-bite patties.

 

Savory Pumpkin Bites with Green Chile Aioli

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

 

 Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup finely ground walnuts

2/3 cup canned solid-pack or pure pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Green Chile Aioli (recipe follows)

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Heat the oil or water in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Uncover, stir in the garlic and sage, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute longer. Set aside.

 

2. In a food processor, process the oats to a powder. Add the walnuts, pumpkin, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add the reserved onion mixture and process until well combined. Shape the mixture into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls (or flatten them into patties) and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until firm and the bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with the aioli.

 

 Green Chile Aioli

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Makes about 3/4 cup

 This easy and flavorful aioli is fabulous with the pumpkin bites, but can also be slathered onto sandwiches or used as a dipping sauce for vegetables or baked tofu.

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise, homemade or purchased

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

2 tablespoons finely minced mild canned green chiles

1 teaspoon green Tabasco sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve with the pumpkin bites.

 

I’m excited to participate in the 2013 Virtual Vegan Potluck with my recipe for Spicy Walnut Green Beans.  At the bottom of this post, you can link to recipes from the more than 100  other Potluck participants!

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare green beans — they’re loaded with flavor from the luscious sauce made with walnut butter.  If you don’t want the heat of the red pepper flakes, there’s no need to pass on this dish – it’s very flavorful without them.  Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine made from rice.  To make this soy-free, use coconut aminos instead of tamari. For added crunch, top with a few tablespoons of toasted walnut pieces.

Spicy Walnut Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons walnut butter *(see note)
• 2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon mirin or water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

Preparation:

Steam the green beans just until tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the walnut butter, tamari, sesame oil, mirin, and sugar and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved beans in batches and stir-fry for 30 seconds, transferring the cooked beans to a platter.

When all the beans have been removed, add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the same pan and stir-fry for 10 seconds.

Return the beans to the pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Add the reserved walnut butter mixture and stir-fry until the beans are hot and coated with the sauce, about 30 seconds.

 Serves 4

*Note: To make homemade walnut butter, simply grind a handful of walnuts to a paste in food processor or high-speed blender.

 

This recipe is from my cookbook, Nut Butter Universe by Robin Robertson. ©2013 Robin Robertson. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press. Photo by Lori Maffei.