Birthday Waffles!

My super sweet husband surprised me with an amazing breakfast in bed the morning of my birthday: a waffle cake! He piled my favorite vegan waffles four high and covered them with peanut butter, sliced bananas, and Organic Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from Trader Joe’s. Drooling again just writing about it. Honey, will you make me another one pretty please?

Waffles:

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp baking soda

2 ripe bananas – smashed (blend them for a smoother texture)

Topping:

Peanut butter

Sliced bananas

Maple syrup (recommend Organic Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from Trader Joe’s)

1. Preheat a waffle iron.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl stir together the almond milk and vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Add to almond milk and vanilla mixture.
5. Stir dry mixture into the wet mixture just until smooth. Fold in bananas.
6. Grease waffle iron and add a scoop of batter to the middle of the iron. Cook according to your waffle iron instructions.
7. Top with peanut butter and sliced bananas and drizzle with maple syrup. Oh boy!!

Religious Apple Pie

Crust:

• 2 packs Honey Graham Crackers
• Refined Coconut Oil, melted

Filling:

• 6-8 Gala Apples
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 1/4 c Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Topping:

• 3/4 c Coconut oil – softened
• 1/2 Flour
• 1 c Brown Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 c Oats
• 1/2 c Pecans – finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and snag a 9 inch pie plate.
2. Smash the Honey Grahams into crumbs using a food processor or good old-fashioned rage and a rolling pin. Melt a little bit of refined coconut oil and slowly mix it into the graham crumbs until the mixture is damp and slightly holds together. Mush mixture into the bottom of the pie plate and stick it in the freezer while you’re working on the rest of the pie.
3. Filling: In a small bowl mix sugar, flour, and salt. Peel and slice the apples and throw them in a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and stir. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the juiced apples and coat.
4. Topping: Mix all of the ingredients together, saving the coconut oil for last.
5. Take the pie plate out of the freezer and pour in the apples. Cover apples with topping mixture, creating a dome over all the fruit. Make sure none of the slices are peaking out.
6. Bake on middle rack for 45 minutes.
7. Drizzle 1/4 c water over the top of the pie and bake for another 15 minutes.
8. Eat a piece of pie.
9. Chant OMG in between bites as you devour the whole pie.
10. Amid the last crumbs you realize you were supposed to share this. Make another pie.

Vegetable Chowder

2 large carrots, small dice

5 celery stalks, small dice

1 large onion, small dice

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

Olive Oil

6 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (skin on), scrubbed & medium diced

Vegetable stock

2 Bay leaves

Salt & Pepper

2 tsp Seasoning salt (we use Freddy’s)

1 tsp Thyme

2 tsp Granulated Garlic

1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced

2 cups cashews

Hot water

3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1.5 cups Unsweetened almond milk

1 Tbsp arrowroot powder

2-3 Tbsp water

1. Place cashews in a Nutribullet or small food processor. Add just enough hot water to cover cashews. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Add nutritional yeast and blend until smooth.
2. Place mirepoix (carrots, celery, onions) and garlic in a large pot and stir in just enough olive oil to coat. Sweat the vegetables on medium heat until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the potatoes and enough vegetable stock to cover all the vegetables. Mix in Bay leaves, salt & pepper, seasoning salt, & thyme. Bring to a boil until potatoes are tender, about 7-9 minutes.
4. Add almond milk and cashew mixture to the pot.
5. Don’t wash your Nutribullet yet! Put the arrowroot and water in the Nutribullet and shake well. It’ll help get the remaining cashew mixture out of the container so nothing is wasted.
6. Add arrowroot mixture to the pot. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes to activate the arrowroot, stirring constantly. Once the chowder starts to thicken, reduce heat to simmer.
7. Mix in the fresh parsley and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste Test Time! Check the seasonings and add another round of spices if you’d like.
8. Serve and enjoy! Goes really well with Italian Garlic Bread Sticks.

Pancakes

These vegan pancakes are dense, but super yummy. My husband loves using this batter for making pancake characters.

More fun recipes coming soon!

Maybe some zucchini potato latkes…..