Stuffed pancake stack!

With Pancake Day just around the corner next Tuesday, I wanted to bring you a pancake recipe ahead of time. See, I am actually getting organised this year!!  (I also have an amazing Valentines themed post lined up for Saturday...so keep your eyes peeled!)

Most people usually think of sweet filled pancakes and I am no exception, however this time I wanted to put a twist on things and create a simple savoury recipe. The concept is based on a savoury version of these fruity oatmeal blinis and I remember thinking to myself at the time that they would work perfectly as a base for a savoury filling...so here we are.

To speed things up even more you could make the blinis ahead of time and freeze them if not using the same day. Simply defrost and reheat in the oven for a few minutes. (It tried this and it works well). The instructions below may seem lengthy but I promise you won't spend more than 10-15 mins tops from start to finish.

The filing is my current favourite dip/spread, which will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days but it's best served fresh when possible. I served it warm this time round...yum! You may remember the dip was first seen here adorning my Christmas trees! Add a few extra roasted veggies or salad leaves as per your preference to create a pretty plate. 

Just remember to stack ‘em high!

Recipe: Stuffed pancake stack

Serves 2 (8 blinis plus filling­)

Ingredients

Oatmeal blinis:

100g ground oats

¼ tsp bicarbonate soda

150ml soy milk (or other dairy free milk)

1tsp ground chia or flax

Approx. ½ tsp seasoning as desired

Approx. 50ml water to thin batter as needed

Green pea and bean dip:

1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1/2 cup cooked white beans (canned or pre-cooked)
1 garlic clove- crushed
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 shallot (or 1/4 white onion)
1 tbs fresh herbs (I used parsley)
salt and pepper to taste

Handful of rocket or spinach

Sliced roasted or sun dried tomatoes

Sliced roasted or caramelised onions

Method

Prepare the onions and tomatoes as desired- I roasted mine for 5 minutes or so whilst I prepared the blinis.

To make the pea filling, add all ingredients to a blender and whizz together until desired texture is reached (I left mine a little chunky). To serve hot, you can either heat the beans and peas prior to blending or heat the blended product in the microwave for a couple of minutes (I did it that way as I also had a bit left over that I wanted to chill in the fridge without heating.)

Meanwhile, to prepare the blinis, blend together all ingredients (other than water) until very smooth. Add as much water as necessary to create a thick but easily pourable batter.

Spoon heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto a hot frying pan and fry for a minute or so on each side until golden.

Serve the blinis immediately layered up with the pea filling and onions, leaves and tomatoes. Make a big stack!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Pure potato crisps...fat free!

I know some recipes are simple...but I think this one might beat the lot!

potato...slice...cook

Erm that's it. I'll be off then.

Not so fast. These crisps are a great alternative to regular crisps and chips that would otherwise find their way into the tub of salsa or hummus. I took this recipe from the Forks over Knives Cookbook I received as a Christmas present. It has a great number of recipes as well as the intro to a plant based lifestyle...amazingly (considering how many cook books I have) many of the recipes gave a new spin to things in ways I hadn't come across before, so lots for me to try. I won't talk about the book any further as this isn't intended to be a promotional post of any sort, simply a link back to the recipe itself.

I served the crisps with a bowl of soup, it was a variant of this recipe with the beans I had to hand at the time (black beans) hence it doesn't look quite so appetising as the original. Since there is no oil, the crisps don't 'crunch' in the same way that regular crisps or chips do, so please don't expect them to as you'll likely be a little dissapointed. I enjoyed them in their own right as they have a crisp yet soft quality all at the same time, and they are firm enough to scoop dip onto, or in my case, soup.

The crispsness and length of cooking time, does very much depend on how thinly you slice the potato, obviously the edges will crisp before the middle of the chip does. I would advise using a mandolin (or similar) so that you can get a thin uniform slice approx 1mm thick, I sliced mine by hand and they were less uniform and up to 2mm thick on average. 

Feel free to sprinkle a little seasoning if desired. I appreciate that microwaving a potato to this degree might not be considered theoptimal nutritional standpoint, and I would totally agree with you, but these chips have no oil, and no other additions...pure potato with a little seasoning. So as an alternative to a deep fried chip I think this is a pretty healthy option indeed. A day later I also tried oven baking these chips, this method also works well, just be sure to use a non stick liner so that the chips can be removed easily from the baking sheet.

Recipe: pure potato chips

Ingredients:

1 potato (or as many as you like to make a larger batch)
seasoning to taste (I used approx. 1/4 tsp mixed cajun seasoning)

Method:

Slice the potato thinly and evenly- the thinner the better (unless you are aiming for a softer chip). Wash the slices to remove the starchy coating and lightly dry with kitchen towel.

Lay the slices in a thin even layer on a non stick lined baking sheet (if baking), or on a microwaveable plate, season if desired and bake for approx 15-20 mins at 140C (lower temp for longer to prevent edges burning too quickly). Or for approx 10 mins in the microwave (checking twice to flip over). Timings will vary depending on thickness.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Un-tuna Sushi

These little light lunch bites are oh-so-delicate, they make you want to pick them up carefully with you pinkie finger sticking out…no?  Oh just me then!

Team them with a salad or some carbs for a more substantial meal, or serve as an appetizer or buffet snacks as they are. The original recipe for ‘un-tuna’ was inspired by this recipe for un-tuna sandwiches but since I had no vegan mayo to hand I used some vegan yogurt and a blob of cashew butter for a thicker creaminess.

The recipe called for 1 teaspoon of nori seaweed flakes, another ingredient I didn’t have to hand…but it did spark an idea. Whilst out shopping I picked up a pack or sushi seaweed wraps to make my very own sushi inspired wrap. I also added some sweet corn which the original recipe didn’t call for, but for me a tuna salad is not complete without the sweet corn so I had to add it!

I’d suggest adding the seaweed flakes/wrap if you have it as it really gives this filling the fishy edge, if you prefer you could use regular tortillas  (GF or wheat) and add some salad for a super simple un-tuna wrap.

Recipe: Un-tuna Sushi

Serves 1 (just under one cups worth) you can easily double or triple it up.

Ingredients

½ cup cooked chick peas

1 tbs cashew butter and 1 tbs vegan yoghurt (or vegan mayonnaise)

1 tbs finely chopped onion

1 tbs finely chopped cucumber

¼ tsp garlic salt

Black pepper to taste

A sprinkling of chopped fresh dill (optional- I omitted as I didn’t have any)

Handful of cooked sweet corn kernels

Seaweed wrap or tortilla wrap to serve.

Method

Roughly mash the chickpeas in a small bowl. Add the cashew butter/yoghurt or mayonnaise and mix/mash through evenly.

Add all remaining ingredients and mix through to coat.

Spoon into a wrap to serve. If using a sushi wrap, roll tightly and seal the edge before cutting into segments.

Alternatively this would make a great filling for a jacket potato.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Pesto polenta bruschetta

I gave you a little teaser yesterday and now here it is….pesto polenta bruschetta.

The perfect light lunch option, it’s also a lovely twist on tradition since the polenta offers a tasty gluten free alternative to traditional crusty bread.

The recipe is pretty simple, but it’s more the concept that I was going for really. The idea of using polenta as a bruschetta base delicately flavoured with pesto and then topped with a pesto coated bruschetta medley. Perfectly delicate (dare I say it ‘summery’) flavours, you could mix and match with other ingredients to suit your tastes.

The polenta is simply made mixed with water according to the packet instructions. Just add a dollop of pesto to the mixture too. I used quick cook polenta and whipped it up in 3 minutes in my Thermomix, but it would also work in exactly the same way on the hob- just keep stirring until it thickens.

You don’t need to be too precise with the topping ingredients, below is just a guide so just throw in what feels right!

This really does seems like a summery dish, why is that?  What makes some foods comforting winter dishes, like my sweet potato coconut curry or chickpea and lentil soup, and some foods much more ‘spring’ like? Well I am going for the spring option today, we’ve had some glorious warm weather recently although I haven’t spent much time outside in it, and the daffodils are well and truly emerging now.

Spring is most definitely in the air…happy times!

Recipe: Pesto polenta bruschetta

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

Quick cook polenta

Water (amount varies depending on how much polenta used- see polenta packet instructions)

2-3 tbs pesto divided between polenta and the topping

1 onion- chopped finely

2 handfuls tomatoes- chopped

Half a red pepper- chopped

2 handfuls spinach

A few sprigs of fresh basil

Vegan parmesan- optional

Method:

Cook the polenta according to the packet instructions and then pour/spoon immediately into a lined loaf tin (size based on the amount of polenta you’ve cooked up). Allow to cool and set in the fridge.

Once set, cut into 1cm thick slices before frying on a griddle for approx. 5 minutes. each side to achieve a slightly golden crisp coat (mine should have had a little longer ideally). You couod oven bale the polenta. Note any extra polenta can be stored in the fridge for a few days prior to its second cooking.

Meanwhile, prepare the bruschetta topping by combining all the remaining ingredients and toss together with the remaining tablespoon of pesto. 

If serving the polenta hot, heat the topping through before spooning over.  Alternatively, both polenta and topping can be served cold.

Dust with a little vegan parmesan if desired.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.