Tatale (Ripe Plantain Pancakes)

Tatale (Ripe Plantain Pancakes)
Vegan; about 30 minutes

Since Bruce and I had a Saturday morning without having to make a mad dash out the door to football, I decided to make these for him. This recipe comes from Ghana, so I adapted it for what I had in the kitchen. If you want use rice flour for the corn meal and replace the whole wheat flour with cornmeal! I also served these with strawberry candied jalapenos....

3 or 4 large over-ripe plantains, about 1 1/2 lbs. after peeling), or about 3 cups when sliced
1/3 onion, or shallots, minced or finely chopped
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 t dried ground red cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
3 t fresh grated or ground ginger
about 1/4 cup of oil for pan frying
1/4-1/2 t salt (optional)
1 cup of water

1. Cut the ends off, slice them into slices about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Traditionally these would then be pounded in a mortar with a wooden pestle, however, I mashed mine with a fork (since my potato masher is still in storage). It should not be completely smooth.

2. Stir in the grated ginger, cayenne pepper and onions. Add the cornmeal and wheat flour. Add the water and stir again.

3. Over medium-high heat, heat a heavy frying pan or griddle as you would for regular pancakes (my cast iron skillet worked perfect). I used enough oil to coat the pan, then drop the batter onto the griddle (either small, like "silver dollar" pancakes, or somewhat larger, say using 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter).

4. As soon as the tatale is firm enough to turn without breaking, carefully turn it over with a pancake turner and press the turner down firmly on the pancake to flatten it. Continue doing this every few minutes while the pancakes cook.

5. Drain the pancakes on paper towels and add a little more oil to the pan for each batch of tatale. Avoid stacking them--spread them out to drain, and serve them on a large platter. The tatale can be made in the morning and kept warm in a low oven, but will become tough if heated too long. A better alternative is to zap them briefly in the microwave to heat them before serving them.

**NOTE**It's good to let the mixture sit for 20 - 30 minutes before you cook the pancakes. The batter can actually be made a day ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to cook the tatale.

Original Recipe Found: BetumiBlog

Basic Tofu Scramble

Basic Tofu Scramble

Well the below are the measurements that I use for this (typical) Sunday morning. I jazz it up with tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, asparagus and spinach. Pretty much whatever I have on hand. Bruce has come to love this as either a sandwich on rosemary sourdough or on an everything bagel. I serve this with a tempeh bacon, and the combinations are pretty endless.

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 block organic tofu, drained and pressed
2 tbsp oil or earth balance
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

Preparation:

1. Slice the tofu into approximately one inch cubes. Then, using either your hands or a fork, crumble it slightly.

2. Sautee onion, pepper and crumbled tofu in oil for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to medium and allow to cook 5-7 more minutes, stirring frequently and adding more oil if needed.

3. Wrap in a warmed flour tortilla with a bit of salsa for a breakfast burrito or top with soy or non-dairy cheese. Serves two.

Per serving provides approximately: Cal.: 365; Cal. fr. Fat: 220; Tot. Fat: 24.5g; Tot. Carb.: 18.9g; Chol.: 0mg; Sod.: 484mg; Dietary Fiber: 4.8g; Prot.: 24.2g; Vit. A 19%; Vit. C: 100%; Calcium: 39%; Iron: 33%

Found: About.com

Banana Oat French Toast

Banana Oat French Toast
Makes 6 slices; Vegan

Serve this delicious, heart-healthy French toast with maple syrup and fresh fruit.

1 cup fortified vanilla soymilk
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 medium banana
6 slices whole-grain bread
1 vegetable oil spray

1. Combine soymilk, oats, and banana in a blender. Process until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish.

2. Soak bread slices in batter until soft but not soggy. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on the bread used.

3. Cook over medium-high heat in a vegetable oil sprayed non-stick skillet until first side is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn carefully with a spatula and cook second side until brown, about 3 minutes.

Per slice: Cal.: 126; Fat: 2.1 g; Sat. Fat: 0.4 g; Cal. from Fat: 15.2%; Chol.: 0 mg; Prot.: 5 g; Carb.: 23.5 g; Sugar: 6.9 g; Fiber: 3.2 g; Sod.: 173 mg; Calcium: 74 mg; Iron: 1.6 mg; Vitamin C: 1.8 mg; Beta Carotene: 6 mcg; Vitamin E: 0.7 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life for Women by Kristine Kieswer; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Blueberry-Banana Muffins with Crumb Topping

Blueberry-Banana Muffins with Crumb Topping

These are by far my mom's favorite muffin recipe! When I worked at the CPA's office in SA, I would bring these in on those deadline days, and they would be devoured (by non vegans)! Super easy to make and they go quick, this is one of those perfect recipes for super ripe bananas....

3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour, divided
3/4 cup fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. nondairy margarine

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with the oil and sugar and mix well.

3. In a small bowl, sift together the salt, the baking soda, and 2 cups of the flour.

4. Add the dry mixture to the banana mixture and stir by hand until the two are thoroughly combined. Fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour the batter into a lined muffin pan.

6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, the brown sugar, and the nondairy margarine. Stir until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, then sprinkle the crumbs onto the muffins.

7. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Makes 10–12 muffins

Found: PETA.org

Pear-Almond Quinoa

Pear-Almond Quinoa
Vegan; 30 minutes or fewer

This vegetarian quinoa dish is full of pears, cinnamon and almonds and adds a fun twist to your quinoa. It makes for a nice gluten-free breakfast cereal or for a savory side dish that goes well with a salad. Very comforting and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
3/4 cup ginger juice
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup of dried fruit (I used a combination of dates, currents and raisins)
2 pears, unpeeled and cubed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa well and add to pot along with water. Heat to boiling and reduce to a very low simmer. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t stir while cooking.

2. Sauté onions and dried fruit in pan with olive oil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes, add pears and more oil if needed. Cook until tender. Stir in cinnamon, and almonds.

3. Mix quinoa with pear mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 to 6.