Corn 'n Orange Waffles

I reviewed previously this recipe for Cornmeal Waffles from the March 2007 Vegetarian Times. Here I provide the recipe as I have modified it. First, I think the word orange needs to be included in the name of the dish, as there is a very distinct orange flavor, which is actually my favorite thing about it. They are very good as shown with fresh peaches and a sauce made from almond butter and maple syrup. But, they are also good with bananas or other fruit on top.

Corn 'n Orange Waffles

3/4 cup whole grain flour of choice
1/2 cup corn flour or Masa Harina
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. maple syrup
1 1/4 cups milk
1 or 2 Tbs. fresh lemon or bitter orange juice
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbs. vegetable oil of choice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. orange zest

1. Preheat waffle iron. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Stir the wet into the dry until combined. Pour batter into a greased waffle iron and cook according to specifications of the waffle iron. Serve with fresh fruit or favorite topping.

Thai Tempeh Satay with Peanut Sauce, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Greens

Last evening Pedro and I prepared sweet potatoes and greens using recipes I learned during classes at Conscious Gourmet. I used ginger, lemon and cinnamon in the sweet potatoes, and the mixed greens have kale, chard, onion, garlic, and ume plum vinegar. We had opened a can of coconut milk earlier in the week, and so we decided to use the rest of the coconut milk in a Thai peanut sauce and to serve it with marinated and roasted shitakes, zucchini and tempeh as a variation on the recipe from the March 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times, Thai Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce. I was concerned that the meal was lacking in grains, even though there is brown rice in the tempeh, but we were satisfied and didn't get hungry for snacks after eating. We had eaten a whole grain-heavy breakfast plus grains with lunch. Vegan.

Below is the meal we prepared during our first class at Conscious Gourmet. It is Curried Split Pea Soup, Brown Rice with Parsley Garlic Sauce, Coleslaw with Plum-Mustard Dressing, Sweet Potato Mash, and Sauteed Greens with Mushrooms. Lacto-vegetarian due to use of butter.

Vegetarian Times Recipes Tested from March 2007 Issue

Today I received the April issue of Vegetarian Times. So before I embark on trying any of the newest recipes, here is a summary of the recipes I have tried so far from the March 2007 issue:

p.29 Garlicky Grits Cakes with Red Pepper Tapenade
These were yummy. I liked the consistency better than February's Hummus Cakes. Probably because the corn grits gave the batter more substance. I didn't roast the garlic in the oven. I roasted it on top of the stove, in the manner as I did in my Salsas, as it's much quicker. Now, here's something I tried. For some of them, I did the following alteration and I call them Poblano Polenta Patties: I put part of a roasted poblano pepper in my food processor along with the garlic and some of the chick peas and some olive oil. Coarsely processed. Then I stirred into that mixture the rest of the chick peas and the cooked grits (cooked in water). Then i shaped the patties and cooked them as directed. This was a very nice variation, and they didn't need any tapenade.

p.34 Rise-and-Shine Cinnamon Rolls
I found these easier and quicker to make than I thought they would be. And they had a very nice lemony finish. But, they are not really rolls. The consistency is way more like scones or even biscuits than bread or cinnamon rolls.

p. 35 Cornmeal Waffles with Warm Peach Sauce
These have such a beautiful orange flavor. The first time I made these, I mistakenly used the wrong kind of cornmeal. The one I used was the more coarse grits or polenta meal. And that was way too coarse for these waffles, so they didn't turn out. Since I didn't have the cornmeal needed for this recipe, the second attempt I used Masa Harina corn flour. And that worked out fine! I didn't have buttermilk either, so I used soy milk and a generous squeeze of bitter orange juice to it. Bitter oranges are available to me in Florida, but maybe are not common in other parts of the country. So, you could use lemon or lime juice. I think these waffles would also be great with some dark chocolate chips in them. As for the peach sauce, I never made it. Instead, I topped my waffles with slices of fresh pears that I sauteed in a pat of butter with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar.

p.78 Cream of Lentil Soup

p.85 Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

p.86 Thai Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce
Nice spiciness! We really liked this. The marinade and the sauce would be great with many other vegetables too, in addition to the shitakes and tofu. The peanut sauce was even good as a dip for tortilla chips and as a spread on sandwiches.

p.86 PB&J Whole Grain French Toast

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

This Peanut Butter Banana Bread is some of the best banana bread we've ever had. It's super moist and the peanut butter flavor goes so well with the bananas and chocolate chips. It's a recipe from the March issue of Vegetarian Times, located on page 85. I find myself buying large bunches of clearance ripe bananas just to have the excuse to make this. One thing I do add to the recipe is a bit of unsweetened applesauce. So, I don't know if that contributes to the moistness, or if it would be just as moist without it. The Slashfood Blog posted the recipe for this dish. Lacto-ovo vegetarian.

[Added 4/20: If you try this recipe, note that in the instructions, it doesn't say when to add the sugar, so don't forget to add it. If you use a liquid sweetener, add it with the wet ingredients, and if you use a dry sweetener, add it with the dry ingredients. Also, be sure to use really ripe bananas for the best flavor.]

Soup Day

When I have a lot of vegetables from the farmer's market, I will sometimes make two soups in one day. We will eat the soups for lunches, and I freeze some for future lunches. On the left is simmering a lentil mushroom soup. On the right is a vegetable bean soup.

Lentil Soup (vegan) ingredients: olive oil, carrots, leeks, potatoes, baby bella mushrooms, lentils, thyme, bay leaf, chipotle pepper/adobo sauce, dash of balsamic vinegar. I later puree most of the mixture for a creamy textured soup, reserving quite a bit of the broth first, which I have saved to use in a different dish. This soup is loosely based on the recipe on page 78, Cream of Lentil Soup (lacto-vegetarian) found in the March 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times. Note: A few weeks ago I made that recipe following the magazine's directions, but using fresh shitake mushrooms (so I skipped the step of soaking the dried mushrooms). And it was fabulous. I recommend using the shitakes. I would have used them today, but they weren't on sale this week, the baby portobellos were.

Spicy Vegetable & Bean Soup (vegan) ingredients: olive oil, carrots, leeks, 1 small yellow onion, 1 orange and 1 red bell peppers, 2 zucchini, 2 chayote squash, 4 small red potatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, vegetable broth, fresh hot Thai basil leaves, chipotle pepper/adobo sauce, dash of soy sauce. I later pureed a bit of the soup to give the broth a thicker consistency, then stirred in freshly chopped cilantro. I didn't use a recipe for this soup.

Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast

This is a peanut butter & berry jam sandwich on whole wheat, dipped in french toast batter and cooked on a cast iron griddle. The idea for this sandwich was found on page 86 of the March 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times. Here's a recipe for this dish if needed. Served with a side dish of sauteed apples flavored with cinnamon. And to top if off, a soy cappuccino. This dish was a hit, and we've made it several times already. Ovo-vegetarian.