Unless, I'm baking....I usually stick to the exact measurements until I feel confident that I got the recipe down pat so I can start making adjustments to it. Replacing applesauce for some oil, using different types of sweeteners etc.
Still I'm very far from being a cook. At least I'm conscious about what ingredients I use and go out of my way to get things that are unusual in most kitchens in Japan. But for be me, its a staple in the kitchen! Flaxseed, Hempseed, Nutritional Yeast, Goji Berries, Quinoa, Bulgur wheat etc..
Anyway, today for some unknown reason I woke up at 5AM feeling well rested and had the brilliant idea of making pancakes for my dear love. I've always thought I'd wake up early enough to make him a nice breakfast, but I usually end up running (recently sleeping in). So I did a quick search on the internet for a recipe for vegan pancakes and found one that had the ingredients I currently have and had good ratings. I wrote down the instructions, but of course I ended up doing my own thing. I used a flour that has 5 different beans in it so the pancakes turned out a slightly darker shade then regular white flour pancakes.
I love seeing the bubbles pop!
Despite using baking powder the pancakes rose on the pan, but flattened out as soon as they got to the plate....darn it! Well, the recipe called for letting the batter sit for 5-10mins to let the baking power get to work, but I didn't do that....no wonder it didn't rise! Haha.
But I garnished it up the best I could, layering the pancakes with organic strawberry jam and slices of banana. Topping it off with blueberries and a tiny bit of maple syrup(its not on yet in the current photo).
I think he liked the surprised, but probably prefers a less sweet breakfast. Next time I'll try something with potato since he likes potatoes a lot.
Here's my typical breakfast. I need my fruits in the morning! Since forever my breakfast has always been an apple(my fav fruit!) and some other fruit. Today was banana and blueberries topped with freshly ground flaxseed. I must get those omega 3s! And of course, my mug of coffee which I can't live without.
Our dinner 2 nights ago. I call it the orange dinner. Literally everything turned orange...of course, it doesn't help that my kitchen has this lighting that also makes everything look more orange.
Quinoa with grated carrots, asparagus, dried tomatoes and kidney beans flavored with turmeric and other assortment of condiments that I don't exactly remember. And oranges for dessert. It turned out alright. I'm lucky my husband is not a picky eater!
Last week after dinner at a Mexican restaurant that had tiny tiny portions, so we decided to get a little snack and dessert at one of my fav vegan cafe's. Motozo got organic beer and flavored nuts and I got a little parfait. If you think parfaits must have ice-cream you'll think differently if you tried this! This is a winner!
And that's it for now. Happy healthy eating!
ohhh I love it! The pancakes look really good, and the flour used looks interesting! I love high protein flours that are heavier than white. Your breakfast also looks stunning, and so does the orange meal! We have quinoa grain sitting in our cupboard and I hadn't a clue how to make! That sounds like a really awesome plan, mixed with kidney beans sort of mexican style. I don't like recipes only because I'm sooo lazy to read instructions and put them in the right order, probably should get into it more eh? How do you make your quinoa?
ReplyDeleteSuper easy! Just like rice but it cooks much faster. Some instructions say to boil the water first, but I usually just add both together from the start.
ReplyDeleteFor one cup of quinoa, use 2 cups of water. let it boil for a few minutes...you might want to stir it a little. Turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid on(before the quinoa absorbs all the water) for a couple more minutes and you'll notice it fluffs up and absorbs the rest of the water.
You can cook it in broth or add herbs to the water to flavor it. It absorbs taste well and has a chewy texture.
I've added it to soups and it can also be eaten as cereal with milk. Very versatile...go make it!
Your orange meal sounds really tasty.
ReplyDeleteI never measure either and usually just chop chop, add and toss, and sprinkle in. It just works out better for me. It bugs me though, when others ask, "Do you cook American, Portuguese, Brazilian, or Japanese food?"
ooh I love it when the bubbles pop as well :).
ReplyDeleteI have to say, as miuch as i love seeing pictures of food, and then getting inspired to take some as well, It almost always slips my mind.
Just yesterday evening I made a Chinese style sandwitch wrap, with home-made Honey Dijion Mustard as the flavor. It actually looked good, i wish I took a picture :P.
Your orange meal souds really yum! I want to taste it heehee. I remember making my birthday cake with you, you were so exact with the measurements, it was funny..haha rememeber?!
What flour did you use and where did you get it?
ReplyDeleteThose pancakes look yum!
Its a Japanese brand. After looking very carefully on the packaging, it doesn't give any website or anything. I did a net search for it, but it also didn't come up.
ReplyDeleteThere's actually 7 different types of beans mixed in the flour. The Azuki bean seems to make it pretty sweet.
I ordered it from Pal System where I do a bulk of my veggie shopping since the organic vegetables seem to be more reasonable then at stores. http://www.pal-system.co.jp/
oooh yum! I'm looking into good vegan recipes for when you come to visit!!
ReplyDeleteyou must not starve!!
hehehe
if there's anything you like or want, let us know so we can buy it or prepare it for you:)
ReplyDelete