Slow Rise, Vegan, Low Fat, Waffle Recipe (improved with lower sodium!)

OK, so I think I cracked the code for a low fat, vegan, low salt waffle.  I scoured the web and couldn't fine one that fit all those crazy requirements so I had to come up with one on my own.  I think you'll be happy with the results!

These waffles are a little crispy out of the waffle maker but if you are a super crispy waffle fan just give 'em a quick toast in the toaster oven once they're done.  We like them as-is.

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour (you can use pastry flour)
3 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB sugar (this is needed for yeast to feed, you can try turbinado but I didn't)
1 TB agave nectar
2 1/4 cup non dairy milk (we use almond milk)
1 cup warm water (you can use more almond milk but this will raise sodium content)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 Energ-g Egg prepared (i.e. 2 1/3 tsp mixed with 3 TB water)

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients, then add the wet and mix just until combined.  Allow it to rise in your fridge overnight.  Remove from the fridge and allow to sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes.  Proceed as you would any waffle recipe.  Most modern waffle makers have a nice nonstick surface so you don't need pam but you may need it.  Add blueberries or vegan chocolate chips or make them plain as my hubby prefers them.  As they come out of the waffle maker, we put ours in a 200 degree pre-heated oven until all the waffles are all done so we can sit and enjoy them together!  Top with a bunch of yummy fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup.  Yummy and guilt free!

Vegan Whole Wheat Slow Rise Waffles
10 Servings (a.k.a. 10 LARGE waffles)

Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving: 1 large waffle
Calories 151.0
Total Fat 1.2 g  
  Saturated Fat 0.1 g  
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g  
  Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 150.9 mg  <----  Check it out!!!!
Potassium 45.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 32.3 g  
  Dietary Fiber 4.7 g  
  Sugars 5.0 g
Protein 5.0 g

Lazy Cook's Cobbler

So the other weekend I was at my mother-in-law's and I got the most amazingly simple recipe to pass along to you.  It's so easy and yet so delicious.  I've nicknamed it Lazy Cook's Cobbler.  It's one of those recipes that makes you think, "What world was I living in before this pie?" (obviously, a very deprived one.)  Most of you probably already have something like this in your repertoire somewhere but this is for the folks like myself who did not!

The recipe is a whopping 5 ingredients and you can use canned fruit or frozen berries that have been already prepared or whatever is fresh and in season.  When you make it people will not realize just how easy this was for you to whip up!  My husband calls this quickie pie a slice of childhood nostalgia because his mom made it often.

Of course, since discovering this recipe, I've seen versions of it everywhere on the internet (including a more complicated version by Ms. Paula Deen) however my mother-in-law's recipe is the simplest I've seen and is a must have for anyone who just doesn't have the energy or time for a lot of fuss (including tired pregnant ladies like myself).

Lazy Cook's Peach Cobbler (using double the fruit)

For G-ma L's Fruit Cobbler (Quickie Pie)
you'll need:

1 pint of fruit* (I like to double the amount of fruit in my version as pictured above, turns out great!)
1 cup sugar
1 stick of butter or margarine
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup self rising flour** (if you don't have self rising flour see footnote below)

Melt the margarine in the microwave.  In a medium bowl, mix the flour, milk and sugar together.  Then add the melted butter.  Don't worry if the mixture is lumpy.  Pour the mixture into a 8x8 dish.  Arrange the fruit on top.  Bake until the batter turns golden brown, approximately 45 to 60 minutes at 350. Serve warm or at room temperature.

It takes literally 2 minutes of prep time.  I suggest you serve it with a heaping dollop of ice cream.  Enjoy!

*If using canned fruit, do not discard the juice.  After arranging the fruit in the pan, pour the juice overtop the pie.  It creates a nice simple fruit syrup that distributes evenly through the pie.  However, if doubling the amount of fruit (i.e. using two cans of fruit) I'd recommend only using the juice from one can.
 
**To convert regular flour to all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to one cup of flour. You'll only need 3/4 cups for this recipe.

Tomatoes and Apple Pies

Check out this pic of our grape tomato plant taken today. When we first planted it, we caged it. It over grew that. So, we staked it too. It overgrew that. Eventually, Nick was forced to tie it to some trees to keep it stable.

I have harvested at least 10 pounds of grape tomatoes from this plant. Pint after pint after pint AND I have several pints to go! I wish I could say we have had the same success with the heirloom, but we have not. Harvest has been good but modest there.

I made this delicious soup today with tomatoes from the garden and some additional ones from the local market.

Ingredients

3 lbs. Red Ripe Tomatoes Olive Oil Cooking Spray 1 1/2 tsp. ground pepper 2 tsp. kosher salt 2 tb. olive oil 1 cup onion 6 garlic cloves (minced) 1- 28 oz. can of tomatoes 2-3 cups FRESH basil (I find it is OK if you only have 1 or 2 cups, the more the better though) 1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock

Directions Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a large cooking sheet pan with olive oil spray. Cut tomatoes into wedges Add salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes.

In 8 quart stock pot on medium, saute 2 tb. olive oil, onion and garlic until brown. Then, add canned tomatoes, basil and stock. When roasted tomatoes are done, add them, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce temp and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.

Pulse in food processor in batches. Add salt and sugar substitute (like splenda or purvia) to taste. I usually don't need salt but I do need to add 1-2 heaping tablespoons of splenda. How much you need depends on how sweet your tomatoes are.

Number of Servings: 8 cups (or 4 large bowls).

I made a couple apple pies from local orchard apples we picked this weekend. I made one like a traditional pie and another french style in anticipation of the holidays. I like to plan ahead. It makes the holidays less stressful and more enjoyable when you aren't fretting about making a homemade apple pie when you have 20 other things to do.

pic removed

I guess you could say I should have done my research. I made the pie intending to freeze it but I can't freeze the pie like I planned because apparently you should freeze them unbaked. I had already baked the thing when I realized this doing a search on the internet. It didn't stop hubby from enjoying a slice, now it's headed for the trash. For health reasons, these are reserved for only the most occasional celebrations.


I'm going to go ahead and freeze the french version. I think it'll be fine because their is only a bottom crust and I don't think it will suffer texture issues from freezing like the traditional pies. We aren't too sad about the pie, really, there were enough apples leftover that we made a much healthier version of apple crisp in the fridge for us to treat ourselves to this week.

A Delectable Surprise

On our way home from DC, we picked up some fresh vegetables from a local farmer off the side of the road. While we were there, we picked up the usual... some green beans, some awesome orange/green peppers, yams, and a large tomato. She had some good looking turnips and beets but I'm not a fan. Maybe I need to have these prepared for me now that I'm an adult, but the kid in me wants nothing to do with them.

Anyway, while we were at the farmer's stand, we noticed a white squash we were unfamiliar with. I asked the lady what they were called and how to make them. She told me they were pattypan squash and they cooked up just like zucchini. Well, that sounded easy enough so I picked up three of them and thought I'd give it a try.

I found a recipe on the internet here.

Simple Scallop Squash Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 medium Squash, thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 dash Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Minced Onion
• 4 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 cup Milk

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (unless using microwave.)
2. Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole with cooking spray.
3. Cover bottom with squash.
4. Dot squash with butter.
5. Season with salt, paprika and onion.
6. Cover squash with grated Parmesan cheese.
7. Pour milk on top.
8. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until squash is tender or microwave on High Power for 5-6 minutes; stirring occasionally.

Serves 6

This recipe got a thumbs up from Nick and I... and GreenEyes too. Ladybug didn't feel like experimenting today so she didn't eat so much as a bite. If she had, I'm sure she'd have loved them. I will be stopping by that stand next week for sure. I never thought squash could taste so good!!!

Nick tells me, as I write this, that we should invent a Swiffer that attaches to a baby so our floors will clean themselves as GreenEyes crawls around. He is speedy and crawling forward like nobody's business these days.

Presidents' Day Pancakes

After watching the "nanerpus" commercial repeatedly over the course of the last two days Nick had a hankering for what- do-ya-know, "all you can eat" pancakes. So, we celebrated this glorious day with a big stack of pancakes and turkey sausage. Of course I made them my way (the healthy way) but Nick didn't mind. He loves these bad boys.

Whole Wheat Pancakes:
1 c. Whole Wheat Flour
2 c. Quick Oats
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. skim milk
1 c. applesauce (optional)
3 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. flax seed meal (optional)
water as required to make the desired consistency

Sometimes I add a couple cups of water to thin them out a bit, especially if I make it the night before and all the oats to absorb the water. This will result in a different texture to your pancake but we like them both ways. You can also had a couple tablespoons to a quarter cup of flax seed meal to make them all the more heart healthy. You won't taste the difference, but your heart will love you for it.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 17
• Amount Per Serving: 1 pancake
  
• Calories: 81.4

• Total Fat: 1.7 g
• Cholesterol: 25.4 mg
• Sodium: 215.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 13.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 3.9

Venison Anyone?

Perhaps it's a bit controversial, but we have a bunch of venison hanging out in our freezer. My Aunt Ann gave me some during our visit. She had gotten a bunch from my Uncle Sonny who lets people hunt on his property.

While, I don't like the idea of killing bambi, I don't like the idea of animals going to waste either. I'm also quite adventurous culinarily speaking and intrigued to see what can be done with the exotic fare (I've never had it except in a sausage form once.) I'm sure many are laughing at me calling it exotic, but that is what it is for me.

My husband assures me that if deer were not hunted they would overwhelm the forests and cause accidents on the roads so there is no sense in feeling sorry for the guys. I'm not a stranger to this. I have hit a deer and in so doing, destroyed my oh-so-awesome chevy chevette (seriously, I really liked the car because it ran better then any car I had ever had at that point). My brother was with me at the time. He was a freshman at Radford and I was a senior at VA tech so I was a good sister and picked him up. It was Thanksgiving Break, after all. I hit the deer pretty much head on at about 45 mph. It was dark and the deer came out of nowhere. It flew through the air. I stopped and looked at my brother.

me: Are you OK?

toas: yep.

toas: Are you OK?

me: Yep.

So I pressed on the gas hoping we could get far enough to reach a phone. Luckily, there was just enough gusto left in the car to drive it up to the nearest restaurant, a burger king. We went inside, called our parents and bought a beverage. As we sat to wait for our parents customers came running in and told the cashiers to call the police because there was a bloodied car sitting in the parking lot. If they had looked closely they'd have seen fur. Anyway, I told them there was no reason to be alarmed and why. After which, I was promptly asked, "Where and when did this happen?" I believe the man replied that he was planning to go out and find it.

Does anyone have good recipes to share for venison? We have some venison meat strips and some ground venison. I'm thinking of making a venison stew with the crock pot for the strips and I'm thinking about doing a venison meatloaf for the lean ground meat.