We all know how busy the mornings can be which is why I have created this simple 3 ingredient pancake recipe. With a little help of ripened bananas, oat milk, and flour, you can make a simple breakfast in a matter of minutes. Topped with a homemade raspberry jam, you can add tons of flavor with toppings, granola, whipped cream, and much more!
In a mixing bowl, combine smashed bananas, flour, and oat milk. Mix until combined and smooth.
Heat a large skillet on a medium-low heat and lightly grease with butter to prevent sticking. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto skillet and cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles. Flip the pancakes over and cook did an additional minute.
Serve warm with desired toppings like maple syrup, vegan butter, fruits, James, etc.
Chef’s tip: If you want to add chocolate chips or blueberries, place it on the individual pancake once you pour the batter.
This vegan spicy red bell pepper sauce is the perfect recipe for spaghetti nights, sandwiches, and tons more! This recipe is perfect for those weeknights that are busy and packed with tons of activities. As simple as it sounds, this sauce packs a lot of flavor and heat from the scotch bonnet pepper, so if you don’t like spicy foods, leave it out.
Yield 24 oz.
Ingredients
2 red bell pepper, skin removed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small scotch bonnet pepper, de seeded and minced
On a baking sheet, place the whole red bell pepper and roast until charred, roughly 10-15 minutes. Place peppers into a bowl and cover to trap the steam. After 10 minutes, remove the skin and stems.
In a blender, add the roasted bell pepper, chopped onion, garlic clove, scotch bonnet pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar, vegetable broth, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth.
Serve over pasta.
Chef’s tip: You don’t have to roast the peppers, you could always purchase a can of roasted red bell peppers to save time.
The flavor of raspberry, lemon, and ginger together is a flavor that brings me back to my childhood. I used to always enjoy plain yogurt with raspberry or strawberry jam swirled together. When you make your own jam, you get to enjoy the freshness and taste of the ingredients you’re using vs. using a store bought jam packed with preservatives. If you keep this sealed tight in the fridge, it can last just about two weeks long. This recipe is great for toast, thumbprint cookies, or even a raspberry mimosa for the adults out there! Either way, it’s a great addition to any kitchen to have some jam.
One of the best things to make at home is Chinese food and I can’t wait for you all to give this Chinese Orange Tofu recipe a try! I wanted to make a recipe that embodies the typical orange sauce flavors but vegan and 100% homemade. The dish uses an orange-ginger jam which brings an added bonus of flavor and depth.
16 oz. container extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 Tbsp. organic cornstarch
Green onion, to garnish
Directions
In a small pot on medium-high heat, add all of the ingredients and simmer for roughly 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, add the diced tofu and sprinkle with cornstarch to coat. Pour the tofu into the sauce and reduce heat to simmer, cooking until heated.
Serve over white rice and topped with green onions.
Chef’s tip: You can crisp up the tofu if you’d like by baking it or using an air fryer.
Do you have a ton of oranges or simply want to just brighten up your morning? Then this is the jam for you! I have to say, I normally keep strawberry or peach jam on hand during the springtime, but my new favorite is this orange and ginger, it’s fresh and flavorful. And for all those bakers, this would be great in a citrus sponge roll cake!
Yield 1 cup
Ingredients
2 cups chopped oranges, peeled, cleaned, and sliced
Roasted garlic is one of those ingredients that can elevate your recipes, bringing tons of depth to your meals. This amazing ingredient also has tons of benefits to your health, like working as an anti-inflammatory, boosting overall immunity and has antibacterial properties.
Yield 4
Ingredients
1 garlic bulb, remove excess skinand cut 1/4” from top
1/2 tsp. avocado oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Drizzle with olive oil, salt, cover with tin foil, and place in the oven.
Bake for 45-48 minutes until garlic cloves are soft and slightly brown.
Serve either smashed on bread or mixed into butter, pastas, or other recipes.
Chef’s tip: If you are short on time, you can individually take out the garlic cloves from the head. Just be sure to keep an eye on them so they do not burn.
Whether you have an egg allergy or are looking for ways to eat healthier, there are plenty of substitutes to try.
Eggs are a staple in every kitchen—except for us vegans. From pies and cakes to breakfast sandwiches and French toast, and everything in between, eggs are important in many recipes. Eggs are primarily used to create structure, stabilize batters and doughs, provide texture and moisture to recipes, and serve as a thickening agent for sauces and desserts.
In a world striving to live healthier, many plant-based alternatives have already made their way into our fridges and pantries. Following are eight easy-to-find and simple-to-use options.
Why do recipes call for eggs?
Typically, eggs are used to bind, leaven and add moisture to recipes. They essentially keep ingredients together and trap air pockets, which allows dough to rise.
Although learning what type of egg replacements that work best in recipes can be tricky, its always fun experimenting with new products, ingredients, or homemade alternatives! To understand what works best, having an idea of the consistency of the recipe will help determine what type of egg replacer you’ll want to use.
Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
My favorite substitute for baking is Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer–yes, store-bought, folks! It does the trick, acting as the perfect alternative to eggs. Whether it’s for pancake batter, stuffing, cookies or cakes, this egg replacer gives any recipe the moisture and level of binding the egg would have provided. It’s perfect in recipes like potato latkes!
Vinegar + baking powder
Perfect for quick breads, cakes and cupcakes, this combo will surely encourage your desserts to leaven or rise. You can use either white distilled or apple cider vinegar. I’ve noticed the apple cider vinegar tastes better, but this is entirely up to you. Check out this recipe, Easy Vegan Apple Cake, for example.
Flax or chia seeds
These powerful little seeds are the perfect alternative for binding ingredients together or emulsifying. Simply use a coffee grinder to grind the seeds into a powder. Add water and set aside until it thickens. Use this method to bake brownies, pie crusts, bread or muffins. Keep in mind that flax seeds have a nutty flavor, so try to use that alternative in recipes where you’ll enjoy that flavor profile.
Silken or firm tofu
Looking for an egg scramble alternative? Tofu is one of those universal ingredients that could be used for stir-fry, mousses, soups, and breakfast egg scramblers (Southwest Tofu Scramble). If you press a block of extra firm tofu, crumble it up in a pan with turmeric and other seasonings, you can mimic scrambled eggs perfectly. Another example is using soft tofu as an emulsifier in stabilizing vegan mayonnaise. It helps by giving the texture you need. A new alternative called Just Egg has hit the markets and has paved the way for vegan omelets and non-tofu scrambles.
Bananas
This alternative is best for recipes that use egg for moisture, like banana bread. This is perfect for cakes and brownies also! Just take one ripe banana, mash it up, and voila, you have the equivalent of one egg. Check out this delicious looking Banana Tea Bread!
Apple sauce
If bananas aren’t your thing, you can use apple sauce instead and still give your baking the moistness it needs, like in these Chocolate Cupcakes. When shopping, make sure you purchase organic and unsweetened apple sauce. This way, you can add the sugar you’d like and not make what you’re making too sweet.
Aquafaba
Aquafaba liquid is the water in which chickpeas were cooked in. When whipped for 5-10 minutes, it can mimic egg whites in cooking or baking, including meringue, mousse, icings, vegan marshmallows, or this Oven Baked Chickpea Veggie Burger. Make sure to opt for an organic and unsalted chickpea, allowing you to remove any unnecessary salt.
Nut butter
Almond, peanut, or cashew butter can be great alternatives when substituting eggs. This method is excellent for cookies (Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies), pancakes, or brownies and can affect the flavor overall.
This awesome banana bread is a mixture between coffee cake and marble loaf, two of my favorite things! Banana bread is the best when you have some bananas that are a bit too brown and mushy. Usually when I make a loaf, I always add an extra banana to the mixture for extra flavor and moistness. This is a great breakfast idea or mid-afternoon snack for busy days.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In small bowl, prepare egg replacers according to package directions.
In mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar until creamy. Slowly add egg replacers, one at a time, and mix well. Add bananas and stir to combine.
In separate mixing bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt.
Slowly combine dry and wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Add coffee extract and stir until just combined—do not overmix.
Remove 1 cup of batter and place into a small bowl. Add cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
Pour batter into greased starting with the vanilla batter. Alternate layers between the two until all the batter is gone. Using a knife, give a few swirls to move the batter around.
Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. When ready, remove from oven and let cool completely.
Serve immediately or store in an air tight container.
Chef’s tip: Like your banana bread on the moist side? Add 1-2 more bananas to the batter and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes.
With tons of pantry items and a couple staple vegetables, you can make a delicious vegan macaroni and cheese dish! This Mac dish is made with a plant-based na-cho average cheese sauce that is paired with frozen broccoli. If you have some extra ingredients laying around, like parsley, panic bread crumbs or vegan cheeses, you can add them to the top and bake it until golden brown and bubbling. This recipe is a simple way to be creative with your vegetables and any other produce you may have laying around.
In a large pot filled 3/4 of the way with well-salted water, boil your pasta according to the boxed instructions. In the last minute of cooking your pasta, add frozen broccoli. Drain and add it back to the pot.
Stir in the cheese sauce and pour mixture into a small lightly greased casserole dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture (optional)
Bake for 10-18 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbling.
Serve immedietly.
Chef’s tip: If you are in a pinch on ingredients, forget the toppings and just eat the macaroni and cheese once you add the cheese sauce to the pasta and broccoli.
Let’s end the spring roll vs. egg roll debate — right here, right now.
Aside from being the eggless option, there are so many reasons why spring rolls are the clear winner. The edible wrapper used encase all the delicious veggie insides are thin, which allows for maximum crispiness. A thin wrapper also means they don’t get overly saturated with oil while frying. But what makes THESE spring rolls champions in particular is that they come with a homemade elderberry-plum sauce recipe. BONUS! It’s sweet, savory and healthy, too.
Finding subtle ways to add immune-boosting support to your food is simple and gets the job done. Sambucol’s Elderberry Syrup is rich in vitamins A, B and C and provides my immune system support to help me stay healthy throughout the year. When making this recipe, make sure to add the Sambucol syrup at the end of the cooking process to retain maximum nutritional benefits.
In a sauce pan on a medium-low heat, cook sauce for 25-30 minutes and then use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce.
Lightly toast seasoning mixture in a pan over medium-high heat and place into a cheese cloth sachet. Place the sachet into the sauce and cook on low for 20 minutes, removing the satchet once done. Add the Sambucol syrup once cool to retain maximum health benefits.
Allow sauce to cool before serving.
Spring rolls:
In a frying pan on medium-low heat, sauté the cabbage, green onion, garlic, ginger, shredded carrot, tamari, and rice wine vinegar with the vegetable broth to prevent sticking. Cook for 3-5 minutes and allow to cool. Add sesame oil at the end and stir it in.
Fill each wrapper with 2 tablespoons of filling, folding in from the sides and rolling the wrappers tight. Wrap a strip of green onion around and tie it. Cut off any excess green onion.
Heat the oil to 325 degrees F and carefully add the spring rolls until golden brown, roughly 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately with Plum–elderberry sauce.
Chef’s tip: Slightly blanch the green onion strips in boiling water for a few seconds. This will help make it easier to tie the spring rolls.
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