Pumpkin Pancakes

These delicious pumpkin pancakes aren't quite as fluffy as my plain or banana pancakes because the pumpkin makes them dense. That being said, they taste amazing spread with vegan margarine and dripping with maple syrup!

2 cups unbleached flour
4 tsp baking powder (measure generously or add a tiny bit extra for fluffier pancakes)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup agave
1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups plain or unsweetened nondairy milk (almond works well)
1 cup cooked pumpkin puree or canned cooked pumpkin
vegan margarine or oil for frying

Combine the flour, baking powder, and spices in a large mixing bowl and stir. Add the agave and 1 1/4 cups of the nondairy milk, stir until the lumps are gone, and then stir in the pumpkin. Add the extra nondairy milk as needed to reach pancake batter consistency, probably about 1/4 cup or so depending on your how much liquid is in your pumpkin (you will need to add some but not necessarily all so do this slowly, stirring in a spoonful or two at a time). Add a little bit of vegan margarine or oil to a frying pan at slightly below medium heat. Pour the pancake batter into the pan to form 3-4" cakes. Flip the cakes when a few bubbles form on top and the bottom is light golden brown. Cook on the second side for just a moment and then enjoy topped with vegan margarine and grade B maple syrup!

Mom's Oatmeal Goes Tropical

I was at a diner/cafe not long ago with my family & ordered oatmeal. I was not expecting the "oatmeal" I was served; it was nothing like what I think of as oatmeal! Apparently some people think oatmeal should be gluey, slimy, goop. I disagree! My mom has always made oatmeal that is flavorful & a little bit chewy, and after the diner I found myself looking forward to a bowl of oatmeal like my mom makes. This recipe is a variation on the way she cooks oatmeal with a bit of a tropical twist.




1 cup water
1/2 cup rolled oats (old fashioned, not quick cooking)
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh pineapple, diced or cut into small chunks
1/4 cup walnut halves, broken into pieces
1/8 cup raisins *
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup vanilla coconut milk (like Silk or So Delicious brand)
1/8 cup maple syrup, preferably grade B **

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the oats, walnuts, raisins, pineapple, and cinnamon. Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook until the oatmeal is softened but still a bit chewy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Allow the oatmeal to sit for a few minutes before serving but don't allow it to get cold.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups cooked. Obviously, use more or less cinnamon and maple syrup as you prefer!

* 1/8 cup is 2 TBSP so just use your TBSP if you don't have a 1/8 cup measure
** Grade B maple syrup is darker and has a stronger maple flavor. If you can't find any you can use Grade A, but I promise Grade B is worth looking for!

Breakfast Potatoes **

When I was a kid my mom would sometimes make breakfast potatoes, seasoned and cooked with onion in a frying pan. Although pancakes are my favorite hot breakfast this is definitely next on the list! I decided to add some protein to my version with black beans and I actually think it tastes better with them.

This recipe doesn't photograph so well but I promise you it is delicious! In this photo I've made it with the addition of some Field Roast brand veggie sausage.


2 cups chopped onion (a sweet onion will work best)
2 cups shredded potato (if you are using frozen potato allow it to thaw first)
1/2 TBSP safflower oil plus more as needed
1 cup prepared black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp salt plus more to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper plus more to taste

Optional ingredients:
1/2 to 1 cup cooked veggie sausage, cut into bite-size pieces (note: if you are avoiding soy or gluten make sure yours gluten/soy free!)

Heat a large frying pan over medium and add oil and onion. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are soft and translucent or slightly brown if desired, stirring occasionally. Transfer the cooked onion to a bowl and add a little more oil to the pan before spreading the potatoes evenly in the bottom and replacing the lid. Watch carefully to allow the potatoes to brown a little before turning them over and letting them brown on the second side. After the potatoes are cooked put the onion back in the pan with them and add the black beans (and veggie sausage if using). Sprinkle the salt and pepper on and stir everything together. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes *

These are just like my original banana pancakes except that they're safe for vegans who cannot eat wheat or gluten. Actually, there is a second difference: unlike with wheat pancakes, you can put chocolate chips directly into this batter and not end up with pancakes that stick to the pan. Even if you don't avoid gluten you may want to give these delicious pancakes a try!

1 cup white rice flour or King Arthur gluten free multipurpose flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 TBSP tapioca flour/starch
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups soymilk (or other nondairy milk)
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/3 cup vegan gluten-free chocolate chips (optional)
margarine or oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients and stir. Add the vanilla and soymilk, stirring until any lumps are gone. Add the mashed banana (and chocolate chips if using) and stir, then allow the batter to sit for a few minutes. Place a bit of margarine or oil to your frying pan over medium-low heat; you may need to add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp between each batch of cakes to avoid sticking so keep it nearby. Pour the pancake batter into the pan to form 3-4" diameter pancakes. These pancakes WILL NOT BUBBLE so you need to pay close attention and flip them when they are getting firm around the edges and the bottom is a very light golden brown (too dark and they will be crispy). These do not take long to cook so don't leave them unattended. Cook on the second side for about half as long as on the first & then enjoy!

NOTE: If you are not using salted margarine for frying you will want to add a pinch of salt to the batter. If making chocolate chip pancakes, I recommend using Enjoy Life chocolate chips because they are the size of mini chips and that way you get some in most bites.

Banana Pancakes

These are light, fluffy pancakes I developed after my sister requested banana pancakes to spread with peanut butter and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour OR white flour (King Arthur white whole wheat is great for this!)
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup agave
1 1/2 - 2 cups soymilk or almond milk
2 very ripe mashed bananas
margarine or oil for frying

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir. Add the agave and 1 1/2 cups soymilk, stir until the lumps are gone, and then stir in the banana. Add the extra soymilk if necessary to reach pancake batter consistency (you will need to add some but not necessarily all so do this slowly, stirring in a spoonful or two at a time). Add a little bit of oil or margarine to a frying pan at slightly below medium heat. Pour the pancake batter into the pan to form 3-4" cakes. Flip the cakes when a few bubbles form on top and the bottom is light golden brown. Cook on the second side for just a moment and then enjoy!

Don't have ripe bananas? You can still enjoy these pancakes. Just skip the bananas and use the whole 2 cups instead of 1 1/2 of nondairy milk to compensate for the lack of bananas. You can even stir chocolate chips right into the batter if you like; it just makes them a bit messier and sometimes a bit likely to stick in the pan mildly.

NOTE: If you use oil instead of margarine for frying you will want to add a pinch of salt to the batter. I do not recommend choosing hemp milk for your nondairy milk in this recipe as it leads to sticking in the pan; your best bets are soy or almond.

Banana Bread

When I was little I always looked forward to bananas getting past their prime because that meant my mother would make banana bread. I still love the way it smells when it bakes and the way it tastes when still warm from the oven; this is a comfort food! Although I couldn't find her recipe to adapt, I did manage to create one of my own and the resulting banana bread is possibly the best I've ever had.

1 cup Earth Balance or other dairy-free margarine
2 cups sugar (can be partly brown sugar)
1 package firm Japanese style silken tofu (Mori Nu)
4 cups flour (1 can be whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 10-oz package of dairy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life work well)
2 cups chopped walnuts
cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Mash the tofu then mix thoroughly into the creamed mixture. In another bowl of a measuring cup, stir together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add this to the large bowl and mix until lumps are gone. Stir in the bananas (you may have to use a hand to do this) and then the chocolate chips followed by the walnuts. Distribute this batter into 2 glass loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray or greased with margarine. If you prefer, bake as muffins in lined muffin pans. Bake at 325 degrees until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked, about 1 hour to 75 minutes.