I’m on vacation this week, hanging out at the ol’ country shack (or “The Farm”, as my in-laws call it.)  Like a real farmer, I woke up at 6 and went out to survey my enormous vegetable garden. It was super foggy, but I could see that everything is coming along nicely. (Wondering what to cook with the ridiculous amount of  kale I’m growing!)  After playing with the dogs a bit, I decided I deserved some pancakes.

I turned to my standby recipe, “Ethereal Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes”  from Crescent Dragonwagon’s Passionate Vegetarian. The secret is the stiffly beaten egg whites folded in at the end. For today’s version, I used all whole wheat pastry flour rather than a mix of flours as Crescent suggests, and threw in some chopped pecans for crunch. I also left out one of the egg yolks, to reduce the saturated fat. Always have to look out for my damn cholesterol. (But if I get some more of the beautiful just-laid eggs from the neighbor down the road, I’m definitely going to splurge on an omelet later this week.)

Eating homemade pancakes topped with organic berries, while looking out onto the fields and listening to the birds….I really am on vacation.

Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes

4 tablespoons dried buttermilk powder (see note)
2 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon organic canola oil
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
6 tablespoons chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large egg whites

Combine the buttermilk powder, water, oats and canola oil in a medium bowl, and stir with a fork until the powder dissolves.  Set aside for 30 minutes. Add egg yolk and stir well.

Combine the dry ingredients and pecans in a large bowl, then add the buttermilk-oat mixture, stirring only until combined. In a smaller bowl with high sides, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold them into the batter.

Spray a pancake griddle with cooking oil spray and heat over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and drop batter onto the pan using a ladle. Cook until the bottoms are golden and bubbles appear on the top. Flip and cook for another couple minutes. Serve with real maple syrup and fresh berries.

Note: I highly recommend dried buttermilk powder, because you’ll always have it on hand – and I never seem to use a whole quart of buttermilk when I buy it.  But if you want to use fresh buttermilk, just use 2 1/4 cups instead of the powder and water called for here.

Serves 4

This slaw really has that sweet/sour/spicy thing going on.  It’s not only a great taco topper, it’s a great side dish on its own.  Certainly more interesting than your standard-issue coleslaw. And way better for you, since there’s no artery-clogging mayo.  Plus, it will look stunningly pretty on the table for your next summer barbecue.

I recommend eating the slaw the same day it’s made. It loses a little after being refrigerated overnight.

Sweet and Spicy Mexican Slaw

1/2 small red cabbage, very thinly sliced
1/2 small green cabbage, very thinly sliced
1 cup grated jicama (use large holes on a box grater)
2 serrano peppers, or one jalapeno, minced (more to taste)
4 scallions, sliced
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/2  cup chopped cilantro
pinch cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and you’re done.

Serves 8

I seem to be on a roll with salads these days.  Which is odd, because I’m generally not the most creative salad person. But between last week’s amazing quinoa salad and this one, I’m feeling like the Salad Queen. (Is there such a thing as a salad queen? There should be.)

Nutritionally, you can’t go wrong with black beans and sweet potatoes. In addition to being packed with fiber and protein, black beans are super high in flavonoids, just like blueberries, cranberries and red wine. So you’re getting  your fill of antioxidants. And of course, the sweet potatoes have similar antioxidant benefits, along with beta-carotene and vitamin C.

And most importantly, the beans and sweet potatoes taste terrific together. Especially when combined with a zesty lime-basil dressing. This is going to be on our brown bag lunch rotation for sure.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad

1 very large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I recommend Eden brand – no BPA in the cans)
4-5 scallions, sliced
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (use gluten-free mustard if you are gluten-sensitive)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or substitute cilantro)
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Toss the sweet potatoes with 2 teaspoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until potatoes are tender. Put the roasted potatoes in a large bowl with the black beans, scallions and red pepper.

In a separate bowl, mix the lime juice, zest, mustard and herbs. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Add this dressing to the bean-potato mixture and gently mix.  Season with salt, pepper and additional lime juice to taste.

Serves 4

I was uncharacteristically spontaneous today. I had planned to make a simple dish of curried beans and sweet potatoes, but had a sudden craving for something

spicy, and switched my plan entirely.  I spied  a package of seitan in the fridge, so I made up a spur-of-the-moment seitan vindaloo.  (I used the beans and sweet potatoes for a delicious salad – stay tuned for that in the next day or two.)

Vindaloo is an Indian dish from the Goa region, and is known for being fiery hot.  It’s usually made with chicken or lamb, but seitan makes a great stand-in and really absorbs the flavors of the vindaloo paste. My vegan version is heart healthy, with only a tablespoon of oil in the whole pot. The vinegar and lemon juice give it a major tang factor.  I used green peppers and carrots, but next time I may add potatoes, which are ubiquitous in restaurant versions of vindaloo.  By the way, did you know that vindaloo was originally brought to Goa by the Portugese?  Neither did I (thanks, Wikipedia!)

Seitan Vindaloo

1 small onion
3 fresh hot peppers (preferably serrano), halved and seeded
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup vinegar (cider or white wine)
2 dried hot red chiles, soaked in water for 15 minutes (omit if you don’t like spicy food)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
1 large or 2 medium carrots, chopped (about 2/3 c.)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 8-ounce package seitan, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

To make the vindaloo paste, put the first 11 ingredients (through the cayenne pepper) in a food processor and process until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add the mustard seeds, cinnamon and cardamom pods and cook for 1 minute or until the mustard seeds pop. Add carrots, green peppers and seitan, and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add your vindaloo paste and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 c. water. lemon juice, sugar and salt. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender. (Add another 1/4 c. water if the mixture gets too dry.)

Note: if you happen to see any of the cardamom seeds in the finished dish, take them out.  It’s kind of a drag to bite into them.

Serves 3 as a main dish, or 6 as a side

These muffins are quite miraculous, because they contain no butter, no eggs, and only 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch (12 large muffins).  Yet they’re rich,moist and chocolate-y, with a distinct banana flavor.  This recipe was inspired by a one in Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink & Be Vegan. I have to say, I think I improved on her already inspired recipe by using whole wheat pastry flour instead of barley flour, and adding extra cocoa (extra cocoa is always a good idea). There’s no need to judge these on the vegan baked goods scale – they stand up to any muffins out there.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons soy milk
2 tablespoons flax meal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats, finely ground in a food processor
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 heaping cup of mashed extremely ripe banana
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons organic canola oil

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the flax meal and soy milk, and set aside for 5 or more minutes. Add the banana, maple syrup, vanilla and oil and mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients in a second bowl, then add to the wet, stirring briefly.

Line a large muffin tin with 12 paper liners, and fill each about 3/4 full. Bake for 23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins

I don’t know why anyone would make boring old pasta salad when they could make quinoa salad.  This tiny grain has a subtle nutty flavor, and is a completeprotein with a perfect balance of all nine essential amino acids. Nirvana for non-meat eaters.

For this particular quinoa salad, I was envisioning something on the tart side. But when I tasted my experiment, I thought I’d gone way overboard with the lime juice.  In an attempt to tone it down, I threw in some currants. And what do you know, I had created the perfect balance. It’s sweet, sour, nutty and crunchy – what more do you want in a salad?

Tangy Quinoa Salad

2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
1 cup quinoa (well-rinsed, unless you have the pre-rinsed variety)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 3/4 cups water
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons dried currants

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a saucepan. Add quinoa and spices. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, until quinoa smells toasty. Add the water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender but still a bit crunchy. Spread on a baking sheet to cool.

Combine the garlic, lime juice, cilantro, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add the quinoa, onion, peppers, almonds and currants and mix well. Season with additional salt to taste.

Serves 4