For the Love of Pancakes

Man, there's just something about pancakes. I can think of few things more comforting, cozy, and satisfying than a big stack of pancakes and a pot of strong coffee shared with my husband on a lazy weekend day. As has been previously mentioned, we really love brunch around here, and I must say that banana pancakes are my personal favorite. This is my tried and true recipe.

I find that the banana provides ample sweetness, especially considering that I'm just going to smother the pancakes in syrup anyway. If you prefer them sweeter, add a tablespoon or two of sugar. Don't skip the carbonated water here - it makes the pancakes light and fluffy.

Banana pancakes
1 over-ripe banana
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup carbonated water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (opt.)
pinch of salt

Mash the banana with a fork until it's good and mushy. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. (I don't have stress to you the importance of not over mixing your batter, right?)

Preheat griddle or pan to medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Once the pan is hot, ladle the batter onto it in a circular motion. When the edges appear dry and bubbles start forming in the middle, flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute or so.

Transfer cooked pancakes to a covered dish (or to an oven-safe plate and cover with foil) and keep in the oven at 250 degrees F until ready to eat.

While we're on the subject of foods to break one's fast, Shawn's weekday breakfast of choice is bagels. Annoyed with the non-veganness of some cheaper brands and the high cost of some other brands, I recently threw up my hands and said, "Screw it. I'll make my own." I used the recipe from Isa's upcoming brunch book - the aptly-titled Vegan Brunch - subbing half of the flour with whole wheat. The results were delicious (albeit a bit misshapen) bagels on the cheap, son.

Word.

Greenwise can suck it

Brunch is kind of a big deal in my two-person household, and my boyfriend considers no brunch complete without sausage. The semi-recent discontinuation of Publix’s Greenwise vegan sausage was disappointing and, well, pissed us off, mostly because it was our favorite but also because there are few other options for breakfast faux meats in our craptastically small town. Thus, this recipe - adapted from The New Farm Cookbook - was born.

Tempeh sausage

8 oz. tempeh
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sage
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1tsp cumin
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 tbsp flour (I use whole wheat pastry, but you could use all-purpose)
¼ tsp liquid smoke
2 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce

Steam the tempeh for 15 minutes and allow to cool. Grate on the coarse side of a grater. Add the seasonings, salt, and flour, and mix well. Stir in the liquid ingredients, mix well. Shape into thin patties. Pan fry in a little oil or cooking spray until browned on each side.