This is a quick and easy pancake recipe that I’ve been making for a few years.

Please note that I am a vegetarian, I don’t eat any meat, but do eat dairy and sometimes eggs.  In my cooking and baking I try to substitute for dairy and eggs as much as possible.

You can substitute any type of berry.  Raspberry & Blackberry make yummy jam pockets.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup milk or soy milk

Makes 6 – 10 pancakes

Turn stove on to Medium and let skillet (frying pan) heat up.

Mix together flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl.  Stir in milk and applesauce.

Test to see if skillet is hot enough (a drop of water, butter or margarine will sizzle instantly).  Pour pancake mix into pan into even circles.  Add blueberries.  When the top of the pancakes start to bubble it’s time to flip.  When both sides are golden brown they’re ready to eat.

Ready to flip

Chili is one of my favourite things to eat when it’s cold outside.  There’s always leftovers to freeze or take for lunch.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 cans of mixed beans – I like red & white kidney, chick peas, black beans or a bean medley
1 package soy ground, defrosted = to 1lb ground beef
2-3 cans spaghettie sauce – I pick whatever is on sale
8-10 mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 large potato, chopped
1/2 red onion
3-4 pickles, chopped
1 pack cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp Franks Red Hot Sauce
Spices: chili powder (to taste),basil, oregano, black pepper, panago three chilli spice
Crockpot

Turn CrockPot to high.  Chop or dice vegetables.  Strain and wash beans.  Pour in 1 can of sauce, 1 tbsp Franks and soy ground, mix well.  Add beans, another can of sauce and 1 tbsp Franks, mix well.  Add mushrooms, tomatoes, onion & potatoes, mix well.  Stir in 1 tsp each basil & oregano, 1/4 tsp each black pepper & three chili spice.  Add 2 tbsp chili powder, mix well, taste and add more spices as needed.  Put lid on pot and cook on high for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, turn heat to low, taste, add spices if needed and cook for 1 more hour.

One of my goals this year is to cook more.  I’m going to try to post a weekly recipe that I’ve made to motivate me to do it.  First off, a warm alcoholic drink to take the chill off of your first day back to work.

This is a great hot alcoholic drink that I first tried at our DWW Xmas Party this year. I liked it so much I decided to try and make it. I took it to Christmas dinner and made it for our NYE party last night. It’s a big hit and perfect for cold winter nights.  I make it in a Crockpot, but you can certainly make this in a big pot on the stove.

INGREDIENTS

3L Red Wine
1 1/2 cups water tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
1/2 cup brown sugar (or to taste)
fresh ginger root
3 clementine oranges
12 whole cloves
Crockpot

Ingredients

Turn the crockpot on high.  Pour wine into crockpot, saving just enough for a glass for yourself while preparing   Add water.

Peel two oranges – try to keep the peel whole, or at least in large pieces.  Squeeze the juice into the pot.  Cover and let the wine mixture heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Check the wine temperature, make sure it’s nice and hot so the dry ingredients dissolve fully!  Peel and grate fresh ginger root into wine mixture, add cinnamon and sugar.  Stir to dissolve.  Separate orange peel into large pieces and push whole cloves into peel, add to pot.

Cover and cook on high for 60 minutes – stir and check occasionally to make sure it doesn’t boil.  Taste and add more sugar or spices to your liking.  Turn heat to low and cook for another 30 minutes.

Strain mixture and put it back in Crockpot, set on Warm.  Peel leftover orange and a slices to pot to garnish.  Serve in warm or room temperature cups – cold glass will crack.

A glass of wine for preparation

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Separate peel into large pieces

Strain & Serve

This is a new section I’m going to start posting, Veggie Meals.  I have been a Vegetarian for 2 1/2 years now and try and cook every night.  I make up lots of great things to eat and I’ll give you recipes, ideas and tips.  FYI I do still eat dairy and eggs, but no meat!

For dinner last night I made a veggie meatloaf (recipe below), mashed potatoes and corn.  I love cooking and love it even more when someone helps me.

I’m really good at mashing as you can see.  I change up my recipe and flavours to match what we’re eating.  For this I used a bit of margarine, light sour cream, salt, pepper and chicken spice.  The chicken spice does NOT have chicken in it, just so we’re clear.

Chad made corn.

Meatloaf fresh out of the oven.  Yumm it smelled so good.

The finished product.  I need to work on my presentation skills.

And if you didn’t know this is the best way to eat it.  All mashed up together.

Meatloaf

• 1/4 red onion
• 1/2 red pepper
• 2 packages Original Ives Veggie Ground
• 1/4 cup dry oatmeal
• 2 slices whole grain bread
• ketchup (2 or 3 tbsp)
• salt, pepper, chicken spice to taste

Top coating

• 1/3 cup (equal parts) ketchup and brown sugar
• nutmeg, chicken spice to taste

Preheat over to 375F

Saute onion and pepper

Mix veggie ground, oatmeal, crumbled bread, ketchup and spices in a large bowl.  Add the pepper and onion and put into pan.  Make sure you grease it so it doesn’t stick.  I like to use vegetable spray.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes

After 30 minutes, remove from oven, spread the coating on top and cook uncovered for 15 more minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and corn.

*The basis for this recipe was Mama’s Mock Meatloaf on Peta’s Veg-Cooking site.