B00AG0VMTC EBOK (19 page)

Inspired by A-K @ Swell Vegan Blog

The Esselstyn family loves making pancakes on the weekends. The only animals we eat in our house are the bunnies or dinosaurs that Jill makes for the kids out of pancake batter. And I’ve always prided myself on turning pancakes the size of manhole covers with the flip of a wrist. Kole gets so excited wanting to flip pancakes the way Daddy does that we got him a pint-size frying pan so he can get in on the action while Sophie cheers. The lucky recipient of any pancakes that land on the floor is our eleven-year-old Queensland Heeler, Tug.

¼ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup gluten-free flour mix

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

½ tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

teaspoon ground nutmeg

teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

cup unsweetened non-dairy milk

cup water

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, flaxseed, baking powder, and spices. Make a well in the center of the mix.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, water, maple syrup, and vanilla and pour into the dry ingredients’ well. Mix together with a spoon or silicone spatula. Let the mixture rest 5 to 10 minutes to allow the liquids to absorb into the flour; the mixture will probably be thicker and goopier than traditional pancake batter.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add ¼ to
cup of the batter per pancake, spreading them out into a circle. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until the edges firm up and the tops begin to dry out, then flip over and cook on the opposite side for 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve immediately, or keep warm on a plate in the oven.

Inspired by Chef Marco and Karime

Jane and I ran into this sauce in the Texas hill country during an Engine 2 retreat, and we find it replaces maple syrup atop our breakfast favorites. It is delicious on Dinosaur Gingerbread-Buckwheat Pancakes (
here
), Cranberry-Polenta French Toast (
here
), or even on Rip’s Big Bowl (
here
). Use any kind of berries that you prefer: raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, or strawberry!

1½ cups berries (your choice: raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, or strawberry)

½ cup orange juice (makes it more sour)
or
apple juice (makes it more sweet)

Over high heat, in a medium saucepan boil your choice of berries and juice for 5 minutes. It will become more syrup-like as it cooks. Remove the sauce from the heat and pour it into a blender or food processor. Blend until the sauce is syrup-like with a bit of fruit still visible, then serve and enjoy.

Tip:
If you choose strawberries for your sauce, boil them for only 3 to 4 minutes because the berries lose their redness if they cook too long.

By Zeb Esselstyn

These are the most dense and hearty waffles I’ve ever had in my life. My mom and my brother, Zeb, have had a running contest for the last year to see who could make the best waffle. The inspiration was to turn the Rip’s Big Bowl cereal concoction (see
here
) into a waffle. Zeb’s recipe wins!

2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

¾ cup finely chopped walnuts

¼ cup flaxseed meal

Zest of ½ orange

½ to ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 medium banana, smashed

1 to 1½ cups almond milk

Preheat a waffle iron.

In a bowl, combine the oats, walnuts, flaxseed meal, orange zest, and cinnamon. Place two-thirds of the mixture into a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until the mixture has a flour-like texture. Return to the bowl with the remaining one-third of the dry ingredients; this step ensures that the waffles have a chunky texture. If you prefer a smoother, uniform texture to your waffles, blend all of the dry ingredients initially.

Add the smashed banana and almond milk to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork; the batter will be fairly thick. If you prefer a thinner batter, add more almond milk.

Portion the batter thickly onto a preheated waffle iron and spread it out to all corners. Close the lid, and cook the waffle according to the manufacturer’s directions for your waffle iron. When done, remove the waffle from the iron—some waffles require the assistance of a chopstick to encourage release from the waffle iron. Top with the fruit of choice and/or syrup and serve.

Tip:
These rule. Make the whole batch over the weekend, freeze any extras, and microwave one for a midweek breakfast on the go.

By Anne Stevenson

Anne Stevenson is an artist, graphic designer, mother of three, IronMan triathlete, and plant-strong baking ninja as well! On top of all that, she is the woman who posed with me in the exercise section of my book
The Engine 2 Diet
. Whenever she brings these muffins to our monthly potluck, they are gone lickety-split.

One 14-ounce can pure pumpkin puree (no sugar added)

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 to 3 dashes pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups oat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a silicone muffin tray or nonstick 12-well muffin pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, bananas, applesauce, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan. Bake for 33 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes; they should pop out of the muffin pan very easily.

Tip from Anne:
These muffins are best served warm! The recipe can be modified depending on the time of year or the ingredients you have on hand. Sometimes I push a blackberry into each muffin before I bake them, or add chocolate chips—for dessert muffins!

By Katherine Lawrence

These muffins are the creation of Katherine Lawrence with The Cancer Project in Dallas, Texas. She created them at the behest of her family to make a healthy muffin that no one could resist. These are low fat, guilt-free, tasty, and easy to eat on the go.

¼ cup ground flaxseed

cup hot water

½ cup applesauce

cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup grated zucchini

1 red apple, grated

1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a silicone muffin tray or nonstick 12-well muffin pan.

Add the ground flaxseed and hot water to a cup and stir together with a fork. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens to an egg-like consistency. In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the grated carrot, zucchini, and apple.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir the flaxseed mixture into the wet mixture, then add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until well incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tray or pan and top with the chopped walnuts, if using. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the muffins are baked through; the muffins should be moist and chewy.

Note:
In some ovens these muffins bake better at 425°F for 25 minutes.