koko's corner

Eggfree pancakes

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With pancakes this good, who needs butter and syrup!

I was eating these as fast as they came off the griddle. 

Using the flaxseed meal recipe (1 T ground flaxseed meal mixed with 2 1/2 T water and let sit for 5 minutes) as an egg substitute,added a nice little crunch to the pancakes.

  Using a 1/4 cup measure the recipe yielded about 12 pancakes.

These pancakes are cooling so they can be packaged for the freezer. I placed the pancakes between sheets of waxed paper and then into a plastic freezer bag. Now I can have a pancake snack any time I want. I really like them warmed up with a bit of cheese melting on top. 

Here's the original recipe I tweaked a little, o.k. a lot. I hope you try both. 
Instead of the nut butter I used the flaxseed mixture as my egg substitute. 

Enjoy

koko's version of Eggless Pancakes 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 1/2 tablespoons light coconut sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons avocado oil egg substitute 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, or more to reach desired consistency  In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour with the baking powder, sugar, and kosher salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, flaxseed mixture, and buttermilk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick, add regular milk (whole, 2% etc..) if needed to reach desired consistency.  Lightly grease a skillet with oil over medium-low heat. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, ladle batter onto the skillet. Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top, flip them and cook until done. Place pancakes on a platter and cover them with a kitchen towel to keep warm until served.

And that's that!

Hummus from scratch

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For a quick easy snack or a delicious sandwich spread, you can't beat hummus. Throw in a tomato and cucumber salad drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with some Za'atar and you have a great lunch. 

Just a few simple ingredients and you are good to go. 

Garbanzo beans and tahini are two of my must have pantry staples so I can make this quick easy snack anytime I want. 

The basic recipe is just beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and a little salt. 
When you drain the canned beans, be sure to reserve the "bean juice," the aquafaba. If you like a thinner, smoother hummus you will need it to thin the hummus out a little, it also has several other good uses.

Here at Creaky-bones compound, aka Senior Citizen Apartment living, on Fridays, some of us get together to play cornhole. I like to bring tasty snacks to share and the hummus and tomato salads are always a favorite. 

Enjoy

Hummus from scratch

Yield: about 1 1/3 cups 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (do not drain), or about 2 cups drained, cooked chickpeas 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons tahini 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon), plus more as needed 1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Serving options: pita wedges, pita chips, raw sliced vegetables Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas into a strainer, reserving the liquid from the can. If time and patience allow, pinch the skins from each of the chickpeas; this will make your hummus smoother. Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Combine the chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the blade attachment or blender. Blend hummus until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Process the hummus continuously until it becomes very smooth, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to integrate any large chunks. Taste and adjust seasonings. Taste and add more of any of the ingredients to taste. If your hummus is stiffer than you'd like, blend 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid to thin it out and make the hummus creamier. Transfer to a bowl and serve. Scrape the hummus into a bowl and serve with pita chips or raw vegetables. Note: Using dried chickpeas: For even tastier and more authentic hummus, try cooking your own dried chickpeas from scratch. Hummus variations• Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of spices for more flavor, like cumin, sumac, harissa, or smoked paprika. • Drizzle a little pomegranate molasses or sprinkle a pinch of sumac on top. • For a roasted vegetable hummus, blend in 1 cup of roasted vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, or garlic. • For an olive hummus, fold in 3/4 cup of chopped green or black olives. • For a nutty hummus, blend in some lightly toasted walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts. • For a more lemony hummus, add 1/4 cup of chopped preserved lemons. Storage: Hummus will also keep for up to 1 week in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Source: Kitchn

And that's that!

Fire Cider

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Great for what ails you, I mean really, what malady could survive a mixture of garlic, jalapeno peppers, horseradish, onions, ginger, cinnamon, star anise honey, and vinegar. 

All you need to do is peel the garlic and cut the ginger, onion, and peppers into chunks, no need to peel the ginger. 

After cutting off a 1 1/2-ounce chunk of horseradish, I chunked up the rest of the root, vacuum-sealed it, and put it into the freezer. 
Someday I'll figure out what to do with the rest of the $10.00 piece of root. 
At the time I was so happy to find fresh horseradish I didn't even look at the price per lb. I sure noticed it when I went to check out and it rang up at $10.00 YIKES!!! LOL, this will probably last me a lifetime. 

Now, unlike me, I know you are better about reading a recipe all the way through first, and you'll know that all the ingredients except the honey are packed into the jar with the vinegar and that the honey isn't added until the "brewing" time is up. 

Then you top it all off with the vinegar seal the jar then store it at room temperature away from direct sunlight,

When I feel a cold or whatever coming on, I put a shot glass next to the bottle of cider and take a few shots of it throughout the day, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If it's too strong for your tastes it can be diluted in a glass of water. 

Don't do what I did and wait too long to make your next batch, it has to "brew" for at least a month first. 

Fire Cider 3 ounces diced ginger root 3 ounces yellow onion 1 1/2 ounces garlic cloves 1 1/2 ounce diced horseradish 1 1/2 ounces jalapeños 3 star anise pods 1 cinnamon stick 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup honey Layer the ginger, onion, garlic, horseradish and jalapeño into a quart-sized jar with the star anise and cinnamon stick. Cover with apple cider vinegar, adding additional vinegar to cover the contents of the jar as necessary. Seal the jar, and store it away from direct sunlight at least 1 month and up to 6 weeks. Shake daily. Strain the vinegar, discarding the solids. Next, stir in the honey until fully dissolved. Store at room temperature up to 6 months and in the fridge up to 18 months.

And that's that!

Fast Beans

A few months ago I started my journey into food preservation by learning how to dehydrate different foods. 

Beans are one of my favorite dehydrated foods to have on hand, they rehydrate quickly and I can cook as few or as many as needed at the time. 

I learned about "fast beans" on the Rose Red Homestead YouTube Channel. Well, that and a lot more.  

I cooked a one-pound bag of dried cannellini beans, then dehydrated them. The dried beans filled a one-quart canning jar. 

This morning I wanted some beans to go along with my ham, cheese, and onion scrambled eggs. All I had to do was measure out 1/2 cup of dehydrated beans

then add to 3/4 of boiling water in a saucepan, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender. and a few minutes later I had just the right amount of beans for that meal. 
Some of the beans burst while dehydrating so you're not going to get all perfect individual beans but they aren't all mushy either. 

I do keep some canned beans on hand for the dishes that need whole perfect beans. 

Some of the things I've dehydrated so far are hominy, corn, bell peppers, onion, cabbage, celery, potatoes, canned Rotel tomatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, and marinara sauce.

And I've only just begun.

And that's that!

Sesame Tuna Salad

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Delicious, even when made with chicken.

This was a big hit at the Cornhole game Friday morning here at Creaky Bones Compound. 
I made it with canned chicken rather than tuna, only because I had more chicken on hand than tuna. 

Pretty basic ingredients, just chicken/tuna, cabbage, sugar snap peas, and scallions, the radishes and cilantro missed the photoshoot but not the bowl. 
The dressing is made up of rice vinegar or lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, avocado oil, or any other mild-flavored oil. 

I love having a cupboard above the countertop. The bottom shelf is so handy when it comes to measuring liquids, I just put a measuring cup on the shelf and the measurements are right at eye level. I do have to admit though that more than once I measured what I needed, closed the cupboard door, and left the cup on the shelf then later looked for that ingredient knowing I got it ready but not knowing what I did with it. I'm better about that now. 

I didn't plate individual salads like the recipe states. I just put all the ingredients into a bowl and tossed it all together with some dressing. 

I added the dressing a little at a time, that's a lot of dressing for the salad, and I used green cabbage rather than napa because that's what I had. 

It got rave reviews and I'll be making this again and again for sure.  

Sesame Tuna Salad YIELD  4 servings TOTAL TIME  25 minutes 1/4 cup rice vinegar or lemon juice 3 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 2 5- to 6-ounce cans water-packed chunk light tuna, drained 1 cup sliced sugar snap peas or snow peas 2 scallions, sliced 6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage 4 radishes, julienne-cut or sliced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves 1 tablespoon sesame seeds Freshly ground pepper to taste Whisk vinegar (or lemon juice), canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and ginger in a small bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons of the dressing with tuna, peas and scallions in a medium bowl. Divide cabbage among 4 plates. Mound one-fourth of the tuna mixture (about 1/2 cup) in the center of each plate and garnish with radishes, cilantro and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing (about 2 tablespoons per salad) and season with pepper. Source: Eating Well Magazine

And that's that!