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Blackberries & Biscuits

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As I thought about making Spelt Biscuits to share on the blog, I kept remembering my Daddy making Blackberries & Biscuits for breakfast on winter weekend mornings. He used the blackberries we'd picked and frozen during the summer. He sometimes made his own biscuits and sometimes used canned. Those blackberries tasted better than the store-bought ones I used this time. Maybe it had something to do with knowing we'd picked them ourselves. Maybe it had something to do the soil they grew in on our farm. Or maybe it's just nostalgia telling me they tasted better. Regardless, I decided to make this a two-recipe week and share both the biscuit recipe and this very simple recipe for Blackberries & Biscuits in honor of my Daddy. Blackberries & Biscuits 1 pint - 1 quart frozen blackberries 1 batch biscuits Place blackberries in a small pan . Heat over medium-low heat until soft and steaming.* Serve with biscuits.** * I think Daddy added some sugar to his when he cooked

Spelt Biscuits

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I remember biscuits at both of my grandmother's houses. They had very different styles for making biscuits, but both had their appeal. What I remember most about them thinking back is how cozy it felt when my grandmas served biscuits, even making biscuits with them felt cozy. I don't think my biscuits have ever been as good as either of theirs, but sometimes I wonder if that's as much about nostalgia as technique. I will readily admit that I find rolling dough kind of soothing and far too often roll my dough a bit too thin for biscuits, as I did when I made these biscuits this morning. So while this variation of biscuits has little in common with the biscuits either of my grandmas made, they both inspired me to develop a biscuit recipe. So, Grammy Stamm and Granny Cooper, this one is in your honor! Spelt Biscuits   2 cups spelt flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds ½ cup hazelnut pulp ¾ cup hazelnut milk 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar     Preheat th

Mango Smoothie

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I make many different varieties of smoothies. I like to play with the ingredients.  This  Mango Smoothie  is a rare smoothie where I don't include any berries.  I almost always include some type of greens. In this recipe, I use kale. It gives the smoothie a light greenish tint, which I find rather pretty but some might not.    I decided to make mango the star of this smoothie, which I enjoyed more than I expected.  I find this Mango Smoothie light and refreshing but quite filling. It makes enough for one large smoothie or two small smoothies.  Mango Smoothie 2 cups frozen mango ½ cup walnuts 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon amla powder (optional) ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon matcha powder (optional) 2 teaspoons fruit infused vinegar ½ cup chopped kale 1 small orange 1 small avocado 1 banana Place walnuts, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, amla, matcha, and vinegar in blender . Blend until becomes a thick chunky butter-like consistency. Add a little

Lentil Pecan Burgers

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Finding a plant-based burger recipe that works well has been a bit of challenge for me. I've tried several that worked okay but not great. I've tried several that had inconsistent results. So far I've made this recipe for Lentil Pecan Burgers a few times, and it's turned out well each time. I will say they are like any other burger in that cooking them can be tricky. They must be watched closely. Overcooking them will leave them dry and crumbly and undercooking them will leave them a bit mushy. Overall, I've had consistent results with these Lentil Pecan Burgers . Lentil Pecan Burgers   2 cups cooked brown lentils * 1 cup pecans pieces ¼ cup barley groats ¾ cup rolled barley 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon chili powder   Soak barley groats in hot water until they fluff up a bit, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Basic Lentils

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This is a basic lentil recipe that can be used for brown or green lentils. Other lentils will require different cooking times. I only use this recipe when I need to use the lentils in another recipe where the lentils needed to be cooked prior to use. Basic Lentils 1 cup lentils 2-3 cups vegetable stock Place lentils and vegetable stock in pan making sure lentils are covered with stock. Cook 20-30 minutes until lentils are tender. Add more stock or water if lentils aren't getting tender as the stock is absorbed.   Drain excess liquid unless it is required for the recipe. Use as required in recipe. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible. Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. To learn more about me and my work, please visit,  www.tlcooper.com .

Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup

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Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup  is a creamy soup without the aid of any cream. I developed this recipe based on reading some other recipes and a desire to make a soup with cauliflower as the base. It has an interesting flavor profile. I think that it might even be good if one substituted parsley for the cilantro. It would, of course, have a different flavor profile, but I think it would work well because parsley works well with curry powder. I might just try that next time I make it. Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup is easy and relatively quick to make. Bread and/or salad make great accompaniments with this soup. Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds 1 medium onion 1 jalapeno pepper* 1-inch piece of ginger 2 cloves garlic 1 large head cauliflower 2-3 teaspoons curry powder 4 cups vegetable stock Black pepper ¼ cup nutritional yeast ¼ cup fresh cilantro Chop onion. Dice jalapeno. Grate the ginger and garlic. Cut the cauliflower into large chunks. Chop cilantro. Add en

Sourdough Waffles

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I first decided to make Sourdough Waffles as a way to meet two needs. I was craving waffles, and I wanted a way to use the sourdough discard left from feeding my sourdough starter . Throwing away the discard every day feels wasteful, so I try to find ways to use it when possible. It worked for the waffles, but I found that letting the batter set overnight better develops the flavor. You can make it either way. If you want to let it set, use one day's discard to make the batter and make the waffles the next day. I prefer to make the batter early in the day and leave it in the refrigerator until the next day. It works great.    I like to serve them with fresh fruit and just a touch of maple syrup.  I bought a mini-waffle maker to make mine because I wasn't sure how committed I was to making waffles and didn't want to invest in an expensive waffle maker until I was. Using the mini-waffle maker takes a long time, but I probably won't replace it for a while because waffles