Vegan Cooking with TLC

Sometimes it's good to get back to basics, so I decided to make and share my Basic Berry Pecan Steel Cut Oats recipe. This one is based on one of the first steel cut oat recipes I ever made. Basic Berry Pecan Steel Cut Oats ½ cup steel cut oats 1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 cups water 1 cup berries of your choice ½ cup pecans chopped 1 teaspoon cinnamon* Add enough water to a small pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Add flax seeds. Stir. Add oats and water to pan. Cook approximately 20-25 minutes until oats are creamy and most of the water has been absorbed. Stir in cinnamon when oats are almost done. Place berries over oats low heat to heat and cook five minutes to heat through. Remove from heat. Combine oats and berries. Spoon into bowls . Top with pecans. Serve. * I use Ceylon cinnamon  because it is high in antioxidants and doesn't contain coumarin. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible.

This banana bread makes a great breakfast while being just sweet enough to also serve as a dessert. I served it toasted with a fruit salad for breakfast and with tea for dessert after dinner. It is also good for an afternoon snack.  The chocolate chips will make it a bit more decadent and dessert-like. Omit them if you want a less sweet version Banana Mango Hazelnut Spelt Bread 2 cup spelt flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) ½ cup date sugar 2 cups unsweetened hazelnut milk* ½ cup hazelnut pulp 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup dried mango ½ cup hazelnuts** ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place flax seeds and hot water in a small bowl

I hadn't made Black-Eyed Pea Stew  for quite a while, and as soon as I tasted this I wondered why. I guess because I don't regularly think to buy black-eyed peas. But, I think I need to add this one into regular rotation. As I made this recipe the other night, I kept thinking about how easy it is to get into a rut even when you enjoy cooking and creating new recipes. I often make the same recipes every week or at least every other week until I get bored, not with the eating but with the cooking. Black-Eyed Pea Stew 2 cup dried black-eyed peas 1 small leek 1 small green pepper 1 medium carrot 4 medium button mushrooms 8 small purple potatoes 1 clove garlic 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed 2 teaspoons dill weed 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon caraway seed 1 teaspoon fennel seed ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 6 cups vegetable stock 1 small can tomato paste Soak black-eyed peas overnight, for a minimum o