Banana Pancakes

Posted by: Maggie

I was planning on waiting til Monday to share these pancakes with you, but it's such a good lazy Saturday morning recipe that I figured it would be more logical to give it to you before the weekend.

I don't really like bananas until they're covered in black spots - anytime before that I find them to be too firm, and not sweet enough to eat. Since I always wait until my bananas are super ripe, and since I tend to overbuy them, I always end up with a couple that I waste. In the interest of not throwing away perfectly good food, I made these delicious pancakes. This is definitely a recipe that I'll make again and again - it was super easy, I had all the ingredients in the house, and it kicked the butt of every pancake mix I've ever tried.

This recipe makes 8 pancakes that are approximately 5 inches in diameter each. I was just cooking for myself when I made these, so I stuck the 5 pancakes that I didn't eat in the freezer, and plan to reheat them in the oven at some point according to the directions here. Has anyone ever tried this? I'll be sure to update this post once I know how they turn out after being reheated from frozen.

Here's what you'll need:

Butter for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small, very ripe banana, peeled and mashed well
1 cup milk (I used 1%, but any type should work)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple syrup, sliced banana, and butter for serving

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together mashed banana, milk, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold wet mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix or your pancakes will be tough! The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Preheat your frying pan or griddle (this is my favorite griddle for making pancakes). Butter the griddle and spread around so the cooking surface is evenly coated. Using a dry 1/3 measuring cup, scoop batter onto the griddle. Cook pancakes until the bottom is golden brown, and small holes start to form on the uncooked side. Flip pancake to the uncooked side, and cook for about 2 minutes more, until golden brown.

Repeat with remaining batter until it's all used up. If you can't cook a lot of pancakes at once due to having a small griddle, or just a frying pan, here's a tip that I use sometimes: Preheat your oven to 200 degrees, and line a pie plate with foil. As you cook the pancakes, stick them in the pie plate to stay warm, and gently cover with foil so they don't get dried out.

(Note: I updated this recipe on 9/12 to clarify the addition of butter to the recipe. When I made this, I only used butter on the skillet, and did not add it to the batter as the original recipe instructed. I think it's probably why they turned out so fluffy, instead of flat! If you would like to use butter in the batter please refer to the original recipe at the link below. Sorry for any confusion!)

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Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, The Kids Cookbook

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Vegan Chili

Posted by: Maggie

You know those people who use the word literally, when really they mean figuratively? Like...when they're hungry, they'll say I *literally* almost died of starvation. Or I *literally* almost ate a small child. Or, when they're extremely tired - I *literally* fell asleep standing up. Well, I'm usually one of those people. I was an English major in college - I have no excuse for this linguistic faux pas.

So, just know, that when you read the next sentence, I do actually mean literally this time. Monday, was literally the most humid afternoon I have ever experienced in Northern Virginia. I walked outside, armed with a grocery list detailing all of the ingredients that I needed for a big pot of chili, pumpkin beer, and other fall delights, and almost instantly started melting. My hair clung to my neck, my jeans stuck to my legs, and the makeup that I'd applied just to go to the grocery store (yep, I'm that girl) started sliding off my face. I have lived in this notoriously humid area for almost 5 years, and have literally never felt humidity as intense as what I experienced on Monday - the day that was supposed to be the unofficial beginning of fall.

Fortunately, I was undeterred in my quest for fall goodies. Once Labor Day rolls around, I get a little gung-ho about celebrating fall, and I wasn't going to let humidity stop me. A quick trip to Whole Foods got me all the ingredients I needed for this chili, as well as a 6-pack of this awesome pumpkin beer.

I've been so excited about celebrating fall this week, that I even joined a fantasy football league. I'm really, really, really not a football person, but I'm trying to train myself to like it. You see, I started dating my boyfriend Jeff in April 2009. For the past two football seasons, I have sat grumpily on the couch every Sunday while he yells words I don't understand at the television. The extent of my football knowledge is as follows: a) a touchdown is 6 points, and b) Mark Sanchez has an absolutely breathtaking hiney. Anyway...my draft party was last night. This is what I ended up with; hopefully it doesn't suck! Pardon my handwriting...I learned cursive in a Catholic School, yet it looks like I write with my feet.

Here's what you'll need for a big, delicious pot of chili:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1-3 cloves garlic, minced (optional, because I forgot the garlic and it was still delicious without)
2 bell peppers, chopped (I used yellow and red)
1 vidalia onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
3 tablespoons chili powder
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Juice of 1 lime
Sliced avocado, for garnish

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium. Add in your garlic, carrots, peppers, and onion, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and cook for 40 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings to taste (I added more cayenne and chili powder, but the amounts listed in the recipe are good starting points.)

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Source: Oh She Glows (an awesome healthy living blog with great vegan recipes! Even carnivores like me can enjoy them!) Originally adapted from Maintenance with Ashley

Bacon Parmesan Chickpea Salad

Posted by: Maggie

Sooo...this "salad" happened. This "salad" is made of healthy stuff like chickpeas, onions, and green pepper...which I then corrupted with loads of cheese and bacon grease.  I feel kind of dirty calling it a salad. Anything that tastes this delicious, that gets sauteed in straight-up grease should not bear that title.

Semantics aside, you should probably make this immediately. We can talk about a different name for it later.

(P.S. Have a great Labor Day to all our U.S. readers! Enjoy your long weekends!)

What you'll need:

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted as dry as possible
1 slice of bacon, chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 green pepper, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley to taste, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon should do the trick)

Fry your bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel, leaving the grease in the frying pan. Add the onion and pepper to the frying pan, and saute for about 2 minutes.

Toss the dry chickpeas with the paprika and pepper, and add to the frying pan with the vegetables. Cook and stir frequently for 5 minutes, and then add in garlic. Cook for one additional minute.

Remove mixture from heat, and stir in cheese, chopped bacon, and parsley. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Makes enough for a meal for a hungry person, or a large side dish for two.

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Source: the brilliant Jessica of How Sweet Eats (my co-blogger and I mostly read different food blogs, but this is one that we both adore!)