Scotter-Muffins

 (This recipe was built around large-sized muffin cups that should be between 1 and 1 1/2 inches in depth and three-something inches in width).

"Oh, and I think that you should make a note of the fact that this recipe is the second of two forms of it. I made a small number of subtle and not-so-subtle changes to the first one, although a number of people swear by the latter, rather than the former. I've had fantastically-delicious results with both, but my vote goes out to the second." -Scotters
What You Need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon non-aluminum baking powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3-1/2 cup white sugar, to taste
• 2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer powder
• 1/2 cup soy margarine, melted, or 1/2 cup canola oil (If you use canola oil, expect a denser texture).
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or any other extract that would pair well with your chosen ingredients
• 1 1/4 cups full fat plain, unsweetened soy milk (such as White Wave's 'Silk' brand)
• 2/3-3/4 cup ingredients of your choice (dry or fresh fruits, nuts, or seeds)
• More white sugar, for dusting.

What You Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 325F.
2. Line six muffin cups with those nifty paper liners. (Whoever invented those has to be a gazillionaire, I swear). You can use twelve of the smaller muffin cups, but you may want to increase the oven's temperature and decrease the time needed for the muffins to bake - both just a bit.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and egg-replacer powder. It's important to sift flours when you want light, airy-textured muffins and pastries! Make a well in the center of these ingredients.
4. Add soy milk and extract, stirring just to combine. As those liquids begin to incorporate themselves into the flour, add the melted soy margarine (or canola oil). If you're using soy margarine, it needs to be melted. Mix just until the batter is smooth. One of the secrets is to not overmix the batter, with which you're working.
5. Fold (yes, fold) in whatever other ingredients you have chosen.
6. Place batter into prepared muffin cups, making certain to keep a rounded top.
7. Dust their tops with white sugar; this will give the muffins a pleasantly sweet top that has a bit of crunch to it to offset the lightness/airiness of the muffins themselves - an extravaganza in your mouth, that's for certain!
8. Bake them for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they're pleasantly browned on top. You don't, by-necessity, have to make use of the world-famous toothpick test on these if you wait for that cue, but if you want to anyway, go ahead.
9. Enjoy!

Go crazy with combinations of fruits, nuts and flavors! Other combinations that I've tried: coconut-raspberry, banana-carob chip, pumpkin-oatmeal, cinnamon-raisin, raisin-walnut, apple-cinnamon, coconut-pecan, pear-cardamom, blackberry swirl, strawberry swirl, cranberry-cardamon, cranberry-walnut, peach-nutmeg, cherry-chocolate chip, peach-almond...the list goes on!


Oh, and these muffins freeze well.

Banana Bread

  
This banana bread comes out pretty freakin' great.
What You Need:

• 1 cup unbleached granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (one stick) Earth Balance buttery sticks
• 1/8 cup finely milled flax seed powder whisked into 1/2 cup water
• 3 soft and very ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease and flour a loaf pan, or use a non-stick one like i did.
2. Spread your nuts on a sheet and toast them until just browned. My handy-dandy toaster oven works well for this important task. Set aside and cool.
3. Cream together the sugar and Earth Balance until light and fluffy.
4. Add the flax liquid and bananas and beat until well combined.
5. Add in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.
6. Stir in the nuts. Combine well so you don't get bald spots of dough with no jewels.
7. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and even it out on top. Bake until golden and when a toothpick comes out clean, after about an hour and fifteen minutes.
8. Let cool and slice thickly.

Drop Biscuits

Makes about 11-12 biscuits
This recipe may be doubled. 

 
What You Need:

• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 7/8 cup (3/4+1/8 cup) soymilk or ricemilk
• 1/8 cup olive oil

What You Do:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Make a well in the center and add the milk and oil.
3. Stir just until you have a moist soft ball.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 450F untl the tops and bottoms are browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Breakfast Burritos

Makes 3 Large Burritos

What You Need:

• 2 potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch dice
• 10 baby carrots, chopped into thirds (the kind that come in a bag ready to eat) and/or 1 cup of frozen broccoli florets
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• Mrs. Dash® salt-free, extra spicy seasoning blend
• olive oil
• 1 1/2 blocks very fresh tofu
• 1/4 cup good quality Asian soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil with cayenne
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 3 large (13 inch) whole wheat tortillas

What You Do:

1. In a bowl, break the tofu into medium chunks or cubes and add the soy sauce and sesame oil.
2. Stir carefully so the tofu does not break up. Let sit.
3. Boil the potatoes and carrots together in a small quantity of water until tender (if using frozen broccoli add it in just as the potatoes become tender). Drain.
4. Meanwhile, heat up some olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sauté the onions and garlic with a teaspoon or so of Mrs. Dash® and salt.
5. When the onions are translucent, add the drained potatoes and carrots. Continue cooking, about five minutes adding more oil as needed.
6. Drain the tofu (reserve the liquid) and add to the skillet. Turn up the heat and let everything brown. I generally stop stirring at this point, and just keep things flipping so it will get some nice color. The tofu should stay in chunks and not become a beaten pulp. When browned to your liking remove from heat. Stir back in the strained soy sauce/sesame oil liquid if desired.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Lay a tortilla on a plate. Spoon some filling on top, add tomatoes and cilantro and rollup. It's easiest to begin rolling by tucking in the sides first and then rolling up.
9. Serve with hot sauce.
   
   

Banana Spirulina Pancakes

Adapted from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook
Makes enough to serve two people well, about 5-6 large pancakes 
 
In a big bowl sift and mix together:

• 1 1/4 cups flour (all unbleached white or a mix of white and whole wheat pastry flour)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• approximately 1 teaspoon powdered spirulina (optional for pancake wussies)

In a separate smaller bowl mix together:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups rice milk

Later:

• 1 banana thinly sliced (if you freeze the banana, you can get ultra-thin banana slivers)
• non-stick pan
• spatula
• maple syrup
• Pam® spray oil type stuff

What You Do:

1. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
2. Dump in the liquid ingredients and lightly mix the two together.
3. Do not whisk, beat or otherwise try to mash out all of the batter lumps. You will end up with tough, flat and ugly pancakes. Keep a light hand, and your pancakes will remember by yielding fluffy results.
4. Gently toss in the bananas and stir them just to coat in the batter.
5. Heat up the non-stick pan and spray evenly with the oil.
6. Using a 1/3 cup measure as a scoop, dip into the batter and pour evenly into the skillet. Watch your heat carefully, you want it on medium-not too hot .
7. When bubbles begin to form in the middle of the pancake and the edges look somewhat set, give it another spray of oil.
8. Immediately, flip over.
9. Cook for about one more minute (or so), remove the pancake and put it in the toaster oven on warm.
10. Spray the pan again, and repeat until batter is done.

Serve with maple syrup on top.

Cheeze Grits

Makes enough for three (or two with leftovers).

What You Need:

• 1 cup unsweetened plain soymilk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup yellow corn grits (you can use white, but the color isn't as nice).
• A 1" slice of Follow Your Heart Cheese-- coarsely grated or minced. 

What You Do:

1. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the soymilk, water, Earth Balance or oil and salt.
2. When the liquid is warmed and/or the Earth Balance begins to melt, whisk in the grits.  
3. Keep the heat low enough that the grits don't sputter--they will thicken without boiling, so keep them under a simmer.  
4. Whisk regularly to keep smooth. When the grits start to thicken up a bit, add in the cheeze. 
5. Keep your eye on them, and keep whisking every so often. When they are thick to your liking they are done. 
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste and Louisiana hot sauce.
   

The grits firm up quickly; like polenta, so you could also make these and pour them into molds to slice and saute once cool.
 
They also cook really fast, so you could start them after you've got your pancakes and sausage on the grill and they will be done with your last pancake. 



 For the record, Dazee and I like our pancakes dark, they are not burnt!