Ultimate Coconut & Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Pancakes With Creamy Roasted Walnut Butter

Coconut and chocolate chip deliciousness covered by the most amazing homemade nut butter.

Despite having a pimple the size of Texas, the first day of MFA candidacy was great yesterday. I had seminar. I usually am kind of meh on the early morning talk talk talk, but this sounds like it'll be quite a winner. Syllabus contains great amount of diverse reading material (Adrian Piper, Virginia Woolf, Bell Hooks, and Freud oh my!), plus essay writing assignments! (yes I love writing papers!), and avid film watching. In fact, we viewed a Charles and Ray Ames (glorious chair makers) short piece on conversation. Plus our teacher is an artist/gallery owner who wears converse sneakers and denim- very cool and sparkly (except he wasn't sparkly). My last two seminar teachers were awesome too. Except we still must do something about this meeting at 8:30 AM. Hot chocolates will have to give energetic life and sustenance. And pancakes. One must cannot exclude pancakes from morning bliss.
For Vegan Linky Potluck 9, I bring an old classic introduced on my Facebook page. Yet to be blogged until now. You know how you have something up your sleeve and just get around to pulling out that wild card? Well, this is it. I have had these pancakes backburned far too long. Clearing up post drafts to make way for Vegan Mofo which starts this coming Meatless Monday!
To chocolate coconut fanatics these are created solely in your honor. Mixed with gluten free pancake batter (the cheat sheet way!), coconut oil and coconut flakes provide flavor and texture to otherwise chocolate chip madness. No maple syrup required when an ample amount of irresistible homemade walnut butter tops and smothers crisp, golden goodness.

Ultimate Coconut & Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Pancakes Ingredients and Preparation

coconut oil for pan frying
1 cup Maple Grove Farms Pancake/Waffle Mix
1 cup So Delicious Original Organic Coconut Milk
1/3 cup tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup Enjoy Life Foods Miniature Chocolate Chips
pinch of cinnamon
Creamy Roasted Walnut Butter

Heat skillet with coconut oil.
Mix pancake mix, coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut flakes, and vanilla together.
Fold in chocolate chips and cinnamon.
Pour in about 1/4 cup of batter into skillet and cover.
Flip over once little bubbles form and edges are firm- about five minutes.
Repeat. Time should be shortened upon each pancake interval.

Crafted pancakes topped with Creamy Roasted Walnut Butter- no maple syrup required!

Served alongside a mug of hot tea.

Gluten Free Garlic Spinach Pancakes With Cauliflower Cream Sauce

Spinach pancakes are met with cauliflower creaminess.

Gluten free pancakes are a wonderful closing to June. It has been a stormy, rainy, very hot Dayton vacation thus far. The only cure is to stay indoors drinking ice cold tea and writing/drawing in front of the A/C.
Fall registration has also arrived. I have to make sure that each class is worthy and won't cause easy distraction. I become sidetracked and procrastinate a lot more than necessary. For two years of MFA, I have to be more focused and organized. Quite thankful that the graduate office included course descriptions and websites to critic faculty's work.
Now back to pancakes.
I do enjoy Maple Groves Pancake/Waffle Mix. It's definitely something to keep on hand and makes cooking pancakes a much more simpler exercise. Spinach and garlic are the key ingredients to a savory breakfast (lunch or dinner) and though the mix has a bit of sweetness, it's not overwhelming to overall flavor. My maddening desire for cauliflower cream returns and covers crisp, browned perfection in a manner that is almost sinful. Not the chocolate kind of sinful. Almost. But not quite.
Makes about 5-6 cakes and must be shared.

Gluten Free Garlic Spinach Pancakes With Cauliflower Cream Sauce Ingredients And Preparation

1 cup Maple Grove Farms Gluten Free Pancake/Waffle Mix
1/4 cup spinach, steamed
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cauliflower Cream Sauce

1 cup cauliflower, cooked
1/4 cup almond milk
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Heat skillet with oil or nonstick spray.
Whip together Maple Grove Farms Gluten Free Pancake/Waffle Mix with cooked spinach, almond milk, olive oil, garlic, turmeric, salt, paprika, and black pepper.
Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into hot skillet.
Wait for edges to brown and flip over.
Repeat.

For Cauliflower Cream Sauce, simply place cauliflower, almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and white pepper into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning sprinkled obsession.

Thick cauliflower cream inserted between spinach pancakes.

Another closeup.

Nothing says "Welcome Back to Dayton" like the latest Dayton City Paper.

Beautiful interior.

Roasted Yellow Squash Lasagna For One & A Beyond Meat "Beef Free Crumbles" Review

Who needs pasta when squash is cheaper and readily up to task!

Last week, Beyond Meat tweeted me a surprise coupon for a free product! I just got around to Whole Foods yesterday and used their delicious meat free crumbles (for the first time!) in an incredible pasta-less lasagna. I also originally went to the store with zucchini intentions (knowing that I craved veggie lasagna), but they were all out. Yet yellow squash were plentiful. Overall a good decision- brought more pretty colors into the mix. The broccoli was already the green factor. Our next veggie lasagna- believe me there will be a next time- will include carrots, asparagus, and mushrooms. Oh goodness, I'm already drooling at the thought...

In your grocer's freezer, check out Beyond Meat's Beef Free Crumbles in these sleek designed reusable zipper packages.

100% vegan, gluten free, no cholesterol, no soy, Non-GMO, kosher goodness.

For a short little review, I must say that Beyond Meat is astounding. The appearance, texture and flavor profiles were a savory consistency, almost mimicking the real to a science. Even the smell tantalized my nostrils. They really put a huge emphasis on the Beyond Meat name. I applaud their efforts, especially considering that there's no soy here! Wow. I always use soy ground for pasta sauces and never imagined that there can be a ground without soy. It's a very yummy creation. I needed this. One of my favorite Instagram accounts Another Hungry Vegan always posts pictures with various products like their chickenless strips and I've been aching to try them for a while. So again, I thank them for the generous coupon and baffling the cashier and for making lasagna an out of this world experience. What a gratifying way for a hungry gal to "beef" up a meal!
Although I say that this lasagna is one serving, I bet it could be split into two with a side salad and bread roll. I just happened to be extremely ravenous after three hours spent in rainy downtown (walking to and fro for my official No Transpass Month). Thank heavens for Feist's "Sealion" saving the almost dreary evening. Oh and the lasagna of course.
Unfortunately, our kitchen light bulb went out and all photos are taken in my well lit bedroom, cropped accordingly. No one wants to see a cookie sheet on a desk or witness a grown woman watching Pepper Ann reruns whilst forking her vegan dinner.

Roasted Yellow Squash Lasagna Ingredients and Preparation

1 yellow squash, cut long ways
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup broccoli, steamed
1/2 cup Beyond Meat Feisty Beef Free Crumbles
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a greased baking sheet, create one layer of sliced squash coated in coconut oil, Italian Seasonings, salt, garlic, and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes- turning at 15 minute intervals. In a skillet, mix Beyond Meat's Beefless Feisty Crumbles with tomato sauce and nutritional yeast- cooking for 7-9 minutes.

To be honest, it collapsed. But bottom is one squash slice, topped by broccoli, another squash slice, Beyond Meat sauce, and another squash slice, and so forth. Extra nutritional yeast decor.

Close up of lasagna action.

Vegan Gluten Free Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes With Blueberry-Lemon Maple Syrup

Blueberry supreme!

Graduation is hailing near. And frankly, I must admit, I forgot that I was graduating. Between immersion into being accepted into PAFA's MFA Program, watching old Guiding Light reruns (cannot get enough!), journal writing, crying over a dead laptop, gearing up for playing a greedy king in our seminar's Rumpelstiltskin play (next week curtains open!), and drawing lioness fantasies, somehow completing the intensive strenuous year long Post Baccalaureate program somehow slipped my mind. I missed the graduation rehearsal and everything. My only hope is that my name is pronounced right. On the plus side, I have two invitations and have to decide who I love more.
Can't I just invite pancakes? More specifically blueberry sour cream pancakes with blueberry lemon syrup drizzled on top? Imagine that having a front roll seat.
So here's a vaulted recipe from weeks ago.
Back in Dayton, on the strange weather nonsensical spring break, I really enjoyed these light, fluffy pancakes aided by the creaminess of sour cream and joined by bursting blueberry sweetness. The day before Krogers had a sale on organic fruit. I bought up a fresh pint of blueberries, thinking only of pancakes- that gluten free pancake/waffle mix had to be put to good use! Again as simple as the raspberry pancakes and just as delicious.
Why have maple syrup plain? Yes, maple syrup is so ridiculously good. Why mess that up? I adored the raspberry syrup so much, why not add another fine fruit to the mix? It was incredible! With lemon juice and ginger to counteract the sugared intensity, nothing is more fun than witnessing blueberries popping and syrup turning into an elegant shade of royal purple.
Pancakes that are perfect as breakfast, brunch, lunch, dessert, or dinner. Everyone would be sure to love them- vegan or nonvegan! :)

Vegan Gluten Free Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes With Blueberry-Lemon Maple Syrup Ingredients and Preparation

olive oil
1 cup Maple Grove Farms Gluten Free Pancake/Waffle Mix
1 cup almond milk
2 tablespoon Tofutti Sour Cream
1/4 cup blueberries
pinch of cinnamon

1/2 maple syrup
1/4 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
lemon zest
pinch of almond extract

Heat skillet with olive oil.
Mix batter ingredients together.
Spread 1/4 cup onto warmed skillet and wait for the edges to brown/ center to bubble.
Flip over.
Repeat.

To sauce up your blueberry-sour cream pancakes, warm up syrup with blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, ginger, and almond extract for about 5-7 minutes until color changes to a deep purple.
Serve hot.

Served with a side of seasoned tempeh strips.

Perfect breakfast. Or dinner. Or lunch. Or whatever.

Yum.

Happy Vegan MOFO Gluten Free Warm Roasted Tomato & Spinach Pasta Salad

Beautifully composed warm pasta salad.

It's officially Vegan Mofo and I'm more than ready to post post post! It's been quite a hectic week, with the move and late night studio drawing life, but I'm more than prepared to be a recipe writing machine!  Vegan Mofo is all about being dedicated to blogging about 20+ vegan friendly recipes in an entire month. Check out the awesome categories- AfroVeganChick is listed in Comfort Food! Speaking of which there are daily themes and tomorrow happens to be Macaroni & Cheese related. Hmmmm....
September kicks off with this incredibly delicious pasta salad. Tinkyada's Gluten Free Brown Rice Spirals (an A+ for texture and fluffiness) is a proper base easily taking the combining flavors of spinach and sweet homemade juicy roasted tomatoes to unimaginable heights. Definitely a winner when it comes to pasta salads thanks to nutritional yeast and olive oil adding creamy richness and meaty walnuts offering a delightful crunch.
Mmmmmhmmmmm! Happy mofo, my friends!

Vegan Gluten Free Warm Roasted Tomato & Spinach Pasta Salad Ingredients and Preparation

These spirals were light, fluffy, & so not "mushy!"

2 cup Tinkyada's Gluten Free Rotini
1 cup spinach
1 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/2 cup walnuts

Prepare pasta according to direction.
Add spinach within six minutes of pasta's end cooking time.
Drain.
Stir in roasted tomatoes, nutritional yeast, olive oil, Italian seasonings, salt, cumin, black pepper, and coriander.
Top with walnuts and serve warm.

Toast walnuts for an incredible flavor.

Rich yumminess.