Sheet pan pancakes

Hello again! I've stopped all my online activity for a while. Never stopped cooking and trying new things though. 

I've missed writing and being accountable so I'm gonna try and give social media and recipe development (with writing and everything that entails) another go. 

And the first recipe in this new year and new chapter is a breakfast one. 

Why breakfasts? Because I love it and also, it's a meal many people skip because they don't have time to or they think they don't have that time.

This recipe is easy to make, fast and you can double it and then freeze some for later.

I used to make a lot of pancakes, but never sheet pan pancakes before. Until this year. 

I've seen a recipe for some sheet pan pancakes that I veganized and (hopefully) made it healthier a few days ago. And guess what? I tried this once and I am hooked.

My recipe uses less than 10 ingredients, it tastes like peanut butter pancakes and it's ready in less than 40 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients:

Loaded veggie cups

Taking care of a toddler who doesn't really like to eat and finding new foods and new ways to present ingredients can be very time consuming and can really damage one's self esteem.

This is one of the reasons I barely post anymore... If my own child barely tastes the food I make (or any food, really), how can I confidently share my recipes? Oh well... I finally mustered the courage and wrote down, filmed and photographed a few things that I personally love and my toddler may or may not like right now.

I present you these loaded veggie cups, high in protein and calories so they are perfect for those who don't eat too much (or enough) in one sitting.

This recipe is really tasty, easy to make, loaded with veggies, high in iron and choline too.

It takes less than 1 hour to make and you can use it for meal prep too. They freeze beautifully and keep well in the fridge too.

Ingredients:

* 1 package puff pastry

* 3 cups of veggies (I used 1 cup zucchini, 1 cup sweet peppers, 1/2 cup cauliflower, 1/2 cup onion)

* 200 g (1 small block) tofu

* 120 g (1 cup) chickpea flour

* 1/3 to 1/2 cup plant milk (I prefer soy milk)

* 2 tsp paprika

* 1.5 tsp garlic powder

* 1 tsp ground black pepper

* 1 tsp turmeric

* olive or avocado oil for cooking

* salt (omit if you cook for babies)

Method:

Chop all the veggies into small pieces. Sautee the veggies with the spices in some olive oil, avocado oil or water until they are all soft.

Until the veggies cool down a bit blend the tofu with the milk until you have a paste. Mix the tofu paste with the veggies then add the chickpea flour. Mix until incorporated.

Cut the puff pastry sheet into squares and line with them some silicone muffin molds or a muffin tray. Scoop the filing into the cups and (maybe) pinch the corners together over the cup.

Bake the cups at 180ºC for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden-brown.

Let them cool for a bit and serve with a side of veggies or a salad. They are perfect for a lunhbox or for a lunch at home too.

You can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

The video recipe is here:

If you like it don't forget to subscribe and share the videos and recipes, so other people can see how good vegan food is :)

Ingrediente:

* 1 pachet puff pastry

* 3 căni legume (am folosit 1 cana de dovlecel, 1 cană ardei dulci, 1/2 cană conopidă, 1/2 cană ceapă)

* 200 g (1 bloc mic) tofu

* 120 g (1 cană) făină de năut

* 1/3 până la 1/2 cană lapte vegetal (prefer laptele de soia)

* 2 linguriță paprika

* 1,5 linguriță usturoi pudră

* 1 lingurita piper negru măcinat

* 1 lingurita turmeric

* ulei de măsline sau avocado pentru gătit

* sare (omite dacă gătești pentru copii)

Metodă:

Se toacă toate legumele în bucăți mici. Sotați legumele cu condimentele în ulei de măsline, ulei de avocado sau apă până când sunt moi.

Până cand se racoresc usor legumele blenduiti tofu cu laptele până când aveți o pastă. Se amestecă pasta de tofu cu legumele, apoi se adaugă făina de năut. Se amestecă până se încorporează.

Tăiați foaia de puff p[astry în pătrate și plasati-le in niște forme de brioșă din silicon sau intr-o tavă de brioșe. Punetiți umplutura în cupe și (poate) prindeți colțurile între ele.

Coaceți cupele la 180ºC timp de 25 până la 30 de minute sau până se rumenesc.

Lasă-le să se răcească puțin și servește cu o garnitura de legume sau o salată. Sunt perfecte atat pentru un lunchbox cat si pentru un prânz acasă.

Le puteți păstra la frigider într-un recipient etanș până la 5 zile sau le puteți congela până la 3 luni.

High iron pancakes. Baby friendly recipe

Ingredients (1 adult serving or multiple baby servings):

* 40 g (1/3 cup) rolled oats

* 20 g (2 tbsp) hemp seeds

* 10 g (1 tbsp) flax seeds

* 1 pinch baking powder

* 185 - 250 ml (3/4 to 1 cup) soy milk

* optional: 1 tbsp peanut butter, mashed banana

Blend all the ingredients together until you have a batter thick enough. I like to use around 3/4 cup milk so the batter is a bit thicker. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken, then cook the pancakes in a skillet over low to medium heat (you can use some oil for cooking if you want).

For babies and toddlers make mini pancakes.

You'll have around 16 to 20 mini pancakes, depending on how big you make them.

My little one eats 1 or 2 at a time, but your little one may eat less or more, depending on how hungry they are, how much they usually eat or how much they like the taste and texture.

The video recipe is here: 

If you like it don't forget to subscribe and share the videos and recipes, so other people can see how good vegan food is :)

x

Oat and tahini cookies

These 4 ingredient oat and tahini cookies are so easy to make, yummy, packed with iron, calcium, fiber and they are baby friendly too! So you can enjoy them with your baby.

Also, you can bake a double or triple batch and freeze some too. Perfect for busy moms to have them on hand. And you can use them as a quick snack at home or on the go, as dessert or breakfast too. Your choice!

Ingredients:

Baby Hulk burger

As you may know, my baby is eating solid food now and I'm trying to cook foods that are delicious and nutritious for both babies and adults.

That's how I created this burger too. It's high in iron, protein, healthy fats and delicious for the whole family.

My little one likes it a lot. And you can make a double or triple batch and freeze some for later too.

Pair with some veggies and a fruit and you have a complete and healthy meal 😊

Ingredients:

*175 g (1 cup) edamame beans

*250 g (1 cup) green peas, fresh or frozen and thawed 

*150 g (1 cup) whole wheat flour

*87 g (1/3 cup) tahini

*45 g (3 tbsp) tomato sauce (low or no salt)

*5 g (1.5 tsp) garlic powder

*3 g (1tsp) paprika

*2 g (1 tsp) ground coriander

*1 g (1/2 tsp) ground blak pepper

*kelp powder (1-2 scoops) - optional

Method:

If you make the burgers for babies or small children put the peas, edamame, tomato sauce and spices into a food processor and blend until everything is fine, almost a paste. For adults or bigger children you can just pulse everything and let some chunks, for texture. 

Add the tahini and the flour and pulse until you have a dough, then form burgers, about 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) in diameter and 1-1.5 cm (1/3 – ½ inch) thick for adults or smaller for babies. 

You can bake them on a low heat for about 15 to 25 minutes (depends a lot on your oven), or grill/ fry them on a low heat for 5-6 minutes on every side. I really prefer to bake them, but to each their own :)

If you're cooking them for children, add just a bit of water and cook covered, so they will be a bit more moist inside. 

You can also freeze them for up to 3 months after you cook them if you want. I usually make a batch and freeze most of it, to have for my little one. 

You have a video for this recipe too:

Ingrediente:

* 175 g (1 cană) edamame boabe

* 250 g (1 cană) mazăre verde, proaspătă sau congelată și dezghețată

* 150 g (1 cană) făină de grâu integral

* 87 g (1/3 cană) tahini

* 45 g (3 linguri) sos de roșii (fără sare sau co conținut redus de sodiu) 

* 5 g (1,5 linguriță) usturoi granulat

* 3 g (1 linguriță) paprika

* 2 g (1 linguriță) coriandru măcinat

* 1 g (1/2 linguriță) piper negru măcinat

* pudră de kelp (1-2 măsuri) - opțional

Metodă:

Dacă faceți burgerii pentru bebeluși sau copii mici, puneți mazărea, edamame, sosul de roșii și condimentele într-un robot de bucătărie și amestecați până când totul este fin, aproape o pastă. Pentru adulți sau copii mai mari, puteți doar să pulsați totul și să mai lăsați niște bucăți, pentru textură.

Adăugați tahini și faina și pulsați până când aveți un aluat, apoi formați burgeri, cu diametrul de aproximativ 8-10 cm (3-4 inci) și 1-1,5 cm (1/3 - ½ inch) grosime pentru adulți sau mai mici pentru copii.

Îi puteți coace la foc mic 15 până la 25 de minute (depinde mult de cuptorul dvs.) sau îi puteți prăji/ face pe grill la foc mic timp de 5-6 minute pe fiecare parte. 

Pentru mine prefer să îi coc. Dacă gătiți pentru copii, adăugați un pic de apă și gătiți acoperit, astfel încât aceștia vor fi puțin mai moi în interior. 

De asemenea, îi puteți congela până la 3 luni după ce îi gătiți, dacă doriți. De obicei fac un lot și congelez majoritatea, pentru a avea pentru micuța mea.

Red lentil pate

As a mom with a baby that started to eat solid foods and does baby led weaning (mostly because said baby refuses to be spoon fed, actually), I'm always thinking of recipes that are high in iron, protein and healthy fats. Not necessary all in the same recipe, but hey, if I can do it, why not? And this pate/ dip has them all: healthy fats, it's high in iron and protein and even has some vitamin C to enhance the iron absorption!

This recipe is very easy to make (ready in less than 5 minutes if you have cooked lentils), has just a few ingredients and you can use this multiple ways: as a dip instead of regular hummus, on toast or any other kind of bread or you can use it as a sauce for pasta too! Your choice!

Ingredients:

8 ingredients mug cake

Who doesn't like a cake that's yummy, easy to make, has few ingredients and it's actually not bad for you?
I know I do! Also, this cake is made for one so you can enjoy it all for yourself. And add a bit of vegan ice cream or silky vegan yogurt on top too, to combine a warm, fluffy cake with some cold and creamy ice cream. Dreamy combo!

Ingredients:

* 3 tbsp chickpea or pea flour

* 1 tbsp ground flax seeds

* 1 tbsp peanut butter

* 2 tsp unrefined brown sugar (add more if you like your cake sweeter)

* 1/2 tsp baking powder

* 1 tsp lemon juice

* 6 tbsp soy milk, unsweetened

* 1 pinch of salt

* 1 splash vanilla extract (optional)

Method:

In a mug mix all your dry ingredients. Add the peanut butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract if using. Add the plant based milk little by little, mixing well.

Let the batter sit for about 2-4 minutes.

Bake in the microwave for 5 minutes, on 80% power (if using a 1000w microwave – adjust for your device).

Substitutions:

Any plant milk you prefer instead of soy milk

Other nut or seed butter instead peanut butter. I've tested this recipe with almond, cashew, sunflower seed butter and tahini and all of them work well, just the taste can be a bit different, depending on what you use

Pea flour (I used yellow pea flour) instead of the chickpea flour

Ground chia seeds instead of flax seeds

I have a video for this recipe too!

If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe to my channel and follow this blog!

Ingrediente:

* 3 linguri faina de năut sau făină de mazare

* 1 lingură semințe de in macinate

* 1 lingură unt de arahide

* 2 lingurițe zahăr brun nerafinat (adăugați mai mult dacă vă place mai dulce)

* 1/2 lingurită praf de copt

* 1 lingurita suc de lamaie

* 6 linguri de lapte de soia, neindulcit

* 1 vârf de cutit sare

* 1 splash esenta de vanilie (opțional)

Metodă:

Într-o cană amestecați toate ingredientele uscate. Adăugați untul de arahide, sucul de lămâie și extractul de vanilie dacăfolositi. Adăugați laptele vegetal puțin câte puțin, amestecând bine.

Lasati amestecul sa stea pentru aproximativ 2-4 minute.

Coaceți în cuptorul cu microunde timp de 5 minute, la o putere de 80% (dacă utilizați un cuptor cu microunde de 1000 W - ajustați dispozitivul vostru).

Substitutii:

Orice lapte vegetal preferați în loc de lapte de soia

Alte tipuri de unt de nuci sau de semințe în loc de unt de arahide. Am testat această rețetă cu unt de migdale, caju, semințe de floarea-soarelui și tahini și toate funcționează bine, doar gustul poate fi diferit, în funcție de ceea ce utilizați

Făină de mazare (am folosit făină de mazăre galbenă) în loc de făină de năut

Semințe de chia macinate în loc de semințe de in

x

Bean and spinach curry

As a mom with a small baby, I love recipes that are easy to make, fast and I can use them for meal prep too. 

This curry is all that, meaning you need simple ingredients to make it, it's easy and quite fast to make and it's also perfect for meal prep. It freezes really well too! 

It's actually a staple in our home :)

If you don't believe me you just have to try it :)

Ingredients (8-10 servings):

Lactation oatmeal

Why do I consider this "lactation oatmeal"? Because it has ingredients that are galactogogues (aka promote lactation). And it's delicious and easy to make as a day to day breakfast. Also, it's really easy to customize.
Also, it's great for anybody, not only for women who breastfeed :)

Ingredients:
* 90 g (3/4 cup) oats
* 190 ml (3/4 cup) plant milk of choice
* 65 to 190 ml (1/4 to 3/4 cup) water
* 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
* 4 - 5 dates, chopped (or raisins)
* toppings: nut butter of choice, berries (fresh or frozen), chia seeds, coconut flakes etc...

Method:
Fast method (microwave):
In the microwave I use only 65 ml of water (1/4 cup)
Mix the oats with the flax seeds, dates, plant milk and water and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix again then add your toppings.
On the stove:
On the stove I use 190 ml of water (3/4 cup)
Mix the oats with the flax seeds, dates, plant milk and water and cook until the desired consistency. Place in a bowl and add your toppings.

Galactogogues: oatmeal, flax seeds, dates, nuts and nut butters

ingrediente:

* 90 g (3/4 cana) fulgi de ovaz
* 190 ml (3/4 cana) lapte vegetal de alegere
* 65 până la 190 ml (1/4 to 3/4 ml) apă
* 2 linguri de semințe de in macinate
* 4 - 5 curmale, tocate (sau stafide)
* toppinguri: unt de nuci de alegere, fructe de padure (proaspete sau congelate), seminte de chia, nuca de cocos etc...

Metodă:
Metoda rapidă (cuptor cu microunde):
În cuptorul cu microunde folosesc numai 65 ml de apă (1/4 cană)
Se amestecă ovăzul cu semințele de in, curmalele, laptele vegetal și apa și se pun in cuptorul cu microunde timp de 2 până la 3 minute. Se amestecă din nou apoi se adaugă toppingurile.

La foc:
La foc folosesc 190 ml de apă (3/4 cești)
Se amestecă ovăzul cu semințele de in, curmalele, laptele vegetal și apa și se gătește mixul până la consistența dorită. Se pune într-un bol și se adaugă toppingurile.

Galactogoggi: fulgii de ovăz, semințe de in, curmalele, nucile și untul de nuci

Pumpkin pie spice cake with a coconut pumpkin frosting (EN/ RO)

I made something with pumpkin again... What's new, am I right? You all know that I love pumpkin by now... And that I like to make things that are different. 

A few weeks ago I asked my YouTube family what they want to see this month. And most people said that they want recipes for holidays, hence the latest recipes. And I think that this one is also fit for your holiday table. 

This cake is light and fluffy, full of flavor and warming spices. And the creamy pumpkin and coconut frosting is so light and yummy and and fits perfectly with the spices that I use! 

I also love that if you know how to use a piping bag (aka, you're not terrible at it, like I am) you can make it look amazing, to fit the taste!

Ingredients (makes a 24 cm or 10 inch cake):