Lentil Flour Zucchini Pancakes

To know me is to know that I eat a shit load of lentils. And not just one kind, I eat them all, in all the ways, all day, everyday. Vegetables and lentils. That is my truth.

Lentil flour. One more way to consume the mighty legume. Blended while dry into a fine powder, it takes the lentil to a whole other level. You can use the flour in all sorts of things like bread, soup, even in baked goods. it really is a great flour to have on hand, especially if you are hungry and want to toss something quick and easy, heathy, and delicious together like these here pancakes.

These pancakes. All they are made of is lentil flour and pureed up zucchini and onion. Now that might sound a little on the dull side, but trust me here, they are far from dull. They are freaking delicious. And better for it that they take like 10 minutes from start to finish to make. And no oven which is necessary these days with all the stupid hot weather.

Anyway. lentil zucchini pancakes. Give them a try. They will probably become your favorite.

To the lentil flour and zucchini pancakes!

The stuff. Dry green lentils, a zucchini, and onion, salt and pepper, and a splash of oil.

Te make lentil flour. Place dried lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it turns into a fine flour.

Once you have the flour made, cut up the zucchini and onion into chunks.

Drop into the blender and blend until pretty smooth.

Dump puree into bowl and top with some lentil flour.

Mix until completely combined. The batter should be kind of thic but still spoonable. Also, season with salt was pepper here.

Heat up a skillet with a splash of oil. Once hot, scoop spoonfuls of batter into pan and spread it evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Cook first side fr 4-6 minutes or until nice and brown then flip and cook the other side until done. Repeat until batter is gone.

Now eat your amazing delicious lentil zucchini pancakes. I served with fresh salsa, and I have also made tahini dip and used hummus to smear on them which was also freaking amazing, but you can serve with whatever floats your boat.

-C

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Lentil Flour Zucchini Pancakes

• 1 pound dry green lentils

• 1 large zucchini

• 1 onion

• salt and pepper

• splash of oil

Start with the by making the lentil flour. Place lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it has turned into a fine flour. You might need to stop the blender ever once in a while to move things around with a spoon (when it is turned off!). It should only take about a minute or so in a Vitamix, but maybe a few extra minutes if using a less powerful blender.

Once flour is achieved, dump into a jar with a lid. You probably won’t be using it all right now.

Now grab the zucchini and onion and cut into chunks. Place the chunks into the blender and blend until smooth.

Dump puree into a bowl. Add about 1 cup of lentil flour and stir. IF the batter is really loss, add in another 1/4 cup or more to get the batter to a thick but spreadable consistency (kind of like hummus). Season with salt and pepper.

Grab a skillet and place on medium heat with a splash of oil. Once skillet is heated place spoonfuls of the batter in and spread around until between 1/2-1/4 inch thick. Cook fist side for 4-6 minutes or until a nice golden brown then flip and cook the other for a few minutes until browed. Repeat until batter is gone.

Place cooked pancakes on a plate, grab a fork and some savory type condiment (hummus, salsa, tahini, cashew cream) and eat.

Sunday Happy

When I was picking up farm share the other day, I got really confused for a minute or two. There were watermelons and cantaloupe. We don’t get melons until the late summer…. And there is was. I felt the time warp hit me hard right then and there. I honestly felt a wave os shock run through me, like how could this possible be? Well it is. And it’s now August and I don’t even know.. But hey, at least I got some watermelon so there is that. Ha.

The week was good. The mr and I went kayaking, we hung out with the littles and let them meet Gigi, had dinner with my mom, voted by mail, and I cleaned out my closet. I also cried again about my garden. The woodchuck, he came back, got under the fence, and ate my first zucchinis, beans, and flowers. That fucker has destroyed my garden AGAIN this year. AGH! The mr is trying to trap him but I kind of feel like I have given up. There is no replanting again this time, but I still have tomatoes, as of now anyway….

Besides that, nothing really new. The mr has been working a lot on a few big projects and I have been spending a lot of time in my studio working, getting ready for when the studio opens up again and I can start getting more work fired and glazed and out into the world. Hopefully I will have a massive shop update in the next month or so!!

And we made it back to Sunday and I am happy for it. The mr and I were planning on going camping tonight but as of last night that was still up in the air. We might just take off for the day and find a quiet spot away form people and chill out. Either way, we are heading out of town to the woods. Our happy place.

Stuff the internet contained this week.

-When We Were Bread Heads. What did we want from sourdough? And did we get it after all? I totally forgot that everyone in the world was trying to sourdough at the same time. I haven’t heard of anyone making bread lately….

-When Did Recipe Writing Get So...Whitewashed?. Really good read.

-Oh the trees lets just let them be. Believe It Or Not, Forests Migrate — But Not Fast Enough For Climate Change

-These cakes are gorgeous. Sumptuous Cakes Designed by Tortik Annushka Emerge as Elegant, Sculptural Desserts

-How Solitude Can Help You Regulate Your Mood. The more alone time, the bette. For me that is.

-The best way to cook dried chic peas. Plus The Very Best Ways to Store Fresh Bread

-Would you go to a strip club right now? I think I would have to pass. There’s no way to socially distance in a strip club”: A dancer on working through the pandemic

-Living Tree Bridges In A Land Of Clouds.Wow.

-Avocado Green, Beige, Mauve, and More: These Are the Colors That Dominated Homes the Last 70 Years. Harvest gold is where it’s at.

-A COZY YELLOW READING NOOK IN A SHARED ROOM FOR THREE GIRLS. I am so so jealous.

Pictures from the week.

Eggplant Rolls

Eggplant and I are having real moment right now. I honestly think I have been eating one, in some way or another, just about every day for the last week or so. And no, I am not sick of them at all. But yes, I have been lazy about doing much other roasting or braising the old plant and just eating it straight into my mouth hole. But I guess sometimes my lazy ass wants more substance and also, it is nice to feed the mr something good too. I figured I should maybe do something a little more classy, more meal like, and might actually require a fork to eat it with. (I have a real tendency to eat with my hands, even the things that most people would probably say could not be eaten with hands. You should see me eat soup! Ha!) And so I prepared for us a feat of greatness (not really a feat, but great for sure). Eggplant roll ups.

These rolls are way more tasty and delicious then the effort it takes to make them. Really, they are super simple to make. Just a thick herby bean filling rolled up in eggplant and roasted in tomatoes. Sounds so good right? Well then taste even better. And then you can top that whole shebang with some fresh basil and everyone is all good to go.

So ok, I feed some to the mr for dinner because the goal was to fee us both with one dish, but I sure did eat more then half (like 3/4 of it) to myself. Without a fork.

There is no shame in my game.

Now to the eggplant rolls!

The stuff. An eggplant, an onion, some white beans, crushed tomatoes, a lemon, some thyme, oregano,and garlic powder, salt and pepper, oil, and basil. (I just pureed all my fresh basil into a paste so yeah).

First up, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

Place the pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. It is ok if they overlap a little, we are just trying to soften them a bit. Stick into a hot oven.

Now chop up the onion.

Into a skillet it goes to cook up until soft and fragrant.

Eggplant, comes out of the oven all nice a pliable.

Now make the bean filling. Beans, onions, spices, juice of lemon, and a good crank of pepper and a pinch of salt go into food processor. Blend until smooth.

Gently grab an eggplant cut and cover one side with the bean mixture. Don’t skimp our but don’t add ore then you can roll up. And then roll it up.

Add a cup or so of sauce to a skillet or casserole dish, then place the rolls on in. Once all the rolls are in, cover with the remaining crushed tomato or marinara sauce.

Pop into hot oven to bake.

And then when the eggplant is tender and the sauce is all bubbly, pop it out.

Add some fresh basil (or basil puree) and grab that fork.

Nothing left for you to do beside eat it.

-C

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Eggplant Rolls

serves 3-5

• a medium to large eggplant

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 1/2 cups white beans (or one can)

• a lemon

• teaspoon each of thyme, garlic powder and oregano

• 3 cups crushed tomato or a simple marinara sauce

• salt and pepper

• splash of oil

• fresh basil (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grab the eggplant and cut the very top off then cut slices lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick. You should get about 10-12 slices. Place the slices onto a baking sheet, overlapping a little if necessary, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and place into oven. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is just barely starting to soften and becomes pliable. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile chop up the onion and place into a lightly oiled skillet. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent and fragrant. Once cooked, place into a food processor along with the beans (drained but keep the liquid),the spices, and the juice of the lemon. Pulse until smooth and if needed, add a few tablespoons of the bean liquid to loosen it up enough to blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Now to make the rolls. Grab cooled off piece of eggplant, lay it flat, and cover with the bean mixture. Not too much or too little, probably a bit less then 1/4 cup. Then roll the eggplant up. Either grab a skillet or baking dish and add about 1 cup of the crushed tomato or marinara sauce to the bottom. Place rolls as they are being made into the dish. Once you have filled the dish with the rolls, cover with the remaining sauce.

Place the rolls into the oven and bake for 30ish minutes or until eggplant is nice and fork tender.

Once baked, remove from oven, left cool for a few minute and then serve. Top with fresh basil (or basil puree) if you want.

Eat with a fork.

Raspberry Danishes

When your neighbor tells you to pick as many raspberries as you can, well you go pick as many raspberries as you can. Just a few houses down the street, she has a yard full of the heaviest fruited raspberry bushes that have seen. So I grabbed my biggest mixing bowl and went at it. So many raspberries, they were basically falling off into the bowl (and into my mouth). Fresh raspberries, there is not much better.

And she wants me to come back for anther round. We have good neighbors.

I had quite the raspberry loot. The mr and I ate some (maybe too many), froze some, and then I made danishes for no other reason then I wanted to. And that was a just decision because everyone loves a good danish.

And these were good, or sooo good, according to the mr. He ate half while the other half were demolished when I brought them to my moms for dessert which was the plan so it worked out. People and their danishes. It’s a thing you know.(No, not really)

Now to the danishes!

The stuff. Fresh raspberries (You can use frozen or if you really want, raspberry jam) flour, sugar, salt, plant milk, oil, yeast, a lemon, powdered sugar, vanilla. and that is it.

Start with mixing the yeast with the oil, milk, and sugar in a large bowl. Add in the flour and slat ads mix mix mix until you can’t mix no more.

Dough.

Dump onto a floured surface aaaaaanf. Knead. 5-8 minutes until the dough is all soft and smooth and uniformly dough.

Place the dough into cleaned bowl and cover. Set somewhere warm to rise.

In the mean time, make raspberry jam. Place raspberries and sugar into a pot and cook down until mixture is thick and jam like. Once the mixture sticks to a spoon like warm jam, turn heat off and let cool.

Dough doubled and ready.

Dump dough out and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into ball then roll out into a dish about a 1/2 inch thick.

Place dough disks onto splat or parchment lined baking sheet then indent each dough disk with a spoon or your fingers. Dollop a good plop of raspberry jammy into said intents. Once they are all jammed, pop them into the oven to bake. 15-18 minute should do it.

Look at those. Get them out of the oven and on to a wire rack for cooling time.

Make glaze. Sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon juice Mix until combined and yeah, that it glaze.

Drizzle the glaze all over those lovelies.

And then you eat becucae that is why you made them.

Share with your people. Or just eat them all to yourself, you made them and they are yours.

-C

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Raspberry Danishes 

makes 12

• 4 cups of all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons yeast

• 1 cup room temperature plant based milk

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• 1/3 cup white sugar

  For raspberry jam

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• 2 cups fresh raspberry

  For glaze

• 1 lemon

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• splash of vanilla

In a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar, oil and milk. Really mix well and let sit for a minute to just get yeast activated. Dump in flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon or whisk until it becomes to hard to stir. Dump mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for about 5-8 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. Place dough in a clean bowl and cover and let rise for about an hour or so or until the dough doubles in size.

While dough is rising, make raspberry jam. Mix raspberries and sugar together into a pot and place on medium heat on stove. Let cook for a couple minutes and once the raspebrries start to break down, stir. Let mixture cook down for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture becomes thick and sticks to a spoon like warm jam should. Take off heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350

Once dough has doubled in size, dump onto it onto a floured surface and with a knife or dough scraper, cut into 12 equal sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball then flatten out into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Place dough disks on a parchment or splat mat lined baking sheets (you will need 2). With a spoon, lightly push a intent into the center of each disk then place a good plop or the cooled raspberry jam into the intent. Once all the dough has its berries, place the baking sheets into the oven to bake, for about 15-18 minutes, or until the danishes are a nice golden brown.

When they are done baking, remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

While cooling, make the glaze. Zest lemon and place in a bowl with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add in half the juice of the lemon and stir until completely combined. If the mixture is too thick, add more juice, to thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

And once the danishes are cooled, drizzle on the glaze. And then thats it. You can eat them now.

Any left over why are there left overs?) should be stored in a airtight container for a few days at room temp or in the fridge . They also freeze well.

Summer Strawberry Sparkling Lemonade

You know that taste, that taste of when you bite into something and it just takes you to a certain time and gives you that certain feeling? Freshly picked strawberries. They always give me all the warm feels and plaster a big smile on my face, especially when I am munching while picking. In those moments, nothing else matters except eating as many as possible and savoring every fresh burst of goodness that fills my mouth. It is exactly what summer tastes like.

A couple of days ago I went and did a little strawberry picking and brought home a bounty of greatness. I ate half, froze a few, and made this fresh lemonade situation because what is better then a glass of cold ass lemonade in the middle of a freaking hot summer day? Strawberry lemonade is, sparkling strawberry lemonade.

It is everything summer should be.

I knew how perfectly perfect this summer drink was when the mr had his drink in hand, took a sip, and said that it tasted like when he was a kid and would spend his days hunting for, picking, and eating the most delicious wild strawberries. I proceeded to laugh a little, thinking to myself, “well what a fancy dreamy childhood you had.” HA. But really though, that right there is truth my friends. Fresh strawberries are little gems of summertime happiness.

Now to the summer strawberry sprakinling lemonade!

The stuff. Freshly picked strawberries, a couple lemons, and plain seltzer water.

Easy as can be. Juice lemons until you have 1/2 cup juice. Remove stems from strawberries and add to lemon juice, then either with a stick blender or regular one, blend until smooth.

I didn’t add any sweetener to mine because we don’t like super sweet and the berries are way sweet enough for us. But if you want, add a little sweetener of your choice and blend in. Go easy though, maybe a couple teaspoons. You can always add more if you need too.

Basically all you do now is pour a bit of puree into a cup, add an ice cube, slowly pour seltzer in, and give it a little stir.

Garnish with a lemon wedge and a cute little strawberry and enjoy the taste of summer.

-C

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Summer Strawberry Sparkling Lemonade

makes 2-3 drinks

• 1-2 lemons (1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice)

• 1/2 a pint ( or about 12 small to medium strawberries) fresh strawberries

• plain seltzer, mineral water, or club soda

• a few teaspoons of liquid sweetener of your choice if using

• ice

Juice lemons until you have 1/2 a cup off juice. Place in a jar or blender. Remove stems from strawberries and add to the lemon juice. Either with a hand blender or a regular blender, blend until completely smooth. If you are using any sweetener, you can add a little in now and blend in.

For drinks. Pour the strawberry lemon puree into 2-3 cups. Add an ice cube or two and slowly add about a cup of seltzer to each drink (you can add more of less seltzer to your liking). Gently mix with a spoon. Garnish with lemon and a sweet little strawberry if you like.