Chocolate Cherry Pancakes

This is the same basic recipe as the Zucchini Pancakes, with chocolate chips and cherries in lieu of the zucchini. They are so sweet on their own, they require no syrup! Of course, if you are craving a crazy sugar high, go for it!

Chocolate Cherry Pancakes

1/2 cup flour (I used all purpose)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/3 cup cheries, chopped
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp cooking oil or magarine

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Chop cherries into small chunks. Mix the cherries into the dry ingredients and coat evenly, then add almond milk and stir well. Heat oil or margine over medium-low heat in skillet. Spoon 1/8-1/4 cup of batter into pan. Let sit for a minute and the sprinkle a few chocolate chips into pancake. You could add them right into the batter, but I find that they sink to the bottom of the pancake and then you have a big chocolately mess on one side. Cook over low heat (3) until the pancakes bubble, flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve alone or with syrup if you dare!

Cheater Sauce n Meatballs & Hint of Chocolate Zucchini Pancakes

 I call this cheater sauce because I used a jar of Classico as the base, it's just too hot out to make a sauce from scratch. You could add any vegetables you like, I used carrot and zucchini because I seem to have an abundance on hand. I wanted to use walnuts as the "meat" in the sauce but wasn't sure how that would work out so I decided to try this recipe instead and they turned out quite well. I halved the recipe and froze what I didn't eat at dinner. Make the meatballs first, while they are baking in th oven you can start on the sauce. Hope you enjoy this simple meal as much as I do!

Cheater Sauce

1 16oz jar Classico, Tomato & Basil
1 large carrot, shredded or finely diced
1/2 large zucchini, cubed small
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
1/8 cup water

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, zucchini and Italian seasoning. Stir and cover with lid for 5 mins.  Add a 1/8 cup water to generate steam and speed up the cooking process. Let sit for 5-10 mins. Remove lid, turn heat down to low, add nutritional yeast and let simmer for a few minutes. Serve overtop your favorite noodle and top with meatballs.

Hint of Chocolate, Zucchini Pancakes
makes 4-5 small pancakes

1/2 cup flour (I used all purpose)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup zucchini, shredded
1 tbsp cooking oil or magarine

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Shred zucchini and pat dry with a tea towel or paper towel. You want to get as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible so your pancakes cook through properly, otherwise they won't cook very well inside. Mix the zucchini into the dry ingredients and coat evenly, then add almond milk and stir well. Heat oil or margine over medium-low heat in skillet. Spoon 1/8-1/4 cup of batter into pan. Cook over low heat (3) until the pancakes bubble, flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve with your favorite syrup!

*If you wanted a deeper chocolate flavour, add 2 tsps cocoa powder or 1/8 cup vegan chocolate chips.

Barley & Lentil Stuffed Peppers

I didn't have all the traditional ingredients for stuffed peppers so I decided to get creative and use what I had on hand in the pantry. This is what I came up with and it's delicious! *The filling makes quite a bit so you could halve it or make a ton of peppers and freeze for easy meals later :)

Barley & Lentil Stuffed Peppers

Pepper Filling
1/2 cup  pearl barley
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 yam, cubed small
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 large bell peppers, halved
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1 1/2 cups mozzarella Daiya
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsps tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil

Almond Parm
1/2 cup almonds
1 tbsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine pearl barley and vegetable broth or water in a pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for 45 mins. While barley is cooking, heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Sautee the onions & carrots with garlic salt & pepper over medium high heat. Microwave yams for 3 mins. Add broccoli & red peppers to the onion mixture, cover and let sit for 5-10 mins or until broccoli looks tender. Add the yams, garlic & garam masala, cover again for another 5 mins. If at any point the veggies stick to the pan add a bit of water and stir. Now add in the tomato paste, lentils, barley & Daiya. Mix well. Stuff the filling into your halved peppers and arrange on a deep baking tray. Sprinkle with almond parm and bake for 30 mins or until tops are browned. Let cool for 15-20 mins and serve.