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A fiery, red-headed newbie Vegan who loves wine, food, reading, writing, and all things curious.
Showing posts with label Spicy Sunday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spicy Sunday. Show all posts

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Spicy Sunday: Sage Scones

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, remember me to one who lives there, she was once a true love of mine..." (Simon/Garfunkel-1966)


Sage has been waxing poetic in songs, stories, spells, and recipes for centuries. My favorite quote about this alluringly aromatic herb is from Culpeper's Complete Herbal & English Physician:
"Jupiter claims this, and bids me tell you, it is good for the liver, and to breed blood...Sage is of excellent use to help the memory, warning and quickening the senses..."

These velvety leaves make Thanksgiving stuffing extra flavorful and blends perfectly with it's partners parsley, rosemary and thyme in soups and stews. 

Tonight we will be having a Field Roast with roasted turnips and parsnips along with a side of mashed potatoes. I thought sage scones would be a nice alternative to a traditional dinner roll. I added a bit of sweetness with agave syrup. The slight citrus scent of the sage comes out with the addition of orange marmalade. 

Hubs says they taste like, "Thanksgiving stuffing." And that sounds perfectly delicious to me as I can never get enough stuffing! :)


Sage Scones

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Agave Syrup
1 tbsp Orange Marmalade
1/4 cup Almond Milk
11/2 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Spelt Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Dried Sage
1 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Earth Balance 
1 Shallot, thinly sliced
Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Whisk together agave syrup, marmalade, and milk in a small bowl. Leave aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, sage, and salt. With a pastry blender or forks cut in Earth balance spread until mixture resembles course meal. Add liquids and work together to form a dough. Add a little milk or flour depending on if the dough is too dry to too sticky. 
3. Form a ball and on a floured surface roll into a 9" circle. (Use a 9" cake pan to judge size or a ruler)
4. Transfer to an oiled cookie sheet and score with a pizza cutter or knife into 8 equal triangles. Lightly press shallot slices on top and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook for 25 minutes and cool before cutting. 









Sunday, November 27, 2011

Spicy Sunday: Fried Plantains With Cinnamon

FIRST OFF--
I would like to say CONGRATS to ALL the NANO-ERS 
finishing up their 50,000 word challenge! Hubs and I finished our 50k in 30 day novels over the weekend and are so excited about it. There is so much hope on November 1st and by November 25th you really start to wonder why you signed up for this and why it's so hard? HA! But we did it! And one of the coolest things, is that hubs isn't a writer. He was just offering support by doing the challenge along with me. (And his story is so much better than mine!)



Sundays need to be spiced up to get me going for a long week ahead! Every Sunday this month you can find a spice-filled recipe or two at Carrot Top Vegan. Since we were away for the holiday, I didn't get much cooking in, but this recipe for Fried Plantains With Cinnamon should not be kept secret. 

I remember the first time I had fried plantains was in a restaurant in Washington Heights, NYC and I was HOOKED! The perfect side dish, they are sweet, meaty, and buttery. After many failed attempts at making them at home, I think I have found my happy place with these savory banana cousins. 

The cinnamon combines well with the natural sugars plantains have and the red pepper flakes give it a sexy kick. 



Fried Plantains With Cinnamon

Ingredients: 

3 Ripe Plantains
3 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Spread
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1-2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (spicy to your liking)
2 tbsp Brown Sugar




Instructions:

1. Peel plantains and slice in half lengthwise. 
2. Heat Earth Balance in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted and sizzly, add the plantains and fry until golden brown on one side, then flip them over to brown the other side. 
3. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, red pepper, and brown sugar and gently slide the plantains around to get all the spicy, sweet goodness on them. Cook so that the sugars start to caramelize and get glossy. SERVE!