Vegetarian Dips & Spreads

Hey, check out our dips and spreads article in the Memphis Flyer from this past week! We have the Hoppin' John Bean Butter recipe from us two rascals here at TCV, Tex-Mex Corn Dip from Jennifer Chandler, and Spicy Pimento Cheese with Crispy Green Tomato Corncakes from Whitney Miller.

We had a great time writing this one and are so happy that our friends and fellow cookbook authors wanted to contribute their favorite game-day recipes. We also can't believe the big day's going to be here a week from now. So, what snacks are you planning to have on your coffee table next Sunday?

Oat, Banana, & Chia Silver Dollar Pancakes (GF)

We always make pancakes on the weekend! There's not much tradition going on otherwise around here because that's so boring, but we stick to this one. With these for breakfast, you work in a few nutritious ingredients (chia, oats, coconut oil, berries) and with that good of a start, you can just eat whatever later on.  They're gluten free and they're delicious, an amazing combination that doesn't feel like a compromise as GF foods sometimes do.

Oat, Banana, & Chia Silver Dollar Pancakes (GF)

1 cup rolled oats
2 large eggs

1 ripe banana

1 tablespoon chia seds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil (more for cooking)
1/4 cup milk (almond, soy, or dairy)

1/2 teaspoon salt

berries, bananas, and honey or maple syrup (to serve)

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or large, non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Into the work bowl of your food processor place the oats and grind them into a fine flour. Add the eggs, banana, chia, baking powder, vanilla, coconut oil, milk, and salt and blend until smooth. (Unlike traditional flours, you really can't overwork them because there's no gluten to activate.) The mixture should be thick but pourable like a traditional pancake batter. Add more milk if needed.

Place about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil on the griddle and brush to coat. Place 1/8 cup of batter on the griddle. It should fall into a 2-inch circle. Repeat. Allow pancakes to cook for 4 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the surface and the underside is golden. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another 3 minutes or until pancake is golden and set all the way through. Repeat until all batter is used. Makes about 1 dozen small pancakes. Serve warm with a drizzle of honey, maple syrup, bananas, and berries. (Makes 1 dozen; serves 2.)

(Check out more of our go-to nutritious pancake recipes, Paleo Power Pancakes and Banana Pancakes from How it All Vegan, too!)

Logan's Edamame Hummus from People Magazine

We are always so happy for Memphis folks who are making a name for themselves in our city and beyond it. Logan Guleff, the young Memphian who won MasterChef Junior last year, has been steadily cooking and creating ever since his awesome victory.

Last fall, his favorite lunch recipe, Edamame Hummus, was featured in People, so we immediately tore out the page and just had to make it as soon as we had the chance.

Well, now that we've continually used this recipe over and over again -- so much so that we eat it all before we photograph it every time -- it's clear that it's going to be a keeper around here. It's a good high-protein snack that's flavored just right with a little garlic and parsley. We like having it after work with these sea salt almond crackers.

As usual, we can't wait to see what Logan does next! Maybe we'll have something to share with you about that very thing here soon…

Dirty Chai

So we've been curious about this stuff. Hearing about dirty chai here and there lately, we couldn't imagine how it would taste. It's basically just chai tea with a shot or two of espresso, but what a weird combo.  

This week, we set aside a couple of extra minutes one morning to put this drink together so we could see what the big deal is, y'all. The espresso takes a little detour through the spice cabinet with notes of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, clove, star anise, and ginger, and it just works. Hey, don't skip adding a little sweetener even if it's not usually your thing; we really like maple syrup for this since it balances out some of that cinnamon bitterness.

Of course, nothing will replace the usual cappuccino and cortado we make every morning at home -- oh my gosh, that sounds so, so annoying to even type out, yet it is true -- but this was pretty fun to finally try.

Dirty Chai

1/2 cup water
1 chai tea bag (We used Tazo organic chai.)
1 double shot dark roast espresso or strong coffee
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 drops vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Boil water and let chai tea bag steep for 3 minutes. Remove tea bag and discard. Add espresso or coffee, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir and enjoy. (Serves one, but recipe can easily be doubled or quadrupled.)