{Guest Post: Fogwood & Fig} Whole Grain Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Pancakes

I cannot fully express how excited I am to have Diana Bezanski of Fogwood and Fig as a guest blogger this month! Diana and I met this past August in New York City. We were both attending the Vegan Professional Marketing Bootcamp hosted by Vegan Mainstream. Not only was I drawn to Diana by her physical beauty, but also because I fell in love with her business name! Diana also won me over with her irresistible homemade vegan donuts she brought to the event; I can still remember the taste if I think hard enough. Diana is not only an amazing vegan chef, but she’s also a dynamite photographer. Scroll down to learn about her delicious vegan pancake recipe — a perfect breakfast to serve up to your loved one this Valentine’s Day. Thank you, welcome, and take it away Diana!

xo, Kayle

I’m really excited about these pancakes! I say that because they are damn good having just failed the previous day with a different version. This is a revision from another pancake recipe of mine which I will no longer use. This one has no sugar and uses spelt flour instead of APF, much healthier and more exciting. These gems are light and fluffy. I just had to try chocolate sauce with raspberry, and I think it would be even better with the addition of sliced banana. I used maple syrup in combination with the sauce, but not very much. I poured it on the side of my plate instead of on top and dipped the pancake. Whatever way you decide to eat your pancakes, I hope you throughly enjoy this recipe.

Pancake Ingredients 

Makes 8

¾ cup spelt flour

¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tbsp ground flax seed

1 tsp fine grain sea salt

1 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 ¾ cup coconut milk beverage

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

¼ cup very good cold pressed olive oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Note about measuring flour: Before I measure the flour I dip my whisk and airate it to loosen it, then I dip my measuring cup and even it with the back of a knife, I use this process with all of my baking – spooning flour into the cup won’t work with my recipes, it’s inaccurate.

Instructions:

Combine the milk and vinegar and set aside.

Using a large bowl, sift the spelt, whole wheat pastry flour, flax, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk once it’s in the bowl.

Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and oil to the milk. Combine very well. Add this to the dry ingredients and combine until just mixed. Do not over mix, seeing bubbles is good. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Use a non stick pan and have a small cup of high heat oil nearby, each pancake will need fresh oil. Heat the pan and oil on medium high until hot, then turn down the heat to medium low add the batter (¼ cup at a time).  Cook the first side for 1 minute 30 seconds and the other side for 1 minute. I use a timer for consistency. I like to wipe our the pan with a paper towel, then using a brush, lightly coat with oil for next pancake. As they are done, stack them on a plate to keep warm.

Chocolate Sauce Ingredients

Serves 4

2 oz organic fair trade chocolate bar – they come in 3.5 oz . Chop.

½ cup non-dairy milk

pinch sea salt

Add the chopped chocolate to small stainless steel bowl. Heat the milk until bubbly and add it to the chocolate. Let chocolate sit for a minute, then stir until smooth and creamy. Add a pinch of sea salt.

Note: Very little chocolate was used to make the sauce, about 2 oz from a bar of organic 70% – chopped it, then poured hot non-dairy milk on top to melt – quite simple.

Plating Instructions

Pancakes

Berries

Top with sauce, maple sryup on the side and if you want to get wild, top with coconut whipped cream.

Got leftover pancakes? Just add banana, raspberries, pomegranate, coconut butter, and pure maple syrup. You’ll have an entirely new, delicious vegan creation in a matter of minutes!

More about Diana…

I’ve been vegan 3 years now. Prior to that, I ate foods that were pretty boring compared to the foods I eat today. Before my plant-based food days, I ate mostly chicken, eggs, dairy, pasta, canned tuna, fish and lots of Mexican food loaded with cheese. I did give up red meat 18 years ago for ethical reasons, but somehow never made the connection with the other animal based foods and products. The food I cooked at home was much of the above. I didn’t know what quinoa, millet, or any of the whole grains were, and I preferred white rice to brown. I didn’t know about soaking nuts, making creams out of them, or about sprouting. And what was a raw dessert? I was really limiting myself, while unconsciously participating in disturbing social issues.

And, here is where it gets silly, you may laugh, I blame this on Netflix instant download. Yep, you heard that right. The day we got instant download was the day I watched documentaries back to back on farming, food, health, social issues, ethical issues and the environment. At times I became angry and sad, frustrated at a system that lies, (and what about the food pyramid?) and special interests. Why was everything I was learning not major public information? I guess that’s what upset me immensely, but most importantly I was disappointed with myself at not having known. I was living in my own busy world, not paying attention. Yet, here was this mind-blowing information, everything made perfect sense and my life changed. I continued to learn as much as I could – I read and read, and constantly educated myself. Now the food I eat, the ingredients I use and where it comes from are a priority. I look at food as healing, able to cure, give power, energy, improve the environment, and quality of life. It is so evident. I’ve seen it in others, and I’ve seen it in my own husband, who has had his own myriad of medical problems including allergies and constant migraine headaches. I’m happy to say he’s been vegan with me the last 3 years, and he hasn’t had any allergies or headaches since. I’m a true believer that food heals.

After I became vegan, I began spending more time exploring in the kitchen. I followed delicious food/wellness blogs and ate from their incredible recipes. They really taught me a lot. I learned how to make things like creamy dairy-free desserts, fulfilling healthy sweets snacks, sour cream and mayo made with nuts and breakfast bowls of whole grain with a medley of goodness. Everything I was eating rewarded my senses and my conscience. I was so excited; I started sharing the foods with my friends, family and clients. As a professional photographer, I also took photos of my creations and posted them on my business page. I began developing my own recipes, and that’s when I started my blog Fogwood & Fig one year ago.

I want to show people how exciting and delicious plant food is, and how uncomplicated it can be. I love introducing alternatives to all the nasties that make people feel sick and sluggish. Plant-based eating means there’s no stress to diet, since whole plant foods digest quickly. Plants are clearly right and natural for the body.

When I’m not in the kitchen my photography business keeps me busy. I feel fortunate. My husband and I have a newly rescued Pit Bull Terrier mix named Alice. She’s quite the firecracker, but also such a love. We live near New York City and have a country residence in Pennsylvania, where I prefer to spend most of my time, especially during the warmer months.

For more information about Diane Bezanski visit:

Food blog: http://fogwoodandfig.com

Fashion portraits: http://www.dianabezanski.com

Weddings portraits family: http://www.dibezi.com

Weddings portraits family blog: http://www.dibezi.net   

Instagram: @FogwoodAndFig