Friday, July 4, 2008

Carrot Cake Pancakes & My Vegan Dilemma

Finally - I am starting to get the hang of vegan cooking. Which, in my eyes, is pretty awesome, giving that I'm not vegan. For instance, when I was making these pancakes the other morning, my first tester didn't stick together. Xanthan gum! I thought, almost instantaneously. And guess what? It worked!

I have been thinking a lot about veganism, and here is my dilemma. I know that at some time I will try going vegan. I also know that I am going to be an avid traveller throughout my life. Realizing that travel can put a lot of stress on the body, I can easily see myself doing fasts and cleanses after my travels, and living a high-raw, gluten-free vegan lifestyle at home. However, when I travel in the future I am going to be a local. That means meat, dairy, eggs. (Gluten, too.) All things non-vegan. So...what are your thoughts? Is part-time veganism okay?

OK, I know that these are more fitting in autumn, but I was craving carrot cake and I needed something for Pancakes on Parade - A Sweet & Savory Event.

CARROT CAKE PANCAKES
These hearty pancakes are great with real maple syrup, cream cheese, or both. Makes 8-12 pancakes.

  • ¾ cup sorghum flour
  • ½ cup + 1T quinoa flour
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of gluten-free rolled oats
  • 2T agave nectar
  • 1T baking powder
  • ¾ tsp. cinnamon
  • 1½ tsp. xanthan gum
  • ¾ cup grated carrot, packed
  • 1¼ cup + 1T unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup + 2 heaping tablespoons of raisins

Mix the dry ingredients together with a fork. Stir in wet ingredients, adding the grated carrot and raisins last. Pour the batter onto a griddle and cook on medium heat until one side is brown. Flip and cook the other side. *When pouring the batter, you might need to flatten out the pancakes a little bit because the carrots make it pretty dense.

26 comments:

ib  
This comment has been removed by the author.
ib  

I think that being a part time vegan would be neat considering that it would cleanse you body, but I wonder what the long term effects would be, because going without meat and then eating it again can make you sick. I suppose you won't know until you try.

Unknown  

Those pancakes look delicious! Ah, I almost picked up the Coconut Mango ice cream today...I'll definitely try it next time! As for your vegan dilemma, I think you should do whatever you feel is right for your body and health. I think it would be a healthy balance to eat locally on your travels, and experience all of the new tastes and flavors! :0)

Michele  

I'm sure that your body will tell you if it is right for you or not.The pancakes look tasty...but I'd have to leave out the raisins. I can sit and eat them by the handful...but the minute you put them into a cooked food, I hate them.
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog!

Rose  

Katie,

Part-time veganism is totally fine! I know how hard it can be at times. For now, you're doing your best. Your dilema is similar to the one I had about going raw. I finally decided that being raw only on occasion is much easier for me. So don't worry! Do what your heart desires, okay?

~Paulina

What's Cookin Chicago  

I love the use of ingredients in the recipe - they look great!

Unknown  

I've only been out of the United States twice- once to Mexico, and once to the Bahamas on a cruise...both so fun! Where all do you want to travel?? It's so fun reading blogs where people are studying abroad and seeing all of their yummy meals!

Thistlemoon  

That is pretty much how I look at my eating. I was a vegetarian for 10 years, and vegan for two of them. I found that it was really hard for me when I was traveling and when I wanted to be social with friends. I felt like restricting my diet in those situations was something I was not comfortable with. So now I am what has been been called lately: flextarian. It fits with my lifestyle. I think everyone needs to decide what is best for themselves and I think you should do what you feel is right for you.

Oh, and Welcome to The Foodie Blogroll! ;)

krysta  

It's a hard call, but like most people you have to do what's right and what you feel comfortable with. It sounds like you pretty much understand that you'll be going back and forth between foods for sometime.

Unknown  

Antartica would be amazing! I get cold pretty easily so I would definitely have to dress like an eskimo! The number one place I want to visit is Australia!! I've heard it's such a beautiful place...and I want to see all of the fun animals!

grace  

great with maple syrup, cream cheese, or both, you say? both for me, please. and double the serving size. :)

Fitness Foodie  

I think that is a great choice and one that seems to suit our lifestyle and can still be healthy. Love to hear all about your travels and of course the awesome and sometimes not so awesome food travel brings.

These carrot cake pancakes sound great! Thinking about making them for camping.

Thanks for stopping by my blog, yours is great.

Anonymous  

Carrot cake pancakes seem pretty creative!
I think it's a great idea to be a part time vegan. I know it's difficult to be able to eat out in the "real world" and alot of countries are alot less vegan friendly. Also veganism gets alot easily with time so i'm sure you'll do great eating at home :)

Unknown  

Katie- these look soooo goood! Make me some, ha ha!

Well, here's the response to that last question:

(I just don't know if I'm supposed to respond to your comment here, or on my page. Sigh.)

In any case, I did fancy that I might write a cookbook, even back when I was a kid. Then, lots of our deli customers wanted a cookbook, so I eventually compiled everything, thinking I'd take it to a copy center to run off a hundred copies or so.

After all my work, I got kind of committed to the project. When I discovered that the copy center couldn't reproduce the photos in the book economically, I had to resort to a publishing house. One thing leads to another! But, I don't know if I would've gone this route if I'd known what a commitment you have to make to promoting the book, as well. I thought I just had to write it! Yeah, don't think that. It takes a whole lot of work to get a book out there. Mine's still not exactly out there yet... But I'm working on it!

Later,

Jen

Anonymous  

YUM. These are going on my to-make list.

Sunshinemom  

I turned vegan a month back, and for the first ten days suffered sever headache, nausea and acidity - but these are normal considering I gave up coffee and tea which was major (4 to 5 half-cups a day), but I am happy with things now! In between I had flu and throat infection so I had tea with cows milk for four or five days - My take on part time vegan is that there is no harm if you have to take it once a while...the question is why are you turning vegan? My reasons are still fuzzy. I really do not think lactose is that necessary - will have to check up more on that. But part time vegan is fine, REALLY!

As for the carrot cake pancakes - Divine idea. Only thing I don't get half the substitutes here:)

Susan  

Thanks for joining Pancakes on Parade with this wonderful recipe. I've never used xanthan gum in anything, but have seen it listed enough on ingredient panels. It's time to try it myself. Thx!

PhotoVentura  

lovely recipes on your blog - I like the cute styling element using the paint-store swatches!!

Megan, Freelance Baking  

These look great! How did you find out about the pancake contest?

Anonymous  

I face the same dilemma...I am a big traveler and eat out often with family and friends so I try to eat locally (in barcelona friends and I went to the farmers market to get eggs, and produce). I just don't eat other dairy when traveling unless in dessert (not ice cream but like a chocolate souffle, etc.) When I home though, I eat entirely vegan. I wrote about this the other day. I think it is an accomplishment to say we eat mostly vegan but I would never say "I am a vegan"...just some thoughts. Hope it helps!

Anonymous  

I don't think that being a part time vegan is fine. It's not committing to the beliefs you have about helping animals. It isn't that difficult to go vegan and commit to it when traveling or at the bery least go vegetarian. If you don't want to do that then you can choose not to, but there is no part time veganism. you either are one or your are not.

Anonymous  

YES! Find a healthy medium between your beliefs and a HAPPY lifestyle. Don't, however, fall into the trap of fasting after your travels. There is no truth to the cleansing value of fasting. If anything, it traps digestive toxins in the body for a longer period of time.

Anonymous  

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Anonymous  

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now. Keep it up!
And according to this article, I totally agree with your opinion, but only this time! :)

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