Vintage Homestyle Sweet Corn Pancakes Recipe

Vintage Homestyle Sweet Corn Pancakes Recipe

by | Oct 31, 2022 | Anytime, Recipes

One summer many years ago, a relative asked if I had ever tried sweet corn pancakes. I hadn’t, and decided to look for a recipe. While I found recipes for corn fritters, I didn’t find any recipes for sweet corn pancakes, so I adapted this recipe from an old cookbook, updating it by using coconut oil, oat flour, brown sugar, and unsweetened almond milk. It is now one of my favorite corn recipes, with or without my favorite local honey or maple syrup. These pancakes can also be savory, making them perfect for picnics, hikes, or simply an afternoon treat.

Adapted from: The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook 1980 Edition by Zoe Coulson

Serves: Approximately 12 – 4 inch pancakes

Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 – 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted, plus slightly more for lightly greasing your skillet or griddle
  • 1 – 1/2 cup sweet corn cut from the cob
  • butter 
  • maple syrup or honey



Apple Orchard
Instructions:
  1. In a large bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the egg for 30 seconds, then stir in the almond milk and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add to the flour mixture and stir until the flour is moistened.
  2. Heat skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Brush lightly with coconut oil.
  3. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot skillet or griddle, making a few pancakes at a time.
  4. Cook until bubbles burst and edges look dry, approximately 90 seconds. With a spatula, turn and cook until the underside is golden, about 90 seconds.
  5. Place on a heated platter, and keep warm. Brush skillet with more coconut oil, if needed, before starting on the next batch. Serve with butter and maple syrup or honey.

For a savory variation: 

Add 1/4 cup cilantro, basil, or parsley, 1/2 tsp sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper, and 2 scallions, green and white, finely chopped.

 

Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Recipe compliments of OPL Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Wild Caught Salmon with Autumn Salad

Wild Caught Salmon with Autumn Salad

by | Oct 31, 2022 | Dinner, Recipes

Salmon isn’t only a summer staple; it can be just as delicious in the cooler months!  This recipe pairs baked salmon with a chopped autumnal salad featuring brussel sprouts, radicchio, apples, and pecans.  Savory and satisfying with a crunch!

Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Total Time:  65 min

Ingredients:
  • 2 lbs wild sockeye salmon, or sustainably farmed salmon of your choice
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 acorn squash, see recipe below for preparation
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 oz brussel sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 head of radicchio, thinly sliced
  • 5 oz of arugula
  • 2 apples, diced
  • ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 6 oz feta crumbles

Roasted Acorn Squash

  • 2 acorn squash
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground allspice

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp pure maple syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Apple Orchard
Apple Orchard
Instructions:
  • Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Flip the acorn squash cut side down, and make 1 inch horizontal cuts across the acorn squash, creating slices.
  • Place the acorn squash slices on a baking sheet.  In a small bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice.  Brush liberally on the acorn squash on both sides. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until slices are soft.  Cool until able to handle, and then peel the acorn squash skins off.  Cut the squash into cubes, and keep warm until ready to toss into the salad.
  • While the squash is cooking, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute, then add the thinly sliced brussel sprouts.  Continue to saute for 7 minutes until the brussel sprouts begin to soften but still have some bite to them.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer the brussel sprouts to a large glass bowl and allow to cool slightly.
  • After the squash is done cooking, turn the oven up to 400 degrees.  Place the salmon in a shallow baking pan lined with a Silpat mat or aluminum foil.  Spread Dijon mustard over the salmon, then lightly pack the brown sugar on top of the mustard.  Salt and pepper the fish, then bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
  • Using a toaster oven or a small saute pan, toast the pecans until they are fragrant and brown.  Set aside to cool.
  • In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp maple syrup, salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • In the large bowl containing brussel sprouts, add sliced radicchio and arugula and toss to combine.  Add in the warmed acorn squash, diced apples, apple cider vinaigrette, toasted pecans (reserving a handful for garnish) and feta crumbles, and toss to combine.  Plate the salad and place the cooked salmon on top of the salad.  Garnish with any leftover toasted pecans.
Kristina Shane

This recipe is from of Home Chef and OPL Community member Kristina Shane.

 

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

How will we Face Climate Change, Sharknado, or Ministry For the Future?

How will we Face Climate Change, Sharknado, or Ministry For the Future?

by | Oct 27, 2022 | People and Planet First, Protect the Planet, Quality of Life

Fiction is a window into our future.

While I was reading the book, The Ministry for the Future, my nephew and I watched the movie “Sharknado.” These contrasting climate stories stunned me. Our climate fiction centers around disasters with only a few people surviving, such as Sharknado. The Ministry for the Future is a story about how many people around the world take action to stay under the 1.5-degree Celcius threshold. The journey is disturbing and hopeful. Let us explore these two different future stories.

Sharkn

The cult-favorite “Sharknado” movies center around a series of severe storms that make “Sharknados” emerge, wiping out cities. Fictional sharknados are tornadoes with the power to pull sharks out of oceans into funnels and rain them down onto land. This comical series has people going about their daily activities, ignoring the bizarre weather pattern until it is too late. Only lead characters Fin and April, along with a small group, are able to save the day. 

Is this how we want to deal with climate change? Do we want to hope that there will be a couple of heroes with whom we happen to be when the disaster occurs? While disaster movies are fun, they don’t help us see a path to the future.

The book The Ministry for the Future (read our review) is science fiction rooted in science and human nature. For the next 30 years, the climate crisis is navigated – yes, terrible things happen, and many die, but humanity does survive – both terrifying and hopeful. This story engages us in thinking through how we might journey through this. If we all understand more and take action, small and big, we can be a part of getting as many people and all life through this crucial point in time. 

How will we handle this challenge? It is easy to feel powerless facing challenges that no one person can solve. 

Sharkn
We strongly believe that people can make a difference.

It is why we developed the One Planet Life app; to assist you on your journey. It works like a climate fitness app. You select actions that work for you to reduce your CO2, track your progress and celebrate everyday victories. When 16 of us reduce our CO2 emissions by one metric ton, this is equivalent to one person going net zero! Imagine 160 people making the change, then 1,600 achieving the same victory. The good news is that reducing your first metric ton of CO2 emissions is very doable.  

It will take many people acting, and we believe we will get there. If each of us takes action or joyful changes as we refer to them, they add up.  

Let’s make changes so we don’t have a “Sharknado” future! Join us today!

Written by Lorie Buckingham

Written by Lorie Buckingham

OPL Founder and Wayfinder

“Over the years, I was struck by how our lifestyles cause stress both on us and the planet.  This led me to explore and learn about sustainability and wellness.  With a deeper understanding, I began to make tangible changes in my life.  One Planet Life LLC was founded to connect with others on this journey. I hope that together we can make a significant difference for people and the planet. “

Slay the Energy Vampires in Your Home and Save

Slay the Energy Vampires in Your Home and Save

by | Oct 27, 2022 | People and Planet First, Protect the Planet, Quality of Life

Our Homes Consume Lots of Energy, But You Can Make an Impact in a Few Easy Steps.

October is recognized as Energy Awareness Month, and for a good reason. Energy is the dominant contributor to climate change, accounting for around 60% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations.

While it may seem like switching out your light bulbs for more efficient models isn’t going to make that much of an impact compared to energy behemoths like the manufacturing industry, think again. By replacing just five lightbulbs with LED lightbulbs per quarter, you can save $30-$80 on your energy bill over the course of the bulb’s life. It’s a high-impact way to implement sustainability in your home, saving 91.25 pounds of carbon each year, according to data collected by One Planet Life. 

Households consume 29% of global energy and consequently contribute to 21% of resultant carbon dioxide emissions, according to a study released by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Those lightbulbs add up: if every person on the planet switched to energy-efficient models, a whopping $120 billion could be saved annually. In just the U.S. alone, switching to LEDs would save an estimated 38 million tons of CO2 emissions a year.

It’s not just lightbulbs, either. There are a plethora of ways you can drastically cut down on your family’s energy consumption.

Weeding Out The Energy Vampires

The U.S. Department of Energy makes an amusing connection between Energy Awareness Month and everyone’s favorite October holiday – Halloween.  

“Halloween — or as we like to call it, Energyween — is just around the corner. While trick-or-treaters are roaming the streets in search of screams and sweets, a hidden terror could already be lurking in your home,” a DOE article by Public Affairs Specialist Paul Lester explains. “We’re talking about energy vampires  — evil ghouls that suck electrical power from your appliances when you aren’t using them, taking a big bite out of your wallet.”

Unplugging devices and appliances when you’re not using them is a quick and easy way to slash energy vampires’ grip on your power usage. In fact, 23% of electricity consumed in homes is wasted by standby power. Make it even easier by plugging items into energy-efficient power strips that you can turn off several devices at the flip of a switch, Harvard University Office for Sustainability suggests.

5 Ways to Reduce Your Energy Consumption

When looking at upgrading electronics, always buy appliances, equipment, and electronics with the Energy Star label, the Natural Resources Defense Council recommends. These upgraded models use much less energy than those without the blue tag. It’s especially important for large devices that are always running and may contain planet-damaging chemicals, like a refrigerator. 

One of the home’s most aggressive energy-eaters is a dryer, according to the Permaculture Research Institute. This one is an easy fix – hang clothes to dry – even partially – and get the benefit of fresh-smelling, air-dried laundry while cutting down on energy consumption.

Thinking About Switching to Renewable Energy? Take the Leap!

Renewable Energy is defined as energy from sources that are naturally replenishing but flow-limited, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The major types of renewable energy sources include:

  • Biomass
  • Wood and wood waste
  • Municipal solid waste
  • Landfill gas and biogas
  • Biofuels
  • Hydropower
  • Geothermal
  • Wind
  • Solar

Although the COVID-19 pandemic stalled many energy projects in 2020, the use of renewables continued to grow, accounting for more than 80% of all new electricity capacity added in 2020. 

Supporting renewable energy is also good for the economy. In the Clean Jobs America 2021 report, published by the National Association of State Energy Officials and the Energy Futures Initiative with support from over a dozen states, organizations and foundations, statistics showed that about three million Americans worked in clean energy. Clean energy remains the biggest job creator across America’s energy sector, employing nearly three times as many workers as fossil fuel extraction and generation. 

While making big shifts in sourcing from renewable energy – like installing solar grids on your home – may make a huge impact, you don’t need to invest thousands in a home project to make a difference.

At least 50% of electric customers have the option to purchase renewable electricity directly from their power supplier, according to Energy.gov. Contact your electric company to find out more information on where your power is being sourced, and ask if sustainable options are available. You may pay slightly more for renewable energy products and services to offset the additional costs power companies incur in purchasing and/or generating electricity from renewable sources.

Saving Energy Saves the Planet… and Your Wallet

If reversing climate change isn’t enough to convince you, consider this; these changes add up when it comes to crunching numbers. 

In a 2021 study conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory that took a look at an all-electric residential community of nearly 500 homes in Fort Collins, Colorado., researchers discovered that with a varied approach, savings really added up. 

With a combination of efficiency upgrades, Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS – technology within homes that help efficiently manage energy usage), and battery systems to minimize utility bills, homeowners can save an estimated $590 and 1.53 tons of carbon each year.

Shedding kilowatts from your monthly electric bill is obvious. But did you know there are government-funded credit and rebate programs that incentivize creating a more energy-efficient home?

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes an expansion of the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (formerly the “Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit”). This non-refundable tax credit targets 30% of the costs of certain home efficiency investments, effective January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2032.

Eligible costs, up to qualifying amounts with a $1,200 maximum, include:
  • Home energy audits 
  • Insulation and air sealing materials or systems
  • Exterior windows/skylights
  • Exterior doors
  • Efficient heating and cooling appliances (electric or natural gas heat pump water heater; electric or natural gas heat pump; central air conditioning system; natural gas, propane, or oil water heater; natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or hot water boiler; biomass stove or boiler for home heating/hot water; oil furnace or hot water boiler)
  • Electric panel upgrades to equipment with a load capacity of at least 200 amps (in conjunction with other efficiency improvements)

There are a number of rebates available through this legislation as well. Also, it’s worth a call to your electric company to see if they offer any rebates for making your home more efficient. A lot of providers will recycle old air conditioners, refrigerators, and other appliances and add a credit to your next bill.

Reducing your energy consumption may not be as difficult as you think. Small actions really do add up. By taking the initiative and implementing just a few of these changes into our everyday lives, we can collectively make a positive impact on our planet, one kilowatt at a time.

Check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s spooky tips on slaying those pesky energy vampires:

Written by Carley Kimball

Written by Carley Kimball

Freelance Journalist and OPL Content Contributor

“I’ve always tried to implement planet-friendly practices in my life but didn’t quite realize just how much of an impact individuals can make until I was introduced to One Planet Life. I’m so excited to be able to utilize my professional skills to contribute valuable information and positive personal experiences to help make the world a better place.”

Cauliflower and White Bean Soup

Cauliflower and White Bean Soup

by | Oct 15, 2022 | Dinner, Recipes

This soup is velvety, creamy, and comforting!  Cauliflower and white beans star in this full-flavored, addicting soup that is perfect for a weeknight meal or a fancy holiday first course.  Serve with French bread or pita wedges.

Gluten Free, Vegan

Serves 8-10

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 60 min

Total Time: 80 min

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 bulb of fennel, diced, reserving fronds for garnish*
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut roughly into 2” pieces
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cans of white beans (cannellini or great northern beans), drained, reserving a cup of beans for garnish
  • 4 cups (32 oz carton) vegetable stock
  • 1 15oz can of unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil or another high-quality finishing oil, for garnish
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, for garnish
    Apple Orchard

    Directions:

    1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large lidded dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and saute until the onions are translucent and the peppers start to brown, about 5 minutes.  
    2. Add the fennel and cauliflower and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes.  Add white beans, then add minced garlic, dried rosemary, curry powder, salt, white pepper, and hot pepper flakes.  Stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.  
    3. Pour the vegetable stock and coconut milk into the pot, and give the pot another stir, ensuring that the cauliflower is mostly submerged in the liquid.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
    4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is creamy and homogenous, with no cauliflower chunks remaining.
    5. Spoon into bowls and top with a drizzle of high quality olive oil or finishing oil, then mound a spoonful or two of reserved beans, a bit of the fennel fronds, and some freshly cracked black pepper on top.  Serve immediately.

    *Fennel fronds, the dark green fluffy bits on top of the fennel bulb, are edible and make a beautiful garnish.  Simply cut the fronds from their stems and use raw.  They have a mild flavor and really take your dish to the next level.

    Kristina Shane

    This recipe is from of Home Chef and OPL Community member Kristina Shane.

     

    OPL Plant-rich Recipes

    Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.