Banana Pancakes

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I enjoy pancakes and traditional pancakes are easy to veganize. However traditional flour pancakes can leave me feeling sluggish, so I decided to make some using oats. I start with 1.75 cups of rolled oats and grind them into a flour. Since this yields about 1.5 cups of ground flour, if you already have oat flour on hand, just use 1.5 cups. In addition to being vegan, this recipe is gluten free. If you’re highly allergic to gluten, make sure your oats are certified gluten free. While oats don’t naturally contain gluten, they can be exposed to it depending on the processing plant.This recipe makes about 12 pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon                apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ¼ cups                      plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1 ¾ cups                      rolled oats (also called Old Fashion)
  • 2 ½ teaspoons             baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon                  salt
  • ½ teaspoon                  ground cinnamon
  • 1 medium                    very ripe banana, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons              pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon                   pure vanilla extract
  • As needed                   vegan butter and oil for cooking

Directions

  1. In a liquid measuring cup, add the milk and vinegar. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Add the oats to a food processor and grind into a flour.
  3. Add the baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, banana, maple syrup, vanilla, and milk-vinegar mixture, mix well.

4. Transfer mixture to large liquid measuring cup or bowl, if desired. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes.

5. Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, add about 1.5 tablespoons combined of vegan butter and oil. Scoop the batter in approximately ¼ cup portions onto the griddle/pan, leaving space between the pancakes. Cook about 2 minutes or until bubbles begin to form on the top of the pancakes and the underside is golden brown, then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add a bit more butter and oil, and repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with toppings of choice, such as vegan butter, maple syrup, sliced bananas, walnuts, or other fruit of choice. 

Garlic Knots

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If you love garlic and bread, you’ll love these garlic knots. I make them all the time — too often probably. They’re especially nice for the holidays. They’re a treat, not a health food, so don’t get addicted and eat them every day. They’re simple to make, especially if you buy the pizza dough and mince the garlic and parsley in a food processor.

 

Ingredients
1 lb. fresh pizza dough
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp/to taste coarse sea salt
¼ tsp/to taste black pepper
½ tsp mixed Italian herbs (oregano, thyme, basil)
½ tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
¼ tsp each garlic powder and onion powder (optional)
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. On a floured surface, roll out the dough and cut it ½ inch strips. Form the strips into knots (2 to 3 knots per strip depending on strip length) and place them on the parchment lined baking sheet.

 

2. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, parsley, all other herbs and seasonings, and the extra virgin olive oil.

 

3. Bake the knots for between 15 to 20 minutes total, flipping after about 12 minutes. They should be golden brown when done.

4. When the knots are out of the oven, immediately transfer to a large bowl and pour over the flavored oils mixture, and toss until the knots are well coated in the garlic oil.

Taste, and if the flavor doesn’t absolutely pop, you probably need to add a little more salt.

Serves 4-6, about 22 knots

Sesame-Ginger Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry

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Here’s a flavorful tofu recipe that you can make in under 30 minutes. You want to use high heat so everything will cook quickly for nice color and texture. If you have a wok, that’s ideal, but a non-stick skillet is fine. Because you’ll be cooking at high heat, use an appropriate cooking oil as recommended in the recipe. I have you hold off adding the toasted sesame oil until the end because it’s best not to heat it too much.

Ingredients
14-oz block extra firm or super firm tofu
¼ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1.5 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
1.5 tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic, minced
½ tsp or to taste red pepper/chili flakes
2 tbsp canola, grapeseed, peanut or other high heat cooking oil
4-5 oz brown rice noodles or other noodles of choice
4 cups mix of chopped vegetables*
1.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp or as needed sesame seeds

*You can use any assortment of vegetables you like. Here I used about ½ cup each onion, red bell pepper and shitake mushrooms, plus about 2.5 cups of green beans. Some other great choices are broccoli florets, bok choy, snow peas, any color cabbage, scallions, tomatoes, baby corn, and sliced water chestnuts. Fruits such as pineapple and peaches also make nice additions. 

Directions

1. Drain the tofu from its package. Wrap tofu in paper towel or clean dish towel and place on a plate. Place another plate on top, along with a weighted object such as a large can of tomato sauce or a cutting board. Allow tofu to sit for about 15 minutes in order to drain the water out. Cut the tofu into bite size cubes or rectangles. Make sure the tofu pieces are as dry as possible, patting them down with some more paper towel.

2. In a bowl, make your sauce by combining the tamari, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, water, and cornstarch and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine ginger, garlic, and hot pepper flakes.

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and noodles and cook according to package directions.

4. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over high heat and add the cooking oil. Once nice and hot, add the tofu and sauté, stirring frequently until the tofu gets a nice golden-brown color on all sides. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside on a plate.

5. To the same hot skillet, add a splash more cooking oil if necessary, and then the garlic, ginger and hot pepper/chili flakes, and cook for just a few seconds. Add vegetables and sauté a few minutes.

6. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet/wok, tossing to combine, and then add the tofu back in. Pour in the sauce, reduce heat to medium, and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Stir in the sesame oil, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Homemade Melty Cheese

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Here’s an easy recipe for making grilled cheese sandwiches without using store bought vegan cheese.   It includes a few ingredients that you may not keep in your pantry, but will become staple items once you start making cheesy vegan dishes. All these items can be found in mainstream groceries.

  • Tapioca starch/flour is both a thickener and creates a stretchiness similar to that found in traditional cheeses when melted. If you substitute another thickener you might have in your pantry, such as corn or potato starch or arrowroot, you won’t get that cheesy stretchiness.
  • Nutritional Yeast is an inactive yeast with a cheesy, nutty flavor.
  • Miso paste is fermented soybeans – or rice, barley, chickpea. Just be sure to buy a paste that does not include bonito, which is fish-based. The white miso paste in this recipe will add a little tang, an almost aged flavor, and umami.  I’ll often add lemon juice, vinegar, or vegan lactic acid to quick (i.e. non-cultured) vegan cheeses, and you could add a little to this recipe if you prefer more tang. However I like to keep things simple and find the taste is fine with just the miso.
  • Smoked paprika adds, well a smokiness, as well as a little color and gives it a cheddary quality. I love it, but omit if you prefer.

Ingredients – Makes 3-4 sandwiches

For the melty cheese:
½ cup raw cashews
1 cup water, boiled
2.5 tbsp. tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tbsp. white miso paste
½ tsp salt
½ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch cayenne (optional)
Remaining sandwich ingredients:
As needed Sliced bread
As needed vegan butter

Directions
To make the cheese
1. Place the cashews and boiled water in the blender and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Then add in the rest of the cheese ingredients and blend well.
3. Pour in the cheese mixture into a non-stick skillet or pot and heat on medium-high.
Stir constantly and after a couple of minutes it should be starting to thicken. Continue to stir for a couple minutes on medium heat until it looks like a thick cheese.

To make the sandwiches:
1. *Take two slices of bread and butter one side of each slice.
2. Spread cheese mixture on other side of bread. Place one slice buttered side down in a cast iron or non-stick skillet. Place the other slice on top, buttered side up.
3. Cover and heat over medium heat until each side is toasted (about 3-4 minutes per side).

*Traditional grilled cheese sandwiches butter generously. However I prefer to butter very lightly, or not at all. Choose whichever method you prefer.

Cole Slaw

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Cole slaw is especially enjoyable in the summertime, and because this recipe uses mayo that’s not made with eggs, this slaw will hold up well at cookouts on hot, sunny days.

Ingredients

16-oz / 8-8.5 cups shredded “cole slaw mix” with green & purple cabbage and carrots*
3 green onions, sliced thin
2 tbsp.or to taste unrefined, organic sugar
3/4 cup Vegenaise or your favorite eggless mayonnaise
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp or to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

* You can shred everything fresh, or as I did, buy a bag of cole slaw mix and add to it as desired. My bag was 14 oz. and mainly green cabbage with carrots, so I shredded about 2 cups of purple cabbage for color.

Directions

1. Put shredded cabbages, carrot, and onion in a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour this dressing over coleslaw mixture and toss until well incorporated.

3. Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving for best results.

This recipe makes about 8 servings

Herbed Farro Salad

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Ingredients Farro bag

  • 1.5 cups farro, rinsed
  • 1  Bay leaf
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 4 cups/as needed, water or vegetable broth for cooking farro
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped Farro mis
  • 1 7-oz jar roasted peppers, drained and chopped
  • ½ medium-small  red onion, thinly sliced and chopped
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh arugula, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • To taste, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions Farro water

  1. Cook the faro in salted water or vegetable broth, with a Bay leaf and garlic clove added. Cook according to package directions. When done, let cool before Farro cookedcombining with other salad ingredients. Remove Bay leaf. The garlic clove will be soft and you can mush it and stir it into the cooked farro.
  2. Farro salad extrasWhile farro is cooking, prep other ingredients. You can place them directly into a large serving bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
  3. Once the farro is cooked and cooled, add it to the bowl, along with the vinegar and oil. Toss to combine well.  Let sit at least 20 minutes before serving. farro salad finished

 

Serves 6

Mediterranean Burgers

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I came up with this basic recipe a few years ago when I was asked to offer a second Vegan Burgers and Sides class with new recipes so that people who had attended the original class could come back for more. I’ve tweaked it only slightly since then.

I like recipes that are reasonably quick so I tend to use canned/boxed beans – even for lentils – unless I have leftover cooked beans.  Also, while cooked grains and cooked potatoes are wonderful additions for binding burgers, unless I have leftovers at the ready I often gravitate towards using rolled oats. So this recipe uses canned beans and rolled oats.

For these burgers I chose to use cannellini beans (Italian white beans) as the base. The beans are great for adding some binding as well as nutrition. Cannellinis are mild and work well as non-competing background for other distinctive flavors. The bold Mediterranean flavor comes from the herbs, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and seasoning. These ingredients plus the red pepper also give nice color to the burgers.

It really doesn’t take long to prep the ingredients. Because we’re going to use a food processor, you need only give a rough chop to the onion, pepper and garlic. If you don’t have a food processor, then you will need to chop finely, or in a pinch you could substitute garlic and onion powder and dry herbs. I recommend sticking to fresh, but if you substitute, remember that dry herbs and spices are concentrated so reduce the quantity to about 1/3 of the fresh.

The recipe is below but here’s the basic process:

  1. Gather and prep the ingredients. Note that my recipe instructs you to blot dry ingredients after rinsing. Very important. One reason vegan burgers often fall apart is that there’s too much moisture in the mixture.

mediterranean burger mis en place

Mediterranean burger processing

2.  Mix ingredients in food processor – pulse versus puree to leave some texture.

3.Transfer to bowl and fold in the olives. Then cover and refrigerate to set.

Mediterranean burger mixing olives

Mediterranean burger mixture

 

 

 

 

 

4. Form patties and bake or pan fry.Mediterranean burgers baked

Mediterranean burger assembling

 

5. Prepare toppings of choice, assemble and enjoy.
Mediterranean burger

Here are some general tips for making your own vegan burgers successfully.

RECIPE FOR MEDITERRANEAN BURGERS

Makes about 6 burgers

INGREDIENTS

  •  1 can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed, and blotted dry
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2  a medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/2  a small red bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
  • 1 tsp  Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried mixed Italian seasoning
  • 1 tbsp  red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, loosely packed, rinsed and blotted dry
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed, rinsed and blotted dry
  • 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, chopped (optional)
  • tsp each or to taste, salt and pepper
  • As needed, cooking spray or oil
  • Toppings and condiments of choice — Serve with fixings of choice, such as lightly toasted buns or other bread, vegan mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, pickles, roasted red pepper, and/or pesto.

DIRECTIONS

 Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit if baking. These burgers also can be pan fried.

  1. Combine everything except the olives in a food processor. Pulse to combine and leave some texture. (Do not puree.)
  1. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the olives. Cover and put in refrigerator until ready to use. It’s best to let mixture sit for a while so that it can set for a firmer, better texture and the flavors can marry. I try to plan ahead so the mix can sit for an hour or longer, but you want to give it a bare minimum of at least 15 minutes.
  1. Form mixture into 6 equal pieces/balls. It’s easiest to divide mixture into half and then each half into 3 equal portions.
  1. *Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Space out pieces on parchment, and flatten into patties. Spray with a little more oil and bake for 15 minutes.  Flip burgers and bake for 12-15 minutes more, until slightly browned.
  1. Serve on a bun or lettuce leaf, with vegan mayo and toppings of choice.

*To pan-fry these burgers, heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of oil. Then add burgers and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Plated burger

 

5 Tips for Learning to Cook Without Recipes

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It’s liberating to be able to look in your refrigerator and pantry and then whip up something that suits your mood with ingredients you have on hand. It’s easier than you might think.  Begin by learning some basics, and then get in your kitchen and experiment.  Just as you can create an almost infinite amount of great music knowing only a few chords, so it is with cooking. Sure you’ll be able to make more complex dishes when you learn to augment, diminish, invert, play 7th and 9ths, etc., but those simple Buddy Holly meals will provide plenty of variety and enjoyment.

Here are some tips for getting started:

  1. Learn some general cooking methods and techniques. If you’re a complete novice, you’ll first need to learn some basic cooking methods, such as baking/roasting, steaming, sautéing, pan frying, grilling, and stewing, to name several common methods. Start by practicing a few methods, and focus on techniques for great results.  For example:
  • Practice pan frying tofu, tempeh, beans, potatoes and other vegetables. Learn to properly heat the pan before adding fat and then food, and then to leave the food for appropriate amounts of time to brown all sides.
  • Similarly practice baking/roasting. (Those terms are almost interchangeable. Roasting is baking at higher heats.)  See my article on tips for roasting vegetables.
  • Learn how to cook grains using the basic steaming/absorption method, and then perhaps try the pilaf method.
  • Play around with making soups and stews, which are very forgiving.
  1. Learn ways to flavor food, including how to season and create a few of your favorite flavor profiles.
  • Use of salt and pepper throughout the cooking process is necessary to bring out the natural flavor of foods. You “season” as you add layers of food in cooking to ensure you don’t have a bland, tasteless final dish.
  • Flavor profiles are created by combining herbs and spices. Do you love Italian food?  Practice combining basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, garlic, onion, rosemary, sage, and parsley.  Do you love Mexican food?  Practice combining chili, cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic, onion, and cinnamon.  For Indian some spices to use are curry, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, ginger, fenugreek, mustard, garlic and onion.
  • Not as fundamental as the two above, but as a bonus, begin to learn the magic of flavor enhancers such as Dijon mustard and other condiments, Balsamic and other vinegars, wines, and tamari/soy sauce.
  1. In addition to learning herb and spice combinations, you’ll also be well served learning to make a few basic sauces and marinades, which you’ll be able to modify with your knowledge of flavor profiles. You might even try studying recipes to get a feel for quantities of flavorings and how flavors get balanced – a little tang from vinegar or citrus plus a little sweet from a natural sugar. My suggestions for a few sauces to start with are:
  • A basic tomato sauce is one of the most fundamental and versatile sauces. For tips, check out my article.
  • A basic white or béchamel sauce, cashew based, can be used in so many ways, including as a pasta sauce, for making creamy green vegetables or potatoes, enhancing casseroles, and as the basis for many cheesy sauces.
  • A delicious Asian-flavored marinade/sauce can be created by combining tamari/soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil with a little rice wine, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar.
  • Similarly, a peanut sauce can be made combining approximately equal parts peanut butter and water, then adding a little tamari/soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and cayenne.
  1. Learn which foods work well together.
  • First, what will make a complete, satisfying meal? You’ll want a balance of protein, starch, fat, etc.  Let’s say you’ve decided to make pan fried tempeh and roasted Brussels sprouts. Will that satisfy you?  Maybe roast some potatoes too for a more satisfying meal.
  • Do the ingredients you have on-hand lend themselves to the cuisine you’re planning? For example, your black beans might be the perfect choice for your Mexican burrito, while cannellinis or chickpeas probably would be a better choice for your Italian wine and garlic sauce.pantry reset
  1. With all the above in mind, keep your refrigerator and pantry well stocked so you have plenty of ingredients from which to choose. Check out my guide.  rouxbe fridge reset

Is The Issue How We Treat The Animals We Use Or That We Use Them At All?

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Attitudes

When people learn I’m vegan, they often share their personal beliefs, which often are that they think we need to focus on more humane methods of animal agriculture. They believe eating animals is normal, natural, and here to stay.

Most people don’t consciously condone violence against animals. The majority viewpoint is that it’s OK to use animals anyway we see fit, so long as we “treat them well” in the process. The problems is, in practice it’s nearly impossible to avoid massive suffering once you put beings in the category of property and units of production. Even the minority of animals who are given some freedoms and exposure to natural living environments, will suffer greatly – emotionally and physically – during the production process. And of course “humane slaughter” is an oxymoron, is it not?. When it comes to using animals on the massive scale we do currently, no qualifying is necessary: it is impossible to avoid massive suffering.

Sure, eating animals is normal and natural. So are lots of other behaviors we’ve outlawed as uncivilized and immoral, such as human slavery, rape and murder to name a few. With respect to non-humans we call these things by euphemisms like domesticate/house, impregnate, and harvest, and so as a society condone this institutional violence. It is our current normal. It’s so common that we’re largely blind to it.

Yes humans eating animals probably is here to stay, at least for quite some time. Though it does seem the time is ripe for a new normal to emerge.  Meat eating is trending downwards. Major food companies are investing R&D into vegan foods and introducing new products at an unprecedented rate.  Increasing numbers of people are concerned about the health and environmental consequences of eating animal foods. And with increasing awareness about the horrors of animal agriculture combined with increasing awareness about the social and emotional lives of animals, consciousness and attitudes about our relationship with animals also are evolving.

The growing vegan movement says we shouldn’t use animals at all. We should accept them as other beings with the right to life and freedom from becoming our property and resources. I became vegan after becoming aware of factory farming and being very disturbed at the treatment of animals. But once I reflected on the whole practice and educated myself on nutrition, I realized it’s not necessary to use animals to meet all my needs very well, and in fact it’s beneficial to forgo animal-based foods.  So I now am firmly in the “don’t use/objectify animals at all” camp. I believe this quote is credited to Edgar’s Mission in Australia, and it sums up the sentiment perfectly: “If I can live a happy and healthy life without harming others, why wouldn’t I?”

Tofu Scramble

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Tofu scramble is an easy and versatile dish to make.  It’s delicious and satisfying, and while I usually make it as part of brunch, it’s also satisfying enough for dinner.  Serve it with your favorite sides. It pairs wonderfully with potatoes, grains, vegan sausages (my favorite store-bought are Field Roast’s apple-sage breakfast links), and toast.

Below is my basic recipe.  You can use any vegetables you like.  I find myself making the particular combination in the recipe below, or something like it, most often. It’s colorful, tasty, and reminds me of the “Eggs McFlahive” my husband used to make for me decades ago when we were dating and I loved scrambled eggs and omelets. (Yes he continued cooking for me after we got married, but eventually stopped the eggs.)  I also like using onions and mushrooms as a base for lots of dishes both for taste and nutrition. Dr. Joel Fuhrman encourages eating “G-BOMBS” – Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds – every day. He says these foods are the most nutrient dense and “are extremely effective at preventing chronic disease and promoting health and longevity.”

A few tips for making scramble:

Nasoya extra firm tofuUsing an extra firm or firm tofu gives a great texture. Silken doesn’t work well for scramble.  As with most dishes using regular tofu, it’s best to press as much water as possible out of the tofu before cooking for both texture and flavor.  If you don’t have a tofu press, simply wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel or paper towels, set it between 2 plates, and put some sort of weight – a big can of tomatoes or books as in the picture.tofu scramble mis en place

Related to the picture, it’s always helpful to gather and prep all your ingredients before staring to cook.

Turmeric is a nice ingredient to include because it gives the scramble an appealing yellow color. It’s also one of those healthful ingredients – with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties – that’s good to incorporate into your diet as much as possible. You don’t use much in this recipe, and it doesn’t do much flavor-wise, so it’s optional.

The nutritional yeast does add to the flavor as well as the nutrition, but the dish still works well without it.

You can vary your scramble in almost infinite ways, using your favorite – or whatever is on-hand – produce and herb-spice flavor profiles.

RECIPE –  Serves 2-4

Ingredients

  • As needed, olive or canola oil
  • 16-ounce package, firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • ½ teaspoon, turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons, nutritional yeast flakes
  • ½-1 teaspoon, onion powder
  • ½-1 teaspoon, garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon, tamari sauce
  • To taste, Salt and pepper (you won’t need much salt because of tamari, so go easy)
  • As needed, optional spices such as hot pepper flakes/cayenne, chili, cumin
  • Vegetables: (Can add whatever you like)
  • 1 small onion, sliced thin
  • 4-5 mushrooms, sliced
  • Few handfuls  baby spinach
  • 1  tomato, chopped

Instructions

tofu scramble startedHeat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil so that the bottom of the skillet is lightly coated. Break the tofu into pieces and add to the hot skillet. Let the tofu cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu has released its extra water, and is starting to turn golden.

tofu scramble starting to turn goldenAdd the turmeric, nutritional yeast flakes, onion and garlic powders, and any optional spices, and stir to combine well.

Add about 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet, or you could use water instead.  Add in onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. tofu scramble finishedSeason with pepper and a pinch of salt, and let cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the spinach and combine. As the spinach begins to wilt, drizzle in the tamari or soy sauce, stirring until well combined.  Adjust seasoning per taste and serve.