Able Made Go-Getter: Chef KC Ward
March 23, 2020
Chef KC Ward is a non-stop Chef and Restaurateur who uses his creativity to build his farm to table menus and restaurant concepts. His newest flora restaurant in West Hartford, CT has an inspired plant-based menu and juice bar providing a unique opportunity for food choices in a balanced healthy living diet. Omnivores are welcome to this vegan focused dining experience with choices of local, 'viable fauna'.
KC is providing some amazing, easy-to-make pancake, soup and pudding recipes for new ideas for healthy and tasty meals at home. "The pudding and the pancake recipes are great because they're vegan AND nut/soy/gluten free AND they make good use of lightly browned bananas or avocados (that always seem to go from rock hard to mushy in the blink of an eye). The peanut stew is a hearty and nutritious meal and freezes nicely," KC shared.
Bon Appétit!
"Breakfast for breakfast, or breakfast for dinner! We’re kicking things off with a short-stack of gluten-free, vegan banana pancakes with brûlée banana, facon and our vegan butter."
BANANA PANCAKES
Yield: 10 large pancakes
Good for 2 days
Pancake Ingredients:
4 cups of rolled oats
2.5 cups rice milk
4 bananas
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
.25 cup cider vinegar
.5 cup maple syrup (+ more to garnish)
Method
Preheat non-stick electric griddle to 350˚F. Add all ingredients to blender with liquids and bananas on the bottom and puree smooth. Spray griddle with canola oil and add 3 ounce scoop. Cook until you see tiny bubbles throughout top side, then flip over and continue cooking for another 1.5 minutes. Garnish with Earthbalance 'butter' and maple syrup
"Our riff on a traditional African delicacy, peanut stew! Peanut, sweet potato, kale, tomato and more stewed down and served with a little rice. Spicy, savory, vegan and, most importantly, incredibly comforting and delicious!"
PEANUT STEW
Yields 1 gallon or 16 each 8 ounce servings
Good for 6 days in fridge or 1 month in freezer
Soup Ingredients
3 quarts water
1 each Spanish onion peeled & diced
.25 cup minced, peeled garlic
.25 cup minced, peeled ginger
.5 cup vegetable oil
2 large sweet potatoes peeled & diced
4 ribs celery sliced
4 ounces tomato paste
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flake
2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (add at the end)
Garnish Ingredients
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup roasted, salted and crushed peanuts
1 bunch of cilantro
Method
Simmer vegetables, add water and all but peanut butter and simmer 1 hour. Add peanut butter and stir in well. Lightly pulse with emersion blender
Garnish each 8 ounce portion with 2 tablespoons of cooked white rice, 2 sprigs cilantro torn from stems and 1 tablespoon crushed peanuts
"Chocolate pudding is a perfectly acceptable lunch when it’s made out of one of nature’s great superfoods, avocado! "
CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDING
Yield: 6 servings
Good for 4 days
Pudding Ingredients
2 avocado, flesh
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
.25 cup agave nectar
.25 cup maple syrup
.5 cup orange juice
.75 cup cocoa powder
Method
Puree everything in food processor or blender, garnish with brulee banana slices and chocolate nibs.
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YOUR IMPACT
To support your local restaurants, flora is on Grubhub for takeout, and running a special on gift certificates for an extra $10 for every $50 spent.
Photography: flora