Banana Pancakes

Lately, I've been trying to reduce my calorie intake while still staying satiated.  A lot of overnight oats, low-carb high-protein muffins, and eggs.  I prefer the eating style of many small meals/snacks throughout the day (What? I like variety!) rather than 3 big meals--it helps me keep things in check and satisfy my desire for many tastes.  But this leads to not being able to partake in some of my favorite breakfast indulgences (I would kill for a full English brekkie one of these days).

Sometimes, though, you just want something.

It's been months since I've had pancakes.  I just..haven't let myself make them, which I guess is a good thing, because for a while there I was just baking up a storm constantly.  Pancakes would have just added to the torrential carb downpour :P.

Those of you in the paleo/gluten free/low carb world know the pain of flat, sad pancakes that barely hold together on the pan, let alone once they're on the plate and covered in your choice of syrup, fruit, nut butter, or what-have-you.  Not only am I tired of eating those kinds of pancakes, but I'm tired of serving them to my disappointed friends and family.  I feel like it's an insult to the glory that is delicious stacks of pan-baked comforting goodness that pancakes should be.

I delved into my new-found baking knowledge and decided to pull out the ingredients I have found most helpful in the last year, and I did it.  I made the fluffy paleo pancake that doesn't involve a million eggs, cheese, or coconut flour.  (Don't get me wrong, I love coconut flour...for some things.  But its texture and flavor often overtakes and puts me off.)

Are they low carb?  ...kind of?

Each serving of 3-ish pancakes has 21g net carbs.  I mean, we all know that's mostly the banana.  But it's worth it to me.  'Cause bananas are delicious.

Also, as with all things MyFitnessPal, I take some of these "facts" with a grain of salt.  It did, in the beginning, tell me that 2 bananas had over 2000 calories.

The recipe is as follows:

Dry:

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (or your starch of choice--you could also use tapioca to keep it paleo)

2 T ground flax meal

1 t psyllium husk powder

1 scoop unflavored whey protein (could also use vanilla)

1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

Pinch of salt and cinnamon

Wet:

2 medium overripe bananas

2 egg whites

2 eggs

Optional: sweetener to your taste

Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

Add bananas and pulse until mixed in, then add eggs.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, to allow the psyllium powder and flax to "gel".

Ladle onto a medium-hot griddle and cook until bubbles are popping in the center of the pancakes.  Flip and cook for one minute more.

Makes about 8 "normal" sized pancakes.

Serve immediately with your choice of toppings!  Maybe a little bacon on the side, too...

Links!

Good day, everyone!

No need to remind me that it's been almost a month since my last post.  I know.

Work has me very busy (I'm full-time with a schedule ALL over the place) and I honestly haven't much time to cook, let alone blog it.

I promise I'll get better at managing my time.

Here's a link post for you all, though.

Things I'm loving lately:

BREAKFAST:

I make a mish-mash of these two recipes: http://mouthwateringfoods.blogspot.com/2013/03/chocolate-steel-cut-oats.html and http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/04/chocolate-banana-baked-oatmeal-359.html.  I'm obsessed with overnight oats.  So simple (throw everything in your slow-cooker and leave it!) and delicious, with so many options!  It makes morning meals really quick and tasty.  The browned bits on the edges are sometimes the best thing ever.

Protein pancakes are awesome!  Some recipes are paleo, some are low-carb, but all are delicious!

DINNERS:

Brisket!  Brisket is so easy to find here!  We made this BBQ brisket recipe with my parents one night.  *drools* So good.  We used a local place's barbecue sauces and it was divine.

This vegan kabocha-lentil curry is fantastic and flavorful, though I recommend doubling the spices (and definitely add the tomatoes.

I would have these sweet potato burgers daily if I could!  I used coconut flour instead of quinoa and added flax and another egg.  They weren't as solid as the photos seem but oh my gosh were they tasty!

DESSERT:

The last two weeks have been filled with one dessert requested twice by my husband:  Lemon meringue pie. We've used Alton Brown's recipe and it's soooo good!  For gluten-free people, I suggest this pie crust recipe.  It's still not 100% foolprood, but it tastes great.

Pumpkin-Coconut Quinoa Breakfast

Looking for a tasty, flexible, and very healthy breakfast option? You have found it!

This is a really old recipe and I think I have the right measurements for ingredients--just take them with a grain of salt ;).

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and picked over
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (the drinking kind)
1/2 cup Sultana raisins
3 T. brown sugar or maple syrup (adjust to your taste)
1 t. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Toppings, as you like.

Instructions:

Place the coconut milk and pumpkin puree in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and add the quinoa.  Place the lid on top and turn heat to low, and allow to cook about 20 minutes (according to package time, of course), until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked through.  You may need to add a bit more coconut milk or puree as it cooks.

Stir in the brown sugar/syrup, vanilla, and raisins once it's done.

Top with your favorite nuts, berries, flax seeds, or other fruits!  Very easy, very filling, and very good for you!

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Belgian Waffles

No one's recipe looked good enough to me, so I kind of took from here and there and made up my own!

They're light, airy, and super-crispy.  Perfect waffle consistency.  Sometimes I get tired of our dense gluten-free substitutes.  But these are delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups Carol's sorghum blend (or other AP flour...the sorghum blend is 35% sorghum flour, 35% potato starch, 30% tapioca starch)

2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
Pinch of xantham gum
2 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 3/4 cup milk with 1 T. vinegar or loemon juice whisked in, left to sit for 10 minutes)
1/4 cup oil

Instructions:

Preheat your waffle iron.

Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix together buttermilk, egg yolks, and oil in a large bowl.  Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Using an electric mixture, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold whites into the batter until almost combined.  There should be small chunks of white throughout.

The batter will be thin.  Don't let that concern you.

Spray your waffle iron with a little oil.  Pour in 3/4 cup of batter (more or less depending on your iron size) and cook.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread Pancakes

I don't post many breakfast recipes because I'm always looking to recreate that perfect gluten-y pancake, without the gluten of course.  So far, I haven't quite found it.  Every time I think I have, it never works twice.

That being said, I really like these.  We always have overripe bananas on hand, and who doesn't love banana bread?  They're not too sweet, the texture is great, and they're pretty hearty as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I like to use half oat flour (oats pulsed into a flour in a processor) and half sorghum blend)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. sugar
2 T. canola oil
2 eggs
1 overripe banana, mashed
1/4-1/2 cup milk (cow, plant, whatever)

Instructions:

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

In another bowl, combine eggs, banana, and oil.  Mix into the dry mixture.

Add milk to the batter until it reaches a pancake-batter consistency (this will vary depending on your flours, so add as much as you need).

Cook on a heated griddle, until the edges are golden brown and air bubbles are popping in the center of the pancake.  Flip over and cook for 2 minutes more.

Of course, you need the bacon as well.  Duh.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, butter, and lots of fruit!  This makes 8-10 pancakes.

Would you like some pancake with your fruit?

Chunky Apple Pie Granola

High protein snacks are what I go for, and who doesn't want some tasty homemade granola on their yogurt every day?

This recipe is super easy, and can be low-sugar, low-fat, AND high-protein with the aid of protein powder.

And it's vegan!

Ingredients:

2 cups GF rolled oats
1/4 cup hemp protein powder (or protein powder of your choice)
3/4 cup nuts of your choice, roughly chopped
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup Splenda (OR 1/4 cup brown sugar)

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. maple syrup

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Mix all wet in a small bowl.

Combine and adjust applesauce/sugars until you get sticky chunks of granola (not too wet!).

Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring everything around once or twice during baking.

Once done, you can toss in whatever dried fruits you like.  It makes about a quart, and is DELICIOUS.  Store in an airtight container!

Vegan Mondays: Sweet Potato (or Butternut Squash) Hash

This is a great, great recipe for a very simple and quick meal that's also high in protein, fiber, and satisfaction!  While it's fantastic for dinner, I also think it'd make a great breakfast dish.  Credit to the original: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/sweet-potato-tofu-hash-vegan-comfort.html

Tofu hash is basically a mimic of scrambled egg hash, so crumble your tofu about the size you would want your eggs to be.  Seasonings and vegetables can also be adjusted to your own tastes.

I roasted my squash to get it caramelized, but if you're in a rush, you can very simply just pop your cubed squash in a bowl in the microwave and cook it for 5 minutes in there.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash or sweet potato
1 T. olive oil
Dash of salt, pepper, ancho chili powder

1 T. olive oil (more as needed)
1 shallot, diced
1 yellow/red/orange bell pepper, diced
1 15-oz block of firm tofu, pressed, crumbled
1 bunch green onions, chopped
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 T. coconut milk
2 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1 T. paprika
Dash of Hungarian paprika (optional, for heat)
1 t. salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2-1 t. liquid smoke (depending on how smoky you want it)
2-3 T. maple syrup

Instructions:

Cook your squash/potato by roasting in the oven at 425 degrees F (coated in the olive oil and spices) for 20-25 minutes, or in the microwave for about 5 minutes on high.

Heat up your oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat.  Toss in your shallot and bell pepper, sauteing until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.

Add in your tofu, green onions, and mushrooms, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the tofu is firming up.

Then add the coconut milk and spices/seasonings/liquids, stirring to coat, and allow to cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes (to let all the flavors mesh!).

Toss in your cooked squash/potato last, heat through, and serve!  I, of course, had to top mine with a healthy dash of Sriracha deliciousness.

Bircher Muesli

Yes.  I know.  It's been a while.

I have been busy with people/lazy with updating.

My mother came to visit, my sister came to visit, Charles got home, and there was much rejoicing *cue Monty Python clip*.

We've had a wonderful insurgence of fresh local produce at markets, so I've been going eggplant crazy and zucchini crazy and managed to get some strawberry jam made (now I need to do raspberry).  It looks like we'll be another year without blackberry jam...I don't know why, but no one seems to grow them here.  Sad face.

On with the recipe!

This is a very simple breakfast recipe with many, many variations and options.  It's very filling and nutritious, loaded with protein, and it can be made at the beginning of the week and had for breakfast all week long.  I discovered it at the (AMAZING) breakfast buffet we had at the Novotel in Sydney, Australia, and have been wanting to make it since.  My sister brought me some gluten-free oats (something else that seems impossible to find here), and I now can do just that!

Mine is super-simplified because I choose to add the toppings daily, rather than mixing them in.

Bircher Muesli

Ingredients:

3 cups prepared oatmeal*
1 cup unsweetened applesauce OR a combination of grated/chopped tart apples and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup of honey

Garnishes/Mix-In:

Chopped walnuts
Sliced almonds
Other nuts!
Sultana raisins
Dried cranberries
Other dried fruit!
Fresh fruit!
More yogurt!
Flax seeds

The possibilities are endless!

*NOTE:  Recipes I have read call for rolled oats soaked in apple juice overnight (not cooked), but I cannot find ANY gluten-free rolled oats here, so I used steel-cut, which you really, really need to cook, haha.  Left them a little under-done so that they would soak up more liquid and have a bit of texture to them.  If you want to make the "real thing", a good recipe is here: http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/bircher-muesli.

The original recipe from the early 1900s is here!: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli#Original_Bircher-Benner_muesli_recipe

Instructions:

Take your prepared oats, mix them in a large bowl (with a lid) with the yogurt, honey, and apples/sauce, and refrigerate.

Huzzah!  You are done.  Mix in or top with whatever you desire!

So far, the batch I made is a little soupy, so next time I will try soaking the oats in everything overnight to see how they do.  Also, it's been enough for about 6 or 7 Amy-breakfasts.  YMMV.

Snack-sized (maybe 1/4 cup) with walnuts and concord grapes (nope, not blueberries).

Breakfast!  Sliced almonds, banana, concord grapes, dried cranberries, and wild blueberries.

Ful Medames

I watch a lot of No Reservations, and in Tony's Egypt episode, he ate this awesome street food breakfast that sounds like "fool". It looked delicious--a reddish bean-y mixture topped with a fried or hard-boiled egg, scooped up with lots of pita bread and eaten by, according to Tony, a large part of the Egyptian population every morning. Hearty, healthy, filling, and tasty.

So I set out to find I recipe, and I think I found a good one after looking through recipe after recipe (and alternate spelling after alternate spelling). Do I know if it's super-authentic? No, I've never had real ful, but it was really tasty.

To compare it to anything else, it feels like having refried beans for breakfast, but no lard and way better. This dish probably, seriously, has at least half of your day's worth of fiber in it. This is why beans and lentils are allowed on low-carb, haha.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried, peeled fava beans (also called broan beans--try to find small ones, these are most authentic)
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 cup tomato, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 t. ground cumin
Salt to taste
2-3 T. lemon juice

For garnish: olive oil, butter, a fried or hard-boiled egg, or scallions

Instructions:

Soak your dried beans for 8-10 hours. If you want to have ful the next morning for breakfast, do this 24 hours before. This is where my recipe went wrong--my store didn't have dried fava beans (no matter how hard I looked, they never appeared!), so I had to buy canned ones, and this led to watery ful that I had to cook down. Basically place the dried beans in a pot, cover with water an inch or two above the beans, cover the pot, and let sit.

These are my dumb canned beans. They are large and not authentic, but I had no other option at my store.


After the beans have soaked, place beans, lentils, onion, tomato, garic, and cumin in a slow-cooker and cover over with water 2 inches above the beans (If you use canned beans like me, do not add so much water!). Cover the slow-cooker. Cook on low for 10 hours overnight.


In the morning, most of the water should be gone. Stir in 2-3 T. of lemon juice, and mash the mixture with a potato masher. It should be the consistency of refried beans (I didn't know, so I'm telling you). Excuse my different pot--I had to transfer all of mine to the stove to cook off the extra water.


Place in a shallow bowl and top with your garnish of choice! Eat with pita bread if you are not following low-carb.


Being the heat freak I am, I put in a hearty teaspoon of sambal oelek, and could have added more.


I waited ALL morning for this and it was so worth it. I would have eaten more if it weren't so late in the morning when it was finally cooked down.