Gluten free pancakes, a recipe.

So I made a recipe. Kind of. I did what I usually do, found something edible, and tweaked it until I had something (that at least Josh and I found) spectacular. I also know that pancakes aren't exactly rocket science, but you should also know that before I perfected this recipe, I didn't even care for pancakes all that much. I ate them growing up, when my mom made them, but I didn't make any myself until sometime last year. Even then, I only made them twice, because it was a lot of work for something that was just barely satisfactory. I don't like making things if I can't make them with a 'WOW' factor, so I stopped.

Once I went gluten-free I didn't miss them, really. But then I discovered that you can use pre-mixed gluten free pancake and waffle mixes for a lot of things. There's a few different brands (1.2.3 Gluten free, Pamela's, Bobs Red Mill, Hodgson Mill, Bisquik) but I like Hodgson mill the best. Anyway, if you're new to the gluten-free life, experiment a bit, or if you're down for it, buy all the different flours (plus xanthan gum) and mix up a pancake mix yourself. I can't justify doing it, since I've cut my baking down to almost nothing, but I have found that it's handy to keep a box or two of mix around to use when I need small amounts of flour, or get that rare craving for a pancake.

Which is what happened the other night. After seeing at least three different 'cinnamon bun pancake' recipes floating around last week, none of which were gluten free, I thought to myself, "SELF. Those people are doing it wrong. You could do this simpler, healthier, tastier, and gluten free. GET ON IT." So I did. I whipped up a batter, threw together a simple icing, and ate them. And they were delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I managed to convert myself not only to being a pancake fan, but a pancake aficionado. I suddenly desired to make delicious, gluten free, gourmet style pancakes. I have plans for chocolate ones, carrot cake ones, and apple pie ones (with a special twist), but for the moment, let me present my version of the cinnamon bun pancake. I'm calling them:

The pancakes are delicious by themselves, but I took them to the next level with a simple cream cheese glaze in between them, and some strawberries on top.

Ready to whip some up?

Here's what you'll need to know first:
This recipes makes two servings (four medium pancakes) and the nutrition facts at the end are for one serving, half the batter.

If you plan on making the glaze, pull your cream cheese out of the fridge and let it soften. Get your eggs out too, and let them get to room temperature. I would do this at least 30 minutes before you start making the pancakes. Same goes for the strawberries - mine were actually frozen, so I put them in the fridge last night so they could thaw.

15 minutes before you start, get your chia seeds soaking in a small container.



Ingredients:


Pancakes:
1 cup gluten free pancake & waffle mix (or, if you're fancy, your own gf flour/xanthan gum combo)
2 tbsp sugar (I used powdered, but any kind works.)
*2 tbsp chia seeds pre-soaked for 15 minutes in 3 tbsp water
2 eggs
2 tbsp sour cream
¾ cup milk
1 tbsp high-grade maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

**Icing:
1 tbsp cream cheese
1 heaping tbsp powdered sugar (reserve some for sprinkling)
1 tbsp milk

Strawberries:
Strawberries, thawed from frozen or fresh, your choice. (that's easy enough, right?)

Process:


Start mixing your batter. Combine all the dry ingredients in one large bowl (pancake mix, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder), and your wet ones in a smaller bowl (soaked chia seeds, eggs, milk, maple syrup, and sour cream.) Whisk the wet ingredients together until everything is well combined. Then pour them into the dry ingredients, and mix that together really well. If it doesn't look runny enough to you, add some milk one tablespoon at a time. (This can happen if you wait too long to start cooking it, the chia seeds will keep soaking up liquid.)

Pour one fourth of the batter (or less if you want to make smaller pancakes) into a nonstick pan heated to medium heat. Flip when bubbles start popping up on the uncooked side.

While that's happening combine the icing ingredients together in a small bowl, and whisk them together until they're well combined and the consistency of a thick icing. Spread on top of one cooked pancake that's already been plated. Cover with another cooked pancake. It'll melt and start oozing out the edges. That's a good thing, don't worry.

Pour your thawed strawberries (or fresh ones) on top of the pancakes, juice and all, and then sprinkle the last bit of your powdered sugar on top. (If you have to reach in the bag and get just a little more on your spoon, it's okay. I won't tell.) Serve immediately, and devour.


Breakdown:


So, obviously these would not fly as low calorie, but they're definitely worth the splurge, maybe as a treat on the weekend. (I fit them in today by keeping dinner light, and napping through lunch, though not intentionally.)

They are pretty high in fiber, thanks to the chia seeds, and if you use the oil the box recipe calls for instead of syrup (boring!) you could cut a lot of sugar (and probably a few calories). You could also drop the sour cream (it just helps to keep them fluffy) or substitute butter milk or whipping cream in it's place.

Again, I'm no expert, so if you don't like them, tweak the recipe, I won't be offended. Just know that Josh, who doesn't have to eat gluten free, said these are the best pancakes he's ever had, gluten free or not. ;)

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*You don't have to use chia seeds in your batter, obviously, but I like them, and they really help to balance out the nutritional value without changing the taste very much.

**I forgot to mention that this is for one serving of icing. Josh ate his pancakes with just syrup.

Joining:

High fiber meal replacement smoothie

We all like smoothies, right? They're simple, tasty, and even in the dead of winter, there's nothing quite like a frozen treat. But a lot of them are packed full of sugar, and have no nutritional value whatsoever. And even some of the so-called healthy recipes you find online are good - but not great. I've been making healthy smoothies for years now, and have finally perfected my own personal recipe. It might not be for everyone, but I think if you give it a shot, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Supplies:

blender
kitchen scale (don't worry if you don't have one though)
large glass (it makes between 16 and 20 oz.)
measuring cup
spoon

Ingredients:

50 g kale (about three large leaves)
50 g spinach (about two large handfuls)
1 kiwi
1 cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
½ cup cherries
4 medium strawberries
1 tbsp almond butter*
¼ cup water or white grape juice*

(*optional - the almond butter can also be substituted with a different nut butter, 1 tbsp chia seeds, or left out altogether, which is a good option if you're using it as a snack rather than a meal. The water or white grape juice can be used if it's not liquified enough for you to drink.)



Process:

Measure out all your ingredients, and wash your greens. Because I use the smaller blender part, I have to blend twice, but if you use a larger blender you can probably get it all in one go. I pack in half my ingredients, blend, then use the spoon to push it down and make room for the other half. Blend one more time, give it a stir to make sure there aren't any chunks, then pour it in your glass and enjoy!

Nutritional Breakdown:

With almond butter:

With chia seeds:

and without either one:

Chia seeds are the best way to keep calorie and fat content low while getting nearly an entire days worth of fiber (depending on your personal goals). I use them on days when I plan on eating avocado later in the day to keep my fat intake in check.

The almond butter, though, has the unique ability to kind of take over, taste-wise, despite being the smallest ingredient. I suggest trying it this way if you've never added kale and spinach to a smoothie, and you're scared the taste will be overwhelming. (Although I must add - it's not!)

Plain is also good though - I never though that I could drink kale without gagging, but this is how I drank it the first time I ever added kale to a smoothie, and I loved it! I was surprised by how well the fruit cuts the bitterness and since that day I've never made another smoothie without adding kale and spinach.

This is a great smoothie to make to start your day, and you can even make enough for a whole week at once, then keep them in separate containers in the freezer; thaw it while you get ready in the morning, then stick a straw in and drink it on your way to work or school.

I love smoothies, for their versatility, and for the simple fun of drinking a meal. Let me know if you try this one, or what your favorite smoothie recipe is!

[Edit] One last note I didn't think to add...I used frozen berries since it's the middle of winter, but during summer I try to use fresh and just add a couple of ice cubes! 

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31 Days Series: Chili

I actually woke up in a really productive mood today and made chili, which I'll be sharing my recipe for today, and also started working on my angora sweater accessories. I finished the hat and leg warmers, but am still working on making gloves so I'm going to hold off and share that tomorrow. I may not have won the 31 day challenge (I know it wasn't a challenge, and I know there is no winner; I'm just talking about my own desire to actually do it) but I started strong, and I plan on finishing strong, so I think not giving up counts for something, right?!

Anyway. My chili. It's based on a recipe I found online a few years ago (I don't remember where) and have tweaked and messed with until I perfected it. It's been eaten by a pretty good number of people, and I've never had anyone not like it. I have had people not be able to finish it because of the heat (it's hot. like, HOT.) but even then, they tried. (I'm not bragging. Just sayin' if you make it, they will come.) So here's the recipe + the process, and if you try it, let me know how you like it!

(Fair warning: it really is hot. So if you're not tolerant, or will be serving it to children or weaklings, tone it down by eliminating the serranos or cutting back on the overall number of peppers.)

Part I: The ingredients.

You'll need the following:
1 lb of beef stew meat
1 lb of ground sirloin
*3 slices of bacon
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
4-5 jalapenos
*2-3 serranos (or habaneros, or eliminate these altogether; this is where the real heat comes from.)
1 can diced (or stewed) tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans black beans
1 can beef stock/broth
1 cup strong coffee
1 bottle dark beer
3.5 tbsp chili powder (I use half regular chili powder and half chipotle chili powder.)
½ cup of brown sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp corriander
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

 (*optional)

Also: A crock-pot to cook it in.

Part II: The Preparation.

Start by making sure you have everything you're going to need clean and easily accessible. Once you get started you don't want to have to be stopping every few minutes. Now, I start off with the bacon. I cut it up into tiny pieces with my kitchen scissors and let it cook low and slow. While that's going I chop up my onion. I have a handy dandy little chopper thing ($4.00 at the flea market, and worth it's weight in gold) that makes this easy and keeps me from getting the onion cries. Toss the onion in a separate, larger pan and start it cooking (low) too. Add the three cloves of garlic. Once the onions are clear, add the meat and turn the heat up a little. You just want to brown the meat. Meanwhile, check on your bacon, it's probably done. Let it rest on a paper towel while you chop up the peppers. Once the meat has browned properly, you're ready to move on...

Part III: Bringing it all together.

Now that everything is ready to go, you just have to toss it in the crock-pot and let it work it's magic! This is my favorite part though, I love adding things one at a time and watching it all come together.

Personally, I start with the meat and bacon, then add the black beans, coffee, beer, tomatoes, and peppers. Give it a good hefty stir, then start adding your spices. I always save the beef broth for last because sometimes I don't have room for the whole can, and I like to make sure I get all the important stuff in first! :)

Now for the hard part; the waiting! You can cook it one of two ways: 4 - 6 hours on high, or 8 - 10 hours on low. I've tried it both ways, and I've even done it 4 hours on high, then another 4 hours on low. It's one of those things that isn't an exact science so don't worry too much. The longer you leave it the thicker and better it will get.

And that's it. Let it cook up real good, making sure you stir it often especially if you cook it on high, and then ENJOY.

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