Quinoa Almond Pancakes

Who knew quinoa could be so darn good in pancakes?  I was shocked how well these came out.  And my husband loved them so these are a keeper. I will never make regular pancakes again! 

I did not develop this recipe, it is from Jeanette's Healthy Living.  This woman must be a genius!  I've got to give credit where it's due.

Almond flour is a great substitute for white or whole wheat flour and I love using it.  I buy it from Trader Joes and keep it in a freezer bag in the freezer. It will go bad quickly and this way I keep it fresh longer. I just take out the amount I need for a recipe and return the rest to the freezer. You can grind the almond meal a little more to make it lighter like a flour but I used it they way it is and it was fine.

I also found out that when I blended the batter in the vitamix it was extremely thick and hard to blend. The reaction is to add more milk, but if you do the pancakes will be too thin, more like a crepe, and they are extremely hard to flip.  So try to keep the batter a little on the thick side.  I also cooked mine in Ghee although the original recipe calls for coconut oil.  I just prefer my pancakes cooks in butter for the flavor. 

I also served mine with a small amount of butter, hot syrup, and freshly sliced strawberries. Any type of fresh berry would be delish.  

Ingredients for pancakes:
1 cup cooked quinoa 
1 cup almond flour, or meal  
4 tbsp coconut oil 
2 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup almond milk 
4 tsp baking powder 
2 tbsp maple syrup 
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2 tsp salt 

Other ingredients:
Ghee 
butter 
maple syrup 
fresh strawberries 

Put all the pancake ingredients into a blender or vitamix and blend until smooth. Lightly grease a hot skillet and pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until brown, a couple of minutes, and very gently flip to other side and cook for about 1 minute more.  Plate and top with butter, hot syrup and berries.

If you have issues with sugar, or are diabetic, serve without the syrup. 

Breakfast Black Rice

Focusing on nutrition means I'm constantly looking for ideas, especially for breakfast.  I recently became addicted to black rice so making it for breakfast seemed like a great idea.  I make this and have it in the refrigerator for several days. I simply take out a portion, heat it up, and it's ready to eat.

Black rice contains magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc.  It is packed with protein and is slow to release to help with energy.  It is also high in amino acids and antioxidants.  This is why it is thought to be helpful with fatigue.   

1 cup black rice 
1 can full fat coconut milk 
1 1/2 cups water 
1/4 tsp sea salt 
1/2 vanilla bean, split  
1 Tbsp maple syrup, or coconut palm sugar 
1/3 cup coconut flakes, toasted 
Almond milk to serve 
Fresh fruit 
Nuts

Rinse the rice well and drain. 

In a medium saucepan combine and water, coconut milk, salt, vanilla bean and rice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer, with the lid ajar, and cook for 45 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.  Remove the vanilla bean. Add the maple syrup to combine. You could use coconut palm sugar in place of maple syrup. 

Toast the coconut in the oven, or toaster oven, until only slightly brown.  Add a sprinkling of it over the bowl of rice, pour on a little almond milk.  I might also add some fresh fruit if I have it, like strawberries, and some nuts.  I especially like pumpkin seeds.  

If you want to bump it up some make some homemade almond milk for this. I recently tried it and gosh it was so good. 

Coconut flour and chia seed mini muffins

I've been experimenting a lot with gluten free flour products and coconut flour is my new favorite so I tried making these muffins with coconut flour and chia seeds.  Chia seeds are so healthy because they are a great source of omega 3's.  If I can get them into a muffin I'm going to be feeling pretty healthy when I eat it. 

The difficult part about not eating gluten is that I desperately miss bread.    I used to make homemade bread and eat it while it was still warm with butter. My mouth is salivating.  So you will understand that since I can't do that anymore I really miss bread and bread like products. If I can find a recipe that helps with that craving and it is healthy I am in.  I made a batch of these and kept them by the coffee maker for a few days so I could have two with my coffee each morning. What a splurge for me!

Remember these are mini muffins, not full size, so they are tiny. These would be great if you were having the girls over for brunch. It's a nice little treat but not so horrible anyone is going to feel guilty about eating it.   

Ingredients: 
3 large eggs, room temp 
1/4 unsweetened applesauce 
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 
2 tbsp chia seeds 
1 tbsp lemon zest 
1 tsp vanilla 
1/4 coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Sea salt, pinch 
Dried cherries, handful

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  
Use paper liners in the mini muffin pan or cooking spray for prevent sticking.

In a food processor puree the eggs, applesauce, honey, coconut oil, chia seeds, lemon zest, and vanilla.  Add the coconut flour, baking soda, ginger and salt and puree until smooth. 

Divide that batter between 12 muffin cups.  Press a few pieces of dried cherry on top of each muffin.  Press down slightly so they don't pop out while baking. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until dry when tested with a toothpick inserted in the center. Cool completely in the pan. 

Store in an airtight container.  

I want to thank Daily Blog Bites.com for the recipe. 

Homemade Lox

Yes you read that right.  I have always wanted to try my hand at making my own lox. I was standing in the store looking at some beautiful wild salmon that was on sale and decided right then and there that the time had come.  I've seen this done on a couple of food shows and I was so curious to see if I could recreate the same thing in my own kitchen. It's amazing what you can do when you have the right instructions and the best quality ingredients. 

There is a mustard sauce that goes with this at the end of the recipe. You can use it with the lox or use it on everything else. I baked some salmon one night and used it on that.  The sauce is fantastic! 

Ingredients for lox: 
3 pounds fresh wild salmon
1 large bunch of dill 
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar 
2 tbsp peppercorns 
1 tbsp fennel seeds


Cut the salmon in half and place one half in a deep dish, skin side down.  Cover with the chopped dill.  Combine and salt, sugar, peppercorns, and fennel in a small bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the fish. Place the other half of the fish on top, skin side up. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Place it in a larger dish then put some weight on top of the fish. I used big 32 oz size cans of tomatoes.  Place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, turning every 12 hours. You will need to remove the cans, open the foil, and turn the fish over. Cover back up again, place the weight on, and put it back in the frig until the next turn.

Once it is done curing, remove all the stuff from the fish. Don't wash it because you will lose flavor, simply take a paper towel and wipe it all off until it is clean.  Then take a very sharp knife and start slicing thin slices on the diagonal. Cut down until you get to the skin then stop. 

You can serve this on pumpernickel bread with the mustard sauce, or use on bagels with cream cheese. 


The perfect Sunday morning breakfast!

Ingredients for mustard sauce: 
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp dry mustard 
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tarragon vinegar
1/3 olive oil 
3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped 

Combine everything but the dill in a small bowl and whisk until it is combined and emulsified.  Once it is thick and ready to serve add the dill and stir in. 

The original recipe is from Ina Garten. 

Oatmeal 101

Oatmeal can be a quick, filling, nutritious breakfast, but it's got to be done right. As with all food, once you start changing it from it's natural state it losses some of its nutritional value. Therefore, choose steel cut oats because it is a whole grain and it contains the most fiber and protein, and no sugar, which is extremely important.  Once you start selecting a lesser grade the fiber is less, the protein in less and now sugar comes into play.  The goal is that you want an oatmeal that digests slowly, that does not spike your glucose level, that keeps you full and satisfied until lunch time. That happens when you eat steel cut oaks. When you eat processed oatmeal you are eating sugar which now spikes your glucose level and burns through your system quicker, and can lead to hunger before lunch time. This type of food is also what eventually leads to diabetes.  But that's another article.  

Here's a quick example of the nutritional value of a serving of steel cut oaks, rolled oats, and one of the most popular instant oatmeal products. 

Brand                                    Cals     Protein        Fiber      Sugar      Carbs 
McCann's Steel Cut                  150       4.0            4.0         0             26.0
Coach's Oats Steel Cut             160       6.0            4.0         0             27.0
Country Choice  Rolled Oats      150       5.0            4.0         1             27.0
Instant maple and brown sugar 157       3.7            2.8         12.6         31.0

If you were only looking at the total calorie count of these products you would think the instant is fine to eat. But not all calories are created equal. Instant will put weight on you, the steel cut oaks will help you lose weight and will also improve cholesterol.  The instant contains sugar, and less fiber and protein, which is the problem and why it does not work in your body in the same way as the steel cut. 

The thing about steel cut oats is that because they are a whole grain they take longer to cook, however, there are a couple ways to deal with this. You can make a big batch at the beginning of the week, store it in the frig, and have it on hand ready to go for each day.  I buy a brand called Coaches Oats which is steel cut that has been slightly ground, so it cooks in 5 minutes.  You get all the benefits of steel cut oaks in no time at all.    

Now if you really want to up the nutrition you can add some fruit and nuts. I always put walnuts in my oatmeal because they contain omega 3's and you need the good fat.  If you have a long day and want something that will keep you full for hours on end try the recipe below. When I know I have a long day, or don't know when I'll get lunch I make this. 

Follow the instructions on the label for cooking.  Make one serving and then add a big pinch of cinnamon, half a sliced banana, 1/4 cup of blueberries, and 2 tbsp walnuts.  Chia seeds are also a good omega 3. You can add stevia if you need a sweetener.  

I also recommend adding some protein powder to your oatmeal. We all need protein in the morning.  If you have sugar cravings, eating protein in the morning helps alleviate these cravings.

If you are in good shape, exercise regularly, and have no issues with sugar you can add a small amount of brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup instead of stevia.  My husband loves dried cranberries in his, and he is in pretty good shape so he can have them. I have issues with sugar so I can't eat them anymore.  Therefore, I use stevia only. 

This is oatmeal you can feel good about. It does a body good. When eating, think about what you are doing for your body.  You are either doing something good or something bad.  Choose the good. Good health is your reward. 

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Around the holidays I love cooking and baking with pumpkin. The health benefits of pumpkin are many: it is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and high in fiber.

This granola is a healthy snack to have around, but I like eating it with some Greek yogurt and perhaps some fresh berries.  It also makes a nice gift. Put it in clear bag and tie it with some ribbon, or pack it into a nice looking jar. 

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup pumpkin puree 
1/2 brown sugar, packed 
2 tbsp coconut oil 
1 tbsp vanilla 
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp kosher salt 
3 cups rolled oats 
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped 
1 cup pumpkin seeds 
1 cup dried cranberries 

Preheat the oven to 325. 

In a large bowl add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, spices and salt. Mix well.  Add the oats and nuts and toss well to coat every piece.  Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and using a spatula, toss.  Bake another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the cranberries, toss again, then bake another 15 minutes. Total baking time is 45 minutes, in 15 minutes intervals. 

Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. 

Flaxseed Pancakes

I know what you're thinking. Flaxseed pancakes?  That sounds horrible!  Well hold on a minute, because they are not horrible.  They are not even close to horrible.  When I made them I was astounded (filled with overwhelming surprise or shock). Yep that about sums it up.  I was astounded!  These took me by complete surprise.  I made them because I am always looking for healthy nutritious recipes that up the nutrition quotient and provide good prolonged energy, plus flax seeds have Omega 3's which is a bonus. I had to try them for no other reason. I fully expected them to "taste healthy" but not be so great tasting. I gotta say I was completely wrong. These are so good that now I make them because I crave them. They taste just like a good blueberry pancake would and I love that I can eat them with abandon, feeling the energy and good stuff cursing through my body. Ok enough of that! 

This recipe is supposed to serve two but I made them one time and ate the entire thing myself. I could not stop. 

The protein power takes the place of the flour. A pretty neat trick if you ask me. 

The recipe:
In a bowl mix the dry ingredients 
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup protein powder (I use vanilla flavored) 
1 tsp baking powder 
pinch of salt 
1 tbsp of any sugar you prefer or 1 package stevia

In a second bowl mix the wet ingredients 
3 eggs 
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
1 tbsp Greek yogurt or sour cream 
Vanilla, a big dash 

Fresh Berries 

Add the dry to the wet and mix gently until just combined.  

Using a non stick pan to cook the pancakes, and no oil is necessary. If you want to use a small amount of oil, use coconut oil.

The topping should be fresh berries. I like to use blueberries Mash them and add a little sweetener of your choice.  Serve this over the pancakes.  You can also drizzle on just a tiny bit of maple syrup or agave if you  must have it but it is good with just the fruit.  

Options:  You could replace the yogurt with ricotta and you could add some chopped nuts. Yum! 

Breakfast Muesli

I discovered I love muesli.  I didn't know what it was until I stayed at the Bed & Breakfast that served it.  I tried it and loved it, and each year when we go back I would look forward to it. Even then I didn't know what it was called, I just knew I liked it.  I finally asked and so now when I see it in cookbooks and magazine I know what they are talking about. 

Since I am trying to amp up the nutrition in my food I thought I would put one together that had all the stuff in it that I like.  There are lots of different toppings you can add, just a pick a couple or several you like.

This is going to give you energy and it will stay with you until lunch.

Ingredients:
1 green apple, cored and diced small 
1 cup rolled oats or kamut
Goji berries, small handful 
3 tbsp ground flax seed
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1 cup of low fat Greek yogurt
3 tbsp honey, agave, or stevia
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

Mix together and refrigerate until cold.   When ready to eat take out a serving to a separate bowl and add desired toppings.  I like cinnamon, granola and nuts. I make this at the beginning of the week and it is ready for quick weekday morning meals.

Toppings:
Walnuts, diced
Almonds, diced
Granola
Coconut
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Pepita's ( pumpkin seeds)
Fresh berries
Banana

Your going to love it and need to make another bowl full for next week!

Quinoa Cereal

Quinoa.....breakfast of champions.  You either love it, or you hate it.

I've had a difficult time with quinoa.  I want to like it, but I don't.  I've tried several recipes for quinoa as an entree, or part of a meal, and I am never thrilled with the results.  But I want to like it because it is so good for you.  It is a grain that contains all the amino acids that make it a complete protein. That's hard to find and we should all be eating it on a regular basis to up our nutrient quotient.

The other day I was reading yet another cooking magazine and I saw, for the second time, a recipe for quinoa cereal for breakfast or as part of a brunch. I was curious about it, wondering if I might actually like it when made like oatmeal.  I do love my oatmeal so I decided I would give it a try.

I was lucky because I picked a rainy day, when it's wet and cold outside and you don't want to leave the house, you just want comfort food and your jamies. The result was fantastic, and I loved it!  Yes I said love!  It is delicious, she says surprised.  I feel so much better because now I know I can eat it with regularity and get the health benefits of it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup quinoa
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh berries
1 banana, sliced
Walnuts, small handful, chopped fine 

Rinse the quinoa and drain.  Heat the milk in a small saucepan, add the quinoa, bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a low simmer for about 15 minutes. Most of the milk will be gone, with just enough left to eat as cereal.  Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Eat straight away!

This recipe is so flexible you can add anything you want.  Other items to add would be:  almonds, pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, diced apple.  Fresh fruit is great but you could also add frozen fruit.  If you have issues with sugar use stevia, or another sweetner like agave.  

You can also use any type of milk you like, from full fat to skim, or almond or soy milk.  Use what you like.  Of course the more fat in the milk the better the end product but if you shy away from full fat milk use whatever you have.

I hope you will give it try.  You just might be surprised too.

This recipe serves 2.

Yogurt parfait

Yogurt Parfait? Seriously? This is what I have been reduced to writing about?

My friends are always asking how to eat healthy. I hear them talk about the big fat bagel with all the cream cheese on it. Or those breakfast burritos you get at work in the cafeteria. You can't eat that stuff everyday. Incorporating a breakfast like this a couple of times a week is a great start. When I say I have yogurt for breakfast I get this reaction like eeeew! Hey wait a minute. Continue reading.

It's quick, it's good for you, and it can be thrown together in a minute. You will get the protein in the yogurt, as well as some low fat calcium that is especially important for the women. The fruit is a great source of vitamin C, it has natural sugar for the body, and if you eat the blueberries you also get the antioxidants, in addition to fiber the fruit provides. The granola is whole grain with some nuts, usually walnuts, another food high in antioxidants. Seriously, this is some healthy food. I make this a little extra special by using a nice looking cup or bowl so it looks beautiful, and it adds to the brief moment of joy. And I do mean brief! Giving it a special name like parfait also helps.

I buy the Fage Greek yogurt. It is the only yogurt I can find that only has 8 grams of sugar. I have read every label on every brand of yogurt out there and they all contain excessive amounts of sugar. It makes me crazy, but that seems to be what the people want. I mean lets face it, sugar makes things taste good. That's what I want too, but I can't have it. If you have no issues with sugar then have it and be happy. Damn you! But I can't consume that much sugar anymore, my body cannot handle it.

So back to the point. I use one container of yogurt and I add some vanilla or cinnamon to it, give it good stir right in the container. Sometimes I might even add a little Splenda or some organic agave syrup, which is my fav. Then it is simply a process of making layers of yogurt, fruit and granola. I use a glass because I can see through it, and it looks so pretty when it is prepared. Start with 1/3 of the yogurt, then some fruit, then more yogurt, then some fruit, the last of the yogurt, some more fruit and then hit the top with the granola. 

I like to use berries, any kind, I love them all, but usually blueberries and strawberries, and raspberries. You can use fresh pineapple or papaya or banana, or any combination you wish. (Speaking of banana's, have you ever tried mashing a banana into your oatmeal?)

 

And don't even get me started on granola. That's another thing that contains tons of needless sugar. I make my own when I can and that adds even more enjoyment out of eating this.

If you want to boost it up a notch, add some flax seed or chia seeds and some walnuts.

This breakfast satisfies me. I feel good about eating it, it tastes delish, and I am satisfied so I don't snack.

It you can't sit in the morning and enjoy this in a beautiful container put it in a paper coffee cup and take it to go. Once you get to the office you can dig in. It's so much better than going to the cafeteria for that breakfast burrito!

Multigrain blueberry pancakes

I buy an all natural muti grain baking and pancake mix. It is simply grains, no additives. It contains very little sugar, only 2 grams per serving, but 4 grams of protein and some fiber. I always feel guilty when I eat pancakes and therefore I don't eat them very often. But with these I don't feel quite as guilty. They are actually more in the healthy column, as long as I don't pour a load of maple syrup over them. I try to use fresh fruit, and sometimes I put on a small amount of all natural peanut butter. All natural peanut butter has no added sugar, its just nuts, and high in protein.

There are recipes that usually come with the mix but I just make up my own.

Multigrain pancake mix
1 egg
1 fresh Orange
Cinnamon
Fresh blueberry's
Milk
Canola Oil and butter

I use one heaping tablespoon of mix for each pancake. If I want to make 6 pancakes I use 6 heaping tablespoons. Put that into a bowl. Add an egg.

Use a grater and zest the orange. Zest only the orange part, try not to get the white. Add that to the bowl. Cut the orange in half and juice the orange into the bowl. The zest and juice of an orange adds some wonderful flavor to the otherwise bland mix.


Add a bit of cinnamon. I add more than a bit because I like it that way. You can also add a little fresh nutmeg if you are so inclined.


Add some fresh blueberrys. Now you want to mix very gently and add milk until you get it to the consistency you want for pancakes.


I use a big giant non stick skillet because I can make several at one time. Heat it with a little canola oil and a small amount of butter. I like the flavor of the combo.

If I don't have blueberrys make other flavors. You can add vanilla. You could make them plain and cut fresh strawberries over the top. You could add an egg, or top them with peanut butter and syrup. Yes together. It's delish. Whatever flavor you decide, just make them for a nice Sunday morning breakfast. They are special. Perhaps with some pressed coffee?