Chocolate Pancakes

These are a fun breakfast surprise and no more "unhealthy" than any other pancake. The chocolate seems decadent, but doesn't come with the calorie count of chocolate desert. The boys opted for simple powdered sugar to top these with while I put some crushed strawberries on mine with a bit of powdered sugar. I opted for the lesser amount of sugar in the pancakes, but without the sweeter topping, they could use a bit more.


This is one to definitely repeat.

1 1/4 c flour (GF Mix - I used 1/2 c millet, 1/2 c potato starch, and 1/4 c oat flour)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t Xanthan gum (if using gluten free flours)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 c raw or brown sugar (1/2 c if you want a sweeter cake)
2 T cocoa powder
2 T oil
1 c milk (cow, rice, nut)
1 egg (or replacer)

Stir dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, wisk the wet ingredients. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Heat your a griddle and oil it with coconut or sunflower oil. Pour about 1/3 c of batter and cook until bubbles start to burst and the batter stiffens. Flip and cook the other side for another minute or two. Serve with powdered sugar, maple syrup, macerated berries, whipping cream, or your topping of choice.

Crispy Gluten-Free Waffles

Had I not made these waffles myself, I would have had NO clue that they were gluten-free. They were very light and crispy. I smothered mine with blueberry sauce while the boys opted for a just a bit of powdered sugar (because they weren't allowed a LOT of powdered sugar), and my husband went the usual maple syrup route.

1 c Millet flour (sifted)
1 c Potato starch
1/2 c GF Oat flour
2 t Baking powder
3/4 t Salt
1/2 t Baking soda
1/4 t Xanthan gum
1/4 c Brown sugar
2 Eggs
2 c Milk (I used 1 c Coconut Milk + 1 c Almond Milk)
1/4 c Oil

Mix together all the dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ingredients. All to sit for 1-2 minutes for the xanthan gum to activate. If the batter seems a bit thin, add in an extra tablespoon or 2 of potato starch.

Pour batter into a screaming hot and well oiled waffle griddle. Make sure the waffles are really done and crispy before trying to remove them, otherwise they tend to stick. Once you think they are done, give it 30-60 more seconds and you'll be glad you did.

We've been really happy with our Buckwheat Waffles, but these really taste like a traditional "plain" wheat waffle. Glad to be able to offer a bit of variety.

Fruit Pizza Toast

I hosted a Christmas brunch for friends and served a variety of dishes that were red and green - including this lovely. It can easily be adapted to most dietary restrictions.

Bread (French, Gluten-free, etc.)
Butter, Palm Shortening, or Vegan Spread
Cinnamon-sugar
8 oz Cream cheese (or vegan alternative)
1/4 c Powdered sugar
2 T Milk (cow, nut, rice, hemp)
Fruit sliced thin

This simple tasty treat is a great way to use up bread (gluten-free or regular) that is starting to go stale. Spread a thin layer of butter, vegan spread, or palm shortening on small slice of bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake in a 300 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk. Spread a thin layer of the mixture on top of each piece of toast. Top with your favorite slices of fruit and enjoy.

No Bake Energy Bites

I found this recipe for No Bake Energy Bites and adapted it. These are great for breakfast and a quick snack. They are rich and strong flavored. I listed what I used in red.

* 1/2 c Nut butter (almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or any other nut or seed butter)
* 1/3 c honey
* 1 c old fashioned rolled oats
* 1 c shredded unsweetened coconut (or wheat bran/germ, oat bran, some ground flax seed, ground nuts or sesame seeds.)
* 2 t vanilla
* pinch of sea salt
* 1-2 t your favorite spices or spice combination (optional - I used 1/2 t cinnamon)
* 1/2 c other add-ins (roughly chopped nuts or seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, etc)

Mix together the nut butter, honey, vanilla and salt if needed. Then mix in the remaining ingredients. I used
equal parts sesame seeds, coconut and mini chocolate chips. Mix well. Allow to chill slightly and then roll dough into 1-2" balls.

Keep refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to use. Makes approximately 18-24 depending on size.

Cinnamon French Toast

If I could keep cinnamon bread around the house, I could easily make cinnamon french toast. But cinnamon bread is a luxury that rarely finds its way into my pantry. Since that's the case, I make due with my own concoction.

4 eggs
1/4 c milk (cow, rice, nut)
1 t vanilla
1/2 - 1 t cinnamon (to your taste)
8 pieces of bread (regular, french bread, gluten-free, etc)

Whisk all ingredients together in a shallow dish. Dip bread in egg mixture to coat and place on a hot, well greased griddle. When the first side moves easily it is lightly golden, flip and fry until golden on the second side. Top with maple syrup, fruit, whipping cream, or your favorite toppings.

These freeze well. Simply pop into the toaster to re-crisp the toast. My kids like them cut into strips so they can dip them into the syrup.

Zucchini Bread Pudding

Why did I never think of this before? I love zucchini bread and I love bread pudding. Why not put them together and feast on their team effort? I broke a loaf of zucchini bread out of the freezer and made my plan. This plan is one that I'll be repeating for sure.

1 loaf of zucchini bread
4 large eggs
1 c milk
1 t cinnamon

Cube up the bread and put it in an 8" X 8" or 9" X 9" pan. Double the recipe for a 9" X 13" pan.
Wisk together eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Pour over bread cubes and use a piece of plastic wrap or the back of a large spoon to push the bread down into the custard mix. Allow to sit for 30 minutes - up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and back for 35-40 minutes until the top starts to brown slightly and appears to be dry. Serve warm or cool. Great topped with whipping cream or ice cream. Delicious on it's own.

Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins

Here is the promised recipe for gluten-free zucchini muffins. This is a spin off of my amazing (and healthy) zucchini bread.  This is one of the truly successful gf baked products that I've been really pleased with in a long time.

1 cup Chickpea flour
2 cups Oat Flour (I ground up Bob's Red Mill GF oats)
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Baking powder
3 tsp Ground cinnamon
3 Eggs (or replacer)
1 cup Applesauce
1 1/4 cup White sugar
1 cup Brown sugar
3 tsp Vanilla extract
2 cups Zucchini, grated
2 tbs Milled flax seed

1. Grease and flour muffin cups or use paper liners for 24 muffin. Preheat oven to 325 degree.
2. Sift flours, salt, xanthan gum, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pans, and completely cool on a wire rack.

Makes 24 muffins.

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

Ooooooo, another yummy smoothie favorite. It added a bit of tropical hope to the long, cold days of winter. The flavors just invoke thoughts of warms and sun. It's been a LONG and COLD winter so I'll take any piece of warm happiness that I can get.

2 c Frozen Strawberries

1 Mango

1/2-1 c Orange Juice (or Apple Juice)

1-2 T Strawberry Jam (to taste if strawberries are a bit tart)

Protein Powder (optional)

Throw it all in the blender and let it rip. Love this for a snack.Maybe I should get some of those little umbrellas for my smoothies and have a little tropical party? Nah, last time we had the umbrellas my boys used them as spears against each other.

What's your favorite smoothie combination?

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast has become a struggle in our world. Getting all of us ready and out the door in time to get the bus and to work on time AND eat a decent breakfast is a stretch. I manage to get the kids fed, but I've been surviving on granola bars. BUT NO LONGER.

I spent the night cooking breakfast for all of us for the next week. I have pumpkin pancakes, millet Belgian waffles (more like waffle shreds - but that's an epic failure story for later), chopped up ham bits, along with ham & cheese burritos in the fridge and freezer.

I've posted before about the breakfast burritos I made for my husband, but those were egg based. I am NOT a fan eggs. So I had to find another filling to keep me happy for breakfast. I had a whole bunch of leftovers and odds and ends around to use up so in they go. Think of it as a breakfast skillet in a tortilla. Eat it on your way (safely of course), for a quick snack, or just because.

4 med Potatoes, diced *
1/2 c Bell pepper, diced
1 c Ham, diced
1/3 c Cheese, shredded (omit if dairy free, but you might need to increase oil to 3 T)
2 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, or Safflower)
1 t Salt
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add potatoes and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened and browned. Add peppers and continue to cook 2-3 minutes. Add spices and ham and continue to saute for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat (if freezing allow to cool completely and then) and add cheese and portion out onto slightly warmed tortillas. Fold tortillas burrito style and wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags for later use.

WARNING: if you add hot contents to the tortilla and wrap them up, the steam will cause your burrito to become very soggy in the storage process. Only fill with warm contents if eating immediately.

* You could substitute southern-style frozen hashbrowns (the square cut) for potatoes for a short cut. I prefer the larger potato chunks and organic potatoes are far less expensive than organic frozen hashbrowns.

Skillet Potatoes

This is a super quick fix side dish that has a rich taste for little work.

6-8 med Russet Potatoes
1 T Garlic, minced
1 T Olive Oil
1/2 t Salt
1 1/2 c Chicken Stock
Pepper
1-2 c Green Beans (optional)

Wash and cut the potatoes into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Add oil to a skillet over medium high. Add garlic and potatoes and turn to coat in the oil. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Allow potatoes to brown slightly and then add chicken stock. If desired you can add green beans at this stage. Cover and cook until potatoes are cooked through and chicken stock is absorbed (about 15-20 minutes)

The flavor is rich and the potatoes melt in your mouth.

Let It Snow

A dusting of powdered sugar makes everything on our breakfast plates look like what we see out the window. Some pancakes, a few cookie cutters, and a shaker/sifter of powdered sugar - and you've got a party on your plate.

Welcome to winter.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Apple butter is one of those great fall flavors. I've also found it INCREDIBLY easy and inexpensive to make. Break out the slow cooker and it pretty much makes itself. If you teach my kids, act surprised when you get this for Christmas...
Apple butter is a great topping for bread/toast and all those traditional uses, but I've also started using it in baked goods like the Apple Cinnamon Frosting and in pancakes. If I can use pumpkin in it, I'm trying using the apple butter in it's place for a different flavor. It cooks very much the same.

This is at the early stage of the process.

5-7 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
3/4 c brown sugar**
3 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker and toss with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown. (I let it go overnight)
4. Blend in either food processor or blender for a smooth consistency (or leave it lumpy if you'd like). Return to slow cooker and continue cooking on low 1 hour uncovered.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze. To can, pour hot apple butter into hot jars and process in a hot water bath for 10-12 minutes.

** I use sweet apples (Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Gala, etc.) that don't require much added sugar. Sweeten to you own liking.

Donut Muffins

Donuts with Dad is coming up at school and I was trying to figure out what I could make to send with my son (who has multiple food allergies). I found the recipe for Donut Muffin at GFCF Frugal Abundance. I substituted almond milk for the soy milk, an egg replacer, and used a soy-free vegan butter spread. My boys and I devoured the entire first batch. And we have a winner.

I'll let you visit GFCF Frugal Abundance for the recipe, but here is a picture to drool over first. I'm going to try to make them in mini-muffin tins to make them more bite-size like a donut hole.

These are amazing as gluten-free, so I can only imagine that they would be fantastic with traditional flour - simply omit the xanthan gum. Her GLAD flour mixture is probably the best GF flour I've tried so far.

Mojito Melon

I found this recipe at the Betty Crocker website and served it at my son's birthday party over the weekend. It was wonderful. The lime and mint adds a great contrast to the sweet cantaloupe that it topped. This is definitely worth making again.


2 Limes
5-6 c Melon or Pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 c Sugar or agave
1/3 c Limade, mojito mixer or dark rum
3 T Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Put melon in a 1-gallon plastic bag or large sealable container.

Grate the peel from limes. Cut each lime in half and squeeze to remove 6 T of juice. Wisk together lime peel, lime juice, sugar, juice/rum and mint. Pour over the fruit and turn to coat.
Refrigerate 1-6 hour to meld flavors. To serve, drain marinade or push fruit cubes onto skewers. Discard marinade.

*Note, this picture was taken the day after the party. In the craziness of company, taking pictures of food wasn't on top of my list. Still tasted good, but the mint isn't vibrant green like it was the first day and the melon has started to get pretty soft.

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES

Summer zucchini is here! This is one of the best veggies to slip into cooking that the kids like and adds a bit of nutritional boost to what you are eating. This is a lot like my Zucchini Bread recipe that I love. It was a great breakfast treat.

1 1/2 c Flour (or GF Carol Fenster blend)
3 T Sugar
2 t Baking powder
1 1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Salt
2 T oil
1 1/2 c Milk (cow, rice, nut)
1 Egg, slightly beaten (1 T milled flaxseed, 3 T water)
1 Zucchini (about 1 1/4 c)

In large bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients; add oil, milk and egg and stir until flour is moistened. Grate a whole zucchini (peeled) and add to the pancake batter. Stir until well mixed.

Heat grill pan to medium heat and add batter to greased pan. Flip pancakes when bubbles come to the surface of the pancake. Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, or favorite topping.

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

So I've been researching breakfast cookies for a while. I knew that they would be an easy sell for the kiddos. A cookie for breakfast? They thought they had died and gone to heaven. I kind of mixed up a whole lot of recipes and added a few things of my own.

These taste great. But I need someone to explain the science to me about why the batter when contacted with air the batter started to turn green. The first batch turned out with just a green tint (pictured). The second set of cookies to go in were quite green from the sitting out in the air for 20 minutes while the first set baked. They taste completely fine and no one is sick, but something about the combination is making a green color. Maybe a fit for Christmas or St. Patty's???

1/2 c Sunbutter butter (or any nut butter)
1/2 c Applesauce
1/2 c Brown sugar, packed
1 Egg (or 3 T water/1 T flax meal mixed)
1 t Vanilla
2 ripe Bananas, mashed
1/2 t Baking soda
1/2 t Salt
2 c Flour (or Carol Fenster GF mix)
1 T Flaxseed, ground
2 c Old Fashioned oats*
1 c Dried fruit or chocolate chips

* I only have GF rolled outs so I pre-moistened them with about 1/2 c of apple juice and stirred it until the juice was absorbed.

Beat the sunbutter and applesauce until combined. Beat in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add in the bananas, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour and ground flaxseed, mixing until combined. Stir in the oatmeal and raisins/chips.

Drop 1/4 cup dollops of batter four inches apart onto parchment paper. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350. Let stand 1 minute on the tray, then remove to a wire rack.

Apple Juice Oatmeal

Ever wanted to eat apple pie for breakfast. Okay, confession, I have eaten pie for breakfast a few times. So here's my solution for enjoying those flavors without the guilt or having to hide in the closet with last night's dessert leftovers to avoid being seen by your kiddos.

You want to use old fashioned oats rather than quick oats. The thicker texture makes it so much better.Instead of cooking the oats in water, use apple juice and 1 t of cinnamon to cook the oatmeal according to package instructions. Bob's Red Mill has g-free oats that I used to makes this. A-MAZ-ING.

Living on the wild side? Top with a dollop of whipped cream and call it a bit of dairy for your breakfast.

Toppings:
Milk
Maple Syrup
Whipped cream
Applesauce
Diced Apples
Blueberries
Jam
Chopped Nuts: Almonds/Peanuts/Walnuts/Pecans

Buckwheat Waffles

Another success in gluten-free, egg free, dairy free cooking for me!! I made waffles that everyone liked. These came out really crisp and pretty lightweight. Make them g-free or with standard ingredients. Either way they are going to be good and really filling.

1/2 c oat flour flour*
1/2 c buckwheat flour**
1 c Flour (GF mix)
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t xanthan gum (only for GF mix)
1/4 c raw or brown sugar
2 eggs (EF, use use replacer)
2 c milk (cow, rice, nut, hemp)
1/4 c Oil (I used sunflower)

Combine all dry ingredients together with a whisk. In a separate bowl, slightly warm milk (not hot) and whisk together with oil & egg yolks (skip for egg free), then add to dry mix. Separately, whisk egg whites (or replacer) unto fluffy. Fold egg (replacer) into other ingredients. Heat and oil your waffle maker and cook until crisp

* Don't bother buying oat flour, it's expensive and easy to make. Stick a bunch of oats into the blender, food processor, or coffee grinder (cleaned) and powderize it. For GF, grind up Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats.

** Don't let the name fool you, Buckwheat contains no wheat and is actually gluten-free. Thanks to the pediatric nutritionist for filling me in on that.

TOP THEM: with maple syrup, jam, fresh berries, pie filling, compote, whipped cream, or whatever you like.

Feel free to freeze the leftovers. Pop them into the toaster for a quick breakfast.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 c GF Flour Mix (I used 1/2 c millet, 1/2 c potato starch, and 1/4 c oat flour)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t Xanthan gum
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 T raw or brown sugar
7 T pumpkin puree (about 1/2 can of pumpkin)
2 T oil
1 c milk (cow, rice, nut)
1 egg (or replacer)

Stir dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, wisk the wet ingredients. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Heat your a griddle and oil it with coconut or canola oil. Pour about 1/3 c of batter and cook until bubbles start to burst and the better stiffens. Flip and cook the other side for another minute or two.

These will have a slightly moist consistency to them but the flavor is great. My allergy son, who hasn't seemed to like much of anything I've made gluten free, loved these. Yeah for one small success. Oh, my husband and non-allergy son liked them too.

** Sorry no picture, they were eaten too fast and I was just overjoyed they were being eaten. I'll get a picture next time.

Fruit Smoothies

This is a old picture from my early endeavors making smoothies. Since then I've learned how bad those smoothies were compared to how good they are now. Oh, I'm also on a different blender thanks to the "help" of little hand in the kitchen dropping it all over the kitchen floor. Note to self: Don't let him hold on to the blender top.

We make these a lot because it's a great balanced breakfast on-the-go with both carbs & protein. It travels with you in a hurry. Make what you like and it can be gluten-free, dairy-free, or whatever you want it to be.

Here's a bit of a process to help you make up your mind about what you exactly want to drink.

1. Decide what texture you want - smooth & creamy or slushy & icy
2. What fruit and/or veggies do you want to use - yes I said veggies. I was a skeptic too, but fresh spinach is really nice in a smoothie
   
3. Liquid, if you are using frozen fruit/veggies than you'll need a liquid to thin it out
4. Patience, the longer you blend the smoother it gets - if you like bits, cut it a bit short.
5. How sweet - if the fruit isn't in season, you might want to combine with a sweeter fruit or add a bit of sweetness (honey, jam, juice/nectar
6. To add protein powder or other additives
   

Slushy - I like mine with little bits of fruit

• Fruit/Veggies - berries, peaches, melons, carrot puree, etc
• Juice/Water/non-dairy liquid

Smoothie - I like mine really smooth

• Fruit/Veggies - berries, bananas, mango, carrot, spinach, peaches, etc
  
• Yogurt or Milk
• Protein Powder
• Juice/Milk/Water

My current favorite is strawberry/blueberry smoothies with yogurt, juice, and protein powder.

I'm looking for new ideas. What's your favorite combination?