Basic Paleo Pancakes

It feels like it has been eons since I posted a recipe, and while I have been enjoying sharing more life updates and fun posts it is time to get back to where this blog is really at. Allergy-friendly food!

Yesterday I whipped up a batch of pancakes which I adapted from PaleOMG. Her recipe called for milk which I decided to increase and then replace with a mixture of yogurt to up the protein content. I also added a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to replicate the taste of buttermilk and to sour the yogurt for a more traditional pancake flavor. Along with the eggs and coconut flour, the added yogurt amps the protein content of these pancakes up to 32 grams total or 16 grams per serving for two servings. For a recipe that tastes as delicious as this, that number is pretty impressive.

I further adapted the recipe by omitting the added honey and raspberry lemon topping so that these would be plain. That way this recipe can serve a base pancake and you can add whatever your heart desires! The yogurt and coconut flour add even sweetness naturally but if you prefer a dessert-like pancake you could add in a tablespoon or two of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, stevia or coconut sugar to keep them paleo).

Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Option, Paleo-Friendly, No Sugar Added

Makes 2-3 servings; 10 pancakes total

Adapted from recipe by PaleOMG

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup yogurt (use coconut or almond yogurt to make dairy-free)*
• 1/2 cup water*
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (link)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour (link)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (link)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle to 350 degrees or a skillet to medium-high. Coat with oil to prevent sticking.
2. Mix together the yogurt, water and vinegar. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients. In a separate larger bowl then combine all of the wet ingredients.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Let rest for a few minutes so that the coconut flour can thicken up the batter. After about 5 minutes check the batter. It should be the consistency of regular pancake batter- thick but easily pourable. Add additional water to thin out or additional coconut flour to thicken if necessary.
5. Using a 1/4 cup measuring scoop pour the pancake batter onto your griddle/skillet, spreading it out with the back of the scoop. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Repeat for additional pancakes.
6. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup, top with your favorite add-ons like diced apples or berries, and enjoy!

*Note: If you don’t have yogurt on hand, you can also replace the yogurt/water mixture with 1 cup of milk. Start off with about 1/2 cup and increase as needed to ensure the batter doesn’t get too thin. I’ve used 1 cup coconut milk before and that worked well.

Even though the pancakes went cold as I was taking pictures and I had to reheat them (whoops!), my family still said that these were the best grain-free pancakes that I had made yet! They are much lighter and fluffier than most grain-free pancakes because of the tapioca flour and baking powder lending themselves to become a staple in anyone’s breakfast rotation.

If you are wanting to make pancakes but don’t have either coconut flour or tapioca flour on hand, check out my pancakes tag for alternative recipes to hold you over in the meantime.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Questions for you:

• What are you having for breakfast today?
• How do you increase the protein in your breakfast? 
• Have you ever used tapioca flour before?
• What would you mix into these pancakes? 

Theirs, Mine, and Ours

Before I even jump into today’s post, I want to express my sincerest thanks for all of your comments on the vlog that I posted Friday. I cannot even tell you how hesitant I was to share it, and then how much I dreaded my decision in the few hours after. Where you all called me “cute” I saw myself as “flighty.” Where you said that I seemed so “relaxed” and “real” I thought rather that I was “rambling” (as I appropriately indicated in my post title for the day). I still think that most of you were just being nice, but all the same I appreciate you taking the time to watch it. I have no idea when I will make another or IF I can even gather up the courage to make another, but I’m glad I bit the bullet and did a second one (my first was all the way back in October 2012, more than a year ago!).

Also, another note before sharing some delicious food pictures with you all, I’m going to be blunt and admit that I have no idea how much time I will be able to spend blogging this semester. Right now in fact I should be reading for one of my classes but that will come in due time and staying up just a little bit later is definitely worth it.

At the start of 2014 I had all of these big plans for Eating 4 Balance including finally getting a self-hosted site, upgrading to a new theme, working on more professional pictures/recipes. Yada yada yada. Oh, and being more faithful with comments too. I know that January is not even half way over yet, but can I just say MAJOR FAIL? Sorry everyone. I’m going to do my best. It’s not really an option for me to quit entirely or take a break because blogging IS MY BREAK. Really, reading blogs and blogging is my relief from college life and classes. Take that away and you have a Madison ten times more strung out and scattered than you saw in my video (I think beginning to refer to myself in third person may be a sign that the craziness has already begun? Is there no hope of turning back?!!! 😉 ).

With those hundreds of words put out there, this WIAW will be probably less wordy and more picture-heavy than normal.

I called this post “Yours, Mine and Ours” to represent the variety of food that I made over the holidays and am about to unload on you. There are some pictures of food that I made for my parents and/or brother (theirs), some food that I made for myself (mine*), and the food that I made for both (ours).

*Although as noted on Friday, I have basically backed off of trying to add anything new. Simple is the name of the game once more as I try to go back to how I felt before the holidays. Meat and veggies here I come… Already feeling much better though thankfully!

THEIRS

Gluten-free buckwheat pancakes inspired by Gluten-Free Goddess

Homemade macaroni and cheese

Whole wheat pasta, organic cheese and milk

Pumpkin oatmeal with granola and almond butter

Oatmeal with pears, almond butter and maple cinnamon pecans

Quiche inspired by Meghan

Made with an almond flour crust, eggs, milk, cheese, seasonings, onions, squash and broccoli

Puppy chow for my brother’s New Year’s Eve party

MINE

Gluten-free and vegan biscuits

Oh so moist, flavorful and crumbly!

Homemade ice cream with goat’s milk and stevia

Gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free pancakes

Sweet gluten-free and vegan pancakes made with potatoes

Potato pancakes topped with New York maple syrup

Whole Foods salad bar: red quinoa, grilled chicken and cucumber slices

Chocolate pudding: cocoa powder, pumpkin puree, tapioca starch, water, stevia and frozen blueberries… yum!

Goat’s milk yogurt with stevia and frozen blueberries

OURS

Alright, so we didn’t actually share THAT much food-wise over vacation

Paleo pumpkin chocolate chip cake with a chocolate frosting (I just ate some of the frosting. It was amazing and tasted like a rich chocolate pudding.)

I do have plans to share some of these recipes eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later! 🙂

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Questions for you:

• Can you guess what inspired the title of this post?
• Do you make food that is just for someone else, yourself, or even both?
• What is your favorite food to make? Obviously mine is pancakes!

Spilling It in the Longest Post Ever (WIAW + Recipe)

Is that title daunting? Well, it’s daunting for me too. I basically fell out of the technology world for the past few days during my Thanksgiving break weekend. It wasn’t entirely on purpose though, thanks to my cellphone which has decided that while it will turn on, it will not STAY ON. So I just have a vibrating phone that won’t charge, and turns on and off every 30 seconds. Tis the season to be thankful, am I right?…

So with that said, you now know why I have not been commenting on blogs recently or been very present on this one. My blog life is basically tied to my phone and that is not being over dramatic in the slightest. All of my pictures are on that puppy, along with my WordPress app where I write a lot of my rough drafts and notes… And that’s where I comment a lot of the time too (so whenever you get some weird comment from me that is completely devoid of all grammatical integrity you’ll know it’s because I’m on my cellphone).

Thankfully my phone worked for a time slot of approximately 30 minutes yesterday where I promptly downloaded all of the photos I needed for today’s post, and quickly texted my mom to let her know I was alive but phone-less. Then it went back into a continuous state of on/off. *Sigh* Life is rough.

Aside from my ever unnecessary introductions that really serve no purpose whatsoever except to let me wax my wordy ways on you and give me an excuse to talk about something other than food…

I’m extremely excited to be able to participate in Arman’s first ever edition of Spill It Sundays! (catchy title, no? 😉 … although this post would be more appropriate if posted on Sunday. Maybe next week.)

Basically this new link-up has a bunch of fun questions in survey format that bloggers can answer so we learn more about each other. Ready for more unnecessary-ness from me? Great.

What is your cultural background?

American.

Haha. Okay, so getting a little more specific than that I think I have some German and Scottish heritage but don’t really know much other than that. I have some family history books at home that I should read someday so I can answer this question more accurately in the future.

When was your most memorable birthday and why?

I would have to say that my 16th birthday was my most memorable. I didn’t have a party or cake but I was on a high school band trip back from Disney when I turned 16. After one rest stop I came back on the bus to a whole bunch of noise makers and shouts of “Happy Birthday!” I thought that was pretty cool of them.

What is your #1 thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime?

To feel like I am doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like there is nothing better than to know that you are on the right track and doing what you were born to do.

What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?

How about this past Saturday when I dropped a hot crock pot on my foot? Does that count?

I should note that this is the least offensive picture I have. Maybe on Friday I will be brave enough to show the blistering one… If you think that you can handle the truth 😉

Who was your childhood hero?

As a kid I always looked up to the usual television stars like Hilary Duff on Lizzie McGuire, or Britney Spears who was just a music idol. But really my childhood heroes were probably the authors that I always read. Carolyn Keene specifically, who wrote Nancy Drew. I thought she was just amazing and I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. Then years later I found out that she wasn’t a real person and my dreams were crushed. Like I said… Rough life.

Now for the optional “Selfie.”

Just as a forewarning, know that most of my selfies will take place in the restroom where I find the optimal lighting 😉

Whew. How much more do we have to go? Just kidding. This is a blast to finally be able to blog again! 🙂

I was planning on sharing about my Thanksgiving in today’s post, but I’ll leave that for another day and get on with WIAW and a recipe!

As you could probably tell from my Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffin post, I am a proud new member of The Recipe Redux community. Every month there is a new theme that we can post recipes around. There is also often a product-type sponsor where we are sent a food product to try out for free and to incorporate into a brand new recipe. This month was all about Monk Fruit in the Raw. It is made from the same company that also makes Stevia in the Raw, Sugar in the Raw, etc.

I’ll admit that I was at first hesitant to use the product because artificial sweeteners kind of scare me. Monk fruit, like stevia though, is not artificial in the slightest and actually comes from a plant! Made from delicious vine-ripened monk fruit, also called luo han guo, it’s the zero-calorie* sweetener that tastes like sugar. Originally harvested in the 13th century, it’s been making life more delicious for years now.

Pretty interesting. I’ve already used it twice and have been impressed with the results so far. I’m not sure that I will be using it in future recipes, but it’s good to know the healthier alternatives out there. If I ever need to make something for a sugar sensitive individual though, I will definitely keep Monk Fruit in mind. (Here is a FAQ if you have any questions about it. For quick reference, Monk Fruit in the Raw is gluten-free and vegan. It does contain maltodextrin though which is not safe for those with corn allergies).

The first recipe that I made was a kind of Amish Friendship Quick Bread which I will hopefully be able to share with you soon as it was an enormous success with both a regular and grain-free version.

The second recipe, which I am going to share today for WIAW is so simple that you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboards already if you are into grain-free baking like me. No coconut flour in this one, but almond flour and Monk fruit in the raw make up the bulk of the dry ingredients, and yogurt provides most of the moisture. Add in some apple chunks and cinnamon and this is one tasty potential fall breakfast!

Easy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free, Dairy/Nut-Free Option, No Sugar Added Option, Paleo

Makes 2 servings, 3 pancakes each

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour (any nut or seed flour would work)
• 2 tbsp granulated sweetener*
• 2-3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (use coconut to make dairy-free)
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil (ghee/butter would be fine to0)
• 1 cup chopped apples (about 2 small apples)

Directions:

1. Preheat your griddle to 350 degrees or your skillet to medium heat. Coat/spray with oil if necessary to prevent sticking.
2. In a medium bowl combine your dry ingredients. Then add the egg, yogurt and oil mixing until thoroughly combined.
3. Using a 1/4 cup measure out your batter and pour onto the griddle/skillet. (You may need to spread the batter out a little bit to get the right size.)
4. Sprinkle some of the apple chunks over the pancake, pressing down if necessary. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the side facing up is bubbly. Flip and cook for about another 2 minutes. Top with more apples if desired!

*I used Monk Fruit in the Raw for the granulated sweetener to make these pancakes no sugar added, but you can use any granulated sweetener that you have on hand that fits your dietary needs). If wanting to use honey/maple syrup I would recommend using only 1/4 cup yogurt and increasing as needed to get the desired consistency.

I received free samples from Cumberland Packing Corp., maker of Monk Fruit In The Raw. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cumberland Packing Corp. and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time. (<<<My First time ever getting to post a disclaimer like that. I feel so official 😉 ).

Thanks to Jenn for hosting WIAW again this week! Make sure to check out all of the other bloggers who linked up 🙂

Recipe also shared at Real Food Forager.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Share with me a bad cellphone story so that I feel better about mine! 😀

Did you participate in Spill It Sundays? Answer one of the questions!

Have you ever tried Monk Fruit in the Raw? What is your favorite natural sweetener?

When was the last time you had pancakes? 

My Newest TV Obsession (And the Pancakes You Should Eat While Watching It)

I think Raymond Reddingtion may be my new favorite fictional bad guy. I also may be slightly idolizing over Elizabeth Keen and her super exciting job (perhaps not the whole abused-by-father and my-husband-is-not-who-he-says-he is backstory though… but that’s beside the point).

In short, The Blacklist is my newest television obsession. It has all of the necessary must-have pieces to be a potential binge-watching series. That is, if I ever fall behind on watching it on Hulu the day after they premiere. Which is unlikely.

There’s an intriguing criminal, a relateable main character, a twisted, action-filled plot in every episode, and lots of hidden secrets. Basically it’s perfect.

So do yourself a favor and if you haven’t already seen this show, go watch it. Now. And if you have watched it already, go watch an episode again just for me. Or scavenger YouTube for the preview of next week’s episode (oh wait, I already did that for you 😉 ).

I repeat: Go watch it NOW.

But first, make these pancakes so you have something to delicious to eat during the commercial breaks.

Paleo Strawberry and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Adapted from my Unbelievably Grain-Free Berry Pancakes

Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free, Paleo/GAPS-Friendly, Nut/Dairy-Free Option

Makes two batches of three pancakes

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp honey (optional)
• 1 small banana
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup almond flour (or other nut/seed flour)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• dash of sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup strawberries, frozen or fresh, sliced
• carob or chocolate chips/chunks (homemade)

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle to 350 degrees (or a pan to about medium heat). Coat with coconut oil, ghee, or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
2. Put all of the wet ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Then add the dry ingredients and combine again.
4. Using a 1/3 cup measuring spoon scoop portion out the batter onto your griddle in medium-sized circles, spreading with the back of the measuring cup if too small.
5. Cook for approximately three minutes, then place a few strawberry slices and carob/chocolate chunks on each pancake. Cook for another minute or two until the side facing up is bubbly. Flip and cook for approximately four more minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and serve!

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Happy Friday!

• What is your favorite kind of pancake?
• Have you seen The Blacklist yet?
• What is your current TV obsession?