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.

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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? 

Marvelous/Not So Marvelous… And an Oatmeal Recipe

Marvelous is… the fact that I found an old bag of black licorice cough drops in our medicine cabinet.

Not so marvelous is… the fact that I even NEED cough drops due to “the plague.” 😉

Marvelous is… watching the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with my mom.

Not so marvelous is… now I’m craving pizza.

Marvelous is… celebrating one of my friend’s birthdays tomorrow.

Not so marvelous is… if I don’t get over this cold/virus/whatever-it-is I won’t be able to go.

Marvelous is… making breakfast on an actual stove every morning for my parents.

Not so marvelous is… Okay, I can’t really find anything wrong with this oatmeal. Ha.

Banana and Maple Pecan Oatmeal

Gluten/Wheat-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free Option (in Notes below)

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 cup liquid (1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup milk)
• 1/2 cup quick oatmeal
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (ground chia would work too)
• 1 tbsp sweetener
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• dash of salt
• “Maple pecans”: 3 tbsp pecans, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, dash of salt
• optional toppings (I used melted almond butter)

Directions:

1. Heat liquid on high until boiling. Add oatmeal and flaxseed. Reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes or until thickened.
2. Slice the 1/2 banana on top of the oatmeal. Stir and let sit for a minute until the banana gets soft. Using a fork whip the oatmeal incorporating the banana until smooth. Mix in the cinnamon and salt then pour into a bowl.
3. In the now empty pan put the pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Heat on medium until the syrup begins to boil and thicken. Pour onto the oatmeal and top with optional toppings.

Notes: To make this vegan/dairy-free use a dairy-free milk like almond milk or coconut milk. You could also just use all water for the liquid to make it nut-free but it won’t be as creamy. For the nuts, feel free to omit or replace with a nut-free version like sunflower seeds, pepitas, a diced banana or apple.

Marvelous is… doubling the recipe to make it for two.

Not so marvelous is… not having the right-sized pan and the liquid spilling over causing your stove to smoke. My bad.

Marvelous is… the truckload of Christmas pictures that I have to share with you.

Not so marvelous is… having to upload and edit them all.

So while I get on that, make this oatmeal, pop in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and get to reading some of the other posts that are linking up to Katie’s Marvelous in my Monday.

Hopefully I will be feeling better and able to comment on some of your posts that I’ve missed in the past week or so. Time to return to the land of the living! 😉

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Questions for you:

Which Ninja Turtle is your favorite? I’m partial to the one in red, Raphael. 

According to Nickelodeon’s survey though, I’m DONATELLO!

Like Donatello, you are a brilliant inventor. You may not make all of the Turtles’ gadgets, weapons, and vehicles, like he does, but you’ve got the brains for it! But sometimes you and Donnie are too smart for your own good, like when you’re too busy admiring an enemy’s futuristic laser cannon to run for your lives. But when it comes down to it, it’s other people’s lives that really keep your head in a mission. You fight with your heart, and that makes you a very powerful warrior.

What’s your favorite cough drop flavor? Black licorice obviously.

Have you gotten all of your Christmas photos/recaps up yet? I’m pretty sure I’m the last one…

Bring on the Heat (Plus WIAW and Recipe!)

Well, summer is certainly not over yet! That much is clear from the absolutely scorching temperatures that we had today. It’s quite deceiving to wake up in my dorm room to probably 65 degree frigid air and try to decide what to wear. A smart person would in fact check weather.com; however today I had my 8:00 am class so all that I was interested in was breakfast and high-tailing it out of there.

What was my clothing of choice? A blue, long sleeve thermal shirt and skinny jeans. I kid you not.

It was actually this shirt that I got for Christmas. Just swap the pajama pants for real pants. Now that I think about it, I think this shirt might possibly be meant for nighttime use only… Oh well.

For the sake of clarity it’s not really a thermal shirt as in say, oh I don’t know, long johns… But it sure felt that way from the looks that I was getting as I crossed campus later on. My fellow 8:00 am classmates all apparently missed the memo too so I was blissfully unaware of the lurking heat until I stepped outside after class was over.

That and the fact that my Business Communications teacher declared that we were going to be having a heat index of 100 degrees as she laughed out our choice of pants. Yes. Laughed.

I have to say that during my World Cultures Music class today though it was my turn to laugh as while the rest of the students were cold in their short shorts and tank tops I was just right (minus my uncovered sandal-adorned feet).

If you would like an exhibit of the immense heat that was felt by all in a 100 mile radius, check out this little guy that I snapped a picture of:

Before you ask NO he is NOT dead. I checked.

He was just one tuckered out dude. I would imagine that he could have really gone for a glass of cold lemonade or a nice Popsicle…

Or perhaps some vegan biscuits?

Is that a nod of your head that I SEE sense?

Glad you agree. 😉

Grain-Free Vegan Biscuits

Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free Option, Sugar-free, Paleo/GAPS-Friendly

Makes 4 ramekins

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (ghee or butter works too)
• 3 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour (use a seed flour to make nut-free)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2-1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning, rosemary (depending on taste preference)
• 1/2-1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease/oil 4 ramekins (you could also do approximately 6-8 muffin tins).
2. Mix flaxseed and water in a medium sized bowl. Let set for a few minutes to thicken (or microwave to quicken process).
3. Add the coconut oil and combine well.
4. Then add the coconut flour, almond flour, sea salt, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly.
5. At this point you will need to add in the coconut milk. Add in about 1/2 cup to start and increase by spoonfuls until the mixture is beginning to stick together (it should be very thick, but not crumbly/pourable.
6. Mix in the baking soda.
7. Distribute the dough evenly between the ramekins and use a spatula to spread out.
8. Bake for around 30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Slice and serve however you wish.

Note: The biscuits are moist on the inside so for something like a sandwich I sliced the biscuits in half, put them open face on a baking sheet, and baked them for about 10-15 extra minutes will I was preparing the sandwich fillings. This made them much crispier but it all depends on your preference!

For serving ideas, these biscuits would make great bases for breakfast sandwiches (egg, tofu, bacon, cheese, etc.), topped with gravy for biscuits and gravy, or made into burgers like I did:

Grass-fed burgers topped with sautéed onions in ghee and paired homemade butternut squash fries on the side.

Thanks to Jenn for hosting this weekly shindig, even though she is obviously super busy with her little bundle of joy (Congrats! 🙂 ). Still, why don’t you head on over and give her a big virtual hug. And check out all of the amazing WIAW food link-ups!

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Questions for you:

How has the temperature been for you recently?

What is your favorite way to eat biscuits?

Are there a lot of friendly little squirrels where you are at?

What recipes/food pictures did you share today?

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Edited to add:

I basically forgot that today was September 11. At first I was really angry with myself in forgetting, but it really made me realize that our country has come so far from that day. It used to be when I was younger that people talked about what happened all of the time. Conspiracy theories especially, which did absolutely no credit to the men and women who lost their lives on those flights, or the brave people who lost their lives trying to save them. I just want to take a second to say how grateful I am to be living in this country, and also how thankful I am to all of those who protect and serve us.

(Source)

I was in Elementary school when planes went down. I remember my second grade teacher turning on the television to the news footage for just a few minutes. I was young and couldn’t really comprehend what was going on. I had no idea that the twin towers ever existed let alone the fact that they were now just rubble. Maybe that’s why I don’t remember that day in an emotional context for me personally.

What I do remember is the emotions from that day forward however and how much it affected the lives of our country. My heart is with all of those who knew someone affected by the events on September 11.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

Coconut Flour Cinnamon Rolls

I didn’t really feel like it was that important to mention before, but today is my last full-time day at my internship. After this week I’m going to be working remote from my dorm room at school and the hours will be part time.

I’d like to say that I’ve loved everything about the job. But that wouldn’t really be true. It IS work after all 😉 What I can say is that I do not regret for a second my decision to take the internship. It’s pushed me outside of my comfort zone daily. I’ve learned a lot about patience both with customers as well as myself. Most importantly though I feel more experienced.

Nothing except for experience and practice can make one feel more prepared for the real world. I walked into this job knowing next to nothing about taxes and I’m walking out (well, I’m “half” out) much more knowledgeable and confident.

I also kind of feel the same way now about baking using unusual ingredients!

Practice practice practice

If at first you don’t succeed

Don’t give up just keep on trying

Til you get up to speed

A++ if you know where I got that quote from 😉

Now, it’s time to get to the recipe that I promised on Wednesday…

Okay, so the first thing that you’ll notice with these suckers is that they use a lot of coconut oil. Well, not A LOT a lot, but it ends up being about 1 tbsp per roll. I figured that’s alright since you all are huge fans of coconut oil too and it’s basically the most praised ingredient among food bloggers right now because of its amazing health benefits.

That said, I’m thinking that next time I’m going to experiment a bit with swapping out some of the coconut oil for perhaps some applesauce or pumpkin… or both? Um, yes please. Pumpkin + apple is only one of the most epic combinations ever! I may wait until pumpkin season is upon us for that rendition, but I can guarantee you that it is going to happen.

Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free, No Refined Sugar, GAPS/Paleo-Friendly

Makes six cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:

Roll Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ground flax seed + 1/2 cup water (or 4 eggs I want to test this out first myself to ensure that it works)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup to make this vegan)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

*For a different flavor swapping out the banana for pumpkin puree or applesauce would be absolutely delicious!

Filling ingredients:

• 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (enough to cover the entire dough)

*I’m thinking that some apple chunks in the filling would be amazing, as would replacing the coconut oil with applesauce here.

Topping ingredients:

• 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, softened

* You can use any kind of topping here. Greek yogurt + honey would be a good one. As would applesauce, nut butter, just a plain drizzle of honey or maple syrup. More cinnamon? You can never have too much cinnamon 😀

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the flax seed and water together in a medium-sized bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until thick.
3. Mash in the ripe banana and add the remaining liquid ingredients stirring well.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients until well combined. Add more coconut flour if necessary so the dough is not sticky.
5. Spread out another sheet of parchment paper and roll out the dough into a large rectangle (I just used my hands and it worked fine!).
6. Coat the dough with the 2 tbsp coconut oil and 2 tbsp honey for the filling and sprinkle with the cinnamon.
7. Roll up the dough and cut into six equal pieces. Place each piece on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Meanwhile make the topping out of the honey and coconut oil.
9. When the cinnamon rolls are done let cool slightly before topping and enjoying!

Notes: These are pretty nutrient-dense cinnamon rolls. One or two is plenty for a meal or snack, but I totally understand if you can’t just stop at one! 😉 If you are wanting to make these but you need a lower calorie version, here are a few suggestions- decrease the honey/coconut oil in the dough/filling to 1 tbsp in each part and replace banana and/or applesauce to keep the moisture consistent. Adding apple pieces to the filling to make the rolls thicker will also give you more bang for you calorie buck. As for the topping, you can simply drizzle the cinnamon rolls in just coconut oil or honey, replace it with some fresh fruit, cinnamon, or even eat them plain!

Shared at Food Forager.

Next week I hope to get busy in the kitchen as I know when school starts I’m going to rarely be home and have zero time to bake. <Insert sad face here> Look for a lot of food (as well as school) related posts coming your way soon!

Happy Friday everyone.

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Questions for you:

When do you go back to school?

What has taken you awhile to get the hang of, but you finally nailed it?

Looking back, what have you done this summer that makes it different than previous ones?