Gluten-free Dairy-free Quinoa Pancakes

Just made these this morning with some leftover quinoa from yesterday's breakfast. I was intending to eat them myself and save some for tomorrow. However, the kids (ages 8 and almost 6) asked to try them and they gobbled up all of my leftovers!!! I'd say these  were a huge success!!! The original recipe came from fitsugar.com, expect it was not GF or dairy-free, so I made some changes and they were absolutely awesome. I am trying to avoid extra sugar too, so I did not put any syrup on my pancakes. The recipe made about 10, but I had 3 as my serving.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (my cooked quinoa was made with almond milk, ginger,clove, cinnamon and nutmeg)

3/4 cup GF all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon course salt

1 large egg plus 1 large egg white

1 tablespoon Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons pure grade B maple syrup plus more for serving (optional)

Fresh fruit for topping 

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, coconut oil, almond milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine. (some coconut oil lumps may remain)
Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes.
Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter and remaining batter (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit or preserves if desired.

Basic Pancakes

WOW! After years of trying bazillions of different pancake recipes, some of which we've grown to love, I finally found a basic pancake recipe my kids and I devoured (hubby was already at work...next time babe :)). The great thing is that it is very versatile! You could add blueberries, mashed banana and cinnamon, nuts or swap out the regular milk for almond milk or regular flour for at least 1/2 whole wheat flour...etc etc! This recipe is a keeper for sure! I found it under Banana Pancakes on mybakingaddiction.com !!! There are a lot of other great recipes over there too! By the way, sorry there are no pictures, as they were eaten faster than I  was able to get my camera out!

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (sub 1/2 whole wheat flour)
1 T white sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk (sub almond milk)
2 T vegetable oil (sub grapeseed oil or coconut oil)
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
optional:
mix in 1 or more of the following
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
2 small ripe bananas, mashed
1/4-1/2 t cinnamon

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate larger bowl, mix together egg, milk, oil, and vanilla.
3. Stir flour mixture into liquid mixture and whisk until just incorporated, batter will be slightly lumpy.
4. If adding any optional ingredients, gently fold them into the batter.
5. Heat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1/3 cup batter for each pancake. Flip when bubbles appear and underside is golden brown. Serve immediately.

NOTE: My daughter said they were so good that they didn't even need syrup or butter! The first time to make them we made no substitutions and just used the basic recipe, no add ins!
I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

UPDATE 1/27/14: Since going gluten free, I swapped out the wheat flour in this recipe for Trader Joe's gluten free all-purpose flour.
A couple weekends ago I found this recipe at Everyday Belle, as I was looking for a healthier pancake recipe. Well, it was a HUGE hit with my kids! So, I just got done making them for the second time this morning, only I played around with the recipe a bit more today. The first time I made it I used plain, non fat/sugar free greek yogurt and surprisingly my kids still gobbled them up! Today, I had some left over orange flavored greek yogurt that none of us really cared for, so I decided to use that up in the recipe and I added 1/4 teaspoon of Spice Islands pure vanilla extract (which doesn't contain corn syrup, as many others do). I have to say (and I don't get paid in any way by the company...in fact I don't get paid for any part of doing this blog) that Spice Islands products are awesome!!! They are a bit more expensive, but worth it! A sweet friend of mine recently said that good things aren't always cheap and cheap things aren't always good. I think that is SO true! Anyhow, back to the pancakes...the batter is super thick, but they produce a very light pancake. Make sure you resist the urge to continue stirring the batter as you make the pancakes. It will fluff up a lot as it sits and that is what helps make them so great!
You can use any flavor yogurt you want, but the fact that my kids were just as happy with the sugar free version, I think I'll stick to that next time!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Thank you to Paige at Everyday Belle!

Ingredients:
6 oz (3/4 C) greek yogurt (any flavor, I used plain fat free)
1 egg
1/2 C Trader Joe's GF flour, scant...which means just a little less than 1/2 (I used to use King Arthur, unbleached/ not bromated)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (if using plain yogurt)

Direction:
Turn on the stovetop to medium heat using a griddle (or non stick pan). Spray pan thoroughly or butter if you desire. While pans are heating up, mix wet ingredients. Then, mix in flour and baking soda until well combined. Let stand for a couple minutes, until mixture is fluffed up (resist the urge to mix again). The batter will be very thick. Plop onto pan and spread gently with the back of a spoon. Flip when edges are looking a little less wet. They will not get the same bubbles that you may be used to seeing on pancakes, so you'll just have to test these. Flip an extra time, if needed, to ensure the batter is cooked in the center.
Serve immediately and Enjoy!!!

My Favorite Homemade Granola

Thanks to my dear friend Keli, I now have a wonderful recipe for homemade granola. I have tried many many recipes and haven't been too thrilled with any of them. A few of them were ok, but this one is absolutely awesome...so great that I'm not sure I will ever buy store bought granola again! I hope you enjoy it also!

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats (I used thick organic oats)

1 cup shredded or chipped coconut

1 cup nuts of choice, chopped coarse (I used walnuts)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil or 1 stick butter (I used coconut oil)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To stir in AFTER baking:

1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, raisins, etc.) optional...(I did NOT use any)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, silpat or grease.

In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, nuts and salt

The directions call to melt butter or oil in saucepan and blend remaining ingredients into oil, then pour over dry ingredients, but I skipped this step and dumped everything into the large bowl by accident. Fortunately, it turned out great.

Spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes (min took about 40 minutes), stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown. Do not overbake!

When it comes out of the oven it will still seem soft, but as long as it is nicely golden brown in color it should crisp up nicely upon cooling.

Place baking sheet on wire rack to cool. Once the granola has completely cooled, stir in dried fruit if desired and store in airtight container or plastic bag. It will keep for several weeks.

Makes about 5 cups of Granola

NOTE: Recipe from http://www.cookingforseven.com

Sweet Milk Waffles

I have searched high and low to find just the right waffle recipe. Some have tasted too eggy, some too dense, some too fluffy...Frankly, I was feeling much like Goldilocks! :) Until finally, I came upon this recipe from recipegirl.com! I adapted it a bit by subbing some whole wheat flour and adding some malted milk powder (which sounds weird, but really made a difference in the flavor to me!). My daughter loves to have waffles in the morning, but it isn't always feasible to whip up a batch before school. So, I make these and sometimes double the recipe and freeze the cooked waffles in a large ziploc. Then, on the days she wants a waffle, I just pop them in the toaster for a yummy and healthier breakfast! Best part for me (as always)...I know exactly what is in them!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (sub ½ whole wheat flour)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

ADD: ¼ c Malted Milk Powder, Carnation makes some (Heather’s secret ingredient)

OPTIONAL: add ¼ cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add milk, oil and eggs and whisk together until smooth.

3. Spray waffle iron with nonstick spray. Pour batter into iron until it spreads within about 1-inch of the edges. Cover and bake until done (on my waffle iron, the light goes off when done).

4. Lift cover, loosen waffle with a fork and serve immediately.

Yield: About 5 waffles

Baked Banana Oatmeal

My friend Keli emailed me this recipe and I find it to be absolutely delicious! I really enjoy baked oatmeal, but most recipes have butter or oil., so I loved the fact that this one is fat free!
NOTE: Original recipe adapted from the website "Kath Eats Real Food"

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (I used organic raw oats)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt (or 1/8 tsp. table salt)
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 to 3 T. light brown sugar, divided
2 ripe bananas, sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, milk, egg, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Add the oats to the milk mixture and stir to combine.
Spread half of the sliced bananas in a single layer in the baking dish.

Pour the oat mixture over the bananas and top with the remaining sliced bananas.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the oatmeal from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the top. (You can add more or less to taste.)
Turn the broiler on and place the oatmeal back in the oven. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the brown sugar melts. (Keep a close eye on it because the sugar can turn black if left under the broiler too long.)

Remove the oatmeal from the oven and cut into four pieces. Serve hot.

Easy Oats

Just a simple yummy oatmeal breakfast!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup fresh fruit (I used strawberries)
a drizzle of agave nectar

Directions:
Put oats and milk in microwave safe container and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave, stir and let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Put fresh fruit on top and drizzle with agave nectar. Enjoy!

The best cinnamon rolls EVER!

These are quite possibly the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. They take quite some time, but are totally worth it!!!

Ingredients :

Dough

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup margarine, melted

4 1/2 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur All Purpose)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mix all dough ingredients in KitchenAid mixer until thoroughly mixed/kneaded. Turn  out into greased (nonstick spray) bowl. Allow to rise 1 hour.

Mix all filling ingredients together.

On floured surface, roll out dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread  filling with fingers or spatula on every inch of rolled out dough. Once covered, roll dough from long side into a pinwheel.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Use unflavored dental floss to cut rolls into 2 inch pieces. Put floss under roll, cross over top and pull to cut off a piece without squishing the dough.

Place rolls into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Allow rolls to rise one more time for 1 hour. Brush with melted butter if desired.

Place in oven for 15 minutes. Top with icing while still warm.

ENJOY!!! These are a real treat!!!

*adapted from Clone of a Cinnabon recipe from allrecipes.com

French Toast Casserole

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made it several months ago. It was definitely yummie! I used a loaf of french bread that was a few days old and prepared it the night before. That way I was able to get up, pop the casserole right in the oven and have a good breakfast in 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
5 C bread cubes (or slices)
4 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1/4 C sugar, divided
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla extract
1 T butter/margarine, divided
1-3 t cinnamon (I use 3t...which equals 1T, I think french toast needs a good amount of cinnamon :))

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Breakfast Loaf

This recipe came from allrecipes.com and slightly adapted from my friend Stephanie. She thought this recipe sounded outstanding, but didn't think her husband would like it. But, he's already asking her when she is going to make it again. She added sauteed mushrooms and smeared avocado (after cooking). She said that this thing was sooooo good and they just added fruit on the side for a great meal.

Ingredients:

6 eggs, beaten

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1 T butter

1 (1pound) loaf French bread

6 oz thinkly sliced deli ham, divided

3/4 c shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided

3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine eggs, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet; add eggs. Cook and stir until set; set aside. Cut the top fourth off loaf of bread. Carefully hollow out top and bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. (Discard removed bread or save for another use.) Set top aside.

2. In bottom of bread, place a fourth of the ham. Layer with half of the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, red pepper, scrambled eggs and tomato slices. Top with the remaining cheese and ham. Gently press the layers together. Replace bread top and wrap tightly in foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

*Image from Ivy on allrecipes.com

Chocolate Dessert Waffles

I made these yummy waffles for breakfast the other day with fresh whipped cream. It was a major treat and definitely more like cake than breakfast, but I guess it is fun to do that every now and then. The recipe came from the Bisquick website.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick® mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together until blended well, but don't over mix.
Pour batter into waffle iron and cook as your iron directs.
Top with fresh whipped cream, strawberries or bananas.

*Image from foodnetwork.com

Cream Chipped Beef

My cousin in-law (boy that sounds funny), sent me this recipe. Their family enjoys it on a cold winter day. We have made this for dinner and we've also had it for breakfast with fried eggs. My kids like it too.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 dash pepper
2 cups milk
2 1/2 oz dried beef
(I like to add a dash of hot sauce and Worcestershire, just enough to add flavor not to make it hot)

Directions:
Melt butter
Blend flour and pepper
Stir in milk, with a whisk
Cook over medium heat until boils and thickens.
Reduce heat
Add sliced beef to cream sauce and heat.
Serve over toasted bread or biscuits and fried eggs (if you wish).

*Image by ehow.com

Sweet, but sugar free oats

I just made this up, because I needed to eat some breakfast that was sugar free. So I started adding things until I thought it tasted good. You could definitely add other dried fruits or nuts if you'd like.

Ingredients:
3/4 C rolled oats
1 C skim milk or water
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C unsweetened golden raisins
dash of cinnamon or apple pie spice

Directions:
Mix milk, oats and raisins in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 3-5 minutes until creamy (it will be rather thick). Mix in applesauce and cinnamon (or apple pie spice). Stir and eat!

Granola

I found this recipe in the BH&G New Dieters Cookbook. I made it exactly as directed and it is pretty good. I like the dried apple flavor. It does not taste anything like the Quaker Natural Granola that I buy, but it is nice and easy and especially tasty with yogurt and fruit. Most importantly, the kids gave me their approval!!! I did not stir it quite enough towards the end, so the edges browned a little more than I would have liked. It probably needs about 4-5 times being flipped around in the pan to prevent over cooking in one area.

Ingredients:
3 C regular rolled oats
1 C coarsely shredded unpeeled apple (I used golden delicious)
1/2 C toasted wheat germ
1/4 C honey
1/4 C water
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t vanilla or 1/2 t almond extract
non-stick spray

Directions:
In a large bowl combine oats, apple and wheat germ; mix well.
In a small saucepan stir together honey, water and cinnamon. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla or almond extract. Pour over oat mixture: mix well.
Spray a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread oat mixture evenly in pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven about 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally 4-5x's. Remove from oven to cool completely (it suggests spreading on aluminum foil, though I left it on the tray to cool) To store, place cooled granola in a n airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Serve with milk or yogurt and fruit.

Surprisingly Delicious Protein Pancakes

I found this recipe on http://www.discussbodybuilding.com and I also saw it without the additional protein powder on another site that I can't remember, so I kinda adapted to my own version a combination of the two. I was SHOCKED when I tasted them and they were good. Can you believe they actually look like pancakes too! I ate them plain, but have heard it is good with berries and cream or a drizzle of honey on top. You could also blend up things like flax seed meal, wheat germ, peanut butter or almond butter into the recipe. And get this...my son (2 years old) loved them (he ate the ones without the addition of protein powder)!!! Ooh I think cinnamon would be good in them too!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oats (I used quick oats)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used large curd 2 %)
3 - 4 egg whites (I used 3)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I tried about 1 T chocolate protein powder in half my batch!)

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. There will be little bits of oats remaining. Cook like regular pancakes in a pan or griddle. They will be more moist than the average pancake.
I'm actually not sure which ones I liked better...with or without the extra protein powder. The chocolate flavor gave it a nice taste too, but the plain was great especially if you are going to top them with something.
Have fun with this one and be happy knowing it's pretty healthy!!!

And Honorable Mention goes to... Great Ama's Cinnamon Rolls

Now who wouldn't love a recipe from a Great Ama? I personally have tasted these and they are quite good! Since the recipient is a friend of mine, I will make special arrangements for her prize. I will watch her kiddos for an hour or so to give her some time to clean her house (you know making cinnamon rolls can really mess up your house! just kidding...sort of!) and maybe even cook something yummy for her dinner or for me?! ;) Ok, so I guess I'd have to give her a whole morning to get all of that done! We will negotiate later!

Here is her recipe:

Great Ama's Cinnamon Rolls

In our house, my husband, Daniel, bakes. He makes these every couple of months, but always for Valentine's Day. They are not difficult as far as bread goes, but all bread is a bit time consuming. Not to worry, these are well worth your time!

Dough

7-8 cups bread flour (can use all purpose)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoon fast rising yeast
1 Tablespoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 3/4 cup warm water

Combine to make a soft dough. Turn out dough on well floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Divide in half. Roll out half of dough into 16 x 11 rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Roll as for jelly roll. Seal. Cut into 1" slices. Place into a 9 x 13 pan (well greased). Repeat with other half of dough.

Cover. Let rise until doubles (30-45 min). Bake at 375 degrees for 20 min. Cool 2-3 minutes and invert onto cooling racks with waxed paper beneath to catch drips. Let cool on cooling racks about 10 min before adding frosting (this is not an exact science).

Frosting (or sugary goodness)

3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoons water

Melt all together in a pan over medium low heat. Pour on top of cinnamon rolls (make sure that you have the wax paper underneath the cooling racks for easy clean-up).

Yummo! These are impossible to not consume in mass quantities. Can always freeze some if you MUST exercise self control. If cinnamon rolls are a day old or more, can zap for 30 sec in the microwave to gooey them up again!

"Playgroup" Granola Bars

Here is a recipe I found on allrecipes.com, but adjusted it a bit (lowered the sugar content and added some stuff). It says that the bars will be hard, but both times I've made the bars they have been more on the chewy side. My 22 month old has no trouble eating them.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (orignially called for 3/4 cup)
  
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (you could sub whole wheat flour)
  
• 3/4 cup raisins (optional...I used crasins and only added 1/2 cup - ie. dried cranberries)
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• I added 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• I also would like to add walnuts! maybe 1/2 cup chopped
• flaxseed would be good to add too!
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.