Gluten-Free Sprinkled Pancakes

I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning (starting at 27 weeks exactly my body seems to be expanding and aching like crazy.  Hopefully this is just a good sign the twins are growing healthy and strong!)  Instead of making it to my usual Tuesday morning routine of aqua aerobics and 30 minutes of lap swimming, I decided to have a healthy breakfast and walk the dogs.  I did in fact have a very healthy breakfast--sweet pea greens and leafy greens with snap peas and an egg with broccoli....and then half an hour later I was sheepishly whipping up a very birthday-ish breakfast: pancakes with sprinkles!

Why not?  Though they look and taste decadent, they are a healthy pancake option and the only sweetness comes from applesauce and the bit of sprinkles (I highly recommend the gluten-free vegan organic kind without nasty artificial colors and sweeteners).  They are also super light and fluffy thanks to the lemon-nondairy milk mixture which imitates buttermilk nicely.

For a fast, yummy and fun breakfast (I'm adding this to my list of fun kid friendly food for when our girls are older), try this recipe!  Kids and adults will love this, and I do think it would be a great holiday, birthday or hey, random Tuesday treat! 

Gluten-Free Sprinkled Pancakes
yields 8-10 small pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten-free oat flour (aka finely ground gf oats)
1 tablespoon baking powder (corn-free like this Hain Pure Foods Featherweight Baking Powder, 8 Ounce)
sprinkle of sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice + enough coconut or almond milk to make 3/4 cup
1 egg or egg substitute for vegan version ( Ener-G Egg Replacer or chia mixture)
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons gluten-free organic sprinkles

Directions:

1.  Squeeze lemon juice (approximately 2-3 teaspoons) into a measuring cup and fill with nondairy milk until it totals 3/4 cup.  Stir and set aside to thicken slightly.

2.  Finely grind gluten-free oats in a food processor or coffee grinder until it resembles flour.
3.  Add baking powder and sea salt to oat flour, whisk and set aside.

4.  Mix egg or egg substitute of choice into "buttermilk" followed by applesauce and extracts then pour this into the dry mixture, stirring until combined.

5.  Gently fold gluten-free organic vegan sprinkles (I love Let's Do Organic Sprinkelz Organic Confetti Sprinkles) into pancake batter.

6.  Heat a griddle or pan, spritz with oil of choice and portion out 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.
Once bubbles form and it is set, flip and cook another two minutes, until pancakes are golden and fluffy.

7.  Serve plain, with syrup, honey or applesauce and additional sprinkles.

Mini Raw Apple Tarts

 I went apple picking with a friend recently, and came home with 6 lbs of little organic Fuji apples.  For some reason, apple picking has always felt like the "welcome to autumn" activity, and now it officially feels like fall.  (Especially when I am currently living somewhere that is hot for this time of year).  I miss Oregon fall season--the cool weather, rain and falling leaves this time of year.  I also had three apple trees in our backyard growing up, and though they were small, misshapen tart little ones, they produced a great applesauce or apple pie.

Though the apples I picked are good plain, they honestly aren't amazing; I'm an apple snob and Fujis are not usually my variety of choice.  I also learned the hard way they do not produce the tastiest dried apples.  They do however, cook well and I was curious to see how the perform in a raw dessert with other flavors enhancing the fresh apple taste.  The verdict?  Amazing!  My husband even exclaimed it tastes like apple pie, and with the "crumb" topping, it is similar to a crumb-topped apple pie.  I made four little mini tarts in this super convenient Chicago Metallic 4 Cavity Tartlett Pan, 10.60 by 9.90 by 1.30-Inch (the removable bottoms make it so easy to get the tarts/pies out), but you can use a regular sized pie pan to make one large one as well.

*to make them truly raw, you can use dried vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract and ground sunflower seeds instead of oats unless you have access to raw rolled oats, and raw honey instead of maple.  See bottom of page for additional substitutions!

Mini Apple Tarts
yields 4

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup dried mulberries
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
dash sea salt
1-2 tablespoons filtered water as needed

Filling:
2-1/2 to 3 small apples
1/4 cup dates
2 teaspoons ground chia seeds
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Topping:
1/2 cup roughly ground sunflower seeds or oats
1/2 cup almonds
2 teaspoons pue maple syrup
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Spritz or rub a mini tart or regular pie or tart pan with oil of choice.  I used a Misto Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer with olive oil for convenience, but rubbing coconut oil in the pan works perfectly too.  Set aside.

2.  Pulse the seeds or oats with the almonds in a food processor or chop with a knife until they are crumbly and coarse.  Stir in the remaining topping ingredients until it looks like a yummy granola.  Set aside.

pulse oats and almonds together until crumbly, not fine

Mix all topping ingredients together

Stir until mixed well and resembles granola

3.  In a food processor or similar device, mix the mulberries, dates and almonds, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt until it comes together like raw cookie dough.  Add a little water if necessary for dough to stick together.  Press this mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the dish you are using.

either white or purple-black mulberries will do!

4.  Peel and very thinly slice the apples.  I did this by hand; some food processors have an attachment to create very thinly sliced items, but I didn't mind if they weren't perfect; some pieces were thicker and I liked the varying texture.  Set aside.
5.  Puree the dates, cinnamon, allspice, ground chia all together with 1 to 1-1/2 of the apples.  It should be like a chunky applesauce.  Scrape down the sides as needed to get it as combined and smooth as possible.

6.  Mix the filling mixture with the remaining sliced apples, coating it well.

7.  Divide the filling/apples amongst the mini pans or place it all into your one large pan.  Top with the topping.  Freeze for 20 minutes to set, and store frozen.  Let thaw in the fridge or at room temperature just until the apples unfreeze but it is still chilled and set.  Also, you can freeze them and zap it in the microwave for a few seconds until the apples defrost if you're in a hurry.  We only have one left so I can tell you they keep for three days at least; they very well may keep longer and I'll update this with the exact maximum storage time if we can keep them around longer than a few days!

Alternate ingredients:
-Raw honey can be used instead of maple syrup
-I used gluten-free oats in the topping, but other seeds or regular oats work well too
-Almonds may be replaced with sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free option
-The chia seeds may be omitted in the filling though it may seem a little thinner (and with less protein!)
-Raisins or cranberries may be used in place of mulberries; I had just recently purchased an overpriced bag of organic dried mulberries from Whole Foods, so that's the only reason I didn't use another dried fruit.

This is the Misto I use to have a non-aerosol way of spritzing my pans with avocado or olive oil.
I love it!  Also, Amazon sells organic mulberries too if your local store does not.  Use the links below if you're interested to help me out and enable me to continue with my free recipes and sites!

This is 2-day old still delicious raw apple tart--perfect with chai tea!

Fresh apple tarts: gluten-free, vegan and raw!

Walnut Honey "Shortbread"

These little bites are slightly sweet and have a hint of the light melt-in-your-mouth quality that shortbread embodies.  They are a breeze to make, and taste best chilled or frozen but can also be eaten seconds after making.  When frozen I think they resemble shortbread even more in terms of consistency.

If you're sensitive to nuts, you can use all seeds or whatever ratio of nuts work for you.  For me, I use 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds as the first ingredient, or even 1/4 cup walnuts and 3/4 cup seeds.  On a hot day, especially after a run/walk/swim/what-have-you, it is pretty amazing to have a couple straight from the freezer.  They will stay soft yet be delightfully chill, making them a perfect summer treat.

Today after a lap swimming workout, I enjoyed a couple for a post workout treat and I must say they are one of my new favorites!  Speaking of lap swimming, I aim for 30-45 minutes per session and recently discovered the joy of creating a plan to make the swim time fly by.  A sample workout would be to do the following, repeating it if you'd like!

1.  Warm up 4 leisurely laps either freestyle or breaststroke
2.  Swim 4 laps at a higher exertion with a kickboard fluttering your legs keeping your head in the water and taking breaths as you would in freestyle.
3.  Swim 5 laps at a medium intensity.
4.  Leisurely swim 2 laps backstroke or sidestroke.
5.  With a float between your thighs, swim 2-4 laps using just the upper body.  Squeeze the float as much as you can with your thighs, even making little pulses.
6.  Swim 4 to 8 laps at a medium to higher intensity/speed.
7.  Cool down, 2-3 laps super easy.

Note: though I was forced to be on the swim team for years as a child, I'm no coach: I just took an online workout and tweaked it to my enjoyment/capability.  Use it as a loose guide and enjoy!  Now that I'm pregnant with my giant twin belly, the pool feels amazing and I can always count on swimming as a good way to exercise with no pressure on my joints.

Walnut Honey Shortbread
yields 16 cookies or so

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup gluten-free oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
(my lovely friend makes a similar cookie using stevia; use stevia to taste and omit the sweetener for a sugar-free version)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (soft, not melted)
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1.  Food-process the nuts (or seeds if substituting), and coconut.  Once it is pretty mixed and mealy, add in the rest of the ingredients.  Start with 1 tablespoon of water, adding more only as necessary for dough to stick together.
2.  Roll into 1 or 2 tablespoon-sized balls or discs and chill.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
3.  Enjoy!

Simple Cherry Date Bites

These fruit and seed balls are a breeze to make and only require three ingredients! (or four, if you opt to sprinkle in a dash of sea salt).  They also take about 1 minute to make, so it's a good quick snack to make.  They store well in the fridge, and you can easily pop some into a bag to take with you for an energy boost while at work, school or on the go.

Simple Cherry Bites

Ingredients:
6 to 7 medjool dates
1/3 cup dried unsweetened cherries
1/3 to 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
dash of sea salt
water, if needed

Directions:
1.  In a food processor, mix the dates (pitted), cherries, seeds and salt.  Sprinkle in water if needed for mixture to come together.
2.  Roll into little balls and eat or chill to firm up more.  Store extras in a sealed container in the fridge.  They will keep for several days and are very versatile; add in chia seeds for omegas and protein or nut or seed butter if you'd like a snack that's a little more filling.

Cinnamon Spice Zucchini Cake

This is a great, easy "cake" that can easily be a breakfast, snack, or dessert option.  It's also a good way to sneak in zucchini (especially if you have zucchini growing in your garden like crazy still) and also obtain a bit of that fall-is-coming spicy cinnamon aroma wafting through your house.

To be honest, I'm pretty excited about autumn and was planning on baking something with pumpkin and cinnamon, but since I didn't have any pumpkin in the house, I figured using up extra zucchini would be more productive and useful anyways.  This is also a really fast recipe; stir it up and bake 30-35 minutes and done!  (A little extra time maybe for the optional glaze, but really, it's a snap).

I ate two pieces and then the hubby and I walked the dogs along Asilomar Beach--today there was a triathlon taking place on the road near our walk, so I felt extra lazy stuffed full of breakfast cake walking while cyclists huffed and sweated as they streaked past us.  But hey, what else are Sundays for?? (Pregnancy has its perks, like when I eat two pieces of healthy-ish cake for breakfast and don't really care).  Or hey if you're not pregnant, and just want a great morning--I say dig in!

Cinnamon Spice Zucchini Cake
Yields 9x13" cake
12-16 pieces

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup nondairy yogurt OR 6 TBSP ground chia + 9 TBSP water OR 3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour or oat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups shredded raw zucchini

Directions:

1.  If using coconut oil, warm the applesauce and melt the coconut oil before stirring together.  Add in eggs or egg substitute, vanilla and sugars and whisk well. (If using chia seeds and water, as always, let it sit and gel at least a few minutes).  If using olive, sunflower or avocado oil, no need to heat the oil or applesauce.
2.  Whisk the dry ingredients together.  I used 2 cups Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour and 1/2 cup brown rice flour, but any flour blend might well except for coconut flour; that will make the recipe super dry.
3.  Stir in zucchini last, and pour into a greased or lined 9x13" pan.
4.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350F degrees.  (Check after 30 minutes; my oven baked it perfectly at 33-34 minutes.)  Your oven may take up to 40 minutes; a good way to tell is you'll start smelling it and when a toothpick is inserted into the cake, it comes out clean.

5.  Let cool, cut and serve.  Serve plain or whisk creamed honey, organic powdered sugar, and a few drops of water to glaze.  Store leftovers in an airtight container.  I prefer not to refrigerate baked goods as it will dry them out much faster.

P.S. want pretty reusable cake pan liners?  I'm obsessed with my easy-to-wash and very presentable Ikea Drommar Cake Doilies!

For the optional glaze:

I used Trader Joe's creamed honey and organic powdered sugar (corn-free)

Stir together honey and sugar, adding a little water if necessary 

Aim for a smooth texture with little to no sugar clumps--spreadable or drizzle-able is good

Spread, drizzle or squeeze out of a plastic bag for desired look.  Enjoy!

Leftover Quinoa Pancakes

Some mornings, I wake up ravenously hungry.  You would think I had put in a long run the day before but nope, it's just my new lap swimming and walking routine and oh yes, growing twin girls!

Yes unfortunately I'm no longer allowed to run for the duration of my pregnancy, but it has been a surprisingly easy adjustment to slip into swimming laps a few times a week, and maintain gentler yoga and barre-type workouts combined with long dog walks and the occasional easy bike ride.  I'm definitely moving slower these days and at a lower intensity, but I'm pretty much hungry all the time.

heading out to walk and swim...all the while thinking of what to eat for lunch

Often I lay in bed a few minutes after I wake, dreaming up what I'll have for breakfast.  This morning, I couldn't be bothered to cook anything, so I ate a leftover organic veggie patty and spinach from last night's dinner, followed by an umeboshi onigiri an hour later (Japanese snack of sushi rice, seaweed and umeboshi that I could eat everyday).

Yesterday though was a different story.  I wanted pancakes, and as I pondered what kind to make, I remembered the leftover quinoa in the fridge.  I wondered if I could do an easy eggy quinoa pancake, and it turns out--yes!  It's easy, fast, nutritious and pretty filling.  So whether you're toting around a baby or two, or just heading out for your typical active day, you'll appreciate this easy quinoa pancake.

Quinoa Pancake
yields 4

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup leftover cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon crystallized honey or date sugar (optional)

Directions:
1.  Mix all ingredients into a bowl.
2.  Heat a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add a spritz of coconut oil or avocado oil or oil of choice.
3.  Spoon batter into the pan, in a circle shape.  I cooked two at once, and ended up with 4 medium pancakes.  Flip once batter is set and golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, and flip for the other side for a remaining 2 minutes.
4.  Serve with honey or syrup or fresh fruit.  Enjoy!

*I drizzled mine with raw honey.  These pancakes soak up moisture fast, so it ended up being a fluffy spongey honey quinoa taste, which I loved.

By late afternoon, it's pretty much reading, resting and cuddle time with Yogi...we're both wishing we had more pancakes