Pancakes

Oh Hungry Girl.  I used to be such fan when I was doing hardcore calorie counting.  When you are on a calorie-reduced diet every little bit helps and HG has great short cuts to decrease fat and calories in our favourite foods.  Unfortunately a lot of her methods require you to purchase a lot of artificially sweetened, low-fat processed foods.  I am a fan of eating whole, real foods.  I still follow her blog and use her recipes (especially her salads--her salads are amazing) but I un-Hungry them and switch out the fake food for real food.  That means an increase in calories and fat, but I feel so much better eating real food again.  The 5:2 plan is so freeing that way.

Here is my version of one of her basic pancake recipes.

Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Serves 1

Ingredients 
1/3 cup oats
2 tablespoons dry pancake mix (or just use flour and a pinch of baking powder)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon 2% MF cottage cheese
splash vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, adding 3 tablespoons of water.  Add chopped fruit or a mashed banana, if desired.  Spray a non-stick pan or electric griddle with non-stick spray.  Preheat to medium.  Scoop out about 1/4 cup measures of batter onto griddle and cook until they start to look solid.  Gently flip.  Cook until the insides are set and the pancakes are nicely browned.

Eat!

**Hints:  these are not traditional pancakes.  Make sure you cook the first side long enough or the whole thing will fall apart when you flip it.  It will take a bit longer than you think. Also, there is no oil or melted butter in this recipe so you do need to grease your non-stick griddle a bit or you will be sorry.**

According to My Fitness Pal, here is the nutrition information:
Per serving: 349 calories, 45 gm carbs, 8 gm fat, 19 gm protein, 10 gm sugar

Breakfast tacos

This is less of a recipe and more of a framework.  Quantities of toppings will vary based on how many tacos your family will eat at at a time and how full you stuff them.  Use this method for making the taco shells and then go wild filling them! There is no need to get dressed and leave your house for this greasy spoon breakfast.

Fast Food-Style Breakfast tacos

Preheat your oven to 450 F

Take one package of thawed toaster waffles and flatten each one with a rolling pin.  
Carefully drape flattened waffles over your oven racks to shape them into taco shells.  
Bake for around 5 minutes until browned and toasted.


Prepare your filling:  scrambled eggs are a great start.  Add some crumbled breakfast sausage, bacon, shredded cheese.....use your imagination!  I'll bet anything you can stuff into a crepe would taste good in a waffle taco.  Banana and nutella?  Fresh fruit and ricotta cheese? 


Serve with syrup (or ketchup if you are my 10 year old).

Choco Banana Buzz Smoothie

I like to go running.  I find before a run if I eat the wrong things my stomach gets upset on the road, but if I don't eat I don't have the physical or mental stamina to have a good workout.  Smoothies help. It turns out if I don't have to CHEW my breakfast I can get the fuel I need to have a good workout without upsetting my stomach.  I threw this together and it was really good.  Do you need to shake up your smoothie?

Choco Banana Buzz Smoothie
Serves 1
In the bowl of your blender (or a jug if you use a stick blender like I do) toss:

1 banana, broken up
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup plain almond milk
1 scoop Chia Seeds (1 tablespoon)
1 scoop plain protein powder
1 shot espresso (you can make it with instant espresso powder if you don't have a machine)
1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder
1 dash cinnamon

Blend until smooth, pour into a large glass and drink.  (It  makes more than a demitasse full, I just did that for the picture!)  If you want a really thick smoothie, put it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to allow the chia seeds to soften and thicken the mixture.


 According to My Fitness Pal the nutrition information is as follows (I used Blue Diamond plain almond milk and Astro French Vanilla Yogurt in this recipe)

Per serving: 375 calories, 53 gm carbs, 9 gm fat, 33 gm protein, 9 gm fiber, 28 gm sugar.

Swedish Waffles

My friend Christiane is the breakfast Queen.  First, it was Pfannenkuchen.  Now it is Swedish Waffles.  She shared this recipe with me on a scrap of paper, written by hand.  I made them for brunch today.  They are rich and buttery with a flaky interior and crisp exterior.  If you don't make them for breakfast, they would make a fantastic base for a strawberry shortcake or as a garnish with an ice cream sundae.

Swedish Waffles

2 eggs
100 ml /approx 3 oz water
10 ml /2 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
180 gm/approx 6 oz flour
5 ml/1 tsp baking powder
125 gm/1 half cup melted butter
200 ml/approx 6 oz 35% cream

Mix eggs, water, sugar, salt, baking powder and flour in a large bowl.  Add melted butter and cream.  Mix well.  Bake in a pre-heated waffle iron per manufacturer's directions. Serve with fruit and your favourite waffle toppings!

Makes about 4 large waffles.

According to MyFitnessPal here is a nutritional breakdown:

per waffle: 590 calories, 35 gms carbs, 44 gm fat, 10 gm protein.

Pfannenkuchen

This is my friend Christiane's recipe for pancakes.  They are delicious.  They taste like an eggier version of a crepe.  I love mine with butter and jam, but applesauce is good too.

German Pancakes (Pfannenkuchen):

200g flour

5 eggs

400ml milk (or 200ml sparkling water like Perrier and 200ml milk)

a pinch of salt

a bit of sugar if you like (depends if you eat sweet or salty things with it)

Sift flour into a bowl and mix with the milk (or milk and water mixture) until smooth. Beat eggs with an whisk and add with salt and sugar to the four/milk mixture. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Depending what kind of flour you use you might have to add some more liquids to the dough. The dough should be really runny so you get nice and thin pancakes. Bake pancakes in a pan with a little bit of butter. Stack the pancakes and keep warm in the oven.

Most people eat the pancakes with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and applesauce (unsweetened or else it will be too sweet). Jam or maple syrup is also nice. If you like salty, try a hamburger sauce, ham and cheese.....or anything that you can think of. If you have pancakes left over, you can cut them up in very thin strips and put them into a broth the next day...hmmmmm....

Enjoy!

The Early Bird Gets the Cinnamon Roll

I woke up at 0530 this morning.  I couldn't get back to sleep.  I got up, played Sims on Facebook, watched a DVR'd episode of  Extreme Home Makeover and then decided I had time to make a really great Sunday Brunch.  I got out my bread machine and made coffee while the appliance kneaded my dough.  I made quite a few modifications to an existing recipe that I need to record them so I can make these again.  They are really, really good.

I started with this recipe.
I then made the following modifications:

• I subbed out 1 1/2 cups of white flour  and used whole wheat instead.
• I mixed the sugar, butter, and brown sugar together to make a paste.  I added about 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the mixture.*
• I sprinkled a few cinnamon flakes* and finely chopped pecans over the bun dough before rolling up.
• I was out of cream cheese so I blended a mixture of soft margarine (three tablespoons?  I didn't measure), the juice and zest of half an orange, a splash of vanilla extract and enough icing sugar to make it spreadable (2? 3? cups) to glaze the warm rolls.

 *I found xanthan gum and cinnamon flakes at my local health food store.  I am sure the cinnamon flakes are not crucial to the success of the buns, but I felt like there was not quite enough filling so I added them since they were in my cupboard already.  The xanthan gum is a food thickener that worked really well to keep the filling from melting out of the buns during the baking process.

2011 Milk Calendar: Sweet Cornmeal Surprise Muffins

I like baking on Sunday mornings.  I love cornmeal muffins.  I was really happy to try out this recipe.

Check out the recipe here:  Sweet Cornmeal Surprise Muffins

My notes: I love how you soak the cornmeal while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients.  It softens it up and takes away from the grittiness that corn muffins can sometimes have.  You don't soak it so long that you lose the lovely crunch that a corn muffin has.  I used Smuckers Double Fruit Strawberry Jam for the filling, but I am sure anything you have in your pantry would work well since the flavour of the muffin is so mild.  I might add a dash of cinnamon next time I make them.  I think cinnamon adds a nice flavour to almost any baked dish.  I also think lining your muffin tin with cupcake liners instead of just spraying with nonstick spray is a must since you run the risk of jam leakage and sticking with this sort of baked good.

I must make small muffins since I got 15 instead of the 12 the recipe specified.

The Verdict:  The muffin is moist, with a bit of crunch and the jam is a nice addition.  You definitely don't need butter with these.  Charlotte and Matthew gobbled theirs up.

Pancake Makeover

Pancakes are usually wasted calories. Yes, they are light and fluffy, but they are definitely not filling and I sure don't feel satisfied after eating them.

These pancakes WILL leave you feeling satisfied. They are hearty and filling and have a hefty 8 grams of protein per serving. That is twice as much as a pancake made from a regular mix. These pancakes also have all of the goodness of whole grains in them to give you lots of energy.

Just make sure to read ALL of the directions as the batter needs to sit around 40 minutes before you make the pancakes. Step 1 can even be done the night before so you are ready to roll in the morning.

I am not sure if there is an American equivalent to the main ingredient, Red River Cereal (man, you Americans have crummy Smarties, Kinder Eggs are banned and there is no Red River Cereal...how do you live??) Here is a place you can order it. Amazon has it too.

Anyhoo, without further ado, here is a really yummy recipe for pancakes in a way you probably haven't had them before

Hearty Red River and Oats Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Original Red River Cereal
• 1 1/4 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 2 cups 1 % milk
• 1 cup All-purpose flour
  
• 2 tbsp sugar
  
• 2 tbsp baking powder
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
  

Directions

1. Combine Red River cereal with 3/4 cup BOILING WATER and let stand 30 minutes
2. Add oats and milk, let stand 10 minutes, until milk is absorbed
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl
4. Add eggs and oil to cereal mixture. Mix well, and add to flour mixture, beating until smooth.
5. Spoon batter by 1/4cupfuls onto preheated lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Cook until bubbles break on surface and underside is golden. Turn and cook other side until golden. Serve hot with butter and syrup or honey.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

Calories 229

Calories from Fat 85

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 9.3g 14%

Saturated Fat 1.9g 9%

Cholesterol 74.8mg 24%

Sodium 25%

Total Carbohydrate 27.1g 9%

Dietary Fiber 2.2g 8%

Sugars 3.6g

Protein 8.5g 17%

Fat: 37%
Carbs: 47%
Protein: 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs.

What's for breakfast?

You have heard it a bajillion times. Breakfast is so important. I know it to be true. On days when I don't eat a proper breakfast I just set myself up for poor snacking or binging later.

What I choose to eat for breakfast seems to make a big difference too. A strange side effect that I seemed to have kept from my pregnancies is the need to eat carbs and not much else for breakfast. Anything but carbs and I get very queasy. Toast or cereal is just not filling and is usually loaded with too much sugar. Where does that leave me?

Oatmeal.

Oatmeal is filling, high in fiber, low in calories and you have complete control over additives and sugar. Cinnamon adds flavour with no calories and also helps keep your blood sugar stable.

Of course, oatmeal on it's own can get pretty boring pretty quickly. The trick is to keep switching things up. Here is a rundown of some of my favourite things to do with oatmeal.

• Grated apple, cinnamon, sugar-free maple syrup, spoonful of peanut butter
  
• add a teaspoon of plain cocoa powder to your cooking water, then top with 1/2 banana, cinnamon and Splenda (it's like dessert!)
• frozen berries , cinnamon, fat free vanilla yogurt
• Fruit cocktail and vanilla soymilk
  
• More ideas from Hungry Girl

What do you eat for breakfast??

Breakfast Treat.

Winter has officially arrived. There is snow on the ground and a chill in the air. Oatmeal is always welcome on a cold morning, but sometimes it's nice to shake things up a little.

Here is a variation I came up with when I had some leftover streusel topping from baking muffings.

Blueberry Streusel Oatmeal

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened.

Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Oatmeal
1 cup oats, regular or quick cooking
2 cups water
dash salt
2/3 cup frozen blueberries*
prepared Streusel
milk or evaporated milk

In a large microwave bowl combine oats with water. Add a dash of salt, if desired. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, then 60% power for 5 minutes if using quick cooking oats or 7 minutes if using regular oats.

Immeditaly divide cooked oatmeal between two large bowls. Top hot cereal with approx 2 tablespoons streusel each and and divide berries between the bowls. Mix well. Top with milk or evaporated milk to taste.

*You can thaw the berries beforehand if you want, but it helps the cereal cool down faster, which is great if you have hungry impatient kids waiting for breakfast!

You will have steusel left over, but just put it in a plastic container and store in a cool place.

Serves two

Pumpkin Pancakes

Sundays are pancake days here. Based on the ingredients on hand we rotate between standard pancakes, banana, gingerbread with lemon curd, buttermilk.....Bacon or breakfast sausage and fruit on the side.

I came up with this recipe when I was presented with a beautiful ripe pumpkin from my Aunt's garden a couple of weekends ago. It is delicious and the pancakes rise wonderfully high from the griddle. The cinnamon and nutmeg smell like fall to me.

The recipe makes a lot because we eat a lot! Leftovers can be stacked between squares of wax paper and then stashed in the freezer to be reheated in the toaster for a yummy breakfast later in the week.

3 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each baking soda and salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree

• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (flours through spices). Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except for pumpkin puree. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently fold together with a fork. Just before ingredients are combined, add pumpkin and finish folding mixture together. It will be thick.
• Spoon batter onto a non-stick griddle or greased frying pan set over medium heat. Spread the batter around with the back of your spoon a bit.
• Cook until undersides are lightly browned and the edges are set. Flip and cook other side. Since the batter is so thick you will not get tell tale bubbles breaking on the uncooked surface of the cake. Watch the edges!

Makes around 15 pancakes, depending on the size.
Serve with your favourite toppings. Maple syrup is fabulous with these, as are slices of peaches.

Almost Instant Oatmeal

Perfect to keep in the pantry--cheaper and more environmentally friendly than those tiny packets of instant oatmeal and just as convenient.

Apple and Cinnamon Oatmeal Mix

In a large bowl combine:

6 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup dried apples, diced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix well and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to six months.
Yield: about 8 cups total

To prepare: Shake mix well. In a large microwave-safe bowl mix 1/2 cup oatmeal and 3/4 cup water. Cook on HIGH 3 minutes, stirring every minute. (or do what I do and prepare cereal in an 8-cup glass measuring cup--I find that the the cup is deep enough that even 2 servings of oatmeal cooked at a time don't boil over)

Flavour variations: Change the oatmeal by substituting different dried fruits and spices. To make cream flavours substitute nondairy powdered coffee creamer for some of the skim milk powder.

Overnight Oatmeal Muffins

This is a recipe I really like from Cooking Light Magazine. By soaking the oats the muffins get a much lighter texture than other oatmeal muffins.

1 cup regular oats (I use quick oats and the muffins turn out fine)
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup dried blueberries
Cooking spray (butter flavour, preferably)

1. Combine oats and buttermilk in a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Place buttermilk/oat mixture and remaining ingredients, minus the blueberries and cooking spray, in a large bowl, mix well. Fold in blueberries.
4. Spoon approx 1/4 cup batter into each of 24 muffin cups that have been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in the center. Remove from muffin pans immediately and cool on wire rack.

I have made these with frozen blueberries and they are tasty. Do not thaw before adding to the batter. Chopped apple or mini chocolate chips would be good additions as well as any chopped dried fruit.

Makes 24 muffins
Per muffin: 105 cal; 2.2g fat; 3.1g prot; 19.4g carbs; 1.7g fib;19mg chol; 201g sod
2 points

Best. Cinnamon. Buns. Ever.

My good friend Cheryl sent me this recipe and now I must share the love. You will thank me for this. Or maybe if your family is like mine, the buns won't last the weekend. Then you may not thank me after all, but consider yourself warned. Cheryl says they freeze well, but you may never find out. If you are feeling dangerous, try them with cream cheese icing and toast your nuts before adding--they will caramelize in the sugar and turn to candy in your buns. (heh, heh, I typed candy buns.)

Soft, Moist and Gooey Cinnamon Buns that will elevate you to domestic god(dess) status and cause your family bow down and kiss the ground you walk on and then volunteer to wash the dishes and do all the laundry and reorganize your shoe collection.