Carrot Cake Pancakes

What are they like? 

- Deliciously chewy

- Full of oats, carrots, raisins & walnuts

- Awesome with maple syrup & whipped coconut cream

Recipe

Dry
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
1 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup walnuts
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut 

wet
1 1/2 cups soy milk OR preferred milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 egg OR substitute vegan egg
1 tbsp honey, optional OR agave for vegan
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla 

Directions: 

1. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Then pour the wet in to the dry and mix until combined. 
2. Place a heavy skillet over medium high heat, like a cast iron, but any skillet will work. Add 1 tsp of oil and place spoonfuls of batter into the pan. Turn the pancakes over once small bubbles surface and start to pop. Cook pancakes for several more minutes and then test for doneness and repeat with another batch.
3. Keep them warm and serve. If you are feeling like going all out, bellow is an excellent topping! 

My favorite topping for pancakes, waffles, or french toast is as follows:
- a spread of almond butter
- sliced pear  
- frozen blueberries, warmed (the juice makes a great sauce) 
- maple syrup
- walnuts & cinnamon
- whipped coconut cream, optional 

Just place the toppings on the table and everyone can help themselves. 

Scrumptious Pumpkin Crepes

What are the flavors? 

- Pumpkin

- Melted chocolate

- Toasted Pecans

Recipe

Find the crepe batter recipe here. It can be made 1-2 days ahead.

4 servings, 10 minutes prep and cooking

1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp honey OR agave for vegan
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans 

Chocolate sauce
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or preferred chocolate, melted
1 tbsp dairy free milk OR regular milk 

Directions: 
Over low heat, stir the first three ingredients until warmed and incorporated. Then remove from burner. 
Heat the chocolate with the milk for 30 second intervals in the microwave until melted. Be sure to stir between each interval. If the chocolate feels hot the touch, allow it to rest at room temperature for a few minutes to finish melting. 
Then, fill the warm crepes with 1/4 pumpkin filling and drizzle with chocolate sauce and garnish with pecans. 

The best dairy free and gluten free Crepe Recipe

What is it like?

- Tender

- Moist 

- Perfect for filling

See the Mushroom Filling recipe below the crepe recipe!

Recipe

Makes about 6 crepes, 10 minutes prep, 15 min cooking

2 eggs
1 cup low fat coconut milk or water
1 cup cashew flour (I bought it at Trader Joe's)
2 1/2 tbsp potato starch
1/4 tsp psyllium powder
1/4 tsp salt
about 1 tbsp coconut oil or preferred oil for cooking

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.

2. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until the next day.

3. Place a wide, shallow pan over medium heat. Nonstick works the best, but you can use a different pan with additional oil. Add 1/2 tsp preferred oil to the pan and about 1/4 cup of batter. The crepe will begin cooking immediately after it hits the pan, so quickly tilt the pan so that the batter spreads evenly into a thin layer. If the crepe is too thick, add a little more water for the next one (a tsp at a time). Once the crepe looks firm on top, flip the crepe and cook for about 30 more seconds. Transfer to a plate to serve.

TIPS:

• For savory crepes you can add black pepper, a spice, or a dried (1/4 tsp) or fresh herb (1/2 tsp), like parsley or thyme. For sweet crepes you can add 1 tsp vanilla and/or a dollop of your favorite sweetener.

• I used to cook whole wheat crepes and the leftovers would become discolored. What is great about this recipe is that they look and taste fresh after sitting in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Mushroom Filling for Crepes

Recipe

Makes 4 crepes, 10 minutes prep, 5 minutes cooking

5 oz mushrooms (maitake are excellent but you can use white, crimini, shiitake, or preferred type)
extra virgin olive oil, as needed (about 3 tbsp)
2 oz smoked salmon, optional*
2 cloves garlic, optional
1/4 tsp dreid or fresh thyme
dash of salt

Directions:
Wash the mushrooms and allow to drain. Slice the mushrooms and sauté with garlic, thyme and salt over medium heat in a wide pan with 1 tsp olive oil until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Cook them in two batches so that they do not steam.
Place 1/4 of mushroom filling on a crepe with 1/2 oz salmon divided into very small pieces, and drizzle 1-2 tsp olive oil over filling. Roll up the crepe or fold it in quarters and serve warm.

*If you do not use salmon, you may want to add vegan cheese or regular cheese if you can tolerate it.

TIPS:
Do not over cook your mushrooms! You can test them as they sauté by removing one, allowing it to cool and then tasting it. It should have a bite to it. If it is totally limp, it will have lost a lot of its flavor and appeal.

Apricot Almond Granola

Ginger, Cinnamon, Apple & Almond

Recipe

4 cups gluten free oats
2 tbsp flax seeds
1/3 cup raw almond butter
1/3 cup coconut oil OR preferred oil
2-3 tbsp raw and unfiltered honey OR agave for vegan
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2-1 tsp grated fresh ginger OR 1/4 tsp ginger powder (optional)

1/3 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup sliced apricots OR raisins

Directions:
Whisk the almond butter, oil, honey, cinnamon, and ginger together in a large bowl. If the mixture is thick, give it a 30 second zap in the microwave or gently warm it over the stovetop until it is runny.

If you would like to keep this recipe raw (see note below), stir in the rest of the ingredients: oats, flax seeds, almonds, and apricots and store in the fridge.

Note: I prefer this recipe raw because it tastes very sweet with only a little honey. If it is baked, the sweetness will almost disappear.

Optional: To bake granola, only stir in oats. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, then stir and bake until is just golden brown, about 8 more minutes. Allow to cool, then add flax seeds, almonds, and dried fruit and store in airtight container.

Sweet Lemon Crumpet Cake

This recipe is delicious and full of healthy ingredients. It can be eaten with breakfast or at "teatime" and served with fruit and honey, or other favorite toppings. 

 

What is it like?

- Pefectly moist

- Lemony

- Just sweet enough

Recipe

Cook time: Prep 10 minutes, Baking 30 minutes

Dry
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Wet
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp lemon curd (OR 1 tsp lemon extract + 2 Tbsp sugar)
3/4 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9 inch round baking dish by placing a piece of parchment paper (cut to fit) in bottom of dish to prevent sticking, and then spray the paper and baking dish with plenty of oil, such as canola or coconut.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat sugar with egg whites to soft peak stage and then beat in lemon curd in small portions with beaters on low speed. Stir water into dry ingredients and then using a spatula fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour batter into a well oiled Whoopie pie pan, or you can use a 9 inch round pan, or a similar size. My favorite is the Whoopie pie pan because it makes small round cakes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.

Allow to cool in pan until just warm in pan. Then flip out (you may need to run a knife along edge of pan to help loosen it), peel off parchment paper, and slice. Enjoy with coconut oil or butter.

Notes:
Stir dry together lightly so as not to agitate the oils in the almond flour.
When stirring in the water, you want a slightly gummy/sticky texture. To help achieve this, stir in half the water, then stir in the rest. Do not over stir.