Plantain Pie Pancakes

 

 

 

 I love using plantains.  They are incredibly versatile, lending themselves beautifully to crackers, waffles, and yes, pancakes.  I also love that they provide my boys with the starchy, complex carbs their growing bodies need, and they're perfect as a post workout snack for me. 

 

 

 

I am fortunate that my boys are great eaters.  Transitioning to the Paleo lifestyle wasn't an issue for them at all.  But let's be real, they're not begging for liver and onions for breakfast.  They're kids for crying out loud, a Kindergartener and a toddler to be exact, and they love pancakes!  I appreciate something other than eggs, meat, and veggies for breakfast every once in awhile as well.  I feel confident serving these pancakes for breakfast because they possess all the nutritional qualities I'm looking for in a meal.  Quality protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant rich spices, and delicious flavor.  Yep, these puppies have it all. 

 

 

  

   

Judging by the lovely orange hue, it looks like the chicken on the right ate a few more bugs than his friend on the left :)

 

 These are one of my go-to staples for breakfast.  They come together in a flash, and I always have the ingredients on hand, plus my boys are crazy for them.  There are a few Paleo pancake recipes that we enjoy, but I especially like these because they utilize a starchy fruit as their main ingredient, and not a nut flour.  It's not that I'm against using nut flours, in fact, I cook with them all the time.  But when I find a healthier alternative for a dish that we regularly eat, I'm definitely partial to it.

 

 

 

 

The addition of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg make these pancakes even more delectable.  These warm, festive spices come together to give you that unmistakable autumnal flavor. Nothing says fall more than these comforting spices.  Hence the name, Plantain Pie Pancakes.  These pancakes are divine smothered in butter and maple syrup, and they cook up super fluffy too.  After tasting these, you won't miss their gluten laden counterparts one bit.

 

  

 

 

These pancakes freeze well so I love making a big batch and storing the leftovers in the freezer.  They are perfect for those rushed mornings we have all too often in this house.  Just pop them straight from the freezer into the toaster and you'll have a great breakfast on the table in no time!



 

 

 

 

 

Plantain Pie Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

 

1 ripe plantain, fully yellowed

2 eggs, preferably pastured

2-4 Tbs coconut flour*

1 Tbs coconut oil, plus more for the pan

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground ginger

pinch of sea salt

 

Instructions:

 

Score plantain lengthwise on all sides and then cut off both ends.  Peel off skin and slice plantain into rounds. 

 

Place cut plantains along with the rest of the ingredients into a food processor, and blend until fully combined and smooth.

 

Let batter sit for 2-3 minutes, allowing the coconut flour to soak up some of the liquid.  At this point, you will be able to determine if you need to add more flour or not.

 

Heat griddle over low heat.  Melt a few tablespoons of coconut oil on the griddle and using a measuring cup, pour a scant 1/4 c of pancake mixture onto hot griddle.  I like to make my pancakes small,  silver dollar size.  They are easier to flip this way and just look so darn cute! 

 

Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on one side.  Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until golden on both sides. 

 

Serve immediately with copious amounts of grass fed butter and pure maple syrup and enjoy!

 

 

*The amount of coconut flour you use will vary, depending on the size and ripeness of your plantain.  I always start with two heaping tablespoons, and add more as needed.  You are looking for a semi-thick pancake batter, similar to the consistency of brownie batter.  Not enough coconut flour, and your mixture will be too thin, leaving you pancakes that taste great, but are missing their fluffiness.  Too much coconut flour on the other hand, they will be too thick, and will take forever to cook through. If you do happen to add too much flour, fear not, this can be easily rectified by adding some more coconut oil, or even some coconut milk.   



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry- Nectarine Sorbet

 

Dairy-free, refined sugar-free, Paleo friendly

  

There are countless reasons to love summer.  Warm days, long nights, beach trips, and camp outs.  As a real food lover, I look forward to summer all year long, knowing that I will be able to enjoy the bounty of fresh fruit this season has to offer. Peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cherries, they are all ripe for the picking in these hot, sultry months.

Although I am a long way off from my dream of growing all our own fruits and veggies, I am fortunate to have a nectarine tree in our backyard.  Ever since I noticed the teeny, tiny, fuzzy fruit starting to grow I had stalked that tree, impatiently waiting to sink my teeth into that first sweet, juicy bite.  Everyday my boys and I would go out in the yard and give those guys a good feel.  The wait seemed excruciatingly long, those beauties retaining their firmness, not yet willing to succumb to the ravenous mouths of babes.  After what seemed like an eternity, we went out into the yard one morning, ready to dole out our customary squeeze and that's when the magic happened.  My finger sank ever so gently into the flesh of the fruit, leaving a shallow indentation.  I knew our wait was over.  The boys and I enjoyed an afternoon of picking fruit and then we got to reap the rewards of our efforts.  Like most organically grown fruit, these nectarines were small, a far cry from the enormous ones that fill the bins at the supermarket.  But the taste, oh the sweet, sweet taste.  These little gems were so fragrant, the whole kitchen smelled of this gorgeous stone fruit.  Between the boys and I, we must have polished off at least 15 of those puppies that day.

After our bellies were full and I had cleaned all the sticky remnants off my monsters, I looked at our impressive harvest and realized we had way more nectarines than we could ever eat.   I racked my brain trying to figure out how in the world I was going to use this much fruit. I knew some would go directly into my dehydrator to transform into dried nectarines.  But this was more than my dehydrator could handle.  I needed another option.  There was always nectarine salsa, but I'm not a big fan and besides, there was no way my family would ever be able to consume that much salsa.  Did I mention yet we had a lot of fruit?  Enough to fill six or seven fruit baskets and this was just our first harvest.  Our tree still had plenty of fruit to bear, enough to provide us weeks of stone fruit goodness.

 

As I said before, summer is a glorious season.  While it's probably safe to say that most people adore summer, no one enjoys it more than little ones.  It truly is the season of childhood, a time where dreams are big, worries small, and the only time that three short months can feel like a lifetime.  And there is nothing kids love more on a hot summer day than a cool, refreshing treat.  Ah yes, nectarine sorbet.  That was the answer to my seemingly endless pile of fruit. 

Only one problem, I hadn't attempted to make sorbet since my family and I adopted the Paleo lifestyle almost two years ago.  It suddenly dawned on me, I had made a ton of Paleo friendly popsicles and ice creams, but never a sorbet without refined sugar.  Let me assure you now, the result was nothing short of delicious.  The honey and strawberries add just the right amount of sweetness, and the hint of tartness from the fresh lemon rounds the flavors out beautifully.   I also added coconut milk for its nourishing, creamy fats and to prevent the sorbet from getting too icy.  This sorbet is as delectable as it is refreshing.  Perfect for a summer day.  Enjoy!

Strawberry-Nectarine Sorbet

2 cups ripe nectarines, chopped
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup raw honey (depending on sweet you like it.  I used 1/4 c and it was the perfect balance of sweet and sour for us!)
1/4 c full fat coconut milk

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor.  Start with 1/4 c of honey and add more if desired.  Blend until smooth.  You can either run the mixture through a sieve if you prefer a super smooth sorbet, or just pour straight into an ice cream maker like I did.  Process according to manufacturer's directions, mine took about 20 minutes. Transfer soft sorbet into freezer safe containers and freeze until firm.

Variations:

To make this recipe without an ice cream maker, pour mixture into glass or metal container and place in freezer.  As the mixture begins to freeze, run a fork through it to break up the ice crystals.  Repeat this process several times over the course of a few hours.

You can also pour mixture into popsicle molds.

You can use peaches in place of the nectarines, and feel free to play around with the berries as well.  Raspberries would be delicious, but more honey might be required since they are not quite as sweet as strawberries. 






  

Green-Choco-Avo-Nana Smoothie

Green-Choco-Avo-Nana smoothie?  Whew.  That is a mouthful.  Even more impressive than the amount of words I put in the title of this smoothie, are the amount of nutrients it has.  We make a lot of green smoothies in this house.  I am fortunate that my kids don't have trouble eating their veggies, but there are a few that they shy away from, and leafy greens are one of them.  They will gobble up anything in the cruciferious family, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and they've never met an orange veggie they didn't like, but leafy greens just aren't their favorites.  Which is bad news for mom because I know how many protective compounds leafy greens possess that simply aren't found in other veggies.  This is why we incorporate green smoothies into our mornings. 

Since the kids have smoothies on a regular basis, I am always on the hunt for new combinations to try.  I like to switch up the greens, anything from spinach to beet greens and everything in between.  Sometimes we add a tropical twist with fruits like pineapple and kiwi, other times a berry mix gets thrown in.  This morning, I served up one of their favorite variations: green chocolate smoothie.

Now I know what you're thinking, "chocolate, greens, and avocado?"  It doesn't sound the least bit appetizing.  It is however, quite the contrary.  The taste and texture honestly mimic chocolate pudding.  The avocado gives this smoothie an unbeatable creaminess and adds a good dose of healthy fats, all without altering the flavor.  The greens (depending on which ones you choose) don't affect the taste much and give this smoothie a powerful nutrient punch.  The cocoa, banana, and honey?  Well, I think that's pretty self explanatory...  they make this drink delicious.

Green-Choco-Avo-Nana Smoothie

1 banana, frozen
1/2 ripe avocado
2-3 T cocoa powder (depending on how chocolate-y you like it)
2 T honey
1 t vanilla
1/4 c raw milk or more depending how thick you like your smoothies
handful of greens* (I used an organic baby spinach, chard, and kale mix)

Place all ingredients into Vitamix and turn that baby on!  Pour yourself a glass of that chocolate-y goodness and enjoy.  Chocolate for breakfast, minus the guilt...  count me in!

Variations & Substitutions:

- to make a dairy free version, omit raw milk and substitute full fat canned coconut milk or almond milk (you can also use a vanilla almond milk, but omit vanilla extract if using this).

- instead of honey, use maple syrup or dates.

- if your banana isn't frozen, no need to fret, just add ice and increase liquid.

-feel free to play around with additional ingredients like, chia seeds, flax meal, or cinnamon.

- to make 21 DSD compliant, omit honey and use a green tipped banana.


*Spinach is the mildest tasting green, and therefore the easiest to mask.  If using any other greens, it will affect the flavor a tad but nothing to be afraid of.  Always use baby greens however, as they blend up effortlessly.

Tropical Coconut Milk Pops

Ahh, the dog days of summer.  It was a comfortable 103 degrees here today.  A perfect day to kick up your heels and relax outside.  Ideal.  Exceptional.  Idyllic even.  Sarcasm, along with 20 pounds of sweat are literally dripping from me as we speak.  Honestly, who in their right mind enjoys temperatures above 90 degrees?  Not this lady,  that's for sure.  There is nothing to do when it's this hot except play in the water and try and keep cool.  Sweltering temperatures and mid-day munchies DO NOT make for happy kids, so I knew I needed to restock my supply of cold treats in the freezer A.S.A.P.  We make a ton of popsicles in these warm summer months and these here are one of my favorites.  The kids think it's special to get a popsicle for a snack, and I'm content knowing they are enjoying a wholesome, nourishing meal devoid of all the junk found in store bought treats.

These tropical popsicles are honest to goodness real food.  They only have three ingredients, real fruit, and nourishing healthy fats.  Doesn't get much easier or more nutritious than that.  You can customize the fruit as you please, we've done a strawberry/banana combo that was equally delicious.  The coconut milk adds that subtle taste of the tropics and a creamy mouth feel.  The banana and mango compliment each other beautifully and when mixed with the coconut milk, you are transported to a tropical paradise where days are long, worries small, and the weather always pleasant.  Or at least that's where I imagine wish I was right now.  Until that becomes a reality, I will enjoy one of these pops and try in vain to keep the heat from ruining my mood and my good hair day....

Tropical Coconut Milk Popsicles

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 yellow banana

1 ripe mango

Open coconut milk and peel banana.  Complicated stuff, I realize.  Cut around the long, flat mango seed and remove the flesh.  Put coconut milk, banana, and mango into a food processor or blender.  Squeeze out any mango juice remaining around the seed as well and add to rest of ingredients.  Blend until combined.  Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until set. 



Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad

This post is titled brown rice and  black bean salad because that's what I made last night, but you can use any whole grain that you have on hand.  I've used quinoa, barley, and spelt in place of rice and all are fabulous.  We all know that whole grains are essential to a healthy lifestyle but lots of people find it hard to incorporate them into their daily meals.   My biggest dilemma is not incorporating them into my family's diet, but finding new and tasty ways to use them.

 Like I've said before, our family eats a lot of Mexican food, and I always find myself struggling with what to serve alongside our favorite Mexican dishes- besides Spanish brown rice, which I've done a million times.  This brown rice and black bean salad is nutritionally complete and substantial enough to eat on it's own, or wonderful as an accompaniment to enchiladas, tacos, or any other Mexican dish.  With protein, fiber, and antioxidants to spare, it is not only palate pleasing, it really is a nutritional powerhouse.  This salad is chock full of colorful, fresh veggies and lots of vibrant flavors.  I toss it with my cilantro lime vinaigrette and it's so delectable I found myself eating a huge bowl for lunch the next day!

We're all trying to eat healthier and want things that are easy to prepare.  This dish satisfies both of those needs.  It couldn't be easier to assemble and it will leave you satiated without weighing you down.  A perfect dish for vegetarians and carnivores alike!  Ideal for these steamy summer nights, this dish is served cold, which means you can prepare it in advance.  In fact it tastes better if it sits for a couple hours to allow the flavors to marry together. 

Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad

2 C chicken broth

1 C brown rice  ( I used Brown Basmati, but any whole grain will work- just cook according to package)

2 15 oz cans black beans, drained  and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 c red onion, diced  (also good with green onions)

1/3 c chopped cilantro

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 t cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

1/3 c Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Bring chicken broth to boil in large saucepan. Add rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.

Transfer rice to large bowl and fluff with fork. Mix in black beans, bell peppers, red onion, chopped cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour vinaigrette dressing over salad and toss to combine.  Salad can be made up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.