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Fluffy Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes

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If you follow my blog you’ll know Sunday mornings are all about pancakes in my house and over the years I’ve tested many.  This is one of our favourite’s because the texture is really light and fluffy and they make a really great batter to cook.  I use a cast iron skillet and then add chocolate avocado puddings to each layer for a really creamy chocolate sauce, recipe is here.  Try some other toppings such as banana and maple syrup or a berry compote for the perfect weekend pancake.


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Fluffy Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes
Author: 
Recipe type: Pancakes
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of buckwheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of chai spice mix
  • ⅓ cup of cashew milk
  • 1 egg (or vegan version add 1 tablespoon of flax seeds to 3 tablespoons of water)
  • 1 apple
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Blend the cashew milk, egg, cored apple and melted coconut oil in a blender ( i used my vitamix but a nutribullet would work too)
  2. Put all the other ingredients in a large bowl, create a well in the centre and slowly fold in the blended egg mix a little at a time.
  3. Once all the ingredients are folded in, leave to rest for 10 minutes
  4. Heat a non-stick pan (I use a cast iron skillet) to medium temp and spoon one large tablespoon in the pan and flatten to create rounds, I usually cook 3 at a time in my pan.
  5. The pancakes will cook quite quickly and as you see a few bubbles on the surface, flip over to cook the other side.
  6. Serve with your favourite sauce, we sandwiched each pancake with chocolate avocado pudding, see recipe above but sliced bananas and a little maple syrup would also be delicious.

Cacao, Raspberry and Wild Orange Smoothie

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The great thing about cacao smoothies is that you can pretty much smuggle all sorts of good stuff that kids wouldn’t otherwise eat disguised by the intense flavour of chocolate. My daughter never turns down a cacao smoothie for breakfast (actually neither do I) and she especially loves it when she gets to choose the toppings, giving her a little autonomy with her food.

If ever I attempt to say my daughter eats everything, she always corrects me and says she dislikes avocados, rhubarb and rocket leaves! Who could possible not like avocados?! Avocados, green leaves and broccoli sprouts are added to the faithful cacao smoothie now chocced full of nutrients for a happy, healthy breakfast. My daughter knows full well these foods are in the smoothie but she doesn’t care because the bowl tastes of an intense chocolate orange, sweetened with juicy raspberries!!

Broccoli sprouts are incredible, I remember when I first read about their nutritional health benefits, I knew I needed to add them to my diet.  Broccoli sprouts have been shown to be 10-100x more powerful than eating standard broccoli and the great thing is they are super easy to sprout and can be eaten raw, preserving all the nutritional content.  There are some really interesting studies looking at cancer prevention through the removal of airborne pollutants by the sprouts in heavily polluted China. They are slightly bitter in flavour, not dissimilar to watercress so they can be an acquired taste, I personally love this kind of flavour, my daughter not so much!  My favourite ways to eat them are in smoothies, pesto and even chocolate avocado pudding – sometimes we have to be a little creative with how we add food for children!  I think it’s important for children to eat the whole vegetable so they understand the flavour and texture but when you start introducing complex bitter flavours it’s a great idea to start with adjusting their taste buds slowly. You can buy already sprouted broccoli sprouts but it is much less expensive just to grow your own and it’s super easy by following the instructions here.

I also added 1 drop of wild orange essential oil to my smoothie, I do this frequently because the added supporting health benefits are incredible and because the flavour is so intense from only 1 drop.  N.B. Be careful with citrus oils in plastic containers as they do have the ability to break down petrochemicals so always add the drop in the bowl or glass and do not use oils that are not certified to be consumed internally!  If you would like to learn more about essential oils contact me here

 

Wild Orange Essential Oil health benefits

  1. High in antioxidents for overall good health
  2. Uplifting and energising
  3. Reduces feeling of stress, tension and anxiety

A healthy, nutritious start to the day, what’s your favourite smoothie ingredient?

5.0 from 4 reviews
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Cacao, Raspberry and Wild Orange Smoothie
Author: 
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 apple
  • ½ punnet of raspberries
  • ¼ of a cucumber
  • Handful of broccoli sprouts
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon of flax seeds
  • 2 tablespoon of pea protein
  • 1 cup of kefir (goat or dairy) or sub for nut milk of choice
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 drop of doTERRA wild orange essential oil or sub for the grated zest of an orange
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients into your blender, you will need to half the ingredients for a nutri bullet or ninja but mine went all into my vitamix.
  2. Decorate and enjoy.

 

Blackberry Chia Jam – refined sugar free!

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I was foraging my collection of blackberries when a lovely lady said to me I’ve just made 3 jars of jam with mine.. mmmmm I haven’t had jam in years since I quit sugar but it instilled enough desire to go and make some.  Here is my refined-sugar free super quick recipe for making blackberry jam, I don’t have a very sweet tooth so I like to sharpness of these berries and you can always add a little extra raw honey if the little ones prefer it sweeter but a great recipe to convert them to some healthier options.

I was a little unsure what to eat my jam with, we don’t eat bread, one day I’ll get round to making a healthier alternative but quite honestly, I rarely find the time so we had ours dolloped on Sunday brunch pancakes which was divine.  Let me know what you pair your jam with?

If you have not used Chia seeds before they have this amazing gelling quality when used combined with liquid which is why no pectin is required for this jam.  Chia seeds are rich in fibre so great for digestion and they also contain Omega 3 fats so studies have shown they are great for balancing blood sugar and reducing inflammation.

Blackberries this time of year are Mother Nature’s gift when you live in this country, they are abundant everywhere! Free from chemicals and pesticides they are also full of vitamins when growing wild.  High levels of Vitamin C to boost immunity but low in sugar content, they are also high in Vitamins A, E, K and B Vitamins.  Their dark colour exemplifies their super high antioxidant content which scavenges free radicles within the body preventing our cells from aging but have also shown protective mechanisms against cancer. Wild blackberries have also been shown to have a neuroprotective affect, therefore great for supporting our brain health.

Warm these berries very gently so that preserve all that goodness!

 

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Blackberry Chia Jam - refined sugar free!
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Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups of blackberries
  • 1 tablespoon of raw honey
  • 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Put 1 cup of the blackberries into a wide bottomed pan and warm gently while pressing with a potato masher to release the juices for about 5 minutes
  2. Press the blackberries through a sieve with a wooden spoon to remove the seeds
  3. Pour the pureed blackberries back into the pan and add the other ½ cup of berries, mash these remaining berries and leave in the mixture for more texture
  4. Finally turn off the heat and stir in the raw honey and chia seeds
  5. Combine well and pour into your jam jar of choice
  6. Place in the fridge overnight for the chia seeds to absorb the juice and gel
  7. Serve with paleo bread / crackers or we love it with some coconut yoghurt as a dessert

 

 

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Green Breakfast Smoothie

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green-smoothie

It’s no secret I’m a HUGE smoothie fan!  It may be just me.. but there is something very satisfying about sending your child to school knowing that they have at least had their 5 a day for breakfast, they will have no blood sugar crash mid-morning and enough protein and healthy fats to stop them being hungry till lunch.

The conversion to eating smoothies for breakfast didn’t happen overnight but changing my diet helped me realise very quickly what whole-food nutrition could do for me and then slowly I adapted my way of thinking about what I was eating. If you want to know more about what brought me to this place with food then read about it here.  Why am I telling you this?  Like most people, I started the day with cereal or 2 pieces of toast and marmite until I learnt differently.

Starting with a smoothie bowl now helps keep me on track, it enables me to start the day with the best of intentions to exercise and eat well for the rest of the day.  I am literally flooding my body with nutrients – vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and it’s also just as quick as pouring cereal and milk in a bowl, you just have to get prepared with the right ingredients but organic delivery companies can do that for you!

I started with a Nutri Ninja and it worked out great but after a few years of abuse, I finally invested in a Vitamix, these are expensive but as I do a lot of food preparation using this blender, it has been worth the investment.

There are some important tips to a smoothie that I’ve learnt along the way..

  1. I use half an avocado every day, it gives a smoothie an amazing creamy texture as well as providing a really delicious healthy monounsaturated fats and lots of healthy fibre
  2. You need to add a protein to help keep you satiated (study) and build your immune system (study) (most protein powders are full of junk), I mostly use pea or hemp protein or sometimes a big spoonful of almond butter!
  3. Linseeds (or flax seeds as they are called in America) are a powerhouse of nutrition but they need to be freshly ground.  They are a rich source of Omega3 EFA and high in soluble and insoluble fibre so they support colon detoxification.   They do however lose their nutritional value very quickly when exposed to air so buying milled is not the same and trying to eat them whole, well, they’ll travel straight through your body undisturbed so put them in your blender and the best bit is they’ll help to thicken your smoothie and make it even creamier.
  4. Focus on smoothies rather than juices as a daily regime, they provide a great tool to detox your body but with all the fibre to help stabilise your blood sugar too.
  5. Start with the basics of whole-food nutrition before you take it to the next level with green powders, they have added nutritional influence but if you make it too complicated it wont fit into a morning routine.
  6. Unless you’re giving the smoothie to a child and you’re trying to convert them, make sure your smoothie is abundant in vegetables with a little fruit to flavour, lots of fruit can be an added burden on the liver because of the high fructose levels.  I really like adding lots of berries which are generally low glycemic index (conversion to blood sugar rates) and apples because like berries they are very high antioxidants.

If I have time, I make it look fancy but most of the time I chuck some cacao nibs on top because a) I love cacao b) it’s an amazing prebiotic that feeds your gut microbiome of healthy bacteria c) it has caffeine so it helps me kick start my day with an energy lift.

 

5.0 from 10 reviews
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Green Breakfast Smoothie
Author: 
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Sticks of celery
  • 1 apple
  • ½ an avocado
  • ¼ of a cucumber
  • 1 cup of salad leaves
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon of pea protein
  • 1 tablespoon of linseeds / flax seeds
  • 1 cup of water
Instructions
  1. Roughly chop the larger vegetables and add to your blender - nutri ninja or a bullet will do. Add more water if required and for a thicker smoothie add almond or coconut milk instead.
  2. Pour into 2 bowls and spoon in for a nutritious breakfast.
  3. Decorate to your fancy, if you have time! Here i have added goji berries, cacao nibs, bee pollen and pumpkin seeds..

 

Banana, Coconut Breakfast Pancakes with Strawberry Kefir

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panckaes

One of the questions I get asked the most is what to eat for a healthy breakfast.  Many people want to avoid the sugar-loaded cereals but have a breakfast that will convert even the fussiest of children, so I present you with.. pancakes!  I appreciate that Mum’s with a few mouths to feed might not have time to make these in the morning but these are certainly worth the effort at the weekend!  If you ask my daughter what her favourite food is, she will definitely say “Mamma’s pancakes” (maybe interchanged with sausages).

I serve these pancakes with kefir yoghurt, it is one of the most potent fermented foods that you can consume, full of probiotic goodness, we consume daily to keep our gut flora full of healthy bacteria.  This yoghurt can be made from either kefir grains or a starter culture but if you haven’t started fermenting yet, I would highly recommend buying some coyo from your local supermarket, a coconut milk based yogurt. *Please note coyo does not provide a therapeutic strength probiotic to repopulate your healthy bacteria but it does provide a delicious alternative.

Linseeds (sometimes called flaxseeds) provide a really healthy addition of nutrients to breakfast. Unfortunately they are not the best source of Omega 3 as many health proponents claim because your body is not very efficient at converting Alpha-Linolenic Acid (in linseeds) into EHA or DPA, the types of Omega 3 in the body.  They do however provide plenty of fibre and magnesium which is good for digestive health.  They also contain lignans which have estrogenic properties so they are really helpful for menopausal women.  Linseeds want to be freshly ground to retain maximum nutrition once they are exposed to air they lose much of their value.

Tip: Make sure your bananas are really ripe for his recipe so this is great way to use up those really black ones that are left in the bowl.

4.0 from 1 reviews
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Banana Coconut Breakfast Pancakes with Strawberry Kefir
Author: 
Recipe type: Banana and Coconut Pancakes
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 very ripe bananas mashed
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut flour
  • 2 heaped tablespoons of almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon of whole linseeds
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 5 strawberries
  • 1 cup of kefir yoghurt or coyo
  • Cacao nibs for decoration
Instructions
  1. Blend the bananas, flour almond butter, flax seeds and eggs together using a food processor or hand blender to create a batter
  2. Heat a skillet or frying pan on low and add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to the pan
  3. Drop 1 heaped tablespoon of the batter into the pan to form rounds, I normally cook 3 at the same time
  4. When you start to see little bubbles forming in the middle they are ready to flip and cook the other side
  5. Pour Kefir yoghurt or regular coyo yoghurt into a liquidiser with the strawberries and blend
  6. Pour on top of the pancakes and sprinkle with cacao nibs

 

 

Butternut Squash Pancakes

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Pancakes

It’s shrove Tuesday so pancake day!!!

If you think just because your gluten-free you have to go without pancakes you’re wrong.  This is what we had for breakfast this morning, quick, easy, my daughter loved them.  You’d never know I made them with butternut squash.

I personally think these pancakes have much more flavour than regular pancakes which can be bland without toppings, butternut squash adds sweetness.  You do have to make these more American style rather than crepes otherwise they’re a little more fiddly to flip over but I think it’s worth it.

You can still add all your favourite toppings, obviously being a chocoholic we added chocolate and some nuts but you could try some fruit, yoghurt, honey, maple syrup.

If you have a go at making these and discover a new favourite topping please let me know in the comments section.

Happy pancake making!

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Butternut Squash Pancakes
Author: 
Recipe type: Pancakes
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Flourless butternut squash pancakes
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter
  • 2 tablespoons of almond butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 cm end of butternut squash
  • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon of all spice
  • Melted dark chocolate (optional)
  • Nuts (optional)
Instructions
  1. Use a little of the oil or butter to grease non stick frying pan after each set of pancakes
  2. Use a food processor or hand blender to blend the almond butter, eggs and the peeled, diced squash (no need to pre-cook squash)
  3. Pour 2 heaped tablespoons of the batter into the pan, I cook 3 at the same time on a medium heat
  4. When you start to see bubbles in the batter, flip and cook the other side
  5. Top with your favourite pancake topping, enjoy!