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Archive for the ‘Breakfast’ Category
Gluten-, Dairy- and Grain-Free Pancakes!
By: Susan Kingston, RHN – Montreal, QC
A quick and easy pancake recipe, free of allergens – and yummy too!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Yields: 4 medium-sized pancakes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1 egg or 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 banana, mashed
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- Butter, ghee or coconut oil for greasing
Directions:
- Whisk together the flour, water, egg, banana, baking soda, and salt until all the clumps are gone from the batter.
- Heat a pan or skillet over a burner set to medium with some butter, ghee or coconut oil.
- Scoop about 1/4 C of the batter into the pan to make one pancake–fit as many in as you can as they spread
- Cook until the edges firm up and bubbles come through the batter. Flip and cook for another 15-20 seconds until the other side has set. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
JULY Feature Food: Cherries
By: Suzanne Brett, RHN – Victoria, BC
So excited about cherries this month! It’s our first summer in our new house, and we have 3 cherry trees in our backyard. We weren’t sure if they would produce anything, as they hadn’t been maintained previously. Also, they were just sooooo tall that, we thought most of the cherries would be out of our reach and only accessible to our winged friends. Luckily for us, all 3 produced beautiful cherries and with a ladder, we harvested many pounds from the 1st one to produce. We let the birds have the rest. 😉
This was mostly last month, but many places in N. America are beginning their cherry season now. Victoria is a tad early. We’re still not certain the variety of these cherries; we’re thinking they’re ‘Bing’ or ‘Sandra Rose’. (If anyone knows, feel free to comment).
In any case, onto the lovely things about cherries I’d like to share with you today…
ANTIOXIDANT rich! Cherries are one of the most potent antioxidant fruits available to most of us in this region. What this means for you is that they can help reverse the affects of cancer causing free-radical damage and prevent future harm. They are also rich in fibre, helping to bind to toxins in the body and help eliminate them through defecation. The rich minerals in cherries also help with this process by softening the elimination pathways. These minerals are Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus and Potassium. They actually contain MORE potassium than strawberries do! Talk about a refreshing summer fruit! Cherries are a great post workout snack, helping to replenish those lost minerals and decrease muscle aches and pains.
Cherries are known for reducing swelling and inflammation, particularly good for reducing symptoms of gout and diabetes, as well as the risk of stroke. They are generally a great fat buster. So munch on some cherries to shed a few pounds too!
The awesome thing about cherries is that they’re great for insomniacs, or anyone with any sleeping disturbances. Naturally high in melatonin, a hormone produced by our pineal glands that helps to regulate our sleep/wake cycle, cherries make a great sleep retriever.
So, after we picked all of these cherries, snacked on some, shared some with our friends and family I then made some cherry chocolate muffins. Mmmmmm…. For me this was a great way of storing easy snacks in the freezer for after the baby comes and I don’t have time for baking. 😉
Feel free to try this easy recipe with your local cherries and reap the amazing summer benefits now and in the winter months too, if you freeze.
CHERRY MUFFINS:
Luscious cherry or dark chocolate cherry???
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free oat flour (or grind your own oats)
- 2 cups sprouted wheat or spelt flour, or your favorite all purpose gf flour blend
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup raw brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey
- ¾ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 1¼ cup milk, almond milk or coconut milk
- 2 tsp vanilla bean extract
- 2 ½ cups fresh cherries, pitted and chopped coarse
- ¾ cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine flours, baking powder, salt and sweetener in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl mix together milk or dairy-free alternative. Add butter (or coconut oil) and vanilla extract. Stir.
- Add wet to dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in cherries and 3/4 of the dark chocolate.
- Spoon into 9″ greased or paper-lined muffin tins and top with remaining chocolate. Fill them up nicely for good muffin tops, or not so much for little muffins. (I did them smaller for a more freezer friendly size).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let rest in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Serve warm with butter, non-dairy alternative or enjoy plain. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh – transfer to freezer after a day or 2.
The Educated Consumer: Gluten-Free Pancake Heaven!
By: Hollie M. Hunt-Last, D. C’Ed. ROHP/RHN – Moncton, NB
I stumbled across the boxes of gluten free pancake mix in the organic section of the Superstore one day. I looked at all the different ingredient lists and finally settled upon this particular box. “How bad can it be?” I thought … I should have wondered “How GOOD could it be?” These pancakes were every bit as satisfying as a ‘regular’ batch of pancakes could be! Naturally, pancake batter can be used for far more than just pancakes … it can become the coating on onion rings or a dumpling-like crust on pot pie, etc.
Celiacs have spent decades without the luxury of custom-made gluten-free boxed foods such as this. I am sure that now many people are rejoicing over the increase in products on the shelves out there designed to better meet their needs. As a non-celiac person reducing the amount of gluten eaten in my household, I am happy to have made this delicious find!
Almond Muffins (GF/DF)
By: Susan Kingston, RHN – Montreal, QC
This is a delicious and easy gluten- and dairy-free muffin recipe that is hard to beat. For all of you that are gluten free, this is a winner!
Ingredients:
- 2½ cups almond flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree, thawed winter squash puree, butternut squash puree, unsweetened apple sauce, or mashed very ripe banana
- 2 TBSP honey, agave nectar or maple syrup
- 2 TSBP coconut oil or butter (melted)
- 1 tsp vinegar (cider)
- Optional Flavourings: 1 teaspoon extract (e.g., vanilla, almond), citrus zest, dried herbs (e.g., basil, dill), or spice (e.g., cinnamon, cumin)
- Optional Stir-Ins: 1 cup fresh fruit (e.g., blueberries, diced apple) or ½ cup dried fruit/cacao nibs/chopped nuts/seeds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 10 cups in a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, baking soda and salt (whisk in any dried spices or herbs at this point, if using).
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, honey, oil and vinegar (add any extracts or zest at this point, if using).
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until blended (fold in any optional stir-ins, if using).
- Divide batter evenly among prepared cups.
- Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 18 minutes until set at the centers and golden brown at the edges.
- Move the tin to a cooling rack and let muffins cool in the tin 30 minutes. Remove muffins from tin.
- Enjoy!
JANUARY Feature Food: Millet
By: Suzanne Brett, RHN – Victoria, BC
In the cool month of January, we’re all ready to wind down after the holiday hustle and we’re in need of warming nourishing foods. It’s that time when we tend to begin thinking about our health and energy levels after all those holiday meals and sweets. Potatoes and other starchy foods might not be what we’re craving this time of year, but healthy whole grains are a great energy source and are one of those foods that are available to nourish us during the winter months. So, without further ado, let me introduce millet as a restorative and healthy alternative to many other grains and starchy vegetables.
Millet is usually a small, pale-yellow, ancient grain that looks similar to couscous or corn and is somewhere in between in size. Although there are other varieties that are less common and are a more reddish-brown or black in colour. This grain’s origin is primarily Africa where they harvest it, grind it into flour and make that delicious roti flat bread that helps us shovel yummy spicy curries into our mouths. Mmmmm…
Millet is a great gluten-free alternative, it’s generally not a reactive food as it contains few oxalates and it contains many health promoting properties. Millet is one of the few grains that is considered alkaline forming, meaning its PH level after digestion has a more alkaline effect on the body than acidic, as opposed to many other grains that show up on the acidic side of the chart.
Like many other grains, Millet is a great source of lignans. Lignans are also found in berries, nuts, seeds, teas and many whole grains. Lignans are known to be protective against hormone-related cancers, and heart disease.
This brilliant grain holds a significant amount of Magnesium, which is proven to be quite effective in regulating blood pressure and insulin/glucose levels for those with Type 2 diabetes. Magnesium is also a co-factor in regulating metabolism and, along with the great amounts of copper in Millet, it helps create healthy cellular function, thus providing us with a lively energy that keeps our fires aflame for 2015! Copper is also an anti-oxidant which can prove to be most useful this time of year when we need to begin thinking about detoxifying all those harmful holiday chemicals.
How to cook Millet:
Millet is as easy to cook as any other grain. It needs 2 cups of water to 1 cup of grains, just like rice or quinoa. If you prefer to use it as a porridge in the morning, you could add 2 cups of fruit juice as well as the 2 cups of water to get a sweeter and more porridge-like consistency. Millet takes about 20-30 minutes to cook.
My favorite way of eating millet is to toast it in a dry pan on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until it begins to become golden and THEN transferring it into a pot or grain cooker with 1 cup water and 1 cup bone broth. This fashion makes the grain taste a bit more nutty and toasty and adds more minerals and restorative nutrients from the broth for that winter comforting feeling. I usually serve it with fried tempeh and steamed greens, drizzled with a tad of tamari, sesame oil and a few pumpkin seeds. Very simple, quick and satiating.
I hope you enjoy your new-found love of Millet and kick your New Year off with an excellent start by making great healthy food choices and visiting us at the Educated Eater often for many more health and lifestyle tips.
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
By: Susan Kingston, RHN, NNCP – Montreal, QC
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- 5 mashed bananas
- 1/2 -3/4 cup maple syrup or other natural sweetener
- 1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 4 eggs
- 6 TBSP yogurt or apple sauce
- 2 tsp baking powder
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter the baking dish.
- Mix the chickpea flour and baking powder (and some cinnamon if desired) together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl beat the eggs, maple syrup, natural yogurt (or apple sauce), mashed bananas and butter together until well combined and pour into the dry mixture.
- Stir until the wet and dry ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the batter into a bread loag pan. Bake the bread in the oven for 1 hr and check with a toothpick, as it may need 10 minutes more.
Educated Eater Baking Tip
If you have a recipe that calls for both oil and honey (or molasses, agave, or other sticky substance), use this to your advantage:
Pour the pre-measured oil first into the measuring cup you will be using for the sticky ingredient, and empty it into your mixture. Then when the time comes to measure your sticky sugar substance, the proper measuring cup will already be prepped for you. Cleanup will be much easier and the syrup will simply slide right into your bowl!
Thanks to Dr. Hollie M. Hunt-Last, RHN (Moncton, NB) for this helpful baking tip!
Breakfast Acorn Squash
By: Katie Laughlin, student of Holistic Nutrition – Cincinnati, OH, USA
“A grain-free alternative to oatmeal! Also makes a great afternoon snack. You can prepare the recipe and keep it in the fridge and enjoy cold, or warm it up if you’d like! I usually cook two squash and keep the rest for another day.”
Ingredients:
- 1 acorn squash
- 2 TBSP Coconut or Almond Milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
- Top with cinnamon, drizzle of honey, dried blueberries, chopped nuts, etc.
Directions:
- Cut acorn squash in half, scoop out seeds, and place on a cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375 F for 30-40 minutes (skin-side up) or until pulp is soft.
- With a fork, scrape the pulp away from the flesh of the squash.
- Add milk and vanilla and stir. Top with toppings of your choice, and enjoy!
Breakfast Squares
By: Lise Fournier, RHN – Moncton, NB
“These are easy-peasy breakfast squares that can also be used as a snack or light meal replacement. They are vegan and contain no flour or added fat. I have had rave reviews from them all summer!”
Educated Eater Note: these squares cook a little longer than our 30 minute criteria, but they’re so quick and easy to make that we had to include them!
Yields: 12 decent size squares, or you can cut them up smaller for children or small appetites.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups oatmeal
- ½ cup chia seeds
- pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
- ½ cup dried sour cherries
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 3 cups rice milk (or coconut or almond or soy), plus one cup of water.
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 375C.
- Mix the dry ingredients well and then add the blueberries.
- Add the rice milk and make sure the fruit are well distributed as you add the strawberries and the maple syrup. All this can be done in a baking pan. Let sit for a few minutes.
- Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until it feels firm.
- Cool and cut into squares.
