Fluffy, Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Pancakes!

Allergen free beauties! Gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and nutritious to boot!

I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy, way back in 1999. At that time, I was diagnosed with 12 food allergies! My worst was milk, cheese close second, and wheat third. Boo. I was just at the cusp of my world blowing up, in regards to beginning to learn about food. REALLY learn about it. What I was about to find out, was what I thought was healthy foods, for the first 31 years of my life, really weren't healthy for humans at all. That's why in 2013, I speak a different language than my peers, as the majority, haven't LEARNED what is actually healthy, what is harmful, and what is simply lesser of the evils. These pancakes have a couple refined starches thrown in for balance, but I make up for it with superfood seeds!

Today is a snow day! My girls were thrilled! I wanted to make a nice breakfast, and they love pancakes. I most often make oatmeal pancakes, but didn't soak my oats overnight, like I usually do for my go-to recipe seen here.

So, I winged it. I most often wing it... There are times, things turn out so well, then I wonder, "how did I exactly do that"? Today, I wrote down what I did, in case it turned out well- and it did!
I make pancakes with stuff I had on hand. Now, mind you, my pantry isn't your mama's pantry- I have lots of good stuff in there. With a basic understanding of ratios for pancakes, I made a SUPERFOOD pancake!

Fluffy, Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Pancakes!

Yield:10- 12 medium size pancakes

3/4 C brown rice flour
1/4 C tapioca starch
1/4 C potato starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 faux egg ( 1 Tbl chia seeds and 3 Tbl water)
1 C faux buttermilk (2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar, fill with alternative milk to 1C)
~additional alternative milk as needed
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
1 Tbl Hemp Seeds (optional)

Organic smart balance,*organic, grass fed, cultured butter, or *organic Ghee, and REAL maple syrup for serving!

Mix chia seeds with water and allow to sit for a few minutes to gel. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the chia/water and faux buttermilk in a bowl, or in your measuring cup, if large enough. Gently blend wet into the dry. Gently pour coconut oil in, as you mix.

Allow batter to rest while you heat your griddle or pan. Grease pan or griddle with coconut oil, organic Ghee, or cold pressed oil. Pour in scant 1/4 C onto your griddle. Watch for bubbles through the top of cakes, and dry edges, then flip.


Natalie's notes

*Organic grass fed, cultured butter, and organic Ghee, ARE dairy products. I recently incorporated "butter oil" into our diets for the first time in 14 years. These have little to none, of the dangerous milk proteins, and lactose, as they are majority fat or "butter oil". See my "why to avoid conventional dairy" page. Avoid these products if on a healing diet, or severly allergic to dairy!
I like using the 1/4 C measure, as it makes the perfect sized pancakes. The extras can easily be warmed in the toaster! I always double, or triple pancake recipes. Easy breakfast leftovers, without the fuss!
~These pancakes seemed to stick more than usual. Really grease your pan/griddle!
They didn't brown up, as most pancakes do. There was golden brown on some, but not all.
The batter can thicken as it stands. You can add a Tbl of alternative milk as needed.
I did pre-grind my chia seeds, to make the faux egg, you don't have to.
I did pre-grind my hemp seeds, you don't have to!
As with any pancake, french toast, or waffle, you can freeze any extras on a baking sheet. When frozen, put into a freezer bag.

Update: My girls said the pancakes were even better, the next day, warmed in the toaster!

Another healthier breakfast to add to your arsenal!
Yours in health,
Natalie

Peach Banana Chia Smoothie

Smoothies are staple breakfasts and snacks in our home!  Most experts agree, that the human diet should consist of at least 50% raw foods.  A smoothie chock full of raw fruit, is an easy delicious way to get your raw foods.  Raw foods are full of enzymes, micro and macro nutrients such as phyto- nutrients, and vitamins in tact.  Cooking foods removes some of those benefits, especially the enzymes.

Enzymes are critical to health!  They are what allow nutrient uptake, and are responsible for a whole host of chemical, immunological, and metabolic processes.  If you don't eat enough enzymes via raw foods, your body needs to work extra hard to make more of them!  When enzymes are present in the food, you readily digest, and easily utilize the nutrients in that food.  Makes sense, right??

So, this is one of the main reasons we make lots of smoothies at our house.  In addition, smoothies taste like a TREAT, but are a nutritional POWERHOUSE.

Smoothies are nothing more than throwing raw fruits or raw fruits and veggies, with a liquid, into a blender and VOILA- health shake!!




Peach Banana Chia Smoothie

2 C frozen peaches
2 ripe bananas
3 C coconut milk (or any milk alternative)
2 TBL chia seeds
1 TBL probiotics

1 TBL flax oil (or flax seeds)

Everybody goes in the blender bowl!  Start at a pulse, and pulse until incorporated, then blend on high!  This will make 2 large smoothies or 3 regular smoothies.

For a thinner smoothie, you can add liquid to above the fruit in the blender.  If you like a thicker smoothie,  you should fill the liquid just to the top of the fruit in the blender.  You could also add ice cubes if desired.

I used only the peaches from this bag!

Chia seeds seeds are a super power seed, rich in Omega 3's.  You do not need to preblend, or grind the chia seeds before putting into your smoothie.

I used Barlean's Omega Swirl in banana strawberry flavor , which is delicious right out of the bottle.  You could use flax seeds, but you need to grind them in the dry blender first, then add your ingredients.

Omega 3 fatty acids are ESSENTIAL fats, and are not only good for you, but essential for good health.  The benefits are too many to mention here.

I used Garden of Life Primal Defense for kids, a powerful probiotic made especially for kids. 

A breakfast, a snack, a super healthy treat!

Yours in health,

Natalie