The Easiest GF Pancake... EVER

Good Morning!!

I don't know about you, but I woke up HUNGRY.

Now, what I'm about to share with you is likely to change you life... or at least your breakfast... FOREVER.

My best friend is really who deserves the credit for these. She and I lived together many moons ago in the great city of Des Moines and both learned so much about flavors and nutrition and the differences of each person's needs - this simple breakfast was one of the many great findings from that season!

I will tell you that these are extremely versatile. Anything you're craving can be incorporated... pretty much.

You will need:

1 cup oats (I prefer thick cut, but quick cooking would make the pancakes softer and more traditional in their texture)

1 egg

1 splash OJ (I base this on how much egg white is in the egg - just try to make the dough as close to the density of your favorite pancakes!)

I always add:

cinnamon

fresh grated nutmeg

fresh grated ginger

You could also incorporate:

pumpkin

berries

apples

bananas

chia seeds

the limits are endless!

Mix together oats, egg, OJ, and seasonings in a bowl.
(This batch I added pumpkin to my dough.)

Pour into hot skillet with either butter or coconut oil to ensure it doesn't stick!
Once the edges begin to bubble, you're good to flip it.

When your second side bubbles, flip it once to see that it's cooked all the way through (remember, we're working with raw eggs here...)

Plate with honey, fruit, and anything else you desire... and ENJOY!!

A nice cuppa and some beautiful flowers are always a nice addition as well.

Let me know how YOU prefer your delicious pancakes!

Chicken Dijon

My momma made a great discovery the other day while cleaning - she came across one of my Grandmother's old recipe holders. Knowing my love of food and our family history, she sent them home with me. 

This was such a blessing because, especially lately, I've been missing her a LOT. It's been hard and fun, but it's crazy all the random things that bring her to mind with my new job. I think she would be really happy with what I'm up to these days. Sometimes I just want to sit with her over coffee and fill her in and get her input as to what's best... She definitely was one of my biggest cheerleaders! She was always so great at creating things, making pretties, and being adventurous with even the small details of life. Little gestures like following a recipe written in her handwriting makes her seem ever so slightly, less far away...

Nostalgia at it's finest.

I went ahead and started with the first recipe held in the book: Chicken Breast Dijon. 

Per usual, I changed things around to fit what was already in my kitchen... here's how it went... 

Chicken Dijon

1/3 cup crushed Nut Thins (I was looking for a GF option - it worked really well!)

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried Herbs de Provence 

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper

1 chicken breast

1 teaspoon butter

1.) Combine cheese, seasonings, and mustard in a shallow dish, stir well. Brush mixture over sides and dredge in crumbs.  

Mustard, Parmesan, Herbs de Provence, thyme, and salt & pepper mixed together before brushing on the chicken.

I brushed one side with the mustard mixture before dredging with the crumbs, then did the same to the other side.

2.) Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. 

I put a plate over my skillet (as I have no lids - gotta make the most of what we've got!) I believe this helped the chicken to keep it's moisture and have really perfect texture once it was done.

Unfortunately, my chicken breasts were ginormous. The six minutes didn't quite cut it... I added a few minutes on to each side and they cooked up very nicely. As soon as my parents caught wind that I was trying out some of Grandma's recipes, they made their way over to my house to be my taste testers (always so helpful). I asked my dad if he remembered this recipe at all and he said he most certainly did not... could have been my adjustments - could have been a more recent discovery of hers too! Either way, it was super easy, delicious, and such a nice surprise!

Detoxifying Sushi Salad

If you have not yet taken the time to watch 'Hungry for Change', the sequel to the food documentary, 'You are What you Eat', I suggest you do so at your earliest convenience. Vast amounts of knowledge regarding your very best health and wellness. 

This is a salad from the detox I did a few days ago - it was by far the best surprise to find how delicious this meal is! The rest of the detox was a little less appealing to my palette, but I will continue to make this salad as a part of my regular rotation of staple meals!

Sushi Salad

*You can find the full 3-day detox plan here. 

You can also find other great articles and recipes through their website!*

This salad contains some of the most nutrient-dense plant foods on the planet - nori, or dried seaweed. It is high in calcium and iodine, which helps draw toxins from the body. 

For the dressing: 

-1 tablespoon finely grated ginger root

-1 tablespoon organic tamari sauce

-juice of 1 lemon

For the salad: 

-1 ripe avocado, chopped

-2 small cucumbers, halved and chopped

-1 carrot, grated

-handful of alfalfa sprouts

-handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

-1 nori sheet, cut roughly into bite-size strips (I use my hands to rip them up, but scissors would work too)

-1 tablespoon sesame seeds

To create the dressing, mix your ginger, lemon juice, and tamari sauce. Mix well.

To create the salad, simply mix the avocado, cucumbers, carrot, sprouts, cilantro, and nori together in a medium bowl and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle seeds over top as garnish. 

**I use organic tamari sauce rather than soy as I try my best to steer clear of gluten. These two sauces are very similar, but do differ in a few ways: both are made from fermented soybeans, the amount of wheat in them being the main difference between the two. Tamari is a class of soy sauce made with little to no wheat (read your labels!) and from a greater concentration of soy beans.

This difference makes the flavors differ as well. Japanese tamari is thicker, richer, and less salty than most soy sauces - because of this, I find the flavor to be a bit more smooth. 

...food for thought! ;)