Spelt and Coconut Flour Pancakes

I strive to be the best person I can be each day and live life to the fullest. It's true that like most this doesn't always happen. Life gets busy and sometimes it's the end of the day or week before I realize I need to pause, reflect and take everything in. Everyday moments are incredibly special and it's those moments my mind drifts to when harder times come. My grandpa past away earlier this month, only five months after his wife, my grandma nana, and we had his memorial this past weekend. He loved my grandma more than anything and it showed. Their marriage of 58 years flashed in front of me as we were going through old photographs of them and it was impossible to not see their love for each other as well as their four kids and many grand kids. 

I get my brown eyes from my grandpa. It was said many times that my grandma married him for those eyes and I was reminded of that fact every time she squeezed my cheeks and gave my a kiss. My fondest memories of my grandparents were during my younger years. We used to go to their house at least once a week for big family dinners, usually consisting of one of the following: pizza, Chinese (my grandpas favorite), BBQ, or spaghetti (my favorite). These were the days my cousins and I ran through the back yard and into the house. My grandpa would play little tricks on us, that we soon caught onto. His seat on the couch was conveniently located next to a tin full of tootsie rolls or chocolate candies that we'd get into on occasion. It's all these little things that add up when you look back and remember a loved one. It makes me realize even more how many might be going by without notice unless I stop myself and take it all in.

Sometimes another persons memories of a person are told to you so many times they start to become your own. To this day my mom can not stand pancakes and I have never seen her eat one. This is because every Sunday after church my grandpa would make a large batch of pancakes for breakfast and it was this weekly routine that kindled my moms dislike for them. My grandpa was not necessarily known for his cooking capabilities, but when I saw his large flipper hanging above the stove this memory flooded to me and somehow became my own. I could just see him there, over the stove every Sunday happily preparing breakfast for his family. Even though it's old and has a piece missing from the handle I brought it home and knew the first thing I would make would be pancakes. Most likely not the pancakes he served, but pancakes none the less.

This recipe was inspired by the Alkaline Sisters version of their spelt and vanilla pancakes. They have a beautiful blog full of healthy foods and treats and I urge you to check it out if you haven't yet. Coconut flour gives these pancakes an incredible flavor. If your a fan of coconut you should definitely give them a go. To be honest these pancakes were a bit of a fuss at first. I would recommend using a well seasoned cast iron pan or a non-stick pan if you prefer. When making pancakes you really want to make sure the heat is even throughout the pan and that it's not to high. If the heat is to high your pancakes will brown faster then the middle can cook and you'll end up with a slightly uncooked middle.

Spelt and Coconut Flour Pancakes

makes about 20 silver dollar size pancakes

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup spelt flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

big pinch sea salt

1 cup cashew milk or almond milk

1 tablespoon honey or agave

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

oil for greasing pan

In a large bowl whisk together the coconut flour, spelt flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a smaller bowl combine the milk, honey, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until everything is combined. Let the batter sit while you heat the pan or griddle. It will become bubbly as it sits.

When your skillet is ready pour a tablespoons worth of batter into the pan. Cook until the sides begin to bubble and set. It's important to not have your pan to hot, otherwise the outside will brown to quickly before the middle of the batter has a chance to set. Once the first side starts browning flip and cook for another few minutes until golden on the other side.

Serve warm with almond butter and bananas, fresh berries, maple syrup, or for a real treat add chocolate chips or some homemade lemon curd.

Colcannon

The smidgen of Irish in my ancestry never fails to come out on St. Patrick's Day. Maybe it's my love for the color green. Or maybe it's the quirky traditions the day brings out in people. I know it can't be the Irish/American food that everyone eats. There's not much for a vegetarian to love about corned beef. 

Last year I baked up a loaf of brown soda bread, but honestly, I make soda bread pretty often because I can make a batch as quickly as it takes me to simmer some soup or stew. This year brings me potatoes and lots of kale. I really love kale. It's by far my favorite green which is perfect because it loves me back just as much with all its healthiness. I changed up this traditional Colcannon recipe to weigh in heavy on the kale side and less on the potato side for my own selfish reasons.

I used red potatoes and kept the skin on because I love the color and there's a whole lot of nutrients under those skins. Peel them before boiling if you like though. You can also use regular baking potatoes or Yukon gold. I also decided to keep my colcannon on the heartier side by not thoroughly mashing the potatoes. Traditionally you use completely mashed potatoes. Finished off with some fresh herbs, a splash of almond milk and a drizzle of olive oil and I'd say maybe I am lucky to have a bit of Irish in me.

Colcannon

serves 3-4

4 medium to large red potatoes, scrubbed and roughly chopped

1 bunch kale, cut into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon oil (ghee or butter will work as well)

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 scallions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 

2-3 tablespoons almond milk

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for drizzling

Place the chopped potatoes in a large sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic. Quickly add in the kale and cook, stirring constantly, until the kale turns bright green and becomes tender. Add in the cooked potatoes and lightly mash them with the back of a spatula. If you don't want any lumps, you can completely mash them before adding them to the kale, but I like the heartier texture. 

Remove from heat and stir in the scallions, parsley, thyme, almond milk, and a bit more olive oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve nice and warm. 

Carrot and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Our weekend was a lazy but satisfying one. It started Friday night staying in to cozy up and watch a movie. Saturday morning came with a slow drizzle of rain but we enjoyed brunch with some good friends. We scrambled up some eggs and laid them over fresh slices of rosemary bread and there were giant cinnamon rolls, covered in cream cheese frosting. It left me feeling that weekend mornings should always be brunch with friends.

After hearing about the earthquake in Japan, we also made a few phone calls to some of our friends we know have family there to make sure that everyone was safe. Luckily they were, but my heart goes out to those who were not as fortunate. Every time the earth brings forth the sheer damage it can do, I can't help but feel humbled and reflect on the things I have in my life and how quickly they can be taken.

Sunday, we walked out the door, umbrellas in hand, to get some fresh air. By the time we got back home, our pants were soaked up to our knees and we were down to one umbrella, due to the gusts of wind that bent the frame. We were in need of something to warm ourselves up with and soup seemed to fit that request perfectly.

This soup came together quickly and with the help of an immersion blender, made things quite easy. If you don't own an immersion blender a regular blender will work to, just be careful transferring the hot soup. A good quality grind of fresh ground pepper really stands out nicely with this soup to. We enjoyed the left overs the next day and I'm still trying to decide if I liked it best the first time or the second.

Carrot and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock

1 pound carrots, about 5-6 large carrots, sliced

12 ounce jar of roasted red peppers or if in season 2 red bell peppers, roasted

salt, to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional 

Pour the oil into a large pot, over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic until just tender and translucent, but not browned. Add in the water, vegetable stock and carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and allow to heat through for another 2-3 minutes. 

Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree everything until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve hot or warm.

Meatless Monday with Martha Stewart: Bulgar, Milllet & Chickpea Salad

If you're looking for a nutritional super salad for dinner tonight head on over to the Whole Living blog for my post and recipe for this Bulgar, Millet and Chickpea Salad. It makes for amazing left overs for lunch the next day too.

Sautéed Garlic Sesame Broccoli

Over the weekend we house sat and watched two of the cutest dogs (which did not help my desire for a dog of my own one bit!). The house was only a mile or so from our own, which was convenient, but the real reason I'm telling you this was because this house has an amazing kitchen. A drool worthy kitchen for even those who don't like to cook much, but who can appreciate quality appliances, a refrigerator with glass doors, a freezer drawer that rolls out and matches the wood cabinetry, and a beautiful working stove from the turn of the century. There was even five different light settings to choose from and a view into her backyard garden sanctuary.

I go to this friends house at least once a week, but had never stayed long enough to actually cook there. Aside from having to open just about every cupboard in search of things as simple as a vegetable peeler, which is normal in any unfamiliar kitchen, it was pure luxury. Even after using her knives it made the knives I use day to day (which I thought were sharp) feel like I was cutting this broccoli with a dull stone. Have you ever had this experience? Or maybe the opposite? All I know is that when I one day have the means to design my own kitchen I will have high standards.

Being in another persons kitchen always reminds me of the fact that I need to leave my comfort zone a bit when cooking. Everyone's spice rack is different. Working around things that are commonplace in your own might not always be common for someone else. I reminded myself of this fact when I pulled this broccoli out and was just about to make my go-to garlic roasted broccoli with a squirt of lemon at the end, but then decided to change it up a bit and do something new. 

There is still plenty of garlic, love the stuff, but I added a bit of heat from the red pepper flakes and a unique twist from the plum vinegar. Topped it all off with a splash of sesame oil and sprinkle of sesame seeds for a quick side dish served alongside some sweet potato fries (another regular staple) and grilled tofu.

Sautéed Garlic Sesame Broccoli

serves 2

l head of broccoli, chopped into small florets

1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large pinch red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons plum vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

sprinkle of sesame seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a medium sauce pan of water to a boil. Boil the broccoli for about 15-30 seconds, just enough to know it will cook through once it goes into the pan. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking, set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just before it starts to turn golden brown. Quickly toss in the broccoli and red pepper flakes, sauté for about 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in the vinegar, it should boil up and reduce when you do this, sauté for another minute or so, then remove from heat. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle sesame oil over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve hot.