Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes

It is a tradition at our house to make pancakes on Sunday mornings before heading out to the Temescal farmers market.  It is a family affair.  I make up the mix and Kevin usually handles the production on the griddle.  Over the years I have tried to perfect my gluten-free pancake recipe so that they are fluffy (pretty much never gonna happen the way wheat based pancakes are), fairly healthy, and yummy enough that Charlotte would eat them.  This is the tried-and-true recipe that I came up with.  We usually add blueberries, but a couple of smashed up bananas or handfuls of chocolate chips are pretty fantastic too.  If you want to make this vegan, just replace eggs with your preferred egg replacement.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 Cup Gluten-Free Baking Mix (my favorite is Pamela's)
1/2 Cup Buckwheat Flour
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Flax
2 eggs
2 1/2 Cups Water
1 T Coconut Oil (plus more for spreading on griddle pan)
1 1/2 Cups Blueberries (fresh or frozen, defrosted and drained)

Add all dry ingredients, add eggs, oil, and water and mix until there are no visible, fold in blueberries. The batter should not be too thick or think - add more water if necessary. Meanwhile, heat up griddle on the stove and grease with coconut oil.  Use a soup ladle to pour pancake batter onto griddle.  Flip when bubbles are present and remove from griddle when both sides are slightly browned.  Continue making pancakes until batter is gone.  Serve immediately with your favorite topping.  We like ground almond flour and maple syrup.  These can also be reheated the next day or throughout the week - I usually toast them up as they can get a little soggy in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Stephanie's Daily Smoothie

Ever since I got a Vitamix a few years back, I have been making green (or purple) smoothies for Kevin, Charlotte, and I every morning.  Trust me, this blender is well worth the cost!  It is amazing.  Kevin and I agree that drinking one of these each morning has made a difference in how we feel.  It gets our day off to a great start and it is a ritual we can't do without now.  It isn't a breakfast replacement for us, but more of a pre-breakfast.  I also think sometimes it is the only way we get any vegetable into Charlotte's system at all.  She is getting better at eating them, but she is still very limited.  She LOVES her morning smoothie.  Here is my general smoothie recipe.  I have noted where you can swap in/out ingredients depending on what is in season or what you have on hand.  I do a lot of prep as soon as I get home from the farmers market or grocery store so it doesn't take me more than 3-5 minutes to throw the smoothie together in the morning.

Serves 2-3 (2 small adult servings and 1 child, or probably 2 adults) If you are going to use this as a meal replacement I would double the recipe.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond milk (or coconut milk, or coconut water)
1/2 cup water
3 big handfuls baby spinach (or kale, chard, or super greens)
1 medium banana
1 small handful of chopped parsley (I wash and chop a bundle and keep in container in the refrigerator)
1/2 lemon (remove seeds and peel)
1 heaping cup of frozen fruit either: blueberries, mixed berries, cherries, OR mango, pineapple, peaches, or a mix of these

Optional items if you have any of these on hand and depending on what is in season (I might do 1 or 2 of these):

6 grapes
1/2 cup of cubed melon (anything from cucumber to watermelon)
1/2 cup chopped apple or pear
handful of shredded or chopped carrots
handful of broccoli slaw (I buy this prepared already at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)
1/4 an avocado,
2 tbsp. flax or chia seeds
1 tbsp. dried coconut (not with the berry smoothies)
1 scoop of Amazing Greens Amazing Meal

Blend thoroughly and enjoy!  I would love to hear what you put into your smoothies and your feedback on my recipe.  Feel free to leave me a comment below or reach out to me directly. I am always trying to perfect the recipes.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Oat Snacks

I make these cute little amazingly yummy snacks when I am craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I got the inspiration from a few different places, but haven't seen this exact recipe.  If you don't do peanuts or peanut butter, another nut butter will work as well.  For the batch I made below, I used almond butter. I also use an all fruit spread instead of jam to leave out any added/refined sugar.   These are dairy-free, gluten-free and kid approved too!

Makes about 9-10 1/12 inch (ish) balls

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Crunchy all-natural peanut (or other nut) butter 

2 Cup rolled oats

2 Tablespoons (heaping) fruit spread or jam of choice

3 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 Teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup dried blueberries, cranberries, or raisins

Heat almond butter in microwave safe bowl for a short time to soften if it isn't already soft.  Add the fruit spread and vanilla stir to combine.  Add the oats, flax, and dried fruit and stir until all combined.  Use a tablespoon or melon baller to scoop out mixture.  Using hands form into balls about 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Place on a plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating or store in parchment paper lined container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  

Maple Kale Salad with Quinoa and Pear

This has become one of my favorite fall salads.  It is super easy to throw together for a quick weeknight meal or even to pack up for a few days of lunches.  The flavors come together nicely and it is a lot heartier than it looks.  It is gluten and dairy free as well as vegetarian.

Makes four main course servings or 6-8 side dish servings.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 Large or 2 small lacinato kale bunches, washed, dried and chopped in 1 inch pieces
1 Large ripe pear, washed, stemmed and cored, cut into pieces
1 Cup chick peas, rinsed and drained
4 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/4 Cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

For the dressing (these proportions are rough):
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 Tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Cook the quinoa as directed (I like to make this ahead to save time).  Fluff with a fork and dump it into a large salad bowl.  Add the kale, pear, chick peas, pecans or walnuts and  parsley to the quinoa and toss to combine.  Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, pour it over the quinoa salad and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper.

One Pot Quinoa with Broccoli

This recipe is super flexible and easy!  You can exchange out the vegetable (depending on what is in season), the type of cheese (or do without), the type of bean (white beans are nice too) and the type of nuts (almonds, pine, pistachio) to add.  I make this probably twice a month these days and we don't get tired of it because we are always changing it up.  You could make this with asparagus, kale, chard, baby spinach,  or arugula as the base.  I often chop up other leftover veggies that I have on hand to throw in as well (carrots, bell peppers, peas).  The recipe provided below is the one I rely on most.  It take up to about 30 minutes to throw together at the most and can last a few days in the refrigerator.  It is gluten-free and can be dairy-free if you omit the cheese.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 Cups water

1 Cup uncooked quinoa

1 Can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 - 2 Pounds Broccoli, washed and cut into small florets

1 lemon (more if you like a lot of lemon like me!)

6 Green onions, diced 

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

3 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

1/8-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

 Bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, and turn the heat to low.  Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the broccoli and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine  the lemon juice, the lemon zest, scallions, oil, nuts, and cheese. Check the quinoa and broccoli when the cooking time is over.  The water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the broccoli crisp tender and bright green.  You can steam longer as needed.  When done, add the quinoa and the garbanzo beans to the bowl.  Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper.  

Basil Watermelon & Cucumber Salad

This light, easy, and healthy salad is perfect for a hot summer day.  The flavors come together amazingly.  It is a hit with both adults and kids alike! I like to refrigerate it and serve it very cold.  It is dairy and gluten free.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
4-5 Cups seeded watermelon, cubed (or 1/2 a medium sized watermelon)
2 English cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced
6 Green onions, chopped
1/2 Cup fresh basil (or mint), chopped
1/8 Cup olive oil
1/8 Cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine the watermelon, cucumbers, onion, and basil.  In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Pour over watermelon mixture (you may not need to use all of it) and toss until coated.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 day.

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Spinach, Feta, Olives, and Sun Dried Tomatoes

This recipe is super easy, amazingly yummy and surprisingly filling. It is healthy too!  Sweet potatoes are brimming with vitamin c, potassium, and beta-carotene. This dish is a great contrast of sweet, salty, and savory.  We like to make the mixture up ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors develop.  Then you just have to bake up the potatoes and add the mixture on top. This recipe is gluten-free, grain free, and vegetarian.  Charlotte even likes it (well, minus the potato)!

Serves 4


Ingredients:
4 Medium red skinned sweet potatoes, about 8 to 10 oz each and scrubbed clean
4 Ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 Small can (2.25 oz) black olives, chopped
2 Ounces oil packed sun dried tomatoes; thinly sliced
2 Handfuls chopped fresh spinach (or basil if in season)
1 Teaspoon dried or 4 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Place them directly on middle oven rack with a piece of foil on the rack below.  Bake until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced and cooked through, about 45-60 minutes depending on size. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.  While the sweet potatoes are baking, make the topping (or make this ahead of time and let sit in the refrigerator). Mix together all remaining ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until the sweet potatoes are done.  Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center to expose cooked insides, top with feta mixture and serve.