Chocolate Crepes with Chocolate Sauce and Strawberries

Just pretend I posted these for Valentine’s Day ok? This is what I had intended too….shhh…I’m a little behind….. :)

Whether for Valentine’s Day or for any occasion, especially those special ones….this makes a delightful breakfast or dessert.  Top with whip cream if you have it on hand and can eat it. :)

The crepe recipe was altered from this recipe. The rich, dark chocolate syrup is my own creation.

Ingredients (crepe):

• 1 cup flour (whole wheat or GF mix)
• 2-4 tbsp  unsweetened cocoa powder (depending on how strong of a chocolate taste you desire-start with 2)
• 1 tbsp honey/sweetener
• 1 1/2 cups  milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. oil

Heat a pan on medium heat.   Mix wet ingredients. Then add dry ingredients. Grease pan. Pour scant 1/4 c. batter into pan and lift the pan off the burner, moving the batter around until you have a thin crepe.

Top and fill with strawberries and

Rich Dark Chocolate Syrup

• 3 T soft butter
• 1/2 c. cocoa
• 4 T. agave/honey
• 6-8 T. water (to your desired thickness.

Combine all ingredients and serve over crepes. Use leftovers for chocolate milk or ice-cream (cow, almond, soy, etc).

Naturally Sweet Double Berry Oatmeal

  You will notice the oatmeal looks a little purplish-almost gray especially compared to the background----but don’t fear! It’s because of how it’s made.

 

I discovered that I left a mug of herbal raspberry tea out and decided to experiment with using that instead of water in my oatmeal. I also added some strawberries. It was perfect. It gave it just enough flavor….oatmeal, strawberries, and a hint of raspberry flavor! :) Try it! :) You might be surprised. :)

 

I try to use as little sugar as I can especially on oatmeal so this was perfect option for me. :)

 

*GF’ers- be sure to use GF oats or quiona flakes!

Mom's Applesauce Muffins

I LOVE my mom's applesauce muffins. And after hearing from Celiac teen, how she has been making recipes to fit her celiac diet from those from pre-celiac days, I have been doing some of my own experimenting. :) So, here's what I came up with. Also, it is has less sugar and no oil versus the original recipe! Enjoy!

Also, as noted in my previous post, I am doing a 2 week glutenious trail and that made me think that some of your who aren't GF, may want to make this too! :) So for those of you who don't have to eat wheat/gluten-free, feel free to sub 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour=my mom's recipe or white flour) Also, if you are GF, you may sub 1-1/2 c. of your favorite flour mix for my mix. Sorry if that was confusing! :)
Mom's Applesauce Muffins


1/2 c. corn flour
1/2 c. millet flour
1/2 c. sorghum flour
3/4 t. cinnamon
2 1/4 t. baking powder
Combine dry ingredients set aside. (xanthum not necessary, if you think you need it just add a pinch)

1/2 c. apple juice ( OR 2 T. apple juice concentrate and water) or milk
1 c. apple sauce
1/4 c. agave
1 egg
Combine wet ingredients. Add in dry ingredients until just barely mixed. Fold in apples and raisins. Drop into greased or papered muffin tips until almost full


1 c. apples chopped
1/4-1/2 c. raisins (I used 1/4 c.)
1/2 c. cashew/almond meal (I used cashew) optional, adds protein!

Cook at 400 for 20-25 mins. Makes 12.

In the future, I would use 1/4 teff, 1/4 corn, 1/4 sorghum and 1/4 millet (my favorite GF whole grain mix!) I was out of teff though! Also, may leave out the nuts or something next time...who knows! Also, more raisins and I could leave out the apples (but I'm not sure though if I would want to)

Inspired by mom's recipe and delicouswisdom.
I am entering this into Slightly Indulgent Mondays here.

Chewy Breakfast Muffin Cookies

I haven't done much cooking or experimenting lately as I am visiting some family and do not have a lot on hand. However, today, I had some leftover oatmeal to use up and didn't want to eat oatmeal...again. :) So, I wondered, could I make oatmeal cookies with leftover oatmeal for breakfast (I mean, healthy ones here) so that they would be healthy enough to be deemed breakfast, yet tasty enough that others and myself wouldn't turn up our noses to them? After doing a little search online, I discovered that my original idea wasn't so original. But, I found a recipe that sounded like just what I needed so I used this as a starter and then formulated my own recipe. After they came out, I found them to be quite delicious. Sweet, but not too sweet and deliciously soft and chewy. And after letting my little cousins and my aunt (who do not eat like I do) taste test, they all gave me a thumbs up. :) So here it is, a chewy, soft cookie that tastes almost like a muffin too (I guess I should call it a muffie) and one you wont feel guilty about eating or serving for breakfast. Great for breakfasts on the run, too!

Here it is:

Chewy Breakfast Muffin Cookies
(Banana Oat Version)


Makes about 3-4 dozen

Preheat oven to 375.

Ingredients:

• 3 c. oats (I used about 1 c. cooked oatmeal and 2 c. dry, feel free to use whatever proportions you like)

• 1 c. flour (I used 1/4 c. teff flour, 1/4 c. sorghum flour, 1/4 c. corn, and 1/4 c. millet flour)

• 1 c. apple juice

• 1/4 t. salt (if you oatmeal had salt in it already, omit)

• 2 mashed bananas
  

• 2 T. honey (or agave nectar)
  

• 1 t. baking powder (opt.-the original recipe didn't call for it but it will make them rise more)
  
• 1/4 t. baking soda (opt-see above)
• 1 c. nuts (optional, for added protein)
  

Combine all your dry ingredients (including cooked oatmeal if using). Add apple juice and stir. If it's too dry, add a little more juice. Add the mashed bananas and 2 T. of honey or sweetener. Stir. Drop onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 20-25 mins. I like mine closer to the 25 mins or so side...they are a little more chewy this way.

Other Variations
(I haven't tried these but I think they would be great!)

Hawaiian Variation

Follow recipe but instead of apple juice, use pineapple juice.
Instead of banana, use pineapple tidbits (about one cup).
Add 1/2 c or more of unsweetened coconut to the batter.
Taste, you may not even need the extra sweetener (agave/honey)

Cinnamon Raisin Variation
Instead of banana, use 1/2 to 1 c. raisins
Add 1-3 t. of cinnamon to the mix (depending on how much you like cinnamon.)

Carrot Cake Variation
Instead of banana, use 1-2 c. shredded carrots
Add 1/2 to 1 c. of raisins or pineapple and nuts (opt)
Use pineapple or apple juice depending on your preference


NOTE: I am entering this recipe into the next Simply Indulgent Mondays on Amy's website. See what it's all about here.

Recipe Review #4: Gluten-Free Whole Grain Waffles

I was in the mood for waffles. Real, hearty, whole grain waffles, like the whole wheat ones my mother used to make.

I found this recipe on The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen Site. I love this recipe! So delicious and simple! I tried it with a few alterations to the wet ingredients:

• I used 6 T. apple sauce (homemade or organic, sugar-free)instead of oil to make lower in calories and fat
  
• 4 tablespoons dark agave, low glycemic, similar taste to maple syrup
• 3-3.5 c. of water, I used this simply because I ran out of milk, use more water to make it less thick, (it's up to you)
  

Also, I used 2 t. cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Healthy and Delicious Low Calorie Breakfast :)

One morning I had about 5-10 minutes before I needed to leave for work when I realized I didn't have anything prepared for breakfast. Oops! So I threw together this quick, easily changeable recipe.

Per person:

• 2-4 egg whites or 1-2 eggs (higher calorie)
• 1 chopped up tomato
• 1/2 c. left-over or fresh cooked vegetables (I used zucchini)
  

Combine. Add salt, pepper, and any spices you wish! Cook on a oiled or sprayed skillet until done. Eat and "Scramble" :) out the door if needed :).

My verison of Healthy Indulgences Low Carb GF Fluffy Pancakes

The first time I tried these pancakes I found I wasn’t able to get them to be puffy, taste right, or the right consistency. I learned the hard way, that you definitely need the coconut milk and for me some other alterations. Anyway, after some experimentation, this is what worked for me. I’ve made a few slight changes from Lauren’s recipe here.

Healthy, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Pancakes

Serves 1, makes about 2 pancakes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 large egg
4-5 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sifted oat flour (made from GF oats)
2 tablespoons sifted coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon stevia powder

Directions:
Heat a nonstick pan. If you don’t have one, grease a pan well. Whisk together the egg, coconut milk, and water. Measure out the amount of flours you need and and sift them. If you don’t have a sifter, you can get one pretty cheap at your local Wal-mart, or just use a whisk and get all the lumps out. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Whisk together until there are no lumps. The batter should be almost like regular pancake batter, thick but pourable. Add the extra tablespoon of water if it’s still too think. Whisk batter again until there are no longer lumps. Pour about half the batter on top the pan at a time, and cook until bubbles appear on surface of pancake. This may take a few minutes longer than normal. Flip and cook other side for about 30-60 seconds. Serve with Earth Balance, peanut butter, almond butter, or whatever you desire!

Note: I am experimenting with making a chocolate verision of this pancake (hense the darker pancake on the bottom of this pile) but didn’t get it quite right when I made it, it only had a hint of cocoa flavor. I’ll let you know if I figure out how to make a healthy chocolate pancake .