Gluten Free Autumn Pancakes

I have been continuing on with my pancake craze with this beautiful cooler weather!
If you have been lucky enough to get to any of your local farmers markets as of late, you are hopefully enjoying the fall bounty of fruits and veggies that this fantastic season provides. 

With apples being super fresh & plentiful, I just had to try transforming a wonderful pumpkin apple pancake recipe I saw on the TV show, The Chew.
The original recipe is made with traditional gluten filled flour plus an apple sauce topping.  I traded out the flour & skipped the topping all together, and could not be happier with the results.  

(Get the original recipe here)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Apple Pancakes

Using all Organic Ingredients

The prettiest pancakes were gone too quick!

1/2 Cup Brown Rice Flour (or Sorghum, Almond flours)

1/4 Cup Arrowroot Powder

1/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Real Salt

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Vanilla Bean

1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Ground Ginger

1 Egg (room temperature)

1 TB Ghee or Coconut Oil, melted

1 Cup Almond or Coconut Milk

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree 

1/3 Cup Apple, peeled & diced

Ghee, or organic butter as needed for pan frying

Pure Maple Syrup to taste for top

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl (flours, baking powder, salt & spices).  

Mix in all remaining ingredients except maple syrup, until no lumps are present.  Try not to over mix.  
Pour about a 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot cast iron skillet, on medium heat, with enough ghee to coat the pan.  Flip pancake when edges become golden & top is filled with bubbles breaking the surface. Repeat until batter is gone, or can save batter in a mason jar for use the next day. 
*If you save the batter for later, just be sure to let it come to room temperature before cooking with it.

Happy Cooking & Pancake Eating!

Recipe Test: Women's Fertility Smoothie

 Women's Fertility Smoothie 

**Using ALL ORGANIC Ingredients** 

3/4 Cup Frozen Strawberries

1/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries

1/4 Cup Frozen Corn (in season use fresh)

1/4 Cup Raw Walnut Pieces

1 TB Homemade Elderberry Syrup

1 Cup Almond Milk

3/4 Cup Filtered Water (or more if mix is too thick)
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon 

1 tsp Maca Powder (up to a TB if you like the flavor)

1 tsp Hemp Protein Powder

1 tsp Bee Pollen

1 TB Raw Honey

1TB Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Place all ingredients into a wide mouth mason jar, and blend with immersion blender 

(Can also use regular blender if you do not have an immersion hand held blender).

*Can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours

This smoothie recipe is in the 'testing phase' for me since it is the first time I have made it. 

But even when I have a test recipe that is tasty and nutritious, I have to share it.

See if you can take this test recipe and make it all your own.

Have fun boosting your fertility through blending!!

Inspiration Everywhere! This week in Food: Duck & Eggs

With the 2nd Edition of my cookbook arriving this month, 

I can't help but continue to dream up & create new dishes in the kitchen 

for a whole new cookbook 

(likely to come out in Fall 2012). 

This week it has been all about experimenting with Duck

as well as cooking with chicken eggs (whole & separated).

DUCK

is a protein that my husband and I love, but have not done any cooking with ourselves.  

Deciding between roasting a whole duck or parting it was our biggest hurdle.  

In order to try multiple recipes with 1 duck for the two of us, we landed on parting and cooking  

various dishes with our one 5 pound duck. 

1. Duck Breasts : Lightly seasoned & pan sauteed 

2. Duck Legs & Thighs : Marinated, pan sauteed & oven roasted finish

3. Duck Carcass (including wings) : Roasted, then in crock pot with veggies & herbs to make Stock

4. Rendered Duck Fat : Saved for use in various future recipes to replace any other fat

Our first duck experiment was a huge success, 

and I am looking forward to testing our duck fat in many different ways!

EGGS

are something that I don't think our household could live without.  

Especially our farm fresh eggs!  

If you are as big fans of eggs as we are, I can not stress enough how important it is to purchase your eggs directly from an organic farmer (or backyard sustainable farmers).  

You will never go back to store bought eggs again!

Of course, quiche is a staple meal around here, 

with our love affair with the protein packed miracles!

I love creating new combinations for this classic dish...
Brown Rice Vegetable Quiche (in current cookbook)

Biscuit Crusted Broccoli Quiche

Bacon Cheese Kale Quiche

The combinations and possibilities are endless!

Next we did 2 recipes for separated eggs. 

Our egg yolk recipe this week was

Dairy FREE Creme Brulee 

(I did not think it was possible to do, but it was oh so delicious!)

Now with the egg white from those same eggs we created our very own

Pecan Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

(also traditionally called 'Easter Cookies' OR 'Forgotten Cookies' NO flour, so naturally GF!)

Lessons were learned (or re-learned) in the kitchen this week for sure!

1. NEVER assume just because a recipe is based on it being filled with heavy cream, 

it does NOT mean it wont work with dairy free subsititutions and still be amazing

2. Parting a whole duck is MUCH easier than you think

3. It feels GREAT to know you used every single part of an animal when you are cooking.

4. You can save energy when baking cookies in an oven (that is pre-heated then turned off) overnight.

Last Smoothies of Summer: Anti-Inflammatory & Immunity Smoothie

Happy Labor Day!  

With the 'last day' of summer upon us, the season of smoothies will be gone with the cooler temperatures fast arriving.

As with anything else I make in my kitchen, I want to make sure to pack my meals with as many vitamins and nutrients as possible.  Also when planning my meals for the day, I really think about what my body needs to function at its best for that time.  Not only do I factor in what is going on with my body, but thinking about the time of year & weather is almost equally as important.
 
I truly use my food as medicine every single day.  It allows me to feel my best and helps prevent things like viruses, colds, allergies & flu simply with my daily meals.

Each ingredient I choose to go into my smoothie is carefully selected for specific health purposes.

*It is very important to use only Organically grown, Non-GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients. Non-organic versions do not even contain a 10th of the nutrients as the pure organic ones

Almond Milk - high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E, iron, potassium, magnesium & more

Good for brain & nervous system health, skin & bones, naturally lactose & gluten free

*You can make your own Almond milk at home*

Coconut Milk  - antimicrobial effects in digestive system, high in healthy saturated fats

Benefits gastrointestinal & cardiovascular systems

 Mango - high content of prebiotic fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants & more 

Aids in digestion & immune funtion

Wild Blueberry - highest antioxidant per serving fruit

Aids in immune function

Raw Walnuts - rich in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, zinc, calcium & more

Benefits brain & nervous system, as well as boost immune function

Raw Honey - contains trace minerals, as well as polyphenols that can act as antioxidants

*get honey as local to your home as you can, this will boost its allergy fighting properties

Allergy fighter & immune booster

Hemp Protein Powder - contains essential amino acids, balanced ratio of omega 3 & 6, GLA, and more

Benefits brain, skin, nervous, immune & digestive systems.

Elderberry Syrup - antioxidant rich, vitamins A, C & E, amino acids & more

*simple & most effective if you make your own with your own local raw organic honey, click for recipe from the Holistic Mama

Anti-Inflammatory properties & boosts immune function

Raw Garlic - antimicrobial properties, C & B vitamins, minerals & more

Nature's most powerful anti-biotic & immune booster

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - Lauric acid, antioxidant rich, poly-phenols, vitamin E & K, minerals & more

Has antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, & immune boosting abilities.

Benefits skin, hair, brain, nervous, digestive systems. 

Anti-Inflammatory & Immunity Smoothie

1 Cup Organic Coconut Milk (from a carton, unsweetened)

1 Cup Organic Almond Milk (unsweetened)

1 Cup Frozen Organic Mango

1/4 Cup Frozen Organic Blueberries

3 TB Raw Organic Walnut pieces

1 tsp Local Raw Organic Honey

1 tsp Organic Hemp Protein Powder

1 TB Homemade Elderberry Syrup, Optional (for extra immune boosting or allergy fighting)

1 Clove Raw Organic Garlic, peeled, Opitonal (for extra immune boosting)

1 TB Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Place all ingredients in a 1 quart mason jar and use immersion blender to mix.  Can also use traditional blender.

*Tip: Put Coconut Oil in very last, the oil will harden quickly when made cold, so be sure to blend immediately after adding.

Blend until smooth, and enjoy!

Can store in mason jar in fridge for 12 - 18 hours.

This is one of a select few new recipes in my upcoming 2nd Edition cookbook, "Organic, Gluten-Free & Delicious"  Pre-order your very special copy today, simply click here.

**DISCLAIMER: This information is not to be taken as medical advice from a doctor.  It is for your own informational purposes only.  Please consult a doctor when treating your own health issues.