Coconut Paleo Protein Pancakes

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I was still sleeping at 8am when my husband walked into the room and said, "I'm going to the store for milk. Do you want anything?"

And I did. I sure as hell did. I must have been nose deep in some culinary dreams, because I sprang out of bed with visions of paleo pancakes swimming through my head. I had almost everything, you see, but a few things would make it perfect.

You know, the good things. Like dark chocolate and maple syrup.

And so off I went, makeup-less and crazy haired, glasses smooshed to my face, because I was AWAKE now that pancakes were in the mix.

They did not disappoint.

Coconut Paleo Protein Pancakes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Coconut Milk
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tbsp flax seed
1/2 scoop protein powder (appx 1.5 tbsp)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined.
2. Grease a cooking pan with coconut oil.
3. Pour in a bit at a time and cook uncovered over medium-high heat. *If you are adding blueberries or fruit, add it now, after you've poured the batter* 
4. Once you see bubbles appear, carefully flip with a small spatula. The top will be a bit liquidy still as you flip, so do it decisively! It's alright if a bit of it spills- just use the spatula to move your pancake around and pick it up!
5. If you are adding chocolate or something else that is melty, add it on top now!
6. After another two minutes, check the bottom of the pancake. When it reaches your desired darkness, serve.
7. TOP THAT SCHTUFF WITH MAPLE SYRUP, OBVIOUSLY.

Sunshine Award & YOUR TURN!

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Last weekend, I was nominated for a Sunshine Award by Kelly of Transforming A New You. If you are looking for some inspiration to start DOING the things you have always dreamed of, head on over to her blog and you will get it. She is newer to the blogosphere but is making a splash by holding herself accountable to the things she wants from life.

She chose the following questions for me to answer:

1. If you had to get another, or your first tattoo, what would it be of and why?
Honestly, there is no physical design that I like enough to have on my body forever, and just I don't feel the desire to add anything to my body. The closest thing I can think of to working for me would be a very simple, small cross, to symbolize my belief in Christ, but I don't think I will ever do it! I figure God likes me the way I am, so I don't need to mark myself unless I really feel driven to.

2. Where has been the favorite place you have visited, and why?
I loved Costa Rica, because it was so extremely peaceful while also having a lot of vibrancy and wildlife!

Monkeys in Costa Rica. Be nice, be nice, be nice...

3. Wine or beer?
Wine! I get sneezy from certain types of beer, so I prefer to play it safe and go for red wine. Malbec is my favorite. If I am feeling celebratory, I will indulge in some champers!

4. If you could invent a holiday, what would it be?
I think everyone's birthday should be a WAY bigger deal. I am a huge birthday person, so I wish they were more holiday-ish so I could throw a party for everyone I love!

Just the beginning of my decor for my husband's birthday. I also decorated his car, so the poor guy had an adventurous morning!

5. What do you do to recharge?
Workout, write, pray. POWER NAP (20 minutes or less)

6. What did you learn from your mother?
How to break into my car when I lock my keys inside, among other things. My mother is superwoman who is simultaneously nurturing and pretty badass, so I can't even begin the list of things she taught me! (Also: she's a teacher. So. Yeah).

AND she's pretty, too!

7. What do you love most about the city you live in?
What I love about West Michigan is the summers... it is a beachside paradise of pristine, white beaches and clear water.
Chicago is my other home, and I'll never let it go! I love the excitement and energy I get from that city.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully I will be a published novelist with my marketing consulting business still going strong! But, most of all, I just hope I will have grown my heart, relationships, and skills in some way.


YOUR TURN!
Instead of nominating other bloggers, I'm just going to ask YOU GUYS to respond in the comments! Here's what I challenge you to answer:
1. Spicy or sweet?
2. What is your favorite vacation spot and why?
3. Pilates or Yoga?
4. Are you a morning person or a night person?
5. What is your favorite book and why?
6. What's your TV guilty pleasure?

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Protein Green Pancakes

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I know, I know. They look... weird. But don't be put off by weird looking food. These are actually delicious and freaking good for you. Kind of hard to beat that combination, isn't it?

I started making these a few months ago, and they have become a comfort staple. Sometimes, I just want to eat a plate of pancakes. But I don't want to feel like I just gained ten pounds in doing so. Here's your solution :)

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Protein Green Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 handfulls rinsed spinach
• pinch of salt
• (Optional): 1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and mix well.
2. Heat a greased pan over medium-high heat. Pour pancake batter into the pan and watch until it starts to bubble (~2 min). Start trying to flip it over and do so gently, using two utensils if needed. Repeat process until batter is gone.
3. Top pancakes with delicious toppings! I've tried maple syrup, sugar-free syrup, peanut butter, greek yogurt, fresh fruit, sunflower seeds... the list goes on and on!

Savory Parmesan Pancakes with Chorizo and Feta Cheese (Plus an exercise in gratitude!)

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If you ask my fiance what his favorite food is, here's what he'll say: Pizza.

Which is funny for someone who is engaged to a woman that pretty much never makes true pizza. Sure, I'll use similar ingredients, but it is always somehow slightly different. Smaller. Healthier. In a different form. Which reminds me: Anyone ever had a pizza shake? Ew?

Lately, I've been experimenting with pancakes recipes. After we had some delicious savory pancakes at Belly Q, I was interested in creating something similar. Basically, they took a savory, cheesy pancake and topped it with meats and cheeses. It's like if pizza and tostadas had a baby. Here's how they described it at the restaurant:

 

Via BellyQ

I know... it sounds delicious, right? We had the Goat Milk Feta Cheese & Rice Noodle Pancake, and I think we may have also tried the Double Smoked Bacon & Kimchi Pancake. It was a delicious meal and really got my creative wheels turning.

Finally, while working out, those creative wheels finally found their traction, and I had the perfect idea. We had some delicious chorizo left over from a meat and cheese plate we made for our Speakeasy Party earlier this month. And we also had, as we always do (because it is a staple of our kitchen), some delicious feta cheese.

And thus, these parmesan pancakes were born! They were such troopers and cried like total babies. I topped them with some broken up chorizo sausage (chorizo is so soft to begin with that it was pretty easy to break into small pieces with a fork), feta cheese, some mixed shredded cheese, and cholula. The result was something perfectly savory, filling, and low carb. Justin scarfed it up within minutes.

We ate ours with a knife and fork, the way you'd eat a traditional pancake, but feel free to just roll it up and eat it like a taco or something!

Savory Parmesan Pancakes with Chorizo and Feta Cheese

Ingredients for Pancakes:

• 1/2 Cup Oatmeal
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Egg Whites
• 2/3 Cup Cottage Cheese
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients for Topping (to taste):

• Chorizo
• Feta Cheese
• Mixed Cheese
• Italian Seasoning
• Cholula

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Place chorizo in a greased pan and heat on medium, breaking apart and moving around every few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine pancake ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed. In a greased pan, pour batter to the size you'd like your pancake to be. Heat over medium-high heat until your pancakes look a little bubbly and you're able to lift them up with a spatula and see that the bottom is beginning to brown. Flip and heat on the other side for just enough time until both sides are beginning to brown. Then, remove from heat and place on a plate.
4. Once chorizo is done, take a cookie pan and line with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place cooked pancakes on the pan (you may need to use more than one or do them in shifts if you're making a big batch), and top with chorizo, mixed shredded cheese, and feta cheese. Then, place in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until cheese is sufficiently melted.
5. Remove from the oven, add cholula (or the sauce of your choice!) and serve!

Delicious! 

• Have any of you ever made savory pancakes?

P.S. From now on, I'm going to try a little exercise in gratitude at the end of every post. Feel free to join in and add your own via comments!
Dear Nasty-Watery-Slushy-Melted-Snow all over Chicago,
Sometimes, when I am boarding the CTA bus, I imagine I am stepping over hot lava instead of 3 inches of dirty snow water. Thanks for making me feel like a kid again.
Love, Carly

Whole Wheat Flax Waffles/Pancakes

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This weekend was beautiful in Chicago! Justin and I went on a 26 mile bike ride... a ride worthy of much food consumption (seriously, or else I would have passed out). Here's the thing about those days when you've got some extra wiggle room on your food intake: be careful!

"But Carly, what if I bike 26 miles and burn over a thousand calories like you did?" Why, I'm glad you asked. First of all, you can eat your way through any workout. If I had come back, pounded the St. Patrick's Day Beers, consumed a big meal of Corned Beef Hash and Red Potatoes, and topped it off with a bucket of FroYo... well, my friends, that could quite possibly have been me "eating" through my workout. Regardless of how many calories you burn in any given day, stay smart and don't stuff your face with unhealthy crap!



Second, on top of the possibility of eating through a workout, remember that your body needs to recover post-workout -- especially an intense one. While good carbs and proteins are helpful to your body's recovery, beer and processed foods will leave you dehydrated and sore.

So, as Spring is (very swiftly) moving in and we all start spending a bit more time outside and active,  I'm working on a number of recipes for healthy foods that will supplement your intake of fiber, protein, and good carbs.

I recently made these Whole Wheat Waffles with ground flax meal, which is a good source of fiber and lignans. Here's a delicious recipe for a hearty breakfast (perhaps before a long bike ride?!), a late brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner! Why Fiber? Fiber rocks! High-fiber foods decrease appetite, lower blood sugar, reduce chances of cardiovascular diseases, and speeds up your metabolism by helping your body process foods more quickly. Why Lignans? Lignans are antioxidants known to fight against unwanted cell growth. Recent studies are showing they also help fortify your body against breast and colon cancer (and prostate cancer, too!).

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Pumpkin Pancakes

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[Recipe 9 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

[Recipe 9 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]


I've not historically been much of a pancake person. They sound (and often are) unhealthy. This recipe, however, uses whole wheat flour and fresh pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin). If using canned pumpkin, make sure you are actually purchasing canned fresh pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie filling (big difference health-wise). This recipe was made using canned pumpkin, to show you guys that you don't need to spend hours cooking and pureeing a fresh pumpkin to get the fresh pumpkin taste. Enjoy :)

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4-8 Servings

Calories per pancake: 100 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Flour (I used whole wheat, which makes it a bit more chewy but is, in my opinion, worth it for the health aspect)
• 2 tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
• 2 1/4 cups Skim Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Canned Pumpkin or Pumpkin Puree
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. 
2. Mix in canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree, skim milk, vanilla, and olive oil. 
3. Cook in a skillet on medium heat. After a few minutes, check the bottom. Once the pancake is easily lifted by a spatula, flip it! 
4. Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream. Sprinkle fresh nutmeg over whipped cream. 

**Got a recipe? Come back this Friday, "Friday The 13th... Day of Pumpkins," with YOUR OWN pumpkin recipes for a link-up and a chance to have your own page in a pumpkin cookbook!**

[Recipe 9 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

[Recipe 9 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]