Banana Carrot Oatmeal Pancakes

Adapted from this recipe, these pancakes are superhealthy, and reheat incredibly well. I've been making them over the weekend and enjoying them all week long, topped with various fruits, like apples, bananas, and strawberries instead of syrup.

Yield: 8-10 pancakes

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour

2 packets (~1/2 c) instant oatmeal (any flavor will do, but I prefer plain or something NONfruity)

2 heaping teaspoons baking powder

dash of salt

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)

1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)

1 1/2-2 c soymilk (i've been using the sweetened soy milk and omitting sugar in the recipe)

2 eggs

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1 ripe banana, mashed

Combine flour, oatmeal, baking powder, salt, and spices (if using) in a large mixing bowl. If using sweetened instant oatmeal, I like to sieve it first to get rid of all the excess sugar. Measure out 1 1/2 c soymilk and mix together with eggs, oil, carrots, and banana. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just moist. Depending on how thick you like your pancakes, add more soymilk (I end up adding at least 1/2 c more). Heat a griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium high to high heat and lightly coat with oil. When the pan is ready (a few drops of water should spatter around when dropped on a ready griddle), pour about 1/4-1/2 c of batter onto the pan. Use the back of a spoon to quickly spread it out a bit to the desired thickness. Cook for a couple minutes, until the top of the pancake changes color slightly and bubbles form. Flip the pancake over and cook for another few minutes, until both sides are golden brown. Enjoy right away, or refrigerate and pop in the microwave for 30 seconds. These taste great with a little syrup, some butter and cinnamon, warmed jelly, or simply sliced fruit!

Sunday Brunch

Special thanks to Christina for hosting a lovely Sunday brunch! We had tons of food: blueberry pancakes, belgian waffles, home fries, bacon, eggs in every shape and form. And plenty of drinks: mimosas, mojitos, smoothies, sparkling juice. Just delicious! Also, Christina's house has such huge windows, I absolutely loved the lighting for these pictures!

All these eggies went into our tummies hehehe


Whole Wheat Belgian Waffles

Thanks to Yun and James for this recipe! Originally from here. A healthy alternative to standard waffles--the whole wheat flour adds texture and doesn't detract from taste--perfect!

2 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
1 Tbsp oil
2 c milk
3 eggs
cooking spray

Combine dry ingredients and egg yolks. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter. Heat a waffle iron. When hot, spray with cooking spray. Ladle a few spoonfuls of batter into the waffle iron and cook as directed by the waffle iron manufacturer. Serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream, syrup, etc etc etc. Makes ~5 waffles.

Home Fries


2 Tbsp butter (I would usually use oil, but butter is so yummy and it was a special occasion :))
2 large Russett potatoes, chopped into 1/2" cubes
3 scallions, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano

Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a nonstick pan. Once the butter melts and begins to bubble, add the potatoes. Coat with butter. Cover and cook until potatoes are about 3/4 done, stirring occasionally (should take ~7-10 minutes). Add scallions and seasonings, continue cooking until potatoes are completely cooked. I like slightly browned homefries, so stir to prevent the potatoes from burning, but don't stir too often. Makes about 6 small servings.

Hole-in-One


Something I've never been able to do until today thanks to Christina and Yi's instructions. Instead of using the usual toast, I used a blueberry pancake instead.

1 pancake, waffle, toast, etc (a piece of carbs at least 1/4" thick)
1 egg
1 tsp butter

Heat the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cut a hole in the pancake (I used the rim of a glass to make a perfect circle). Just a note--if using a pancake, it's best to keep it slightly undercooked to avoid burning it during the hole-in-one process. Once the pan is heated, place pancake into pan. Break egg into the center of the hole. Allow the egg to cook a few minutes. Once the bottom of the egg has begun to congeal, use a spatula to slide the pancake around a little bit to keep the egg from sticking to the pan. After the egg is approximately half cooked, use the spatula to flip the pancake. Allow the egg to finish cooking, again sliding the pancake occasionally to keep it from sticking. Serve with anything you'd usually put on pancakes or eggs--salt, pepper, syrup, powdered sugar, fruit, etc. Yes, that's right, I ate this with all those condiments. YUMMY

Fruit Smoothies
4 kiwis, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 c sliced strawberries
2 c frozen berries (we used a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries), slightly defrosted
1/2 c fat free milk
6 tsp confectioner's sugar

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Garnish with mint and serve. I would not recommend combining with sparkling blueberry juice, as below--even though it looks pretty, the juice curdled the milk in the smoothies giving Makes ~4-5 cups.

Mimosas!