Clean & Delicious with Dani Spies

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Breakfast

Almond Flour Pancakes With Raspberry Sauce (Video)

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Although there is no one food that I have eliminated from my diet, there are those I try to eat less of than others.

Included on my list of ‘less than others’ are wheat and gluten (which pretty much go hand in hand).

I don’t have an allergy or any severe reactions when I eat it, I simply find that I feel better when I don’t over-do it.

So I’m always looking for creative, delicious ways to find an alternative to the classics; for instance:

  • 90% of the time I opt for brown rice pasta instead of white or whole wheat
  • I usually pick oatmeal over a cold breakfast cereal
  • I love my Ezekiel bread over traditional wheat bread (which by the way does have gluten but much less processed)
  • I make protein pancakes instead of the traditional
  • And almost every time I make desserts these days, I use recipes from Elana’s Pantry (who is the queen of gluten-free, almond flour based desserts)

These pancakes are a gluten free, paleo friendly (if you skip the yogurt) alternative to a traditional pancake.

They are high in protein and healthy fats and lower in refined carbs and sugars.

For me the combination of flavor, nutrient value, and how ingredients makes me feel all hold equal weight in my food choices so I love this alternative.

If you go into this expecting a buttermilk pancake you will be disappointed.   But if you have any dietary restrictions, share my point of view, or simply care to eat more nutritious, nutrient dense foods, these will be right up your alley.

So check out the video and let me know if you give them a try.  I’d love to hear what you think!

Oh – and if you can’t find almond flour at your grocery store, you can buy some here, here, and here.

Print Recipe

Almond Flour Pancakes With Raspberry Sauce

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Sauce

  • 1-pint raspberries
  • ½ cup fresh oj
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cinnamon stick

Pancakes

  • ½ cup almond flour
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of fresh nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ cup egg whites
  • 1 egg

Topping

  • 2 tbsp. non-fat plan Greek yogurt

Directions:

Sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 25 minutes or until sauce has reduced down and thickened up a bit.

Pancakes

Combine almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.  Mix in egg whites and egg.

Heat a non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat and melt 1 tsp. of coconut oil.  Pour ¼-cup pancake mix into the pan (do this for as many pancakes fit in the pan without over crowding).  Once you see the edges begin to bubble, flip the pancake and cook another 40 seconds or so.  Remove from the pan and continue this process until you have finished al the batter.

Top each serving of pancakes with 2 tbsp. raspberry sauce and a big dollop of Greek yogurt.  Enjoy!

Pancakes make 2 servings (each serving is about 4-5 pancakes).

Nutrients per serving (½ recipe with 1 tbsp. yogurt and 2 tbsp. raspberry sauce) Calories: 252; Total Fat: 16.2g; Saturated Fat: 1.5g; Cholesterol: 90mg; Carbohydrate: 13.4g; Dietary Fiber: 5.1g; Sugars: 4.7g; Protein: 16g

Baked Banana Oatmeal (Video)

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Recently on FaceBook, I shared this little fact about myself:

“I used to be really into ‘amazing meals and gourmet ingredients’ but after having kids my new philosophy in the kitchen is this; make healthy food that requires little effort and tastes pretty good.”

I can no longer spend hours in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, however, what I can do is spend fleeting moments of the day browsing my favorite blogs and websites.

ENTER — Kath Eats Real Food (aka KathEats).

Kath began blogging as a way to record her 30lb weight loss journey and became a Registered Dietician along the way.  If you enjoy peeking behind the curtains of other peoples health and life journeys you will probably enjoy checking her out.  It’s truly a diary of her life – kind of like reality tv for the web – just without the crazy.

Anyhow, this is a recipe from Kaths blog.

I’ve always wanted to try baked oats and I get a lot of requests for a recipe so I was going to use this recipe as my base and then tweak it to my likes BUT much to my pleasure, the recipe was delicious just the way it was, so why mess with a good thing, right?

I hope you enjoy the play by play in this video AND I would LOVE to know if you’ve ever tried making baked oats yourself?  If so, do you have any tips or tricks worth sharing?

Print Recipe

Baked Banana Oatmeal

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups dry rolled oats
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3 bananas (2 sliced into rounds)
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1.5 cups 2% milk (or whatever type of milk you use)
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. turbinado sugar (aka – sugar in the raw)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375F

In a large bowl combine the oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl mash one banana with the back of your fork until you have a baby food-like consistency.  Mix in egg whites, milk, and vanilla.  Combine everything together and then pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine well.

Grease an 8x8 metal baking pan and line with one sliced banana.  Pour the oat mixture over the bananas and then top with the other sliced banana.  Sprinkle sugar over the top and then pop in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Cool and slice into four pieces.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

Calories: 310; Total Fat: 5.1g; Saturated Fat: 1.2g; Cholesterol: 8mg; Carbohydrate: 55.7g; Dietary Fiber: 6.3g; Sugars: 19.8; Protein: 13.4g

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal

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Here’s another simple and d’lishes way to whip up some oatmeal for breakfast.  Remember, I almost always make my oatmeal ahead of time,  so all I  have to do is reheat it with some yummy “add-in’s” come breakfast.

It’s a complete no-brainer!

I guess this is more of a suggestion than a recipe, but hey, either way it’s an easy way to get the day started on the right foot;).

I actually made this for my husband this morning and right before I served it, I added some chopped bananas. They didn’t make the picture, but I highly suggest adding some in if you’ve got them on hand!!

Oh, and did I mention that oatmeal also makes a GREAT mid-day/late afternoon snack?! Especially when you play around with the “add-in’s”.

Maybe it’s a stretch of the imagination on my part, but I like to think of it as a cookie that you eat with a spoon…hey whatever works, right?!

Print Recipe

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Yield: Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of cooked Oatmeal
  • 1 tbsp natural crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein powder
  • 1/4 cup of water or milk
  • A squish of honey or maple syrup

Directions:

Add water or milk to cooked oatmeal and heat in the microwave for 60 seconds.

Add peanut butter and pop back into the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

Stir in protein powder and sweetner...Enjoy!

Calories: 381; Total Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 1.4g; Cholesterol: 31mg; Sodium: 116mg; Carbohydrate: 41.1g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 9.2; Protein: 29.4g

“Pear Cobbler” Oatmeal

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pear_oatmeal_1_photo

What’s a Jersey girl to do on Christmas Eve Day when the temperature is about to reach 75 degrees here in Southern California?

Why, make a breakfast that would hit the spot in the middle of a snowstorm, of course!  I mean, c’mon… how else am I gonna make it feel like Christmas??

For me Christmas has always meant cold weather and a hot breakfast, so I figure if I can’t have the cold weather, I can at least have the hot breakfast!

In my last post I talked a little bit about the difference between Steel Cut Oats and Rolled Oats, but I wanted to actually show you the difference in the grains as well. So, I took a quick picture and posted it over in Food For Thought. It’s really cool to visually see the difference, so check it out if you’re curious.

As promised, here’s a yummy way to make some oats for breakfast.

There really are a billion and one ways to make d’lishes oatmeal for breakfast… I usually just think of a dessert I like and then try to incorporate the flavors and textures into my oatmeal. This one tastes like pear cobbler, hence the name (duh?!), but I also love to make apple pie oatmeal, blueberry crisp oatmeal, and peanut butter and chocolate oatmeal. I promise to take pictures and post those recipes as I make them in the future!!

My husband and I are staying in CA this year for the holidays (we usually go back to Jersey) and let me tell you, being away from your friends and family during the holidays makes you appreciate them that much more!!

So I hope you all have a Happy Holiday this year and if you are lucky enough to be with your loved ones this holiday season, don’t take it for granted!! Remember to cherish every moment with the people who mean the most;)!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Xoxo, Dani

Print Recipe

"Pear Cobbler" Oatmeal

Yield: Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of cooked oats
  • 1/2 a pear, chopped up
  • 1 tbsp. of raisins
  • 1/4-1/2 cup of milk or water
  • 1 tbsp of maple syrup
  • A few walnuts
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • A pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

Put one cup of cooked oats into a microwave safe dish (not plastic) along with pears, raisins, and milk or water.

Pop into the microwave for about a minute.  After a minute, remove and give it all a stir before popping it back in for another 30 seconds or so or until it's heated through.

Stir in maple syrup and top with walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a splash of milk... enjoy!!

Calories: 370; Total Fat: 8.1g; Saturated Fat: 1.1; Cholesterol: 1mg; Sodium: 40mg; Carbohydrate: 68.9g; Dietary Fiber: 8.2; Sugars: 3.1; Protein: 9.4g

Steel Cut Oats

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oatmeal_1_photo

Okay, so this isn’t exactly a recipe, it’s more of a strategy that I use to be sure that I have time for a nutritious breakfast.

As you guys know, I am a big fan of taking some time on the weekend do a little pre-preppin’. This way I have a jump-start on some healthy nutritious meals for the week when things start to get a little crazy…and at some point or other, things always start to get a little crazy!

And let me just say for the record, EVERYTIME I get a little lazy and skip my pre-preppin’, it never fails that I tend to make poorer food choices that week. For me, planning ahead is definitely half the battle!

Oatmeal is a breakfast staple in our house, especially this time of the year. I usually make four servings at a time and then put them into individual containers and pop them in the fridge. Then during the week my husband and I simply add a little milk or water and heat it up (if you are using the microwave, be sure to pop the oatmeal in a microwave safe dish…NOT PLASTIC).

I buy Steel Cut Oats, usually from Trader Joe’s.

Steel Cut Oats are whole grain groats (which is basically the whole oat kernel), cut into two or three smaller pieces. They have a very hearty, chewy texture, which I have really grown to love! The only catch is that they do take a little longer to cook, about 30 minutes or so and they don’t do so well in the microwave (which is why they are on my “pre-prepping” list).

The question most people want to know, is how are they different from rolled oats? Rolled Oats are simply the entire oat groat (before they are cut into pieces to make steel cut oats), steamed, rolled, re-steamed, and toasted. Basically, they have been through more processing so they tend to lose a little of their nutritional value and some of the hearty, chewy texture.

Like I said, I prefer the taste and texture of the Steel Cut Oats, but some people prefer the smoother, creamier texture of rolled oats. At the end of the day they are both super nutritious and either make a great choice for breakfast (as a matter of fact I am reading the labels of each right now and calorie for calorie, carb for carb, fiber for fiber, etc., they are nutritionally exactly the same. So technically, the macronutrients are not effected, it is the micronutrients that lose some value).

On the other hand, what you might want to beware of when it comes to oatmeal are the little pre-flavored, individually packed oatmeal’s. These are the guys that can be dangerous because more often than not they are PACKED WITH SUGAR.

Oatmeal is a good source of soluble fiber, which is great because it literally lowers cholesterol. Soluble fiber works like this; when it mixes with water it turns thick and gelatinous so as it works it’s way thru the body it pulls cholesterol out with it…then when we poop, it’s bye-bye cholesterol, hello happy healthy arteries:).

I promise to post some different recipe ideas for your oatmeal in the near future, they’re really are a hundred and one different ways to make it super yummy!

In the meantime think fruit, nuts, and some type of sweetener (I like maple syrup) and you will be well on your way to a delicious oatmeal breakfast!

What are some of your favorite ways to make oatmeal??

Print Recipe

Steel Cut Oats

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of water
  • 1 cup of steel cut oats

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.

Slowly stir in the steel cut oats.  As the oatmeal begins to thicken, which takes about five minutes, turn down the heat.

Simmer about 30 minutes.

If you want to make your oats a bit thinner, simply add more water or milk! 

Calories: 150; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 27g; Dietary Fiber: 4; Sugars: 1; Protein: 5g