Gluten Free, Vegan Teff Banana Pancakes with Spinach and Blueberries

You don't have to be Gluten Free or Vegan to enjoy these delicious pancakes that pack a seriously nutritious punch! Gluten Free baking can be a time consuming endeavor with so so results. These pancakes, on the other hand, are so quick and easy to make and satisfies the craving for something sweet and doughy without the guilt! I always freeze the leftovers for quick breakfasts and snacks for my toddler who gobbles them up.

Teff is an ancient grain originating in Ethiopia. Because the grains of teff are so small, the bulk of the grain consists of the bran and germ resulting in a highly nutrient dense grain. It is high in calcium (17 times the calcium found in whole wheat and barley!), phosphorous, iron, copper, aluminum, barium and thiamin. It also has an excellent amino acid composition and is high in protein and fiber. Teff is definitely one of my top choices for gluten free flours and can be found in the Gluten Free baking section at your grocery store or at a Health Food store.

This recipe was slightly modified from the original which I found at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen Website, along with some great pancake tips. I've made the original several times but couldn't resist adding some fresh blueberries and spinach...yes spinach! Ever since I have started my love affair with greens, they go in everything! Hopefully my toddler will never learn to turn up his nose to food that is green because that is all this child has ever known! Once greens have been minced, they can go in just about everything without affecting the taste...only the color so starting your kids young is a whole lot easier! Who needs food coloring? I throw minced greens in grilled cheeses and quesadillas, pastas, rice, and now pancakes!

I made two batches. One with Blueberries and Spinach and one with Cinnamon and Spinach which makes for less messy snacks. Switching to real Maple Syrup is a great habit to get into since the alternative is filled with sugar and preservatives. Honey, agave, mashed bananas or berries, and almond butter also makes for great toppings.

 

 Teff Banana Pancakes with Blueberries or Cinnamon and Spinach

1 cup teff flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

2 Tbl ground flax seed

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 Tbl cinnamon

1 cup water or non dairy milk (I use coconut milk)

1/4 cup mashed ripe banana (1 small banana)

2 Tbl melted virgin coconut oil

1 Tbl honey, agave, or maple syrup

1 cup minced spinach

1/2 cup minced blueberries

In a small bowl mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients and combine with the dry ingredients. Mix in the spinach. I only add blueberries to half the batter. If you want to add them to the whole batter, you might want to add more.

Heat a skillet over medium low heat until hot. Add a little coconut or olive oil and drop pancake batter by the 1/4 to 1/2 cupful. Flip pancakes after tiny bubbles form. Cook for another minute then transfer to a plate. Add about a 1/2 tsp of oil between batches.

The Green Smoothie

The green smoothie seems like all the new rage, but it is about the best trend you could ever try! Hopefully though, it will last a lifetime and not just a season! I started making smoothies last spring when I did my first "Clean" cleanse, and I have been making smoothies almost every day since, even on vacation. Switching to a more whole foods based diet can be overwhelming so I always tell people to start with the smoothie. It is incredibly quick in the morning, easy to clean up and versatile. You start your day with one meal that contains more nutrients than some people get throughout the entire day (or even a week!) And, you introduce the most nutritional food group that is most lacking in our diets...greens!!! All of a sudden you go from eating no greens ever to eating several bunches a week. Pretty awesome!!! Plus it is the perfect venue to add in all those super foods you have been hearing about! Our current favorites are hemp, chia and/or flax seeds, kombucha and coconut water. 

Parents, smoothies are not for adults only! We all struggle with getting enough fruits and veggies into our little one's diets. A smoothie makes it so easy!  I started my son on smoothies when he was a little over one. I started with sweeter smoothies made with sweetened kefir, but over the course of the year, we have removed the kefir and just stick to fruits, veggies, greens and non-dairy milks or water. I have made some with strong flavors like cilantro, ginger or kombucha and he literally downs them and asks for more! He even helps me make them and at 2, he can identify almost every fruit and vegetable. Not to brag, but I am pretty proud of my little boy's budding culinary knowledge!  And it all started with making smoothies and juicing! Getting kids involved in the kitchen is a great way to get them to eat a wider variety of foods. Plus, we have come to such a horrific place regarding our food system in this country that I feel it is my duty to educate our children about food and nutrition because not only is the current system making American's sicker and sicker at a very fast pace, but the earth cannot sustain it for much longer!

Our standard smoothie is berries, banana, coconut milk, kale and hemp seeds, but with this cleanse I started changing it up and have really appreciated the variety! Plus, it just gives us even more of a variety in the nutrients we are getting which is also important. A few words about dairy: Many smoothie recipes out there call for cow's milk and yogurt. I encourage you to start your smoothie endeavor dairy free. Even if you choose to include dairy in your diet, the majority of American's consume too much dairy and this is a great opportunity to try some of the non-dairy options. Dairy is very acidic and our bones actually have to release calcium to help alkalize the effects dairy has on our bodies so the calcium we get from dairy doesn't really do us much good. Greens, on the other hand, have tons of calcium that are much more absorbable. Plus, reducing your dairy consumption is gentler on the planet and on the well-being of the poor cows that undeservingly dedicate their lives to suffer for our pleasure. Not to mention the fact that dairy is highly allergenic and causes issues like stomach discomfort, congestion, seasonal allergies, pain and fatigue

Now for the recipes. Some of these recipes are from internet sites or from the book "Clean". Some of them did not originally call for greens but I cannot make a smoothie without them so in they go! You wouldn't even know the difference! And mix up your greens! We use different varieties of kale and spinach the most, but occasionally we use chard, collards, dandelion greens, beet greens or romaine. You can also make your own nut milk by soaking 1 cup of nuts for 3 hours, blend with 3 cups water and strain through a fine mesh strainer. You can add your own vanilla or agave to taste. This will last for 2 days in fridge. If you are new to green smoothies, start with a handful of greens. As you adapt to the taste, keep adding more and more. I usually put all of my other ingredients in first, then fill the rest of the blender with greens. Feel free to leave out the agave. Bananas and dates make great sweeteners so play around with adding either one. A good blender is key. I plan to invest in a Vitamix soon, but for now I have a Ninja. I find that blending for at least a few minutes helps get a better consistency, especially when blending tougher greens like kale.

Green Tea Smoothie:

3 cups frozen grapes or peaches

2 cups spinach

1 1/2 cups strong brewed green tea, cooled (I've even used mint flavored)

1 avocado

2 t honey

Kombucha Smoothie:

1 small cucumber

2 kiwis

1 cup ginger kombucha

1-2 handfuls of greens

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 T cilantro

6 ice cubes 

Orange Smoothie:

2 cups frozen peaches

1 cup carrot juice

1 cup orange juice

1-2 handfuls of greens

2 T ground flax

1 T freshly grated or minced ginger

Almond Butter Energy Smoothie

1/4 cup almond butter

1 t ground cardamom or cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut water

1 cup almond milk or water

1 cup frozen peaches

1-2 handfuls of greens

2 T hemp seeds

1-2 tsp agave

1/2 cup ice

Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie (scrumptious dessert for breakfast!)

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 1/2 cups almond milk

1-2 handfuls of greens

2 T hemp seeds

1-2 tsp agave 

1-2tsp raw cacao powder, carob powder, or cocoa

1/2 cup ice

Tropical Green Smoothie

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen mango

1-2 kiwis

1 cup almond or coconut milk

1/2 cup coconut water

1-2 handfuls of greens

1-2 t agave

1/2 cup ice

Apple/Pear Smoothie (I make this one a lot in the fall)

2 apples

2 pears

1 cup cabbage

1 T freshly grated or minced ginger

1-2 t cinnamon

1-2 handfuls of greens

1/2 cup apple juice

1 cup almond or coconut milk or water

1/4 cup pecans or almonds (optional)

1/4-1/2 cup leftover oatmeal (optional)

Cheers!

My Current Favorite Salad

Most of my family knows me as the best salad maker. I don't say that to brag, it's just I LOVE to get creative with the salad and they appreciate that.  The number one rule to great salads is homemade dressings. I have bought store bought dressings a handful of times in my life and every time I am left incredibly disappointed. I realize that making dressing takes about maybe 5 minutes and is SO worth it every single time!!!! I go through salad phases too where I get hooked on certain ingredients for both salad and dressing. This particular phase has lasted over a year which is a really long time for a salad phase, so it is obviously sensational!

Salad

mixed greens

avocado

red onion, thinly sliced

grapes or strawberries chopped

celery thinly sliced

cilantro

sunflower seeds

dried cranberries

Dressing

balsamic vinegar

dijon mustartd

honey

salt and pepper

olive oil

I often make enough dressing for 2 dinner salads for my husband and I so I don't have measurements for larger quantities. The key is equal parts vinegar and oil, but don't mix oil in until the end while vigorously whisking other ingredients. I usually do a dollop of mustard, a drizzle of honey and salt and pepper to taste. I probably use about  2-3 T each of vinegar and oil. If you want to make a larger quantity, start with 1/4  cup each of vinegar and oil, 2-3 T mustard, 1-2 T honey, and salt and pepper. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for awhile. Mix them up in a mason jar and then leftovers can be easily stored.This dressing is a little on the vinegary side which is how I like it. Traditional dressings are 3 part oil to 1 part vinegar which is a little too oily for me, but you can always adjust the amounts to find the ratio that you like best.

Green Rice Pilaf

This is a great cleansing meal...filling and chock full of healthy goodness. You can always add some beans or meat to make it a heartier meal or serve it as a side. 

Green Rice Pilaf

3 cups diced veggies (I used mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, green onions, celery and carrot)

1 cup brown rice

3 1/2 cup water or stock

2 large handfuls of fresh herbs (I used parsley, cilantro and 1 green onion)

5 oz container of fresh spinach

4 cloves of garlic minced

juice from one lemon

1/3 cup toasted walnuts or pinenuts

olive oil

salt 

pepper

Dice up your veggies and mince your garlic, saving one clove for the greens

Cook rice according to directions using water or stock. I toasted my rice first.

 Place spinach, herbs, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, and 1 garlic clove into a food processor

Add about 1/4 cup water or stock

 Drizzle in 2-3 T of oil while processing

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Throw in the veggies and garlic and saute for 10-15 minutes until tender.

 Once the rice is done, mix into the veggies and add the pureed herbs and greens. Cook on medium low until any excess liquid has cooked off.

Top with toasted nuts and grated lemon zest. Enjoy!

Cleansing Green Curry Soup

I am currently suffering from one of the worst colds I have had in a long time! Since changing my diet, I have hardly had a sick day and when I do get sick, it is quite mild and short lived (and I used to get sick ALL the time!!!)  So it is no coincidence that this cold hit me much harder at a time when I haven't been making the best food choices. I have fallen into a rut and have come to the realization that I have the winter blues! 

We have had an unseasonal winter for Colorado with colder temps and more snow than usual and you would think this Midwestern girl could handle it, but not my sensitive soul!!! But one amazing lesson that I am finally starting to understand is that life is all about ups and downs and that falling into an occasional slump is going to happen for the rest of my life. But it is how I react to it that will determine how low it goes and how long it lasts. I did not get this concept in my 20's so I frequently suffered from mild depression and anxiety, but with a little life experience, a lot of self awareness, and a huge desire to improve myself, I can proudly say I have overcome anxiety and depression. Now don't get me wrong, I still have my moments of despair, outrageous fears, excessive worrying, and falling back into bad habits, and sometimes those moments even last a week or two, but I don't attach to them like I used to. And I don't beat myself up. I know myself well enough now to know that I won't let myself just stay in a perpetual rut of self loathing and bad choices. In our society, eating clean and allergy free can be quite difficult and time consuming and sometimes I just get overwhelmed and need a break. Fortunately, my food sensitivities don't cause immediate discomfort (though sometimes I wish they did because they would be easier to stay away from!). But, when I find myself gradually adding in more animal products, gluten, sugar, preservatives and coffee, my body eventually feels more aches and pains, sluggish and bloated. 

Thankfully, spring is just around the corner and for me, spring has always been the start of my new year. I feel rejuvenated, inspired, motivated and energized. It is the perfect time to cleanse the body of toxins and awaken the body from hibernation. And meals, like this green curry soup, are just the ticket to jumpstarting the process!

Green Curry Soup

This soup was inspired by a recipe I found in Eating Well magazine. I took it to the next level by making my own Asian stock which is incredibly nourishing and makes enough to use for this recipe and freeze several jars. Using chicken broth, vegetable broth or water is perfectly fine, but if you want that extra cleansing factor, making your own stock is incredibly easy and incredibly worth it! If using Basil Green Curry Sauce, use up to 6 tablespoons and less coconut milk if you like it spicy, but use less sauce and more coconut milk if you want to tame the spice. And don't sweat it if you can't find lemon grass!

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion sliced into crescent moons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups green beans cut into 1" pieces

1 cup thinly sliced broccoli stems (save the crowns for another use)

5 scallions, sliced

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger, minced or grated

1 serrano chile, finely chopped

2 tablespoons thai green curry paste or 3-6 tablespoons Meals in a Minute Basil Green Curry Sauce

4-5 cups broth or water

2 1/2 cups shititake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon grass (peel outer leaves until you reach tender center)

1 cup finely chopped cilantro

8 cups gently packed spinach, chopped (half pureed in food processor with a little water/optional)

1/2-1 can coconut milk

salt to taste

Brown Rice Noodles (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the oil over medium heat and add sliced yellow onion. Saute for 5 minutes. Add in green beans, broccoli stems, green onion, garlic, ginger and serrano pepper and saute another 2-3 minutes. Add in the green curry paste or sauce and mix until well coated. Add the stock and mushrooms and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender. Meanwhile, cook up your thin rice noodles, if using,  in boiling water as directed, then drain. Add in lemon grass, cilantro, spinach and coconut milk and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Spoon some noodles into a bowl and ladle soup over top. Enjoy!

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the finished product. I needed to run a quick errand so gave my husband instructions to cook half the package of noodles, but forgot to tell him to keep them separate. He cooked the whole package and added them all to the soup so we had Green Curry Soup Pasta that night instead :)

Asian Stock:

Ingredients:

1 large onion, quartered

1 head garlic, cut in half cross-wise

2 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 inches ginger, chopped

2 cups shiitake mushrooms, chopped

1 stalk lemon grass, chopped 

1 bunch cilantro stems

1 inch piece kombu (optional)

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

3 tsp sea salt

8-12 cups water

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a large soup pot and cover with water to within 2 inches from the top. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2-4 hours. Strain over a large bowl. Use what you need for the recipe and than jar the rest to freeze, making sure it is completely cooled first.