Gluten-free Chickpea Pancakes

Fast, easy, NUTRIENT DENSE breakfast idea? Yes ma’am.

Add some fun toppings, and this transforms into a sexy weekend brunch feature. 

Also, it doesn't get easier than throwing stuff in a food processor, blending, then cooking!

Evil Dietitian Genius Strikes again! "Moohoohaahaahaaaa!"

Literally, the table was silent while the husband & baby annihilated the whole stack!

Yield: Makes about 8, 5-inch Chickpea Pancakes.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup Canned Chickpeas, rinsed & drained*
- 2 Eggs (or 2 Flax Eggs: Combine 2 Tbsp water with 2 Tbsp Ground Flax. Let stand until thick & gelatinous)
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 cup Gluten-Free Flour*
- 1 cup Milk of Choice*
- 3 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- Optional: 1 ripe banana for sweetness if not planning on using maple syrup.
- For skillet cooking step: 1-2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil. 

*If you’re following a low FODMAP diet for IBS:

Either keep your portion to no more than 2 pancakes, OR dust with FODZYME (affiliate link) which is an enzyme blend that breaks down FODMAPs of the fructan, GOS, and lactose categories.

Use lactose-free milk if you are known to be lactose-intolerant. 

Directions:

In a food processor with the regular blade attached, add the first 4 ingredients (or first 5 if using maple or banana).
- Blend until smooth.
- Add the last 4 ingredients & blend until smooth.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp butter or coconut oil over medium heat for each batch.
- Scoop about 1/3 cup batter onto skillet (a large skillet should fit about 3 at a time).
- Cook until golden brown on each side depending on your stovetop (about 4 minutes per side).
- Pancakes are done when cake springs back up when centre lightly pressed using back of a spoon.
- Serve with regular or coconut whip cream, fresh fruit and/or maple syrup!
- Brag about how your family mowed down a breakfast full of fibre & couldn’t tell the difference.

I’m so looking forward to hearing back from you about this one!

As always, thanks for the love!

✨💚✨

-Jess

Mean Green Breakfast Cookies

Recently I came across a few Nutritionists posting recipes for "High Protein Breakfast Cookies".

Intrigued, and a cookie lover, I investigated several of the recipes.

One recipe had all the beginnings of a lovely sounding cookie: oats, eggs, sugar...sounds yummy right?

But hold on a sec- what the deuce makes these qualify to be labelled a "breakfast cookie"? What made this cookie touted as suitable to replace our first meal of the day?

Was there a serving of fruit in them? Nope.

Was there a vegetable in them? Nope.

Was there enough protein to qualify calling it high protein? Um, no.

I'll do the math for ya: 2 eggs total 12 g protein, and that 1 cup of oats gives about 28 g protein.
So, in 1 to 1 1/2 dozen cookies, that's a max of 3.3 g protein per cookie.

So if each meal we should be aiming for about 20-30g protein, you'd have to eat 6 COOKIES! Ha, challenge accepted?!

That isn't even going to solve the issue of where the rest of the nutrients are going to come from when there is nay a fruit, or veg in sight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking cookies. Not at all! I luuuves me a good oatmeal cookie...but the presence of oats and eggs in a cookie does not a "breakfast cookie" make. I'd call that a snack or a dessert- and FAB with coffee or tea.

"What would a breakfast cookie have in it?" I asked myself. ALL THE STUFF! So I invented one. It does NOT taste like dessert! It tastes earthy from the green powder, chewy, from the oats, seeds and cranberries, and only a touch of sweetness from the mashed banana and maple syrup.

Proceed with caution you health nuts- this ain't a dessert cookie!

Yield: Makes 1 1/2 dozen Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

🌱1 cup Old-fashioned Rolled Oats
🌱2 scoops of your fave Protein Powder*
🌱1/2 cup Seeds/Dried Fruit**
🌱1/2 cup Nut/Seed Butter (I used PB)
🌱1/4 cup Gluten-Free Flour ***
🌱1/4 cup Dark or Semisweet Chocolate Chips
🌱1/4 cup Maple Syrup
🌱1 Banana, mashed
🌱1 1/4 Tbsp your fave Green Powder ****
🌱1/4 tsp Salt
🌱2 Eggs
🌱1 tsp Vanilla Extract
🌱1 tsp Cinnamon

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or grease them.
• Whisk wet ingredients together until well combined, then add in the dry ingredients.
• Use a 1/8 c to scoop even amounts, or drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown, and cookies spring back when tops pressed down.
• Allow cookies to cool before placing in an airtight container.
• Store in fridge for 5 days, or freezer up to 1 month.
• Brag about how your breakfast cookie is more nutrient-dense than their breakfast cookie. Ha. 😏🌱

* Brown rice protein powder is Low FODMAP
** I used Nature Source Salad Topper pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds & dried cranberries. Available in 1kg bags at Costco for $9.99 (CDN). If you're following a low FODMAP diet: Ensure the type of dried fruit you use works out to be a low FODMAP amount divided among the 18 cookies.
*** Wheat or spelt flour is ok if not you’re not gluten free or low FODMAP.
**** I used Farafena moringa leaf powder. It's a new African food I've recently come across. Crazy high in iron (120% of your Daily Value in only 1 1/4 Tbsp), calcium & antioxidants!

As always, thanks for the love.

-Jess

High Protein Maple Carrot Spice Muffins

Yields: Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup Gluten-Free Flour
• 2 Tbsp Ground Flax
• 2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Allspice (optional, but I love the spice)
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 scoops Collagen Peptides (or your fave Protein Powder)
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 3-4 Tbsp Maple Syrup (depending on preferred sweetness)
• 1/4 cup Avocado Oil
• 1/3 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp Natural Vanilla Extract
• 2 medium Carrots, grated

Directions:

🍁 Preheat oven to 350F.
🍁 Combine DRY ingredients in large bowl.
🍁 Mix WET ingredients in one medium bowl until combined, then add wet to dry ingredients.
*Dough will feel super dense! That’s ok! It has a sh*t ton of dense, badass protein in there!
🍁 Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
🍁 Portion out better evenly.
🍁 Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
🍁 (Optional) Brush tops with maple syrup and broil on low for a minute or two for added sweetness/texture (👀watch it closely or the sugars will burn!)

Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding

 Yield: Makes 4 jars

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Chia Seeds
• ½ cup Cocoa Powder
• A pinch of Salt
• ¼ cup Chocolate Chips
• 4 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Low FODMAP Milk of choice*

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to remove clumps to get a smoother product.
2. Scoop about a cup to each jar and store them in the fridge.
3. Top with pumpkin seeds or your favourite toppings before eating!

*Low FODMAP notes:
Use lactose-free milk if you are known to be lactose-intolerant or have not passed the lactose challenge phase yet.

Other notes: If you’re vegan, you can substitute with coconut, almond, or cashew milk, but they are extremely low protein, so you might want to add extra protein from nuts or high-protein yogurts.