My 5 Most Popular Recipes of 2014

It is fun for me to look back at the recipes I have posted this year and see which ones were the most popular… which ones got the most attention.  And, not surprisingly at all, they are some of my most favorite new recipes as well.  All of them are gluten free... some are Paleo, some are vegan.  Have a look... I know you will find something you really like, too.

Here are the 5 recipes and dishes that seem to be the favorites with my readers this past year.  If you click on the image, you will be redirected to the original blog post and recipe.

1.  Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup

This one has vegan options.  A delicious and rich hearty soup. I love the smoky flavor  of roasted red peppers.

2. Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

These happen to be vegan.  Lovely!

3. High Protein Breakfast Puff

This continues to be one of my breakfast staples.  Change up the fruit and it is different every time!  It only takes about 5 minutes to put together.

4. Low Carb Flatbread

Another of my own favorites. I put these together and freeze them whenever I find a good buy on nice large heads of cauliflower. They are gluten free and a great texture.  They do take a bit of work but so worth it!

5. High Protein Angel Food Cake

No surprise that this remains to be so popular. Who doesn’t like a little sweet now and then? And this one is not sugar-laden at all.  Add a bit of fruit and some yogurt or whipped coconut milk and you have a very special dessert.  Mmmmm.

Thanks to all of your for your continued support and readership… I hope to bring you lots of fun recipes and food finds in 2015.

What is your favorite new recipe from 2014?

Gluten Free Banana and Raisin Drop Cookies

I don’t seem to do much baking these days and I really wanted to make something for The Captain this weekend.  He has been so supportive of all the ‘extras’ I have taken on lately… so I came up with these cookies as a treat for him.  These Gluten Free Banana and Raisin  Drop Cookies are not only gluten free, but also grain free, and egg free. My goodness, that sounds so boring… but I can tell you they are very taste-full and have a lovely soft texture.

Actually, I am quite excited about how good they really are…. I ate 3 of them myself! And he really likes them too, thank Goodness.

The Captain loved the raisin drop cookies his Mother made when he was a child so I thought I would try to make something similar that he would really like, but in a gluten free, grain free version.  He doesn’t appear to be suffering from any of the ill effects of gluten sensitivity that some members of his family do, but I do make a point of finding gluten free alternatives for him whenever I can. 

The banana subs nicely for lots of fat and sugar that a regular cookie would have, and also for the egg too.  I made 10 cookies out of this batter… you could make more and rework the N.I. accordingly.  And, you would need to bake them for a shorter amount of time, too.

I used North Coast Naturals Organic Soya Protein in this batter. I like that it is both flavor and color neutral when mixed with other ingredients.  I think you could likely use any soy protein, but not sure if the texture would be as good with a whey or a veggie protein, in this recipe. 

Gluten Free Banana and Raisin Drop Cookies
Makes 10 cookies

• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 3 Tbs soft butter
• 1 ripe medium banana, peeled
• 2 Tbs soy protein powder 
• 2 Tbs coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbs raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with mixer until well combined.
3. Break banana into chunks and add to the bowl. Beat into butter and sugar mixture.
4. Stir in vanilla extract.
5. Add protein powder, coconut flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Beat again until batter is smooth.
6. Add raisins and stir in to batter till evenly distributed throughout.
7. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 10 – 11  minutes.
9. Remove from baking sheet an allow to cool on racks.  Cookies will be very soft until they cool.

Per cookie.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 82; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 4g; Fibre 1g.

Spoon the batter onto parchment paper, into mounds about 2 or 3 inches apart.

They will be quite soft when they come out of the oven.

Be sure to let cool about 15 minutes so that they firm up nicely… if you can wait that long!

Printable Recipe

Power-loaded Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

For years now I have gone back and forth between whey and soy protein powders…. until I recently added North Coast Naturals Organic Hemp Protein Powder into the rotation.  Now I have 3 distinctly different kinds of protein powders in my cupboard. And I love and use them all.

I often select a soy protein powder when I am making something with a heavier, thicker batter, such as pancakes, or microwave mug cakes, or even cookies… when I want protein powder with a neutral flavor, and especially a neutral color.  I don’t normally use a soy powder in smoothies or frozen protein pops because I often find that I can taste the soy in these more delicately flavored items.

This North Coast Naturals Organic Soya Protein is high in fibre and a good source of Omega 3.  I like the N.I. Per 2 Tbs of powder: Calories 110; Protein g 10g, Carbohydrate 7g; Fat 4.8g; Fibre 5 g.  For you Weight Watchers, that works out to 3P+ per serving.

I put this NCN Organic Soya Protein to the test by blending it with some almond milk, a bit of cinnamon,  and a banana, and shared it with The Captain one morning recently, before we did our workout.  We both thought it was delicious!  And neither of us noticed any soy taste at all… only banana and cinnamon.  So this NCN powder truly is unflavored. This, to me, is a good thing.

Our Soy-Banana Smoothies

Since then I have made some wonderful protein-filled pancakes with it, too.  I always have lots of canned pumpkin on hand in the pantry, to fall back on, on days I don’t have cooked, leftover squash or sweet potato in the fridge.   I was craving pumpkin the other morning and came up with these pancakes, to enjoy after a morning workout. 

If you like, use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon, or add dashes of  allspice and cloves along with the cinnamon.  And if you prefer a puffier cake, add about 1/2 tsp of baking powder, too.

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Makes 1 serving

• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup egg white
• 2 Tbs NCN Organic Soya Protein
• 1 Tbs almond milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon and more for garnish

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Spoon half of the batter into a non-stick pan that has been warmed over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and cook about 3 minutes till bubbles appear.
3. Flip and cook the second side 2 minutes and then remove to a serving plate and keep warm.
4. Cook the second cake in the same manner.
5. Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve warm.

Per serving, without toppings.

Weight Watchers P+ = 4.

Calories 110; Protein g 17g, Carbohydrate 13g; Fat 5g; Fibre 7g.

I enjoyed my breakfast with the daffodils that The Captain picked for me that morning!

Do you use protein powders in place of grains in your pancakes, too?

Are you like me and eat pumpkin all year round?