Coconut and Chia Pancake

This is probably my final pancake creation of the year…. on Christmas Eve morning, I was looking for something a wee bit different from my normal fare. I love my Vanilla and Cinnamon Coconut Pancakes, and this version and this one too, but just wanted something more…

So I added a spoonful of chia seeds to the batter and they not only made it a bit thicker. but really added a nice taste and a bit of crunch, too.  I used 2 eggs in  my batter, but if you want to save a few grams of fat you could use 1/4 cup of egg whites in place of one of the eggs.  Feel free to double the recipe if you want to share with a friend.

Coconut and Chia Pancake
Makes 1 serving

• 2 fresh eggs
• 2 Tbs coconut flour
• 1 Tbs chia seeds
• dash of vanilla
• dash of cinnamon

1. Mix everything together and pour into a non-stick pan set over MEDIUM heat.
2. Allow to cook about 5 to 7 minutes and then flip over and cook second side for about 2 minutes.
3. Serve with fruit or your favorite syrup, honey, nut butter or yogurt.

Per serving, without topping.

Made with 2 eggs:
Weight Watchers P+ = 8.
Calories 264; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 16g; Fat 21g; Fibre 12g.


Made with 1 egg and 1/4 cup egg white:
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 220; Protein 21g; Carbohydrate 16g; Fat 16g; Fibre 12g.

The batter is quite thick and you may need to spread it a bit.

The second side cooks much quicker than the first.

Served with some peaches, strawberries and mango….

and yes, a bit of syrup!

Printable Recipe

Other than the Coconut Pancakes that I have already linked to in the opening paragraph of this post, here are some of the other grain-free pancake recipes I created this year:

Easy Flax Pancakes

Flax-Coconut Pancake

There are lots of other pancake recipes in my FEATURE RECIPES  - BREAKFAST section as well.  

There are some with oats, some with whole wheat flour and some grain-free with protein powder.  There are almond butter pancakes, ‘Oreo’ protein pancakes, strawberry pancakes, pumpkin pancakes and banana pancakes… to name only a few.  Something for everyone!  Really. Cottage cheese anyone?

Are you pancake lover too?

Starring Cauliflower!

Looking back over some of my favorite recipes of this past year, as well as some of the most popular posts, it would appear that cauliflower is one of the star ingredients of 2013.

And I am sure it’s true!  As I type this post, I have been getting up every 10 minutes to tend to the huge batch of Cauliflower Tortillas I am baking this morning, and I am going to be eating Cauliflower and Roasted Red Pepper Soup for lunch later today.  It seems barely a day or 2 goes by without my creating some new dish, or reprising an old favorite… and they often seem to have cauliflower in the ingredients list.

Why do I eat so much cauliflower?

It is such a versatile and nutritious vegetable. It can be enjoyed raw in salads or as a crudite with a dip; it is a lovely veggie to include in stews and casseroles with a wide array of spices; it can be chopped in a food processor to various degrees of puree and used in place of rice, or as a base for pizzas, or as the main stay in tortillas; it can be cooked and mashed like a potato or it can be baked and enjoyed like popcorn.  And not to mention that as a Weight Watcher, cauliflower is considered a zero P+ veggie.

It does have a definite fragrance, aroma, okay… smell… when it is cooking.  But don’t let that fool you. The taste is actually quite delicate and really disappears among other, stronger flavors and spices.  If you think you don’t like cauliflower, I would urge you to give it another chance.

Here is my version of a new Cauliflower Pizza Crust that I found at Gigi Eats Celebrities a short while ago… I am sure it would be delicious the way Gigi posted it too…. and if you scroll on down, you will find links to some of my favorite cauliflower recipes of the year.  Good eats!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust with Chia and Nooch
Makes 1 pizza crust

• 2 cups cauliflower, purreed till quite fine
• 2 large fresh eggs
• 1 Tbs chia seeds
• 1 Tbs mixed Italian style herbs
• 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

1. Preheat your oven to 375° F.
2. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and then spread in a circle (or shape of your choice) on the parchment paper, to about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from oven.
5. Cover with your favorite pizza toppings such as tomato sauce or paste, herbs, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, ham, artichoke hearts, and the like. 
6. Return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
7. Remove to plate and serve.

For the whole crust only.
Weight Watcher P+ = 9.
Calories 279; Protein 25g; Carbohydrate 21g; Fat 20g, Fibre 12g.

Mix everything together in a large bowl.

Spread out to about 1/2 thick on baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.

Bake for 20 minutes then top with your favorite goodies and pop it back into the oven for 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven and serve.

Printable Recipe

Here are some of my other favorites from the past year…

Cauliflower and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Grain Free and Low Carb Tortillas

I make these a lot and always have several in the freezer, ready to eat.  They can be left on the counter or thawed in the mike.

Cauliflower Rice

Another real favorite in my kitchen. I only eat rice now if I am having sushi, so some version of this Cauliflower Rice has become a staple.  It can be done so many different ways.

Cauliflower Coconut Soup

with 4 different spice options

Easy Curried Vegetables

Are you a cauliflower fan too?

Would love it if you would leave a link to your favorite cauliflower recipe here in the comments.

Pork and Zucchini Meatballs in Lettuce Cups

I was really excited to try this recipe when I found it in Chatelaine Magazine a  short time ago… we love all of the ingredients in this recipe so I was pretty sure we would love the final result… and we did.  I made a couple of minor changes so will list the ingredients I used, and the N.I. that I calculated, too.

Pork and Zucchini Meatballs in Lettuce Cups is an easy weeknight dinner. It all comes together very quickly and the biggest decision will be what to serve with it. I made up some fried rice for The Captain and he was really happy with the result!

Look for the leanest pork you can find.  And if you can, look for some Bibb lettuce. The cups will be smaller. I had Romaine on hand so used that. I also used a sweet chili sauce and fat free Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise… if I had homemade mayo on had, I would have preferred that.

We ate only half of the meatballs and I saved the others for lunch later this week.

Pork and Zucchini Meatballs in Lettuce Cups
Makes 4 servings (4 meatballs each)

• 1 pound ground pork
• 3/4 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice powder
• dash of salt
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 2 Tbs mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs sweet chili sauce
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 Tbs mirin or sushi seasoning or rice vinegar 

1. Mix the ground pork, shredded zucchini, Chinese 5 Spice powder and dash of salt together in a bowl.
2. Place the coconut oil in a large skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat.
3. Scoop the meat mixture out in 2-Tbs size meatballs and set them in a single layer in the skillet.  You should have 16 meatballs.
4. Brown the meatballs on all sides then cover and reduce heat to LOW.  Leave to cook about 7 or 8 minutes till juices run clear.
5. Arrange 2 lettuce cups on each of 4 plates.
6. Combine the mayonnaise and chili sauce in a small bowl.
7. Combine the shredded carrot and mirin in another small bowl.
8. When the meatballs are cooked, place 2 in each lettuce cup and top with chili-mayo and carrots to serve. 

Per serving of 4 meatballs in lettuce cups with sauces.
Weight Watchers P+ = 9.
Calories 347; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 7g; Fat 26g; Fibre 2g.

Printable Recipe

I was pleasantly surprised that  The Captain was game to pick up the cups and eat them with his fingers… but a knife and fork is certainly not out of the question… they are messy but delicious!

What do you think?  Is this something you might try?