The Perfect Baked Potato - Plus a shortcut

All baked potatoes are not created equal.

There is a BIG difference in taste in the way the humble baked potato is prepared, otherwise I would not post something that is such a no-brainer. This is so simple to do.

I have been to restaurants that wrap their potatoes in tin foil before baking them. The flavor of these foil wrapped potatoes is quite inferior to the recipe I have posted here. Please do not wrap your potatoes in foil.

Potato skins get the most enjoyable flavor when baked 'naked' and allowed to brown and get crispy in the oven. You need to bake them a little longer than usual but it is SO worth the wait. I included a short cut (precooking the potatoes in the microwave) I frequently use to speed the process along.

When I was growing up, my mom would bake our potatoes this way. We would scoop out the steamy insides and load them up with our favorite toppings, saving the browned skins for last. We would put lots of butter inside the skins and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then we would pick up the skins and eat them like you would a taco, so the butter wouldn't run out all over the place. No, I wasn't fat as a child, why?


Formula for The PERFECT BAKED POTATO:

Medium sized potatoes (Russet or yukon Gold), 1 per person
Organic salted butter
Biosalt or sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Sour cream blend
Scallions or chives,washed and minced
Grated cheese
Crisp crumbled bacon, optional

Method:

Scrub the potatoes well, so the skins may be eaten (because they're very yummy prepared this way).

To save time, microwave the potatoes about 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.

Or if you do not want to microwave the potatoes first, just bake the potatoes until the centers are tender and the skins are extra crispy, about an hour or more.

Push metal skewers through the center of the hot cooked potatoes.

Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the skins are crispy and papery to the touch. they will also start to smell toasted.

Serve the potatoes at once. If they need to sit a few minutes, place the hot potatoes on a cooling rack to keep the crisp skins from getting soft from the steam.

Split the potatoes and load on the toppings to taste.

Microwave potatoes about 20 minutes to save time, until tender.

Put metal skewers through the microwaved potatoes.

Bake the potatoes in a 450 oven until the skins are crispy and papery.

The finished crispy baked potatoes. see how the skins look papery?

The loaded baked potato. Do you think there is enough butter?

A nice looking plate of food.

A buttery baked potato skin.

Enjoy,

Leila.

Herb Flax Crackers - The 7th in a series of excellent Raw Food recipes

Herb Flax Crackers


I am posting a series of RAW FOOD RECIPES created by my mother Nancy Glazier and her good friend Irene Hauver. 

Together, as raw food pioneers, they complied an amazing collection of unique recipes that they used in teaching a series of raw-food-living un-cooking classes. We have a selection of delicious raw food recipes big enough to fill an entire cookbook. I know, cool, right?

These recipes are amazingly tasty! This is doing raw food right. Most raw food recipes are seriously lacking in taste and texture - well, not this collection. These beautiful ladies don't do anything half way! We are excited for you to try them.


Herb Flax Crackers are very handy to have in your pantry for when you need a speedy lunch or get the munchies. They have a delightful crunch and are SO healthy for you! Spread with Sunnie Sour Cream (recipe on this blog), Sunny Hummus (recipe on this blog), or other spread of choice.


HERB FLAX CRACKERS Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 cups Flax seeds, soaked in 8 cups water 8 hours (do not drain)
1/2 Onion, quartered
5 cloves Garlic
2 cups Chopped fresh herbs (chives, dill, sage, basil, oregano, parsley, kale, spinach, etc.)
2 t. Sea salt
1/4 cup Fresh lemon juice


Equipment:

Blender (like a VitaMix)
Food dehydrator with Teflex sheets for drying the crackers on
Bowl and spoon


Directions:

Combine onions, garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and lemon juice in blender. Puree until smooth. place in bowl.

Add 2 cups of soaked flax seeds and 1 1/2 cups water to blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into bowl with herb mixture.

Repeat with 2 more cups of soaked flax seeds.

Pour remaining whole soaked flax seeds into bowl with herb mixture and sir well to combine flavors.

Spread 2 cups of batter 3/8-inch thick on approx 8 Teflex Food dehydrator sheets.

Dry in a food dehydrator at 110 degrees for 8 hours. Flip onto screen.

Dry 12 more hours until crisp. Break into large cracker-sized pieces.

Store crackers in a pantry away from sunlight, in air-tight bags or bins. Fills an 8-quart size Zip-lock bag.

These crackers keep and store well.



Tips: 

The idea is to add just enough water to the soaked flax seeds in the blender to make a rough puree. This makes for crisper, thinner chips instead of just chewing on flax seeds stuck together. Use enough water to make it blendable in your blender.

Do not add an excess of water to soak the flax seeds - add just enough to make the mass like a thick batter. Then you can add water if needed during the pureeing process in your VitaMix blender. it's not like when we soak nuts in lots of water.

My mom always adds a bit of Vitamin C powder to her chips. It keeps her chips fresher tasting for longer, plus it keeps the colors lighter and brighter. Start with adding from 1/4 to 1/2 t. Vitamin C.



Note: Do not add more than the 2 t. sea salt asked for in this recipe. All dehydrated chips and crackers taste saltier once dried, because they are condensed, concentrating the salt.




Recipe created by the Kitchen Cheetahs, Nancy Glazier & Irene Hauver.

Enjoy!

Author, Leila Wood.

Family Style Chili - A much better copy-cat of Stagg Classic Chili! Plus a note about nightshades...

Family Style Chili

This makes a big pot of delicious chili that is great to serve at family gatherings. It can easily be made ahead and reheated if needed. The flavor is well-rounded yet mild enough that kids love it too. Our recipe is reminiscent of a commercial brand of chili called Stagg Classic Chili. Homemade is always better, and this chili is no exception. I did not set out to re-create Stagg's chili, it just happened.

Our recipe is easier to digest than some chilis, and is nice and tomato-ey as well. It is also less acidic than most tomato-based chilis, due to a touch healthy sweetener being added.

Note that green peppers assault some people's taste buds. If you are one of these people or have a family member who is, just replace the green pepper with a red bell pepper, or even a yellow one. Green bells are technically unripe anyway, and are the most bitter tasting of the three. Red bells are usually the sweetest.

Goji berry bush

Bell peppers are also a member of the nightshade plant family, and some people are sensitive to that, if so, omit the bell peppers (and the tomatoes for that matter!). By sensitive, I mean, some folks experience arthritic-type symptoms when they consume members of the night shade family. Maybe I should just call this nightshade chili! Uh, OK, don't eat this chili if you want to avoid vegetables from the nightshade family.

Other members of the night shade family are: chili peppers (all), potatoes (not sweet potatoes or yams), tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, goji berries, cape gooseberries... Just so you know.

Cape Gooseberry fruits

So, back to the chili recipe! It makes a hearty, delicious meal and I think you will love it.



Family Style Chili Recipe:

2 pounds organic ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)
3 stalks celery, diced small (about 1 cup)
1 green bell pepper, diced small (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, smashed with some of the salt
1 1/2 T. chili powder, to taste
1/2 t. cumin powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 15-ounce cans organic kidney beans, undrained
1 15-ounce can organic great northern white beans, undrained (or a 3rd can of kidney beans)
1 6-ounce can organic tomato paste
1 28-ounce can organic diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can organic crushed tomatoes
1 cup organic chicken stock
1 t. organic beef base
1 c. purified water
3 T. Golden Lakanto zero-cal sweetener or organic coconut palm flower sugar (replaces brown sugar)
2 t. sea salt or BioSalt, to taste


Method:

In a soup pot, saute the ground beef with the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic until the vegetables are tender, breaking up the meat and stirring frequently.

Add the remaining ingredients, mixing together well.

Simmer, covered for about 90 minutes, to blend the flavors well.

Check for seasoning and adjust if needed before serving.


Serving Ideas:

Serve over buttered and seasoned baked potatoes for a gluten-free meal.

Serve over steamed and buttered summer squash for a low-carb meal.

Serve in a bowl with gluten free organic corn chips, cheese, and sour cream on top.

Serve with homemade organic corn bread and raw honey butter.

Serve over homemade gluten-free macaroni and cheese.

Serve over steamed tamales.

Serve in a bread bowl topped with cheese.

Serve any way you please!


Photos of the process:

Enjoy,

Leila.

Crazy Good Vegetarian Taco Meat (Nut-Free, Gluten-Free)

Crazy Good Vegetarian Taco Meat

Meaty, savory, chewy & perfectly salty - that's what this taco meat is! This is a new favorite recipe of ours!

A couple of my daughters took a road trip to go visit my parents. Lucky them, they got to eat grandma's food! My mom created this terrific vegetarian meat substitute on the 25th of this month. Mom will flavor this meat various ways. This recipe is for a taco meat flavor, and it is SO GOOD.

My daughter Lexi has been a vegetarian for a few years. Lexi has recently introduced a little meat to her diet, but is still generally vegetarian. As long as she remains healthy, we support her in her choice. Grandma and Lexi created this recipe together, so it is now officially named "LexiBurger".

This meat is high protein from the tofu and egg, and high fiber due to the perfectly chewy brown rice. You do not need to tell your family that they are eating tofu, because you cant tell it's in there! Freezing extra-firm tofu is a trick our family has used for years. When you thaw it and press the excess water out, it has an awesome meaty texture when you crumble it. Just buy some extra-firm tofu and throw it in your freezer just for this purpose.

The egg helps to bind everything together perfectly, just so you know.

Are you wondering what the "Umami" is mentioned below??? It's another flavor profile that they know about in Japan. It gives amazing full-bodied, rich, complex flavors to savory foods. MSG enhances umami, for example. Umami flavors are found in slow-roasted stews, and sauces made with fond which have been reduced to concentrate the flavors, mushrooms, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, etc. It's a mysterious flavor that you can't quite put your finger on, but you really notice when it's there because the food tastes so amazing, you just want to stuff your face! Look "umami" up online for a more detailed description.

Put this delicious taco "meat" in tacos, burritos, with or without re-fried beans and cheese, on top of nachos, or on top of a taco salad. Lexi brought some of this meat to my house and we made nachos for a tasty filling treat. YUM. I have pictures of our nachos in this post.

 Look at this meat, it tastes even better than it looks!

Crazy good vegetarian taco meat nachos.

Vegetarian Lexi Burger:

1 package organic extra-firm tofu
1 1/4 to 1 1/3 c. chewy cooked organic short grain brown rice
1/4 to 1/3 c. soaked chopped dried onion
2 T. rice oil
1 T soy sauce (Tamari for gluten-free)
1 to 2 T. hot taco sauce, to taste
2 t. sunbutter (sunflower seed butter), up to 3 t., for richness
1 small beaten organic egg
2 t. organic paprika (or ground chili)
2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. mushroom powder (to add full-bodied complex "Umami" flavor)
1/4 to 1/2 t. cumin powder
Chipotle powder, to taste
1/2 c. or more deodorized coconut oil, for browning the mixture.
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Seasonall seasoned salt, to taste
Garlic salt, to taste
1/2 c. more cooked rice, if needed


Method:

Do ahead of time:

1.  Slice and freeze the box of tofu for at least 24 hours. THAW. Press firm to remove excess water and crumble finely.

2.  Cook the short grain brown rice only until it's nice and chewy, then chill at least overnight for best results (over-cooking makes the rice mushy).


The day of making the Vegetarian Taco Meat:

Mix the crumbled tofu with the 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 c. cooked brown rice and soaked dried onion flakes in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the rice oil, soy sauce, hot sauce, and sunbutter, and toss well to combine.

Add the beaten egg and toss well to coat completely.

Toss with the paprika, onion powder, garlic salt, mushroom powder, cumin, and chipotle.

Heat 1/2 c. coconut oil in a large skillet, when starting to sizzle, dump in the tofu mixture and stir-fry it like you would fried rice. You want to brown it a little, but do not over-brown or it can get a little dry. Add more oil if needed.

Season to taste with pepper, Seasonall, garlic salt, etc.

If the vegetarian meat mixture turns out too rich and oily, just work in another 1/2 cup or so of cooked rice.

For the nachos, we melted cheddar and jack cheese over gluten-free tortilla chips. Topped the nachos with the warm "meat mixture, drizzled on salsa and topped with a dollop of sour cream. I was too lazy to go get a can of olives, but we would of loved some along with fresh guacamole!

Enjoy, 

Leila & Nancy.

Chicken Masala - Copy Cat Indian Restaurant recipe

Crazy Good Indian Butter Chicken

(Murgh Makhani Masala)

I'm not kidding, this dish is amazing. For years I have wanted to duplicate Indian Masala dishes found at my favorite Indian restaurant, The Bombay House, in Utah. My girls and I ADORE masala. Nothing made at home ever came close, I never found good recipes in books or online.

Sigh...

I get stubborn about these things sometimes... I again did my research, and still did not find what I was looking for. BUT, I decided to start with a basic Indian gravy and work from there. I knew I wanted a creamy, buttery tomato base. I did not want to taste an over abundance of cumin, which most home made recipes have. I also did not want the sauce to be acidic tasting from the tomato, again, most home made sauces are too sour. I wanted a harmonious marriage of exotic Indian spices, peeking their way through, delighting the taste buds. The sauces I love also have a subtle sweetness to them too and I wanted to duplicate that.

I cooked and tasted carefully, adding more spices and "stuff" until the sauce "officially arrived".

The sauce turned out so rich and flavorful. The chicken was so moist and tender, with a touch of tang that perfectly complimented the decadent sauce. Served over basmati rice, and garnished with cilantro, it was perfect. We enjoyed it more than the version served at most Indian restaurants. I usually have to have tamarind chutney on the side to fully enjoy this dish, but this has such a nice flavor that I didn't need it at all. We fell into a blissful Indian food coma after this incredible meal. We were SO happy, just sayin'.

This is a sauce you can add any meat to, not just the marinated chicken recipe below. You can make it vegetarian, by adding Paneer (an Indian cheese). Oh, how I love paneer... I tried making it once - epic fail. I'll figure that one out too some time.

This makes enough sauce to serve about 8 people, or 2 meals of 4. I like to make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge until needed. Restaurants also make their sauces in advance, in big batches, to save time. They will then customize it to order for their patrons. Marinating your meat ahead of time makes for quick meals come dinner time.

This recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare.  How great is that?

Serve with basmati rice for authenticity and true deliciousness. I like to garnish with fresh chopped cilantro too.

Garlic Naan is a natural to serve with Indian food, My recipe is not gluten-free (yet), so I will not share it with you here.

Here is my original prized recipe, I now present it to you...



Marinated Chicken:

3 to 4 fresh or thawed skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 T. mashed garlic
1/2 T. grated fresh ginger
1 T. plain yogurt (Greek yogurt works too)
1 t. garahm masala powder (recipe on this blog)
1/2 t. tumeric powder
1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. BioSalt (recipe on this blog)


Method:

Mix the marinade with the chicken in a heavy duty Ziplock bag. Coat the chicken evenly.

Let marinate in your refrigerator for at least 4 hours, overnight is even better (you may store in your refrigerator up to 3 days this way).



Makhani Masala Sauce (a thick buttery tomato based sauce):

2 T. virgin coconut oil
1/2 c. pureed onion
1 T. fresh grated ginger (paste)
1 T. smashed garlic (paste)
1/2 to 1 T. kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), optional to taste (Indian food stores)
1 1/2 t. Graham masala powder
1 t. Ancho red chili powder
1/2 t. plus 1/8 t. Saigon cinnamon
1/2 t. cardamom powder
1/2 t. tumeric powder, optional (I left it out this time)
1 pinch red hot pepper flakes
1 green chili, minced, optional (I left it out this time)
3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 c. hot water
1 c. heavy cream (Dairy-Free Version: omit cream and water, add 2 cans full-fat coconut milk)
2 t. xylitol
1 1/2 t. BioSalt, to taste (recipe on this blog)
1 T. butter (omit if dairy-free version is desired)



Method:

Heat 2 T. coconut oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat..

Add ground onion  and saute until it starts looking translucent.

Add the ginger paste, garlic paste and kasuri methi, if using (I did not have any).

Saute until the mixture until it starts to sizzle and let it sizzle a few minutes. Don't let it burn.

Add a touch of water if you feel the onion is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the graham masala, chili powder, cinnamon, cardamom, hot pepper flakes, and green chili.

Mix well in the pan. Add the tomato sauce and 1 c. hot water.

Turn the heat down to medium, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 c. heavy cream and 2 t. xylitol, stir and then bring up to a boil again, uncovered.

Add 1 1/2 t. BioSalt and 1 T. butter, stir in and remove from heat.

Taste for seasoning. It should have a subtle sweetness from the xylitol and sweet spices.

Use the sauce immediately or pour into a quart jar and store in your refrigerated until needed.

There is enough sauce to prepare 2 batches of the marinated chicken above.



To Prepare The Meal:

Prepare the basmati rice according to the directions for your rice cooker, using 3 cups rice, the amount of water called for, 1 T. butter and a heaping t. BioSalt.

In a large frying pan, heat the 2 T. coconut oil and fry the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes on each side, until starting to brown. don't over crowd the chicken in the pan.

Once the chicken is done, Add the prepared sauce, about 2 cups worth.

Stir together and gently heat through. Thin with a little water as needed.

Top with fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve over hot cooked basmati rice.



Notes: 

In the future I may puree the sauce to make it even more velvety.

I used our home made Garam Masala spice blend recipe found on this blog.



See pictures of the cooking process:

The sauce is the boss!

Sauce ready to put into the fridge.

The chicken is marinating...

Virgin coconut oil is perfect for this dish.

Coconut oil is melted in the pan and marinated chicken is placed inside...

Saute chicken until golden and flip over to brown the other side.

Pour in about half a jars worth of  prepared sauce.

Add a bit of water when the sauce gets too thick.

The finished chicken and sauce.

Served with Basmati rice and Naan.

Enjoy!!!

Leila.

Zippy Slimming Cabbage Soup - A yummy clean-eating lunch or dinner

Try this robust, delicious and easy to make metabolism-boosting soup. 

This yummy soup is a great clean-eating meal that is also kind to the pocket book. Even though this is "just a cabbage soup," I feel it is of restaurant quality. It is full-bodied with a nice zippy warmth that makes things interesting. I really like it and can eat it frequently without tiring of it.

It's nice to have a large batch of this in your fridge for quick meals. You can feel good in knowing that this is a great weight loss menu item too. I'ts full of fiber and flavor.

I like to make my own chicken stock when ever we buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco, or when I roast my own chicken. Stock made from our Easy Juicy Roast Chicken recipe is the best! Of course you can use boxed chicken stock if you want to, it just isn't as rich and flavorful.

I make the stock ahead of time by putting the picked over chicken bones and skin into a big stock pot. I add all the left over chicken drippings too! I roughly chop up some onion, celery and carrot and throw that in the stock pot, and cover the whole mess with purified water. I bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, put on the lid and let it simmer on medium for at least 3 hours, or on low heat over night. Make sure you check your water level before going to bed!

Then I strain the stock, pick out any usable meat, transfer it to 1/2-gallon mason jars and store it in the fridge to use for a meal later that week.

In the winter, if it is really cold, I will set the pot outside on the cold cement over night to chill. The fat floats to the top and solidifies and you can easily skim it off. If I have room in my fridge, I'll chill it in there (Ha, that's funny, I never have that much spare room in my fridge). Anyway, I'm not too worried about having some organic chicken fat in my soup. It makes for a rich soup, and eating fat doesn't make you fat. Eating a bucket-load of white flour, white sugar donuts, fried in hydrogenated oil - now that can plump you up a bit.

I use a can of tomato sauce and a can of stewed tomatoes in this recipe. The stewed tomatoes have more ingredients and flavor than just regular canned tomatoes. I used a can of organic stewed tomatoes, Italian-Style from Costco and it has the following vegetables: Onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, basil, and oregano. If you only have plain canned tomatoes, toss in some minced celery and bell pepper into the onions as you are caramelizing them. Add a pinch of basil and oregano to the soup as it's cooking. When seasoning at the end, you will need to add up to 1 T. erythritol too.

Another substitute idea is to use 8 cups of canned spicy tomato juice instead of the tomato sauce, canned stewed tomatoes, and the 4 cups water. That tastes good too, I just prefer my recipe the way I listed it below. I like to have options, and thought you might as well.



Zippy Slimming Cabbage Soup Recipe:

1 large to jumbo sized yellow or white onion, chopped
1 T. organic butter or deodorized coconut oil
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch baking soda
4 large cloves garlic, smashed or minced fine
1/2 c. white wine
2 quarts homemade chicken stock (or boxed organic chicken broth)
1 15-ounce can organic stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 14.5-ounce can organic tomato sauce
4 c. purified water
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 large head cabbage, cored and chopped
60 grinds fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 1 1/2 t. Louisiana Hot Sauce (If Tabasco Sauce is used, use at least half this amount), to taste
1 T. sea salt or BioSalt


Method:

Heat the butter or coconut oil over medium heat in a large heavy stock pot.

Add the chopped onion and sprinkle with the pinch of salt and the pinch of baking soda.

Stir and cook until the onion starts to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. do not let the garlic brown (it gets bitter if too browned).

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan.

Pour in the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, water, and lemon juice, Bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, add the chopped cabbage, cover and let simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

After simmering up to 30 minutes, check to see if the cabbage is cooked down and submerged in the cooking liquid. If the cabbage isn't fully submerged, add a little more chicken broth or water.

Let the soup simmer uncovered for at least 30 more minutes, until the cabbage is completely soft. You may also let the soup very gently simmer for a few hours, until dinner time. Add more water as needed.

Season with Louisiana Hot Sauce, salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Serve hot.


Tip: My mom likes to garnish of a dollop of sour cream flavored with caraway seeds.

Deglazing the pot with white wine.

The soup has simmered and is ready to serve.

Delicious!

Enjoy,

Leila.

Crazy Good Low-Carb Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes (with variations) - Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Guilt-Free!

First we nailed making delicious low-carb pancakes. Exciting. But, what we really love are Buttermilk Pancakes!

It took a little more experimenting until we nailed a fabulous buttermilk pancake recipe too.

Our buttermilk pancake recipe is similar to our regular low-carb pancake recipe. The gluten-free "flour" blend is the same, for example. The leavening system is different to allow for the acidity of the buttermilk. We were aiming for the ultimate fluffy pancake...and we got it! We are very excited to share this recipe with you. we are still in pancake recipe creation mode. We are experimenting with using different liquids in the pancake mix, like almond milk, soy milk, yak milk (just kidding).

We have even created cinnamon roll pancakes! Seriously, topped with our sugar-free Cream Cheese Frosting... You could be arrested for eating one of these in public, if you don't have enough to share! These are so over-the-top. You won't believe they are healthy. A recipe for these will be made available soon, I promise.

Benefits of this Buttermilk pancake recipe:

Tastes amazing!
Low carb
High fiber
Sugar free
Gluten free
High protein
Curbs cravings
Aids in weight loss
Helps blood sugar levels stay even
Good for athletic training
Can make dry pancake mix in advance
Can make pancakes in advance and freeze them


First get out all your ingredients first and pre-weigh them (weighing is best for consistency).

Putting together this dry pancake mix is SO worth the effort. You can easily make a bulk batch of this pancake mix. Just make sure you weigh everything accurately. When you are ready to make some pancakes, all you do is add some fresh buttermilk and egg. They are easy to mix up, easier to cook, and the easiest to e-a-t.

Your kitchen will smell wonderful as these cook. You and your family will feel satisfied for a long time after you eat these pancakes. They are high in fiber and high in protein too. These are also helpful for those who are aiming to slim down. They even taste great with just butter and no syrup. Most fake pancakes have to be drowned in syrup to be at all palatable.

These pancakes taste even better the next day. Just refrigerated or freeze them and when you want a quick breakfast, microwave a couple pancakes a few seconds to reheat them.

We hope you enjoy this recipe for years to come!

To see the original post on our Low-Carb Pancakes, click HERE.

See a sugar-free pancake syrup HERE.

See an improved clear pancake syrup HERE. (coming soon!)



Low-Carb Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe:

Makes 4 medium sized pancakes (serves 2).

Dry Mix Ingredients:

13.0 grams (2 T.)  stirred coconut flour
11.0 grams (2 T.)  oat bran flour (finely ground)
11.0 grams (2 T.)  white almond flour (lightly packed)
8.0 grams (1 T.)  Hi-Maize brand resistant starch from National Starch **
4.0 grams (1 T.)  whey protein isolate
3.0 grams (1 T.)  psyllium husks (flakes, not powdered) ***
3.5 grams (1 t.)  gelatin powder (like Knoxx brand plain gelatin)
4.0 grams (1 t.)  Table Top Sugar Blend (or 1 1/2 t. of a 50:50 mix of erythritol and xylitol) ****
0.9 grams (1/4 t.)  BioSalt or sea salt
0.9 grams (1/4 t.)  baking powder
0.9 grams (1/4 t.)  baking soda
0.9 grams (1/4 t.)  konjac powder
0.9 grams (1/4 t.)  Wheat Bread Flavor Powder, optional (a proprietary flavoring for GF breads *)


Wet Ingredients:

1 medium egg
1/2 c. fresh buttermilk


Method:

In a small mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together very well and set aside.

Preheat a 12-inch or larger non-stick skillet to 350 degrees (medium heat). Oil pan with coconut oil.

Whisk the egg until emulsified.

Add the buttermilk to the egg and mix together well.

Add the egg mixture to the dry mix in the mixing bowl and blend together until there are no lumps.

Immediately pour all 4 pancakes into the prepared skillet. Let them cook without shaking the pan.

The pancake batter quickly becomes thick, so they will not bubble like thinner pancakes do to indicate when to flip them over. You'll need to peek at the bottoms, and flip them when they turn nicely brown.

Cook the other side until they are golden brown and spring back in the center when lightly touched.

If you did not cook all the pancakes at once, do not stir the batter down. Just portion it with a food portioning scoop (an ice cream scoop) onto the oiled skillet. You may gently pat down the batter a bit with wet fingers. Again, do not shake the pan to settle the pancakes or they will be misshapen.

Enjoy with butter and a good sugar-free syrup or preserves.


Buttermilk Pancake Variations:

These pancakes are the ultimate when fresh buttermilk is used. However, that being said, all the rest of these variations taste terrific. I like to have a lot of versatility in my recipes, so that you can use what you have on hand. There are other variations too, like using unsweetened soy or almond milk.

1. With reconstituted buttermilk powder

Instead of fresh buttermilk use:
4 t. powdered buttermilk
1/8 t. guar gum
1/2 c. water

Mix together the powdered buttermilk and guar gum. Mix with the water to form a buttermilk. add to the medium sized egg and beat until foamy. mix into the dry pancake mix above.

2. With Powdered milk

Instead of fresh buttermilk use:
4 t. Non-Instant powdered milk
1/8 t. guar gum
1/2 c. minus 1/2 t. water
1/2 t. apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Make your own sour milk by first mixing the powdered milk with the guar gum. Then mix the dry milk mixture into the water and vinegar. Let this sit about 5 minutes. Proceed to mix it with the beaten egg and add this to the dry pancake mix.


3. With fresh milk

Instead of fresh buttermilk use:
1/2 c. minus 1/2 t. fresh organic milk
1/2 t. apple cider vinegar
1/8 t. guar gum (mix with the dry ingredients)

Mix the milk and vinegar together and let it sit while you whisk your egg and get the pan ready. Proceed with the recipe above.



Tips: 

You may double the recipe and use only 1 extra-large egg.  It works fine if you use a 2-burner sized skillet to cook all 8 pancakes at once. 



Notes: 

*  "Wheat Bread Flavor Powder" is a proprietary flavor my mother created for all gluten free bread-type products. It is not available to the public (unless we get a large amount of requests for it...). You may add a touch of real butter flavoring instead,,,

** Honeyville grain carries the HiMaize Resistant starch. This ingredient is not absorbed like regular starch and is a wonderful ingredient for low carb, gluten free baking. You can use up to 25% HiMaize in your flour blends to cut carbs.

*** If you do not have the 1 T. psyllium husk flakes, substitute with 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder. The texture will not be quite as bread-like, but it is still good.

**** You may substitute Lakanto white sugar substitute for the tabletop sugar blend called for.

Looking for bubbles in these cooking pancakes is not an indicator of pancakes being ready to flip. Check the bottoms for doneness.

Lower heat is needed for cooking these pancakes, compared to regular starch-filled pancakes. Too high a temperature will burn the outsides before the insides are cooked through.

Grind the oat bran until very fine, unless you want more texture to your pancakes.

Making these pancake with just liquid egg whites is not a good idea. They won't act like, look like, or taste like pancakes at all.

Mixing in an additional t. dry egg white protein powder resulted in rubbery, eggy pancakes. Don't do it.

Using less oat bran flour results in a pancake with compromised texture. We do not recommend less than 2 T. oat bran flour for this recipe.

The added gelatin makes a nice, flexible pancake, nearer to a wheat-like texture.

Whey protein isolate is higher in protein and has mush less lactose in it than whey protein concentrate, and usually the lactose-intolerant can eat it in this recipe.

Shaking the pancake batter in the skillet will result in flattened pancakes that may also run together. Just pour them, or portion them with a food portioning scoop (ice cream scoop). If the batter has thickened a lot, gently pat the pancake batter down a tiny bit with wet fingers.


Pictures of the process:

Preheat the griddle with coconut oil.

Mixing the wet ingredients into the dry pancake mix.

Stir until there are no lumps.

Use the pancake batter immediately after mixing.

Portion pancakes with an ice cream scoop.

Flip when the pancakes are golden brown underneath.

Cook until the second side is golden brown. Pretty, aren't they?

Butter the fluffy pancakes.

Top with home made sugar-free syrup.

Dig in!

YUM

YUM..

Enjoy! 

Leila & Nancy.