Simple pancakes with apples, banana and raisins.

Vegan, gluten free 

With apples in season right now it’s a great time to use them more often in cooking and baking. There is an abundance of varieties at farmers markets or stores, but for me it’s more fun to go to an orchard and pick them from the trees or up from the ground.

From a recent trip to an orchard in Galien, near Three Oaks in Michigan, I brought a huge bag of Honey Crisp apples – my favorite variety.

This simple based on apples pancake recipe can be prepared all year round. I used the Honey Crisp from the orchard, perfect for this dish because of their sweetness, juiciness and a bit of a delicate crunch, which creates more texture in the pancakes and makes you chew them mindfully. And when you are aware of what you are eating you can enjoy it more!  Granny Smith, Gala and other varieties will also work in this recipe, as long as they are not mealy or mushy.

To be consistent and keep my recipes vegan and gluten free, I experimented with several gluten free flours and decided to use a combination of three: almond, oat and white rice flour. If gluten doesn’t bother you, the regular organic all purpose flour will also work, but the gluten free flours will make the pancakes crispier on the outside. Another option is to use just one type of gluten free flour, like oat flour.

For an extra crunch, I added sesame seeds and slivered almonds. These loaded in protein and healthy oils ingredients are less common in pancakes and are optional, but will make the taste more unique (in a good way!).

Health benefits of apples:

• Are high in pectin, antioxidants and Vitamin C
• Contain soluble fiber that binds with and removes excess fat preventing its absorption by the body
• Regulate cholesterol and sugar levels

.Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork
• 2 medium apples, coarsely grated
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup gluten free flour (almond flour, oat flour or white rice flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp slivered almonds (optional)
• 1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and finely grated
• pinch of salt
• coconut oil (for cooking)

Preparation:

Coarsely grate apples using the side of the box grater with larger holes. In a medium bowl combine with a spoon the mashed banana and the grated apples, cinnamon, raisins, grated ginger root, sesame seeds and slivered almonds. Mix the flours (or one type of flour) with baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour to the banana-apple mixture stirring until well combined and quite dense. If necessary, add a bit more flour (for juicier apples). Heat a medium frying pan and lightly grease it with coconut oil. With a spoon, scoop about 1/10 cup of the pancake mixture, place it on the pan and
form a 3-inch circle moving the spoon from the center of the pancake towards the sides. Fry on both sides until golden brown, for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Dust with powdered organic sugar and sprinkle with red currants (optional). You can also serve it with red currant or cranberry sauce.

Note: The acidity of a raw apple can eat away at your
dentine and damage the teeth. To prevent that eat your apple in a single sitting or with other snacks such as almond butter to neutralize their acidity. Or eat them cooked, like in these pancakes!😋

Vegetarian pate with zucchini, carrot and fresh herbs

Vegetarian pate with zucchini, carrot and fresh herbs 

Vegetarian, gluten free

A traditional pate is usually associated with mixture of cooked meat and fat minced into a paste and baked. This recipe, however, is a fully vegetarian and gluten free version of a pate, is light, easy to digest and loaded with healthy nutrients. It can be served hot or cold with a variety of sauces, pickles and salads. 

My favorite side dishes to serve with this pate are a tomato or mushroom sauce, kimchi (spicy marinated cabbage) or any vegetable salad enriched with crunchy toasted nuts or seeds.

Including zucchini in your regular diet will provide many health benefits:

•  Cooked zucchini is extremely easy to digest, which may be important for people suffering from constipation, acid reflux and fatigue after meals. 

•  Is very low in calories, but gives you a feeling of fullness, which helps with weight loss. 

•  As a rich in fiber veggie it may alleviate cancer conditions.

• Is anti-inflammatory because of high content of beta-carotene and vitamin C.

• Contains fiber, Vitamin A and C, potassium, protein, zinc and copper and many other minerals.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups grated zucchini, seeds removed
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic gloves, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs (basil, parsley or cilantro, oregano)
• 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation:

Grease an 8x4 inch pan with clarified butter or olive oil. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Coarsely grate zucchini using the side of the box grater with larger holes. Sprinkle the grated zucchini with 1 tsp of salt and set aside for about 10 minutes. This will drain the excess water from zucchini and make the pate firm. Pour the accumulated liquid from the bowl and mix the zucchini with one grated carrot, 3 minced garlic cloves, chopped onion, two whole eggs, a combination of your choice of chopped herbs, turmeric and bread crumbs. Stir the ingredients until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and place the mixture in the greased pan. Smooth it out on top with a spoon. Bake for about 45-50 minutes. When ready, take out from the oven, cool in the pan and cut in
1 inch thick slices.

Note: the pate can be stored in a refrigerator for up to three days.

Healthy breakfast bowl with millet, plums, pumpkin seeds and walnuts

Healthy breakfast bowl with millet, plums, pumpkin seeds and walnutsVegan, gluten free

Breakfast, for some people, is the most boring meal of the day. Many find it dull because they have been reaching for the same ingredients to make the same boring dishes for the most of their lives. Typically, in America breakfast consists of a toast with jam, eggs, yogurt, orange juice or a store bought cereal served with cold milk. Pancakes and waffles with fruit on holidays. Very predictable, not exciting and not so healthy at all.

But when you discover that there are other alternatives – both healthy, exciting and easy to make – you may change your mind and decide that the first meal of the day is not so boring, after all.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, breakfast should be healthy and well-balanced to restore glucose level after its drop at night and provide energy for the body and mind. It shouldn’t be huge or too heavy because in the morning, our digestive system is not ready to break down and absorb nutrients from a heavy meal. It reaches its highest potency later, at a lunchtime, so lunch should be the largest meal of the day.

I find breakfast bowls a great alternative to those other traditional foods typically prepared for breakfast. They consist of cooked grains, possibly gluten free, mixed with nuts, seeds, spices and dried or fresh fruits. Such combinations make them nourishing and easy to digest. Whole grains that provide complex carbohydrates are important component of a healthy breakfast because they take longer to break down into blood glucose and offer indigestible fibers that aid in gut health and prevent constipation. Adding a small amount of clarified butter (ghee) to the cooked grains will increases the absorption of nutrients. Ghee is also anti-aging.

When you find yourself feeling bored thinking of reaching for a box with cereal again to mix it with cold milk, think again and change your breakfast routine. A breakfast bowl prepared with cooked grain of your choice combined with your favorite nuts, seeds and fruits will transform your perception of the first meal of the day. You don’t have to eat a bowl of grains every day, but try it once to see how many different options there is. Creativity kills boredom, that’s one sure thing.

In this recipe I used millet, but it can be replaced by other grains, such as: oats, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth or  rice, depending on what you like and what serves you best. To the millet I added fruit, which according to Ayurveda, “is like gold in the morning” because at this time of day we can best absorb the nutrients it offers. I chose plums, presently in season, which have excellent nutritional qualities and will lend sweetness and slight tartness to the nutty flavor of millet. 

Some nutritional facts about plums:

• Great source of vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, vitamin C, E and potassium
• Supply dietary fiber and are low in calories
• Help increase absorption of iron into the body
• Destroy breast cancer cells
• Are full of antioxidants that improve brain memory and slow down the progress of Alzheimer's disease

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 11/2 cup cooked millet 
• 8-10 fresh plums, lightly stewed
• 2 tbsp clarified butter or olive oil
• 3-4 tsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/8 cup raw pumpkin seeds 
• 1/8 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1/8 cup hemp seeds (optional)
• pinch of salt 

Preparation:

Divide the millet and other ingredients between two bowls - about 3/4 cup of millet per bowl. Add olive oil or clarified butter and agave nectar, salt and turmeric to the millet and stir well. Slice the plums (I used Italian plums for this bowl) into halves, remove pits and place the plums in a small saucepan with about 3 tbsp of water. Stew the plums over low-medium heat for about 2 minutes. Set aside, spoon out the juice and add it to the millet. Stir it well. Adding the plum juice will enrich the flavor of the millet and make the mixture lightly moist. Arrange the plums on top of the millet, sprinkle the hemp and pumpkin seeds in the middle and toasted walnuts around the plums. I sliced the plums thinner - into quarters -  but this is totally optional.
.

Tip: Millet can be cooked a day before and warmed up before breakfast with about 1/8 cup of water. Bring it to a simmer, turn off the heat after about 30 seconds. Cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork. It should be eaten warm.

  

Warning: Millet, regardless of its great nutritional value, should be eaten in moderation, preferably once a week or less. It contains goitrogens, substances that suppress thyroid activity and when eaten in large quantities may lead to thyroid imbalances. Millet is not recommended for people with hyphothyroidism.