Mom's Delectable Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan Pancake Recipe

When I was little I loved pancakes. What kid doesn't? However, over the years I developed an aversion to this once favoured breakfast treat. Little did I know that this aversion, was actually the result of a gluten intolerance. When I (and most of my siblings/family members) were diagnosed with terrible wheat allergies, my mother made it her mission to make allergen friendly pancakes. After quite a few years she has come up with an absolutely delectable, airy, scrumptious pancake! I just had to share it with you! The great thing about these? Even people who are terrible at making pancakes will have very little difficulty mastering these!

Mom's Delectable Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Pancake Recipe!

Ingredients:

-About 1/2 cup brown (or white) rice flour
-About 1/2 cup sorghum flour (or quinoa or even garbanzo) if using garbanzo, use a little less and add a few more tablespoons of brown rice flour unless you like the flavor of garbanzo.
-About 1/2 cup potato starch (not quite)
-2 flax eggs (2 generous tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water)
-2 fairly generous tablespoons baking powder
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1 to 2 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond) If it's too thin, don't worry...you can just add equal parts of more gf mix...it's very forgiving.
-1 level teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons vanilla
-About 1/2 cup oil ( I use corn oil) plus more for coating griddle
-Your choice of mix ins...fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. ( I mixed in 1/2 cup blueberries!)

1.  Mix your flax eggs together first so they can get nice and gelatinous.

2. Next in a big bowl, combine all the dry ingredients(except baking soda) and stir with a whisk til all are combined nicely.

3. Then, mix all the wet ingredients (except the lemon juice) along with the flax eggs and milk into another bowl. Then add to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly
(You may want to add more or less milk depending on how thick or thin you like your batter)

4. Next put a small amount of baking soda on top of your batter and the lemon juice on top of that.  Let it bubble and mix it in. If you are adding chocolate chips or blueberries mix them in now.

5. Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet on medium high heat. With a basting brush grease cooking surface (you may want to re-grease as you go along, once after every couple of pancakes). Test a little batter to see if it is hot enough, it should harden around the edges rather swiftly. Add batter (about a scant 1/4 cup at a time to the griddle) flip when edges look solid and middle is beginning to solidify but still looks mushy, about 30-60 sec. Cook for another 30-60 seconds on the other side. I always test this first pancake to see if I cooked it long enough/too long. The inside should not taste like uncooked batter! Voila! I hope you enjoy, I know I did!

Note: I always have a clean tea towel on top of a plate ready on the side to put my pancakes after each one is done. Keeps them nice and toasty!

Ployes! A Delicious Acadian Pancake!

I love breakfast! It's always been my favorite meal of the day. I have many fond memories which included a waffle maker, scrambled eggs, and usually a lot of sausage. My favorite thing was to have breakfast for dinner! However, when I went vegan and also discovered I was allergic to wheat and soy, my options for breakfast seemed very limited. One saving grace for me has been that my favorite treat, ployes, can easily be made gluten free! What is a ploye you ask? It's a traditional Acadian pancake, made from a special golden buckwheat flour that grows in the New Brunswick area (Think Maine/Canada). These versatile little guys are good at just about any time of day! You can dress them up for dessert with whipped coconut cream and berries, or add a little garlic powder and serve them along-side a good soup! My personal preference is to eat them for breakfast though, with just a little vegan butter. These porous little pancakes are perfect for soaking up butter! While the art of ploye making can be tricky at first, I highly encourage one and all to buy the flour and try the recipe!

Where to Buy:
The flour is milled by the Bouchard family in Maine. Buy it here! My grandmother (or my Memere as they say in Acadia) buys it in bulk every Christmas and gives each of us a bag! Its always my favorite present! Regular buckwheat just won't work, this is the only buckwheat which creates those wonderful little holes you see in the picture! CAUTION: Make sure to buy the buckwheat flour, not the ploye mix. The pre-made ploye mix they sell contains wheat flour.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Acadian buckwheat flour
1/2 cup Garbanzo bean flour
2 1/2 Tblsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/3 cups hot water
Corn Oil to grease pan

1. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Then add hot water, whisk until combined and let sit for 5 minutes.

2. While batter is sitting, grease a griddle or cast iron skillet and set on high heat. (While the pan may smoke these only work if the heat is high and you keep the griddle consistently greased...I usually go over the skillet with a basting brush after each ploye very lightly) Test the pan's heat by adding a tiny bit of batter...if it takes too long to congeal let it heat up some more.

3. Once batter is ready, stir it up again (you will want to keep stirring the batter every minute or so to keep it a good consistency). Then, add a scant 1/4 cup of batter to the pan (try to form it into a thin circle like you would with pancakes). You should see little bubbles start to form and harden on the surface (if not, whisk the batter more or your baking powder could be too old). When the surface looks like its hardened flip it to cook any remaining uncooked batter. Remove after 30 seconds. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

4. Serve with a little butter and a side of coffee (these are also very good with Jam). You may find everyone loves these so much you have to make more! My family tends to make batches upon batches when we're all together!

Helpful Tips:
-Set a clean tea towel folder in half lengthwise on a plate. When a ploye is done, set it between the folds of the towel. This will keep your stack nice and piping hot until the whole stack is ready to serve! (Though, they're so tasty its highly likely they'll be gobbled up as you go by hungry children/grownups)
- They shouldn't stick. If it sticks you either left it too long on the griddle, the pan isn't greased enough or your pan isn't hot enough.  Don't get frustrated! Keep at it! Even a malformed ploye is still pretty tastey! It took me awhile to master them, and I still don't have the skills of my Acadian grandmother!

Jane's Super Green Smoothie

A little while ago I was in whole foods and treated myself to their delicious green smoothie. When I say treat I mean it! $6 for 16oz? Oye! It makes me feel guilty for the rest of the day dropping that kind of cash! So instead I set about recreating it at home. I even added chocolate because, well, its chocolate need I say more? I hope you enjoy it! Super easy, much cheaper than a whole foods smoothie, and quick (I did it all in my easy to clean Ninja blender). 

Jane's Super Green Smoothie

1 sliced, frozen banana

2-3 dates, pitted 

1 cup of Kale

1 cup of Almond Milk

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

(optional: 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen berries/peaches/nectarines)

Makes 8oz. 

Add all the above ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth (make sure the dates are well incorporated or you'll get big chunks). Pour into glass and enjoy!