Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

Finally! Gluten free, refined sugar-free, vegan pancakes that don’t suck. It’s super easy to make too!
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Why I love these pancakes

Well what’s not to love. It’s sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan, and the batter sets beautifully to allow for some flipping action. Peanut flour gives this pancake a lovely nutty taste and also gives it a protein boost (the one I use contain 16g protein per 1/4 cup). You can find peanut flour at the health-store (I got mine from iHerb). Combined with banana, these pancakes are mildly sweet, protein-dense and every bit delicious.
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Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Protein Pancakes

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour* see tips
  • 3/4 cups peanut flour
  • 1 large ripe banana
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt
  • Rice malt or maple syrup
  • Your favourite fruit and topping (I use blueberries and match powder).

Method (Cuisine Companion)

  • Place all ingredient except the peanut flour in the bowl  fitted with the kneading/crushing blade. Mix at speed 10 for 30 seconds. Gradually add the flour through the opening on the lid, still at speed 10, until just mixed.
  • Cook 1/4 cup of batter on an oiled non-stick pan over medium heat.
  • Cook for about 4 minutes until bubbles appear on surface. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through
  • Serve with some maple/ rice malt syrup

Notes and Tips

1. Make oat flour by processing rolled oat in a food processor or a blender
2. Mix rice malt or maple syrup with peanut butter for peanut butter sauce.
3. You can also use a blender to mix the ingredients or manually by hand using a whisk.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and/or share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #littlegreenhabits
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Halloween Special – Vegan Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancakes

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A couple of days ago I found a very old costume from a Halloween party I went to about six years ago. I remember staying up until 3 am to sew my own costume. It was a great night: I rocked it as the Corpse Bride, and even won the best costume award!

Next to being able to walk around in a blue-coloured, blood-splashed wedding gown, Halloween is a great excuse to make and eat anything pumpkin-related! I didn’t want to make yet another pumpkin pie this year so I thought, why not make something for breakfast? And that’s how these Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancakes were born.

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Why I love it:

Tender pancakes that are healthy, simple and easy to make. They’re sumptuous and I love how beautiful my kitchen smells when I make these. It also makes an impressive pancake stack for the Instagram fans among you.

Pumpkin is loaded in fibre and antioxidants including beta-carotene, which the body converts into a form of vitamin A. It is also rich in potassium, an important mineral that’s crucial for maintaining normal organ functions. Peanut butter on the other hand is rich in protein, healthy fats and tryptophan. And the pair taste beautiful when put together.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancakes

 

Vegan Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancakes
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Keren
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Vegan Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancake
Ingredients
  • Dry:
  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp allspice (pimento)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Wet
  • 1/3 cup packed mashed pumpkin
  • ¾ cup non-dairy milk + 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • Filling:
  • 2/3 cup packed mashed pumpkin
  • ½ cup peanut butter
Instructions
Cuisine Companion Method:
  1. Combine ¾ cup milk and lemon juice in a large bowl and let rest for 5 minutes to curdle
  2. Prepare Cuisine Companion with the mixing blade, add all the ingredients into a bowl. .
  3. Add remaining ingredients and combine sp 4 / 10 – 30 secs (until smooth)
  4. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
  5. Heat up a non-stick pan over low heat.
  6. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the top is looking dry and the edges are dry and firm. Flip over and cook another 2 minutes.
  7. Make your pancake tower using the filling. Place one pancake on plate, layer with 1-2 tablespoon of mashed pumpkin. Place another pancake and layer with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. Continue until you have a tall stack of pancakes. Top the last layer with mashed pumpkin.
  8. Serve with a generous drizzle of maple syrup.
Manual Method – replace the above step 2-4 with the following:
  1. In one bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together.
  2. In a second bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well until smooth.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and/or share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #littlegreenhabits. I’d love to hear from you.

 

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Love and greens,

Keren x

The Perfect Tofu Scramble

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At one point, I believe that most vegans will crave scrambled egg. They will either make peace with never having scrambled egg ever again or (my crowd) they will try the vegan tofu way.

Truth is, though it doesn’t taste exactly like scrambled egg, it tastes pretty darn delicious and it certainly hits the spot!

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The secrets to making a perfect tofu scramble, I believe comes down to two things;

  1. Using hard firm tofu and removing as much liquid from it so it doesn’t go soggy and
  2. Adding spices to lift the flavour profile of tofu, which doesn’t taste much like anything on its own

This is my number one recipe for tofu scramble and the great thing about it is that you can use any veggies you have in the fridge. My favourite is mushroom and spinach. I think they make the perfect tofu scramble.

Why I love it:

Apart from the fact that it looks like scramble egg and tasty, it tastes kinda egg-y (especially when served with kala-namak), comforting and satisfying. The addition of nutritional yeast gives it a mild cheesy flavour as well as a yellow tinge (also from the turmeric) similar to the colour of scrambled egg.

This tofu scramble is loaded with protein (about 30g per serving). It is rich in fibre as well as other essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and selenium. You’ll also get a dose of antioxidants, anticancer phytonutrients, and immune boosters from the cumin and turmeric combo. It’s a high protein, low carb, low fat meal which contains zero cholesterol. It’s a perfect breakfast for champions!

Tofu Scramble

 

The Perfect Tofu Scramble
Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Keren

 

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • Tofu Scramble and filling
  • 450g of hard firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1 cup button mushroom, sliced
  • Seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • a pinch of kala namak/ black salt (optional but highly recommended)
Instructions
  1. Drain excess water off of tofu and let it sit on a clean cloth or paper towel for about 5 minutes to absorb excess moisture.
  2. Using a non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about one minute or until soft.
  3. Using your hands, crumble the tofu into the pan. If the tofu starts giving up a lot of water, increase the heat a little to dry off the water.
  4. Add the soy sauce, mushroom, onion, chilli, cumin and turmeric powder and cook until the mushrooms are tender, stirring every so often.
  5. Serve with some toasted bread or steamed veggies.
  6. Add the baby spinach then turn the heat off. Stir for about a minute until the spinach is wilted.
  7. Add the nutritional yeast. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Sprinkle with a little kala namak and freshly cracked pepper and serve.
Notes
1. Replace spinach with kale or any other greens you like diced asparagus, spring beans, or even peas and corns.[br]2. Add a splash of non-dairy milk for a creamier scramble.[br]3. Add some shredded dairy-free cheese for a cheesy twist.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and/or share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #littlegreenhabits.

Love and greens,

Keren 

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How To Make a Vegan Omelette

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One of the things I love about plantbased cooking is how creative it is. I mean, who would have thought you can make omelette without egg? As the saying goes, creativity often stems from scarcity. I think it’s true. Take away meat, egg, butter and cheese, and most cooks (and chefs) would be scratching their head when it comes to cooking. Hence the perception that plantbased food is boring and plain. This recipe breaks all the conventional cooking rules and it’s tasty, egg-y, healthy and of course, 100% vegan.

Why I love it:

Though it doesn’t taste exactly like egg omelette, the texture is very close and the complexity of flavour is on point. The addition of kala namak or black salt gives it an egg-y punch. The high sulphur content of kala namak gives it the distinct smell and taste of egg. Who would have thought that salt can taste and smell like egg! Such is the wonder of Mother Nature. You can get kala namak at most health food stores.

It’s low in fat, and contains zero cholesterol. Chickpeas are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, folate, and magnesium. It’s also a good source of iron and the immune-boosting zinc and copper.

How to make vegan omelette

Tips for making the perfect vegan omelette:

  1. Cook the batter thoroughly. You don’t want runny, uncooked batter. Use a pan with a lid (aluminium foil works too if you have no lid) so you can cook the batter thoroughly.
  2. Use kala namak and nutritional yeast to get that ‘eggy’ taste
  3. Add red onion and non-dairy cheese for savoury, cheesy flavour
  4. Fill with mushroom and spinach to make a big breakfast omelette
  5. Do not overfill as it will make the batter too runny and you’ll end up with scrambled egg instead of omelette. May not be a bad thing.
  6. Serve with some avocado for added creaminess, and some Kinda Bacon for crunch and bacon-y boost.

Omelette anyone?

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Vegan Omelette
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Keren
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chickpeas, flour
  • 1 cup non dairy milk
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp kala namak (black salt)
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp of you favourite filling (optional)
Instructions
  1. Prepare Cuisine Companion (CC) bowl with mixing blade.
  2. Add all ingredients into CC bowl and mix at speed 10 for 60 seconds until mixed through. Scraping the sides of the bowl if required.
  3. Heat a non stick pan, on low heat
  4. Pour ¼ cup batter, cook for 2 minutes and then close the lid and cook for another minute
  5. Add your filling if using
  6. Fold and cook for another 2 minutes until it’s cooked
  7. Sprinkle with some freshly ground pepper and kala namak and serve with some tomato sauce
Notes
I use my trusted Cuisine Companion for this recipe as I often make them double or triple the batch size. If you don’t have a Cuisine Companion, get one :D, or you can blend all the ingredients in a blender.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram. I’d love to see it.

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Vegan Vegetable Frittata

Vegan Frittata

Who says that you can’t make egg-free frittata?

But honestly, if you asked me a year ago if I could make frittata without eggs, I would have said, ‘hell, no!’

Vegan Frittata

Frittata, by definition, is an omelette – specifically an Italian-style omelette filled with various ingredients. And as we all know, you need eggs to make omelette.

Or do you?

Vegan Frittata

Fast forward to the present day. I’ve learned that you can make egg-free omelette. And since you can make egg-free omelette, you can make egg-free frittata. Hallelujah.

Vegan Frittata

To make a vegan frittata you need to use chickpea flour, vegetable starch (I use arrowroot powder but you can also use corn starch or potato starch), nutritional yeast, onion, garlic and mustard powder. All of these ingredients are very important for both texture and flavours so don’t skimp or omit any of them. The recipe yields a texture similar to that the normal frittata, but slightly softer and tender, somewhat like scrambled eggs (without the eggs, of course).

Vegan Frittata

Why I love it: 

It really reminds me of egg frittata! I served mine with Sriracha sauce (I’m a bit of a Sriracha addict) and garnished it with some fresh parsley leaves. The leaves add freshness to the dish, and also make the frittata look pretty and stylish on the plate. It didn’t take long before I made a huge mess of the plate, though.

This vegan vegetable frittata recipe uses no oil apart from greasing the baking dish so it’s perfect for those who are looking to eating more whole foods as part of a plant-based diet. It is full of protein so it’s just like eating real frittata (minus the cholesterol and saturated fat)

Vegan Frittata

 

Vegan Frittata
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Keren
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • Omelette batter
  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
  • 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder, garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 ½ cup vegetable stock
  • Fillings
  • 2 cups of chopped vegetables – I use:
  • ¼ cup chopped spring beans
  • ¼ cup diced red capsicum
  • ½ cup chopped asparagus
  • 1 cup shredded kale
  • Seasoning
  • ½ large red onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • A pinch of black salt or Kala Namak (optional but highly recommended)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • [url href=”https://www.passionatelykeren.com.au/make-vegan-parmesan/” target=”_blank”]Vegan parmesan[/url]
Instructions
Cuisine Companion Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
  2. Chop red onion and garlic cloves using superblade on speed 8 for 20 sec. Transfer into a plate, rinse the bowl and blade and wipe dry.
  3. Add all the dry chickpea batter ingredients into the bowl. Mix for 5 seconds on speed 8.
  4. Add the vegetable stock and cook using speed 5 at 100 C for 5 minutes
  5. The mixture should be thick.
  6. Add the chopped veggies to the batter. Mix at speed 8 for 10 -15 seconds until mixed through
  7. Transfer batter onto greased pyrex pan. Even it out with spatula.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes and then cover with aluminium foil and bake for another 25 minutes or until the centre is not jiggly and the edges are lightly brown. Depending on the type of your vegetables you use you might need more or less time for the batter to cook. Just prick the centre with a fork to test done-ness.
  9. Stand for 10-15 minutes to set.
  10. Sprinkle with a bit of black salt for an eggy flavour boost.
  11. Serve warm with some freshly ground pepper, [url href=”https://www.passionatelykeren.com.au/make-vegan-parmesan/” target=”_blank”]vegan parmesan[/url], and your favourite hot sauce.
Manual Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
  2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, cook onion and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.
  4. Add the chickpea flour, arrowroot powder and the remaining dry ingredients
  5. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick. Stir in the chopped veggies and mix.
  6. Transfer batter onto greased Pyrex pan and flatten the surface with spatula.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes.
  8. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for another 25 minutes or until the center is not jiggly and the edges are lightly brown. Depending on the type of your vegetables you use you might need more or less time for the batter to cook.
  9. Prick the centre with a fork to test done-ness. Stand for 10-15 minutes to set.
  10. Serve warm with some freshly ground pepper, [url href=”https://www.passionatelykeren.com.au/make-vegan-parmesan/” target=”_blank”]vegan parmesan[/url], a sprinkle of black salt and your favourite hot sauce.
Notes
Freeze leftovers for up to 4 weeks.[br]Sprinkle with some black salt before serving for an ‘eggy boost’.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and/or share a picture and tag me @passionatelykeren on Instagram .

Love and greens,

Keren

Simple Green Smoothie

Do you notice how green drinks are hitting the mainstream cafes and juice bars now? Maybe it’s just me but when I go out, I see green juice everywhere. All the major juice bars seem to have it on their menu now. It’s so exciting and encouraging to see that green drinks are becoming more mainstream. Things are changing and I think it’s awesome.

I started having green smoothie about two years ago. Since then I’ve been having it almost everyday for breakfast. I did lots of trials with different recipe to find the perfect combination of fruit and vegetables and have since found a base recipe that works for me. There’s so many green smoothie recipes available online and offline that it can be overwhelming if you’re just starting out.

I used to put so much stuff (protein powder, superfood supplements, etc) to make it taste good but I have since simplified the recipe to make it easier for me to make (it’s not fun having to take out 10 different things out of the pantry every morning). So this is actually an updated recipe of my old green smoothie recipe which has twice the amount of ingredients. I’ve cut it down such that it can tastes great without having to put tons of fruit in it. Not that there’s anything wrong with fruit but if’s going to be a vegetable smoothie, I figure it should have more vegetables than fruit.

Currently, my favourite smoothie base consists of Frozen Kale, Spinach, Banana, and Avocado. I then add to it more veggies, fruits, herbs, nuts and seeds depending on what I have and what I feel like.

You can get a bit creative with it, adding different kind of fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, protein powder, superfood mix, etc etc. Here’s my basic breakfast Green Smoothie recipe which I have made over 200 times and shared with people. My hope is that you will give this recipe a try and start making your own green blend.

Simple Green Smoothie
Recipe Type: Drinks
Author: Keren
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Imagine being addicted to something so healthy as this. I am. Not because it’s healthy but because it tastes great and it makes me feel great.
Ingredients
  • 2 big handful (~ 3 cups) of baby spinach
  • 2 big handful (~ 3 cups) of kale leaves (washed and freeze overnight)
  • 2 medium size ripe banana
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber
  • 6 sprigs of parsley
  • 10-15 mint leaves (the more, the better)
  • 2 cups of non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup of ice
  • Optional – 1 tbsp of each of your favourite superfoods, soaked nuts or seeds
Instructions
  1. Add ingredients in a blender starting from the heaviest item (so it catches the blade of the blender, it helps the blending process). Blend until smooth.
  2. Pour into a glass and serve.
  3. Can be refrigerated in a glass container for up to 3 days or store in the freezer for about a week

So, what do you think about green smoothie? Are you a green smoothie drinker? If so what’s your favourite green ingredients?

Lots of love,

Keren

Easy Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

This is my go to my pancake recipe. They are simple to make, fluffy, contain no eggs or dairy, so completely vegan-friendly.

Vegan Pancake 3

You can use plain flour, wholemeal flour or half plain and half wholemeal flour. Plain flour produces the fluffiest pancake where are wholemeal flour pancakes are a tad dense. I tend to use plain or half plain and half wholemeal, but use whatever suits your preference.

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Making pancakes is very easy, you just mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) with the wet ingredients (oil, non-dairy milk, and sugar water).  The key here is not to overmix the batter or the pancake will become tough. Mix until just combined.

Oh, by the way, I use sugar in my batter which is completely optional but it does give it a slight sweetness to the pancake which I love. I don’t like my pancakes drenched with syrup so I make them slightly sweeter than normal.

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Cook on an non-stick pan (or grease the pan with a bit of oil or oil spray), on medium to low heat. Wait until a few bubbles starts to appear, flip and cook the other side.

Vegan Pancake 9

And if you’re like me and into productivity tips – here’s something that I do to that helps me save time mucking around with ingredients. I make my own pancake mix. I basically triple and quadruple the dry ingredients (including sugar) and put them in a container (I use old flour container) so I can just mix it with the wet ingredients.

Vegan Pancake mix

Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup, ice cream, etc, etc!

Easy Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Author: Little Green Habits
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 small pancakes
Easy vegan pancake recipe for fluffy pancakes every time
Ingredients
  • 1 cup plain flour (or ½ plain and ½ wholemeal flour)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of soy, almond, coconut, or your favourite non-dairy milk
  • 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoon of sugar water (1 tablespoon raw sugar mixed in 3 tbsp of water)
Instructions
  1. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) together in a bowl.
  2. Mix all the wet ingredients (milk, oil and sugar water) in a separate bowl.
  3. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Careful not to overmix the batter or the pancakes will be tough (a few lumps are ok).
  4. Pour pancake batter onto a non-stick pan to form a circle and cook for about 2 minutes on medium to low heat on one side until bubbles start to appear. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes or so until the pancakes are done.
  5. Tips: You can add a handful of fresh berries, chopped bananas, chocolate, coconut flakes, nuts, or even cinnamon into the batter. Anything you want really.
Notes
I used sugar in my batter which is completely optional. I don’t like my pancakes drenched with syrup so this add some sweetness in the pancakes themselves.

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Variation: Coconut Flour Vegan Pancake with Chia Seeds

You can add up to 1/4 cup coconut flour to increase the fiber content without jeopardising the texture too much (i.e., 1/4 cup coconut flour and 3/4 plain flour). It will be quite dense and you might need to be a bit careful with flipping the pancake as they are quite delicate.

You will also need to add about 1/2 cup more liquid to the mixture to make it a smooth batter. I added two tablespoons of chia seeds (mixed with 6 tablespoons of water) to my batter to help it rise and to improve the pancakes’ nutritional content.

Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

I love pumpkin, and I love pancakes. So when I had some pumpkin leftovers from making pumpkin soup, I thought of making pancakes with them. And since I’m trying to bake more gluten-free stuff in general, I thought I’d try to make the pancakes gluten free too. And it worked. I crafted the recipe based on by Vegan 8 Life Changing Pancake recipe which by the way, is on my ‘must try’ list.

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I used almond flour, tapioca and potato starch mix for my gluten-free flour mix and the combination seems to work quite well. You can just use potato starch if you don’t have tapioca starch but I won’t recommend using just tapioca starch on its own as it will make your pancakes a tad tough.

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These pancakes are a bit dense and not as fluffy as wheat pancakes but I kinda like the denser texture. You might be tempted to use a bit more pumpkin puree here (I did) but try not to overdo it as it will make your batter too wet and you won’t get properly cooked pancakes (1 – 2 tablespoon extra should be ok). I also added a heap of spices in my batter because I like spiced pumpkin (who doesn’t). And don’t forget the salt: it brings out the flavour of all the different ingredients and makes them taste just that much better.

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VEGAN GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN PANCAKES
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan, gluten free
Author: Little Green Habits
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 15
These are tasty, gluten–free, tender vegan pumpkin pancakes which are healthy, simple and easy to make. Perfect for chilly winter mornings.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¾ cup non-dairy milk + 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup packed pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup tapioca starch
  • ¼ cup potato starch
  • 4 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
  • 1 teaspoon allspice/pimento
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Combine 3/4 cup milk and lemon juice and let rest for 5 minutes to curdle. Then add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, pumpkin, vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
  2. Add flour, tapioca and potato starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and all spices into Cuisine Companion equipped with the mixing blade. Mix using P9 for 5 second.
  3. Add the wet ingredients and mix using P7 for 10 second.
  4. If you don’t have a Cuisine Companion, sift flour, tapioca and potato starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and all spices together into a large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well until smooth.
  5. Let the batter sit for 15-20 minutes before cooking the pancakes. This gives time for the baking powder and starch to soak up the liquid, which in turn produces a fluffy, well cooked pancake.
  6. Heat up a non-stick pan over low heat. Your pan needs to heat up for ten minutes, so there is even cooking with each pancake.
  7. I used a 4.5 inch round cookie cutter to produce perfectly round and evenly cooked pancakes. If you do this, place the cookie cutter on the hot pan and then spray the whole of the inside with non-stick spray. You must use non-stick spray, or the pancakes will stick to the pan. Once ready, add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan and quickly smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the top is looking dry and the edges are dry and firm. Flip over and cook another 2 minutes. Let the pancake to cool down a little before serving to improve the texture.
  8. Serve with maple syrup, additional pureed pumpkin or whatever else you desire. The pancakes reheat well the next day in the microwave.

Simple Acai Berry Smoothie

Here’s another ‘superfood’ with which you should get acquainted. Açaí (ahh-sigh-ee) is a berry harvested from palm trees found in Brazil and Peru in Central and South America. It has become really popular due to its varied health benefits, as it is high in antioxidants, minerals, healthy fats, and vitamins.

 

Açaí berries come in several forms such as dehydrated in capsules, in frozen pulp, or as freeze-dried powder. I have only used the freeze-dried powders but I’m keen to try the frozen pulp form as it has a stronger taste, texture, and higher nutritional content. Though the freeze-dried form is very convenient to have laying around as you can add it to juice, smoothies, porridges, desserts, and pretty much anything which takes berries, to instantly boost the nutritional content of your meal.

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Avocado and Tomato on (sprouted bread) Toast

I can be quite elaborate in the kitchen. Not on weekdays, because I’m usually busy with work but weekends – I can spend hours in the kitchen, making a 3 course meal for dinner, testing new recipes, experimenting with different ideas, ingredients, etc. I’m a bit obsessive with trying new things. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m adventurous or if I suffer from slight ADHD. Probably both. Sometimes I feel like a failure when I can’t think off anything ‘new’ or exciting to try and make.

Avocado on toast 1

But lately I’ve been doing a lot of self reflection and just trying to be in the moment. To focus on what’s really important, knowing very well that I can’t do everything. Being a bit of type A personality this is very hard to accept but I’m slowly coming to terms with it. Now, instead of worrying what to have for breakfast, I focus more on making sure I make the most of my weekend with Buzz whom I only get see on the weekends and my furbaby Missa. As a result, I’m much more relax and less moody now, though Buzz might disagree with me on the ‘moody’ part. But really, it’s been pretty awesome. We now have more time in the morning because I don’t spend hours in the kitchen perfecting my healthyvegan-gluten-free-sugar-free-paleo-(fill the blank) waffle recipe. Now, most Saturday and Sunday morning we would go out for a run around the park or the beach one day and then workout at the gym the other day. When we get home I would make avocado and tomato on toasted sprouted or sourdough bread for our post workout meal/ breakfast. It’s our new weekend routine and we look forward to it every week.

Avocado and tomato on toast

Image credit – BessotedGrace.com

I now realised that not every meal needs to be gourmet or complicated to be enjoyed, relished and shared. A healthy and delicious meal can be as simple one, two, three. So yeah, I’m pretty proud of this breakthrough and happy to be sharing it with you.

Avocado and Tomato on (sprouted bread) Toast 

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 2 vine-ripen tomatoes
  • 3 slices of sprouted bread
  • 2 tsp of virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper

Method

  1. Cut avocado in half, remove the core and score the flesh in one direction. Make sure you go deep enough until you touch the skin without going through it.
  2. Slice the tomatoes thinly using a sharp knife.
  3. Toast you bread and stand to cool for a few minutes.
  4. Assemble to toast. Scoop the avocado flesh and place the slices onto the toasted bread.
  5. Add sliced tomatoes and season with freshly cracked pepper and some sea salt.
  6. Drizzle with some olive oil and serve.

Optional flavour and nutritional booster

  1. Garnish with fresh mint or parsley for added freshness
  2. Sprinkle with chia seeds or flax seed for superfood boost
  3. Spread a bit of vegemite on the toasted bread before assembling for an interesting flavour twist and extra vitamins