Tag Archives: healthy breakfast

Late Night Pancakes

Posted on May 26, 2011 | 1 comment

We used to live in Arlington, VA, but in a high-rise condo, so we had the feel of city-living.  Our building was directly adjacent to an IHOP – one that we have visited on NYE, and after my bachelorette party. Now we live in a suburban enclave in DC and there are no IHOP’s within reach.

That doesn’t mean that distance quells the need for pancakes every once in a while.

The funny thing about pancakes is that you can buy a wide variety of mixes, but you’re still adding ingredients to the mix, so why not just make them yourself, from scratch?!

Late Night Healthy Pancakes – from scratch!
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg
3/4 cup water/skim milk
1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup apple sauce (*snack cup sized)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey

*Makes 8-10 3-4″ pancakes

In a medium sized bowl mix the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a small bowl whisk the wet ingredients together and then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

In a griddle pan on low to medium heat add a pad of butter and when that has melted, but not burned, ladle the first scoop of batter (about 1/4 – 1/3 of a cup).

Let the pancakes cook on one side until bubbles begin to appear at the top, and then flip. Too much flipping, or too much time will create burnt little cakes.

These pancakes aren’t like the ones you get at IHOP, with big huge air bubbles, and the kind of texture that makes you think you can stuff an entire 12-inch pancake in the sides of your cheeks. These are pancakes for grown-ups (or people who call themselves grown-ups!). These are made with healthy ingredients, and no sugar, and crazy ingredients like flax, and protein rich Greek yogurt.

These are pancakes that have some bite, and you can eat for dinner, and maybe for breakfast the next day. And, you know for fun, with a lot of syrup!

1 Comment

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Comfort Food, dinner, Easy Recipe, healthy, Her Kitchen

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Berry Good Breakfast Muffins

Posted on April 7, 2011 | 1 comment

True story, inspired by “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”, if you’re coming to my house, I am going to make sure that there is coffee.  And if there is coffee you’ll probably want something to eat. And if you’re going to eat something it might as well be a muffin.  And if people are going to be eating muffins, I am going to be baking them.

That is the story behind these Berry Good Breakfast Muffins, we had people coming over at 7am (*I know!  That is crazy early!) and I thought 7am visits deserve muffins.  But, these muffins shouldn’t be cloyingly sweet, or filled with butter and chocolate.  They should be a healthy breakfast is a small paper cup.
Berry Good Breakfast Muffins Ingredients
adapted from Joy the Baker’s Raspberry and Jam Muffins
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups dry oatmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup nonfat Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg

2 tablespoons raspberry jam (I use no sugar added)
1 cup chopped blackberries

In a large bowl add all of the dry ingredients, flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and with fork blend together.
In a separate bowl add all of the wet ingredients, egg, yogurt, apple sauce and sugar.  With that same trusty fork blend these ingredients.  There is something to be said about a recipe that doesn’t require, or isn’t made any easier by using an electric blender.
When the wet ingredients are blended all the pieces will be fully incorporated and smooth.  Slowly add the wet to the dry and incorporate together and whisk together so everything is one big batter.

I used blackberries because that is what I had on hand.  I chopped them up so that the juice would flow throughout each bit and because blackberries are bigger and have a stronger flavor than blueberries (another delicious option).  Really any fruit works here.

With each scoop of jam I broke it apart into smaller chunks within the batter and very gently folded it in without turning the batter a pretty shade of pinkish purple. 

Set these little breakfast bites into a 375 degree oven for 16 minutes.  The batter makes 18 muffins, so you might want to invite people over at 7am to share these with and enjoy!

1 Comment

Posted in Baking, Breakfast/Brunch, Comfort Food, Dessert, healthy, Her Kitchen, Seasonal, Spring

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Better When Homemade

Posted on October 22, 2010 | 1 comment

File this simple recipe under the category “Better when made at home”.  Oatmeal is the comfort food of champions when the weather starts to turn, but I will be the first to admit that plain oatmeal is really just PLAIN.  So, I turned to an old favorite, apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1 large apple
1 cup of whole, plain oatmeal
2 cups of water
1/4 cup of apple cider
1/4 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of cinnamon sugar
1/4 tsp of kosher salt

I like gala apples, or braeburn apples, or fiji apples, I like anything with a tartness and some crisp in the bite.  Chop up the apples in to a small chop, but not too small so that they melt away – keeping them a little bit larger will add another dimension to the texture of the oatmeal.
In a small pan add a pat of butter and let it begin to melt.  Add in the chopped apples, and let them cook for about 2 minutes.  Add some cinnamon and sugar to get the juices flowing.  


When the heat really starts to kick in add the apple cider and stir.  The infusion of liquid and sugars will slow the cooking and also create a more caramelized texture.

While the apples are cooking you have a pot of water boiling.  When the 2 cups of water has reached a boil add the 1 cup of dry oatmeal, lower to medium heat and stir.  You’ll want to keep an eye on the oatmeal so you’ll know when it is “done” for your standards.  After about five minutes you should be there but you can take the pot off the heat and see if it’s thick enough.

When ready add a big scoop of the cooked apples, and enjoy.  It’s not quite fireside weather yet in DC, but when it is you can bet what I’ll be eating

1 Comment

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Comfort Food, Easy Recipe, fall, healthy, Her Kitchen, Seasonal

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Pumpkin Pancakes

Posted on October 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

On Sunday morning the house was cool, and I slept in a few hours after Mark did.  But, when I did wake up I knew what we would be having for breakfast, pumpkin pancakes. 

The backyard with a cool breeze
Mark had already had cereal, but he was happy to have Second Breakfast. This was so good, and made with real, good ingredients, and easy; fall was received so well that I was told by Mark and my sister that the next time I would need to triple the recipe.

Whole Wheat Oat Pumpkin Pancakes, 
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup whole dry oatmeal
2 teaspsoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
1.5 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
In one bowl mix the dry ingredients: spices, seasoning, flour, oats; in a separate bowl  mix the milk, pumpkin apple sauce and in a small pan melt the butter.


Combine all ingredients with a spoon (or spatula as you see I did), you don’t need a mixer.  The easy mixing is the morning workout!  Also, around this time I take the maple syrup and butter out of the refrigerator; there is nothing worse than cold syrup and hard butter on delicious fresh pancakes!


Here’s the thing about pancakes: the first one always looks like blech.  It doesn’t taste like blech, just looks like it.  So if your first one looks a bit crazy, you can taste test it, because it will still taste amazing.


Grab a plate, some deliciously sweet and slightly savory pancakes, a pad of butter and a splash of syrup.  Enjoy each bite of this fall treat; it is the best way to start the day!

Leave a comment

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Comfort Food, Easy Recipe, fall, healthy, Her Kitchen, Seasonal

Tagged , , , , , , ,