Whole Grain Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Mmmmmmm......pancakes! This whole grain version promises to make you say, "These things are going like hot cakes" Unlike whole wheat pancakes, they do not have a grainy texture and they fluff up beautifully when cooked.

Homemade pancakes can be a quick breakfast and making them from scratch really doesn't take much longer than making them from a mix. I often make the batter the night before and then they are ready to be cooked on the griddle in the morning.


Before going into the recipe for the pancakes, I want to share my whole grain flour mix which I use as a substitute for all purpose flour in cooking. Admittedly, it is pricier than buying a bag of bleached all purpose flour, but this is one area I have committed to splurging since there really is no nutritional benefit to white flour and I'm not ready to cut flour entirely out of my diet.

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Whole Grain Flour Mix

Using the following ratio, I make up a large batch of flour and keep it on hand. If you make a lot, keep it in the freezer until you are ready to use it.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup oat flour

For a long time, I simply replaced half the all purpose flour in a recipe with whole wheat flour, but with mixed results.  Many times the result would be dry and grainy and very dense and chewy for some reason.  Since switching, I have found that I can often replace all of the all purpose flour in a recipe with excellent results.  Even when I only replace half the all purpose flour with the whole grain flour mix, I like the taste much better than with whole wheat flour.  My understanding of flour is somewhat limited, but the rice flour tends to make recipes more coarse while the oat flour makes them more sticky.  Using them together balances out these reactions and gives a texture much like using all purpose flour.

Okay, enough about flour.  Let's move on to how to use the flour to make delicious pancakes!

Recipe for Whole Grain Pancakes:

1 Cup Whole Grain All Purpose Flour Mix Recipe

2 egg

1 cup Whole Grain Quick Cook Oats

2 tbsp Sugar

4 tbsp Pure Canola Oil

6 tsp Baking Powder

1/3 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cups Fat Free Skim Milk

Beat eggs and milk, add oil and sugar and mix thoroughly. in separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients and mix--don't over mix.  For best results let sit five minutes, then give it a good stir to re-mix everything.

I use an ice cream scoop (not quite full) to pour batter onto hot griddle sprayed with cooking spray. Flip pancakes with bubbles start to burst.  Remove from Griddle when both sides are golden. 

Hint:  The whole grain flour tends to burn faster than regular all purpose flour, so turn heat down slightly and watch closely

Since even the healthiest of pancakes can be ruined by tons of butter and syrup.  Most of the time, I eat my pancakes with fruit instead of syrup.  In the summer, we use fresh fruit, but in the winter I make do with frozen.  Blueberries are my favorite.  Instead of putting the blueberries in my pancakes, I make them into a syrup to pour over the top.  This saves calories and provides a larger portion of antioxidant rich blueberries first thing in the morning!

Recipe for Blueberry Pancake Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 cups Frozen Blueberries

1 tbsp Cornstarch 

3 tbsp Water

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tbsp Turbinado Sugar

Directions:

Pour blueberries into saucepan. Add lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the water. 

Mix remaining water with the cornstarch and add to saucepan. Sprinkle sugar over berries. cover and cook on medium heat until boiling. 

Allow to boil for 1-2 minutes before removing from heat, stirring frequently.

Sauce will thicken upon standing

So, that's breakfast--how about a line up for the rest of the day:

Make this recipe for less using COUPONS

ShopAtHome.com Printable Grocery Coupons

thecouponclippers.com

Breakfast- 370 Calories

2 Whole Grain Pancakes

1/2 cup Blueberry Sauce

1 cup skim milk

Snack-  230 Calories

8 oz non-fat latte sweetened with Truvia

16 Chocolate Animal Crackers

Lunch- 285 Calories

Spinach Garden Salad

w/ Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Snack- 140 Calories

1/3 cup Tropical Trail Mix

Dinner- 548 Calories

Thyme Pork Chops with

Cinnamon Apples

Roasted Carrots

Whole Grain Roll

Total Calories: 1573

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Salmon Patties and CRISPY Oven Fries

Today's meal is an great example of homemade "un-junk" food.  Even though this recipe uses oil for cooking, the entire meal is only 494 calories.  So, you can "un-junk" your food and enjoy french fries at home.  Served with Salmon Patties and Steamed broccoli, this meal satisfies my craving for salty, fried food without the guilt!

This recipe for Salmon Patties is a combination of a lot of different recipes.  This was the first time I had made Salmon Patties.  I have always been a little wary of canned salmon, but quite honestly I saw a segment on Dr. Oz about the getting the health benefits of fish on a budget by using canned Salmon.  I'm a bit of a sucker for that Dr. Oz, so I thought I'd try it.  The results were pretty tasty!  Here's what I did.

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Recipe for Mini Salmon Patties

Ingredients:
14 1/2 oz Pink Salmon (canned)
1/4 cup Green Onions, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Spices, Pepper, Black
2 tbsp Coconut Oil

Directions:

Lightly beat egg in medium size mixing bowl. Drain can of salmon well and pour into bowl. Finely chop white and green parts of onion (about 2 stalks), add to bowl. 

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Using hands form mixture into four large patties or make 12 mini patties.  Mine were a bit crumbly and I was afraid they wouldn't stay together, but I think the key is to make sure your oil is HOT when you put the patties in so they cook quickly.  Let them cook before trying to turn them and resist the urge to peek until you are pretty sure they are done.

Melt coconut oil in non-stick pan. When oil is hot, carefully arrange mini-patties in pan--leaving enough room so you can turn them when they are done cooking on one side. Again, do not touch the patties until you think they are done cooking on the first side. about 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn them so they can cook on the other side (another 3-4 minutes). Remove to a towel lined plate to absorb excess oil. 

One last note, If all the mini-patties will not fit in the pan in one batch, cook them in two batches using new oil for the second batch for best results.  Otherwise your oil will start to smoke....like this.

We dipped the salmon patties in Garlic-Dill Sauce which took just a couple of minutes to whip up.  For best results use Greek Yogurt, or drain plain yogurt through a coffee filter for an hour or two before making the dip.  Also, the taste improves if it chills for an hour or so so the flavors can blend. 

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It seemed only fitting to serve up some French fries with this meal, so here are some simple tricks to create your own crispy oven fries at home.  

Recipe for Crispy Oven Fries

Ingredients:

4 Russet Potatoes

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Lawry's 25% Less Sodium Seasoned Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475. Peel potatoes, except for ends. 

Slice potatoes lengthwise in to 1/4 inch slices and then cut each slice into 1/4 inch strips.  Try to cut strips into equal sized strips so they cook evenly.

Put fries in a large bowl. Drizzle oil over fries and toss to coat, making sure potatoes are covered evenly. 

Spray baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place on cookie sheet (dark is best) or crisping pan in one layer. Try not to overlap them. Bake in the upper third of oven at 475 for 15 minutes turning once. 

Remove from oven and turn oven down to 400. Pour fries back into bowl and season, tossing to coat. Put them back on the cookie sheet and continue baking them until brown and crispy about 20-25 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure they do not burn.

To cut down on the sodium content of this meal, try a ketchup with no salt added, such as Hunt's.  You can always add your own salt--the sodium in ketchup is very surprising, especially considering I often eat A LOT more than one serving.  I estimated that the amount of ketchup I would eat with these fries contained well over 600 mg of sodium.  The average American consumes upwards of 3500 of milligrams of sodium per day while the recommended values are closer to 1500-2100 milligrams.  Salt is hiding in most of our foods--I have only recently tried to consciously cut back on my salt intake and it has proven to be harder than I first imagined.  But simple changes like the one suggested above are doable and make a big difference!

Here are some ideas for the rest of your day:

Save money on these recipes with coupons!

ShopAtHome.com Printable Grocery Coupons

www.thecouponclippers.com

Breakfast- 434 Calories

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

Snack- 175 Calories

Cheese Quesadilla

Lunch- 345 Calories

Teriyaki Stirfry

Snack- 150 Calories

1 cup low-fat Chocolate milk

Dinner- 494 Calories

3 Mini Salmon Patties w/ Garlic-Dill Dip

Crispy Oven Fries (1/4 of total recipe) w/ Ketchup

1 cup Steamed Broccoli

Total Calories: 1598

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Wake Up Your Weekday Morning with Baked Oatmeal

This tasty oatmeal has become a weekly treat at my house.  My son calls this oatmeal "special" oatmeal even though we have it every week.  It takes just five minutes to prepare and cooks in 22 minutes.  I mix it up the night before or first thing when I get up and it is ready by the time my kiddos get out of bed.  

I had never even heard of baked oatmeal until a few years ago and I was afraid to try it because I thought it would be gooey and mushy, but I was hooked at first bite.  It is more similar to one of those Oatmeal To Go Squares from Quaker, than a bowl of hot cereal.  If you've never tried it---this is a life changer!

The original recipe I tried was made with more oil and sugar.  Over time, I have experimented with the recipe and came up with this:

Baked Oatmeal Recipe:

1 egg

2 cups Old-fashioned Oats

3 tbsp Agave Nectar*

1/2 cup Skim Milk

1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce

1 tbsp Canola Oil

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (optional)

1/4 cup Pecans, Chopped

1/4 cup Raisins

*If you do not have Agave Nectar you can substitute the same amount of maple syrup or 1/4 c. sugar.   Many Agave Nectars (depending on how they are processed) have been shown to be lower on the Glycemic index and therefore cause less spiking of blood sugar levels than sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Beat egg slightly.  

Add Agave Nectar, milk, applesauce, oil, (and vanilla, if using).  Mix well. 

Add oats, baking powder, and salt and stir until fully mixed. 

Fold in raisins

Pour into greased 8x8 baking pan. 

Sprinkle with pecans

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

I round out the meal with a glass of milk or some yogurt to start my day with a bit more protein.  

This breakfast can be enjoyed as a part of a 1600 calorie meal plan by enjoying the following foods:

Breakfast: 460 Calories

Baked Oatmeal (1/4 of recipe)

1 cup Skim Milk

Snack: 74 Calories

Red Bell Pepper slices

Matchstick Carrots

Garlic Dill Veggie Dip

Lunch: 367 Calories

Grown up Grilled Cheese

Snack: 93 Calories

2 Dove Dark Chocolate Squares

9 Almonds

Dinner: 583 Calories

Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

Steamed Peas

Winter Fruit Salad

Total: 1577 Calories

P.S. Thanks to all who have checked out my blog so far.  I am having a great time posting recipes and this has been an awesome opportunity to touch base with some old friends.  If you like my blog, please help me spread the word by telling your friends and help me make some money by clicking on the advertisement links placed on any of my pages.  I'd love to hear feedback and suggestions---if you have a recipe that you think would be great for my blog, send it my way!

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Winning the Food Craving Battle- 10 Smart Tips

We all know cravings are a diet killer, but what can we do when we hear that evil voice inside telling us to give in to fat, salt, and sugar--the enemies of life changing healthier habits?  Weight loss is hard-- eating healthy can mean big changes that can be really overwhelming and make us want to give up!  Cravings are natural and expected.  We can actually take comfort in this because we don't have to be taken off guard by our cravings.  Here are a few tips I have collected for beating food cravings.

1. Drink more water-  Many food cravings are just your body's way of telling you it needs more fluids. Thirst triggers a growling in your stomach we sometimes mistake for hunger pangs and makes us crave salt.  Many of us don't get enough water--especially in winter when a cold glass of ice water doesn't sound as refreshing.  I have been "off" soft drinks and most juices for several years and find from personal experience that only water truly quenches my thirst without triggering further cravings.  If you eat a healthy diet, you can expect to absorb about 20% of your body's fluid needs from the foods you eat, the remainder must come from water and other liquids.
2. Eat more Omega 3's-  It is natural to crave fat because our body needs fat to operate properly.  The problem comes when we eat the wrong kinds of fat in our effort to satisfy our craving.  Most of us know that most saturated fat is bad for us and make some effort to avoid it, but we also need to pay attention to the balance between the good fats our body needs.  The suggested ratio between Omega 6 and Omega 3 oils in our diet is 1:1.  Unfortunately, Americans consume dangerously low levels of Omega 3 oils and our ratio is more like 20:1 to 50:1.  Recent research has indicated that low levels of Omega 3 deadens our pleasure for sweet foods causing us to crave them and eat more to get pleasure out of eating them. How can you correct your ratio and give your body the fat it is craving?  Here are a few sources from food and supplements: Flaxseed, walnuts, asparagus, organic eggs or eggs from chickens on vegetarian diet (not regular eggs), fatty fish like crab and salmon, fish oil or cod liver supplements.
3. Get enough sleep-  CBS News reports that being tired can cause hormonal changes in your body, triggering a need for more energy -- which your mind interprets as a need for more food.  Aim for at least seven hours a night so your body can restore itself through rest.
4. Focus on Fiber and Whole Grains- Consider this from Disabled World, "Getting enough fiber each day will help you control your weight. When you eat fiber-rich foods, you'll feel fuller for longer periods of time. You won't experience drops in your blood sugar, which make it easy to succumb to food cravings. When you emphasize fiber in your diet, you'll also be eating more nutritious foods.
5. Reduce your salt intake- While it is recommended that adults consume no more than 1500 to 2300 milligrams of salt per day, the average American consumes upwards of 3500 milligrams per day.  The culprit?  Processed and Fast food.  Only 5-11% of our salt intake comes from the salt we add in cooking.   Besides the serious health risks that come with eating too much salt, excess salt in the diet contributes to craving even MORE salt as well as an increase in sugar cravings. 
6. Indulge in moderation- There is something about "forbidden" food that makes us want it more.  Rather than totaling eliminating your favorite "bad for you" foods from your diet, consider how indulging in these foods can become a part of an healthy overall eating routine.  Make yourself accountable to what you are eating by figuring out an appropriate portion size for your treat and calculating the calories you are eating.  
7. Find food replacements that satisfy you-  My husband loves cakey foods.  It is pretty unlikely that an apple will satisfy his craving for something moist and cakey.  I am addicted to crunchy, salty foods and find it hard to manage when these items are totally eliminated from my diet.   What have we done to deal with these cravings?  I have made a serious effort to "healthify" some muffin recipes for my husband and for myself I have replaced chips with nuts and seeds and slowly reduced the levels of salt in my diet.  The point is that everyone is different.  Treat healthy eating as a journey where instead of setting yourself up for failure by establishing harsh restrictions from your favorite foods, find healthy or slightly healthier foods that satisfy your cravings.
8. Don't let yourself get TOO hungry- Most diet programs recommend that you eat five small meals a day to help regulate your blood sugar and keep you from experiencing real hunger.  When blood sugar drops, our tendency is to reach for a quick fix to bring up our sugar levels, but high sugar foods low in nutrients do little to stop our blood sugar levels from careening out of control again.  I am personally a big fan of "second breakfast"--that's what I call my mid-morning snack.  I take this snack as seriously as I do first breakfast because if I don't plan for it I inevitably end up filling up on candy from the office candy basket to try to stay off my hunger.  That leads to my next point.
9. Plan meals and snacks- Armed with a plan that is, and this is important, EASY to implement and routinize, we will be much more likely to see longterm changes in eating habits.  But here's the catch, a plan isn't enough....the key is really to take the time to put the plan into action by setting aside time for meal preparation and packing snacks so they can easily be grabbed when we are on the go.  Otherwise, we will end up in the fast food drive-thru or in front of the vending machine wondering where our plan went wrong.
10. Learn your triggers-  I tend to eat when my kids are being extra exasperating.  When I have to be the stern parent, I feel like I deserve a bit of a release or reward to alleviate some stress.  What are your triggers?  Simply recognizing the emotional connections to our eating habits can help us become better prepared to fight these tendencies.  We won't always be successful, but simply recognizing the why behind our bad habits can put us back in control so that our food addictions no longer control us.

Article by Leah Smith, author of the food blog, Kitchy Mama Meals.

Kitchy Mama Meals provides 1600 calorie meal plans that put the above principles into action so you feel good about what you are eating, conquer cravings and experience weight loss success.  Check out Kitchy Mama Meals at www.kitchymamameals.com

Resources:

Presidente. 16 November 2008 

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/81772 

Accessed 7 January 2011

Weatherby, Craig. 10 June 2005 "Omega-3 lack may fuel sugar cravings"

http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article000411963.cfm?x=b53jlSr,b1WDbhNQ,w

Accessed 7 January 2011

Rola, Olinda.  6 2010 2006. "Correcting low fiber intake for your diet can help you achieve regular bowel movements necessary for optimum health."

http://www.disabled-world.com/calculators-charts/high-fiber-foods.php#ixzz1AZUo2rVH

Accessed 8 January 2011

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