Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes...failure and success!

The only pancakes that I like are chocolate chip pancakes. I like them straight from the fridge so they are cold and then they taste just like a chocolate chip cookie. I. Love. Chocolate. Chip. Cookies. Pancakes, not so much though. However, my kids and my husband love them so I end up making them pretty frequently. As I was surfing through facebook the other day I came across a pancake recipe that included only two ingredients so I knew that I had to try them. Those two ingredients were bananas and eggs. I was a little skeptical on how these would turn out because I was worried about the texture and the crazy banana flavor. I love me a perfectly riped banana and some delicious banana bread, but that's about how far my love of bananas goes. But, I gave them a shot. The hulk helped me mash the banana and mix the eggs in. I sprayed my pan, poured in some batter, and prayed. My hint to you if you make these is to make small pancakes so they are easier to flip since they are a little flimsier than your traditional pancake. Anyways, I knew that these wouldn't be up my alley and I wasn't sure if  the kids would like them or not so I only made 2 pancakes to try them out. Why cook them all up if nobody would eat them? So, I served up the pancakes and tried not be too obvious as I stared at them while they tried them.

Only 2 ingredients

Mashed and Mixed

Finished product

The Sponge immediately spit hers out and said that she only liked chocolate chip pancakes (where did she get that from?!?!) and then I watched Hulk take a bite and then immediately spit it out as well. Obviously this was not for them either. However, knowing that I would probably write about this I knew that I had to try them myself. So, I braced myself and took a bite. Well, they tasted like a  banana omelet with a pancake texture. So, if you're looking for something new and healthy to try for breakfast and you love banana flavored foods then I'd say these would probably be worth trying. They just weren't for us. That being said, if you aren't that adventurous do what I did and turn that banana and eggs into a delicious banana and chocolate chip recipe. :)

Since finding this recipe for pancakes on pinterest it has been my base recipe for many different flavors (hmm...future posts!). This recipe cooked the way it is written is amazing as well. However, since I was trying to make a healthier banana pancake recipe this morning I decided to lighten the recipe up a bit as well.

Two thumbs up!!!

Makes approximately 14 pancakes

Recipe:

1 ripe banana, mashed

2 whole eggs or 3 egg whites

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (or flour of your choice)

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 scant tsp salt

2 tsp truvia sugar substitute

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1/3 - 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips depending on taste

Mix all ingredients until well combined. There will be lumps. Use 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure and pour batter onto oil sprayed frying pan over medium heat. Look for bubbles, flip. You can serve with whatever toppings you desire. We just eat them plain because they are so good on their own!



Hulk loves pancakes- they are probably his favorite food!

Today's lesson: don't be afraid to try something new because even if it is a failure initially, you can turn it into a success!

Cauliflower Mac-n-Cheese

On my quest to be more fit I am trying to remake recipes and dishes that my family and I love so that they are healthier. I not only want to be healthier myself, but I want my whole family to love and seek out foods that fuel their bodies and make them feel good. Mac-n-cheese is one of those comfort foods that everyone just loves so I knew that I needed to find a healthier way to prepare this dish. Cauliflower is a food that we had eaten in the past but it has started to take alternate forms in our home recently. (See the cauliflower pizza crust.) This time the cauliflower is replacing elbow macaroni in a traditional mac-n-cheese recipe and I have lightened up the cheese sauce as well. My kids overall like cauliflower if it has melted cheese on it (in the past the cheese had been American or Velveeta) so I hoped this would be a new favorite.

Cauliflower cut into small florets after it's been blanched.

Hot out of the oven!

Plated up and ready to eat :)

I was right. Everyone ate it up and this is a recipe that I will be making again. One change that I might make in the future to add some protein is to add 1/2 cup of pureed chick peas to the cheese sauce. I was going to do this but at the last minute realized that I didn't have any in the pantry, but I will be trying that next time.


Recipe:

1 head cauliflower cut into small florets
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
salt and white pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups low fat sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
1/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pureed chick peas, drained and rinsed (optional)
1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Put cauliflower florets into a pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, drain thoroughly then put in casserole oven-safe dish

Mix skim milk, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and white pepper in small sauce pan and cook over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Add cheddar and mozzarella cheeses (minus enough to sprinkle on the top at the end) stirring in figure 8 motion until cheese is melted. Add chick peas at this time if you are using them and stir until they have warmed through. Turn off the burner then add Greek yogurt to mixture until it is fully incorporated. Taste test the sauce to make sure you don't need to add any more seasoning for your taste.

Pour cheese sauce over cauliflower and stir until fully coated. Sprinkle reserved cheddar cheese on the top and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly brown.


Allow to cool slightly and enjoy! I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as mine did.

Roasted Chickpeas 10 Ways

It's been said that losing weight is 70% diet and 30% exercise. Snacking between meals can easily make or break your diet, depending on if you're doing it right.

My sister-in-law Leigh Anne recently posted a healthy snack that she made on facebook and since then I've been hearing more and more about roasted chickpeas. On my Internet search I discovered that the sky's the limit when it comes to seasonings so I pinned my top ten on my pinterest board and decided to make some for an upcoming party with friends.

I made recipe number 1 below: Parmesan Cheese Roasted Chickpeas. The changes that I made are as follows: 1- I put the chickpeas in the oven dry (no oil or seasonings- I put those on after they came out of the oven; 2- cook them longer so they are crunchier-the crunchier the better! ; 3- add a little bit of garlic powder for flavor too)
TIP: Do not put these in a sealed container as the chickpeas will become moist and lose their crunch - learned this one the hard way :)

My own photo got deleted so I stole borrowed this one from the Parmesan Cheese website :)

Side note: Thinking about the healthy aspects of the chickpea, I found this website with a wealth of information on the topic.

These are my Top 10 Roasted Chickpea Recipes (and I plan on trying each one)

*1- Kid-friendly Parmesan Cheese Roasted Chickpeas

*2- Sweet Roasted Chickpeas with brown sugar and cinnamon

*3- Roasted Curried Chickpeas


*4- Garlicky Roasted Chickpeas with Feta, Mint, and Lemon (I personally will leave out the mint-personal preference)


*5- Roasted Pimenton Chickpeas (uses paprika)


*6- Italian Style Balsamic Roasted Chickpeas


*7- Taco-style Chickpeas


*8- Cocoa Chickpeas


*9- Buffalo Style Roasted Chickpeas


*10- Use your favorite spices- great step-by-step picture tutorial




Snack-on folks! :)