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!

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! :)

Cauliflower Crusted Cheese Pizza :)

I was absolutely starving today after I put the kids down for their naps (I usually eat lunch during their nap time, it's just easier.) So, instead of pillaging my cupboards like a crazy lunatic I decided to look for inspiration on my Pinterest page. I had found this cauliflower crust pizza a while ago but was intimidated by it for some reason. (Maybe I just didn't want to drag the food processor out of my basement.) Anyways, this was very easy and quick to make (I didn't even have to have a snack to hold me over until it was finished). I may even make it again for dinner tonight...yes, it was that good. On these hot summer days I don't even like to think about turning on my oven so I made mine in my toaster oven and it turned out great. I did learn one very valuable lesson though through this process. ALWAYS spray your foil before you put your crust on it. I just hope that I didn't eat any foil as I peeled the pizza off and ate it with a fork. :)





The yummy cauliflower crust before it went into the toaster oven.



All done! (I left mine in a little too long.)

Recipe for crust:

1 cup of riced cauliflower (see instructions below)
1 cup of reduced fat mozzarella cheese
3 Tbs liquid egg whites (or 1 large egg)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 425 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (if desired) and SPRAY with oil.

Mix cauliflower, cheese, and egg together in your bowl. The cheese will get all melty and yummy. Then add oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and combine thoroughly. Your mixture will come together to resemble a traditional dough. If you find that you have excess moisture like I did, simply squeeze it out with your hands.

Press cauliflower mixture onto foil/parchment paper until it is about 1/2 inch thick then spray/brush with extra virgin olive oil to promote browning. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Add pizza sauce, cheese, and precooked toppings of your choice and broil for 3-4 minutes until cheese is bubbly and brown.

Enjoy!

How to rice the cauliflower:
*Grate enough cauliflower to measure one cup with hand grater (or you can chop the cauliflower into chunks-not too much stem-and pulse it in your food processor until it looks like rice-do not puree it)
*Put cauliflower in microwave safe dish and cook on high for 2 1/2 - 4 minutes depending on your microwave (I did 2 1/2 minutes with my 1100 W microwave). Do not add water or you'll just have to drain it out later (personal experience again).


This is a recipe that you really must try, you will not regret it! Happy/healthy eating :)


Here's a printable version if you'd like it.



**Updated:**
The recipe above makes enough pizza for about an individual portion size. I recently made the pizza for a larger group and made 2 round pizza pans and a large rectangle pizza and it was a hit!
Below is the adjusted recipe that I used for 1 large round pizza pan.

* 3 cups of riced cauliflower-microwave for approximately 8 minutes or until soft
* 2 whole eggs or 4 egg whites
* 2 cups shredded reduced fat mozzarella
* 1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
* 1/8 + 1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to coat dough 

(I didn't have onion powder, but if I had I would have added 1/4 tsp)