Wheat Free Wednesday | goodmotherdiet

Here is a recipe with ONLY TWO INGREDIENTS! Yes, you read that right. Yesterday while I was on Facebook looking at my friend, Lis’ photos from her Mexico trip, a random video that I didn’t click on started to play. Usually these spontaneous videos really irritate me. I don’t know what those annoying video clips are called (other than obnoxious intrustions). For some inexplicable reason, I call them ‘drive byes”. But I digress. This particular drive-bye grabbed my attention (so I guess that makes me a sucker…) as it claimed to have a recipe for making delicious pancakes with only 2 ingredients. Drum roll please…..1 banana and 2 eggs. I just happened to have fresh eggs from my neighbor, Sandy, next door and a bunch of bananas in my fruit bowl just hovering at the almost too ripe phase. I was intrigued and decided to give it a try. All I can say is that I wish I had known this ‘recipe’ when my boys were little. These pancakes are light and sweet, just the perfect breakfast for a mother who has little time but wants to feed a healthy breakfast to a picky or gluten intolerant eater. The ingredients are simple and the technique takes about a minute. Just slice a ripe banana into a bowl. Add two eggs (preferably pasture raised). Whisk together until frothy and cook on a hot griddle. It couldn’t be easier!

This isn’t normally a recipe I would blog about but it’s simplicity is brilliant in that both ingredients are loaded with nutrients so these pancakes, unlike those made with white flour, are super nutritious and since they have no flour they are naturally gluten free. Contrary to what we’ve been told, eggs are not the enemy. In fact, one egg has lots of vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein and antioxidants, all for 70 calories. And bananas, well if you think you know everything about the unassuming banana, check out these facts you may not know about this tropical fruit:

1. Hands and Fingers – Bananas do not grow on trees. The banana plant is classified as an arborescent (tree-like) perennial herb and the banana itself is actually considered a berry. The correct name for bunch of bananas is a hand of bananas; a single banana is a finger.

2. Heart Health – One banana contains 467mg of potassium, providing powerful protection to the cardiovascular system. Regular consumption of the potassium-packed fruit helps guard against high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and stroke.

3. Bones – Although bananas do not contain high amounts of calcium, they do supply the body with an abundance of fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic substance (one which encourages probiotics, the friendly bacteria in the digestive system). As fructooligosaccharides ferment in the digestive tract, they enhance the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

4. Energy and Mood Balancing – Another benefit to bananas high potassium content derives from that mineral’s role as an energy-supplying electrolyte. Since bananas also contain tryptophan, serotonin and norepinephrine, they help prevent depression while encouraging feelings of well-being and relaxation. In addition, the vitamin B6 in bananas helps protect against sleeplessness, mood swings and irritability.

5. Vision – Bananas, combined with the African herb orinol, have been used to treat cataracts in Nigeria. They also share with other fruits the ability to prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in adults. According to a study published in the Archives of Opthmalogy in 2004, people who eat 3 servings of fruit per day are statistically unlike to develop the vision-diminishing disease.

6. Better Digestion – Bananas suppress acid in the digestive tract, alleviating heartburn and helping guard against ulcers. Since bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber, they aid in the elimination process, helping prevent constipation.

GRAIN FREE PANCAKES

1 ripe banana
2 eggs

Slice banana into a medium bowl

Add two raw eggs.

Using a large whisk, smash the banana into small bits and whisk the mixture until it’s frothy.

Pour by Tablespoons onto a hot griddle and cook until bubbles begin to break.

Flip pancakes to cook the other side another minute or two.

Serve plain or with butter, maple syrup or fruit.

Grain Free Pancakes

Servings: 2
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

1 ripe banana
2 eggs

Slice banana into a medium bowl
Add two raw eggs.
Using a large whisk, smash the banana into small bits and whisk the mixture until it’s frothy.
Pour by Tablespoons onto a hot griddle and cook until bubbles begin to break.
Flip pancakes to cook the other side another minute or two.
Serve with butter, maple syrup or fruit.

Let’s face it – it’s all about the cheese, yummy, oozy, bubbling, crispy deliciousness, creating the ultimate in comfort foods. Much of the country, the east coast in particular, is trapped inside due to piles and piles of snow and in great need of something warm and cozy. The rest of us just like comfort food. How about everyone’s favorite Mac and Cheese but with a twist? Macaroni and Cheese was a childhood favorite of mine. My mom used to make is from scratch (none of that boxed stuff) and bake it in the oven until the top was brown and crispy. What a treat! It wasn’t until I was in college and looking for cheap food to make in my dorm room that I discovered Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (along with that other ubiquitous college staple, Ramen Noodles). That tasted pretty good to a starving college student too but I’m not sure how much actual food is in there. It would be a game changer to find a Mac and Cheese that we love that loves us back. I know quinoa isn’t a traditional ingredient in Mac and Cheese but it’s so much healthier than macaroni which is a delicious foil for the cheese but really is just empty carbs, providing very little nutrition, mostly calories. But maybe we can have it all. I spotted this recipe for Quinoa ‘Mac’ and Cheese from Just a Pinch Recipes and decided to give it a whirl, since I appear to be on a quinoa kick (there are worse things I suppose). My recipe below is an adaptation of the original.

This recipe calls for white quinoa, which is fluffier than the colored versions. I will not make you read about the virtues of quinoa again, since I did that on Monday when I posted my recipe for Quinoa Salad with Artichokes, Olives and Chickpeas which was quite tasty, however if you want to read about why you should be eating more quinoa click HERE. I used sharp cheddar, whole milk from, Strauss Family Farms, and pasture raised eggs, both local growers, whom I am becoming quite passionate about supporting. Please, please, please think again before buying factory farmed milk and eggs. Our animals deserve better. Every time you buy organic products of any kind that have been raised or grown out in a field or pasture you are encouraging more farmers to do the same. This recipe can be made vegan by substituting vegan cheddar cheese, almond milk and a thickener like flour. For another wheatless ‘Mac’ and Cheese recipe, check out my Cauliflower “Mac’ and Cheese post, yum!

TIPS: If you like it extra creamy, use a bit more milk, or cream ,and cheese as quinoa absorbs more liquid than pasta does. It will look runny when you put it in the oven but will firm as it cooks. Next time I will be tempted to use a variety of cheese. This would be a great use for those odds and ends of cheeses left in your refrigerator. Just grate them all together and toss with the other ingredients. For a larger portion double the recipe and use a 13×9 pan.

QUINOA ‘MAC’ AND CHEESE

3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (plus more if desired for topping)
3/4 cup milk (or cream)
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Rinse and cook quinoa according to instructions. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 8×8 inch dish with butter or cooking spray.

Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Add garlic, salt, red pepper flakes.

Fold together quinoa, egg mixture and cheese until cheese is evenly distributed.

Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 30-35 mins, until top is browned.

You can top with more cheese to make a cheesy crust 10 minutes after cooking, if desired. To test for doneness, press a finger into top. If liquid appears, cook a bit longer, or until the casserole is firm.

Quinoa 'Mac' and Cheese

Servings: 4
Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Print

3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (plus more if desired for topping)
3/4 cup milk (or cream)
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Rinse and cook quinoa according to instructions. Cover and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Coat 8×8 inch dish with butter or cooking spray.
Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Add garlic, salt, red pepper flakes.
Fold together quinoa, egg mixture and cheese until cheese is evenly distributed.
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 30-35 mins, until top is browned.
You can top with more cheese to make a cheesy crust 10 minutes after cooking, if desired. To test for doneness, press a finger into top. If liquid appears, cook a bit longer, or until the casserole is firm.