Archive for category Recipes: Breakfast

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix

Jul 5

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, Recipes: Breakfast | 10 Comments

I (finally) made my pilgrimage to Trader Joe’s to re-stock my bare pantry full of gluten free goodness.  While there, I picked up a package of TJ’s Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix.   Feeling all Betty Crocker (now that she’s gluten free!), I whipped up a batch of blueberry waffles to taste test.

gluten-free-waffles

Pros:

  • Uber-simple to make.  Even those distracted by shiny things (ahem, guilty as charged!) will be able to add the three ingredients to the mix.
  • Mix is free from gluten, peanut, milk & dairy, soy, and corn.
  • Reasonably priced at $2.99 for 18-ounce package (makes 12 waffles or pancakes).
  • The package is purple – my favorite color!

Cons:

  • The cooking instructions are for waffles OR pancakes using the entire contents of the mix.  I wish they would offer instructions for 3, 6, or 12 waffles/pancakes.  Of course, you could dump out the mixture, re-measure the contents and rework the recipe, but I am mathematically challenged, so this was not an option.
  • The mix had a faint but slightly “off” odor (something I have found in many gluten free mixes).
  • I found there to be a slight aftertaste to the waffles I prepared.  It was a bit metallic tasting (not that I frequently lick metal objects, but this is the best way to describe the aftertaste).

traderjoes-gluten-free-mix

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Waffle a la Mounds Bar

Sep 27

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Breakfast | 5 Comments

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t.

I personally always feel like a nut in a less “literal” sense, but happen to prefer Mounds Bars…

When I was initially diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I had bought boxes and boxes of frozen gluten free waffles. Blueberry, apple and cinnamon, flax…you name it, I bought it. I still have many of those boxes in my freezer because the waffles just didn’t taste right to me. They were crumbly, hard, and not what I remember a “real” waffle to taste like. Call me persnickety, but I’d rather not eat a mediocre waffle.

Not too long ago, I shared with you the scintillating news that the Cuisinart Waffle Maker is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. With the aid of said trusty waffle maker, I have created the ultimate waffle experience. I had gotten a little bored of my Pumpkin Waffles and wanted something new.  During a recent trip to Whole Foods, I discovered Coconut Oil. This became the inspiration for my latest waffle experiment. To sum it up, these waffles taste similar to a Mounds Bar. This recipe is so darn good you’ll dream about these light and fluffy waffles when you aren’t eating them. You’ll be busy going about your day when suddenly, SHAZAM!, Chocolate Chip Coconut Waffles will be beckoning you.

If you don’t (gasp!) care for chocolate, you can omit the chips for a “pure” coconut waffle. Having an acute chocolate addiction, I tend to put chocolate chips in practically everything I bake (fellow chocoholics, stay tuned for my recipe post on Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread!).

Chocolate Chip Coconut Waffles

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup ground flax seed
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
Mini chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together (except for chocolate chips).  Pour batter into a pre-heated waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Then sprinkle a handful of mini-chocolate chips into the batter in the waffle maker.  Makes 6 DELICIOUS waffles.

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It’s The Great Pumpkin (Pancake)!

Sep 22

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Breakfast | 6 Comments

Linus, “I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.”  (From the classic movie, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)

Summer just hasn’t been kind to me.  The heat and humidity have wreaked havoc on my curly hair.  Imagine having the grease up the door frame just to fit you and your large hair outside!  Plus, I don’t like to sweat.  Sweating is icky and so unglamorous.

That said, I hereby declare that I am ready for Fall!  What a coincidence, today IS the first day of Fall!  Bring it on Mother Nature…

Um, Houston, we have a problem. It was 80 degrees yesterday and it’s going to be 78 degrees here today. Drats. Well, I can pretend it’s Fall, right? I’ll just crank up the trusty a/c and feel the chill in the air. To hell with my kiddies’ blue lips and the fact that they might not feel their fingers.

Being the good mom that I am, I made pancakes for breakfast. (Gluten eating) Thing 1 and Thing 2 gobbled these up like I had poured Pixie Sticks and Fun Dip into the batter.  All boasting aside, I must admit these pancakes are “da bomb” (yes, this is my attempt at being hip).

My advice is to make a few batches, freeze them individually in ziploc bags, and reheat in the microwave for future meals.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 cup of gluten free flour mix (*see note at bottom)
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
Dark chocolate chips

*GF Flour Mixture I used was: 2 cups Brown Rice, 1 cup Sweet White Sorghum, 2/3 cup Tapioca, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 2 tsp xanthan gum.

Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Add in the pumpkin, canola oil, vanilla, milk, and eggs. Mix well, but don’t overbeat. Heat a cast iron pan (this is key to non-mushy pancakes!) over low/medium heat and pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Once poured, add chocolate chips. Cook pancakes approximately 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Top with butter, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and fresh maple syrup!

I’d like to send out a huge thanks to Paul at The CaffiNation Podcast. Paul is one of my “Twitter Friends” and I had been working on this recipe for a week or two. After nine (yes, nine!) failed batches of pancakes, I posted my frustration on Twitter. Paul so nicely suggested I use a cast iron pan instead of the non-stick I was cooking in (duh, why didn’t I think of that?!).  Viola!   Pancake Perfection.  If you are into Coffee and/or Technology, be sure to check out Paul’s site.

I’d also like to note that this recipe was inspired by the Cooking Gluten-Free! recipe book.  There is a basic pancake and waffle recipe that I tweaked and played with and many batches later came up with what is posted here :)

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Breakfast of Champions

Jun 16

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Breakfast | 2 Comments

Yesterday we celebrated Father’s Day. In the PC (pre-celiac) days, we would have (1) gone out to breakfast, (2) the kids would have trashed the table, floor, and surrounding vicinity, (3) we would have left a very, very generous tip, and (4) we would have vacated the building post-haste. With Celiac Disease, dining out for breakfast is a bit more challenging. Between dreaded cross contamination and way too many menu items with “Toast” in the title, my hubby sweetly agreed to dine in.

So, what to make for our Father’s Day Breakfast Bonanza? A bowl of (gluten free!) Cocoa Pebbles wasn’t going to cut it. I needed something manly and gut filling. The recipe also needed to be easy because, as I have mentioned previously, my skills in the kitchen are limited. To the rescue comes my Breakfast Casserole! With only four itsy-bitsy ingredients (eggs, bacon, hash browns, and cheese), the chances of me getting distracted during the mixing process was lessened considerably (ooh look, something shiny!).

Hey, when did you get here!? :)

Ok, moving on… I’d like to make a disclaimer about this recipe… If you are popping Lipitor like candy and have the American Heart Association’s website as one of your “Favorites”, please think long and hard about how often you eat this dish. The casserole is definitely gluten-free, but as for “uber-healthy” — not so much.

Breakfast Casserole

9 eggs (I use Eggland’s Best)
1 pound Oscar Mayer Center Cut Bacon
15 ounces Ore Ida Hash Browns (the shredded kind)
2 cups of Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook the hash browns (use stove top directions). Put the cooked hash browns in a 9 or 10 inch round casserole dish. Push them on the bottom of the dish and up along the sides. Cook the bacon and crumble it (do this as you are cooking the hash browns — a pound of bacon takes some time to microwave!). In a medium container, whisk the eggs and then add the crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Stir. Pour mixture into the hash browns that you’ve already put in the casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes (uncovered).

*Note – all of these items are gluten free at the time I am writing this post. PLEASE always double check the ingredients list or, if in doubt, call the manufacturer to confirm.

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles Are Wonderful!

Jun 3

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Breakfast | 3 Comments

I’ve always been a “road less taken” kind of girl. I never like to follow the crowd, have a bit of a rebellious streak, and never, ever am keen on anyone telling me what to do.

Maybe that’s why I can’t cook to save my life!?

Recipes are like the voice of authority to me. I need to do things my way and on my own terms. One other problem might be I just don’t have the attention span to follow long, detailed instructions. When my tummy rumbles, I want to eat. NOW! Welcome, Mr. Instant Gratification, come right in :) In spite of my stubborn resistance to cooking, I find myself endlessly cutting recipes out of magazines and anal-retentively filing them in my color coded recipe folder. Why, you ask? Because having celiac truly makes you think about food – what you are eating, how it’s prepared, and the ingredients that are going into your meal. One (ahem, me) eventually needs to suck it up and cook something for themselves.

My husband will tell you I have a small addiction to household items (vegetable steamer, citrus juicer, hot chocolate machine, etc). Although these poor things haven’t seen the light of day since they came home from the store, I feel somewhat closer to cooking by acquiring them. I recently unearthed a Cuisinart Waffle Maker (still in its box) from my kitchen cabinet. Made hungry by the tasty looking waffle photo on the instruction guide, I decided to try to conquer this waffle oppressor. Filed away under the “Breakfast” category in my superiorly organized folder was a recipe I’d adapted for gluten free Pumpkin Waffles. Perfect! Now, back to my attention span. I don’t always have the time or energy to measure out 32 different flours to make a gluten free flour mix. Call me crazy, but when I can buy a pre-made flour mix that works just dandy, I’ll take that option! Although I might like to cut some corners in the cooking arena, I do make every effort to eat healthily. If the dish is great tasting, nutritious, gluten free, and easy to prepare, I’ll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until the cows come home. (Note – this is coming from a girl who ate peanut butter and honey sandwiches from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade EVERY DAY) All joking aside, these waffles are fantastic!! If you have some time (and a waffle maker!), give this recipe a try. Prepare a batch, then individually freeze the leftovers and reheat for future meals.

Pumpkin Waffles

1 1/2 cups Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
2 teaspoons flax seed meal (the ground stuff)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons canola oil

In a large bowl, combine gluten free flour mix, flax seed meal, brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, and canola oil until smooth; add to flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour batter into a pre-heated waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Eat and Enjoy!

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