Oat and Egg White Pancake

Do you miss eating pancakes with the family on Sunday mornings?  Well I have a recipe that will make that problem disappear!  You will be enjoying Pancake Sunday’s with the family again in no time at all :)

What you need:

-        Food processor or blender or magic bullet

-        4-6 Egg whites

-        ¼ Cup of Quick oats

-        Cinnamon

-        Small frying pan

-        Flipper

-        Spatula

-        Oil of your choice

What to do:

-        Take your oats and blend them in the food processor or blender or magic bullet until it looks like the consistency of flour (in our case it would look like Gluten Free Flour, right!)

-        Add cinnamon now or sprinkle it on top of the finished product

-        Measure and add your egg whites to the food processor or blender or magic bullet and blend.  This will incorporate the ingredients as well as make the egg whites fluffier.

-        Add a very small amount of oil to a non-stick small frying pan and once the pan is ready, add the mixture and wait for small bubbles to form throughout the pancake.  Then you know it’s time to flip!  I like to use the spatula to lift up the pancake so I can slide the flipper underneath it and flip.  Less risk of breaking the pancake that way!

-        The second side takes less time to cook; about a minute or 2 or until golden.

Voila!  You have your Oat and Egg White Pancake! 

Here are some possible toppings for your pancake:

(NOTE: I am just making suggestions, I am not saying this is appropriate for everyone's meal plan!)

-        Mashed banana (this can also be added INTO the pancake ‘batter’)

-        Maple Syrup

-        Cinnamon

-        Cinnamon and Splenda

-        Berry Compote

-        Peanut Butter and Banana Slices

-        Any kind of fruit

-        Or my guilty pleasure that I will try again once I reach my goal… NUTELLA!

You can also make this a savoury pancake by adding spices instead of cinnamon and use sour cream and a possible topping.  Think of Potato Pancakes, but healthier :)

Give this recipe a try and let me know if you do!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Almond “Breaded” Chicken Fingers

When I was a little kid (and throughout most of my life lol) I have loved chicken fingers.  When I was younger and got to go out for dinner with family (sans mom and dad) I took the opportunity and ran with it; I ordered chicken fingers.  Sadly, those darn things aren’t that good for you and the breading makes my tummy turn.  Darn gluten…  Have no fear, my friends… I have a delicious alternative :)

Almond “Breaded” Chicken Fingers

What you need:

-        Chicken breast (you decide how many you need depending on how many people you are cooking for)

-        All natural almonds

-        Food processor or blender

-        Egg whites (2 eggs worth should be plenty depending on how much you are making)

-        Spices

-        Tongs

-        Flipper

-        Frying pan

-        2 Plates (1 to spread the chopped almonds on and 1 to place the cooked chicken on)

-        Cooling rack (to place cooked chicken on) OPTIONAL

-        Rectangular dish (to hold the egg whites)

-        Oil (you can use EVOO, coconut oil, or whatever you have on your meal plan!)

Instructions:

-        Take your almonds (I used about a cup) and throw them into the blender with whatever spices you like and chop them up!  I used a little bit of chili pepper flakes.  You can decide how fine or chunky you want the pieces of almond to be, but aim for a finer consistency.  Spread it out evenly on the plate.

-        Whisk the egg whites slightly in the dish.

-        Slice your chicken breast into thin slices.  This will help the chicken cook faster!

-        Dip each slice of chicken into the egg white and then over to the almond mixture and then place the “breaded” chicken on to a clean plate.

-        Once you have all of the chicken “breaded” put it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes so the “breading” can adhere. 

-        While your chicken is sitting in the fridge you can heat up the frying pan.  Make sure to cook this on Low-Med heat as you don’t want to burn the almonds before the chicken has a chance to cook thoroughly.

-        Lightly oil the pan, I like to use a brush so I can spread out the oil evenly and limit the amount I need to use.

-        Once the chicken is ready to cook, space the slices out evenly in the pan and cook 4-5 minutes per side depending on thickness.  I like to leave the sides of the chicken almond free so I can see when the chicken turns colour.

-        Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly use the flipper to remove them from the pan and place them on a cooling rack (or plate).  The cooling rack will allow the chicken to cool on both sides without the bottom getting soggy from the condensation on the plate.

-        Depending on what you are allowed to eat on your meal plan you can use whatever dip you like!  Mustard is great or you can create your own veggie dip by pureeing some of your fave veggies!  A roasted red pepper dip sounds delish, don’t you think?

I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you try it!  I will talk to you all very soon!

K

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

I am European and cabbage rolls are something I grew up eating and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across this recipe and realized I could still eat it on my new menu plan!  With a few changes of course :) 

Click here for link to the original recipe!

Here is what you need:

 

1 sm head of green cabbage

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can of whole tomatoes *crushed by hand (no salt added)

1 can of tomato juice *Or just puree fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes (no salt added)

Paprika (to taste)

Dried thyme (to taste)

Dried basil (to taste)

Cracked black pepper (to taste)

1 lg onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Using a mandolin or by hand, slice all of the cabbage up and sauté in a frying pan until ¾ way cooked and some pieces have begun to brown.  (It is easiest to use a pair of tongs to move the cabbage around in the pan until cooked).

Once all of your cabbage is cooked you can move on to onions, garlic, and your ground beef!

Put the cabbage into a big mixing bowl and set aside for the moment.  In the same pan you cooked the cabbage in, you can begin by sautéing the onions and when they become translucent, add the garlic.  Add your ground beef to the onions and garlic and begin breaking it up into small pieces as it browns.  Cook thoroughly.  Add your paprika and dried spices.  You can taste the cooked ground beef at this time to see if you want more spices.

Now it is time for tomatoes!

After you have crushed the whole tomatoes in your hands, (you CAN use diced tomatoes but I prefer whole tomatoes crushed by hand because 1. It makes me feel strong “crushing” them and 2. I like the chunkier pieces of tomato when eating it!), add them to the beef mixture, as well as the tomato puree or juice, and bring to a boil.  Allow the mixture to thicken slightly.

Now you have everything ready, it is time to put it together!

Take your casserole dish and put down half of the cooked cabbage and then half of the beef mixture.  Repeat.  I chose to use my casserole dish lid rather than foil as my dish was quite full! 

Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes!  I recommend putting the casserole dish on a cookie sheet so it can catch anything that spills over.  Easier to clean up!

If you are topping your casserole with cheese, you would remove your lid at this time and continue cooking until the cheese was all melted and starting to brown!

Enjoy :)

 

This recipe was a big hit in my house; everyone liked it even though there was no salt, rice, or cheese.  I hope you give it a try!  It is flavourful and filling :)

Please note:  The website with the original wesbite has Weight Watchers Points info for THEIR version, I do not know what MY verison would look like in terms of WW Points, sorry!!