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Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Posted on February 19, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Good morning loves!

So, it seems after taking January off, I seem to be on some sort of pancake making spree! Just when I think I’ve run out of flavor combinations or ingredients to stuff inside, I dream up something new!

Now, I’ll go ahead and tell you that without even looking, I KNOW I’m not the first person to come up with the idea of cinnamon roll pancakes…or even PUMPKIN cinnamon roll pancakes, buuuuuuuut here is my series of thoughts whenever I see those recipes and their drool-worthy pictures with perfect cinnamon swirlies and the creamy white icing that looks so good I want to lick my computer screen:

“Oh wow, that looks ahhhhhhmazing…”

“Wonder what’s in it…”

“Hmm, butter, butter, sugar, more sugar, and oh look…MORE sugar”

*insert sad face*

So I just thought I’d try whipping up a recipe that still has all the same wonderful flavors but with less of the butter and sugar…you know, because I want to enjoy a plate of pancakes without going into a diabetic coma 😉

So this is what I came up with:

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 2)

For Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg

For Cinnamon Swirl

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon water to thin if necessary

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet or electric griddle to medium heat and coat with butter or cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, leavening ingredients, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Pour 1 cup of milk into a measuring cup, add apple cider vinegar and set aside for 1-2 minutes. This is your “buttermilk”

4. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, egg, butter, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Whisk until smooth.

5. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

6. Combine melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and water if needed to make the cinnamon swirl sauce.

7. Scoop batter into/onto skillet/griddle by 1/3 cup, swirl with cinnamon sauce and allow to cook 4-5 minutes or until edges start to brown.

8. Flip and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes more or until done.

9. Transfer to plate and top with cashew cream “icing” (recipe to follow) and sprinkle with more cinnamon.

And don’t even try to tell me it’s not pumpkin season…my pantry filled with 12 more cans of the stuff begs to differ!

I need a bit more practice in my cinnamon “swirling”…guess I’ll just have to make these again sometime soon.

Oh darn! 😉

Flipped and plated and waiting for their icing bath!

Oh yeah, THERE it is!

I know, I know…I’m totally wishing I could be that pancake right now too!

The cakes came out so moi….um, yeah…you know what I mean and the cinnamon swirl added just the right amount of sweetness…I totally could have eaten them plain, but once I got a taste of this icing, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that they were getting ~~smothered~~ drizzled with some!

Cashew Cream “Icing”

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 3-4 hours (for soaking cashews

Cook Time: N/A

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1/3 cup soaked cashews (allow to soak in water for 3-4 hours or overnight)
1/3 cup milk of choice
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor or Magic Bullet and blend until smooth and creamy.

Now you guys know I stand firm on my belief that you should go with the “real” stuff when it comes to syrup (the fake sugars will only leave your body wanting more), but I accidentally picked up this “table syrup” the other day instead but didn’t notice until I cracked it open this morning…

Turns out, it’s made from brown rice syrup, it’s pretty flippin’ tasty, AND has about 22-23 grams less sugar!

I hope you are all having a great weekend! Now that BB has done finished all the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and waited patiently for me to get this post up (how lucky am I?), it’s time to get ready and head to his family’s house for his niece’s birthday celebration!

What are you guys up to today?

What seasonal flavor can you just not give up lately?

Posted in Breakfast, Pancake Sunday, Recipe | Tagged cinnamon, pancakes, pumpkin, whole wheat pastry flour | 12 Comments

Friday Funnies and Breakfast Pizza

Posted on February 17, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Tee-Gee-I-Effff!

Anyone else feel like it took two weeks for Friday to finally get here? It’s just been one of those weeks for me (probably because I was working late AND have been battling this sinus funk that seems to be going around)…needless to say, I could use a little lighthearted humor to start my weekend off right!

That last one killed me!

Hope you guys enjoyed those…now how about that breakfast pizza, huh?

For the last few weeks, thanks to the drop in the temperatures around here (really Mother Nature…make up your friggin mind already), I have practically LIVED off of oatmeal. Not that that is a problem, but this week, having a bit more time for breakfast, I decided to change things up a bit.

Who around here likes omelets?

Ok, now who likes actually MAKING omelets?

You know, you crack the eggs, let them spread and coat the skillet, fill them with delicious goodies, pause to admire how beautiful the colors are, and then slap yourself on the forehead after you “try” to flip it and are left with some sort of egg-tastrophe that nowhere near resembles the picture you had in your head…

Plus there’s the time, the precision…omg, who has that kind of time?!

My solution: Don’t flip!

AND…while your at it…why not get really wild and turn it into a pizza!

Yeah, I know…I’m brilliant 😉

Egg White Breakfast “Pizza”

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Keywords: breakfast liquid egg whites whole wheat tortilla cream cheese

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
8 oz liquid egg whites
1/8 cup onions, diced
1/8 cup bell pepper, diced
1 handful fresh spinach
1 whole wheat tortilla
2 tablespoons low fat cream cheese
Salt & Pepper and other desired spices

Instructions

1. Saute onions and bell pepper over high heat in 1/4 tablespoon olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add spinach, cover, and allow to cook 2-3 minutes longer, or until spinach is wilted.
3. Remove veggies from pan.
4. Coat skillet with 1/4 tablespoon olive oil (or cooking spray) and reduce temperature to medium heat.
5. Return veggies to skillet, spread evenly across skillet.
6. Pour in egg whites, cover, and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes or until egg starts to set and the edges start to turn brown and pull away from the sides of the skillet.
7. While you wait, pop your tortilla under the broiler and toast just until it starts to get crispy. Once done, allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then spread with cream cheese.
8. Uncover skillet and allow to cook 2-3 minutes until egg is set and no liquid remains on top.
9. Using a large spatula, transfer the egg white “pizza” to your toasted tortilla that has been spread with cream cheese.
10. Garnish as desired and slice with a pizza cutter.

I was a little curious about the stats so I plugged it into a calorie counting website and was pretty impressed with what came out:

33 grams of protein?! Heck yeah!

Now the recipe/nutritional facts is for the original version that I first started with. Since then, I’ve made it two other times (and can see it appearing more in future breakfasts) and changed up the veggie “filling” and toppings…

Really guys, the sky’s the limit with this!

You don’t have to keep it traditional…

Switch out the greens…I used Swiss chard in this one…add some Mexican seasonings and top it with some salsa and cilantro for a little “Latin flair”…

Or why not use the oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes instead of olive oil, top with tomatoes, olives, and sprouts (just because you saw them in the fridge) and go Greek…would have been even better had I had a little feta cheese to go on top.

Open wide!

**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!**

Hold the presses!

This just happened for lunch:

Can I interest anyone in a slice of dessert “pizza”??

Close your eyes…well, after you read this next part….and think how amazing a bite of creamy melty peanut butter, spicy cinnamon, warm banana slices and toasted coconut tastes…

Now go make this!

Egg White Dessert “Pizza”

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: N/A

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Keywords: breakfast liquid egg whites whole wheat tortilla chocolate peanut butter

Ingredients (Serves 1)

8 oz liquid egg whites
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (or other nut butter of choice)
1 small banana
dash of cinnamon
chocolate chips and/or other desired toppings

Instructions

1. Heat a skillet to medium heat.
2. Coat with coconut oil and add liquid egg whites.
3. Cover and allow to cook 5-6 minutes or until almost set.
4. While the eggs are cooking, toast a whole wheat tortilla under the broiler in your oven. 5. Once done, spread with peanut butter and set aside. Do not turn off the broiler.
6. Uncover and sprinkle with cinnamon and allow to cook 2-3 minutes more or until egg is set and the edges start to brown and pull away from the pan.
7. With a large spatula, transfer your egg white “pizza” to the tortilla.
8. Top with banana, chocolate chips, coconut…whatever your heart desires and place back under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until chocolate chips are melted and/or the coconut flakes are toasty.
9. Slice with a pizza cutter.

Sweet eggs…think French toast…don’t knock it till you try it…you WON’T regret it!

What has been your “can’t get enough of” breakfast lately?

Any big plans for the weekend?
BB is finally back from being out of town and we both have this Monday off for the holiday so I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with him…plus, I just found out yesterday that there’s a new Greek restaurant in town and I’m dying to try it out!

Mmmm….gyros!! 🙂

Posted in Breakfast | Tagged eggs, humor, protein, recipe, veggies | 25 Comments

WIAW: Peanut Butter S’mores Oatmeal

Posted on February 15, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys!

Looks like I’m not the only one who got a little excited about the thought of Vegan Cheeseburger Dip! Let me know what you guys think of the recipe! Oh, and just FYI, after spending overnight in the fridge, the flavors seriously intensify!

Mmmm!

So, it’s that time of week again…

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

Now, since this month is considered the LOVE month to many I thought it was appropriate that Jenn (our lovely host over at Peas & Crayons) has dubbed this month “Love Your Veggies Month” and has asked us linker-uppers to show our love for the veg through out WIAW posts each week!

But before I show you pics of the grub for the day (which is ALWAYS highly clad in veg), I have to show you guys my fruit and vegetable-free breakfast!

Yeah, you heard me…not a single color of the rainbow found it’s way into my breakfast bowl the other day…but I’m sure once you hear me say the words

PEANUT BUTTER S’MORES OATMEAL…

Yeah, I thought you’d understand! 😉

Who says you have can’t have s’mores in the middle of winter?

Who says you can’t make s’mores in your kitchen?

Who says you can’t eat s’mores for breakfast?

Not me!

Peanut Butter S’mores Oatmeal

by Heather Powers

Prep Time: 3-5 minutes

Cook Time: 2-3 minutes

Keywords: breakfast oats chocolate marshmallows peanut flour

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup peanut flour
2 squares graham crackers, crushed
1 handful mini marshmallows
1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips
Maple syrup mixed with cocoa powder for chocolate drizzle

Instructions

1. Cook oats, water, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (if using) according to preferences, but allow it to stay a little soupy once it’s finished.

2. Transfer to an oven-safe bowl.

3. Stir in 1/4 cup peanut flour (or other protein powder of choice).

4. Top with marshmallows and chocolate chips and place under medium-high broil for about 1 minute or until marshmallows are browned.

5. For added chocolately goodness, stir up a little maple syrup spiked with cocoa powder and drizzle over the top of your bowl!

My glorious bowl of peanut-buttery s’more-sy (totally making that a word) goodness was enjoyed with a nice big mug coffee.

Let’s just say by the time breakfast was over, I had forgotten all about the 30 degree drop in temperatures we’ve been having lately.

A few hours later, I was off to the gym, but not before grabbing some perfectly juicy orange slices to eat on the way…

Am I the only one who gets a good zing from citrus fruit before a workout? I think it’s the perfect light pre-workout snack…just enough sugar to get you going and keep you energized for a good sweat sesh!

On my way home from the gym, with thoughts of the Boar’s Head turkey meat that I had picked just the day before, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted for lunch. I just needed ONE thing…

Yes, I needed an avocado half the size of my head! Can you believe it was only 20 cents more to get this thing over the teeny tiny ones??

Though I was practically drooling all over myself once I cracked this baby open (I’ve totally become obsessed with avocado lately), lunch came together in record time.

Spinach, sprouts, turkey, Godzilla-cado, and spicy mustard on toasted bread with a side of carrots.

Mmm, how’d you like to sink your teeth into THAT?

My afternoon snack was one of my favorites of the new Chobani flavors:

Eh, who am I kidding? I love ALL the new flavors! But this one just happened to match my Valentine’s Day themed manicure! 🙂

After about an hour of pinning everything from Chicken with Creamy Braised Leeks to Squash and Leek Lasagna (hmm, how’d you know I just bought leeks and had no idea how to use them??), I decided to just wing it and make a potato leek soup!

Into a pot went some leeks and potatoes, some seasoning, water, and ~~vegetable broth~~…
Oh wait, where the heck is the vegetable broth?!

Hmm, looks like I’ll just have to crack open a bottle of wine to use instead…

Um…yeah, about that glass…pure quality assurance testing…I swear! 😉

And just to prove that one can drink wine AND operate an emulsion blender:

Topped with sundried tomatoes and fresh parsley.

I thought it came out rather well for some one who had never even touched a leek before the other day, but I feel like I need to do a bit more ~~quality assurance~~ recipe testing before it’s blog ready. So, to be continued…

But wait, don’t let me fool you…dinner was not to it’s completion at this point.

Foodie must not live by soup alone!

She must have spinach, and carrots, and avocado, and heck, why not a perfectly grilled paprika-spiced chicken breast?

Now THAT’S what I call dinner!

I couldn’t help but get the biggest smile on my face when Susan saw this on Instagram and thought it was from a restaurant! Who says you can’t keep it classy when dining solo?

And this is what I’ve been calling dessert for the past 3 nights: