Hi friends. I hope you’re having a fabulous Sunday, but by now it might be Monday or happy hour Friday. If so, plan to make this on the weekend, because it’s a real treat. Ricotta cheese makes pancakes and cookies fluffier if you remember these Italian ricotta cookies.

I’m happy to bring you gluten free eating with these scrumptious, fluffy, high protein, gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes. I’ve topped them with a stevia sweetened blueberry compote, which packs in sweetness and health.

A few months ago I posted these lemon ricotta pancakes on instagram, claiming they were the best ever. I promised to try to make them. I decided to do a healthier version, by using stevia and my favorite gluten free flour.

Mr. Spinach Tiger did not know these were gluten free and sugar free (stevia), and he said,

“these are the best pancakes you ever made”

No syrup needed! No sugar necessary. No guilt. No Gluten.

I never fell for the non-fat fad that fattened up our population. I still don’t fall for the “gluten is the devil” fad either. It does depend on health issues, and it’s a complicated topic, but I know many of you live gluten free, and you deserve good choices.

Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Gluten free flour is not exactly a health food, but it can be the option to enjoy the foods you might otherwise miss. I’ve tested a few and I like the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 all purpose gluten free flour. I do not like their gluten free that has beans in it. There are also many good gluten free flours on line, but I like to work with flours that you can easily purchase at your closest grocery store.

I particularly like this recipe because the ricotta cheese and eggs packs them with protein. Blueberries are a super food, packed with antioxidants and are high in fiber.

The compote and pancakes are made with swerve and are sugar free. These were so good, no extra syrup was necessary. Swerve tastes the most similar to sugar. It’s gluten free, non-gmo and has nothing artificial.

The original restaurant version had a dollop of mascarpone so feel free to add more of what you like to these delicious gluten free lemon ricotta pancakes.

If you eat gluten free due to health issues, such as intolerance or Hashimoto’s (you can read my story here), I’d love to hear more from you in the comments. Let me know what kind of gluten free recipes you are looking for.

I have all my recipes on Pinterest, and I’ve created a gluten free board you might love.

World’s Best Gluten Free Southern Fluffy Biscuits

Gluten Free Strawberry Scones

Gluten Free Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

More Gluten Free Baking from Spinach Tiger

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Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Blueberry Compote

Gluten free sugar free lemon ricotta pancakes fluffy and high protein with a stevia sweetened blueberry compote

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

lemon ricotta pancakes

• 1 1/3 cups gluten free all purpose flour 1 to 1 Baking Bob's Red Mill
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon Swerve Granulated
• 2 eggs separated
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil. can use butter, or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided
• juice and zest of one lemon

Blueberry Compote

• 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoons Swerve Granulated
• 1/4 cup water
• juice of half lemon
• 1 tablespoon instant tapioca optional

Instructions

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, stevia, lemon zest. Set aside.
• Whip egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
• Mix milk with lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks, 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, vanilla.. (save one tablespoon for cooking)
• Add in ricotta cheese.
• Add in flour mixture.
• Add in whipped egg whites, gently.
• Don't worry about lumps. They will smooth out during cooking.
• Melt a small amount of coconut oil on griddle or non stick pan. Use medium low heat.
• Drop pancakes in 1/4 cup amounts. Once tops begin to bubble, turn over until golden brown on both sides.

Blueberry Compote

• Bring blueberries, swerve or stevia water, lemon juice, tapioca to boil. Reduce to simmer until thickened.

Notes

Oil Used: I use refined extra virgin coconut oil that has no coconut taste, which I find can hinder food flavors. You can use either type of coconut oil, butter or olive oil. A lemon olive oil would be wonderful in this recipe.

Flour used: I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking All purpose flour.

The post Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Blueberry Compote appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

These healthy, honey banana spelt pancakes are simply delicious because spelt flour is nutty and flavorful. While it is an alternative flour, and has fragile gluten, which may be okay for people with gluten sensitivity, but it does have gluten.

Another Retro Rose Moment:

Retro Rose: I’m eating gluten free now.
Me: Great, but didn’t you just eat toast.
Retro Rose: Yes, but I’m having gluten free crackers for lunch. Look see the box.
Me: Okay, but the toast had gluten.
Retro Rose: Just a little bit.
Me: No wonder the chiropractor asked me if I was dropped on my head.

My chiropractor saw this post and laughed out loud.  It’s true that she did ask me if I was dropped on my head or in a car accident, which is a whole different topic. But, I can see how the gluten-free craze could make a person bang their head into the closest wall. There is confusion about who truly needs to eat 100% gluten free, (over two million Americans) what contains gluten, and what food products are to be avoided because they are made in a factory that also makes gluten products, (like oatmeal), etc.

People with celiac disease cannot tolerate wheat, barley or rye. These same people tend to educate themselves thoroughly on what they can and can’t eat, because a product as simple as ketchup can contain gluten.

However, many people today put themselves on gluten free diets when gluten is not their enemy. This is where spelt flour comes in. It has fragile gluten and often times folks who cannot tolerate wheat, can tolerate spelt.

This is individual, and it’s important to note that folks with celiac disease still cannot eat spelt, but many folks with an intolerance to wheat can. Are you ready to bang your head? It is confusing, frustrating, complicated because we live in a wheat dominant food culture, where the wheat has been engineered to be softer, contain more gluten, and often pesticides, and not all that conducive to the human digestive system. Much of it is not nutritionally sound.

Spelt is an ancient grain.

This brings me back to spelt. Spelt is an ancient grain, with a hard husk that protects it from bugs and the need for pesticides. Even if a person isn’t wheat sensitive, spelt is a healthy choice to consider, as it is higher in protein, easier to digest, higher in fiber and has many other benefits that make it a better choice than wheat.

Unlike wheat, in which the gluten gets stronger as you mix it, the gluten in spelt gets weaker. It takes a little practice to cook and bake with, because typically our frame of reference comes from working with wheat. It’s naturally darker (unlike bleached white wheat) and naturally nuttier.

These were made on a whim. These were actually the inspiration for my recent strawberry pancakes, but these have a completely different texture pulled together by the banana and honey. They are the perfect foundation for an addition of walnuts or pecans if you want to play around.

If you want to see the cutest chihuahua in the world (and my new kitties) and lots of pics that don’t make it here, please connect with me on instagram.   I often post video “stories” of the cooking process. That way I get to meet you too!

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Healthy Honey Banana Spelt Pancakes

Honey banana spelt pancakes, a healthy non-fat aalternative for a luxurious breakfast.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or cooking oil see notes
• 2 eggs
• 1 banana mashed
• 1-2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Set aside.
• Mix together mashed banana, butter, eggs honey, vanilla in another bowl.
• Add in milk or butter milk and mix with flour mixture.
• Heat a cast iron griddle to low. The lower the better. Just rub your pan with some oil. You might be tempted to turn the griddle higher, but the pancakes will burn. Using a paper towel rub oil on griddle. Using too much oil will cause uneven cooking. When pancakes begin to bubble, turn over, using your thinnest spatula. I use my cookie spatula.
• Apply oil with paper towel between each batch.

Notes

This recipe was recently changed, adding in two eggs and three tablespoons melted butter, taking out applesauce.
If you want a low-fat pancake, sub 1/4 cup applesauce for butter.

The post Healthy Honey Banana Spelt Pancakes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Bacon apple pancakes was the least thing I was thinking about earlier in the week. Then suddenly two snow days and 3 more sick days later, I found myself wanting to make a special breakfast for two little boys.

Bacon Apple Pancakes

This is where bacon apple pancakes comes in. I was perusing  Chit Chat Chomp, my secret recipe club assignment and I was  drawn to the  which I turned into bacon apple pancakes, putting my little bit of the South twist on them.

Leigh who lives in Melbourne writes a very intriguing blog, full of french inspired recipes that were most certainly appealing such as Navarin Pritanier or lemon and lavender chicken. And, there’s lots of simple, elegant desserts such as Raspberry Coconut Cake, which I also chose to make for tonight’s dinner and it’s fabulous .This raspberry coconut cake disappeared within an hour.

Her photos are beautiful and there is an understated beauty and elegance to Chit Chat Chomp. I would love to sit and have some tea and cake with her. I think we would hit it off and I’ve said it a million times, there’s something about Australians that I embrace, especially their love for good food.

Use crispy bacon. As much or as little as you like.

The original recipe was for apple pancakes. I added bacon because I just happened to have some really good apple smoked bacon on hand. Either way you eat the apple pancakes, they are tasty. My twist to her recipe was to saute the apples in the bacon grease before adding them to the pancakes.

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Bacon Apple Pancakes

Bacon and apple pancakes make a perfect breakfast. Adapted from Chit Chat Chomp

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 125 gram flour about 1 cup
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 apple coarsely chopped
• 3 pieces bacon crisply cooked

Instructions

• Cook bacon crispy. Remove and drain.
• Chop apples and saute in hot bacon grease. Remove. Drain.
• Mix flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl, then add the egg, milk and apple and crumbled bacon.
• Heat a cast iron griddle to medium heat. Rub coconut oil with paper towel. There should not be any extra fat in pan or pancakes won't cook properly or evenly.
• Place heaped tablespoonfuls of the batter onto a lightly greased fry pan over medium heat and cook for approximately 2 minutes each side. Turn when you see the pancake bubble.
• Serve with maple syrup and yogurt or sour cream.
• This made 12 medium sized pancakes, enough for 4 servings.

The post Bacon Apple Pancakes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

My inspiration for healthy spelt and flax pancakes with cinnamon and orange zest comes from my favorite french dessert, Crepes Suzette, only this is a little healthier.

Orange zest is powerful and pleasurable and a little goes a long way in waking up a recipe, especially when paired with vanilla or cinnamon. Sometimes just to have a nice smell in the kitchen, I’ll boil water and add in orange slices, vanilla and a cinnamon stick and then let it simmer on the stove.

Spelt and Flax Pancakes are so healthy and fluffy.

This is a little different than the banana honey spelt pancake  and or the strawberry spelt pancake.  Those pancakes used apple sauce instead of fat and cook differently. These spelt and flax pancakes  makes a fluffier pancake, but not dense or heavy.

I used milled flax seeds (which are ground up flax seeds) which is a fiber and nutrition booster. Everyone knows by now flax seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, but there are many benefits.  I use them in smoothies, and yogurt.

The batter is thick and may seem odd for pancakes, and it almost seems like they aren’t going to cook. Cooking pancakes is always tricky for most people.  I used a cast iron griddle with hardly any fat. I used a paper towel to glisten oil in the seasoned pan and that’s it. I was patient. These pancakes don’t bubble up the way thinner battered pancakes do, but take a look at the edges to see when they are ready to turn. I started with a medium high heat, but quickly turned to a low heat because cast iron retains heat so well.

The flavors are amazing, as you smell  and taste the orange and cinnamon gathered in a fluffy textured pancake. We used plain maple syrup and an added dash of orange zest. I made two batches right in a row and every single pancake disappeared before lunch.  I have a feeling that these are going to be my most requested pancake in the future.

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Healthy Spelt and Flax Pancakes with Cinnamon, Vanilla and Orange Zest

Spelt and Flax come together with awesome orange cinnamon flavor for a healthy pancake. Adapted from the recipe from brand, Flax USA.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup organic milled flax seed
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons sugar I used sucanat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut oil or avocado oil

Instructions

• Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Mix in orange zest.
• Mix egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla in another bowl.
• Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. Mix. Batter will be thick.
• Heat a griddle or seasoned cast iron pan on medium heat. Use a paper towel to wipe on some oil. There should be no oil puddling.
• Cook pancakes, turning the heat down. Turn when edges appear cooked. You might have to do a practice pancake to see how your stove and pan work with this batter.
• Serve with additional orange zest and maple syrup.

The post Spelt Flax Pancakes with Cinnamon, Vanilla Orange Zest appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

What Exactly is an Apple Dutch Baby, or Pennsylvania Dutch Pancake?

The “Dutch” is really German (think Pennsylvania Dutch), the “baby” comes from it’s original form as it was served small and made in metal pans. Not originally served with fruit, but with a squeeze of lemon and powdered sugar, it was more like a pancake.

Now it is made in a larger size and often with apples, but it would be good with other fruit, such as peaches, pears or berries. It’s a cross between a popover and a pancake, but the eggs render an ample custard center, which is very reminiscent to the custard based desserts I experienced in Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine.

There is a Gluten Free Option. If you are interested in a gluten free option, check out the recipe for the cherry dutch baby below. 

Using only two apples, and a few basic ingredients, the results are stunning. A layer of crispy gooey cake, a custard center,  topped with fried apples. Unlike pancakes, waffles or french toast, this is not a dish that takes practice to get right. It’s just that easy, and it’s good (almost addicting) at room temperature, can be refrigerated and reheated and even served in small slices warmed up as a dessert with vanilla ice cream.

Tell me what’s your favorite sweet brunch or breakfast dish? Have you eaten an apple dutch baby before?

Cherry Dutch Baby (Gluten Free)

If you like this, you may also like this Pear Almond Clafoutis.

More Pennsylvania Dutch Recipes

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Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby

A dutch pancake with custard filling, started on top of stove and finished in oven. Easy, delicious.

Cuisine Breakfast

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 large gala apples
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450. Peel, core and thinly slice apples. Melt butter in 10 inch frying pan (that can be transferred into oven). Cast iron is optimal. Add in cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar. Once melted, add in apples and cook until apples are softened, about five minutes. Place pan in oven while making batter.
• Mix eggs with flour until smooth. Add in milk and vanilla.
• Pour batter over apple mixture.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Cut into wedges
• Note: If you don't have a frying pan that will go in oven, fry apples on top of stove and pour into a round cake pan, add batter and bake.

The post Apple Dutch Baby, A Pennsylvania Dutch Pancake appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

My intention today was to bring you a post that was Spinach Tiger fit, light and healthy. But then I had a better idea.

Remember back when you were a child and you were eating your mom’s food. If you were lucky like me, your mother was a good cook, who cooked from scratch the old fashioned way with whole, fresh food in abundance. This is the kind of food that is not really fattening in and of itself because it doesn’t come in a box or a bag with a zillion preservatives, mystery chemicals and hidden sugar calories. The only reason it could be fattening is that it’s so good, you go back for two or three helpings. Back in those days, the food was real, delicious and served on a plate at a table without cell phones. People were not so fat.

I thought I would serve you up some of those good old fashioned comfort foods today. I stand by my philosophy that if you make this food the right way, one serving will be enough to feel happy and satisfied. And, if you must go back for seconds, just take a run around the block.

I make the above banana pancakes frequently adding a warmed nutella topping. This is the kind of Sunday morning breakfast kids will remember all their life and I discovered the recipe at Sophisticated Gourmet linked below.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there who have poured their heart and soul and good nutrition into their children. It’s funny because many of the bloggers below are not yet moms (some never will be because they are guys), but I think you see that someone wonderful influenced them in the kitchen.

Tell me, what dish do you most remember your mother for?

Banana Pancakes from the Sophisticated Gourmet
Hot Mustard Grilled Cheese from Sippity Sup
Shepherd’s Pie from the Left Over Queen
Chicken Pot Pie from Not Quite Nigella
Chocolate Cupcakes from Canelle et Vanille
Cinnamon Buns from Sabra at Spoonful
Sloppy Joe’s from the Duo Dishes
Eggplant Parmesan from The Italian Dish
Chicken and Dumplings from Macheesmo
Civil War Macaroni and Cheese from Simply Recipes
Banana Pudding from The Brown Eyed Baker
Spaghetti and Meatballs from Spinach Tiger
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes from My Baking Addiction
Peanut Butter and Jelly Panini from Panini Happy
Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles from For the Love of Cooking
Deviled Eggs from Pinch My Salt
Pain Perdu (Real French Toast) from No Recipes
Whole Soft Cooked Eggs from La Tartine Gourmand
Cooking Between Mother and Daughter from La Tartine Gourmand
Cream of Tomato Soup from Whisk: A Food Blog
Meatball Lasagna, from me, Spinach Tiger
My Mom’s Twice Baked Potatoes from Sippity Sup
Perfect Pot Roast from The Pioneer Woman
Deep Dish Apple Pie from Souvlaki for the Soul

The post Banana Pancakes and Other Foods that Mothers Make appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Are you like me, a city girl who thought cast iron cooking was “old fashioned” only for certain southern dishes, just not done any more now that we have our super duper all clad or YUCK teflon pans. Do you think cast iron pans are grandmother cookware that only works with a wood burning stove, or are just rusty, old, heavy pans that belong in yard sales?

I am here to make a confession. This was my thinking and when got married I wanted to slim down the “stuff” we were putting into one household. I made my husband get rid of his cast iron. I will never live it down, because I now am the owner of six cast iron pans that I use all the time. All were inherited or given to us second hand except for one Lodge cast iron frying pan I purchased new on sale for $15. This doesn’t include our two enameled cast iron dutch ovens. These are now a happy family.

Over the next few months, I am here to make restitution to cast iron, by delivering to you a series called cast iron cooking. If my husband would have known how to take one of those pans and cook some pancakes or seared scallops, or an oven baked steak or roast chicken, I would have changed my mind. I’ve asked why he didn’t defend the pans that he cherished, and he said, “I didn’t know enough myself. I knew they were supposed to be good, but I didn’t know why.” He wanted to keep them for sentimental reasons, remembering that his grandmothers used this type of cookware, but they cooked on wood burning stoves in the hills of Tennessee, and this alone elicits some mysterious knowledge of cooking that is foreign to us today.

So because he figured I would not ever embrace the cooking of “yesterday,” he got rid of the pans, except for one griddle. He hid it, just not able to part with it. He brought it out when we wanted to make pizza in a 500 degree oven, and then we realized we both had misjudged cast iron, and we had a lot to learn.

If this is you, and your about to get rid of your grandmother’s cast iron, or you think you need to spend a thousand dollars to have the “right” pots and pans as a verified foodie or food blogger or passionate home cook, maybe I can help to change your mind.

I will share with you what to purchase, although in truth, you will find people who will just hand you their cast iron. That’s how I got mine. They don’t want it for the same reasons I didn’t. I’ll show you how to clean it up, share with you my methods for storing, seasoning and cooking.

These blueberry pancakes were cooked on a cast iron griddle that only a few weeks ago was given to me by a neighbor. A few swipes with course steel wool, and a oven-oiled seasoning and it was good enough to join it’s family.

Purple Food: Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes – A Throw Down Between the Fresh and Frozen
I was swept away with the blueberry pancakes on a recent throw down, as Bobby Flay challenged Clinton Street Bakery. A few things I was able to gather from watching the episode was to separate the eggs, and fold in the egg white peaks at the end and to use plenty of blueberries. Bobby’s recipe is available through the food network, but once he added lemon and ricotta cheese, he lost me.

I think Bobby Flay is an amazing savory cook, but when he gets himself involved in sweet throw downs, he often goes way overboard with too many ingredients, but i understand he is trying to win and he has to be different. He’s Bobby Flay. But the pancakes I drooled over were from Clinton Street Baking Company, so out I set to make my own.

This fits into my serious on purple food, and blueberries are one of the big super foods.

The Process
One thing they both discussed was not turning the batter blue. I started with Wild Maine frozen Blueberries, and I ended up with a blue batter. Now this does not bother me at all, nor did it bother my judges. But, I tried again with fresh blueberries, repeating everything exactly the same, and my batter stayed it’s beautiful “batter yellow” color. l

Egg whites separately beaten and folded in to fluff up the pancakes, and buttermilk, my favorite addition to cakes and pancakes. The egg whites will form a very thick batter that you will scoop onto the pan, not pour. Give the pancakes plenty of time to cook through.

You can see some differences between using frozen and using fresh blueberries. Even if you add the frozen (thawed) blueberries to the batter after you put pancake in pan, it still tends to turn the batter blue.

The pancakes on the left are made with frozen; the pancakes on the right with fresh blueberries.

This batter will be thick because of the folded egg whites.


Fresh blueberries or frozen, you will love these fluffy pancakes. The addition of walnuts turns these pancakes into a double super food breakfast.

Recipe  for Blueberry Walnut Buttermilk Pancakes(Adapted from the Food Network, Inspired by the Food Network Throw Down)
Ingredients

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour or all-purpose
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, plus some for frying
• 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
• 2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
• canola oil for the griddle

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients together in on bowl. Add buttermilk, vanilla, melted butter. Mix thoroughly.
2. Whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold in gently. Add blueberries.
3. Spoon onto a medium heated griddle. Once pancakes start bubbling, turn over.

The post Cast Iron Cooking: Blueberry Walnut Buttermilk Pancakes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.