Delightful Whole Grain Pumpkin Pancakes w/ Coconut Cream Syrup

Working on the recipe.  Chloe was bored waiting for me to finish my "work".

My first live cooking contest.

Today I went to Macy's in Orem, UT to compete for a $100 gift card and the opportunity to have my dish spotlighted at the UT county fair.  There were a lot of yummy entries.

The most important rule to follow was to incorporate at least 3 ingredients from "Made in Utah" products.  So here you go........let me introduce you to my

Delightful Whole Grain Pumpkin Pancakes w/ Coconut Cream Syrup

These easy to make pumpkin pancakes have a fun "puffed-up" appearance. With the pumpkin adding a hint of flavor and moistness, pumpkin adds just the right touch to make these pancakes a new family favorite.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Lehi Roller Mills ® Whole Grain Heart Healthy Hotcake Mix (you can use any pancake mix---I love Lehi Roller Mills Mix because it is 100% whole grain--you know me I love healthy grains!)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 egg
Nonstick cooking spray
Lawford’s Private Reserve ® Coconut Cream Fine Cream Syrup (This is a UT made product.  Also abolutely delicious with butter scotch syrup--see recipe below)

DIRECTIONS:
1. COMBINE pancake mix, spices, water, pumpkin and egg in medium bowl. Stir just until moistened. Batter may be lumpy.
2. SPRAY griddle or large skillet with nonstick spray. Heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle; cook until batter bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
3. HEAT Coconut Cream Syrup in microwave for 1 minute on medium heat.
Serve pancakes with butter and Coconut Cream syrup.

Estimated Times: Preparation - 5 minutes; Cooking - 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings, about 12 pancakes total.

**variation: Add ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to batter.

Butterscotch Syrup
1/2 cup real butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup whole cream

Heat butter in small pan, add sugar and syrup, stir over heat, until steaming and sugar is dissolved (but do not bring to a full boil). Simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes, without stirring. Remove from direct heat, stir in cream. Keep warm, but do not continue cooking. Sauce keeps well and is good on apple cake as well.
 

My brother Bryce came along to support me.  What a great Brother!

Even though I came in 5th I still had a great time!

I also received 2 tickets to KC and The Sunshine Band!

Whloe Wheat Zucchini Bread

Shhh don't let any non-wheat lovers know about this little secret....

My Zucchini Bread is made with Whole Wheat!

My dad's garden is absolutely amazing; cucumbers, tomatoes, apricots, summer squash, potatoes, beets, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, peaches, apples....the yummy list goes on.

One of my most favorite things to do with HUGE zucchini is make scrumptious bread out of it.

Ignore the fat content, add whole wheat and you feel like you are being SUPER healthy!  :)

P.S. I just had the most amazing zucchini cake this weekend so I think I will need to try to make that with whole wheat as well.  I will keep you posted!

Ingredients:

3 eggs (beaten)

1 cup canola oil

1 3/4 cup sugar (white or brown)

3 tsp vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini from garden*

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup ground flax seed (optional)

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Generously grease 2 medium Bread pans.

Get your kiddos to come and help you out!

Combine eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.  Beat until fluffy.

Stir in zucchini and dry ingredients; mix well---do not over mix however.

Bake in loaf pans at 350 for 50-60 minutes

toothpick should come out clean.

(makes 2 medium loaves or 1 large and one mini loaf)

Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes.  Remove and cool on rack.  Serve warm with butter.

Freeze and save for later...simply remove from freezer and allow to defrost during the night.

Toasted Pinenut & Feta Spinach Salad w/ Lemon Agave Vinaigrette served with grilled Tilapia Fillet

Oh so yummy and super healthy I tossed this flavorful salad today after church.

Serve with your favorite fish fillet "grilled" with your favorite seasoning.

If possible use organic ingredients to make it "toxin" free :)

(I've been watching way too many documentaries on healthy eating lately.)

Toasted Pine nut & FetaSpinach Salad

1 bunch spinach washed, dryed

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 Avocado, diced

Directions:  

In medium/large bowl

tear spinach to desired size

add all ingredients

toss with Lemon Agave Vinaigrette not more than 5 minutes before eating.

Place seasoned grilled fish fillet encima (on top)

Lemon Agave Vinaigrette  

(puts the yum in the yummy)

Juice from 2 lemons

1 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbls agave syrup

1 tsp white wine vinegar (rice vinegar)

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

place all ingredients into a plastic or glass seal proof container and shake it like crazy

Toss onto salad immediately before serving.

100% Whole Grain One Bowl Brownies

I am always trying to reduce white flour in recipes and add ground flax seed to all of my baking. Today I halved the recipe and baked it in a 8x8 pan. The brownies are a bit crumbly, but when eaten with a fork oh so decadent. This is my new Brownie recipe....completely revised and designed to make me feel like I am being super health conscious and thus enabling my great desire to eat sweets on a daily basis. Serve with ice cream if you have it on hand or a chilled cup of milk.

*after cut you can freeze in container, pull out and allow to defrost, or warm them up in the microwave, taste just as good as the day you made them!

P.S. One of Chloe's favorite activities with me is making brownies. We have made these twice in the past week and a half ;-)

Enjoy!

100% Whole Grain One Bowl Brownies

Ingredients

• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/3 cup ground flax seed
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/3 cup milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.
3. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, flaxseed and nuts.
4. Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over batter.
6. Bake for 35 minutes (do not overbake).

Homemade Pizza Crust

Thanks to our friend's kind invitation to dinner and the amazing Pizza spread Dan prepared I was inspired once again to try to make my own pizza.  Ever since Papa Johns started their $5.99/Large Monday night special, Homemade pizza has been an endangered recipe.  So one day when Chloe wanted pizza I called up Papa Johns and they told me it would be an hour before they could deliver.  I realized this was my chance to make homemade pizza.  Much to my disappointment no one ate my pizza with a smiling face (I had tried to make a healthy crust with whole wheat).  I ended up throwing most of it in the garbage.  :(  Then yesterday I was reading my sister-in-law's handy blog and was reminded by her  "Shout Out" about my pizza crust recipe that I had once been an excellent pizza maker and was excited to give it another try.   The funny thing is, I had completely forgotten about this recipe and now my family is once again eating my homemade pizza with a smile.  Thanks "M"!

PIZZA CRUST

1 cup warm water

1 Tbs dry-active yeast*

2 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs canola oil

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour

optional:  1/3 cup ground flax seed (I added it today and it does not compromise the flavor at all!)

In a medium size bowl pour water and add yeast allow to proof for 5 minutes.**

Add remaining ingredients.  

Mix until well blended.  

Knead dough for 3-5 minutes.  

Place dough in well oiled bowl and rise for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 F.

If using a baking stone place stone in oven while preheating.

Roll out dough to desired size.  

Makes:  1 X-Large pizza or 1 Medium and 1 small depending on desired crust thickness.

Place crust on baking stone then add the sauce, toppings and cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and browning a bit on top.

*--I also sometimes use quick yeast, and then half the raising time.

**-if using quick rise yeast, no need for proofing. Mix all the ingredients in at once.

Taco Soup

So my new favorite soup is Taco Soup.  What makes this fantastic is I use left overs from tacos (which usually there isn't much so I just make extra).

What you will need:
Crock pot set on low 6-8 hrs, high 4 hours.

Instructions:
Put all ingredients into crock pot.  Cook on desired setting.

Ingredients:
1/3 lb cooked ground turkey  (I cook up 2-3 lbs ground turkey at a time and freeze it in 1-2 cup portions)
1 or 2 cup(s) black beans (I cook up a full bag of black beans brazilian style and freeze them in 1-2 cup portions)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice (omit rice if you want low-carb)
1 10 oz can Rotelle tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chillies (mild)
1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2-3 cans of water
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing seasoning
1 cup frozen edamame (shelled)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 green bell pepper diced
1 small onion diced
4 Tbls fresh cilantro-chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

this makes 8-10 cups of soup so be prepared to eat soup all week or freeze some for later :)

Serve:
With shredded cheese and sour cream and minced fresh cilantro.
Very tasty with shredded cabbage and cheese on top as well.

I like to serve the soup with Whole Wheat Flax-seed cornbread.  (take your favorite cornbread recipe, substitute whole wheat flour for regular white flour (minus 1/4 cup), add 2 Tbls. ground flaxseed.

Chunky Chicken Veggie Soup (for all the crock pot happy people out there)

Finally I am posting my Chicken Veggie Soup recipe.  It is in the crock pot as I type and is filling our home with a savory, cozy winter day delight.

Okay now if you have already cooked up my Citrus Bathed Whole Chicken you are ready to get started.  If not, you can use canned chicken or left over chicken from a rotisserie chicken.

CHUNKY CHICKEN VEGGIE SOUP

(Crock Pot Version)

Serves:  8  Prep Time:  20 minutes  Cooking time:  between 3-8 hrs

Ingredients:  

Left over chicken broken up into bit size pieces (approximately 1 cup)

Left over veggies from roasted chicken (if you don't have them don't worry)

1 cup fozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen edamame (soy beans) shelled**

2 carrots peeled and diced (1/2 cup approx.)

1 small onion peeled and diced.

2 stalks celery diced

1 med potato peeled and diced (for a more "down to earth" flavor (no pun intended) keep peeling on)

1 med sweet potato peeled and diced

1 small zucchini diced

1 Tblspoon minced garlic

2 14 oz cans chicken stock

1/4 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like to add a little heat)  I DON'T LIKE SPICY SO I ADD a little  TO MY HUSBAND'S BEFORE HE EATS IT.

ground pepper

salt to taste

Directions:  

Place all items into the crock pot and cook according to the time desired.  Stir before serving.

Plug in your crock pot....High for 3 hrs,  Low for 6-8 hrs.

I make variations of this all the time.  Depending on what veggies I have at home.

Veggies that I don't change are:  celery, onion, potato, corn, and edamame

**I always add the edamame because it doesn't change the taste of the soup and adds a lot of protein.