Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Well fall has finally arrived and the days have gotten noticeably cooler. As much as I love autumn it's still sad to say goodbye to summer. It's hard to believe that it is over.  *Le sigh*

On the other hand I kind of like the cooler temperatures for sleeping. It wasn't the best year in my garden for tomatoes; they had a slow start and took a long time ripening. The plants have finally fallen from the frost we had a few nights ago. Peppers were fantastic, even though they didn't grow very big.

It's that time of year again. Time to open my first can of pure pumpkin.... today we're talking about pancakes.

There are some recipes that you always come back to, and these pumpkin spice pancakes are one of them.

Pancakes don't happen nearly as often as I'd like in our house, but when they do it's magical. After-all, breakfast is my favourite meal of the day.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes serves 2-3 (6 pancakes)

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I used pure canned)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or melted butter)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup 2% milk

Directions:

1.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg, oil, maple syrup, and milk until very well blended.
3. With a rubber spatula, fold wet mixture into dry mixture. Add a touch more milk if the batter is too thick to pour.
4. Heat a skillet (or griddle) over medium heat. When skillet is hot, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan.
5. Cook 3 minutes until bubbles begin to form, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
6. Serve with maple syrup and cinnamon, or your favourite toppings. Maybe even a smear of maple cinnamon almond butter.

Teff Porridge

Good Thursday morning to you!

Guess what?

The blog is one year old this week! That's right. One year ago today Edible Sound Bites went live. Its hard to believe that one year has already past by. I'd like to think that I've begun to find my own voice and my photography has improved (there's only so much you can do with a point-and-shoot, but I make do for now). The blog is always evolving and has grown immensely thanks to all of my loyal readers and those who continue to follow me. You are what helps me to make these posts possible.

Now let's get to the food.   

Its almost the weekend again. That means more time in the morning to make a dee-licious breakfast.

Following up with last weeks post on the gluten free grain Teff I've got a great breakfast recipe to share today.

Now I realize that not everyone is adventurous when it comes to new unfamiliar foods. Teff is no exception either. I mean even I wasn't too sure about it. Having said that, I have always wanted to give it a try ever since hearing about it from the eat clean diet and Tosca Reno. That was about two years ago. I've heard many great things about the grain. So I rolled up my sleeves and dove right in this week. It took me long enough!

The verdict?

It tastes pretty darn good! It really does have a sweet molasses flavour thing going on.

I think the key to making teff taste really good is adding flavour through spices. I choose to use ground cloves adding it to the grains while they cooked and I finished it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon.You know how I'm always trying to sneak cinnamon into everything. . . Or onto everything. The other thing I did to bring out the flavour was lightly toasting the seeds. Just until they become fragrant. I think it makes a differece.

You could also do something like pumpkin pie spice and add replace the dates in this recipe with a little canned pumpkin. That would be really nice too.

Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves work very well with Teff.

Teff Porridge with Dates & Maple Syrup gluten free, vegan, (serves 4)

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Ingredients: 

• 1 cup teff
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp coconut oil (optional)
• 1/4 chopped dates + extra for topping
• dried apricots for serving (optional)
• maple syrup for serving
• cinnamon for topping

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan with tall sides, add the teff and toast over medium heat. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant. The grains will start to pop although you may not see them you will hear them.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Add teff, cloves, and coconut oil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes stirring often to prevent the grains from sticking to the pot.
3. Stir in the dates, cover and continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the grains are tender.
4. Divide between 4 bowls and top with extra dates and dried apricots, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Nutrition for each serving: 284 calories, 7.3g protein, 3.4g total fat (2g sat, 0g trans fat), 0mg cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 59g carbohydrates, 6g fibre, 18g sugars

Hooray for another well balanced breakfast!

How willing are you to give strange foods that are unfamiliar to you a try? Tell me in the comments, are there any vegetables or foods you've ventured to try and now love?

I'll get the ball rolling. I was never one to like rhubard. My grandfather used to grow it, my parents love it, but I never could. Until I gave it another try a few years back and now its really grown on me. Its a good thing I've got some growing in my backyard.