Grains tend to be tough on our digestive systems and can inhibit the proper absorption of nutrients. And oats aren't an exception. I could write a whole post on the topic, but others have already done so and I will let you research that yourself. Today we're talking about pancakes. ;-)I wanted to experiment to see if I could find a grain free, gluten free solution and save our banana pancakes. The thing I loved about our banana oat pancakes was how SIMPLE they were and I wanted to keep that simplicity
So, I had to find was a replacement for the oats, without having to get into having specialty flours, because we really don't have any of those on hand. We do have quinoa though. And I figured that could probably work. So, when it came time to make breakfast this morning I pulled my already cooked quinoa out of the fridge and started to experiment.
And this is what I came up with:
Banana Quinoa Pancakes (*UPDATED 11/01/12*)
Yields: Approx. 20 4" pancakes
4 bananas
5 eggs
2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat griddle to medium-low heat (I set my griddle to 250°). Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until mixed thoroughly. Pour batter onto preheated, greased griddle. Cook until golden brown on each side. Serve with your favorite topping.
Notes:
- The key to these pancakes is cooking them with the proper heat. They are a more wetter pancake and come out best if allowed to cook slowly on lower heat.
- These pancakes cook best if you use day old quinoa or freshly made quinoa that has had a chance to sit and dry out a bit.
- In order to keep things quick and simple, I like to precook quinoa and freeze 1 cup portions. Then I just pull out the quinoa the night before so it's thawed and ready to go the next day.
- We like topping with coconut oil, peanut butter and a light drizzling of pure maple syrup. Other ideas are fruits, nuts, jams, etc.
