whole wheat Archives - Page 4 of 4

Carrot Cake Pancakes

March 27, 2012 ·

Carrot Cake Pancakes taste like carrot cake or breakfast, only healthier and quick and easy to make!

Carrot Cake Pancakes | alidaskitchen.com #recipes #pancakes #carrotcake #healthy #easter #breakfast

After the first time I made these, all my little Adam could talk about for days were Carrot Cake Pancakes. He wanted them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I can’t blame him really. These pancakes taste like having carrot cake for breakfast (or lunch or dinner),…just a whole lot healthier!

These Carrot Cake Pancakes are made using whole wheat flour, buttermilk, and 2 full cups of shredded carrots. There is a touch of brown sugar to give a little sweetness. While these pancakes are delicious plain (Adam’s preferred way to eat them), I decided to dress them up a little a cream cheese drizzle. Either way is excellent. Pineapple, or whatever your favorite topping, would also be tasty. Enjoy this little taste of spring!

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups carrots, finely shredded (about 3 to 4 carrots)
¼ cup chopped walnuts or raisins (optional)
Cooking spray
2 ounces neufachtel cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 3 tablespoons skim milk (suggested amount; adjust to desired consistency)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla until combined.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and gently stir until blended. Fold in carrots (and nuts/raisins, if using). Let batter sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat large nonstick skillet or griddle to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
Pour batter onto griddle (2 tablespoons to ¼ cup, depending on desired size of pancakes). Flip pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked (about 2-3 minutes). Cook the other side until set (about 2 minutes). Serve warm with Cream Cheese Drizzle (optional).
Cream Cheese Drizzle: beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk until well-blended. Add milk by the tablespoonful, adjusting to desired consistency).

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Drizzle | alidaskitchen.com #recipes #healthy #carrotcake #breakfast #Easter

This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you check out Suzanne Goin’s springtime recipes at www.maketimeforchange.com, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs. Plus, you’ll be entered for a chance to win the new Frigidaire Range with SymmetryTM Double Ovens – featuring two large ovens (thatcan each fit up to a 28 pound turkey!), providing the flexibility to cook multiple dishes at the same time at different temperatures, so you can get more on the table at the same time.

Filed Under: breakfast, Favorites, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, brunch, buttermilk, carrots, easter, easy, holiday, pancakes, vegetable, whole wheat

Peanut Butter Pancakes

March 15, 2012 ·

As a lover of all things peanut butter and a frequent pancake maker, making Peanut Butter Pancakes was inevitable. I searched online for some inspiration, but did not quite find what I was looking for. Most recipes I found did not use natural peanut butter (some even discouraged it). Natural peanut butter is a must for me, so I decided just to wing it. The rest of the recipe just fell into place, and the result was just what I had in mind. These Peanut Butter Pancakes have the perfect amount of peanut butter flavor, with a little sweetness from brown sugar. Buttermilk contributes to the fluffy texture, and the whole wheat flour adds more nutrition. They are delicious plain, with a little syrup, or even jelly to make a PB&J pancake!

Peanut Butter Pancakes

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
1¼ cups low fat buttermilk
½ cup chunky natural peanut butter (see note)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
maple or chocolate syrup (optional, for serving)
chopped peanuts (optional, for serving)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt (if using). Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, peanut butter, oil, vanilla and eggs, until well-blended.
Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Preheat large nonstick skillet (or griddle) to medium (about 325 degrees).
Pour batter onto griddle (2 tablespoons to ¼ cup, depending on desired size of pancakes). Flip pancakes when top are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked (about 2-3 minutes). Cook the other side until set (about 2 minutes). Serve warm.

Notes

To soften natural peanut butter and make it easier to work with, just microwave it in the jar for about 30 seconds (adjust depending on how much is left in the jar).

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, brown sugar, brunch, buttermilk, easy, pancakes, peanut, peanut butter, whole wheat

Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce

February 28, 2012 ·

Since blueberries are not quite in season, I decided to put a twist on my Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and make Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes. I thought they deserved a suitable accompaniment. As luck would have it, Trader Joe’s had in stock their mega containers of blackberries. Score!

Since I was planning to top the pancakes with lightly-sweetened berries, I decided to reduce the sugar. Otherwise I stayed pretty true to the recipe. The sauce is very simple and can be made ahead, which is very nice.

Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes are a nice burst of lemony goodness. They are higher in protein, made with whole wheat flour, and delicious on their own. When topped with a lightly-sweetened blackberry sauce, they are extraordinary.

Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

Sauce:
16 ounces blackberries (fresh or frozen)
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pancakes:
15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
cooking spray
confectioners' sugar, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Sauce: In a medium sauce pan, bring blackberries, water and sugar to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Pour into a strainer (or colander with smaller holes) to drain excess water. Put drained blackberry mixture into a bowl and stir in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pancakes: In a medium bowl. whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract.
Fold in flour until just combined; add poppy seeds, gently mixing until combined.
Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-low heat. Add batter, using a scant ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve hot, with confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, if desired.

Pancakes adapted from my Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Pancakes;
Sauce adapted from Eating Well

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: blackberries, easy, lemon, pancakes, poppyseed, ricotta, topping, whole wheat

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

February 6, 2012 ·

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, I will be featuring a few chocolate recipes this week. Of course a little breakfast chocolate is the perfect way to start off any week. These muffins are more than just a little breakfast chocolate though. They are chocolate on chocolate. A chocolate muffin studded with chocolate chips topped with chocolate chips. What could be better? Well, they come in under 200 calories and are low fat – a true breakfast treat!

The original recipe uses red wine vinegar and water, which I thought was intriguing. Red wine vinegar in baked goods? I had to try it! I did, and it was good. BUT…I have since revised the recipe to replace the vinegar/water with buttermilk. Nothing compares to the flavor and texture that buttermilk gives to baked goods, and in these muffins that is no exception. I also replaced some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat in order to bump up the nutrition level a bit.

For a little variety, it is fun to change up the chips with different flavors (peanut butter chips anyone?) but I always find myself coming back to the mini chocolate chips. Mini chips give the illusion of more chocolate per bite since there are more bits throughout. A little more for less kind of thing.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and egg. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, gently folding until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with remaning 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, buttermilk, chocolate, easy, holiday, low fat, muffins, quick, snack, valentine's, whole wheat

Pumpkin Gingerbread

October 28, 2011 ·

Evidently it has unofficially become pumpkin week here at Alida’s Kitchen. I had something else planned for today, but it just seemed fitting to close the week with a new favorite and continue the pumpkin theme. It does not get more seasonally appropriate for fall/winter than pumpkin and gingerbread. This Pumpkin Gingerbread is no exception.

I have not done a lot of baking with crystallized ginger, so it was fun to try something new. It definitely enhanced the flavors in this gingerbread. The original recipe did not call for cloves, but I like my gingerbread a little spicy. I thought the cloves were perfect addition. I love that this is made with whole wheat flour and not a lot of sugar. Healthy, delicious and perfect for the season, this Pumpkin Gingerbread makes a delightful breakfast, brunch or even dessert.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Yields 16 servings

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup chopped crystalized ginger

2 eggs

1 egg white

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup molasses

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8″ square baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside
Combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir in crystalized ginger.
Whisk eggs, egg white, oil, molasses and pumpkin in a large bowl.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, folding gently until just combined.
Pour mixture in prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Serve topped with crystalized ginger, if desired.

Adapted from prevention.com

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, dessert, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: brown sugar, brunch, fall, pumpkin, whole wheat

Pumpkin Pancakes

October 26, 2011 ·

When Adam first started eating solid foods, I did a lot of online research and took out ever toddler cookbook from the library that I could find. I was determined to find good and nutritious to make for him. These pumpkin pancakes were one of the first finger foods that Adam would actually eat. A year later, he still loves his pumpkin pancakes. I like that this recipe uses whole wheat flour and no sugar, and he enjoys them plain. Mike and I also enjoy them plain, though we typically top ours with a little maple syrup and/or apple butter.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Yield will vary – I make about 32 pancakes

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups buttermilk (or whole milk)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoons vanilla
Cooking spray
maple syrup, apple butter (optional, for serving)

In a large bowl, stir and sift flours, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice.
In another bowl, beat eggs with pumpkin and vanilla. Add milk and oil and mix until smooth.
Fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat griddle to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
Drop pancake batter by the generous tablespoonful onto griddle. Cook until bubbles appear (about 2 minutes). Flip and cook until set (about 2 minutes). Repeat.

Note: These freeze really well. I store them in a plastic baggie in groups of 6, with each pancake separated by wax paper squares. I then put all of the plastic baggies in a freezer bag.

Adapted from Wholesome Toddler Food

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, pancakes, pumpkin, whole wheat

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

September 16, 2011 ·

One of my favorite things about birthdays is birthday cake. Especially making birthday cakes! The birthday person chooses a cake or simply gives me inspiration. Then I try to make the best cake I can. When it came time to choose my birthday cake, believe me, it was a tough decision. My head was still in zucchini-mode. I love pineapple, and I love cream cheese. So I was on zucchini, pineapple, and cream cheese mission. Seems easy enough, right?

I researched a few recipes until deciding on this one, and made a few changes, reflected below. The frosting is a nice balance of cinnamon and cream cheese and the perfect complement to the cupcakes. There are chunks of pineapple and hints of coconut and zucchini in the cake. They are healthy and come in under 200 calories. Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting made the perfect birthday treat!

* REMINDER: MAGAZINE GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT! GO HERE TO ENTER! *

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields 18 cupcakes

Cake:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini (squeeze out some of the moisture)
20 ounce can of pineapple tidbits or crushed in juice, drained (I used tidbits for chunkier pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 standard muffin cups with paper liners (fill the empty cups halfway with water).
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt (if using) and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add zucchini and pineapple and mix until combined.
Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients and gently fold until combined. (Note: Batter will be thick).
Divide batter evenly among 18 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting:

8 ounces Neufchâtel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes, as desired.

Note: If not serving immediately, cupcakes/frosting should be refrigerated. Otherwise, the frosting gets too soft. When serving after refrigeration, let cupcake sit out for 10-15 minutes at room temperature. (They are good straight from the fridge, however…if you can’t wait like me!) 🙂

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cupcake and 1/18 frosting)

Calories: 190 ~ Fat: 6g ~ Carbs: 33.6g ~ Fiber 2.9g ~ Protein: 3.2g

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes Tagged With: cake, cinnamon, coconut, cream cheese, cupcakes, frosting, muffins, pineapple, whole wheat, zucchini

Garden Pizza Puffs

July 25, 2011 ·

We eat a lot of muffins in this house. We also eat a lot of pizza. So when I stumbled upon a recipe for pizza made in a mini-muffin tin, it was like two worlds colliding into something brilliant!

Garden Pizza Puffs are cheesy, delicious and very easy to make. With only about 35 calories per puff, they are a fun and healthy option to satisfy your pizza cravings.

The original recipe is made with pepperoni, which would be pretty good. I thought it would be even better with made vegetables and herbs. The recipe written below reflects the vegetables that I used, though you can experiment with the same amounts of whatever meats and/or vegetables you like. I have also used whole wheat and all-purpose flours, and either one works great. The beauty of this recipe is the ability to customize everything to suit your preferences.

Served with a side of pizza sauce for dipping or with a dollop of sauce on each puff, these would make for a super cute appetizer at your next dinner party. Mike and I had 10 puffs each and called it dinner. These puffs would also be a tasty treat for kids.

Given the unlimited possibilities, I look forward to doing lots of experimenting with this recipe. In the meantime, we will just have to continue to test several variations of pizza puffs. Oh the sacrifices we make! 🙂

Garden Pizza Puffs

Yields: Yields 24 puffs (see note)

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup skim milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
pizza sauce, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Whisk in the milk and egg. Fold in the cheese, garlic, onion, roasted red pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper (if using). Let stand for 10 minutes.
Stir the batter and divide evenly among the mini-muffin cups (fill to about ½ to ⅔ full).
Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 mintutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan serve with pizza sauce.

Notes

Yields 12 puffs in a regular-sized muffin pan - adjust baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Adapted from Rachael Ray

Filed Under: appetizers, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, cheese, dinner, easy, pizza, quick, vegetable, whole wheat

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

July 20, 2011 ·

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins are a healthy muffin recipe made with buttermilk, brown sugar and topped with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips.

When I boldly declared Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins as my favorite muffin of all time, Mike was not surprised in the least. Not only do they have peanut butter, which I love, but they also have brown sugar and buttermilk, two of my favorite baking ingredients. Chocolate chips and chopped peanuts don’t hurt either. 🙂

Today I am sharing with you a muffin recipe that I thought was lost forever. Many years ago, I bought a bag of whole wheat flour, and featured on the back was a recipe for peanut butter muffins. I decided to give the recipe a try and was blown away. The muffins tasted just like a peanut butter sandwich only in muffin form. They were incredible.

Fast forward years later, after many moves, the recipe sadly got lost in the shuffle. Until now! I googled away and found my beloved recipe at A Tasteful Garden. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so immediately got to work.

I decided to swap canola oil for butter and add chopped peanuts on top. I also used mini chocolate chips. I like that with small chips, it seems as though you get more chocolate per bite. As with most quick breads made with whole wheat flour, these muffins are dense and hearty. I find they are best enjoyed with a big glass of milk.

These muffins are even better than I remembered, and now thankfully will never be lost again!

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (optional)
⅓ cup chopped peanuts, for topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin pan with cooking spray or muffin liners. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
Cream together the oil and brown sugar. Add the peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides of the bowl often to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Add half of the buttermilk, mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and remaining buttermilk. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if using. Bake until golden brown, 22-24 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from King Arthur Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins, found on A Tasteful Garden