Sunday, March 29, 2009

Corn Pancake, Egg-Fried Quinoa






I shouldn't really be blogging, but I can not stand the fact that I would have only one post in a month. Pitiful. So here I am, and it's gonna be short.

Yesterday for breakfast I had a thought, I need a pair for my yogurt. There's no more granola... Time to experiment. I could make a skillet cornbread type pancake, and crumble it on top? Perfect.

So I started thinking and soon a recipe was born, and 30 minutes later, it was carried out. The results were not perfect, but it was good for the first try. The only reason why I say it's not perfect is because the outside edges burnt. The pan was too hot, I learned later (I even melted my spatula, oh well, it was only a 99c cheapo), and I realized that the pan was way to hot for the wet-factor of the pancake and the density-viscosity factor. I should have realized that and I did think about it before I poured the batter.. but I thought, who cares if I burn it a little. Char is yummy! Especially when that char involves some yellow cornmeal, or cornmeal of any variety!

I also realized later that the burnt layer on both sides peeled away to reveal a lovely fluffy texture inside (as you can see from the photo). Ooh, so good! I could even expand it and make a cornbread! The amount is perfect for one person for breakfast, so plan accordingly for more people.


Cornmeal Pancake

1/4 cup Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Cornmeal
2 T Bob's Red Mill Coconut flour, packed
2 T Bob's Red Mill Organic oat bran
~1 T amber agave
1/2 tsp stevia
1/3 cup soured raw milk
1 amazing egg (free-range, veg-feed, organic)
1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

To make the pancake:
It was easy: mix the dry, mix the wet, mix the both together and crack the egg in and mix in with a whisk. Wahla! The batter will be thick and sticky but easily stirred around with a spatula. Heat a skillet on low-medium heat (or medium-high heat if you want the peel away yummy char factor), pour the batter on top and smooth. Cook until the edges start to come together and there are some bubbles. Work your spatula CAREFULLY under the edge and work around the pancake, then flip it carefully to the next side. Cook until its done, which will be a shorter time than the first side. This recipe fits perfectly in an 8 inch skillet - that really helped the shape of the pancake. Enjoy!

I cut mine in half and crumbled half on top of my yogurt, and ate the other half on a plate with a fork like a pancake :) Drizzle with agave, and top with some raw nuts and you have a lovely and nutritious breakfast. It almost looks like an omelet! My nuts were organic RAW walnuts and organic RAW valencia peanuts. Look at the color of the untouched photograph!


I love quinoa. It's better for you than rice, pure protein and super easy to make - and fast, which is equally as important as all those other things! I got the idea of doing an egg-fried quinoa because I had some celery that needed to be used and a small green pepper (thank you cafeteria). This recipe is so simple and so good for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it :) It reminded me of all the chinese food I miss so much. (Whoever opens an allergen free chinese place might just become the next Bill Gates).


Egg-Fried Quinoa

For the quinoa:
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sea salt

1 small green bell pepper - finely diced
6 6-inch celery stalks, cut down the middle and finely diced
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 egg
spices to taste, I used:
garlic
kelp granules
black pepper
salt
cayenne

To make your quinoa:
1. In your 8-inch skillet, cook the pepper and celery until crispy and cooked through and a little blackened (the oil will disappear). When they are done, turn the heat down (so you don't kill the egg).
2. In a sauce-pot, bring the quinoa to a boil and simmer until ready. How fast your quinoa cooks (and tastes) depends on if you rinsed it first and what brand you bought.
3. When the quinoa and stir-fry is done, add the quinoa to the pepper/celery skillet and cook for about 3 minutes. Then stir the quinoa mixture into half of the pan, and in the other half add the egg. Cook the egg and scramble into the quinoa/peppers/celery.
4. Transfer this to a separate bowl and add spices and little bit more olive oil. Toss. Put it on a plate and EAT! I had mine with a sweet potato, which I loove.

That was long a long post. I just can't do short posts! I am going home for Spring Break soon, and I can't wait. Easter recipes will definitely appear so stay tuned!

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