Rye Peanut Butter & Banana Pancake Sandwich

I don’t think I’ve ever before finished a meal and thought “oh-my-gaw that was so good I need to go blog about it STAT.”

In fact, I feel a little geeky admitting to this, but that is what just happened. And hence, what I’m doing.

Maybe it’s just an unusual day. I mean, I also don’t usually have breakfast for lunch as often as I admit it to be a good idea, and I also don’t usually have not a veggie in sight by now.

I also don’t usually have a beverage other than water with meals, but apparently since I was already having something sweet for lunch, I decided a sweet beverage was necessary, too. Hey, it’s all or nothing, right?

Another oddity? I usually have some idea as to what I want for lunch. Today I had none. Zero, zilch, nada. I have no bread, my oven is in use rendering me sweet potato-less, and not many vegetables. I didn’t feel like a grain.

And gosh darn it, the more I thought about it, the more I just wanted some pancakes again.

So I compromised.

I’d make pancakes. But! It wouldn’t be such a bad thing because, I’d just be using it as my bread.

Yes, I do realize that this is essentially the same thing as what I would eat every morning, but I’m telling myself it’s different because it was eaten in more of a sandwich-form.

Yes, I do realize my logic is flawed.

Due to an ongoing project with rye flour which you will soon see, my plan hatched rye “bread” with peanut butter and banana. If I had caraway I would be in heaven – how cool would that be?

Alas, I don’t. I made do.

My peanut butter was Jenny’s peanut butter and jelly sauce, a sauce I’ve been having a pretty steady love affair with but have neglected to blog about. I’ve actually been gathering pictures for a full on devotion to it, but I guess this came first. Such is life.

Rye Peanut Butter, Banana and Honey Pancake Sandwich

for one

For the Pancake “Bread”:

• 1/4 c. rye flour
• 2 T. oat bran
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 T. milled flaxseed mixed with 2 T. warm water
• 1/4  c. almond milk
• earth balance/butter/cooking spray, for greasing the pan

For the Bananas:

• 1/2 a banana, sliced in half lengthwise
• earth balance/butter/spray for greasing pan

For the Peanut Butter & Honey sauce, adapted very slightly from Jenny’s Peanut Butter Jelly Sauce

• 2 T. (heaping) peanut flour
• 2 T. almond milk
• 1/2 – 1 t. honey, depending on your tastes
• pinch of salt** (see note)

Preheat a large nonstick pan and a small nonstick pan over low-medium heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, bran and baking powder. Add in the flax egg and almond milk. Grease your preheated non-stick pan lightly and bump up to medium heat, and divide the batter into two pancakes. Spread out a touch, and cook until the sides are starting to firm up. Spray the tops lightly with spray and flip. Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until lightly golden. While the pancakes are cooking, grill your bananas: place in the smaller non-stick pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.

For the peanut butter and honey sauce, whisk all ingredients until smooth. Note: I didn’t add salt when I mixed my sauce, but as I was eating, found myself looking for that pinch of salt that classic peanut butter has. I ended up sprinkling salt on my sandwich (try that for feeling weird) and found that salt was juuuust the ticket to what I was looking for.

To assemble, place one pancake on your plate and spread the peanut butter sauce. Place the grilled bananas on top of that, followed by the other pancake. If desired, spread a dab of fig jam on the top pancake.

As you know, I desired. When don’t I desire fig jam?

Caraway, here I come.

A sneak peak at some things in progress:

hmmmmm!!!

I’m Blue (Daba de Daba Di)

It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part…but the theme of the day was blue.

It started with moldy blueberry pancakes…

…packing a blueberry muffin Larabar…

…and then realized my blueberry-filled morning matched my blue hoodie…

…and by the end of the day, I felt like my hands, lips and toes were blue, too!

…Luckily, it just felt that way…which is sort of ironic to say because usually, with any luck, they won’t feel blue, either!

Anyways. You’re probably still confused by the “moldy pancake” mention, so I’ll enlighten you.

They’re buckwheat! Poor buckwheat has been getting neglected on my pantry shelf. And if I’m being completely real with you all, it’s because I wasn’t sure how well the flavor of buckwheat would go with a nut butter, and I don’t like passing on the peanut/almond/cashew butter in the morning.

There, I said it. I base the flavors of my breakfast off of how well I think the nut butter I have in mind will meld with it.

Finally I decided it couldn’t be that bad with some almond butter, and did it up with some blueberry buckwheat pancakes. I am ashamed to admit that I’d sort of forgotten about my love for buckwheat until I was organizing my recipe pages yesterday, and remembered my banana bread buckwheat waffles.

I decided to give blueberries a shot, as I don’t recall ever having them paired with buckwheat, but still topped it with half a grilled banana, almond butter and maple syrup. Real Vermont maple syrup, thank you. As you can see, we take our maple seriously. And you guys always thought I was joking about it.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

1 serving

• 1/4 c. buckwheat flour
• 2 T. oat bran
• 1 T. wheat germ (optional)
• 1/2 – 1 t. baking powder (to be honest I never measure)
• 1/4 c. + 2 T. almond milk
• 2 t. chia seeds mixed with 1 1/2 T. water and allowed to “gel”
• 1/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
• earth balance or butter, for frying
• toppings, such as: maple syrup, almond butter, banana

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the almond milk and chia egg. Fold in the blueberries.

Grease the pan with a light layer of butter before spooning the batter in two portions onto it. Cook until the sides look like they are beginning to set, and then flip and cook about 3 more minutes on that side.

Top with almond butter, maple syrup and a grilled banana or more blueberries.

Ohhh, buckwheat – how could I neglect you all these weeks?

As for the new Larabar flavor that this sweet & charming young lady hooked me up with?

Well, I’m actually pretty surprised I broke into it right away. Usually things like this I hold onto because I can’t find them, so I have this warped sense of “but I need to cherish it!” similar to how all of our grandparents hold on to every. last. thing. due to the Great Depression.

Or something like that.

But no. There was no waiting. I was too excited. Ironically, I wasn’t even hungry for a snack today but since I’d opened it before leaving home I wanted to at least have a bit of it! So I did, and saved the other half for dessert.

Now. You’d be hard-pressed to find me a Larabar I dislike. Sure, I have my preferred flavors and all – but with how simple they are and given the fact that they’re date and nut based, I can’t say I hate any of them. Not even a little bit.

This blueberry muffin flavor was no exception. But! As with most things in life (gosh darn it!) there is room for improvement. Larabar, I would enjoy a. a stronger blueberry flavor, and b. a little lemon zest. I feel these things will bring your blueberry muffin Larabar to an entirely new level altogether.

Unfortunately, things like this tend to be easier said than done, and here’s where everyone at Larabar is throwing up their arms and asking me if I want to start making them. In which case the answer is surely!

Have you ever tried buckwheat before?

What’s your favorite Larabar flavor?

(and as for putting this song in your head after reading the title of this post? you’re welcome. don’t hate me. please?)

Hot Oats

Everyone seems to love sugar cookies, based on answers from yesterday’s question! I found that funny – I hadn’t even thought to make a sugar cookie. Guess we know what recipe I’ll be trying next, eh?

I’m so happy because it’ finally snowed and stuck to the ground! Yeah, that power outage? Wasn’t from anything exciting. It was from so-called “wind.” That’s in quotes because for the strength of the wind we had, we should not have been out power for so long.

*insert eyeroll here*

I was getting a little worried we weren’t going to have a white Christmas. I just love freshly fallen snow, though. Sure it gets old, and sure I thought I was going to die driving home last night – but I love it.

It just makes me dizzy when it’s blizzarding at night and blowing at your windshield full force when darkness surrounds you because Vermont doesn’t know what street lights are. I got so disoriented a few times I almost pulled over.

I probably should have, but I also had stroganoff calling my name.

Apparently, the snow makes Kaia feel the same as I do. Just wanting to stay in bed.

But, ‘tis the season, which means I’ll be working more than I usually do.

The next best thing to sleeping in? Hot oats.

I’m so ready to have rotten tomatoes thrown at me, but I’m going to say it anyways: I think I prefer microwaved quick oats to old-fashioned stovetop oats.

Sorry. But not really. I also have some more time to make them in the morning (not that microwaving takes more than five minutes) because I have two less ponies to feed in the morning.

Yep – I mentioned we sold Georgie…but while the power was out, there was a new development – and we found a woman who wanted them both. The woman who wanted her first ended up thinking she was just going to “try” her without paying for her.

It’d be nice if that’s how things work, but it’s not. More important than money was finding them a good home, though – and we are so happy they were able to find one together. And their new home? Gorgeous. They are in heaven right now!

Anyways! Microwaving oats. No where near as pretty – but I’m thinking just as/more yummy. I still whip a banana in, of course

Current kick is cranberry sauce, too. I made a new batch Sunday with a little less sugar. Lub it.

Which do you prefer – quick or old fashioned oats? Microwave or stove top?

Banana Love & Being Proud

Before we get started – I ought to clarify something for the sake of my ego. A lot of people felt bad for my seemingly terrible bread-baking skills…but I’ve actually had good luck bread-making lately! See: here, here, here, here, here and here.  Oh, and here – though that one looks like it fell a touch but I’m thinking it’s more the fact that my mom baked it wrong  

Don’t mistake this for vanity – I certainly don’t consider myself a skilled yeast bread maker yet – but I definitely think the breadmaker was main cause for my fallen loaves before I started making them by hand. The ironic thing is that the mountain bread wasn’t a typical yeast bread with two rises – it was just go and bake! When it was the consistency in which I would typically add more flour if I was making a yeast/knead bread I didn’t, because I figured it was meant to have a more batter-like consistency. I think maybe since it was a recipe translated from another language, I just had a liiiiitle bit too much liquid!

Sorry for that. Not a gloat, just a little sensitive. After so many troubles with bread making I’m kind of proud of the fact that I can make a decent loaf by myself now

I mean, we all need to be proud of something – vanity and modesty aside. What’s something you’re proud of and want the world to know? Or, are proud of and working on letting the world know?

I’m usually pretty self-conscious – and never want to come across as gloating or vain…so even writing the above is a big step for me!

But anyways. This has nothing to do with bread.

Today has to do with bananas.

You all probably know how fond I am of the funny yellow fruit. I really might as well be a monkey. Not only do I rely on bananas mashed up in overnight oats, or on top of my waffles or pancakes – I also love to use them as a sweetener in baked goods (and cutting back on the other sugars) or as my afternoon snack (dressed up in peanut butter, of course) or as part of my night-time snack, sliced with a bowl of millet puffs, cinnamon harvest, almond milk and sunflower butter.

…and I’ve been out of bananas for the past three days. I had banana-less breakfasts. Banana-less snacks. Banana-less carrot graham muffins. Banana-less cereal.

This made me do crazy things. In the above picture, not only am I combining fresh figs with cranberry sauce – I’m combing fresh figs with gingerbread cornmeal pancakes. It was a little weird, and after I realized how weird it was, had to pick them off and eat them plain.

Luckily, that had no ill effect on the gingerbread pancakes, but I still don’t know what inspired me to be so weird.

It must have been the lack of potassium.

So then this morning, it called for desperate times.

I broke into our top-secret stash of freezer burnt blueberries that we picked this summer. These babies are so good, we save them for the depths of winter to bring a little summer lovin’ into our lives.

The joy that is fresh blueberry pancakes immediately ceased my sadness over being banana-less.

I don’t think there’s anything better than fresh blueberry pancakes. Blueberry Cornmeal pancakes, no less.

In case you haven’t noticed, why yes, yes I do eat my pancakes with a dessert spoon.

What?! Don’t look at me like that.

Of course, now that I’m not in mourning for not having any bananas – I replenish my stash.

I had two driving home. And if anyone tells me I eat too many bananas and am going to get fat, I’ll knock you over the head with my bunches of bananas and then rub the peels all over your hair. And the offer you some of my vitamin B6.

Oh, sorry. That was a little harsh. It’s just one of my pet peeves.

What’s your favorite fruit?

What’s a “diet rule” that drives you crazy?

(I should clarify that I do understand certain diets because of diseases or conditions requires limited starchy foods/sugary fruits. I’m talking about “lose weight fast!” diets that say bananas encourage weight gain.)

And now I’m waiting for Rudolph to come on T.V. It’s tradition to watch it…or at least have it on while doing other things…humoring my lovely mother.

It’s Here!

It’s finally here. My favorite pancake/waffle recipe of the past two weeks.

I’d say “of all time,” but who am I kidding – my favorites change daily. Weekly. Monthly. Lets face it: I love waffles. and figs. and bananas.

You may or may not remember that this is not an original creation. Rather, it is a take on Eat, Drink and Be Vegan’s raspberry cornmeal pancakes. Mainly because a. I love graham flour, b. everything’s better as a waffle and c. I tweak everything I make anyways.

This makes enough for one smallish serving – enough so that when I go to ride Teddie, I don’t have breakfast sloshing around in my stomach If I were working rather than riding, I’d probably increase the quantities a bit, probably doubling them – so take that for what you will.

Cornmeal Graham Waffles (or Pancakes)

Wet:

• 2 t. chia seeds
• scant 2 T. water
• 4 T. almond milk (aka 1/4 cup – but your tablespoon is already dirty anyways!) note: if making pancakes, increase to 5-6 Tablespoons – you’ll want a runnier consistency
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract

Dry:

• 2 T. fine-ground cornmeal
• 2 T. graham flour
• 1 T. wheat germ
• generous 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• pinch nutmeg

Combine the chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside, while combining your dry ingredients. When the chia seeds have gelled, stir in the vanilla extract and add to the dry ingredients along with the almond milk. Stir to combine.

If making waffles: be sure to thoroughly spray/grease your waffle iron, and close the lid gently. This will produce a fatter waffle – but should prevent it from sticking to each side when you go to open it.

If making pancakes: spray a non-stick pan and heat – when heated, spoon batter into one large or two small pancakes. It will be ready to flip when the edges are firm.

My favorite way to have these, you ask?

Easily, spread with fig jam, sliced banana and pecans or almonds. Or walnuts.

Also:

• When making them pancakes, thinly slice half a banana into the batter
• add a teaspoon of coconut or another fragrant oil to the batter
• add a spoonful of fig jam to the batter
• add half a sliced peach to the batter in making pancakes, and add 1/4 t. ground ginger, omitting the other spices
• top with coconut milk yogurt
• drizzle with date molasses in addition to some freshly sliced strawberries and chopped walnuts

It is easily the graham flour that makes these babies. When I last posted about graham flour (because it’s my new obsession and all) a lot of you seemed intrigued.

So, when I made an emergency stop at the co-op the other day I decided to get two.

One for me, and one for one lucky reader.

All you need to do? Somehow acknowledge this giveaway in your comment! Be it whether you’ve tried it, whether you’d like to try it, what you’d like to make with it (there is not right or wrong answer, but these are mighty delicious, as are the aforementioned waffles!)

I tried taking a Vanna White shot of your prize, but the animals were too interested. It’s probably good – it takes your attention off of my pajamas and the fact that my day was yet to start, right?!

I’ll randomly number-generate a winner sometime soon. Yes, you love my punctuality, I know.

EDIT: I’m leaving this open to anyone – even if you live in a “faraway land.” Unless it’s illegal for me to mail you food items, in which case I don’t want to be thrown in jail thankyouverymuch.