BANANA PANCAKES
Pancakes have always been a favourite in this house. One morning, however, we were out of maple syrup. As Canadians, that is a go-to sugar we truly enjoy. We have even visited maple syrup farms, to better understand how and why there are various grades and of course, for the samples. On one morning when my kiddos wanted pancakes, and we did not have any maple syrup, I looked at this as an opportunity to find a healthier way of incorporating a favourite breakfast menu item. We had (and often have) plenty of bananas on hand. When bananas are cooked, especially if they start out extremely ripe, they lend themselves to such a sweetness that nothing else needs to be added. A new favourite recipe was added to our list.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of organic oats (I use sprouted steel cut)
3 ripe organic bananas
2 tbsp of whole organic flax seeds
2 tbsp of organic cold pressed coconut oil
In your blender (I use a Vitamix), pour in the oats and flax seeds. I only ever buy whole flax seeds instead of pre-ground because they mold quickly, and popping them in the blender takes seconds. Grind the mixture until it becomes a flour. Try not to overgrind - it can loose its fluffiness. Grab a bowl and mash 3 bananas inside the bowl. Then, add the flour mixture and set it to the side. While the mixture is resting, the flax seeds will combine with the bananas and form a sticky dough. Turn on stove to medium and add 1 tbsp of coconut oil to your pan (I use my Le Creuset non stick pan. Pots and pans are a common source of heavy metals). Add mixture and flip when the bottom begins to brown, usually about 7 minutes. I find this mixture makes between 3-4 pancakes depending on the size of each pancake.