Oatmeal Pancakes and Chicken Bites

A couple of things...

I have a really hard time making things more than once...(good thing I don't knit or I'd have a lot of single socks hanging around waiting for a mate).

I love pancakes and sausage and yesterday being pancake Tuesday reminded me that we had not had pancakes in a long time.

Put those things together and I tried yet another new pancake recipe...a Joy the Baker pancake recipe. (That girl can bake!...that reminds me I have to try her cinnamon bread.)

Since I've been in an oatmeal state of mind lately, I made Joy's Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes. Loaded with sweet spices and oats these came out of the pan with a beautiful texture and smell.

The recipe suggests putting golden raisins in the pancakes but Clara advised me, "Raisins are fine in oatmeal cookies but do NOT belong in pancakes!" ...Jim concurs.

The kids loved them and they were even great reheated the next morning for breakfast.

To go with the pancakes I made up some little tiny sausage bites. I mixed together some shredded apple, green onion, Epice a montreal, breadcrumbs and ground chicken, rolled them in tiny meal ball sizes, dredged them in some flour and fried them in a little oil.

Oatmeal Pancakes

(adapted slightly from Joy the Baker.com)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

2 cups buttermilk (I used whole milk mixed with 2tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar)

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

~Beat eggs together in a large bowl. Add in buttermilk, butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir well.

~Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined.

~I used my 1/4C measuring cup to drop the batter in to the pan, cooking over med heat.

~Keep ready pancakes in a 200* oven until they're all cooked.

Chicken Apple Bites

1 apple peeled, cored and grated

3/4-1 lb ground chicken or 2 boneless skinless chicken breast cubed

1 green onion finely sliced (1/2 red onion finely chopped)

1Tbsp chopped parsley

1 1/2 tsp Montreal Steak Spice

scant 1 C bread crumbs

1 Tbsp Chicken stock (or 1 egg)

whole wheat flour for coating

cooking oil for frying

~Put chicken, apple, onion, parsley, spice, breadcrumbs and stock in a food processor and pulse to combine. (This could be done in a bowl with a fork, mixing very well.)

~Spread flour on a plate. Divide the mixture into small bowls. Roll in flour.

~Heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan and cook balls 5-8 mins until brown all over and cooked through.

My new favourite cookbook and pancakes.

I have a lot of cookbooks. No, my Kalamazoo Mum has a lot of cookbooks...I have quite a few cookbooks. The Moosewood cookbooks are some of my favourites. A few weeks ago I picked up the new one called "Cooking For Heath" and we've pretty much eaten from it every night since. (I have a very lovely husband who willingly eats tofu and lentils on a very regular basis.) I thought Nigella's banana pancakes were the best pancakes until I tried the Moosewood Whole Grain Pancakes. These pancakes are seriously delicious and although Nigella's recipes are tasty I don't cook from them for their health benefits.

I made a few changes to the recipe (I love to do so) and topped them with some baked apples and they were perfect.

Here is the recipe:

Moosewood Whole Grain Pancakes (With Baked Apples)

1/4C Whole Flaxseeds
1/2C Rolled Oats
1C Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 t Salt
1 t Cinnamon (my addition and therefore optional)
1/2 t Baking Soda
2 t Baking Powder (I use the aluminum-free stuff)
2 Large Eggs
1 C Buttermilk or plain yogurt (I used Vanilla)
1/4C Olive Oil
1C Water

1. In a spice grinder, whirl flaxseeds and oats until they are the consistency of cornmeal, and place in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well.

2. In a separate bowl beat eggs, buttermilk, oil and water. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir just until combined.

3. Warm a greased skillet over med-high heat and ladle a 1/4C of batter for each pancake. Flip after a minute or two.

Serve with Maple Syrup, Baked Apples, Cottage Cheese, strawberries, blueberries......

*(You can add more water if batter looks too thick.)
*(These freeze really well, in anticipation of being re-toasted at a later date.)

Baked Apples

2T Pure Maple Syrup
2t Fresh Lemon juice
1t Vanilla
Pinch of Salt
5C peeled and slice apples (or apples and pears)

1. Cute fruit into a 9 inch square baking dish. Add syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Mix well.

2. Bake at 400*, stirring every 10-15 mins, until fruit is soft. Around 35-40 minutes.