Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

-1 cup flour (you can use a combination of all purpose, whole wheat, keto flour, or gluten free baking mix....it all works)

-1 tsp baking powder (if using a baking mix, not necessary)

-1/4 tsp salt

-3/4 cup milk

-1/4 cup Greek or Icelandic yogurt (I like to use Siggi’s Vanilla Yogurt, adds another layer of flavor, be careful not to use a yogurt with high sugar content because it will burn)

-1 egg

-Lemon zest from 1 lemon

-Squeeze of lemon juice (about 1 tbsp)

-Wild blueberries

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until there are no lumps. I almost always use frozen wild blueberries, in which case I add them to each individual pancake vs stirring them in to the batter. If you stir frozen blueberries into the batter it won’t affect the cooking but it will dye them purple. Let sit for a minute while warming up your pan.

A non-stick pan is best, warm to medium heat and spray with cooking spray (Pam) or wipe with a light coating of canola or vegetable oil. Ladle a scoop of batter onto your pan and let it cook until it has bubbled and puffed up, when the bubbles relax or start to go away its time to flip. Add your frozen blueberries just before flipping. Let cook for another minute on the reverse side and then remove with a spatula.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on how many pancakes you need.

*As far as flour goes, I have made this successfully with King Arthur Baking keto flour, Kodiak Cakes Whole Wheat baking mix, regular all purpose flour too. Just use what you have! In the past when I have used Kodiak cake mix I have omitted the egg, they have enough protein already.

Meatball and Orzo Soup

Last night’s meatballs became the most delicious soup for lunch today. I love when repurposing leftovers are so good the recipe is worthy of being shared on its own. I like to reinvent things when cooking for just the 4 of us because I like variety. I think this soup is good enough to share with a crowd and I can picture myself making it for the extended family when we are all together in the mountains for a long weekend. The meatball recipe was shared in my previous post. The simple soup comes together really quickly and has tons of flavor.

What you need:

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot peeled and chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh kale

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups marinara and mini turkey meatballs from last recipe

1/2-3/4 cup of orzo

In a soup pot, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté onions and carrots over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Now pour in your chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, add your kale and leftover marinara and meatballs. Lastly, pour in your orzo and stir occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom for approximately 8 minutes until the orzo is cooked through. I added only 1/2 cup so it would be brothy and soupy but you could probably add up to 1 cup if you want to stretch it a little further or thicken it into more of a stew. Enjoy.

Chicken Bacon and Mushroom Pie

This is truly a delicious, warming, comforting pie. It‘s reminiscent of something you might find in an English Pub and since we are all still home bound and unable to travel, its a fair replacement for the time being. I topped this with a gluten free biscuit topping because I care for my gluten intolerant loved ones but let me be clear a regular pie crust would have been much better (for me anyways). I suggest making the chicken, bacon, mushroom gravy and topping with a refrigerated pie crust if you have the option...it would be really good. You could also use corn bread, puff pastry, or crescent roll dough. The options are limitless, the most important thing is the rich gravy which makes this dish so yummy.

What you need:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1.5 stalks celery, chopped

1 tbsp celery leaves

1 tsp fresh parsley

1 cup of mushrooms ( I used baby portobellos but white mushrooms or any preferred type of mushroom is fine)

2 slices thick cut good quality bacon sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 lb precooked chicken (shredded rotisserie chicken works well)

1 -1 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 tbsp flour (or gluten free baking mix)

Begin by setting your oven to 400 degrees. Next place your olive oil, butter, and bacon in a pan set over medium heat and begin to brown. When the bacon has started to crisp up slightly add your onions, carrots, and celery. Stir occasionally until they have softened. Now add your 3 tbsp of flour (or gluten free baking mix). You want to coat everything with the flour and stir it around while it browns, mixing with the bacon fat and butter. Be careful not to burn the flour but let it keep browning while stirring slowly and let it develop a nice color. You want the raw flour flavor to completely disappear. When you are satisfied with your flour (between 3-5 minutes) pour in your chicken broth slowly, while stirring and removing any lumps. Keep stirring and allow the gravy to rise to a simmer momentarily so it has a chance to thicken. Stir in your salt, pepper, celery leaves, and parsley.When you are satisfied with the gravy turn off the heat, stir in your cooked chicken and pour into an oven safe baking dish. Add your topping of choice and bake until crust is cooked through entirely.

*A note about the salt and pepper portions, depending on the salt level of your bacon and chicken broth this dish may not need much. It will need some but not much, start with 1/4 tsp and add more as necessary in small increments.

If you want to make the gluten free topping:

1 cup gluten free baking mix (I’m a big fan of King Arthur brand)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg

2 tbsp sliced scallions

1/4 tsp salt/pepper

Mix together all ingredients until soft dough forms. Gently roll out into the shape of your baking dish or drop even sized pieces (like mini drop biscuit) onto the top until the dish is covered.