This Month, Rachel From “Rachel Cooks” Is Cooking Apple Spice Quinoa Pancakes!
Guest blog from Rachel Gurk of “Rachel Cooks”:
I’m in no rush to get to fall, but one of my favorite things about fall is that it is stereotypically apple season here in Michigan. I love when there is a crisp, cool feeling in the air and we head as a family to the apple orchard to pick apples, drink fresh cider and hot, warm, soft donuts right out of the fryer. It’s one of my all time favorite things to do with my family.
Luckily for us, we can enjoy Michigan apples year-round and the Jonagolds I used for this recipe (in the middle of winter!) were some of the most beautiful apples I have ever laid my eyes on. Not only that, but they were pretty much the perfect apple in my eyes. Crisp but not hard, sweet but still a bit of a tartness, and perfect for these pancakes.
These pancakes are a phenomenal way to begin your day. They are a twist on my traditional quinoa pancakes (I’m a bit obsessed with quinoa – you can tell by the sheer number of quinoa recipes on my site!). They are a nutritional power house. The apples lend not only great nutrition but also fabulous flavor. I left the apple peelings on for added flavor and fiber. The apples are teamed up with protein-packed quinoa, whole wheat flour, and flax seed. Naturally, cinnamon and nutmeg are present. The pancakes are sweetened with maple syrup (bonus points for Michigan maple syrup!).
If you want to make the process even easier – here’s a tip. Buy a bag of quinoa, cook the whole thing, and then freeze it in 2 cup portions. It thaws really quickly at room temperature or in the fridge and then these pancakes come together really quickly. The pancakes themselves freeze great, too. We reheat them in the toaster or the toaster oven and they taste like they are straight off the griddle.
Enjoy!
Apple Spice Quinoa Pancakes
Makes 20-24 pancakes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5-6 minutes per batch
Ingredients
2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 large eggs, plus 2 egg whites
2 tablespoons oil (I use canola)
3/4 cup skim milk
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 Michigan Jonagold apples, diced small (3-4 cups)
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flax seed. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, oil, milk, and syrup. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine. Fold in chopped Michigan apples.
2. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with oil and heat over medium to medium-low heat. Drop batter by approximately 1/4 cup portions onto hot skillet. Pat the batter down slightly to flatten (it is a thick batter). Cook for 2-3 minutes (or until bubbles form and stay), flip, and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until golden brown.
3. Serve with butter, more chopped Michigan apples, applesauce, cinnamon or maple syrup.
Rachel Gurk is the creator and author of Rachel Cooks, a food blog that features healthy, delicious recipes that will please the whole family and are easy to prepare. Rachel Cooks has been featured on sites including The Huffington Post, Parents.com, Saveur and The Cooking Channel. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband, son and daughter.
