One of the many things that I love about Namaste mixes is the fact that they are all made in a facility that is free not only of the big eight (i.e. gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, fish & shellfish free, peanut free, egg-free and soy-free) but also free of potato (and realistically therefore nightshade-free) and corn. They state that they do not use GMO ingredients AND for the amount of pancakes you get they are the least expensive mix. Oh and there is no sugar in the mix either.
In addition the pancakes are actually the best I have ever had…period, and I ate gluten for 44 years.
One of the things I like about this recipe is that it is so good for “the diet”. The pancakes are so sweet that syrup seemed kind of gross to everyone except our little sugar addict. It has no added sugar. It has no yeast. It uses 2 POUNDS of frozen wild blueberries (so you will probably get a meaningful amount of fruit into your child) which our nutritionist said were fine for anyone fighting candida or yeast issues and it uses about 12 ounces of coconut oil. Both blueberries and coconut are key nutrients for brain function. Coconut oil extracts are being researched as a possible cure for Alzheimer’s. Coconut oil is brain food.
And we all could use some more yummy brain food
If you want to order Namaste Pancake Mix you can do a bulk order of 6 bags at Amazon for (as of today) $5.61 per bag (each bag serves 8 to 10 people or 4 teenagers) here
http://www.amazon.com/Namaste-Foods-Gluten-Pancake-21-Ounce/dp/B000LKZA36
As a mom in the Midwest, who doesn’t want to run out, this works for me. Remembering my days in New York City, I cannot imagine anyone storing bulk pancake mix. So you can also get single bags at Vitacost for the same price here
http://www.vitacost.com/namaste-foods-gluten-free-waffle-and-pancake-mix?bv=product-_-4595-_-RLP-_-50192-_-description_link&pd_section=pr#productReviews
So these are my very very blueberry pancakes. This recipe is for a double batch because I prefer to make a huge batch and then freeze and bake or microwave the leftovers on a Sunday when I am feeling less ambitious. Pancakes plus Applegate Farms chicken sausage and I have a decent brunch for 10 in 20 minutes. They can also be reheated in a 13 x 9 pan in the oven
These are blueberry laden. Feel free to use fewer berries.
Ingredients
1 entire bag of Namaste Waffle and Pancake Mix (a different mix will give different results. The pancakes may fall apart. I learned this the hard and expensive way)
2 1 lb bags of frozen wild blueberries (thawed) I used Trader Joe’s Wild Arboreal berries. Wild berries are smaller and less likely to “act funny” than regular berries.
up to 1/2 cup of flax or coconut milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon or allspice (optional)
4 eggs
Coconut oil or if you cannot tolerate coconut (which is also a natural antifungal) use Spectrum Butter Flavor Shortening (palm oil has some of coconut oil’s benefits) for frying. Note that you will use a LOT of oil (I used 12 oz last time)
Equipment
1 Big bowl for mixing ingredients
1 strainer for collecting blueberry juice
1 spatula for flipping pancakes
1 Frying pan for cooking pancakes (or a griddle if you have one)
1 tablespoon for scooping out oil and putting it in the pan
1 ovenproof 13 x 9 pan for keeping pancakes warm
1 ladle for pouring out batter
1 fork or whisk for mixing ingredients
Measuring cups and spoons
Instructions
Strain berry liquid into a measuring cup. You will want between 1 and 1 1/2 cups of berry juice. Reserve berries. (I save them in the bags so that I don’t have another dish to clean)
Mix berry juice and eggs in large bowl until all yolks are broken and everything appears well combined
Add mix and combine thoroughly. It will be purple.
Add reserved berries and cinnamon if using
Assess texture. Add “milk” to thin batter to desired consistency
Turn burner on high and place empty pan on burner. I do not own and am afraid of non-stick pans so this assumes that you have a pan with a stainless interior which you are using for this recipe. Never preheat an empty non-stick pan. Ever. Google it. You’ll see.
When pan is hot (a few minutes even with a crummy electric stove) add about a small baby food jar worth of oil to the pan. And yes that does seem lot a lot of oil.
Once it melts, turn heat to medium and ladle in pancake batter to make the right size pancakes for your family.
When the pancake bubbles on the side you can see and the bubbles stay as craters after they pop, flip the pancake.
It only takes about a minute on the second side. The pancake is done when the spatula slides under it easily. Put the finished pancakes in the 13 x 9 pan. Repeat adding oil and batter until all of the batter has been turned into pancakes.
You can then pop the pancakes into a preheated 200 degree oven to keep them warm if you are not serving them immediately. They will stay warm without drying out for 30 minutes. Long enough to gather your kids (assuming that you don’t have teens) and spouse.
To freeze, lay pancakes on a clean dinner plate in a single layer not touching and stick them in the freezer for a while (half an hour will do it) and then pop them off the pan and put them in a ziploc bag. Repeat until all pancakes are frozen. This will make them much easier to parse out one at a time during the week.
