Guilt-free healthy peanut butter pancakes

‘Twas the night before the New Year, when all through the house                     Everyone woke up with a sweet tooth, especially my spouse                               We experimented in the kitchen and desperately searched online                     Till we found THE perfect pancake recipe. Now we’re building it a shrine.

It’s that time of year again. December 31st. New year’s eve. The day where you sit contemplating the year that has passed and dreaming of ways the coming year will be better–how you will be better. 

My resolution’s have added up to the following list below. A year from now, I’m going to read this post again and see just how many of the things have been crossed out from the list. (I’m OK Googling a reminder as we speak read/write)

I’m going to:

  1. Focus on the blog a lot more
  2. Work out more
  3. Focus on my Spanish
  4. Focus on my newly found business
  5. More yoga
  6. More salsa
  7. Travel (I won’t say more, lest the travel Gods spite me for my ingratitude)

You know…all the cliches. lol

Anyhoo, back to the real star of the show. The reason you clicked on this recipe after you saw the picture above or on my Instagram account.

I found this recipe on Minimalist Baker and added my own twists to it. It is most definitely a recipe worth keeping in you repertoire. Especially if you, or any of your loved ones, is afflicted with the want for the fluffy discs of yum. Just look at these babies!

Would you believe me if I told you these fluffy beauties doused in organic peanut butter and maple syrup were sugar free, gluten free, butter free, transfat free…basically free of anything that would hurt your Temple! Healthy, quick and easy this recipe is an absolute keeper!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  1. ½ cup of milk (coconut, cow’s, almond, soy)
  2. 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon of milled flaxseeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water) (If you don’t have flax, just use a regular egg)
  3. 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil
  4. 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey
  5. 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  6. ½ teaspoon of baking soda
  7. 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
  8. a pinch of sea salt
  9. ¾ a cup of organic oat flour 

Here’s how you get it done, son:

  1. Mix the coconut oil, maple syrup, baking powder, baking soda, peanut butter and salt together. Incorporate well with a whisk.
  2. Add milk to the mixture and mix really really well.
  3. Add flaxseed egg and oat flour and mix until just combined.
  4. Let the mixture rest on your stove for a good 5-7 minutes (this is what will make it fluffy!)
  5. While the mixture is resting, mix 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with maple syrup and warm water.  Mix until it forms a loose mixture that you can drizzle on top of the warm pancakes when ready. Keep adding water little by little till you get the consistency you want.
  6. Heat a griddle pan on medium heat.
  7. Drizzle with coconut oil so the pancakes don’t stick.
  8. Throw a dollop (¼ cup) of the batter and let fry on one side until golden, then flip and let cook another minute.
  9. Stack the pancakes and cover with your gooey warm peanut butter mixture.

At this point, you’re going to want to gather every single ingredient in your mind that goes well with peanut butter. Sliced bananas, jam, organic chocolate sauce–the possibilities are endless!

I cannot stress enough how much of a killer this recipe is! They’re so quick and easy to make (the whole shabang needs no more than 15 minutes). They’re so healthy and good for you and they taste like HEAVEN!

Go straight-up bananas with me and give this easy, quick and healthy recipe a shot. All ingredients could easily be found in any supermarket in Dubai. It’s not rocket science, I swear. They sound a lot fancier and complicated than they are. I promise!

Oh, and since you’re here…why not follow me on Instagram? 

Okay. Bye.

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Dec 31, 2015

Chewy coffee and cinnamon cashew bars

I think I can safely say that my favorite part of Italy was just roaming the cobble-stoned alleyways, using my sense of smell as a compass. What’s that? The smell of freshly baked gelato cones?…Yes, I shall venture forth and motorboat me some 13 flavors of homemade gelato from the 70-year old Italian grandmama scooping up gelato and having a drag simultaneously!

I’m not going to lie, we did have gelato 3 times a day on some not so rare occasions. And why shouldn’t we, God damn it! My favorite combo was a scoop of cinnamon, a scoop of espresso and a scoop of dark chocolate. Oh goodness, yes.

Now that I’m back in Dubai, I’ve been trying to think of ways to stuff those heavenly tastes back in my mouth. And then it hit me! I’ll make my chewy cashew bars, but I’ll change the flavors! YES!

Ladiessssss and gentlemen, introducing from the right, weighing 0.025 kilos, from the Straight-up Bananas kitchen, with a chewy chocolate, date and almond crust, and a chewy cashew cinnamon center, topped with a coffee and cashew layerrrrrrrr, please welcome…..Straight-up Bananas healthy, quick and delicious chew cashew cinnamon and coffee bars!



Here’s what you’ll need:

Crust

½ cup of almond meal

½ cup of pitted dates

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

1 pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil

First Filling:

1 and a ½ cups of raw cashews that have been soaked overnight

½ cup of honey

½ cup and 2 tablespoons of full fat coconut milk

½ cup of melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

 Second Filling:

Add 3 tablespoon of dried coffee to half of the above mixture

The method behind my madness:

 

First of all, line a baking tray with cling film.

Then, blitz all the crust ingredients together in a food processor.

After that, pour the crumbly mixture into the baking tray and press down really tightly.

Once you’ve done that, take all the filling ingredients except for the coffee and put in blender.

Blend the mixture ridiculously well, until it forms a smooth batter.

Then, take HALF of the filling mixture and pour over crust.

Finally, take the other half of filling mixture and add the coffee and pour over the first layer.

Place in freezer for about 4 hours or overnight.

Cut into equal shaped slices and take slices out of freezer at least 15 minutes before serving so they can be nice and chewy.

 I cannot tell you how much you’re going to love this recipe. It’s so easy to make. Once, you’re done you’ve only got 3 dishes to wash (YAS!) and it’s super healthy, quick and delicious!

 Go Straight-up Bananas with me and give this recipe a shot! I’d love to hear from you!

Oh, and add me on Instagram, please!

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Nov 15, 2015