1 cup buckwheat flour
*Recommended brand: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Buckwheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon finely ground Celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon organic coconut palm sugar*
*Recommended brands: Wholesome or Big Tree Farms
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
1 beaten egg
1/2 mashed ripe banana
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

In one medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: buckwheat flour, baking powder, salt, coconut palm sugar and cardamom. Combine well.

In another medium bowl, beat the coconut milk, egg, mashed banana, and melted coconut oil, using an electric mixer (or whisk).

Fold the dry ingredients into the coconut milk-egg mixture, until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Melt a spoonful of coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles in the skillet, add 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet—and continue to do so—until the skillet is full.

Cook until bubbles form in each pancake (depending on size, this could take 2 to 3 minutes). Flip. Cook another 2 minutes or until firm.

Once in a blue moon, however, especially if it’s snowy or frigid outside, and, depending on where I am in my cycle, I might crave something starch-carby. Happily these grain-free coconut flour pancakes hit the spot in the most delicious and satisfying way.

Back when I made scratch pancakes, using whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or, sometimes both, I’d work my way through a  full-sized stack of jam-topped pancakes (usually 5 or 6), before I felt full.  Shortly afterwards (usually within 30 minutes), I would be horizontal, barely able to keep my eyes open.  In retrospect, I realize that my fatigue was a symptom of gluten-sensitivity.  Also, gluten-containing foods, like wheat and white flour, have a high glycemic load that raises your blood sugar.  If you’re overeating high-gluten foods, your blood sugar can shoot sky high.  In response, your pancreas pumps out insulin to bring down your blood sugar.  The result?  An insulin spike, followed by a classic “crash” (when your blood sugar comes down).  The aftermath is often experienced as fatigue.  And blood sugar that comes down too far can trigger cravings; or, you may feel hungry an hour or two later.

On the other hand, after eating just two of these gluten-free coconut flour pancakes, slathered in grass-fed butter and drizzled with Grade B maple syrup (tapped from late-season runs, it is darker, more mineral-rich and has a stronger maple flavor than Grade A syrup), I’m able to put down my fork. Made with coconut flour, coconut milk and pastured eggs, these pancakes are packed with protein, which increases satiety and keeps blood sugar steady.  I finish, feeling pleasantly full, yet fueled with energy that sustains me for several hours.  No nap required.

Working with coconut flour can be tricky.  The texture is simultaneously dense and delicate at the same time.  Take the time to carefully measure out the coconut flour, then shake it through a sieve or sifter to remove any lumps.

When it comes to cooking pancakes, it seems only natural to use a non-stick skillet or griddle, doesn’t it?

Far from “natural”, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), used in the production of non-stick cookware and bakeware—as well as in greased and water-proofed food packaging (like microwaved popcorn and pizza boxes)—has toxic effects on our health, including thyroid disorders, hyperactivity, reproductive toxicity and an increased risk of later-life obesity for females exposed to PFOAs in utereo.  So does Polytetrafluoroetylene (PTFE), a chemical used in the final cooking surface of non-stick cookware.  Both PFOA and PTFE are part of a group of chemicals called perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) that have unique properties to make materials stain- and stick-resistant.  Unfortunately, researchers have also found that exposure to PFCs is linked to increased risk of cancer.

I’ll be covering PFOA and PTFE in more detail in another post.  But this is the reason that I tossed out all of our non-stick cookware and bakeware nearly a decade ago.

What I use instead is a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, an old-fashioned, non-toxic choice—and probably a staple in your great-grandparents’ kitchen.  Heavy, durable and versatile, well-seasoned cast iron cookware actual becomes non-stick over time.  If you’re iron deficient, you’ll also benefit because cast iron leaches a small amount of iron into the food.
A little patience is required in “seasoning” brand-new cast iron cookware.  (Do this even with”pre-seasoned” cast iron cookware).  Coat the inside of the cast-iron pot or pan with vegetable oil (I use olive oil) and heat in a warm oven for at least an hour. Repeat a few more times before you actually using it for cooking.  It is this gradual seasoning process that, over time, makes the cast iron cooking surface “non-stick”.

After I use my well-seasoned cast iron skillet, I simply rinse it with warm water (no detergent and no scrubber, which can remove the seasoning) and dry it with a paper towel.  I sprinkle coarse sea salt in the pan, add a little olive oil, and use a clean paper towel to “scrub” off any residual food particles, with the sea salt acting as the abrasive agent.  Avoid soaking cast iron cookware for long periods of time because this can also ruin the seasoning.

Cast Iron Skillet Coconut Flour Pancakes
Adapted from Nourishing Days

Makes 8-9 pancakes (apx. 3-inches wide)

1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
4 eggs, ideally from pasture-raised hens, room temperature
1 tablespoon raw honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
Optional: Top with grass-fed butter and/or Grade B maple syrup

Place coconut flour and baking soda through a sieve or sifter.  Sift into a medium bowl.  Add sea salt.  Whisk all three ingredients together well.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, using an electric mixer on medium speed, for about 2 minutes.  Add raw honey and vanilla, blending well, about 1 minute.  Add coconut milk and beat with other ingredients 1-2 minutes, until well combined.

Pour dry ingredients into the egg mixture.  Using a large spatula, carefully fold coconut flour into egg mixture.  Be careful not to overmix.

Warm a little coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.  Flick a drop of water into the pan; when it sizzles, add 1-2 tablespoons of batter into the pan.  Cook over low heat apx 2 minutes, or until bubbles begin to appear in the batter.  Carefully flip the pancakes using a turner spatula.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook another minute.

Transfer pancakes to a serving dish or plate.

Serve warm, topped with grass-fed butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Note: Every stove is different, so keep an eye on the heat. I cook my pancakes using a small cast iron skillet on a gas stove, so, from the start, I keep the flame on medium-low.  I reduce the heat even more (to low) when actually cooking the pancakes. The batter is very delicate; be careful when flipping pancakes and take care not to overcook or scorch them.

And what I want are Paleo Serrano-Chili muffins.

In terms of diet, I follow a Paleo template, a variation of the traditional Paleo diet, modeled after the Paleolithic Era, (which began about 2.5 million years ago and ended 10,000 years ago).  Primitive man ate only what he was able to hunt and gather.

Because the Paleolithic Era predates agriculture, a purist version of a strict Paleo diet is based on lean meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats.  What it does not include: wheat, grains, dairy, soy, beans and legumes, processed foods, sugars, starches, and alcohol.

The Paleo way of eating—which emphasizes real whole foods—ranges from very strict to much looser versions of the original diet as Paleo nutrition expert Robb Wolf points out in Seven Shades of Paleo.  The bottom line being: you don’t necessarily have to adhere to a strict Paleo diet to experience its many health benefits.  There’s leeway—more or less—to make a Paleo diet work for you.

Just how Paleo am I?  I stick to a mostly low-carb version of the Paleo diet  (meaning no grains, no sugar, no refined starches), but, occasionally, I will embrace some starches, like sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa and natural whole food sweeteners, such as maple syrup, raw honey or coconut sugar.

These muffins are a happy exception that I make.

With five pastured eggs, a drizzle of Grade B maple syrup (more nutrient dense than Grade A) and a healthy dose of serrano pepper, these muffins are rich and moist with a piquant green chili bite.  Especially delicious slathered with grass-fed butter and a dollop of homemade apple compote. The combination of protein (eggs), fiber (pumpkin) and healthy fat (coconut oil and/or grass-fed butter) make it a perfect breakfast, an ideal (and filling) way to start the day.
 

Paleo Serrano-Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 cup organic coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
5 pastured eggs
1 cup organic pumpkin puree
1/4 cup organic, raw (or unrefined) virgin coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon organic maple syrup (labeled Grade A “Dark” or “Robust” OR Grade B)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
3-4 serrano peppers, ends discarded, seeds removed, and minced
Pre-heat oven to 400° F.  Line a stainless steel 12-cup muffin pan with unbleached parchment muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg.  Mix well.

Place in another medium bowl: the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and serrano peppers.  Using a hand mixer, blend all the wet ingredients well.

Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, blending well with a hand mixer.

Spoon batter into the 12-cup muffin pan.

Bake for 8 minutes; turn pan around, and bake another 7 minutes.

Insert a toothpick or knife into a muffin; if it comes out clean, the muffins are done.

Let the muffins rest for 5 minutes.  Remove from parchment liners and serve.