Whole Wheat Breakfast Biscuit

My husband is a breakfast man. Personally, I'd rather not eat until ten or eleven, so finding enough recipes so I didn't get sick from having pancakes every morning has been a must in our family. This is a simple breakfast recipe that we like that seriously takes about ten minutes to prepare. The original recipe, "Bannock" (apparently it's Scottish), is from Marie Ricks, but my alterations increase the fiber per serving by 69%.

Whole Wheat Breakfast Biscuit

Mix together:
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1 1/2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Add:
3/4 c water

Mix together and form into a sticky dough, spread onto a hot nonstick griddle until as flat as you can get it (about 1/2"). Fry like a pancake (a really thick one) until lightly brown. Flip and cook on the other side. Serve warm with butter or jam.

HealthiFood Hot Cocoa Bar

There's still snow on the ground where I live--April or not!

The HealthiFood hot cocoa tip is to add 2 T yam puree to 1 cup of hot cocoa (use your favorite mix or method). One trick I like to do is to buy two kinds of a really nice brand of hot chocolate: regular and fat-free. Then I mix the two for a reduced-fat hot chocolate--the best of both worlds! Using the Hot Cocoa Bar additions means you can buy your basic mix in bulk and still offer your family a variety of flavors.

You don't believe me about the yam puree, but trust me. Once you try it there's no going back! I was inspired to add the puree by Jessica Seinfeld, and 2 T per 1 cup is just how I like it. You won't believe how you can't taste the yam; it just makes your hot chocolate richer. 2 T also adds almost a gram of fiber.

At our house we like to have hot chocolate just the way we feel like it, which is where we came up with the Hot Cocoa Bar. Here are our favorite additions and variations. Keep in mind that all start with added yam puree!

Mexican Hot Chocolate: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon

White Chocolate: Add 1 T white chocolate chips

Rich Chocolate: Add 1 T milk chocolate chips

Creamy Chocolate: Add 1 T non-dairy coffee creamer

Mint Chocolate: Add part of a candy cane or round mint hard candy. You could use any kind of hard candy for another flavor like cinnamon or butterscotch.

Vanilla Chocolate: Add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Other ideas? Please add your favorite variation in a comment!

HealthiFood Whole Wheat Pancakes (or Waffles)

My husband is a breakfast man. He could eat waffles every day of his life if I didn't mind. Thanks to the principles in Deceptively Delicious, his pancakes or waffles have a richer flavor and are fortified with added fiber and vitamins from whole grains and vegetables. And compared to the basic recipe my husband grew up on, HealthiFood Whole Wheat Pancakes have 1.6 less grams of fat, 1.8 more grams of fiber, and 1 more gram of protein per serving.

HealthiFood Whole Wheat Pancakes (or Waffles)

Sift together:
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 T ground flax seed meal

Mix together in a separate bowl:
1 1/4 c nonfat milk soured with 1 T lemon juice
1 T canola oil (use 2 T for waffles)
1 egg
1/2 c sweet potato puree
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Mix wet and dry ingredient until just combined. Drop 1/4 c of batter onto greased 350 degree griddle or frying pan or cook according to waffle iron directions. Makes about 10-12 pancakes or about 8 waffles.

Lemon Cornmeal Breakfast Cake

My husband just called this "the best breakfast ever!" This cake is super moist (even with taking out most of the fat) and the cornmeal adds a fun whole-grain texture. The original recipe is from Joy the Baker, but my alterations save you 86 calories, 5 g of fat and 11 g of sugar, and add 1.5 g of fiber and .5 g of protein per serving.



Lemon Cornmeal Breakfast Cake
makes one 9-inch cake (cut into 12 slices)


Whisk together:
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 c ground flax seed meal
1 T baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt



Combine in a separate bowl:
1 c nonfat buttermilk (or 1 cup nonfat milk soured with 1 T lemon juice)
2 large eggs
1/4 c yellow or butternut squash puree
2 T canola oil
2 T unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoons lemon zest (or 1 T lemon juice)


Add wet to dry until just combined. Pour into a greased and floured 9" cake pan (I usually use a glass pie pan, which works as well). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then puncture top of cake sporadically with a fork. Pour lemon glaze over top of cake, spread evenly, and cool for 30 more minutes before slicing and enjoying.

Image from Microsoft clip art.

Lemon Glaze
Whisk together:
3/4 c powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice

Sweet Bread Loaves

Image from Microsoft clip art.

Original Recipe: "Swedish Bread" by Marie Calder Ricks. My changes reduce calories by 11%, fat by 40%, increases protein by 21%, and adds almost two more grams of fiber per serving--hopefully my husband's Swedish grandmother would be proud! Each recipe makes two large loaves (cut each loaf into a dozen slices to match the nutrition facts serving size)--and they go quick! You can make the dough by hand or knead in a KitchenAid or bread maker.

Sweet Bread Loaves

Dissolve together:
1 3/4 c warm water
1.5 T yeast
3/4 c sugar

Add: 
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c powdered milk
6 T canola oil
6 T ground flax seed meal
3/4 t crushed cardamom seeds (equals about 15 seeds)

Gradually add and knead-in:
3 c white flour
3 c whole wheat flour

Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Raise to double twice in a bowl. Form into loaves (add decorative slices, if desired) and let rise on greased cookie sheet until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Delicious warm or cold. Freezes well.