Pancakes for PR's!

COCONUT BACON PANCAKES

Yes, coconut pancakes are delish, but they become awesome when you add BACON! I used bacon strips instead of breaking up the bacon, because you can make them into a "dipping" pancake, which means more maple syrup to bite ratio. Also, kids love using their hands to eat, so why not let them grab something healthy for breakfast! These pancakes are also yummy without the bacon, you can add in cacao nibs instead for something different!

 

Ingredients
6-8 Slices Natural Bacon (Free of nitrates and bad stuff if possible)
4 Eggs, Best if they are almost room temperature (Free-Range if possible)
1 Cup Good Coconut Milk
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Raw Honey
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Coconut Oil for Frying
Cinnamon to taste (Optional) 

Method
Cook your bacon prior to making the pancakes and set aside. I prefer oven-baking that way they are more flat than frying in a pan and sit better in the pancake.

1. In a bowl beat the eggs until they are frothy (they'll have little bubbles in them) and add in the liquid ingredients of coconut milk, vanilla and honey.
2. In another bowl combine the dry ingredients of coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt; ensure they are well combined. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated - there should be no lumps.
3. In a non-stick pan or on a griddle over medium-low heat add in the coconut oil. Ladle in an amount of batter that a strip of bacon will fit in, place a bacon strip in the centre and then zig zag a little batter over the bacon in order to hold it in. 
4. Cook pancake for a couple minutes until the bottom is slightly brown - the top of the batter should be slightly drying out. Flip the pancake and finish cooking it off.
5. Continue until you run out of batter or bacon!
6. Serve hot with real maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon (optional) and butter. If you want to do the "dipping" option, just fill a small bowl with good maple syrup and dunk away!
7. Then go lift and hit a PR!

Balls...Protein Power Balls That Is!

PROTEIN POWER BALLS

These little guys are small, but pack some power! Great to have around anytime you need a little faux sweet treat without cheating on the bad stuff! My good friend Lisa Root, who is an awesome Pastry Chef in Toronto, shared this recipe with me to try out. It was a hit with the Canucks, so here it is kids! These balls are gluten and dairy free, but not nut free. Don't want to spend $$ on all the ingredients, best bet is to go to Bulk Barn - they have everything you need and you only have to buy what you are going to use! Plus it is fun in there - they have such a good range of gluten-free products that you can use to cook or bake with.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Nut Butter (I used Almond Butter, but you can use whatever kind you prefer)
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Chia Seeds
1/4 Cup Hemp Seeds
3 Tbsp Raw Honey (Not the Billy Bee stuff!!)
1/4 Cup Cacao Nibs
2 Scoops Protein Powder (I used the single serving packet of Vanilla Recovery Progenex that I picked up from Canuck)
2 Cups Mixed Dried Fruits, chopped to help the blending process (I used Dates and Apricots, but you can try adding soaked Raisins to add a bit more moisture)
1-1/2 Cups Oats (Make sure they are the guaranteed Gluten-free kind and have not come into contact with Barley or Rye Wheat Grains)
Shredded Coconut
Ground Almonds
Cinnamon
Sesame Seeds
Flax Seeds (optional)

Method:

1. In a food processor, or a super deluxe killer blender, pulse all the ingredients together (EXCEPT for the last 5 ingredients from Shredded Coconut to Flax Seeds) until well blended. Should be soft with lots of texture - basically it should stick together and not crumble when formed. If it does, just add in a little more coconut oil to the mixture.
2. Use your hands to form and roll each ball separately, they should be about 1" in circumference. To make them uniform in size, use a small 1 oz. ice cream scoop if you have it.
3. Once the balls are formed, coat them in a mixture of shredded coconut, ground almonds, cinnamon, sesame seeds and/or flax seeds.
4. Enjoy the balls!! Any leftovers, store them in a tupperware container and save for after your next WOD, or before, or frankly whenever you want to eat them :)

Makes Approximately 36 Balls

Mmmm....Egg Muffins

PALEO EGG MUFFINS

These are EGGSellent for the perfect 'grab and go' breakfast for those who don't have too much time in the morning! Great source of nutrition in the AM or PM (Eggs aren't just for breakfast anymore!) and they are EASY to make ahead of time. Experiment with different fillings or even add some spice!

Ingredients:

12 Whole Eggs (Free-Range if possible)
1 Cup Natural Bacon, diced and cooked (Try to find that pure stuff if you can, avoid all
   those bad nitrates and junk!)
1.5 Cups Greens of some sort - Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, or Asparagus, chopped
1 Cup Mushrooms, diced
1 Cup Onions, diced (I prefer Green Onions)
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste 


Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350F.
2. Dice your bacon and cook it off; make sure you drain off all the fat. Best result is to place it on paper towel and dab off the excess. Set aside.
3. Dice all your vegetables if you are using hearty vegetables like broccoli and asparagus. If you are using leafy greens, julienne cut them (into strips) so they are not too small - these types of greens tend to shrink a lot.
4. In a bowl, crack all the eggs and whisk them to break them up, add in your salt and pepper to taste, then mix in your bacon and vegetables.
5. Grease your muffin pan with coconut oil and fill the muffin cups 3/4 full allowing room for the muffins to rise.
6. Place in oven and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until the centre of the muffins are cooked - try not to over cook them! (Trick: Use a toothpick to check the doneness by inserting it into the middle and if it comes out clean, they are done).
7. Eat and enjoy immediately, or allow to cool before packing them in airtight containers and storing them in the fridge for the week. To re-heat just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and you're good to go! 

Makes 12 Servings