Banana Protein Pancakes (crepes?)

If you want some mid-week yum that prioritizes protein, fiber, and deliciousness without a ton of added sugar, gluten, or grains -- this recipe is for you!

I do eat gluten and flour products, but sparingly.

Why? Bloat and constipation if I'm being honest.  My family has autoimmune issues in our genetics, and my body is sensitive to gluten, added sugars, dairy, and wine (but tequila yes please and I miss you - as soon as this baby is out of me please serve me an agave sweetened margarita with lime so fresh my mouth turns inside out.)

But back to my point if I'm going to have a delicious baguette, or an amazing croissant, or a killer bowl of pasta - I'm going to make it count.   That typically means only on the weekend so that I can sit on the couch with the consequences of my actions and not have to worry about gross while working. 

I'm glad I have been able to maintain healthy eating habits throughout this pregnancy. But one area that I had to really start tracking with more consistency was my protein intake.  I've always been OK at getting enough protein in. But growing a baby while also maintaining my training regimen of heavy lifting and cardio (yes let's talk about it! I exercise, intensely while pregnant.) Definitely talk to your doc about their recommendations. But for me, honestly exercise, including intense exercise, has made this time so much more comfortable for my mindset and my body. And my OBGYN is happy as a clam with mine and her progress. But that's for another blog.

Ok back to the recipe because that's why you're here.

I like a fluffy pancake as much as the next girl. I may like a crepe a little bit more (which is probably why I love this recipe.) But, I really don't need a bunch of sugar and flour in the AM.

My normal egg or tofu scrambles with pepper, onion, and hot sauce can get a little boring day in and day out. And, my morning smoothies sometimes can feel like a chore. That's when I began to rotate this recipe into my morning. 

​It's easy, delicious, versatile, and pretty darn hard to screw up.

Ingredients:

• ​1 Med to Lg Banana, Mashed
  
• 2 Lg Eggs Beaten
  
• Sprinkle of Cinnamon
  
• Dash of Salt
  
• 1 Tbl Peanut-Only Peanut Butter (no sugar, no added oil) -- or your favorite nut butter. I'm judging only a little ;)
  
• Handful of Berries

​
... and if you just need a little more sweet, a drizzle of local honey.

... nutrient bonus, if your eggs are pretty large you can also throw in a scoop of your favorite collagen mix. Some people put in a scoop of protein mix. But I  prefer my collagen mix in this recipe because it blends really well with no change in taste.

Prep Your Mix
Blend or wisk together mashed banana, eggs, cinnamon, and salt

Heat Your Pan
Spray a medium size pan with avocado, olive, or your preferred cooking spray. I use avocado or olive oil sprays.  (You can also use butter, but butter will burn faster.) Heat on medium to medium-high heat. Do NOT go high heat. You will burn your oil, and your food.

A quick note on pans:
I love cooking. I use stainless steel pans and use natural oils for non-stick. I'm not a fan of coated non-stick pans for many reasons. And if you're thinking, "Wait, what! That means I may need to use oil!" Probably, yes. The amount of fat you need to prevent food from sticking is NOT an issue - promise.  That's another reason why I love good-quality avocado and olive oil sprays (that don't have any added extras). They coat the pan evenly without a tremendous amount of product, and they don't negatively impact taste.   But you do you boo!

Pour Your Mix
Pour 1/4 Cup of your mix into the center of a well-heated pain (you want to hear a small sizzle).
Circle the mixture out until it becomes round and evenly distributed. This technique is a bit like a crepe.

Have Patience!
You need the eggs to cook. Reduce your pain from medium-high to medium or slightly lower. You don't want to see anything smoking.

Because this isn't a normal pancake with a leavening agent, you won't be able to use the typical bubble method to gauge doneness. Instead you are going to watch the eggs cook and the edges shrink back.

Wait. 
Wait.
Wait!
Look for the edges to begin to shrink back.

Time to Flip!
If your pan allows, use a metal spatula to flip your cake. A thick plastic spatula is going to tear it. You need something that can scrape and release the cake from underneath (one of many reasons why I don't like non-stick pans.)

When the edges shrink, back, slide your spatula under, take a peek at the bottom, and if it seems jiggly in the middle - STOP - and wait.  Then, once you know it's go-time. Get ready for your big flip!

Flip and enjoy your culinary prowess.

Transfer & Go Again!
Once your banana pancake is ready to come off the heat, transfer it to your place. And, get going on your next 2-3 cakes. 

Topping Time!
Once you have a nice stack of cakes, drizzle your peanut butter on top. 

I only eat all-natural, peanut-only peanut butter.  Sometimes I use almond-butter. But either way it doesn't have added oil or sugar. So you have to stir it, and its more liquidy than the other stuff.  The viscosity of the butter allows for a drizzle (rather than a spread) and I drizzle these cakes with the peanut butter - omg yum.

When I'm feeling a little extra, I add a light drizzle of local honey.

​Don't worry too much about measuring. Just hold the bottle up high, and look for a really thin stream of honey and do a criss-cross pattern a couple times until it feels like you're a chef.

Finally, top with your favorite berries. I do blueberries and raspberries most often.

Then, eat!