Breakfast Friday | Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

I'm a big fan of mini-sized things. I just can't get over the cuteness.

So when it comes to mini food I practically die. It's little + cute AND I get to eat it?? These are the things that excite me. There's no way you can tell me these lemon poppy seed pancakes aren't completely adorable. 

And I think it's fair to say mini-sized food has no serving size. They're so little!! You just can't keep count of how many you eat. 

The only annoying thing about mini pancakes is the amount of cook time involved. So many batches!! A large griddle would be ideal or using 4 pans. And cooking 9+ batches made it pretty impossible to not eat half of the pancakes while they cooked. 

Just one more. Just to make sure the texture is right. Riiiight. 

With all of the fun springy holidays coming up, I wanted to create a fun recipe that you could serve for any size crowd. 

These baby pancakes are light + fluffy and laced with lemon zest. They have a slight crunch with every bite from the poppy seeds. 

I'm such a sucker for lemon breakfasty things + baked goods.

And the combo of lemon and raspberry is always a winner.

Now for the topping.

It's dangerous. You will eat most of it with a spoon straight from the blender. That's just a fact.

whole milk Greek yogurt + goat cheese + lemon zest + honey + vanilla

The goat cheese tang with the lemon! It's good, people. Real good.

Print Recipe!

Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes with Lemon Yogurt + Goat Cheese Sauce 

gluten-free // yields appx. 40, 2 1/2 inch mini pancakes or 6-8 medium pancakes

for the sauce:

• 3/4 - 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• 4oz goat cheese
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1 med. lemon)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons honey

for the pancakes:

• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/3 cup sorghum flour
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1 med. lemon)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil 
• 2 tablespoons honey

Place yogurt in a blender followed by the other ingredients. (Use 3/4 cup yogurt for a stronger goat cheese flavor.) Blend until fully smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made 1 day ahead + stored in a sealed container.. Stir before  using.

Preheat oven to 200° F to keep pancakes warm while cooking.

In a large bowl stir together the flours, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt.

Preheat a large pan or griddle over med-low heat. Grease with a bit of coconut oil.

In another bowl whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the buttermilk, applesauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir the honey into the melted coconut oil then pour into the egg mixture and whisk until fully combined. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until you no longer see dry flour. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Pour very small scoops (about 1 tablespoon) of batter onto your pan, leaving ample room in between for flipping. Once the top is filled with bubbles, flip. About 2-3 minutes per side. Adjust heat if necessary to create golden brown pancakes. Grease pan in between rounds if needed.

Place finished pancakes on a baking sheet and put in the oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve hot with yogurt sauce on top and fresh berries. 

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notes: 

• I do not recommend subbing flax eggs for real eggs here.
• I specify low-fat buttermilk instead of full-fat because it's the only type I can find.
• If you use regular milk the pancakes will not have the same fluffy texture. You can make buttermilk at home for this recipe by mixing 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons milk (2%, whole, almond, soy) with 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Whisk then let sit for a few minutes. This will give you similar results.

Happy Friday. Happy weekend!

Ashley

Veggie Loaded Potato Soup

I've been in full-on spring mode  the past week or so. I can tell this because of the shift I've felt with the ingredients I've been using in the kitchen, my yearning to be outside, and allergies.

All things spring! 

Today’s post is sponsored by Imagine® Foods .

What I love most about spring (and fall) are that the nights still cool down enough to want to dive into a bowl of soup for dinner. You know, sweatshirt + jeans weather. My fav.

 I'm over chili and stews but soup filled with greens? Most definitely yes.

It's also an excuse to eat more avocado toast. Because it never seems to get old.

This recipe starts off with a rich and creamy Potato Leek Soup that is organic, non-GMO, and dairy free. There's also one whole serving of vegetables in each cup before adding anything else to it. Imagine Foods is all about quality, and their products are always free of artificial ingredients + preservatives. I have been enjoying their soups and veggie broths for years now in my kitchen.

To jazz things up a bit we're packing in roasted potatoes, asparagus, dried herbs, and chard. But what really sets this soup apart is the addition of goat cheese. It makes for an even creamier soup with just a hint of tang that pairs especially well with the herbs.

Although the recipe list looks somewhat long, they're all very basic ingredients. If you don't have fresh herbs you can always use dried. Whatever works for you! I used chard in this soup, but any sturdy, leafy green will work (such as chard, kale, large-leaf spinach, broccoli greens, etc.).

It's like a kitchen sink soup. If you don't have one of the ingredients, I'm sure you have something else to fit in its place. 

easy swaps:

• collard greens for chard
• 2 tablespoons basil instead of 3 types of herbs
• red potatoes or fingerling instead of yukon gold
• feta instead of goat cheese
• omit cheese to make vegan/dairy-free (but maybe add a squeeze of lemon for tang!)
• use 3-4 tablespoons minced shallot instead of the onion + garlic

Print Recipe!

Veggie Loaded Potato Soup

gluten-free

• 1 1/4 cup 1/4-inch diced yukon gold potato
• 2 teaspoons melted ghee or avocado oil (or other high-heat oil) 
• 1 cup chopped asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1, 32oz container Imagine Organic Creamy Potato Leek Soup
• 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3-4 ounces goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped oregano
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups ribboned (or chopped) chard, stems removed
• salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 425° F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Once preheated, toss potatoes with the ghee and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Toss with asparagus and roast for another 10 minutes, until the asparagus is just tender. 

While roasting, heat a large pot over medium heat with the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion an and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds - 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in the potato soup and vegetable broth. Break apart 3 ounces of goat cheese and stir in with the basil, thyme, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil then let simmer for about 20 minutes, until flavorful and starting to thicken

Add in the potatoes, asparagus, and chard. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Taste and add more smoked paprika, pepper, and/or salt if desired. Serve hot with croutons and extra goat cheese on top.

If this soup wasn't exciting enough, I have coupons to share!! Who doesn't love a $1 off coupon? 

• Kroger shopper? Find your coupon right here and download it to your Kroger Plus Card.
• Not a Kroger shopper? No worries! You can print a $1 off coupon right from the Imagine website.

Ashley

Today’s post is sponsored by Imagine® Foods . Product opinions are always my own. If I didn’t love it, you wouldn’t hear about it.Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness you see here.