The smell of fresh pancakes brings forth memories of Saturday morning cartoons, family fun in the kitchen and breakfast for dinner creativity. Once I stopped eating gluten I realized pretty quickly that while I could deal without bread pretty easily pizza, pasta and pancakes were quick staples that I'd grown up keeping on hand for meals after an exhausting day and I missed them. I've been searching for a truly great gluten free pancake for ever since... for years now... and I've finally found one I love. 

This recipe is one that I have been regularly working into my meal preps for a while now and feel confident saying I will keep using. They have a touch of cinnamon, a hint of vanilla and just enough sweetness to sate the desert craving should I want to stuff them with whipped cream and some chocolate shavings or a few berries. I freeze them in 2-3 pancake stacks and microwave them once I get to the office most days but occasionally I'll do breakfast for dinner and pair them with scrambled eggs or an omelette. Either way they are delicious!

A couple quick notes: these are not the thick fluffy pancakes you get at breakfast restaurants (but if you let the mixture sit for a little bit to thicken up you will be able to get them a bit thicker but they will still be a thinner pancake). The reason these pancakes work is the blender, I've tried making them with a whisk and I couldn't get them quite the same. 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of cinnamon (to taste)
• sugar free sweetener of choice (to taste)- I use between 6 to 10 drops of liquid Stevia

Other Items Needed:

• griddle or skillet
• blender
• spatula

Directions:

1. Blend everything together well, there should be no lumps. We are looking for a homogeneous mixture that is fairly thin.
2. Pour mixture onto a hot griddle to create a six inch circular pancake. Be careful, since the mixture is thin it is easy to go overboard on this step and end up with a monster pancake that is difficult to flip.
3. Let the pancake cook, untouched, until you see bubbles and the edges of the pancake are firm. Then its time to flip!
4. Flip the pancake and continue cooking until the center is firm.
5. Plate, add toppings of choice and eat... so good!

I love tacos... savory spiced meats with fresh crunchy veggies and lots of salsa, yumm! Unfortunately most taco seasoning mixes have junky ingredients in them which takes the happy out of my Taco Tuesday fun. So I decided that it was high time I create a spice mixture to replace those seasoning packets. It won't be perfect for everyone so feel free to make tweaks and changes to it as everyone prefers slightly different combinations of ingredients in their 'perfect taco meat' (which is why there are at least 10 versions of taco seasoning at the grocery store and not a one of them tastes like the others) but I've been enjoying it in my lunches recently.

Before I get into the spice mixture I want to stop over in the mix-ins area of taco meat for a moment. Depending on what you are looking for taste-wise and the amount of added veggies you want to have in your meat there are many options for veggie mix-ins to cook with your taco meat. Some are:

• diced mushrooms (LOVE this, if you've never had mushrooms in your Tex-Mex food you are missing out man)
• diced onion
• diced peppers of many varieties
• shredded carrot
• shredded zucchini
• diced tomatoes or tomato puree
• salsa (another favorite of mine)
• and more!

I personally use mushrooms and salsa (I pretty much always have these on hand and tacos can be a bit of a last minute dish for me, like pancakes! Sometimes I just get a craving and think 'why not?') as my go to. They are what I used last week but there are so many options! Try one, try them all, try mixtures of them, try new things altogether and tell me how they turn out! If you are new to adding veggies to your taco meat I would suggest that the smaller the dice the better for beginners so perhaps start with shredded and pureed veggies and then move up to a little chunkier portions later on. Personally I'm not a big fan of diced bell peppers in my taco meat due to the texture/bite so this may be something that you add later on as well if you are like me.

Another thing I do to add nutrition and flavor is use stock or broth instead of water when simmering my spices in with the meat. Something I noticed when checking out various recipes and packages of seasoning mixtures (other than the crazy amounts of additives and the fact that most have gluten) over the last 6 months or so was that bullion, or similar flavoring agents, was a common addition. It isn't necessary to use broth but it does help with that missing element from the flavor palate of the store bought packets, especially when using lower fat meats, such as poultry, that can be a bit lackluster on the flavor side and dry out easily. 

The procedure I use when making my (Tex-Mex/restaurant style) tacos is simple. I understand that these are not traditional tacos and while I do love those as well I was trying to replicate the simple 'brown meat and add a spice packet and water' style of taco meat with this recipe.

1. Cook the meat. I use beef and chicken most often but the possibilities are limitless.
2. Add all other ingredients to the pan, including enough liquid to simmer for about 30 minutes on low with (1/2 to 1C is plenty. When using salsa or purees I decrease the amount of broth as I typically work on a time crunch around dinner time).
3. Add mushrooms towards the end of cooking. Feel free to add these earlier with the other veggies but I like the texture of adding them a few minutes before the end personally.
4. Once mixture is at the consistency you want (most of the liquid will be gone but not all moisture) remove the pan from heat.
5. Eat your yummy taco meat on salads, grain free taco shells, baked sliced potatoes/root veggie chips, rice (if you include rice in your plan), etc. with even more fresh veggies like tomato, lettuce, or onion. If you include dairy you can put a little cheese or sour cream on them... maybe a little cilantro if you like cilantro. Options, so many options! :)

If you have a bit more time you can toss everything in the pan at once and let it simmer for longer so that the spices will really infuse into the meat as it cooks. This is what I ended up doing when making chicken tacos last week as I was doing meal prep and had more time. I did a quick shred at the end and had some wicked good taco meat on my hands. It's all a matter of time and preference. This isn't a recipe for tacos so much as a quick guideline on options for yummy tacos for those who aren't used to making tacos at home or are looking to try adding veggies to their dinners.

Ok, seasoning time! This seasoning mixture makes about 4 dinners worth of spice mixture (depending on how much spice mixture you prefer). I typically use 2-3 Tbsp per pound of meat. Just mix it up and store it in an airtight container between uses.

• 1.5 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes
• 2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1.5 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 5 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Seasoning Salt (there is a good recipe here if you don't know how to make it)
• 2 tsp Onion Powder
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder​

"Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India and is commonly used in South Asian cuisines, traditional medicine, and religious rituals." -Wikipedia

In today's world there are a lot of people who cannot tolerate dairy, myself included. One of the good things about ghee is that, when it is prepared correctly, the milk proteins are removed. This means that many people who cannot tolerate butter can tolerate ghee. Basically, it is the best of both worlds: the benefits (and taste!) of butter without the casein and proteins that you may react to.​

You can find ghee in the store:

2. Check on butter regularly over the next 2-3 hours, stirring as necessary. It does take a long time to make but you don't have to stand over it the whole time. I often put it on and then go clean my house or do homework, checking on it about every 20-30 minutes. ​

Shredded chicken is incredibly versatile. You can toss it in a variety of sauces for instant wrap filling, burritos, spreads, and more... or just eat it plain on a bed of salad greens with a drizzle of your favorite vinaigrette for a quick and healthful salad. I prefer to make my shredded chicken in bulk when I find a good sale and freeze it up in batches for later use. It's simple, quick, and saves time when preparing last minute meals or bulk cooking chicken meals in later weeks. 

INGREDIENTS:

• chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• chicken stock or broth (check the ingredients if you didn't make it yourself)

EQUIPMENT:

• crock pot
• electric mixer (if you don't have one you can use two forks)

PROCEDURE:
1. Place chicken in crock pot. 

• Most people thaw their chicken first as it is safer from a health perspective since you don't have to worry about intermediate temperatures beyond the safe limits. I have been asked previously if the meat really needs to be thawed first, here's my two cents: I have used frozen chicken directly in the crock pot without issue for this recipe and a few others before BUT food safety rules suggest that you thaw the chicken appropriately beforehand to avoid those potentially longer periods at intermediate temperatures... so that is what I do suggest that you do if at all possible. It is better safe than sorry when it comes to the health of your family in my opinion.

2. Add a couple tablespoons of stock/broth per pound of chicken. 

• You could use a little bit of water in a pinch but I prefer the stock so that the resulting meat will be tasty and packed with flavor.

3. Place crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Ensure that the chicken has reached the correct temperature/if fully cooked before turning off the crock pot.
4. Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes before attempting to shred. If you are using the two forks to shred the chicken I suggest that you allow it to cook quite a bit as I have been burned quite a few times trying to rush to get it shredded and off my to-do list... its not worth it.
5. Shred the chicken. My suggestion is to use the electric mixer to shred the chicken by simple putting the mixer in the bowl with the chicken and 'mixing' like you would cake batter. The chicken shreds very quickly with this method and you avoid burned fingers. :)
6. Allow the chicken to cool completely before freezing it into portions appropriate to your family's needs to avoid ice crystals forming in the containers and on the chicken itself. 

​For the chicken thighs I drizzled a little ghee and 2 cloves of rough chopped garlic (you could use melted butter if you prefer), did a quick massage to get everything coated well then sprinkled on some sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper and popped it in the oven. If you want it with a little kick add some paprika... yumm!