Free Pancakes

You read correctly.  Free pancakes!  Pancakes free of gluten, fat and animal products.  I have to let you know, these still contain flavor.  They are loaded with flavor!

I've been trying to stay away from wheat flour.  I don't consider myself gluten free because it's only wheat that I have cut out of my diet.  I personally don't like the way I feel after eating flour.  But, I do occasionally still indulge in a wheat flour pizza or a slice of bread.

My cheat meals are normally loaded with carbs.  The main three dinners on my cheat day (Tuesday) are pizza, pancakes, and sandwiches.  I decided I wanted pancakes and I wanted to try something new.  I knew right away that I wanted to try gluten free pancakes.

I love trying new culinary things.  Whether it's a food, or a recipe, or a new food in a new recipe.  It's one of the things that excites me these days.  The girls and I went to the Asian grocery in town the other day because we needed seaweed for sushi nite (Sunny's favorite dinner.)  Whenever we goto the Asian store I always look at the fruits and vegetables.  They always have the best prices.  The cheapest vegetables can always be found at the famers market and the asian grocery stores.  I picked up a purple sweet potato.  I had never seen one before.  I've had white sweet potatoes, various shades of orange but, never purple.  When I cooked it I was shocked at how deep the purple was.  Take a look for yourself.

 Isn't that gorgeous??!!??  I knew that this sweet potato needed to be the purple in my rainbow pancakes.  {Just so you know, all the other colors were made with food coloring.  Next time I plan on using various fruits and vegetables to make my rainbow}.  I mostly followed the package directions.  I had to alter it a bit to compensate for the sweet potato.

In addition to making these pancakes gluten free, I wanted to make them vegan.  I made an egg replacer using chia seeds.  1 T of chia seeds and 3 T of liquid equals 1 egg.  

These are my finished pancakes.  Clockwise from the left:  Rainbow, blue, purple (the sweet potato ones), red, green, and yellow.

Fat Free Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes

Ingredients
1.5 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake mix
.25 cup sugar
.5 cup purple sweet potato puree* (orange or white would be fine too)
1 T chia seeds
1.25 cup non-dairy milk

Directions

1. In a medium bowl mix together pancake mix and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl stir together milk, chia seeds and sweet potato puree and let sit for 10-15 minutes
3. Mix pototo mixture into dry mix
4. Cook according to package directions (I use an electric griddle and set it to 375-400, use a quarter cup to measure the batter and cook pancakes for 3-4 minutes on each side)

**To make sweet potato puree-- wrap potato in tin foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45-90 minutes until soft.  Cut open potato and scoop out the flesh.**

What fruits/veggies would you use to color your rainbow pancakes?  Let me know!