Recipe Category Archives: Vanilla Bean Levana Meal Replacement

Crepes Recipe. All Fillings, Savory and Sweet

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Vanilla Bean Levana Nourishments

crepes

You say Pancakes, I say Crepes!

Jut one bite and you’ll understand why these French crepes gems are so popular with children big and small!

How will we ever know how wonderful crêpes can be if all we’ve been doing so far is opening a commercial muffin mix box—and the worst part is, we haven’t saved more than a minute or two on the whole thing— and missed out on a great treat, so was it worth it? Of course you know the answer, so I won’t rub it in. My children grew up on crêpes—we just had to have them at least once a week. They are so much fun no one will ever know they are actually eating healthy food. There is only a small ratio principle to keep in mind for perfect, ethereal paper-thin crêpes: 4 eggs or egg substitute (see below), 2 cups flour, 2½ cups liquid. That’s the whole thing. Play with this, and get different and exciting results each time. My granddaughter Musia (above) is always clamoring for them, and enjoys them egg-free.

Crêpes are a wonderful choice when you have company. (Only your kids? That’s company, and of the best kind!) Make them while you are talking to your family or guests, and have a good time. You will be amazed at the great selection of flours you will find at health food stores. And the fillings are a terrific way to recycle leftover chicken or vegetables.

The crêpes mixture can be made even a couple days in advance.

Don’t worry if the batter settles and starts looking somewhat unappealing—just give it a few more turns in the blender before using, and it will look and taste like new. If the mixture thickens while it sits, thin it with a little liquid.

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Low Carb Pancakes Recipe

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Vanilla Bean Levana Nourishments

low carb pancakes

The Low Carb Pancakes challenge is: no grain flour and no sugar.

But just as it is true that if life sends you lemons, you make lemonade, so too, if life withholds carbs, you make no or low carb pancakes and other goodies, period. Smile please.

Take a look in my giant file, Low Carb Diet Recipes

You’ll be amazed how resourceful it will make you!

I have been exploring with low carb pancakes, and both the savory and sweet low carb pancakes and flat breads turn out to be real viable and delicious options, and have been right in the center of my kitchen playground these past three weeks. It is not a matter of swearing off carbs for life, just a matter of reducing them and exploring with their healthy no-carb alternatives. Not having any carbs, it goes without saying they are also gluten-free to boot. I make no end of delicious and wholesome pancakes and crepes in every shape and form, both gluten-free and low gluten, with spelt and other whole grain flours.

The secret is in the almond flour, ground whole almonds, with some ground flax, and coconut flour, not necessarily all at once, so nut-allergic diners can experiment more with flax, pumpkin seed meal, sunflower seed meal, and coconut flour. I was surprised to see how neutral all three turn out to be in each mixture, and how obediently they take on all flavors they are paired with. If you intend to use these flours on a regular basis, take yourself to a price club where they will be much more affordable than in retail health food stores. Curiously, some people, like my granddaughter Musia, can’t have tree nuts but are totally OK with peanuts. In this case use peanut flour.

Rather than give you set recipes, I am giving you a couple base recipe suggestions for low carb pancakes, and suggest ways to play with them in exciting combinations. My suggestions below are for just one serving, go ahead and multiply the ones that appeal to you the most.

Attention dear Vegan friends: Low Carb Pancakes are for you too!

Skip the egg, and raise the flax meal to 3 tablespoons and the liquid to 2/3 cup.

I tinkered with low carb pancakes into a bread loaf and muffin shape:

I must say I was not happy with the results; both the loaf and the muffins looked stunted and had no visual appeal whatsoever. So my advice is, make it a sort of skillet bread as I am making it here, sacrifice some of the pristine raised look (remember, in many cuisines, like Indian, ALL breads are flat breads) and keep all the flavor!

My recipe makes 1 serving. No problem multiplying the recipe. Make the batter up to 4 times larger, and make small pancakes. Too lazy to make the pancakes one by one? Make just one giant pancake, and cut it in wedges.

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Mock Baba with Apricot Preserves Recipe. Gluten-Free Friendly

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Vanilla Bean Levana Nourishments

mock baba

Mock Baba: Look what just happened to my Challah leftovers!

Feeling so smug about this! This past Friday I had minutes to decide if I could whip up a dessert for a little “pitzel” graduation my children, Chabad Washington Heights, were hosting first thing Sunday morning for the children in their Day Care Center and their families.

I looked around me, and this is what I found and put together. Hardly a recipe, but the kind of thing that tasted and looked more glorious than the modest sum of its parts. It had a texture very much like the French baba au rum (after all, baba is yeasted), spongy and rum-soaked, which got me and everyone very excited, except there was no dough making or rising, all aboard, end of story!  If the way the dessert disappeared was any indication, a star was born, for all kids big and small.

Dairy-free mock baba will be perfect too: that’s how I make it

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Indian Corn Amaranth Pudding Recipe

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Vanilla Bean Levana Nourishments

amaranth pudding

Corn amaranth pudding:

Overlaid with my favorite Indian flavors, it is another perfect example of great results with plebeian ingredients, and a snap to make.

This spicy and funky dessert takes comfort foods to a whole new level.

Gluten-free without even trying.

Ghee, cardamom and ginger all add delicious Indian layers of flavor.  Ghee (clarified butter) is easy to find in health food stores. Can’t have dairy? Use coconut oil, or olive oil

Combining Corn and Amaranth just gives you another opportunity to explore with the wonderful gamut of gluten-free whole grains, but if you decide to make it an all-corn pudding or an all amaranth pudding, simply use all amaranth or all corn meal.

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Apple Crumb Pie Recipe. Stone Fruit Variations

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Vanilla Bean Levana Nourishments

apple crumb

 

Apple Crumb Pie, the all-time American favorite!

And as easy to make as the proverbial…. apple crumb pie! One of my favorite comfort foods.

No crust here, but loads of crunchy topping.

All Gluten-Free Friends:

T is a snap to make the gluten-free way too, so go for it.

Berry Crumb Pie or Stone Fruit Crumb Pie: stone fruit and berries are plentiful (or if you want to use frozen anytime, my great favorite), scroll down to the bottom to find instructions.

If you get ambitious, make 6-8 individual pies in 3-4 inch ramekins, it will add a little prep work, but will be beautiful.

Although I recommend serving apple crumb pie warm, room temperature will work too.

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