Single-Serve Pancakes with Gingerbread Pecan Butter from Living Candida-Free

Many of you may already be familiar with Ricki Heller and her popular website, a fantastic resource for vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free recipes and information about living with candida. Her new book, Living Candida-Free, offers practical and realistic strategies for anyone wishing to follow an anti-candida diet, as well as more than 100 recipes that anyone—on a special diet or not—can enjoy. Since many people aren’t familiar with candida, I asked Ricki in this guest post to explain what candida is and how she conquers it on a plant-based diet. 

I was hired to do the food photography for this book, so I was able to try out a number of the recipes. Luckily, Ricki is allowing me to share one of my favourite recipes from the book below, the single-serve pancakes. I love them because they’re made with wholesome ingredients like chia, quinoa, buckwheat and hemp. They’re also super simple to make and have become one of my go-to weekend breakfast recipes. For more delicious, sugar-free recipes and information about living candida-free, grab a copy of the book or sign up for Ricki’s Candida Kick-Start Course.

As a self-proclaimed sugar addict, I was perturbed (to say the least) when I was first diagnosed with candida and had to embark on an anti-candida diet.

Candida is a form of yeast that normally lives in the intestinal tract in harmony with all the other organisms that reside there. In a healthy body, candida causes no problems and can even be beneficial to help keep toxins under control.

But when things go awry (a condition often referred to as “dysbiosis”) in the internal microcosm, candida can quickly grow out of control and wreak havoc. Symptoms like overweaning fatigue, sugar cravings, foggy thinking, allergies, joint aches and all kinds of yeast infections can begin to develop and interfere with normal functioning.

Carob Pudding from Living Candida-Free

The usual treatment for candida overgrowth is a diet devoid of all sugars (even fruit), starches, yeast, alcohol and all moldy foods, along with antifungal supplements (and perhaps prescription antifungals, too).

So you can understand why I was concerned about having to follow the diet.

In addition, most candida diets shun a vegan approach to eating. Because meat, poultry, fish and eggs are all free of sugars or starches, they are usually recommended as the best forms of protein while battling the yeast. Some diets even go so far as to suggest that it’s impossible to remain plant-based while clearing the candida.

Eggplant “Parmesan” from Living Candida-Free

Well, I’m happy to say I proved those folks otherwise—even with a very severe case of the syndrome. It took some experimentation, working with a fantastic naturopath and time, but I managed to clear my candida while living a normal life and even created some delicious recipes along the way (recipes I am proud to serve to my husband, friends and family—and they don’t even realize they’re “special” foods!).

Fellow sugar addicts, take heart: if you’re dealing with candida, it IS possible to remain plant-based and conquer the yeast. With dedication, persistence, and some kick-ass recipes, you’ll be on your way and feeling better in no time.

ACD-Friendly Grain-Free Granola from Living Candida-Free

And even if you’re not dealing with candida overgrowth, the anti-candida diet is still a great way to transition to a diet free of refined sugar and incorporate more natural, lower glycemic sweeteners in your recipes; it’s a great resource for diabetics, too.

Single-serve pancakes

Yield: Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons (75 ml) milk of choice (unsweetened almond, hemp, flax, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) raw apple cider vinegar
• 5 to 10 drops plain or vanilla pure liquid stevia, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) smooth natural almond butter or sunflower seed butter
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) whole chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) uncooked quinoa, millet, or amaranth
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) uncooked whole buckwheat
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) raw shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut flour
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking powder
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• Coconut oil, for pan (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the milk, vinegar, stevia, and almond butter until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a coffee grinder or blender, grind the chia, quinoa, buckwheat, hemp seeds, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt to a powder. Pour the mixture over the wet ingredients in the bowl and stir to blend. It will seem a bit too thick for pancake batter and more like a soft cookie dough. This is as it should be.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat (brush with coconut oil if it has a tendency to stick). Divide the batter in half and place in the skillet (I use an ice-cream scoop), then use a spatula to flatten to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Cook until the top begins to dry out (about 4 minutes); flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately. May be prepared in advance and frozen. Will keep, frozen, for up to 3 months.

From Living Candida-Free by Ricki Heller. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2015

Let me explain.

A few days earlier, I was browsing through some of my favourite food blogs and came across an absolutely stunning post on Golubka. (If you haven’t visited that blog yet, you must go there. Now.) You see, I wasn’t necessarily looking for recipes to try out because, at that time, I felt like I really needed a break from the kitchen. I was essentially living vicariously through other people’s creations and bookmarking intriguing ideas to try after the holidays.

Have you ever come across a recipe that just screams “Make me!” That’s what this recipe did to me.

I started with the basic bread recipe and got to work soaking, sprouting and dehydrating. Rather than sticking to a basic savoury flavour, I decided to make a new version of my beloved banana bread by adding bananas, walnuts, cinnamon and a touch of agave nectar. And boy, was I happy with the outcome. It results in a crispy outer crust and a nice, moist banana bread-like centre. The sprinkle of seeds on top is also a must.

The best part about this bread recipe is that there’s no need for flour, yeast or sugar. I experimented with two versions, one baked and one dehydrated, and I must admit that I liked the texure and taste of the baked version much better. Dehydrating does work, but I could detect a subtle fishy flavour from the Irish moss, so you might want to add more spices or other flavours if you prefer to use that method. Or, make sure to thoroughly rinse your Irish moss several times before making it into a paste! Lesson learned.

Also, feel free to use whatever seeds you have on hand for this recipe. It seems quite versatile. I made two mini loafs, but you can easily make one large loaf or several small buns (or even bagels!) if you prefer. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the baking time though. Enjoy!

Sprouted multiseed banana loaf

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mixture of raw oat groats, buckwheat groats, amaranth and millet seeds, preferably sprouted (or just soaked overnight) and dehydrated
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds, preferably sprouted and dehydrated
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup psyllium husks
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 very ripe bananas, peeled (mine were previously frozen)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup Irish moss paste (see instructions here)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Agave glaze:

• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Set aside.
2. Start by grinding the grains, flax seeds and sunflower seeds. I did it in batches using a spice grinder, but a high-speed blender will work, too.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ground grains and seeds. Add the sesame seeds, psyllium husks, cinnamon and salt and whisk together.
4. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas using a fork. Add the water, Irish moss paste, agave nectar and coconut oil and whisk until well combined and fairly smooth. (You can also do this step using a blender, if desired.)
5. Pour the wet mixture in the dry mixture and mix to form a dough. You might want to use your hands at this point. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
6. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and shape into a loaf (I made two long, thin loafs).
7. Make the agave glaze by whisking together the agave and water. Brush the glaze over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with a mixture of seeds.
8. Bake the loaf at 350F for about one hour or until the loaf is golden and crispy to the touch. Allow to cool before slicing.

Basic bread recipe adapted from Golubka's recipe.