Hi Everyone! San Diego experiences some pretty serious May Gray and June Gloom every single year and this year was no exception. This weekend, heading into July, the sun has finally come out…right on cue! I hope you all have a happy, sunny 4th of July!

MONDAY:
– Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

TUESDAY:
– Cora’s Taco Recipe (with ground turkey)

WEDNESDAY:
– City Taco in North Park

THURSDAY:
– 4th of July Cookout 

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Build-Your-Own Naan Pizzas on the Grill

You know the drill…share those weekly meal plans in the comments below!

Hey there. So, I totally spaced it last week with menu planning. Apparently I am in full on summer mode? Goodness. Here’s this week’s plan!

MONDAY:
– Kebabs on the Grill
– Rice Pilaf

TUESDAY:
– Pat’s Asian Chicken Salad

WEDNESDAY:
– Lentil Rice Bowls with Lime Tahini Dressing

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Caprese Salad
– Fresh fruit

SATURDAY:
– Work party (pizza for the kids)

SUNDAY:
– Grilled Salmon
– Salad and roasted potatoes

Please pretty please share your meal plans in the comments below! You guys are the best!

I have another gluten-free, dairy-free recipe for you today…banana oat pancakes! There are a million blog posts out there sharing what is essentially this recipe, but I wasn’t loving any one version in particular. So, I ended up coming up with my own particular formula for this recipe. After a bit of tinkering I think the recipe is ready for public consumption! These banana oat pancakes are thick with great flavor and texture, almost like banana bread in pancake form. 

There were a few reasons I was not loving the banana oat pancake recipes out there. First, a lot of them use a blender, in which case the recipes calls for a measurement of rolled oats. I would rather have a recipe that lists a measurement for oat flour and skip the blender (at least at the time of making the pancakes…I do in fact use my blender to make my oat flour, but that’s another story for another blog post). I’m all about dirtying as few dishes as possible, so having to use the blender when wanting to throw together a quick batch of pancakes is annoying to me. Difference #1 from most other recipes: my recipe calls for oat flour and no blender.

Second, most of the recipes had no fat source. I feel like a quick bread needs some sort of fat incorporated into the recipe to work to its best ability. I used coconut oil, but you could also use butter (if you don’t need to skip dairy). 

Third, another feature that other recipes brag about is that they only has 3 ingredients! Two ingredients! No ingredients! 😉 With this recipe the additional ingredients are items you already have in your cupboard (salt, baking powder, etc) and I think they totally make the pancakes better. So, I’m resisting the urge to cut down the number of ingredients just so I can say “only 3 ingredients.” When the ingredients are something you have around, go ahead and use them! The recipe is still simple and tastes better with a little extra love.

If you are looking for a recipe that uses a blender or less ingredients, definitely go ahead and Google banana oat pancakes. My recipe below, however, is my favorite version of banana oat pancakes. Enjoy!

Banana Oat Pancakes (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (you can use butter instead if you aren't worried about dairy)
• 1 average-sized banana
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk of your choice (I use oat milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1¼ cup oat flour

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, melt the coconut oil (or butter if that's what you're using) in the microwave (takes about 20 seconds). If you are using coconut oil and it's already in liquid form, skip the melting step.
2. Add the banana to the bowl and carefully mash the banana into the oil with a fork, taking care not to splash the oil all over your nice shirt! 😉
3. Add the egg, milk, vanilla and salt and mix really well with the fork.
4. If you don't mind getting a small bowl a little bit dirty, whisk together the baking powder and oat flour and then add that to the wet ingredients. This will ensure the most even distribution of ingredients. If you really want to keep this to one bowl, add the baking powder and whisk it in well, making sure to stir until you don't see anymore little baking powder lumps, then stir in the oat flour and mix well.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan has been heating for 3-5 minutes, pour batter onto ban to form pancakes. I use my large cookie scoop, which makes 4-inch pancakes. The batter will thicken as it sits – if by the time you are pouring the batter onto the pan it is quite thick, don't be afraid to use your scoop/spoon/ladle to press the pancake batter out so the pancakes are not too thick.
6. Let the pancakes cook on the first side until the edges start to look dry and you have a few popped bubbles starting to form on the top. (There won't be as many of these bubbles as with a normal pancake recipe, but there will be a few.)
7. Flip the pancakes and immediately press them down to flatten them out a bit. The pancakes have no problem getting nice and thick, but you want to make sure they cook through, so forcing them to be a little less thick is a-okay. Cook until the second side is nicely browned.
8. Serve with your favorite pancake toppings!

Notes

Makes 8 4-inch pancakes

3.4.3177

Well, as predicted, I totally did not use my menu last week! We had school events every single night and I never had time to cook or even go grocery shopping. So, I’m just copying and pasting last week’s menu. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually done this, so you’re witnessing a first! 😉

MONDAY:
– Cheeseburgers (with ground turkey)
– Roasted Potatoes and Salad

TUESDAY:
– Pat’s Asian Chicken Salad

WEDNESDAY:
– Chili

THURSDAY:
– Spaghetti Bolognese (with ground turkey)
– Salad and garlic bread

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Lentil Rice Bowls with Lime Tahini Dressing

Posting today’s menu is making me laugh…man, it was easy just copying last week! My grocery list is even already done. Haha! Sorry I don’t have much new inspiration for you for the week, but at least we can pull ideas from each other. Be sure to share your menu in the comments below!

I have a couple carry-overs from last week’s menu because I really dragged out leftovers as much as I could this past week. Man, the last month of school gets so busy! I imagine this week won’t go as planned, either, but at least getting a plan and the grocery shopping done will help…hopefully!

MONDAY:
– Cheeseburgers (with ground turkey)
– Roasted Potatoes and Salad

TUESDAY:
– Pat’s Asian Chicken Salad

WEDNESDAY:
– Chili

THURSDAY:
– Spaghetti Bolognese (with ground turkey)
– Salad and garlic bread

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Lentil Rice Bowls with Lime Tahini Dressing

Your turn! Please share your meal plan in the comments below!