Cacao Strawberry Pancakes

I whipped up these pancakes last week as I needed a filling breakfast that felt naughty but was actually good for me...

They are made with half buckwheat and half brown rice flour which means 1) protein 2) fibre and 3) gluten free goodness..

And because I wanted them to be truly scrumptious... I added cacao and fresh strawberries. Boom! Winning combination!

It doesn't take longer than 5 minutes and these are a great option as a pre workout breakfast, say an hour before or a post workout brunch ( ideally you'd want to eat within half hour of training to help muscle recovery).

So what do you need and how do you make these yummy pancakes?

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

2 tsp baking powder (or use 3 tsp arrow root instead)

1 tbsp ground linseeds ( anti inflammatory plant omega 3 action)

2 tsp cinnamon ( helps balance blood sugar)

2 tbsp raw cacao (antioxidant action and energy fuel)

1tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp honey (or raw honey)

1 egg

1 cup almond or any other unsweetened dairy free milk

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

coconut oil ( I use a cold pressed one from Lucy Bee) for frying in the pan

Toppings

Smooth Almond butter (no added sugar)

a few more sliced strawberries

HOW TO DO IT....

It's very complicated...Pop all the ingredients in a bowl and mix till get a smooth batter, about 30 seconds. I know, are you sweating yet?

Heat up a tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan, then use a ladle and pour a little bit of your mix in, don't fill the ladle to the top, do half otherwise you won't be able to fit many pancakes in at the one time..

When they start to bubble on the top, flip them over and leave for another minute. Place them in your favourite plate, add some more coconut oil if you haven't got much left in the pan and pour more batter till all your mix is gone.

I made these pancakes today as well, and 6 came out  but that's because I made three in the shape of Mickey Mouse head...Yes, 36 years old and that's what makes me happy...

So if you make regular medium sized round pancakes you'll probably get 8 or 10 out of this.
Stack them up and sprinkle with more strawberry slices and swirl around some almond butter too for extra flavour, texture and protein.

I can honestly say they taste delicious and the protein content keeps your tummy fuller for longer!

So there you go, enjoy this guilt-free treat. From me, to you.x

Five questions with...Joe Kaye from Caffix.

About a month ago as I was strolling around the Goodge street area on my lunch break, I found myself in Newman Street, in front of a cute coffee shop called Caffix, and a sign that said :

EVERY ITEM £1.

What?!?! How was that possible? Surely it would be full of cheap precessed unhealthy food..
The same stuff I would probably find in Poundland..

Boy was I wrong.

As I walked in and looked on the refrigerator shelves, I could not believe I was looking at quinoa and kale salad pots, chickpea salads, bean salads, lovely sandwiches filled with chicken, ham...

And even  protein pots of boiled eggs, just like pret a manger...but everything was £1.

And should the weather turn cold..They also offer two different soups choices.

They even had fresh juices, water bottles and for the naughty ones..fizzy drinks like Cocoa Cola cans.

I was intrigued and kept looking around when I saw delicious muffins (some are even gluten and dairy free) and snacks like nuts and trail mix.

All this is in addition to coffees, hot chocolate and teas!


I needed to know how this was possible and found the man behind it all: Joe Kaye.

Here's what Joe told me about his little gem in the heart of London:

1. When did you open and how has the public's response been so far?
We opened at the end of May so about 6 weeks ago now. The public's reaction has been amazing. We have had so much interest from the local workers in the area as well as from people far away in the rest of London and the UK. We have even had people from the USA, Hungary and other parts of Europe come visit us while they have been in London as they read the reviews and saw the publicity in the papers.

2. Is all the food freshly made in your kitchen, juices included? 
We freshly make each day the majority of the food including baking some of the cakes including the flourless muffins and banana bread. A few items such as the hummus and falafel we have made for us by a specialist dedicated supplier. Yes all the juices are made in store.

3. How did you get the idea?
Prices for food in London and the UK are high, we have been wanting to expand our existing coffee shop in Finchley Central (Bites Coffee House) and thought we will try a different approach, giving people real value and choice. That is the essence of the Caffix concept, low price for good fresh quality food, and the ability to construct your own meal as you wish to taste it.

4. Where do you source your ingredients?
We try as much as possible to source locally so for example we use UK breed chicken, ham and beef. We use free range eggs in our egg pots and fresh market salad ingredients.
Our suppliers are highly reputable and industry leaders.

5. What is the most popular item? 
Our Apple lemon and ginger juice, jalapeño hummus and falafel pots, kale & quinoa pots, and in this hot weather our iced coffee frappe a are the most popular items.

6. Does the menu change? Is it seasonal?
We change the menu slightly every week, and are always looking at new items we can add. So we are currently developing a range of wraps, and fruit pots.



So, ladies and gentlemen, if you find yourself in the area do yourself a favour and check out Caffix, all products are single sized portions so if you wish you can pick and mix sort of like tapas.

Living in London is expensive enough and I believe a coffee shop with such affordable home-made food is nothing short than a breath of fresh air.


Love,

Foodolina



Caffix
45 Newman Street
W1T 1QE London
Open: Mon-Fri 7.30am-5.30pm