project zucchini

I wish you could have seen the look on Steve’s face when I told him I was making zucchini pancakes for breakfast. You would have thought that he was five years old and just found out that Santa was actually his father tripping over the couch to get to the cookies and milk in the middle of the night. Pure horror, framed with bed head. To be honest I was a little insulted. Here I was slaving away in the kitchen to make us a wonderful breakfast and there he sat starring at me with absolutely nothing to say. Instead of pouting about his lack of excitement I frothed him up a Chai Tea latte and set to work on grating my zucchini.

Let me back up a little. My morning started so pleasantly until Mr. Crazyhairgrumpyface decided to wake from his slumber and rain on my parade. I was wide-awake just as the light of day began to push the darkness of night away. Rylee and I crept downstairs to cuddle under a blanket, read cookbooks and watch the morning mist linger through the trees and then slowly evaporate into the sun. It’s peaceful and I love it.

On this particular Sunday I opened the fridge to plan our breakfast and the pickins were slim. There was a nearly empty carton of almond milk, one egg and a vegetable drawer full of zucchini. Zucchini was going to be the headliner to our breakfast and there was no getting around it. I rummaged through the cabinets and found half a bag of gluten free pancake mix and all of sudden I was face to face with another pancake breakfast. For two people who typically choose waffles over pancakes we have sure had our fair share of this lovely meal lately.

These are gluten free for those of you trying to cut wheat out of your diet.  I used a really versatile mix from The Pure Pantry. You can also use one of my other pancake recipes if wheat isn’t a problem for you. I channeled an old zucchini bread recipe to use as inspiration and added cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and brown sugar. The outcome is pillowy soft, slightly sweet and super moist.

If you get a few grumbles from the peanut gallery when to start to make these for breakfast, ignore them and carry on. The grumbling will stop once it hits their lips.

Gluten Free Zucchini Pancakes

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 4 minutes per pancake

Serves 4

1 1/3 cup Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix

1 Egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or applesauce

1 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk

1 medium zucchini, grated

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Whisk the pancake mix, egg, oil and milk together until smooth. Add all the spices and sugar then mix in the zucchini.
2. Heat a flat skillet and spray with non-stick spray or use a little butter.
3. Using a 1/4 cup measure scoop pancake mix onto the skillet, wait for small bubbles to appear, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute or so until slightly brown.
4. Serve with pure maple syrup or eat as is.