Jeremiah's Pancakes (lactose free)

For breakfast this morning we made up a nice batch of pancakes with some fruit salad on the side. A perfect Saturday morning "fun breakfast" as it's referred to in our house. I will admit that I am not exactly a "pancake person" (hisses and boos from all Canadians, I know, I know) - but I just LOVE these guys. We first got this recipe from our very dear friend when we hiked through Frontenac Park earlier this summer. The nice thing about it is that it has no dairy products - ie. great for those are are intolerant to lactose. They make up such an incredibly light, fluffy little pancake - it's amazing that there's no milk in them. I find that this recipe makes enough for about 3-4 people. We make a half batch for 2 people for breakfast. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

The man himself, making up pancakes in the bush

Mix all of your dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients and stir until just moistened (the batter will still be a little lumpy... that's okay!). Heat some oil on medium heat in a large skillet. When the pan is nice and hot, add 1/3 cup servings of batter - flip when bottom is lightly browned and you start to see little bubbles on the top of the pancake. Serve with maple syrup!

Pears Glazed with Maple Syrup

Who doesn't love a nice, fresh pear? This dessert is really quite lovely for the pear lovers out there. It would make a nice brunchy-breakfast too. Make sure not to skip the lemon juice step as this is important for ensuring that the pears don`t brown too quickly. The original recipe called for fresh heavy cream, but I`ve suggested going with yoghurt for a slightly more healthier bent. Picking up some nicely pressed yoghurt would be just devine with this dish. If it`s a special occasion though, go for it with the cream. No regrets. A big thanks to my mum for finding this recipe for us. Bon appétit!

Ingredients1/2 cup heavy cream (or substitute yoghurt for a healthier twist)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 Comice pears (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
handful of roasted walnuts, pecans or almonds

Directions
1.In a chilled mixing bowl, combine cream, vanilla and cardamom and whip until cream holds soft peaks. Alternatively, mix cardamom and vanilla with fresh plain or pressed yoghurt. Refrigerate, covered.

2.Quarter or half pears, core, and peel. If desired, cut quarters in half. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

3.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange pears in skillet and cook on one side until pears just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add maple syrup and cook until pears are tender, about 1 minute more. Turn pears and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and allow pears to cool slightly. Transfer to bowls and serve warm, topped with whipped cream/yoghurt.

- recipe adapted from Everyday Food, photo cred to Simple Bites