Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is Chicken Tortilla soup with no tortillas!  This soup is absolutely delicious and is definitely one of my new favorites!  This recipe is from PaleOMG.  My husband doesn't like chunky vegetables so my soup is a smooth soup whereas the original recipe is delightfully chunky.  The avocado mixed in when serving is so ridiculously creamy and amazing but then again I'm avocado obsessed these days and could just spend all day every day eating avocados.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken:

3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2.5lbs worth)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Soup Base:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
1 (14oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
32 oz fluid chicken stock (I used low sodium, no sugar added)
juice of 2 limes
chopped cilantro, to garnish
crushed plantain chips, to garnish
sliced avocado, to garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour on some olive oil and then sprinkle with cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts). Once your chicken is done baking, use two fork to shred the chicken. While your chicken is baking, get your soup ready. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat then add your minced garlic. Add onions, red bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and poblano pepper. Mix around to help coat. Once your onions begin to become translucent, pour in your green chiles and diced fire roasted tomatoes, along with the rest of your spices. Mix together. Then add your shredded chicken and chicken stock to the pot. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. When your soup has simmered, add in your lime juice and a bit more salt and pepper.
Add your soup to a bowl along with avocado, cilantro, and plantain chips.  YUM!

Homemade Almond Milk

So I'm getting ready to start this super strict Paleo & WOD challenge with my Crossfit group.  I can only buy vanilla and original Almond milk here in Japan and they both are sweetened with sugar or something that is basically sugar.  I needed Almond milk for my morning coffee with no sugar.  So I sweetened it with dates.  You know I've never had a date before until last week.  They just sound awful.  I tell you what I absolutely LOVE them.  I like to stuff them with an almond and eat them but that's another story.  Anyways, this is the Almond milk I make now for my coffee and it's really easy to do.  I found this recipe at Everyday Paleo .  Just know this is a two day process so start the day before you want your milk.  This keeps for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.  Also, homemade almond milk tends to seperate when added to hot beverages like coffee or tea.  To prevent this you need to add it to a pot after you make it and simmer it on a low heat for about 15 minutes then pour into your storage container. 

Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds

3 cups of water

4 dates

1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract

1 nut milk bag (you can use cheese clothe and a strainer if you can’t find a nut milk bag)

Soak one cup of raw almonds in water for 12-24 hours. 

After 12-24 hours strain the almonds you had soaking and add them into your blender along with 2-3 cups of fresh water (the less water you add the more creamy the almond milk will be), dates, and vanilla extract. Blend for a minute or two. Once it is completely blended and mixed pour your almond milk through the nut milk bag (or cheese clothe and strainer) into a bowl. Squeeze as much of the liquid from the nut milk bag as possible. Once all the milk has drained through the bag you can either toss the remaining almond pulp or lay it on a cookie sheet covered in foil and dry it out in the oven at 175 till it is all dried out and you will have your own homemade almond meal.

Paleo Almond Flour Biscuits

Say what?  Yup, that's right, grain-free biscuits.  These are Paleo friendly biscuits!  I was quite skeptical at first because, well I'm from South Carolina.  This Southern girl can make a rockin' biscuit!  I've  been making biscuits for years.  I thought this would be dense and terrible.  Surprisingly, it was really tasty!  I'd make this again for sure.  It is light and fluffy.  A bit crumbly but I mean come on, it's grain-free!  A definite must try for anyone doing Paleo or steering clear of dairy and/or grains.  

Oh and this is the last post I'm going to put the word Paleo in the title.  I think I've made enough Paleo recipes lately to stop saying it in the title and just label it and mention it here.  Until otherwise noted, I'm a Paleo girl and hope to stay that way. 

The original recipe is from Food Renegade. 

Grain-Free Biscuits
Yield: 4 breakfast sandwiches

1 cup almond flour
4 egg whites
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

In a mixer (or with a fork) combine the coconut oil and almond flour until you have little broken up, pea-sized bits of butter distributed into the flour.  Depending on the temperature, your coconut oil may just melt in and mix without it being pea sized.  Add the egg whites, salt, and baking powder. Mix to combine. If the batter doesn’t seem stiff enough to retain its shape while baking, add more almond flour a little at a time until it does. (Based on the comments below, this step is essential. Different almond flours are more absorbent than others.) The original recipe calls for 1 cup of almond flour so I suggest starting with that.  I used more like 1 1/2 cups when I made the recipe.  Scoop the batter into 4 even portions and place onto a greased or silicone-lined baking sheet. The dough should be scoopable by spoon but not an actual hands on type of dough.  Bake at 350F for about 20-22 minutes, until slightly golden.

(**Note - These biscuits are roughly 280 calories a piece)

Paleo Pizza Crust

I'm really not overly sure how many times I've attempt to do the Paleo diet and failed but yet again my husband and I have decided to try.  It is such a restrictive diet from the American "normal" diet that it is a bit difficult to adjust to.  BUT I've already given up dairy this year and I eat almost no bread or grains anymore with the exception of oats so I feel I'm better prepared to try this again.  It is how I would like to eat.  Lots of protein, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit.  You cannot have grains, so no flour, no corn, no oats.  No beans.  Nothing processed.  No sugar.  Sounds super healthy and I need to strive to eat better.  My kids LOVE pizza!!

This to me was like eating a pizza on top of a unsweetened, garlic flavored pancake.  I need it to be a bit thinner and more crisp for me to really get on board with it but it definitely has potential.  I just need to work with it a bit more to make it something more fitting for me.  My kids both loved it.  My ridiculously picky daughter ate 3 mini pizzas.  They ate it without any complaint.  We made homemade Paleo sausage to top our super veggie pizza which was amazing.  Granted after I made this I realized I think bell peppers are a nightshade vegetable and I've got to read up on that a bit but I don't think I'm suppose to be eating those, oops. 

Just to make things easier I opted to cook these on a griddle first (like pancakes) for easier flipping and so everyone could have there own mini pizzas then we topped them and baked them in the oven. 

Found the original recipe here - Caveman Strong.  We changed a few things from the original recipe.


Paleo Pizza Crust
 
3 eggs
1/2 cup of coconut flour
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. dried basil
1 crushed/minced garlic clove
 
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Prep cookie sheet or pizza pan by covering it with parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan.  Brush with coconut oil or olive oil to prevent sticking.

Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined.  Start pouring on your griddle immediately as the batter will thicken as time goes on. This will be more like a batter….not so much dough.  After 2-3 minutes flip the pancake sized mini pizza crusts and place finished ones on the baking sheet.  Bake an additional 6-10 minutes until toppings are heated through.  

You can pour the entire batter into any shape or size you want and bake for 20 minutes then flip in the oven (use parchment paper to prevent sticking) if you prefer to use that method iinstead of the griddle.  

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Streusel Pie

When it comes to the holidays it is really hard to eat dairy-free.  Rolls, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, pies, cakes, cookies.  They all have dairy in them.  Every Thanksgiving I make a pumpkin pie.  Who doesn't?  I love, love, love Pumpkin Pie.  Well since giving up dairy the beginning of this year I've been dreading Thanksgiving.  How am I going to do a traditional Thanksgiving feast with no dairy whatsoever?!  I decided to start with a pie makeover.  I wanted to take my all time favorite pumpkin recipe and make it dairy free but I wanted every single person that ate it to have absolutely no clue in the world that it was missing all the cream and butter it normally has.  Well, I've done it.  I've knocked it out of the park and couldn't be happier!  My entire family absolutely loves it.  I think it is amazing and am thrilled with how it turned out!  My secret - silken tofu pureed in place of heavy cream! 
 

Pumpkin Struesel Pie

Pie Filling:
1 15oz. can pure pumpkin 

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

8 oz. silken tofu, drained

1 c. pure maple syrup

3 large eggs

Streusel Topping:

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

4 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 tbsp. unsalted dairy-free butter, very cold (I use organic Smart Balance Vegan Spread)

Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, flour and salt in a mixer with whisk attachment and beat until just combined.  In a blender add the silken tofu and maple syrup and puree until completely smooth.  Add the syrup tofu mixture into the pumpkin mixture and beat until well combined.  Stop and scrape down sides and add in eggs one at a time and beat until combined.  Pour into pie crust and bake 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake another 35 minutes.  While it is baking combine all streusel ingredients in a bowl and use a fork or your hands and crumble it together until the butter is about the size of peas and almost all streusel mixture is sticky and crumbly.  Take pie out of oven and sprinkle streusel all over the top of it.  Place back in the oven for another 20 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before serving so pie has time to set.  The pie should still be a bit jiggly in the middle when you remove it and it will set as it cools.  A firm non-jiggly center means it is overcooked.     

Dairy-Free Pie Dough:

3 c. flour

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. shortening
12 tbsp. non-dairy butter

1/2 c. ice cold water

Place the shortening in fridge ahead of time or freezer to get it nice and cold before you prepare the dough.  Dice the butter and place it back into the refrigerator. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the very cold butter and very cold shortening. Pulse a few times until the butter is bite size. Turn the machine on and slowly add the ice water down the feed tube until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball.  Divide and press into a flat circle and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle.  This makes 2 pie crusts.  The other can be refrigerated a few days or placed in the freezer for later use.  Make sure to spray your pie pan before rolling it out though to prevent it from sticking once it is baked.   

NOTE:  Organic Smart Balance Vegan Spread is like using salted butter.  So I opt to omit the salt from my pie recipe and the pie crust. 

Blueberry Crumb Cake

I love wild blueberries.  I mean regular blueberries are good but wild blueberries are awesome.  The fresh blueberries here are way too expensive and look sad but I can get frozen wild blueberries so I buy those and use them.  Since Spring is around the corner, well for us anyways.  I know many people in the states it has been unseasonably warm already but for us in Japan it is still cold and jacket weather.  I decided to make this blueberry crumb cake.  As it was baking in the oven all I could think about was eating a nice big slice of this cake with a Grande Soy Carmel Macciato.  I don't have coffee in my house anymore since giving up dairy because what's a cup of coffee without half and half?  My wonderful husband voluntarily gave up coffee as well since he knew how much I loved it and how hard it was for me to do.  I watched everyone in my house eat this cake for two days while I patiently waited for my Starbucks drink.  Today was finally that day.  After a trip to the doctors office with my kids I found a parking spot next to Starbucks.  That sounds easy but here there is no parking, parking is a thing nightmares are made of.  Even here on the Navy base, parking is non-existent.  With sick kids I can't just walk and get my coffee but I snatched up that spot and had to carry my sleeping 2 year old into Starbucks to get us all some drinks before heading home and heating up that amazing blueberry cake.  It was well worth the wait.  This cake is amazing, especially the topping with the layer of sugar sprinkled over the top.

1/2 stick non-dairy butter (or regular)
1 Tablespoon (additional) non-dairy Butter
3/4 cups Sugar
1 whole Egg
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups All-purpose Flour
2-1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cups Almond Milk (or whole milk)
2 cups Fresh or frozen Blueberries


FOR THE TOPPING:
3/4 sticks non-dairy Butter (or regular)
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 cup Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, and a salt. Stir and set aside.

Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with cinnamon and sugar. Add egg and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until totally incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.  Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Pour in batter.
In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut together using two knives or a pastry cutter. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.  Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp. of sugar over the top.  Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve with softened butter.

Banana Nut Oatmeal Waffles

I tried Alton Brown's Oat Waffles this morning for breakfast. I wish I could say I was making these for the kids but I really wanted them for myself. They were really good. I love being able to grind oats and use them in place of flour. Not only does it taste great but getting rid of that white flour in a recipe is awesome. I did again make this recipe dairy-free for my family but you certainly can use buttermilk and butter in place of my dairy-free substitutes. I did exchange the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour too. Next time I'm gonna try to see if I can get these tasting just as good and make them gluten-free. I added bananas and pecans to my waffles as those are my favorite pancake, waffle or french toast combination. I think I'm in love with my new waffle iron! Just a quick note you absolutely don't have to take the time to toast the oats first if you don't want to. It will bring out the nutty flavor of the oats a bit more but I skip this step often and they are just as good.

Banana Nut Oatmeal Waffles

5 1/2 oz. old fashioned rolled oats
4 oz. whole wheat pastry flour
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs, beaten
2 oz. dairy-free butter, melted and slightly cooled
16 oz. almond milk, at room temperature

Optional Toppings:
Dairy-free butter
Sliced bananas
handful of chopped nuts

Heat a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat. Add the oats and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Cool the oats in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Grind the toasted oats in a food processor until the consistency of whole wheat flour, about 3 minutes.

Heat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

Whisk together the toasted oat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs and melted butter together in another bowl, then add the almond milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. If you are adding nuts you can add some in now and use the rest to top the waffles later.  Rest the batter for 5 minutes. Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter into the hot iron. Close the iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from the iron. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately or keep warm in a preheated 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Dairy Free Cinnamon Bread

Alright let's see if my son sleeps long enough for me to actually get this recipe posted.  I first saw this recipe on Sweet as Sugar Cookies which she got from Closet Cooking.  I love cinnamon.  I'm the type of person that always doubles the cinnamon in any recipe that calls for it because I just love the flavor of it.  I was so excited to see that this recipe called for 2 tbsp. of cinnamon!  No such thing as too much cinnamon especially when combined with sugar and made into a bread.  I decided to make this loaf into a dairy free version so I could enjoy a bit more of it with guilt.  This bread not only smelled incredible but turned out really good too.  My husband had no idea it was dairy free and said he could only imagine on how much better it would have been with dairy.  It has to be good if he didn't notice and still enjoyed it.  I think this also would be awesome as muffins.   I did give my bread a swirl or two with a butter knife before popping in the oven which is where the cinnamon is swirled and not layered in the pictures.

Dairy-Free Cinnamon Bread

4 tbsp. dairy free butter (such as 100% organic Smart Balance)

1 c. granulated sugar

2 extra large eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. almond milk

Filling and Topping:

1 c. light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, salt, and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add alternately to the creamed mixture along with the almond milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well mixed. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon mixture. Repeat the layers twice more, ending with cinnamon on top.  Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes or until it tests done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let rest in the pan 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.

Swiss Chard w/ Bacon

This is the organic swiss chard we picked up at the Farmer's Market this weekend.  I love swiss chard, not just the bright vibrant colors but the taste as well.  If you've never tried it I definitely suggest giving it a shot.  I find it is quite similar to spinach.  This is a really simple, quick side dish that goes great with any meal.   Not to mention adding bacon always makes everything better! Of course, this is a really good healthy dish if you simply omit the bacon and use a bit of olive oil to saute your garlic and start wilting your greens in. 

Swiss Chard w/ Bacon

2 bundles of swiss chard

4 slices of bacon, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. chicken stock

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. paprika 

Remove the stems from the swiss chard.  Roll all the leaves together and starting at one end cut longs strips.  Put in a strainer and make sure it is washed thoroughly.  Render bacon in a saute pan on medium until crispy.  Remove the bacon but leave the bacon fat in the pan.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and allow to start to cook just a minute before adding in the swiss chard.  Give it a toss and once it starts to wilt pour over the chicken stock. Add in the nutmeg and parika.  Toss to combine all and cover.  Once completely wilted turn off heat and allow to simmer for just a few more minutes.  Top with the bacon before serving.     

Coconut Creamed Spinach w/ Almonds

So since I'm eating better I couldn't make my normal delicious creamed spinach recipe so I modified it to fit my new diet better.  Now you ask, is this just like or as good as regular creamed spinach.  No, of course not.  Regular creamed spinach has a bunch of heavy cream and lots of Parmesan cheese and this has neither.  This is just something a bit different from regular sauteed spinach not to mention this is much better for you/me.  I thought it was good and I'd have it again.  I, of course, miss my cream and cheese but I'll have it again soon enough I'm sure.  Don't worry all these weird off the wall recipes will only be happening for about 30 days then "normal" foods will start popping back up on here! I feel like my blog is sad without dessert but we'll get our sugar back and get to make desserts again.  By the time I get to do that again I'll be living in an entirely new country as the beginning of June we are being stationed/moved to Japan.  Exciting!

Coconut Creamed Spinach

1 large bag of baby spinach

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 tsp. coconut oil

2 tbsp. almond flour

1 tbsp. chopped almonds

1/4 c. coconut milk (or cream)

Add coconut oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to oil on a medium heat.  Add the almond flour and whisk so it isn't lumpy. Add in the spinach and pour the coconut milk or coconut cream over the top and let wilt down.  You may need a bit less of the milk depending on the size of your spinach bag, mine was huge.  The sauce isn't going to be thick because it has no flour and it isn't heavy cream so except it to be a bit runny but just use a slotted spoon to serve it and top it with almonds for an extra crunch and some texture. 

Almond Flour Pancakes

I've never used almond flour before but bought some yesterday.  I'm trying to change the diet of everyone in our house to a bit more healthy and trying to eliminate some sugars and grains like regular flour and replace them with fruits and veggies.  So I'm trying some new recipes these days like this one here.  I love trying new things and when I saw this recipe I thought hmm, worth a shot.  It was unbelievably difficult to flip these pancakes without them falling apart everywhere but they were extremely tasty.  I think I need one of those super thin spatulas.  Of course, they aren't exactly like a regular pancake with taste and fluffiness as they are made neither with white flour and they don't have leavening agents in them.  I feel like this recipe, with a bit of tweaking can become a new Saturday morning breakfast in our house.  I chopped a bunch of strawberries up on top and the combination of the nutty almond flour and strawberries was absolutely delicious.

Almond Flour Pancakes

1 c. almond flour (also called almond meal)
2 eggs
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
coconut oil (for greasing the pan)

Combine the eggs, honey, and vanilla and whisk together.  Add in the almond flour, cinnamon and salt and whisk until just combined.  Heat a pan over medium heat and add a splash of the coconut oil so it doesn't stick.  Add about 1/8 cup of the batter quickly turning the pan a bit to make sure it spreads out.  Cook until golden brown and flip and cook another minute or two. Serve with berries and a bit of pure maple syrup.

Post shared with:
At Home with Haley
Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Alli-n-Son
Moms Crazy Cooking

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes (Non-Dairy)

I posted a few weeks ago my regular buttermilk pancake recipe which is awesome.  These are an alternative.  My regular ones take a bit more time and effort.  These are my quick go-to for my daughter's breakfast.  This is actually a whole wheat pancake, non-dairy, no sugar and with added pumpkin and banana.  So if you aren't looking for something healthier, check out my regular pancake post.  If you are looking for a healthy quick pancake recipe, this is the one for you.  I use Almond Milk (plain) instead of regular buttermilk to eliminate the dairy.  I also use whole wheat flour for the extra fiber, pumpkin puree for the extra fiber and because it is high in Vitamin A.  I also ran out of Agave Nectar the other day so I used honey in this today though usually I use Agave.  The bananas are mashed and added for extra sweetness instead of using extra sweetener but you can totally leave it out if you want.  Though I don't have a problem with sugar I like to use more natural sources in things when I can.  I care very much about the things my daughter eats and like to start the day with something nutritious that isn't sugar loaded.  Now the picture does have maple syrup, that is my plate, haha!  My daughter eats hers with a thin layer of peanut butter instead of syrup to give her extra protein.  These taste great and you'd never even know they were healthy!   These freeze great.  I always make an extra batch and freeze them all.  Take one out, pop it in the microwave for 25 seconds, flip it and another 25 seconds and it makes a super easy healthy weekday breakfast for the kids or for you. My regular pancakes have the eggs separated and the whites whipped and folded into the batter,  this recipe is a quicker version of pancakes.  Which means you can do that if you have the time which will give you a much fluffier lighter pancake but these are really good without it too.  

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 tbsp. agave nectar or honey
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. canola vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. plain Almond Milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. pumpkin puree (about 1/2 of the can)

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

**optional - 2 medium bananas, mashed (very ripe)

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.  In a separate bowl combine the honey, eggs, oil, almond milk, vanilla, and pumpkin and combine well.  In yet another bowl, mash the bananas and add it into the pumpkin mixture.  Combine the wet and dry and whisk until just barely combined, do not over mix or your pancakes won't be fluffy but more dense.  Pour into desired size on a hot buttered or oiled skillet or griddle and cook until you see bubbles on one side, then flip and repeat until both sides are golden.  Enjoy!