I’m bad at breakfast. Having worked remotely for six years now I have the terrible tendency to wake up, brew coffee, and jump right into my work. I know, it’s not the best habit. By the time lunch rolls around I’m so famished that I don’t necessarily prepare a good meal. It’s usually something thrown together in hungry desperation, or I’m so ravenous I just stand in front of the open refrigerator shoving slices of lunch meat in my mouth, which is not very Instagrammable.
I’ve been trying to be more intentional with my meals, especially when it comes to breakfast. Making overnight oats has helped me plan ahead, giving me delicious and nutritious meals that I can grab the moment hunger strikes, and go right back to work. The only prep time is a few minutes the night before mixing oats, yogurt or almond milk, nuts and fruits into a mason jar. My favorite overnight oats are a blueberry and walnut overnight oats that I make with almond milk and sweeten with cinnamon and honey. When I’m craving summer I go with peaches and cream overnight oats which have simply peaches, yogurt, cinnamon and steel cut oats.
But with no commute to ease me into the day, the routine of making breakfast seems like a good way to get my blood pumping and my senses stimulated. The smell of sweet pancakes, the sound of bacon sizzling on the griddle, and the taste of freshly brewed coffee are such a treat to wake up to. And to jazz things up even more, I’ve been adding vibrant colors to my meals.
Inspired by the blue corn flour sourdough bread I made a few months back, and my recent experiments with ruby chocolate, I decided to explore more ways to add color to my cooking.
Enter Blue Majik spirulina.
Spirulina is a type of microalgae that is low in calories and high in protein. It is most commonly green, but Blue Majik’s vibrant blue color is completely natural! It comes in a powder form that’s a dark, midnight blue, but when added to batter, dough, or smoothies, it turns your food an electric sky blue.
Word on the street is that it has some health benefits too, which I don’t doubt, but like I mentioned before I’m not into the idea of “superfoods” or touting magic diets that have instantaneous results. My perspective on food is that if it tastes good and makes you feel good (physically, mentally and spiritually) that’s great. If it happens to have health benefits, that’s a plus! In the case of Blue Majik spirulina, it’s got all three and it also happens to be a very beautiful ingredient. In terms of flavor, it adds a mild zesty tang to your food, but in some cases when other ingredients are overpowering, the flavor is too subtle to even notice.
As you may have seen on my Instagram I put a dash of Blue Majik spirulina in my smoothie bowl last week (+1 for breakfast). It looked gorgeous especially with eye-catching fruits and berries. But by far, the most surprising dish of my technicolor foods project were my mile-high stack of Blue Spirulina Pancakes.
I’m still on a quest for what makes a pancake the perfect pancake. I prefer my batter to be very thick so that my pancakes have some girth, so expect fluffier pancakes with this batch. Until I perfect the art of the pancake, here’s a tried and true recipe with the magic of Blue Majik Spirulina. And be careful with the spirulina! A little goes a long way!
Blue Spirulina Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of flour (sometimes I use whole wheat or Spelt)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Blue Majik spirulina (add more for a darker shade of blue)
Instructions:
Combine dry ingredients (the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and Blue Majik spirulina) in a large bowl.
Add milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and whisk until ingredients are thoroughly blended into a batter. Set aside.
Heat up griddle or pan over medium-low heat. Once it’s hot, lightly grease the cooking surface with butter.
Ladle pancake batter onto hot griddle or pan. When tiny bubbles appear on the surface, flip to cook the other side of the pancake. Cook until slightly browned and serve!
Featured:
I love any excuse to celebrate! I’ll toast to the weekend with stout for Stouterday, I’ll buy caviar to celebrate the end of 27,000 words in 45 days writing blitz, and when I bake the perfect loaf of sourdough bread, you know I’m going to get all dolled up and have a photoshoot with it. Well, little did I know that my excited bread photos would end up on the front page of the BBC’s website!
Thank you to journalist Kate Morgan for allowing me to share my natural inclination to celebrate moments big and small, and for reminding us of the mental benefits of marking occasions. You can read the full story, How 'micro-parties' can boost your mental health, here!
Following:
Have you ever been to a McDonald’s that doesn’t look like a normal McDonald’s? Then you should probably submit it to Nonstandard McDonald’s, a Twitter account that documents McDonald’s located in buildings that are way off brand like this old mansion-turned-fast-food-joint, or this castle McDonald’s located in Goshen, Indiana.
Eating:
We live in an era of pure decadence. To celebrate the rebrand and launch of my newsletter Amuse-Bouche I got this hulking 4-pound cheesecake from Cotton Blues Cheesecakes delivered via Goldbelly... cheesecake... IN THE MAIL!
I was curious to see how a Mississippi cheesecake would stack up to the light and airy cheesecakes I’m used to here in the Northeast. I have to say it’s way more dense, thick and creamy than the whipped cheesecakes I’m used to, and I like it that way! It’s amazing the flavor and texture they’ve achieved with just 7 ingredients.
I didn’t know I needed a Mississippi-style cheesecake, but glad Cotton Blues Cheesecake was my intro. Cheesecake with Southern charm and comfort!
Watching:
Kevin James’ YouTube is such a delight, but his ASMR cooking videos are not only funny, the food writing is really compelling and he actually shares some pretty solid cooking ideas and kitchen tips. His video on PB&J will give you a deeper appreciation for this classic sandwich.
Kae Lani Palmisano is the Emmy® Award-Winning TV host of WHYY's Check, Please! Philly, a show that spotlights restaurants throughout the Philadelphia region. She also writes and hosts Delishtory on WHYY, a digital series that dives into the history of foods we love. Kae Lani is also a food and travel writer who enjoys exploring the history and culture of cuisine. Be sure to follow her here on Twitter and Instagram!