Some of the earliest accounts of pancake eating go back 5,000 years, with records of pancake-making (and eating) found in both Ancient Greek and Roman texts. Different cultures have since adapted the mix to their tastes, from the wafer-thin crepes enjoyed on the continent and Japan’s hefty okonomiyakis to those fluffy mounds in North America or the buckwheat blinis ubiquitous in the Baltic. 

Here at Form, we’re all about the vegan life, so we take ours without dairy and with a sprinkle of vegan protein powder added to the mix for a welcome nutritious hit. Luckily that’s exactly how Amy Lanza, friend of Form and the brains behind the brilliant, plant-based food blog Nourishing Amy, takes hers. So to help you (and ourselves) in your protein pancake endeavours we asked Amy if she could help us get the necessary basics down. From there you can adapt your protein pancakes to however you like them, just as humankind has done for centuries.

Nourishing Amy’s Top Protein Pancake Tips

The Baking Powder To Soda Ratio

Finding the correct balance of baking powder or bicarbonate of soda is key: not too much otherwise you’ll have super fluffy pancakes that taste awful, but just enough to get that fluffy inside texture.

Egg Replacers

I also love to use a vegan homemade ‘buttermilk’ for fluffiness and as an egg replacer which keeps the pancakes light and airy. Simply stir together some plant-based milk and an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle.

As far as other egg replacers go, you can use mashed banana which adds natural sweetness to the batter as well as binding it together like an egg would do. There are also chia seeds and ground flaxseeds which are both great but not everyone has them at home. My favourite would definitely be a vegan buttermilk as it is the most accessible.

Pick Your Flour Wisely

Some recipes call for half flour, half protein powder, where the powder acts as a flour. This adds a lot of flavour to the mix, and protein too, but don’t overdo it.

I love using oat flour (grind up oats in a blender into a fine flour) as it is naturally gluten-free, as well as buckwheat flour. A less common flour, but perhaps my favourite, is chickpea flour. It has more of a flavour to it and is great for sweet and savoury pancake options and is naturally GF. If gluten isn’t an issue, classic plain flour works a treat and I love the wholesome nuttiness of spelt flour.

A Great Pan Is The Key

Finally, the key to a perfect protein pancake has to be the pan. It has to be non-stick (changing your pans regularly is a real game-changer) and lightly greased with oil.

Only start frying your pancakes when the pan is really hot and keep it at a medium-high temperature to cook the pancakes: too hot and the pancakes will crisp and stay raw in the middle, too low and they’ll never crisp up properly but dry out. Also, remember that the first pancake is usually the worst, so use that one as a tester.

The Most Common Protein Pancake Mistakes

Don’t Use Too Much Protein Powder

A key mistake when making protein pancakes is using too much protein. If your batter is more than half protein powder, the resulting pancakes tend to be dry, rubbery, and fall apart. To prevent this, reduce the protein powder and increase the flour element of the batter.

Have Enough Liquid To Hand

Often the batter will not hold together either, which is where a vegan egg replacer or vegan buttermilk will really help. It also adds a lot of moisture to the batter. Protein powders absorb a lot of liquid, so make sure to use enough liquid like milk, mashed banana, apple puree, or mashed sweet potato for example.

A Little Bit Of Fat Can Be Your Friend

Another key tip is to add a bit of fat to the batter to help with the light and fluffy texture and to hold the pancake shape: some nut butter or melted coconut oil works a treat.

The Best Protein Pancake Flavours To Serve Up

There are so many flavour combinations to make with protein pancakes and depending on the flavoured protein you use, you can really let your imagination run wild.

You can never go wrong with chocolate chunk pancakes drizzled with more chocolate, some fresh berries, syrup, and cacao nibs. Caramelised banana will make any pancake stack even better (simply fry off sliced banana in coconut oil and syrup until golden and sticky) and goes especially well with vanilla pancakes spread thickly with crunchy peanut butter.

Try cinnamon roasted pears and lots of almond butter and cinnamon for a warming autumnal stack or in the summer, I love lots of cooling coconut yoghurt, fresh tropical fruits, and tahini.

My key points to make any pancake stack exciting would be add something warm like melted chocolate or warmed berries, add something cooling and smooth like yoghurt or ice cream, top with something crunchy like cacao nibs or granola, and then finish with something sticky like syrup or nut butter.

3 Delicious Pancake Recipes To Get You Started

Mini Oat Pancakes

Ingredients

• 100g oat or plain flour (grind oats into a flour in a blender)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 120ml plant-based milk
• 2 tbsp syrup
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Coconut oil, for frying
• To serve: fresh or frozen fruit, yoghurt, syrup, nut butter

Method

1. To a bowl add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and stir. Whisk in the milk, syrup and lemon juice until thick and smooth. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
2. Pour the batter into a piping bag or resealable bag and cut the end off (or skip this step to use a spoon). Heat some coconut oil in a large frying pan and pipe some of the pancake batter to form mini pancakes, about the size of a £2 coin. Or, use a teaspoon to drop the batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes for 1-2 minutes until cooked underneath, flip over and cook on the second side. Repeat to cook all the pancakes.
3. Serve warm or cold with fruit, yoghurt, syrup and nut butter.

Blueberry Vanilla Protein Pancakes

1. Add all the pancake ingredients, apart from the blueberries, to a blender and process until thick and smooth. Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. Heat a large non-stick pan with a little coconut or other oil and add 1 large tablespoon of batter. Sprinkle over a few blueberries and cook for a few minutes until bubbles form and the edges are browning, flip over and cook until golden on both sides. Repeat to use all the batter.
3. If necessary, keep the pancakes warm in an oven set to the lowest temperature.
4. Serve stacked and topped with your favourite toppings.

Form’s Winter Spiced Pancakes

Ingredients

• 45g GF oat flour
• 45g GF flour
• 20g Performance Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp chai spices
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 medium ripe banana (50g)
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150ml oat milk
• 1 tbsp coconut oil for frying
• Toppings:
• Melted white chocolate
• Caramelised bananas
• Peanut butter

Method

1. Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mash banana, add vanilla extract, 200ml oat milk and coconut oil.
2. Add 2/3 of the dry mix into this bowl. Whisk. Add the remaining 100ml oat milk and the rest of the dry mix.
3. In a non-stick frying pan add some coconut oil, wait until it’s hot and fry the pancakes in batches.
4. Stack the pancakes, add your favourite toppings and enjoy!

The post Flipping Greatness Awaits With This Guide to Making Delicious Protein Pancakes appeared first on Form.

“Baking with protein powder can really take your muffins to the next level in terms of nutrients and flavour,” confirms Amy Lanza, the culinary brains behind vegan recipes blog, Nourishing Amy. To help you devise your own protein muffin recipes at home, we’ve put together Lanza’s top tips, including some handy advice on flour and flavours. Or, if you’re after some added guidance just follow her blueberry protein muffins recipe at the bottom — an absolute classic in the protein muffins canon.

Adding Protein To Your Muffins

The key to the best muffins is to not use too much protein powder in relation to the other ingredients. You never want your batter to be over half protein, as this would make your muffins rubbery and dry, not light and fluffy. Think about the flavour profiles too when adding protein to your muffins. Vanilla is a great one as it adds a lovely, sweet flavour.

Another key pointer is to make sure your batter is wet enough which may mean adding more liquid like yoghurt, plant milk or mashed banana, as protein powder absorbs more liquid than regular flours.

Finally, think about your fats. These are essential when baking with protein powders to make the fluffiest texture – I like nut butter, coconut oil or vegan butter alternatives for the best muffins.

In terms of when to add, mix in your protein powder with your other dry ingredients like flour or ground nuts and slowly whisk with the wet ingredients to make a smooth batter. Now you can decide if you need to add a splash more liquid to make the batter thinner and smooth.

More Tips To Making Delicious Protein Muffins

The Vegan Way

There are so many surprisingly easy ways to vegan-ise a recipe. A lot of muffin recipes will call for eggs, which you can easily swap with chia or flax eggs, using one tablespoon of ground chia or flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water to form a gel.  Half a mashed banana will also do, or you can play around with aquafaba, the water from a tin of chickpeas, with three tablespoons of aquafaba liquid equalling about one egg.

Lightly whisk the aquafaba as you would an egg and continue with your muffin mix. That said, a lot of recipes, when balanced correctly between fat, flours and protein powder will hold together on their own without added replacers.

A Dash Of Lemon

While taking into consideration the points above on balancing your fat, liquid and flour to protein powder quantities, there are a few other points to think about. I love to add lemon juice to the plant-based milk before stirring the batter together. This curdles the milk to form a plant-based buttermilk which will act as a natural binder to the mix. You can also do this with apple cider vinegar which works in the same way.

Flour Power

As far as flours are concerned, if you are using a gluten-free blend, make sure it contains xanthan gum, a thickener added to many flours which will help bind the batter. Oat flour is a great one to use with protein muffins and is easily made from grinding oats into a flour consistency at home. I also love to add half plain or spelt flour, and half ground almonds for a nutty taste and texture along with the protein powder.

Other flours include wholemeal, buckwheat or self-raising flour, which all behave fairly similarly. As protein powders naturally absorb more liquid than other flours, I don’t suggest using coconut flour in muffins as this also absorbs a lot of liquid and will lead to a dry, rubbery and crumbly muffin.

Cinnamon For The Win

Protein muffin flavours are great to play around with and once you have a base recipe, you can make any number of flavour combinations. I love to use chocolate protein powder and add extra chunks of chocolate which will melt in the muffins as they bake, or even some fresh cherries for a black forest gateau flavour.

Cinnamon is a great one to add to vanilla batters for a sweet-tasting muffin, and peanut butter and jelly will forever be a winning protein muffin. Add peanut butter into the muffin batter as a fat, then use vanilla protein powder and add a spoon of jam in the centre of each protein muffin.

Choccy Chunks

Textures are also important, so as well as chunks of chocolate, I love to add seeds and nuts inside my protein muffins and also add a sprinkling on top as these will crisp up in the oven. If you want something fruity, adding fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter is delicious as the blueberries burst in every mouthful.

How To Make Amy’s Nutty Blueberry Protein Muffins

There are so many recipes that I love to use protein powder in and one, in particular, are my nutty blueberry breakfast muffins. They have so much texture thanks to the juicy blueberries inside the sweet nutty streusel on top and are packed with lovely vanilla notes from the protein.

They also have a great balance of flour to protein powder meaning they are still light and fluffy while being high in protein. Easy to bake, just stir all the ingredients together, divide between the muffin cases, sprinkle over the streusel and bake. Plus, they’re even tastier with a drizzling of icing.

Ingredients

• 300ml plant-based milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 90g runny almond butter or tahini
• 100g coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g plain or GF plain flour
• 50g Form Performance Vanilla
• 80g nutty muesli, ground to a flour
• 60g nutty muesli, left whole
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g blueberries

For the topping:

• 100g nutty muesli
• 40g coconut sugar
• 40g vegan butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180°C and line a muffin tray with 14-16 cases.
2. Make the topping by stirring together all the ingredients. Blitz the 80g muesli in a blender to a fine flour (small lumps are ok).
3. For the muffins, whisk together the plant-based milk and lemon juice and leave for 5 minutes to curdle. Now whisk in the almond butter, coconut sugar and vanilla essence until smooth.
4. Sift in the flour, protein powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add in the ground up muesli and the salt. Whisk to a thick batter. Pour in the 60g whole muesli and most of the blueberries and fold in.
5. Divide the batter between the cases and top with the remaining blueberries. Sprinkle over the nutty streusel topping and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool briefly in the tin before removing from the tin and cooling fully on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days or in the fridge if it is warm. Store in the freezer for up to one month.

How To Make Form’s Tiramisu Protein Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 flax egg
• 250g self-raising flour
• 40g Performance Tiramisu
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cups oat milk
• 1 mashed banana (90g)
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 70g chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°c fan assisted. Make your flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp flaxseed with 3 tbsp water in a bowl and place it aside.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl (except the chocolate chips). Mix together the wet ingredients in another bowl. Once mixed, combine them and mix together until you have a nice batter.
3. Add in the flax egg and mix again.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the batter into muffin cups. Bake them for 20-25 minutes

The post Here’s How to Bake Your Way to Light and Fluffy Protein Muffins appeared first on Form.

So, to help you master the fine art of salad-making we’ve asked Amy Lanza, friend of Form and the culinary talent behind the brilliant, plant-based food blog Nourishing Amy, for her sterling expertise. From creating your own leafy lunches to cracking that oh-so-difficult dressing, this guide has you covered.

Top Tips For Building Your Salad

Herbs Are An Essential

Herbs are essential for all salads; they add so much freshness and flavour. I love fresh mint as we have a big mint plant outside, but I also love basil if I am leaning towards more Mediterranean flavours in a Panzanella or pesto-dressed salad. Then for an all-round pleaser, it’s all about added heaps of fresh parsley or coriander.

Don’t Skip Your Proteins

Proteins are another essential part to salads — one of the main reasons people are disappointed in salads is if they skip the protein. I love to add crispy roasted chickpeas — just bake for 20 to 30 minutes in some oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper — or my pan-fried tofu cubes. That said, any bean will do, with black beans working especially well in Mexican-inspired salads with lots of sweetcorn and fresh coriander. Also try giving butterbeans a go, coated in pesto with tomatoes and rocket.

Think About Colours And Texture

Salads can get a bad reputation for being bland and boring but there are a few things that can really elevate your meal. Think about the colours you’re using in your salad and make sure to include a few different colours to make it look for appetising. Textures are also so important.

We usually have crisp salad leaves, and maybe some softer beans or tofu, so then a creamy dressing can add a lovely, contrasting element. Don’t be scared to mix warm and cold. Try roasting some of your vegetables like sweet potatoes and serving them with cooling fresh tomatoes.

Before serving, always add something crunchy on top for the best salad. I love to use homemade dukkah, a spiced nut and seed mix, or lightly-toasted pine nuts.

Seasonal And Fresh

Fresh is always best. Work with produce that’s in season for the best flavours and always aim for as fresh as possible. And don’t be afraid to add fruits to your savoury salads, especially in the summer when they’re in season. A handful of chopped blueberries or strawberries work so well with crunchy lettuce leaves and creamy avocado.

Say Goodbye To Soggy Leaves

Soggy salads are the saddest thing. If you are going to eat your salad straight away, then you don’t need to worry, but if you are planning to make your salad ahead of time or have leftovers, don’t mix all the add-ins and dressing with the softer leaves until just before serving them.

Softer leaves include lettuce, watercress, rocket, and spinach, while other leaves like kale are much sturdier. It’s better to massage these with some salt and lemon juice before mixing them into salads. Once dressed and tossed into salads, kale will last for up to two days after.

How To Make Salad Dressing

Dressings are crucial for a great salad, and they really take a salad from bland to wow. My favourite dressings rely on tahini as I think the slightly savoury, nutty taste works well with pretty much all flavours and carries other spices and flavours really well.

As far as choosing what salad dressing goes with what salad, think about the ingredients in the salad and the overall mood of the dish. Is it light and zingy or is it creamy and cooling?

When you do want a creamy dressing, start with your fat like tahini, nut butter, mayonnaise or unsweetened plant-based yoghurt, and then add something zingy like lemon, lime juice or apple cider vinegar. You could also use a really good balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar.

Then you need to balance out the tang with some sweetness, either with a splash of maple syrup or a small amount of coconut sugar. Don’t forget to add some seasoning too; salt and pepper are an essential. If you want a dressing with a kick, add some freshly crushed garlic, chopped chill or sriracha hot sauce.

The same goes for a thinner dressing, too. Instead of starting with a nut butter or mayonnaise, start with a good extra virgin olive oil. The better the quality of oil, the better the taste of the dressing. A trusty dressing would be a mix of extra virgin olive oil, Dijon or wholegrain mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup and lots of salt and pepper.

How To Make Hummus & Kale Panzanella Salad

I have so many favourite salad recipes that I return to regularly. My Herby Hummus and Kale Panzanella is a particular winner. The dressing is made from hummus, which makes this easy and quick to throw together, and packs a lot of flavour into the salad. There are lots of vegetables in there as well as beans for protein and delicious stale bread to absorb all the lovely flavours and dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 batch of herby hummus
• 100g kale, de-stemmed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 100g cucumber
• 8 radishes, ends removed
• 1 tin butterbeans, drained
• 2 thick slices old bread, torn
• 3 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh basil, chopped

To serve:

• 2-3 tbsp mixed seeds
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Wash the kale and add to a large mixing bowl with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and massage with your hands for one minute.
2. Peel the carrot and cucumber into ribbons or chop into thin strips. Thinly slice the radish and add all to the kale. Add in the butterbeans, the torn bread and fresh herbs.
3. Stir 100g of the herby hummus with 3-4 tablespoons of water to reach a pouring consistency and pour most of this over the salad.
4. Toss well with a spoon or your hands. Season to taste.
5. Serve the salad topped with the mixed seeds, smoked paprika and the extra dressing.

The post Salad Days: How To Build The Perfect, Protein-Packed Salad appeared first on Form.

A good nut roast is a hard thing to get right, with the very likely risk of a dry mulch at the end of all your hard work. Which is why we’ve asked the brains behind the brilliant, plant-based food blog Nourishing Amy and a friend of Form, Amy Lanza, for her top nut roast tips, including the mistakes to avoid, what veggies to pair it with, and some brilliant recipes for you to follow on Christmas day.

What Exactly Is A Nut Roast?

A nut roast is typically a mix of vegetables, seasonings, a cooked grain or lentils, and then nuts. You can use any nuts you like from roasted chestnuts to pine nuts if you have a nut allergy (the pine nut is actually a seed). Dried fruits such as dried cranberries or apricots are also really common. The nuts and dried fruits used will affect the flavour of your nut roast but overall, it’s a savoury and festive dish that is almost like stuffing.

It’s packed with healthy fats and fibre from the nuts and vegetables used so also makes a delicious wholesome option for non-vegetarians looking out of the turkey box. They’re also easily gluten-free, making nut roasts a great crowd-pleaser for the whole family.

What are your top hacks/tips for making a great nut roast?

Nail The Key Elements

Nut roasts are really versatile which is partly what makes them so great. You need a few key elements for a perfect nut roast: crunchy toasted nuts, juicy dried fruits, some extra vegetables, lots of seasoning, another starchy vegetable as a binder as well as using an egg replacer like chia or flaxseeds. A lot of recipes also use cooked grains like quinoa, rice or bulgar wheat, or even cooked lentils to bulk out the mixture and for a boost of protein.

A Little Bit OF Flour Goes A Long Way

You’ll also often need a little flour to soak up all the wet mixture. As long as you have all the elements, you’re onto a great recipe. Adding in the flour is crucial to help soak up any excess moisture otherwise the nut roast will be soggy and won’t crisp up and cook evenly. The added chia or flax seeds are also really important and often forgotten, but help bind the ingredients together so you can slice it neatly.

Easy On The Nuts

I also think too many people are too heavy handed on the nuts, which can make the resulting nut roast dense and stodgy.

Compact The Mixture

When it comes to cooking your nut roast, be sure to press down firmly into the tin to compact the mixture otherwise they can crumble when you try to slice them.

Let The Roast Rest

Another good tip is to allow the cooked nut roast to rest a little before slicing to ensure even cuts. To make your nut roast even more special, serve it with homemade cranberry sauce or gravy, too. It’s also a great idea to make a big roast and then freeze individual portions for a rainy day.

Seasoning Your Nut Roast

When it comes to nut roasts, you want to create something wholesome, warming, and comforting, so classic roast dinner herbs like fresh rosemary and thyme are best. If you don’t have fresh herbs, then dried also works well. Salt and black pepper are also important to season it all and enhance the flavours. You could also try adding a pinch of nutmeg, a ground clove, or dried mixed herbs. For adding richness and a depth of flavour, it’s a great idea to add some Tamari soy sauce too.

What vegetables could you use to pad out the dish?

You’ll want to opt for a starchy vegetable to roast or steam and then mash to bind the mixture together. Butternut squash is a really popular option, but you could similarly use pumpkin or sweet potato. As for the other vegetables, make sure to chop them small. Mushrooms are great as well as onion, garlic, carrot, and greens like kale.

Nourishing Amy’s Favourite Nut Roast Recipes

I’ve made a few nut roast recipes over the years and my veggie nut roast is a favourite, although it may just be beaten by my vegan butternut squash nut roast. Made in the round it can also be baked in a loaf tin.

How To Make Nourishing Amy’s Veggie Nut Roast

Credit: Amy Lanza

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• ½ onion, small dice
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g butternut squash, small dice
• 160g chestnut mushrooms, chopped small
• 1 medium carrot, small dice
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp each: dried rosemary, parsley, thyme
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 50g hazelnuts or cashew nuts
• 80g pre-cooked chestnuts
• 25g oats
• 75g spelt flour
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp Tamari soy sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to Fan 160/180 C and place the nuts on a tray. Roast for 10 minutes then remove and leave the oven on. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper.
2. Meanwhile, fry off the onion in a good drizzle of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and all the dried herbs and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes until smelling fragrant.
3. Add the butternut squash, mushrooms and carrot to the frying pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their juices and the vegetables have reduced in volume, seasoning with salt and black pepper.
4. While the vegetables are frying, add half of the roasted nuts to a food processor with the oats, spelt flour and ground flaxseed and whizz until combined and broken down finely. Roughly chop the remaining nuts.
5. Add the flour mixture, the chopped nuts and chestnuts to the frying pan and give it a really good stir, you may want to reduce the heat on the pan. Add in the Tamari soy sauce and 4-6 tbsp water. Keep stirring well to ensure the mixture is evenly moist.
6. Pour into the lined loaf tin and press down firmly to ensure the loaf is compact and flat on top. Cover with tin foil and roast in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes until the top is crisp and firm to the touch.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the tin and slicing. It is easier and neater to slice when the loaf has cooled down more. Serve straight away or keep individual slices wrapped up for the fridge (up to 5 days) or freezer.

How To Make Nourishing Amy’s Vegan Butternut Squash Nut Roast

Credit: Amy Lanza

Ingredients

The post Perfect Your Nut Roast Ahead of Christmas Day With These Top Tips and Recipes appeared first on Form.