Healthy Pancake Day!

It’s always interesting, I think, to try healthy versions of ‘bad’ foods. I love pancakes and although I have no problem eating traditional batter pancakes, this year I thought it would be fun to try the healthy version – both for dietary reasons and also as an experiment to see how different or similar they actually taste.

Here is the simple recipe I used, first up the ingredients:

2 cups of cooked quinoa

1 cup of milk

3 eggs

2 ½ teaspoons of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of cooking salt

1 cup of fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of honey

A dash of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon

To have on standby:

Whole wheat flour (plain is fine if you don’t have whole-wheat)

Milk

Honey

Live oil or cooking spray

Lemon juice

Directions

Combine the quinoa, honey, oil, eggs and milk and mix together until smooth. 

It is worth noting at this point that if you don’t particularly like the texture of quinoa then blending your pancake mixture is an option. This will create a perfectly smooth batter with no quinoa shaped lumps or bumps.

Depending on the consistency you prefer add either the flour if you like thicker drop scone style pancakes or milk if you like a more crepe like consistency. If you have a sweet tooth then add another ½ tablespoon of honey to taste.

Add in salt baking powder, lemon juice and zest and stir.

Heat a griddle or pan with cooking spray or olive oil.

Pour ¼ cup of batter on to hot griddle or pan. I find it easier to transfer my batter into a jug and then I can just pour the batter directly onto the pan or griddle.

Sprinkle blueberries of the top and cook for a few minutes or until the bubbles start to burst on the top.

Flip and finish both sides until golden brown.

Serve with a dash of lemon juice and topping of your choice.

The verdict on quinoa pancakes is that, personally, I think they are nice and a new pancake experience but definitely not a patch on traditional pancakes. However, if you don’t want to feel guilty about having a pancake treat then these are a great alternative.

So don't wait around for the next Pancake Day to try these - whip them up for a truely nourishing and satisfying breakfast. I have mine with yoghurt. Enjoy!

Borscht

 Yum! I made some delicious, hearty, healthy and very earthy Russian Borscht soup yesterday.

Borscht

Here is my simple and quick recipe:

Ingredients

2 or 3 fresh beetroots, washed and peeled and chopped into small cubes

2 or 3 potatoes, sliced into cubes

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, grated
2 of fingers of celery, diced

½ head of cabbage, thinly sliced

1 can kidney beans including the juice

2 bay leaves

1 litre of beef stock

Large squirt of tomato sauce

One squirt of lemon juice

Pinch of ground pepper

Now to make the soup:

1. Fill a large soup pot with 500ml of boiling water and a pinch of salt.  Add the chopped beetroots and simmer for 15 minutes or until par cooked. Add the chopped potatoes and sliced cabbage and continue to cook for another 5 - 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, add a large dash of cooking oil to a frying pan and saute the grated carrots, chopped onion and diced celery until they are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce towards the end of the cooking time.
3. Add the beef stock, lemon juice, pepper, bay leaves and can of kidney beans to the soup pot.
4. Add sauteed carrots, onion and celery mix.
5. Simmer for a further 5 - 10 minutes, until kidney beans and cabbage have softened.
6. Serve with a large dollop of sour cream and warm,crusty bread.

Optional extras or things to try - I always think it is nice to try new things with a standard recipe especially if you make it a lot and want to try a new twist!

• A warm boiled egg, quartered and added to the top of the borscht.
• A splash of cider vinegar and half a teaspoon of honey at the end of the cooking process for a sweet and sour flavour
• Use chicken stock instead of beef stock for a more mellow flavour
• Blend the soup for a smooth texture and a more child friendly version.
• Add dill to the soup - this is a traditional addition in Poland.