So far the vegetarian experiment has been a mixed bag of sorts. I will be very honest – I miss my chicken and my fish. When I sink my teeth into a good looking sandwich, my taste buds bloom in anticipation. You see, they are so used to the juices that flow right out of that tender, smoked piece of chicken, sitting pretty between the soft buns. Instead, they discover firm tofu or veggie patties and they get a tad disappointed . The texture, the flavor and the whole experience feels a bit wrong, like its lacking that one key ingredient which makes a perfect bite. Maybe I should seek the help of a vegetarian so that they can point me in the right direction.
The recipe that follows now is for all my doughnut dodging warriors who break a sweat in the gym and walk past the gorgeous palmiers, meringues and cream puffs that stare at them through the enormous display window of that favorite French bakery. You know you want it, but the science and mathematics of fats, carbohydrates, calories or whatever your enemy is, clouds your vision and muddies your brain. So you march on, winning over temptation but feeling defeated deep down. No sweet victory that! A girl’s gotta have pancakes and so she shall.
BANANA PANCAKE WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE ( And without the crazy calories)
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Yields 5 servings
1. Whole Wheat Flour – 3/4th cup ( 300 calories)
2. All Purpose Flour – 1/4th cup ( 100 calories)
3. Ripe Banana – 2 nos (200 calories)
4. Fat Free Milk – 2 cups ( 160 calories)
5. Egg Whites – 2 ( 34 calories)
6. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 2 tsp ( 10 calories)
7. Vanilla Extract – 1 1/2 tsp
8. Sugar Substitute – 2 1/2 tbsp
9. Baking powder – 2 tsp
10. Cooking Spray ( e.g. PAM) < 10 calories
The first step is to mix all the dry ingredients together. So in a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar substitute and cocoa. Add a pinch of salt and mix well to avoid lumps. In another bowl, mash the ripe bananas to pulp. Then add vanilla extract, egg whites and milk and mix well. Combine the dry and wet mix together and your batter is ready. Heat up a pan and once its hot, spray it with PAM. Now pour some batter into the pan and let it cook on medium heat for a while. Once the bottom is a bit cooked ( you can check by shaking the pan to see if the pancake slides easily across the pan ), flip the pancake over and cook the other side. Cook well till both sides turn golden brown.
BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
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1. Blueberry – 3/4th cup ( 60 cal)
2. Sugar Substitute – 1 tbsp
3. Water – 2 tbsp
Combine all the ingredients and pour into a hot pan. Keep cooking till the berries pop open.
Serve your pan cakes hot with warm blueberry compote on top. At about 175 calories per serving,this recipe ranks high on taste, high on health and low on calories and saturated fat. Enjoy!
