Apple-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Great for Sunday mornings! Fluffy and moist and oh-so-sinful with all the chocolate…

Putting the chocolate chips in before cooking the pancakes may seem a little strange but they don’t sink to the bottom of the batter and are evenly dispersed and melt a lot more in the actual pancake.

For those who don’t like chocolate these pancakes will be excellent with fresh blueberries too.

Adapted from the Flat Belly Foods Guide

Ingredients:

• 2/3 c whole wheat flour
• 2/3 c all-purpose flour
• 1/3 c cornmeal
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 c fat-free plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and grated
• 1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Whisk flours, cornmeal, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, yogurt, egg and oil in a large bowl until combined.
2. Fold apple, then chocolate chips into batter.
3. Coat large nonstick skillet with spray and heat over medium heat.
4. Spoon 2 to 3 tbsp of the batter into skillet for each pancake.  Cook 2 minutes, or until bubbles appear on surface and edges set.  Flip to the other side.
5. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

 

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

I once ate lemon-ricotta pancakes at Hotel Gelato, and from then on was hooked.

They are easy to make and you can show off.  These citrusy pancakes are very light, rich in flavour and come out perfect every time.  You’ll earn the title of Domestic Goddess after you serve them to your family and friends 🙂

Don’t skip the lemon zest – that’s what makes it!

Ingredients:

• 1 c light ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients and blend until smooth
2. Heat a large pan over medium heat; light coat the pan with butter or oil.
3. Spoon batter into pan in batches using a 1/4-cup batter for each pancake; cook until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
4. Serve hot, topped with maple syrup and berries

Slices Of Quince

I saw some ripe golden quinces at my local Asian store.  Their fragrant aroma persuaded me to buy them 🙂

The raw quince is not enjoyable to eat.  The fruit is hard, sharp-tasting and somewhat bitter; it has to be cooked.  Try baking it, I promise  you won’t be disappointed!  Baked quince has a velvety texture that tastes like a cross between an apple and a pear.  Oh, and the smell… just like a bowl of ripe tropical fruit.

Baked Quince with Cinnamon

• 1 cup water
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 4 quinces
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• ¼ cup raw organic sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F
2. Add the water, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon sticks into a large baking dish
3. Peeled the quinces, cut them into quarters, and remove the core.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour, until fork-tender.

We had these baked quinces with my Flat Belly Diet pancakes (click here for a recipe) and Greek yoghurt.  Don’t let the syrup that is left in the baking pan go to waste 🙂

You can also serve them on their own, hot or cold; whipped cream is optional.

The Owl and the Pussy Cat dined ” which they ate with a runcible spoon.”  You won’t need a runcible spoon this time 🙂

Won’t You Have an Egg or Something?

I love eggs..  Eggs over easy, an omelet, scrambled eggs, soft- or hard-boiled eggs, fried eggs…I have yet to find a way of serving an egg dish that I didn’t love.

The recipe below quickly became my favourite when I adopted Flat Belly Diet 3 years ago.

P.S. Don’t feel anxious about poaching eggs – the dash of vinegar in the water helps the eggs hold their shape.

Poached Eggs With Baby Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients:

• A handful of spinach
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
• 1 tsp vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg, preferably organic
• ½  whole wheat  English muffin or whole wheat roll, toasted
• Black pepper, freshly ground 

Rinse spinach; shake off excess water.  In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook spinach, with just the water clinging to leaves, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until wilted. Transfer to sieve; let cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan containing 1” of water to boil over high heat.  Add the vinegar and salt and reduce the heat to low.

Break an egg into a custard cup and gently tip the egg into the water.  Cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolk begins to thicken.

Place an English muffin or a roll on a plate; spoon pesto and add spinach on top.

Remove an egg with a slotted spoon, drain excess water and place on the spinach.

Grind some pepper over the top.

Made With Love and Cinnamon

My favourite part of the weekend is to have a pancake breakfast with the one I love.  We have developed our little routine where I mix the batter and he cooks the pancakes.  I had my with blackberries and extra almonds and Oscar had his with raspberries. Everybody who had  tried these pancakes wouldn’t believe that they are a diet food (I have been following a Flat Belly Diet for the last 3 years).  One of my friends commented that they tastes like something served in a very upscale spa. Enjoy!

My birthday breakfast

 

Oscar likes raspberries 🙂

Banana Pancakes with Almonds and Honey

Adapted from the Flat Belly Diet cookbook

Ingredients:

1. ½ c whole wheat flour
2. ½ c white flour
3. 2 tbsp corn meal
4. 1/3 c sliced almonds
5. ½ tsp cinnamon
6. 1 tsp baking power
7. ½ tsp baking soda
8. 1 c low-fat buttermilk
9. ¼ c water
10. 1 tbsp canola oil
11. 1 tsp vanilla extract
12. 1 banana cut into thin slices
13. ½ c fresh berries

  Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine the buttermilk, water, oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.  Whisk it into the pancake mix and stir until smooth.  Fold in the banana. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add the batter in ¼ cupfuls and cook in batches for about 2 minutes per side.  Serve with berries and honey.

Hey, You Want a Biscotti?

If you think you don’t like biscotti, you probably do.  This recipe offers melt-in-your-mouth, crunchy, and nutty cookies.

Dip them in coffee.

Or dunk them in red wine 😛

They are addictive!

Adapted for Flat Belly Diet dieters.

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:

1 ¼ c whole wheat flour                           ¼ granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder                                   3 tbsp dark brown sugar

¼ tsp salt                                                       1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg                                                                  ½ tsp almond extract

¼ c canola oil                                               1 ½ c ground almonds

¼ c water

 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk the egg, oil, water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a small bowl.  Stir in the almonds.
4. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Shape into a 1” thick loaf on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake until golden brown and firm, for 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes and slice into 1” thick pieces.
8. Arrange cut side up on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes longer.
9. Transfer to a rack to cool fully.