Feeling Healthy Pre-Formal

Two nights ago was one of the most anticipated events of my young life so far – my year 10 formal. The night was amazing at the beginning I have to say with all the fluttering and giggling and the ‘oh my gosh, you all look so utterly fabulous’ talking! Then, when we actually were inside, we were wowed by the decor – Vegas casino theme = martini glasses on tables, silvery balloon arch, gorgeous star themed light and a scattering of cards, poker chips and dice. Just try to picture it and I promise you, the hall we were in would look at least 10 times nicer (depending on the strength of your imagination of course :p)

Anyway, after an average1-1/2 hours of food serving etc, then we got down to the business – dancing!!! Can I begin to tell you how numb my feet were after dancing in 8cm (I didn’t measure but a friend of mine guestimated) peep-toe heels for an hour on end 🙂
So proud!!!

The night was fun, photogenic and I felt so close to our grade – it was pretty dam awesome 🙂

So how does this post relate to food and not to my formal? You see, it was raining and raining hard that day – I know, what a way to ‘dampen’ the mood (you all walked straight into that one, should have seen it coming!)

Luckily by afternoon it had cleared up to make a nice, overcast evening but in the morning, it felt like the sun had shrivelled up and died a couple of billion years early – and if anyone from Sydney or even Australia is reading this, with the cold weather and increase of rain weather we have had, the sun shrivelling does not seem improbable 😛

Anyway, in the morning, I was dying for pancakes. I have this, let us call it something polite, peculiarity. On 95% of the days it rains, I want pancakes. Better than pancakes, I was rich, chocolate studded pancakes calling out my name all soft and fluffy topped with maple or golden syrup OH, OH or even better, sweet chocolate peanut butter hot fudge sauce. Yeah… something as sweet as this little number I made a while back.

Check out my dilemma – I CANNOT EAT PANCAKES SINCE I HAVE TO FIT IN MY FORMAL DRESS THAT VERY NIGHT AND I CANNOT EXERCISE FOR  FEARING OF SWEATING MY HAIR WITH NOT ENOUGH TIME TO WASH IT FOR THE HAIRDRESSER’S APPOINTMET I HAD. You see my point no?

Never fear then, since it was early morning, my brain was functioning exceptionally well and I made the healthiest pancakes to walk into my world.

Let us see – no butter, 4 no sugar, healthy from tonnes of sources – need I go on?

I made it flavoursome by chopping some dried fruit and nuts into the batter as well as adding toasted muesli as part of the plain base. Add some warm babies like these to fresh or frozen fruit coulis and you have got one beautiful dessert which is good for your thighs – literally, get cooking good looking 🙂

Healthy Pancakes
Source: Original Recipe

Makes: 4 small pancakes (1/4 cup serve each)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbs rolled oats (or 4 and omit muesli)
• 2 tbs toasted or Swiss muesli (toasted gives more flavour)
• 1 overripe banana, mashed well – provides natural sugar sweetness and good fats
• 1/2 lightly beaten egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup low fat milk
• 1 tsp vanilla/fruity essence
• 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit and nuts, chopped finely
• Optional**Add into dry ingredients = orange/citrus fruit zest

Method

1. Mix together dry ingredients and zest if using in a large bowl excluding add-ins
2. Mix together all wet ingredients including mashed banana
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into it
4. Stir to combine and form a batter (if too dry, add a touch more milk)
5. Stir in add-ins
6. Let sit for 10 minutes in batter bowl
7. Heat a frying pan on medium high and sizzle some butter on it
8. Once hot, pour 1/4 cup on top of butter and cook for approximately 30 seconds-1 minute
9. Flip and cook other side in the same manner
10. Once golden brown, it is done!
11. Serve with your favourite fruit coulis recipe – I used strawberries and thought it looked like a messier, fuller and more healthy version of Pancakes on the Rocks‘ strawberry patch pancakes dish
    
12. Enjoy being guilt free – if you do want to make a sweet batter, more than welcome to decrease milk to 1/2 cup and 2 tbs, add in 2 tbs melted butter/peanut butter/Nutella and add in some sugar or chocolate flakes etc – your choice 🙂