Foodie Friday: Thick & Fluffy American-Style Buckwheat Pancakes With Chopped Dates, Hazelnuts & Maple Syrup (Vegetarian / Gluten-Free recipe)

American-style Pancakes are not known for being healthy and are usually depicted with masses of greasy fried bacon and glugs of maple syrup. For a more nutritious approach to this breakfast favourite, I have this delicious alternative recipe that you can try this weekend, and don't worry, I've still included some maple syrup!

One of the easiest ways to instantly make any bread, cake or pancake recipe healthier is to swap the often used refined white flour for a more nutrient-packed wholegrain variant. I love using Buckwheat Flour and it works particularly well to create these moreish American-style Pancakes which have a thick and fluffy texture that makes them perfect for stacking and majorly satisfying to dig into. 

Switching to Buckwheat Flour also makes these Pancakes low-GI and gluten-free, and with the addition of a little Ground Ginger and Cinnamon, they are even more flavourful and interesting than their white flour-based opponents, meaning that you don't need to rely on mountains of sugar to get your tastebuds flowing.

I love having toppings on Pancakes, so I've sprinkled over some chopped Dates and Hazelnuts for even more flavour and micronutrients. Finish with a generous drizzle of Maple Syrup (the best quality that you can find/afford) and you have a brunch made in heaven!

Ingredients (serves 2-3 people as mini stacks of pancakes)

• 225g Buckwheat Flour
• 275ml Rice Milk (or you can use Soy, Almond or regular semi-skimmed)
• 1 large organic free-range Egg
• 1 tsp gluten-free Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1-2 tsp of organic Butter
• Pinch of Salt
• Handful of pitted Dates, chopped, to serve
• Handful of Hazelnuts, chopped, to serve
• Maple Syrup, to serve

Method

• In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (Buckwheat Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, Ground Cinnamon and Ground Ginger), making a well in the centre.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the Egg and Rice Milk, and then slowly pour into the dry bowl, whisking it in until you have a smooth batter.
• Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of Butter. Add the pancake batter mixture (about 2tbsp per pancake) and cook for a few minutes until bubbles appear on the surface and then flip over and cook the other side. 
• Repeat until you've used up all the pancake batter and serve immediately with the chopped Dates and Walnuts with a drizzle of Maple Syrup over the top. Enjoy!

Do you like making pancakes on the weekends?

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Foodie Friday: Healthy Blueberry Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian / Hemsley & Hemsley recipe)

It's Pancake Day next Tuesday and if you're looking to make a healthier version this year, these Blueberry Pancakes from the Hemsley sisters are wonderfully fluffy and utterly satisfying! 

Any excuse to make a fresh batch of pancakes and I'm all for it - whether it's to celebrate Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday) or to simply enjoy a leisurely weekend brunch at home, I have yet to come across anyone who won't devour a plate of hot pancakes that's served in front of them. I was flipping through some of my favourite cookbooks and the pancake recipe that I've probably used the most often comes from the Hemsley sisters, and this one is actually the very first recipe that I tried from their bestselling debut called The Art Of Eating Well. 

It's a healthy version of the thick and fluffy American style pancakes that many people love, but these are grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free, and they taste so good! This recipe calls for Coconut Flour which you should be able to find in the free-from section of your local supermarket. I picked up an organic one that was on offer in Aldi recently, so you needn't spend a fortune and if you enjoy gluten-free baking, it's a worthwhile staple to have in your cupboard.

Ingredients: (makes four pancakes)

• 150g fresh Blueberries (plus extra for serving)
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil or organic Butter
• 2-4 tbsp warm Water
• 2 free-range, organic Eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (plus extra for serving if desired)
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2tbsp Coconut Flour
• 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Method:

• Melt the Coconut Oil or Butter over a low heat in a frying pan and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, beat the Water, Eggs, Maple Syrup, Vanilla Extract and pinch of Salt together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Sift in the Coconut Flour and Bicarbonate of Soda, and blend with the melted Coconut Oil to make a batter, without washing up the frying pan. Leave the mixture to thicken up for about 5 minutes.
• Pop the frying pan back onto a medium heat and add 2 tbsp of the batter to form one pancake. Push in a couple of Blueberries into the centre.
• After a couple of minutes, the bottom of the pancake will have set and you can flip it over, but be extra gentle with it as there's no gluten in the mixture. Once done, place on a heated plate and repeat the process with the next pancake. Once they're all cooked, you can pop them under the grill to warm up before serving if necessary.
• Serve with extra Blueberries and a drizzle of Maple Syrup if desired - enjoy!

What's your favourite healthy pancake recipe?

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Foodie Friday: Mango, Blueberries & Coconut Buttermilk Pancakes (Vegetarian recipe)

Pancakes are one of the easiest things in the world to make and allow you to whip up a delicious batch of indulgence for a lazy weekend brunch. This classic buttermilk recipe is basically foolproof!

If there is one food that I could only eat for breakfast for the rest of my life, it would probably be pancakes. This original Instagramable brunch treat (yeah, move over Avo on Toast!), is both comforting and indulgent, yet ridiculously easy to make at home with some very basic ingredients. 

I've tried many different pancake recipes over the years and the best ones always involve Buttermilk as a key ingredient which you can find in most supermarkets. I would always suggest buying the best quality dairy that you can afford (free-range and organic is the way to go), and you'll see a noticeable difference in the end result. 

The recipe below is a classic buttermilk pancake one that produces perfectly fluffy, stackable and of course, Instagramable, pancakes each and every time. I've served mine with some fresh Mango, Blueberries and Desiccated Coconut for a deliciously Summery flavour, but you can, of course, use your favourite fruits and toppings, or whatever you have in the fridge at the time. A good glug of Maple Syrup is essential though! ;)

Ingredients: (makes around 10 pancakes)

• 190g Plain Flour
• 1 tbsp Coconut Sugar
• 2.5 tsp Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 free-range Eggs
• 1 tbsp Butter (melted), plus extra for the pan
• 300ml Buttermilk
• I ripe Mango (cut into small cubes)
• Fresh Blueberries
• 2 Limes (1 cut into wedges, 1 zested)
• Desiccated Coconut (to serve)
• Maple Syrup (to serve)

Method:

• In a large bowl, add the Plain Flour, Coconut Sugar and Baking Powder, gently combining everything together. Add a pinch of Salt.
• Make a well in the centre of the bowl and add the Eggs, melted Butter and the Buttermilk. Lightly whisk together until the mixture is smooth and free from any lumps.
• In a separate small bowl, mix the cubed Mango with the Lime Zest and set aside.
• Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a little Butter. For each pancake, measure out 2 tbsp of the batter mix so that you can make 2-3 pancakes at the same time. 
• When you start to see bubbles on the surface of the pancakes, flip them over and cook for another minute until nicely golden brown on each side.
• Stack the pancakes onto a warm plate and sprinkle over the Desiccated Coconut, Mango and Blueberries, with a generous drizzle of Maple Syrup. Add some Lime Wedges on the side for an additional squeezy zing if desired. Enjoy!

Storage tip: If you have any leftover pancake batter, transfer it into any kind of Tupperware style container with a tight lid and store it in the fridge, where it'll keep for up to 2-3 days. 

Do you love making pancakes at the weekend?

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Foodie Friday: Chocolate Protein Pancakes (Vegetarian recipe)

With Summer just around the corner, I've been trying to fit in some more exercise sessions to tone up, and I'm now including more protein in my daily diet to help build up and repair my muscles. These Chocolate Protein Pancakes are one of my favourite ways to up my protein intake and they are super easy to make.

As much as I'm interested in health and fitness, there's one thing that I can't stand (actually there's quite a few, but let's keep on track here), and that's protein shakes. I've tried a lot of different brands and flavours and nope, I'd still rather eat my protein, rather than drink it! So what's a protein shake-hating girl to do? Make Protein Pancakes of course!

These pancakes are ridiculously easy to make and they really help to refuel your body after a sweaty HIIT workout. They also feel like more of a 'treat', so if you're finding healthy food boring or are tiring of the ultra-dry taste of most protein enhanced snacks, give these a go instead. You can use any kind of Chocolate flavour protein powder that you like, but if you fancy switching it up, why not try a different flavour like Vanilla or Strawberry? Top with fresh seasonal fruit and you're set for the day.

Ingredients: (makes 2-4 pancakes depending on how big/thick you want them)

• 2 Bananas (very ripe ones work best)
• 2 scoops of Chocolate flavour Protein Powder (I used Prana Protein)
• 2 Free-Range Eggs
• 1 tsp Coconut Oil
• Fresh Fruit (optional to serve)
• Honey or Agave Nectar (optional to serve)

Method:

• Roughly chop up the Bananas and add them to a blender with the Eggs and Protein Powder. Blend until you get a mostly smooth, batter-like consistency.
• Heat the Coconut Oil in a frying pan and pour out the pancake mix into your desired portion sizes. Cook the pancakes for a minute or two on each side.
• Transfer to a plate and serve with Fresh Fruit and a drizzle of Honey. Enjoy! 

Do you prefer to drink or eat your protein?

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