Sunday 29 January 2017

It's Apple Compote This Time!


Instead of apple puree for your pancakes you could make an apple compote instead. No additional sugar is used, which makes it quite healthy.




You will need 3 to 4 tasty apples for 6 to 8 small pancakes. Peel the apples, cut into quarters and remove the core. then cut into smaller pieces, about 2 cm square. Place in a suitable pan, then add


a handful of raisins or sultanas and a little cassia bark, or if you prefer use 1/2 stick of cinnamon.


Also add 1 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of lemon juice plus a dollop of butter. Cover pan and bring to    boil. Remove cover and allow liquid to evaporate, by which time the apples should be soft. Now just   let the added butter do some caramelizing to give the apples a golden colour. Stir the fruit gently so  it wouldn't break up, making sure that all pieces are well caramelized.                                                      



Remove from heat and turn into bowl to cool. After cooling you might want to keep it in the fridge to chill until ready to use.                                                                                                                              


Finally arrange the pancakes, add the apple compote, serve and enjoy! You will find that additional sugar is really quite unnecessary in this recipe as well as in the previous ones!                                  

Bon appetit!                                                                                                                                          

Monday 16 January 2017

Some Call It Applesauce!


After the pancakes I think you ought to have my own recipe for apple puree, which some people call applesauce. I have removed the sugar entirely so that anyone with sugar restrictions might enjoy this. But if you are not sure consult with your doctor or dietitian.

For a yummy puree choose eating apples, not cooking apples. For 1 to 2 portions take 3 medium sized apples , wash and cut into chunks. No need to peel or to remove core.

Put in a suitably sized pan adding 3 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and a little star anise. Cover the pot and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.



Place a nylon/plastic sieve over a bowl and pour in the cooked apples and allow to drain for a couple of minutes. Remove the star anise.

Transfer the sieve to another bowl and using a wooden spoon press and mash the apples through the sieve. Skins, seeds and core will be left behind in the sieve and can be discarded.

Check your apple puree if the consistency is to your liking. If you feel it is too thick add a little of the drained juice and stir in.

Some people do not like star anise, in which case you can opt  for 1/2 stick of cinnamon or a piece of cassia bark.

Depending on your generosity this amount can serve for 4 - 8 medium pancakes. Leftover apple puree can easily be frozen for use next time.




Monday 9 January 2017

Pancakes Another Way!

Last week I gave you coco yam pancakes which I hope you tried and enjoyed.Today I want to add a different recipe, again with reduced carbohydrates

For 8 medium sized pancakes you will need:

2 slightly heaped Tbsp plain flour
2 slightly heaped Tbsp wholewheat flour
2 well heaped Tbsp coconut flour (you can use desiccated coconut ground in a spice blender)
4 heaped tsp skimmed milk powder)    or use
200 - 250 ml water                           )   skimmed milk from bottle or carton
1 large egg
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Put all ingredients in  a fairly large bowl and whisk until smooth. Allow to rest for 1/2 hour and then check if more liquid is needed. The batter should be a little thicker than regular pancake batter because of the coconut content.


For frying use a frying pan not larger than 20 cm diameter, otherwise the pancakes will break when flipped over.

Heat pan until very hot, then wipe with kitchen paper dipped in vegetable oil, preferably cholesterol free.

Add a ladle full of batter and swirl around to coat the base of the pan. Fry until browned underneath then flip over to fry the other side, using a fish slice or palette knife. When the second side is nicely brown remove to a warmed plate and keep hot while frying the remaining pancakes.





In the previous recipe I used apple puree to serve which is equally good for these pancakes. But for 
this batch I chose to make an apple compote instead, cooked with raisins.
 Place some of your filling on half of a pancake and fold over. Repeat with the remaining pancakes.


Ready to be eaten.

You should give them a try, these pancakes are very tasty!

Wednesday 4 January 2017

Happy Healthy New Year!

Now we have left Christmas and overindulgence behind and are well into the new year, which we hope will be a prosperous and healthy one for everyone.

Unfortunately many have a health challenge like diabetes which puts serious restrictions on what to eat. Good cookbooks are available that make it a lot easier to plan meals, but to re-create favourite dishes of family members takes a lot of research and experimentation!

One of those favourites in our home is pancakes with all possible variations. Today I will show you one of them: Potato pancakes originally, now called coco yam pancakes. The change was necessary because coco yam is lower on the glycaemic index than potatoes, therefore better for diabetics but just as delicious!

You will need:
1 medium sized coco yam (malanga coco)
1 small onion
1 egg
1 heaped tbsp wholemeal flour ( wholewheat )
a pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
about 1/2 cup water
vegetable oil for frying

Method:
Peel and finely grate the coco yam and onion into a bowl. Add the egg, flour, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. then add enough water to make a medium dense batter.

Heat a little oil in a fairly large non-stick frying pan and when very hot add a ladle of batter in 3 places, spreading each into a neat circle. Fry until top is no longer liquid and bottom is nicely browned. Flip over and fry the other side until brown. Remove from pan to a warmed plate lined with absorbent paper.

Frying the first batch second side
To serve, choose a savoury or sweet accompaniment. I like to serve apple puree (homemade and without sugar) with these pancakes since it is traditional and my husband simply loves this combination!













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