It’s 2020 and here on Tiny Kitchen Big Taste, we’re getting the year started off on the right foot and eating healthy. To that end, I’m so excited to have my sister, Barb, in the Tiny Kitchen with me this week. We’re making one of her family-famous recipes, Power Pancakes! They’re protein-packed, a great source of slow-release carbs…and plain-n-simply…super-tasty!
The Queen of Fitness and healthy eating, my sister is, frankly, also the coolest! I am very fortunate that she doesn’t hold grudges because back in the day—when we were kids—she put up with a lot from me. Nothing like having a younger brother sticking his nose into your business when you’re coming home from a first date…or finding him (or not finding him as it was most of the time) sneaking into your room to listen to you talk on the phone while he had the microphone of his trusty Encyclopedia Brown-styled tape recorder hidden behind your bureau. Hey, don’t judge. I was on the case.
I’m not happy.
The way I see it, it was all payback for that time she tied me to the lamp post in my underwear when I was 4…or for dressing me up like a girl when her friends came over. Not cool. I was a GOOD sport…but then again, putting up with me, so was she.
Fast forward a few years and thankfully, we have a great relationship and there is nothing more important to both of us than family. She will do anything for me…and, of course, I would do anything for her. Love you sis!
So when she begged—kicking and screaming—to come on Tiny Kitchen Big Taste to show off her healthy recipes, I finally caved and said yes. (The real translation of that last sentence is quite the opposite. I have been asking her for quite a while and last time I was shooting in Atlanta (where she lives), it didn’t work out.)
With that said, as excited as I was to have her in the TK, I have to admit, I was skeptical about this recipe when I first had it years ago. But…even if Encyclopedia Brown and his trusty sidekick Sally Kimball were on The Case of the Missing Traditional Pancake, I can assure you, they couldn’t solve the mystery. Not only would they get the same satisfaction out of my sister’s protein-packed pancakes as they would the pedestrian variety, but also the taste, texture and consistency of Barb’s Power Pancakes would fool them too. These pancakes are top-notch!
The cool thing about this recipe is that it is really, truly a healthy, balanced meal in a pancake…simply disguised as an old favorite. They are low in fat, have two great sources of protein in the cottage cheese and egg whites and the perfect slow-release carb in the Whole Oats…which I have learned from Barb, take longer to digest and keep your blood sugar levels more stable which allows for sustained energy. Because your body doesn’t have to pump out as much insulin, you get the added benefit of burning both carbohydrates AND stored body fat and you won’t feel the highs and lows that you feel when you eat quick release carbs like sugar.
But what about the smashed-banana syrup, you ask? Is that healthy? As I see it, life is about compromise and balance. Substitute in a banana and reduce the amount of the mapley-sweet stuff you’re using (so that you are using it in moderation) and you’ll be able to get the satisfaction of having a great comfort food like pancakes and syrup without over-indulging or taking a really healthy meal and completely drowning it in something unhealthy.
And this is something I know about. When I was a little chunkster as a kid, I didn’t know much about the basics of food. Heck, those nutrition labels we take for granted didn’t start coming out until 1994. Thus, I would drown my “healthy” salad in two gallons of Thousand Island Dressing…which, by the way, is the coolest name for a salad dressing. If you know where it came from, leave me a comment. I would love to know.
I digress. Where was I…oh yes, moderation and balance…balance…balance. This is what will allow you to have great food without feeling like you have to starve yourself or completely avoid certain types of foods.
I have never loved the idea of neglecting yourself of all good food in the name of eating healthy. For me, it’s not a manageable long-term solution for anything but misery and FOMO, not to mention a lack of feeling satisfied after I eat.
God gave us some amazing food that can give us great joy. If we take a little bit of time to learn about food, it’s easy to figure out what to eat more of and what kinds of foods you need to moderate a bit more or save for special occasions. I’ll leave all that fitness stuff and personal training for Barb…but one thing I do know is that these pancakes are the best and I cannot wait for you to try them.
Let us know what you think!
Power Pancakes
Ingredients
SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED IS:
Pancakes:
- 1 1/2 cups Egg Whites
- 1 cup Low-fat Cottage Cheese
- 1 1/2 cup Oatmeal
- 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
- 1 Fuji Apple
- 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- Pinch Nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Smashed-Banana Syrup:
- 1/2 Banana
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
YOU'LL ALSO NEED:
Pancakes:
Smashed-Banana Syrup:
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Potato Masher (optional)
- Sharp Knife
Instructions
Pancakes
- Cut up Apple and place in Blender. To the Blender, also add Egg Whites, Cottage Cheese, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Blend until combined.
- Add Whole Grain Oats and Coconut Flour. (Note: You can use any type of flour you like.) Blend until completely combined. (Note: if too thin, add more Flour a teaspoon at a time)
- Pour desired amount of batter into a Pan over medium heat. (Note: you can spread batter around in the pan if you want to thin it out a bit) Cook batter until it starts to bubble on top and the pancake is brown on the bottom. Turn and brown on the other side.
Smashed Banana Syrup
- Cut 1/2 of the Banana into 1/2 inch slices. Place in bowl/
- Add Maple Syrup into bowl.
- Mash with Potato Masher or a fork.
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