Blueberry banana pancakes
Sunday morning brunch…. quite possibly one of my favourite meals. This is the time of the week where I feel that anything goes, time to be a little bit crazy and go for whatever it is you really fancy!
And today I really fancied…..pancakes!!
This notion had originally been inspired a few weeks back by this recipe, such a simple concept and I figured that it wasn’t actually so far removed from my usual oats combo! A few tweaks and one hot frying pan later, one plate of pancakes were all mine!
Recipe: Blueberry banana pancakes
Makes approx. 6 medium sized pancakes. (serves two for brunch or desert)
Ingredients
- ½ cup mix of wholemeal and white spelt flour
- 3 tbs rolled oats
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp agave (if needed)
- 1 mashed ripe banana
- 1/3-1/2 cup soy milk
- Handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen defrosted)
- Topping- soy yoghurt layered through the stack topped with a few more blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.
Method
Mix the banana, soy milk, agave and vanilla in a bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add the wet and mix. Add blueberries last and lightly mix through. Spoon dollops on a lightly oiled hot frying pan and fry until golden for a minute or so each side. Serve in a stack with soy yoghurt and blueberry topping as desired.
Mmmm, lovely warm and ooooozy, they were dripping everywhere as I rushed to take a few photos!
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The beach with tropical oats
It hard to believe its October and just a couple of days ago I spent one of the hottest days this year walking along a beach in the beating sun and eating chips whilst the sunset! (oops, well I am allowed a naughty treat every now and again)
Crazy English weather- but I’m not complaining this time (just would have been nice to have seen some of this weather during August!)
The crash of the waves, the heat of the sun and the feint whiff of sun cream was still on my mind when I woke up the following morning ready for a bowl of…. tropical oats!
I had taken a pic-nic for our beach trip. Filled with veg sticks and hummous, cous cous, fresh bread, fruit and a couple of bags of these….
Mini bags of ‘infused’ raisins by Nakd (the Nakd bar people), and not having tried them before I couldn’t help myself. Strangely moorishly yummy!
The pineapple infused raisins caught my eye when I opened up the cupboard to ‘discover’ breakfast and before long they had made friends with some mango, nectarine and coconut butter, all mixed together in a lovely bowl of tropical goodness…. Now all I need is my sunglasses and lounger!
Recipe: tropical Porridge oats
Ingredients:
- A serving of oats soaked in soy milk (see this post for my basic oats)
- 1 to 2 tsp coconut butter
- 1 handful of fresh or frozen mango chunks
- 1 nectarine cut up into chunks
- Mini packet of pineapple infused raisins (or actual fried pineapple pieces!)
- Dollop of soy yoghurt
- Sprinkling of coconut chips (if desired or if omitting the coconut butter)
Method:
Pre-soak the oats in the soy milk and then mix through the coconut butter. Cover the oats with the mango and nectarine chunks and lightly mix into the oats. Top the mix with the infused raisins/pineapple and a dollop of soy yoghurt and a sprinkling of coconut chips (I didn’t have any coconut chips to hand).
The perfect breakfast for a hot ‘summers’ day (or even the depths of winter when you need reminding of what summer actually feels like!)
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Crumble topping
Want to whip up a quick healthy dessert?
A bowl of fruit and crumble topped with a blob of soy yoghurt is your five minute answer!
I was reminded to put this post together when the boy grumbled that he was still hungry after the soup I served for lunch a couple of days ago. Five minutes later and we had a nice hot bowl of healthy apple crumble to finish off our meal.
This is a great simple recipe for getting all your fats, carbs and proteins, oh and did I mention it was made from oats…. You know how muchI love oats! Any fruit can be used but I have used apple here. I also used this topping for the fried plantain recipe. So versatile.
Recipe: crumble topping
2 servings
Ingredients:
- 100g oats
- 1 to 2 tbs peanut butter
- 1 to 2 tsp agave nectar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Method:
Lightly toast oats in a dry frying pan for a minute or so. Add remaining ingredients and keep moving round pan until melted and the oats a fully coated and just beginning to brown in places. Spoon over dessert or fruit… or just eat them as they are (wait a couple of minutes for them to cool first!)
If you are making the apple crumble as pictured. Dice the apple and pan fry this first with a little coconut oil and some cinnamon. Once nearly cooked, add the ingredients as per the method above, or if you’d prefer to have the apple as a base with the crumble on top- keep the apple aside and top with the oats. Finish off with a blog of soy yoghurt or cream.
Breakfast oats
I love oats and I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of them! No really… there are just so many topping options. This is the way I start pretty much every day, and in times when a quick fix is in order then I’ll often have oats for lunch or dinner, particularly if I’ve had a late gym class and need a quick and healthy but substantial fix before bed.
Typically I keep the base the same and vary the toppings. Something like this…..
Serving of raw oats soaked in soya milk (the exact amount depends on time of day or how peckish I’m feeling) see also important note below on soaking.
- 1 tbs of mixed seeds (I combine my own mix of sesame, flax, sunflower and pumpkin seed)
- 1 to 2 tbs of soy yoghurt dolloped in the centre of the bowl on top of the oats
- Sprinkling of raisins
- If you like your oat base a little sweeter then add up to 1 tsp of agave nectar.
Toppings… right this is where you can really go crazy!
I typically have grated apple and a sprinkling of cinnamon, one of my favourites. At the moment I’m also really into nectarines so a chopped up nectarine (or both apple and nectarine if I’m making up a bowl for the boy too). Blueberries or raspberries are also super yummy- use a small handful of frozen ones at a push if there are no fresh ones available, particularly if teamed with fresh grated apple…. Can you see the familiar theme with the apple obsession! I think a sprinkle of cinnamon works well with most fruit to give a warm spicy boost.
These last couple of days with the morning sun streaming through the kitchen window I took a few pictures of my breakfast bowls…. You’ll never want a boring old bowl of cereal again!
Important note:
If uncooked, raw oats ideally need to be soaked prior to eating (if you are not making them into porridge which I am not) I soak my oats in soya milk for approximately an hour or so (that’s usually all the time I have in the morning) but overnight is better!
The soaking bulks up the oats prior to digestion and prevents the need for heating which denatures the protein- it keeps the breakfast raw. Most importantly soaking helps to break down phytates in grains which, if not broken down, may prevent proper digestion of the nutrients. Soaking breaks down the phytates and allows the body to properly absorb all the good content of those whole grains. I use soya milk, but any ‘milk’ alternative could be used.
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Pan Fried Plantain With Cinnamon Pan Crumble
I came across plantain entirely by accident whilst out shopping for something entirely different (no I didn’t find what I was looking for!) A new ethnic food market stall caught my attention and I had a little browse. So many random and exciting things, many of which I’d never even heard of gave rise to many new ideas in my mind. I’ll probably be going back there sometime soon!
I decided to play it safe and not get carried away on my first visit, after all that hadn’t been the reason I’d actually ventured into town. However, I couldn’t help but be seduced by plantain…..
I’d had plantain once before at a bbq where it was cut into thick diagonal slices and simply bbq’d until soft and the pale creamy yellow flesh had turned a deeper shade. It was delicious and I kept coming back for more.
A plantain looks like a ‘big banana’ but the starchy texture makes it more like a cross between a banana and a sweet potato. It can be used in sweet or savoury dishes and either in its green (unripe) or yellow/black (ripe) state.
Once home, I did a little investigation to see what the options were, having never cooked it before I wanted to do it justice if I could! The most popular recipes seemed to be sweet dessert/brunch type snacks using ripe plantain, either grilled or fried with spices or syrup. An ideal opportunity for a Sunday brunch. So this morning, instead of the usual oats (as much as I love my oats- more on those later), I decided to surprise the boy with cinnamon fried plantain topped with peanut butter oat crumble (ok so I couldn’t quit the oats entirely!!)
Recipe: fried plantain with cinnamon crumble
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- One large ripe plantain- sliced on the diagonal approx. 10mm thick
- Generous sprinkling of ground cinnamon- approx. 1 tsp
- 1 tbs oil (I used coconut)
For crumble topping:
- Approx. 50g oats
- 1 tbs peanut butter
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
To serve- 2 large tbs soy yoghurt (or more)
Method:
Heat oil in large frying pan until hot then carefully place strips of plantain covering the pan. Fry on either side for 3-4 minutes until golden yellow and beginning to crisp.
Transfer cooked plantain to a side dish and without delay pour the oats into the pan and add the peanut butter, agave and spice. Stir briskly for approx. 2 minutes until the oats are toasted and clumpy.
Assemble the plantain on plates, add a dollop of soy yoghurt to the centre and top with the oat mixture and more yoghurt if prefered.
Mmmmmm…… perfect Sunday brunch or dessert!
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I am a designer, personal empowerment coach and writer from the UK. I work with health and wellness businesses to bring their mission and purpose to the world. I also help people become the best version of themselves in mind and body.
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