Search This Blog

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Ah-MAZE-ing Light Banana Pancakes



Once again, I have let weeks pass without an entry.  Life just gets so busy sometimes! The week before last I logged in 53 hours of work for my job that’s supposed to be around 14-20 hours a week.  Then we had a big Fourth of July barbecue here at our house, leaving me no lag time to recover from my long work week.  The boys are out of school and very unhappy about my hours spent on the computer instead of entertaining and interacting with them.  Now that the big project is finished and the holiday is over, I promised them a day of fun with me on Saturday.  I told them I would rest up Friday night and be in a great mood to play and spend time with them on Saturday doing “something fun”…

So, I wasn’t real excited when my crazy chickens started squawking at 5:04 AM! 5:04!! On Saturday!! If I didn’t wring their necks, I’m sure one of my neighbors would.  Once I checked on them, threw some food out and calmed them down, my dogs decided it must be time to get up, too and Cainan soon followed after them.  I managed to sneak in one more hour of sleep and then Asher was up, too.
 
Asher really wanted to go out to breakfast and I really didn’t want to get up and make anything (I hadn’t succeeded in conjuring up my good mood I’d promised them for the day).  BUT, Joe and I are really making an effort to eat healthier and I knew we were going to be meeting friends for dinner at a pizza joint tonight, so I didn’t want to double up on the “treats”.  Asher was sure he wanted pancakes.  I decided this might be the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe I had pinned…if it turned out horrible, it would be a legitimate excuse to go out to breakfast, after all. 

Let me preface this by explaining the recipe I had in mind is one that is very low calorie and consists of only two ingredients.  That’s right, pancakes with just two ingredients AND healthy.  I did not have a lot of hope for these.  I’ve tried my share of Pinterest recipes that swear they are SOOOO GOOD, low calorie, healthy, sugar-free, just like Wendy’s, McDonald’s, blah, blah, blah…

So, I fired up the stove, grabbed my banana and eggs and got started.  Oh. My. Word.  These were FANTASTIC!  I am so excited to share this recipe and our success.  These tasted fantastic, are EXTREMELY low calorie (head’s up PWS families) and super easy to make!  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Banana Pancakes/Crepes

Ingredients:

1 very ripe banana (doesn’t need to be black but soft and ripe)
2 eggs
Optional: Chopped walnuts, pecans, mini-chocolate chips, diced fruit…

The original recipe calls for using a Magic Bullet.  I have a Ninja…I think they are essentially the same thing.  If you don’t have either, I believe a blender would work just fine.

Take your ripe banana and throw it in your device, obliterating it.  Beat the eggs slightly and add them to the banana.  Whir again for a few seconds to combine everything very well.  Note: I also added a few drops of vanilla extract.  The writer of the recipe I used mentioned adding cinnamon, as well.

Spray a good non-stick pan with some non-stick spray (or use butter if calories aren’t a concern for you).  Heat your pan on medium-low.  Pour the batter to the size pancake you would like.  This is also the time to add chocolate chips, nuts or diced fruit, if desired (I used mini chocolate chips).  They puff a little better if they’re smaller.  Note: these do not puff up or get fluffy like regular pancakes, but they still had a great consistency and taste(...they might if you beat the egg whites separately and incorporated them? I'll have to try that next time!)



When they start to get brown around the edges and look firm in the middle, use a spatula to flip.  Allow to brown slightly and plate.  Serve with butter and syrup if desired or any topping of your choice.


 Asher LOVED them.  He ate four, one of which I threw a few mini chocolate chips in.  Because he had slept in later it was breakfast time for him but already snack time for Cainan.  I decided I would make one of them into a crepe for Cainan for snack.

The recipe I followed also said the batter could be watered down slightly to make crepes.  I tried this and gave up after the fourth failed attempt to flip them…they were just too thin and delicate.  I made a second batch of batter (since it’s so easy and quick) and just rolled the pan to spread it out when I poured it in.  This worked just fine.  The batter does not need to be watered down to make a crepe.

I threw a few of the mini chocolate chips into this one, too. 


Again, watch for the edges to get brown and the center to get firm before flipping.  It only takes a few seconds to brown the second side. 


I used about a tablespoon of the light Greek yogurt we buy and four strawberries (sliced) and wrapped them in the crepe.   

 


















I made one for myself for breakfast, too.  A few minutes later, Asher decided he needed one for snack (it had been about 45 minutes since he finished his first batch of pancakes).  We all LOVED the crepes.  Soooooo goooooood!


 So, believe it or not a two ingredient, low-cal recipe from Pinterest REALLY is tasty, satisfying and easy.  PLUS, there's no sugar and their high in protein.  For those who want the calorie breakdown, here you go:

2 large eggs   =      140

1 banana       =        75

Batter total   =      215



(a serving is about 1/4 to a 1/3 of the batter)



Toppings/Fillings


4 small 
strawberries         =  10


30 mini 
chocolate chips     =  20

1 tsp butter          =   33
 
1 TBSP Dannon 
Light & Fit Yogurt      =  10



1 TBSP chopped
pecans                     =   50

1/4 cup sugar-free
maple syrup             =   35

Note: All calorie counts are approximate.  Using a food scale and calorie website or nutrition information on the packaging is the most precise way to measure calories.  As we know, eggs sizes, banana sizes, and quantities in teaspoon/tablespoon/cup measurements can be subjective.  So, do your own research and weighing if you need an exact count.

Cainan’s crepe was approximately 95 calories…that was a crepe (about a ¼ of the batter), the chocolate chips, the tablespoon of yogurt and the strawberries!  He could have two, if this were for breakfast!