Pancakes for Breakfast! The Saturday Morning Comfort Food

It's been freezing here in Denver in January and Food Snob has eaten her way through pot after pot of soup - check out her previous recipes for Red Lentil Soup (February 2, 2012) and Chicken and Barley Soup with Dill and Lemon (March 8, 2012) - she's made both of these in the past two weeks.

Even though the weather has warmed up a bit the past few days, January is the month for comfort food.  Comfort food is especially important in Denver right now, since we are all suffering depression from the Bronco's recent playoff defeat and we need all of the comforting we can get.  "Eating healthy" also tops the list of New Year's Resolutions for many of us, so not just "any" comfort food will suffice; comfort food in January must also be made from healthy ingredients and be low in calories and fat.

Pancakes for breakfast - made from scratch - are one of Food Snob's favorite comfort foods.    Pancakes, which can be healthy and are quick to fix, are served at Food Snob's house every Saturday morning.  Saturday breakfast without pancakes on the table earns glares from Food Snob's family members, who are disappointed with any alternative.  And, what question does Food Snob's husband ask when he wakes up every Saturday morning, guaranteed?   Without exception, he wants to know what kind of pancakes we are having this morning.

Although Food Snob loves to go out for breakfast, she typically stays away from pancakes served at even the best breakfast restaurants.  Pancakes in restaurants are heavy on white carbohydrates and sugar, and portions are too large.  When Food Snob wants pancakes she makes her own.

To boost both the taste and nutrition value of her pancakes, Food Snob has developed recipes that are 100 percent whole-grain, high in protein, and low in sugar and fat.  To do so, she has adopted the following pancake-making rules:

• Eliminate all fat from the recipe (trust me - your pancakes will not stick if you have a good griddle - you can coat the griddle lightly with cooking spray).
• Add protein to your pancake batter - protein helps the pancakes to "stick with you" longer. Eggs, fat-free greek yogurt, and fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese increase the protein and help level out the "insulin spike" you may have when you eat food heavy with carbohydrates and sugar.  Family members who think they don't like yogurt or cottage cheese will never know that they are eating it - and let's just keep that OUR secret (unless the family member is allergic or cannot tolerate dairy products - then eliminating dairy is essential).  Adding a small amount of nuts to the pancakes provides healthy fats, crunch, protein, and great flavor.
• Use whole grains in your batter.  For example, by substituting white flour with whole wheat pastry flour, you can create pancakes that are 100 percent whole grain.
• Top your pancakes with fruit and use syrup sparingly.  Warming the fruit, adding lemon juice, sweetening with a small amount of agave nectar and a bit of no-calorie sweetener such as Splenda or Truvia, if you need it, can create a delicious topping that minimizes the need for syrup.
• Splurge on real maple syrup, and use it sparingly.
• Limit portion size.  Two six-inch pancakes (three or more if you are my son, who can eat more pancakes than anyone I've ever seen) will fill you up and keep you full for hours.

Food Snob uses different pancake recipes depending on the season - a winter favorite is Organic Spelt Pancakes with Berry Compote.  Spelt is an ancient cousin of wheat that is higher in fiber and lower in gluten.  Spelt pancakes are fast, easy, and delicious - you can make these pancakes in about the same time as pancake mix (which, by the way, is not allowed in Food Snob's kitchen).  You can purchase organic spelt flour at your local grocery store and whole wheat pastry flour at Sprouts, Vitamin Cottage, or Whole Foods.  Food Snob serves her pancakes with low-fat organic turkey sausage, meatless sausage patties, or turkey bacon.  One sausage link or patty, or one slice of bacon, provides great satisfaction without overdoing it.  

Here are a few rules on making pancakes from scratch, if you aren't used to doing this:

• Pancakes are a quick bread, so don't over-stir your batter once you add the wet ingredients, all at one time, to the dry ingredients.  Stir gently just until all dry ingredients are moistened and don't worry if the batter isn't perfectly smooth.
• Use an electric griddle, if you have one, set at 375 degrees.  Electric griddles allow you to cook a lot of pancakes at one time and create a consistent, even heat.  If you don't have an electric griddle, you can use a large frying pan.  Heat it on medium heat.  
• Test the griddle by sprinkling with a few drops of cold water before adding your batter.  The drops will spatter and jump if the griddle is hot enough.
• Pour the batter onto the griddle with a measuring cup (Food Snob uses about 1/3 cup to make a 6-inch pancake).  The pancakes will spread out into a six-inch circle if the batter is the right consistency. Top the pancakes with a few nuts, and wait for bubbles to appear on top of the batter.  Flip the pancakes before the bubbles start bursting.  If you wait until the bubbles burst, you will have cooked the pancakes too long. Do not smash the pancakes with the spatula, once you flip them.  A family member, who shall remain unnamed, did this once, to Food Snob's horror!

Food Snob's recipe for Organic Spelt Pancakes was modified from one she found in Bon Appetit magazine.  She reduced the fat and sodium in the recipe and added pecans for crunch.  Here's her recipe:

Organic Spelt Pancakes with Berry Compote - makes 8 to 10 six-inch pancakes

To prepare Berry Compote, place in a medium, microwave safe bowl:

one-half of a 16-ounce bag of frozen triple berry medley (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)

Microwave on high for about two minutes.  Stir the mixture and add:

one 6-ounce container of fresh blackberries, washed

juice from 1/4 of a lemon, freshly squeezed

1 Tablespoon organic agave nectar (may substitute maple syrup)
ground cinnamon, to taste

Taste, and if more sweetness is needed, add a small amount of Splenda, Truvia, sugar, or more agave nectar, depending on your preference.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Set mixture aside while preparing pancake batter.  

To prepare Organic Spelt Pancakes, preheat electric griddle to 375 degrees. Stir together with a whisk in a large bowl:

1 cup organic spelt flour

2 Tablespoons yellow corn meal

1/4 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together:

3 organic, high omega-3 eggs

1 cup rice milk, soy milk, unsweetened almond milk, or skim milk

1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir together until all dry ingredients are moistened; mixture will not be perfectly smooth.  Do not over mix!

Test griddle with drops of cold water as described above.  Spray griddle lightly with cooking spray.  Pour about 1/3 cup batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Pour slowly and allow batter to spread evenly. Immediately top each pancake with:

a few pecans, broken into large pieces

When small bubbles begin to form on the top of the pancakes, flip them over. Do not wait until the bubbles break.  Cook until brown on the underside. Remove pancakes to individual serving plates, top each pancake with warm berry compote. Serve with warm maple syrup or agave nectar, applied sparingly!  Prepare to be comforted!

Watch for Food Snob's comfort food recipe for next week:  The Best Chicken Stew - perfect for cold January days and equally delicious when served as a leftover meal on another day!