Family FECS: Healthy Nutritious Pancakes - Naturally Sweetened with Dates

Thursday 30 May 2019

Healthy Nutritious Pancakes - Naturally Sweetened with Dates

This is an update of my millet pancake here. This time around, I have improvised it and remove the salt and sugar completely from this version of the recipe.

Makes makes about 7-8 pancakes of 18cm in diameter.

Ingredients:
1. ½ cup (90 g) millet flour (I like to grind my own)
2. ½ cup (60 g) wheat flour*
3. 1 TBS flax seeds
4. 1 TBS brewer's yeast (optional)
5. 1 TBS sunflower seeds
6. 3 TBS wheatgerm
7. 3 walnuts
8. 1/2 tsp vanilla poweder (optional)
9. 2 cups (500 ml) low-fat fresh milk 0.1% fat
10. 1 TBS olive oil
11. 15 dried dates pitted
12. 3 eggs
13. 1 tsp cooking oil for frying

Directions:
1. Blend all the dry ingredients (first 8 items on the ingredient list) in a blender mill until it became flour. If you are using a blender, remove and set aside. I use the Magimix dry mill attachment. (If you are using whole millet like I do, grind the millet into flour first, before adding in the rest of the dry ingredients and on the power to mix them together.)

2. Blend the dates together with milk and olive oil and dates in the blender until smooth (takes about 30 seconds or 1 minute if I put it on auto with my Magimix blender).

3. Mix with all the wet and dry ingredients together (except the eggs) by adding dry ingredients into the blender (takes about 15-30 seconds).

4. Lastly, add in eggs and blend for only 1-2 seconds, just enough to mix in the eggs. Don't overbeat the batter. Stop stirring once the mixture is moist or the pancakes will be tough (don’t worry about a few lumps).

5. Heat pan with cooking oil until hot (Its temperature is just right when a few drops of cold water dropped on the pan will jump and sizzle. If the pan is not sufficiently hot, the water will lie there and boil. If it is too hot, the water will evaporate instantly).

6. When the pan is hot, add some oil just enough to spread a thin layer on the pan by rubbing it with a piece of kitchen roll when making the first piece of pancake.

7. Turn to medium-low heat (no. 7 on my stove) and pour in a ladle of mixture just enough to spread it to cover the whole circumference of the pan.

8. Cook until the surface of the pancake is filled with bubbles and the underside has turned slightly brown (about 45 secs to 1 min). Raise the edge of the pancake with the wooden spatula to test if it is firm and brown.

9. Flip over and cook the other side for 30 secs more. DO NOT flip again or the pancake will be tough. (Although you may be tempted to do so, don’t use the spatula to press down the pancake or it will be heavy).

Storage:
Cool them completely before freezing. Freeze them in freezer bags between sheets of waxed paper for 3 months. To re-heat, place frozen pancakes single layer on a baking sheet in a 190°C oven for 7-10 mins. or microwave each pancake for 20 secs.

Nutritional Value:
Millet is tasty, with a mildly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a myriad of beneficial nutrients. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It has the highest protein level of any cereal and is also excellent for potassium, phosphorous, iron and magnesium.

The seeds are also rich in phytochemicals, including Phytic acid, which is believed to lower cholesterol, and Phytate, which is associated with reduced cancer risk.

Millet is gluten-free and is not an acid forming food so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to heat the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates.

References:
Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron

I use whole millet to grind into millet flour

I use the Magimix mill atachment to grind the millet, but any blender with a dry mill will do.

The millet flour is done :-)

Add in 3 tablespoons of wheat germ

Add in 1 tablespoon of flax seeds

Add in 1 tablespoon of brewer's yeast

Add in 1/2 cup plain flour

Add in 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds

Add in 3 walnuts

Blend to mix well (about 30 seconds on my Magimix mill attachment)

In the blender jug, add in 6 dried dates pitted.

Add in 2 cups low fat fresh milk

Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil

Blend for 30 seconds or 1 minute for the full run under the smoothie setting of my Magimix blender (but any blender will do)

Add back the dry ingredients into the blender with the wet ingredients

I forgot to add in the vanilla powder when preparing the dry ingredients, so I am adding it now.

Blend for 15-30 seconds to mix well

Add in 3 eggs

Blend for 1-2 seconds, just enough to mix in the eggs. Don't overbeat the batter. Stop stirring once the mixture is moist or the pancakes will be tough (don’t worry about a few lumps).