Banana Breakfast Pancakes

Well folks, today is Friday, which means tomorrow is Saturday, so I decided to share my current favourite Saturday breakfast recipe with you. Easy-peasy yet scrumdiddlyumptious banana pancakes. And they only have 3 ingredients...

This recipe started life a a 2 ingredient pancake recipe, but I just wasn't brave enough to try eating eggy mashed banana, so I tweaked it a little. Pretty sure the fitness fanatics aren't going to go ape for this one, but it's certainly good enough for me!

Ingredients:
1 large banana, or two small ones
1 medium egg
20g self raising flour
A little oil, butter, or frylite for greasing

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1 hungry person, or two not-so-hungry people (it makes 4 pancakes)

1. Break your banana into a bowl and then mash it up with a fork - try to get rid of all the big lumps.
2. Add the egg to the mashed banana and whisk with the fork until combined.
3. Tip in your flour and fold in until just mixed.
4. Heat a little oil/butter/frylite in a pan. When hot, spoon 2tbsp of the pancake batter into the pan and spread into a circle shape with the back on your spoon. Let the pancake cook side for 30-45 seconds, until the edges are cooked and bubble start to form in the centre, then flip the pancake over and cook the other side for 30-45 seconds.
5. Repeat until you've used all the batter, then enjoy your yummy, fairly healthy banana breakfast pancakes!

Happy Thoughts
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Best Ever Granola

I know I shouldn't toot my own horn, but this might actually be the tastiest granola in the world. It is delicious, and oh so good for you. One of my new year's resolutions for 2013 was to eat breakfast every day, and this recipe makes that a very easy resolution to keep.

I was introduced to the idea (and the starting point for this recipe) by my friend Jen at Cake'n'Bake Club - you can find Jen's version of the recipe here. I used a different variety of nuts and dried fruit to Jen, and added extra honey, because that suited my preference. That's probably the best thing about this recipe, you can make it your own by subbing out the fruit and nuts listed below and replacing them with your favourite. This granola definitely tastes better than any shop bought granola I've tried, and it's healthier to boot!

Ingredients:
50g whole almonds
50g whole cashews
225g rolled oats, the chunkier the better!
25g sunflower seeds
25g pumpkin seeds
50ml sunflower oil
3 generous tablespoons of runny honey
40g dried cranberries


Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes around 6 portions

1. Start by preheating your oven to 170/gas mark 4, then line a flat baking sheet with baking parchment.
2. Tip the nuts into a food processor and whizz them a couple of times until they are in smaller chunks. Tip the nuts into a large bowl then add the oats and the seeds.
3. Stir in the oil and honey until everything has been coated and the mixture starts to come together, then tip the mixture out onto the lined baking sheet, spreading evenly with the back of your spoon.
4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes, then gently remove the tray from the oven, tip the granola back into the mixing bowl, give it a good stir, then put it back on the tray and back in the oven for another 5 minutes - this should help the granola to be cooked evenly!
5. After the granola has been in the oven for the second time, take it out and pour it once more into the mixing bowl, stir through the dried cranberries, then leave the granola to cool, uncovered, in the bowl.
6. Once cool, transfer the granola to an airtight container, where it should keep for up to a week.

Happy Thoughts
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Banana Oat Muffins

This recipe is a favourite in our house, not only because it makes really delicious, moist banana muffins, but also because it's a fantastic way to use up over-ripe banana, which we always seem to have leftover at the end of the week. I'll usually make a batch of these at the weekend, then wrap them up individually in cling film once they've cooled so that I can freeze them. I have found that if I get one out in the morning and let it thaw in the cling film, it will be ready to eat with a cup of tea at lunch time!

Now, you may be thinking that these muffins don't sound particularly healthy, and you'd be right. I mean there are worse things for you, but they do contain rather a lot of fat and sugar, so why are they being posted in a month I've dedicated to healthier baking? Well, I decided to experiment with substitutes and make a reduced fat and sugar version, and a low-fat sugar-free version of this recipe, to see how they turned out. I think the original version is still the best, but the other versions are tasty too. The most interesting thing about doing this was looking at what went into the muffins and what I could use instead!

I've provided the approximate calories, fat and saturated fat content of each recipe below, so I'd also like to include a disclaimer. I am not a nutritional expert in any way, shape or form. I'm just a girl who likes cake. I worked out the calorie, fat and sat fat content of each recipe using a pen, paper and calculator and the information found on the food packets. This information could vary dependent on the brands you use, on the size of your muffin pan, and on how much you trust my math skills. Values are given as a guidance only!!

Ingredients

For the original (and tastiest) variety     Reduced Fat and Sugar                 Low-Fat and Sugar-Free  

125g margarine                                           50g margarine                                  3 large over-ripe bananas  

2 large over-ripe bananas                            2 large over-ripe bananas                 125g applesauce

50g caster sugar                                          75g applesauce                                75g honey

50g soft brown sugar                                   50g soft brown sugar                       2 medium eggs

1tbsp runny honey                                       50g honey                                       100g self raising flour

2 medium eggs                                            2 medium eggs                                 100g porridge oats

100g self raising flour                                  50g self raising flour

100g porridge oats                                     150g porridge oats

Calories = 284                                           Calories = 227                                  Calories = 189
Fat = 13.25g                                              Fat = 7.14g                                       Fat = 2.35g
Sat Fat = 3.35g                                          Sat Fat = 1.76g                                 Sat Fat = 0.56g

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 – 20 minutes

Makes 8 muffins

1. If using, melt the margarine in the microwave and place to one side to cool.
2. Preheat the over to gas mark 6, and line a muffin tray with cases.
3. Break the bananas onto chunks, then mash them with a fork. Try to mash them up as much as you can to make sure there are no big lumps – the runnier the better!
4. Add the sugars (if using) and all of the wet ingredients to the banana. Beat together with the fork until all of the ingredients have combined.
5. Add the flour and the oats to the mixture, and stir with the fork until just combined.
6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases, filling each one around ¾ full, then bake for 15-20 minutes until dark golden brown all over. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Thoughts

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