Veggie-filled pancake cups make fun entrees
| • | Updating french wine |
By Elaine Magee
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Q. I'm looking for a fun but light brunch dish to serve for a small Mother's Day luncheon/tea I'm helping with. Can you suggest something?
A. This entree featuring vegetables instead of meat delivers two health benefits from the get-go — no red or processed meats contributing fat, saturated fat and more, and at least one serving of nutrient-rich vegetables.
So, let's create "garden" Dutch pancakes. The Dutch pancake recipe I use as inspiration calls for whole milk and white flour. I add fat-free half-and-half and switch to part whole-wheat flour. Three tablespoons of butter are called for to grease the muffin cups and blend in with the pancake batter, but I cut it all out and use canola cooking spray. Usually a tablespoon of butter is called for to saute about 3 cups of vegetables. But again, I use canola cooking spray and a nonstick frying pan. I also use reduced-fat white cheddar cheese to sprinkle over the top, but any reduced-fat cheese will do.
This light version contains almost 40 percent fewer calories, two-thirds less fat and saturated fat per serving compared to a traditional Dutch pancake filled with the sauteed vegetable mixture topped with regular cheese. Plus, we add an extra gram of fiber per serving.
LIGHT DUTCH GARDEN PANCAKES
Whip up the batter the night before and keep it covered in the refrigerator until the morning when you're ready to make them. We are using higher omega-3 eggs to make these lighter pancakes, and substituting whole-wheat flour for half of the white flour and fat-free half-and-half (or low-fat milk) for whole milk. Instead of using 3 tablespoons of butter when cooking the pancakes, we're using canola cooking spray.
Pancakes:
Garden filling:
In mixing bowl, add eggs, flours, fat-free half-and-half, salt and nutmeg and beat on medium speed until combined, removing as many lumps as possible (batter will still be slightly lumpy). Cover the bowl with foil or plastic and keep in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 425 degrees. When it reaches 425 degrees, set two pans (6 cups each) of Texas size muffins in the oven for 5 minutes to get good and hot.
Take one pan out and coat one of the cups generously with canola cooking spray, then quickly pour 1/8 cup of batter into the cup. Repeat with the remaining 5 cups in the pan. Place the pan in the oven and remove the second pan.
Repeat the process with the second pan (cup by cup, spray with canola cooking spray then ladle in 1/8 cup of batter) until the batter is gone. Quickly place pan in hot oven with other pan. Bake 10 minutes or until mini pancakes are golden brown and puffy.
While pancakes are baking, heat a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Coat the pan generously with cooking spray (or coat bottom with 2 teaspoons of oil) and add the mushrooms. Saute, stirring often until lightly browned (3 to 5 minutes), then stir in diced broccoli. Continue to stir and cook until broccoli is tender but still bright green. Turn off the burner and stir in the diced tomato; set aside.
When mini pancakes are out of oven, remove 3 to a plate and fill each with a slightly heaping tablespoon of the garden mixture. Repeat with the remaining pancakes. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of shredded cheese over the top of each Dutch pancake. If the cheese doesn't melt within a minute, pop them under the broiler for about 20 seconds. Serve immediately.
Makes 10 mini pancakes (about 3 servings).
