Recipe: Banana Oat Yoghurt Pancakes

This is a little belated but I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. In this post, I'll share with you the pancake recipe I made my mum. The pancakes I've made in the past were on the thinner side but this time I wanted to make nice and thick pancakes. Scrolling through instagram and googling many recipes I discovered that this could be achieved by using yoghurt in the batter!

The yoghurt gives the pancakes a slight tartness and I think because I used oat flour, the texture is more spongy than fluffy. But don't be deterred by the sound of tart spongy pancakes. Together with toppings and a generous drizzle of honey or maple syrup this stuff is divine!

Banana Oat Yoghurt Pancakes (Serves 3)
Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled or quick oats
• 1 banana
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp cinnamon  
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup (depending on batter consistency) milk or milk alternative 

To serve (this is what I used but you could try other toppings too - be creative!):

• 1/2 cup blueberries 
• 1 banana
• Walnuts, pepitas 
• A dollop of plain yoghurt
• Honey (pancakes aren't complete without it)

In a food processor, blend the oats, banana and eggs until well combined. Depending on how big your food processor is, you may have to blend the ingredients in two batches. In a large enough bowl, mix the batter with the yoghurt, baking powder and cinnamon. To check the consistency, the batter should run slowly off the spoon in a thick ribbon. If it is too thick, add milk a bit at a time until you reach the right consistency. 

Put a pan on medium-high heat with a little bit of oil. Spoon the batter onto the pan. I found that one heaped table spoon of batter is the perfect amount for one pancake. The make them nice and round, just let the batter drop onto the pan without moving the spoon - the batter will spread out on its own.  

Cook for two minutes or until the edges are set (my pancakes didn't form bubbles like usual pancakes). Flip and cook them for another 1-2 minutes on the other side. 

And now its time to plate and dress these babies up! I like to stack them - it just looks a lot more impressive that way. Put on a dollop of yoghurt and sprinkle on the walnuts and pepitas. Arrange the slices of banana to your liking and chuck on the blueberries on top. For the final touch of sweetness drizzle all over with honey!

Recipe: Healthy Microwave Oat Cake

The weather in Sydney has been pretty grey and drizzly lately. So I thought, what better way to put some cheer in my day than with a fancied up breakfast. It's my first time making this mug cake and I'm surprised how well it turned out! The texture was very spongy and moist! 

The cake itself was consists only of oat flour, banana, egg, blueberries and a dash of cinnamon. I topped it with non-fat Greek yoghurt (Chobani), raw walnuts, pepitas, blueberries, cinnamon and a nice drizzle of honey. 

I feel that everything just works so well in this cake. You get the creaminess from the yoghurt, and crunch from the walnuts and pepitas. Then you get the pops of freshness from the blueberries together with the sweetness of the honey soaked up by the cake. Just pure deliciousness to start the day! 

If you have read my previous posts, you would know that I love my oats. And you  know, Greek yoghurt and walnuts are pretty great too! How so?

• Greek yoghurt, like all yoghurts, contain probiotics. Probiotics are live bacterial cultures that promote good gut health. Also, if you're lactose intolerant, you may find yoghurt quite easy to digest as the probiotics would have digested much of the lactose already. Aside from the probiotics, Greek yoghurt is also a good source of protein which will keep you fuller for longer, as well as calcium which is important for forming strong bones and teeth. 
• Walnuts can be an acquired taste as some people may find them slightly bitter but just a handful a day and they can contribute to the healthy diet. Walnuts are very rich in the omega-3 alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). ALA has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes heart health. 

Anyways, enough of the nitty gritty, I'll give you guys the recipe so you could make it yourself!

Banana Blueberry Oat Cake (Serves 1)

Ingredients

• 1/2 rolled oats 
• 1/2 a banana 
• 1 egg 
• 1 tbsp blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yoghurt (I used Chobani)
• 1/2 tbsp walnuts (chopped)
• 1 tsp pepitas 
• Cinnamon 

Blend the oats*, banana and egg in a food processor until well combined (~30 sec). Pour batter into a microwavable mug or bowl and mix in half of the blueberries and a dash of cinnamon. Microwave the batter on medium for 1 min 40 sec. Invert onto a plate. 

Spread the yoghurt on top of the cake and sprinkle with the walnuts, pepitas and remaining blueberries. Add the final touch of honey and a dusting of cinnamon and voila! A beautiful, healthy and delicious breakfast cake! 

Enjoy! 

*I blended 2/3 of the oats and mixed the other third in unblended with the blueberries

Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Cookies are delicious and they can be healthy too! Forget about the processed high sugar cookies and tuck into these wholesome goodies instead. All of the ingredients used in these cookies have their own health benefits:

• Oats contain a type of fibre, beta-glucan, which helps to lower cholesterol and controls blood sugar levels. By lowering cholesterol the risk of heart disease is reduced. 
• Bananas are a rich source of potassium which lowers blood pressure and they also have a low GI maintaining stable blood sugar levels. 
• Dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) is full of antioxidants, like polyphenols and flavonols, that improves blood flow and insulin sensitivity. 
• Walnuts are very high in the omega-3 alpha linoleic acid which lowers cholesterol and improves cardiovascular health. Walnuts also contain anti-inflammatory phytonutrients which can help protect against certain cancers. 
• Cinnamon is a spice derived from the bark of the cinnamon tree. It contains essential oils such as cinnamaldehyde which helps to prevent blood clots. 

These oatmeal cookies are super easy to make with only two base ingredients and you could add mix-ins to your liking. For this recipe I would add no more than half a cup of extra mix-ins otherwise the cookies may not hold together. Hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do :)

Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Makes 8)
Ingredients 

• 1 cup blended oats 
• 2 ripe bananas 
• 1/4 cup 85% dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius. 

Mash bananas with the blended oats until is all combined into a nice dough. 

Thoroughly mix in the dark chocolate, walnuts and cinnamon so that everything is evenly mixed in. 

Put spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a lined baking tray and shape into round disks.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. 

Allow to cool before serving. 

Look at that deliciously melty chocolate!

Recipe: Baked Barramundi with Sweet Potato Chips

Whether you're single or in a relationship, I hoped everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. 

I myself is still part of the singles party, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a lovely Valentine's Day dinner (with my mum). Saturday night's dinner consisted of rosemary and thyme baked barramundi with purple sweet potato chips and blanched bok choy. 

This dish tasted amazing and the fact that half of it was vegetables makes it even better! Brimming with macro and micronutrients, here's a little low-down of the nutritional benefits of what this meal offers:

  

Barramundi is a source of omega-3 fatty acids which can help prevent heart disease and is important for brain development in young children. 

Sweet potato chips are usually made with orange sweet potatoes (kumera) but purple ones work just fine. Purple sweet potatoes are not only high in fibre for good gut health, they also contain contain the antioxidant anthocyanin which reduces harmful free radicals in the body. 

To add a bit of green to the plate I went with bok choy, a very popular Asian green leafy vegetable with a subtle sweet taste. Bok choy is also teaming with antioxidants and is a rich source of vitamins A, C and K. Vitamin A as many of you may know is important for keeping your eyes healthy. Vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) aids in the absorption of iron and helps to form collagen (for nice and firm skin :D). Lastly, vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting. 

I hope you like this simple yet delicious recipe. 

Baked Barramundi with Sweet Potato Chips 

Ingredients 

• 2 x 150 g barramundi fillets 
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp thyme 
• Salt and pepper to season 
• 1 large purple sweet potato 
• 2 bunches of bok choy 
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp rice bran oil 

Preheat oven to 180 C. 

Cut the sweet potato into chip shaped batons and soak in a bowl of water for 30 min. Drain and dry thoroughly. Evenly coat the sweet potato with 1 tbsp of rice bran oil and spread out on a baking tray in a single layer. Sprinkle over with black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile season the barramundi fillets with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle the rosemary and thyme over the two fillets. Place skin side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle skin with the remaining oil. 

After baking the sweet potato chips for 20 minutes, turn each chip to bake the other side. Place the fish in the oven and bake together with the chips for 15 minutes. 

Whilst the fish and chips are baking, wash the bok choy and segment the bunches into quarters. Cook in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and arrange on the serving plate. 

When the fish and chips have finished baking, plate up and enjoy :)

Recipe: Oat Pancakes (sweet and savoury)

Yep once again I was in the mood for pancakes. Not just for breakfast, for lunch as well. That's right pancake for lunch and it was delicious!

Breakfast was a stack of mixed berry pancakes with bananas and honey.

Serves 1

Ingredients 

1/4 cup oat flour (rolled oats blended into flour)

1/4 milk 

1/2 an egg 

1/8 tsp baking powder 

1/4 cup mixed berries 

To serve,

1 banana 

Honey

Method

In a food processor blend the oats, milk, 1/2 and egg, baking powder and berries together (I reserved some blueberries and mixed them into the batter whole afterwards).

On medium heat pour the batter into a lightly oiled pan to your desired size. When bubbles start to form flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute. 

Plate up and serve with your own choice of toppings :)

Lunch was a massive corn pancake topped with tomato, corn and teriyaki salmon. The batter base is the same as the breakfast pancakes, but instead of mixed berries I added corn. I used frozen corn kernels.

Ingredients 

1/4 cup oat flour (rolled oats blended into flour)

1/4 milk 

1/2 an egg 

1/8 tsp baking powder 

1/4 cup corn kernels (cooked)

To serve,

1 small tomato 

1 tbsp corn kernels 

Slices of teriyaki salmon 

Parsley leaves 

Method

In a food processor blend the oats, milk, 1/2 and egg, and baking powder together. When the batter is smooth stir in the corn kernels. 

On medium heat pour the batter into a lightly oiled pan to your desired size. When bubbles start to form flip the pancakes and cook until the underside is golden brown. 

Plate up and serve with tomato wedges, corn and salmon slices. 

Teriyaki salmon 

Thinly slice a salmon fillet. 

Cook on a pan on medium heat until nearly cooked through. Turn off heat and add a mix of teriyaki and soy sauce to taste (1:1 ratio). Toss salmon slices around pan so they are coated in sauce.  

Bourke Street Bakery, Surry Hills

I could smell it before I saw it. Bourke Street Bakery, a little store on the corner of Bourke and Devonshire St.

At last I have tried THE much talked about pork and fennel sausage roll ($4.50). That was all I had my eyes on for the savouries whilst my friend went for the new beef and beer pie with cheesy mash ($6). I tried a bit of my friend's pie and the first thing that hit me was the beer - it was strong but it works well with the other flavours. The pie base was thin, buttery and holds together well. The mash - cheesy and fluffy - tops the pie perfectly. 

Pork and fennel sausage roll ($4.50), beef and beer pie with cheesy mash ($6)

 Now, to my long awaited sausage roll. To be honest I actually preferred the flavours in the pie over the sausage roll. It's my first time trying fennel and I wasn't sure if I liked it. It may be more of an acquired taste. That being said, the encasing pastry was lovely and flaky, and the pork was still tender and moist.

Cross section of the pork and fennel sausage roll.

And how could I possibly leave without trying their equally as famous ginger brulee tart? This time I was not disappointed. The tart was everything I imaged it to be - thin buttery pastry, punchy ginger custard and the crack of the brulee top. My friend is not a fan of ginger and opted for the strawberry meringue tart. The tart base was just as buttery and thin holding a fragrant strawberry mousse a layer of fresh strawberries and the pillowy, not too sweet meringue.

Strawberry meringue tart ($5.50), ginger brulee tart ($5)

Seating 

3 small in-store tables - sits max of 6 people 

A few tables are set up outside but its hard to find a shady spot during lunch time

Probably easier to take-away

The Fine Food Store, The Rocks

The Fine Food Store is a quaint yet spacious cafe located inside The Rocks Centre. Theres the choice of indoor table seating, window seats that look out onto Kendall Lane, as well as outdoor seating.

I stopped by to grab a quick lunch of a roasted vegetable frittata which comes with a complimentary salad and baby spinach. I opted for the pumpkin cous cous salad from their range of salads displaying in the cabinet. The other salads on offer were red quinoa, kale and quinoa, and beetroot and feta.

The frittata was also displaying in the cabinet so I suppose they would heat it up (microwave?) before serving. The frittata was light on flavour but I still enjoyed its fluffy eggy texture with chunks of pumpkin and slices of potato. The cous cous salad was pretty enjoyable too with a lovely crumbly texture. The best element of this dish was the mustard seed vinaigrette on the spinach leaves - tangy and sweet with pops of mustard seeds.

A pot of tea here is (in my opinion) quite dear at $5 a pot, but I was in the need of a calming caffeine hit. The green tea with jasmine was very fragrant and exactly what I needed.    

Roasted vegetable frittata $9.50 and a pot of green tea with jasmine $5

 

        

Overall I had a pleasant experience at The Fine Food Store. The food itself is reasonably priced with decent portion sizes.