Back in late March, few friends and I went to Jamie’s Food Revolution Live at the Opera House. It was great. We had so much fun, and Jamie was so great to see live and witness his passion for good food in person.
This pancake recipe is Jamie’s idea of a simple, and better for you, breakfast. He cooked them at the Opera House, and served them with different combinations of fruit, yoghurt, honey, ricotta and maple syrup. The whole idea behind this recipe is to start the day with something that will keep you full, whilst avoiding processed foods and sugars. Putting oats in pancakes might seem a little strange, but you honestly can’t notice them once the pancakes are cooked. They also help keep you fuller for longer. Jamie recommends using wholemeal self-raising flour and skim milk for this recipe. I used buttermilk the first time I made them, and it make the pancakes nice and fluffy. They are however, just as nice with skim milk.
Jamie also said to cook them on a non-stick pan, so as to negate the need for cooking with any fats. Our non-stick pan isn’t so non-stick anymore, so I used some margarine to cook the pancakes.
While they are simple, I find cooking them in advance (the night before), the easiest way to tackle breakfast before going to work! I can’t say I feel like cooking pancakes, or anything for that matter, at 6:30 in the morning, so being able to just heat them up and top with some berries and maple syrup, is the quickest way to go. I find they last a few days in the fridge once cooked.
This recipe makes about 6 pancakes, and is easily doubled to make more (about 12).
Some smoothie recipes were also demonstrated at Jamie’s Food Revolution Live. The recipe below is my interpretation of those, based on the flavours I like. The recipe is adapted from a berry yoghurt ice cream from ‘Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals’. If you won’t be using all the berry and yoghurt mixture in one go (it will make a few smoothies), put it in a container and freeze it for another time. Otherwise, halve the recipe so there is less leftover.
Easy Pancakes for Breakfast
Ingredients:
1 cup self-raising flour (preferably wholemeal)
1 cup buttermilk or skim milk
1 egg
1/2 cup oats
margarine, for cooking (if needed)
maple syrup and berries, to serve
Method:
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, and using a whisk, mix well.
Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat.
Place a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture onto the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.
Serve warm with maple syrup and fresh berries.
Reference: ‘Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Live’ Sunday March 29 2015, Sydney Opera House, Australia.
Berry Breakfast Smoothie
Ingredients:
500g mixed frozen berries
3-4 tablespoons runny honey
500g natural yoghurt
milk
Method:
Put the yoghurt and honey in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Add the berries and process until combined.
Add some milk and process until combined. Add as much or as little milk as you like, depending on how thick you would like the smoothie to be.
Divide smoothie amongst a few glasses, or serve in a large jug.
Reference: ‘Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals’ by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Group, 2010), p.182.