Thursday, February 25, 2010

Rolling in Pancakes (Sort Of)

I know I must be getting better. Balanced living is becoming a more present reality as I take step after successful, careful step to keep any disordered behavior in check. My current triumph is in taking a rest day. Every week. Even a few months ago, I would not have considered such a thing. Not so today. Today is a rest day.

I actually planned to get up and hoop this morning. After going through my AM routine (wake up around 4:30 AM, make coffee, let the dogs out, have God time while sipping coffee cup #1, refill, photoblog/check email/do computer-based errands, feed dogs -- whew!), I set up my music . . . and then just could not find it in myself to hoop. Not because I didn't want to -- I did -- but because my body was crying out for a break. I've been doing fairly intense strength workouts all week in addition to some hooping, and yesterday I sweat with Jillian Michaels for the first time in a long while. All that added up to my muscles begging for a healing day. So I'm giving it to them.

But what to do with all that extra time in the morning? I could go to work early . . . but did not feel motivated to go do unpaid desk work. How about a dog walk? Nah, I decided, not wanting to meander in the cold damp outside with rambunctious beasts.

Then I realized -- I could get rolling.

I can practically hear you thinking, dear reader, "Huh? What in the world is she going on about now?" Two words (well, three, depending on how you read the hyphen): pancake roll-ups. A certain chocolate-covered blogger has been writing about this new invention of hers, and I've been drooling -- er, following along avidly. I wanted to try the rolled up pancakes for myself, but did not have enough time in the morning and didn't much feel like them come dinner. Until today, of course. Today I rolled, pancake-style.

Well, sort of. The only "problem" with pancakes for breakfast is that they tend not to tide me over until a mid-morning snack, much less lunch. I've been eating very protein-y breakfasts of late, and those keep me full and energized nicely. So as appetizing as pancake roll-ups were, I wasn't sure how well they would sustain me.

So I made eggpancake roll-ups instead. Chocolate eggpancake roll-ups. Complete with a veggie serving. Chinese egg pancakes as well as the Italian frittata already exist in the culinary kingdom's cookbook. Now the world can add my very own chocolate eggpancake roll-ups to the same chapter.

Maybe that doesn't sound very appetizing. Maybe the photos here don't convince you. Chocolate and eggs? Plus vegetables? I agree that it does sound suspiciously like a health foodie's kitchen playtime gone horribly wrong. But it's not, really. I promise. These eggpancakes were not only tasty, but are nutritious and protein-alicious, too. Here's my not-so-secret recipe. Judge for yourself.

Chocolate Eggpancakes
For the pancake:
3/4 cup egg whites (or replacer, or two
Eggland's Best eggs)
4 grams (1/2 of the little scooper) of
Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood
1 T cocoa powder OR sugar free chocolate syrup
pinch of vanilla (I used
Love Street's super-amazing raw vanilla powder)
raw cacao nibs to taste

For the "icing:"
1 big dollop of your favorite plain yogurt
1 T cocoa powder (I used No Pudge Fudge brownie mix because it's what I had)
4 grams (another half of the canister's scoop) of
Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood
water to thin

Heat a small greased skillet over a medium high flame. While the skillet is warming, mix together all the ingredients for the eggpancakes except the cacao nibs. Pour the mixture into the heated skillet. Allow the eggpancake to set and solidify for a few minutes. While it is cooking, mix the icing ingredients together in a separate bowl, adding water to combine as needed. Set aside for later.

Gently begin to lift the pancake away from the skillet as it firms, allowing the uncooked egg mixture flow underneath. Continue doing so on all sides of the cooking eggpancake until there is no more extraneous liquid. Sprinkle the cacao nibs (or chocolate chips, it's up to you!) on top, cook for another minute, then plate the eggpancake.

"Ice" the eggpancake with the yogurt mixture. Devour, using only your fingers if possible. A drizzle of maple syrup would not be amiss, and rolling your eggpancake up is optional but good fun.

Makes one amazing eggpancake.

4 comments:

  1. ChocolateCoveredVegaFebruary 25, 2010 at 1:57 PM

    Heck yes, you are definitely entered!! :)

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  2. oh beth, i am having some serious excitement about your recipe!

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  3. Oh my goodness, SUCH an amazing culinary invention!!!

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  4. This is such a cool idea! Also, entirely unrelated but I love how you explained how to cook the egg by letting the uncooked egg get underneath. That's how I cook mine so they cook evenly, I've never been able to figure out how to explain it to ppl though! hehe

    ReplyDelete

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