Clare is one of my nieces and she'll be sending a recipe every month to add to my blog. Clare is a great cook and all her recipes will have our lung heath in mind.
Apples are one of the most beneficial foods for lung health, packed with vitamin C and E, and antioxidants, which can prevent formation of cell-damaging free radicals. However many apple recipes don’t use the skin, where most of the nutrients are to be found. These pancakes use apples grated with the skin on as well as ground flax seeds which are a good source of omega-3, and there is some evidence to show that they can protect lung tissue.
Aside from the health benefits, these pancakes are light, fluffy and very moreish. I served mine with blueberries, for extra antioxidant benefit, coconut yoghurt and more maple syrup than was strictly necessary.
Makes 4-5 pancakes
(Vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, soy-free)
Ingredients:
1 medium apple
Squeeze of lemon
75g flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
100ml milk of choice (I used almond)
1. Grate the apple, removing the core but leaving the skin on. Scoop up the grated apple and squeeze over a jug to release the liquid. Put the apple aside and spritz with a little lemon juice to prevent browning while you prepare the batter.
2. Measure the flour, sugar, flax seed, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and mix together. Top up the apple juice in the jug with milk, until you have 125ml of liquid. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk - you should have a thick but pourable batter. Add the grated apple and mix.
3. Heat the oil (about 1 tbsp to start) in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add a scoop of the batter (you may need to flatten it a little). I aim for a pancake about 10cm across and depending on the size of your pan you should be able to cook a few at once. Cook for 2-3 minutes and once bubbles begin to form and burst on the top of your pancake, it’s ready to flip. Cook for another 1-2 mins and place under a tea towel to keep warm while you cook the rest.