Saturday 5 May 2012

Quick food #1 - Apple Pikelets

Lately I've been a bit slack in the eating department.  My appetite has changed a fair bit since surgery (diminished) and whether it's because of the drugs, my tummy shrinking while I was in hospital or because I'm not doing so much and don't need to consume so much, I'm just considering it a bit of a good thing because I used to be Major Piggy.  Not a major piggie but the Major Piggy.  I've noticed that whilst MR is away I lose a kilo or two because I am having light and easy meals like fish fingers and salad or eggs on toast for dinner.  And then he gets home and we have big meals like pasta from our favourite local Italian restaurant or a huge slab of steak with potato gems and salad and I put the kilo or two back on.  Work alright for me!

However, it's still important to eat while he is away and with me starting back on my leukaemia meds tomorrow (eek), it's time for a bit of a plan on quick food.  Not necessarily dinner foods, but something I can nibble on for lunch or afternoon tea that really don't take a lot of preparing.  Something that isn't a couple of handfuls of burger rings in a bowl.  You know, something with some sort of nutritional value to it.  That is where I fall down in the eating.  I have breakfast (usually a couple of pieces of toast and a piece of fruit) and then nothing (healthy) until dinner time.    If my new meds are anything like my old ones, I'm going to get a good dose of fatigue so I need something that takes less than ten minutes to prepare.  It can take a while in the oven because that doesn't involve much, but if I have to watch/tend to it, it needs to take less than ten minutes to do that too.  Twenty minutes isn't long, I can handle that.  

So, for the first one, really - who can go past the good old pikelet.  I do love pikelets, and not just because the batter is really yummy, which it totally is but I shouldn't be thinking of that because immunosuppressed people are not supposed to be eating raw eggs and therefore licking the bowl should be banned.  (woops)  I like to add a bit more nutritional value by adding fruit to my pikelets...




Apple Pikelets
 
On the left are apple and raspberry and on the right are apple - Yum!



1 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup low GI cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon bicarb soda
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
about a teaspoon of butter, melted

1 green apple, peeled and grated
frozen raspberries


Chuck the first six ingredients in a blender or in a bowl and beat.  

Go sit down and put your feet up for 20 minutes or so (batter is better if rested)

Peel and grate apple, eat peel and stir grated apple into the batter.

Heat some butter in a fry pan on low - medium heat and spoon in the mixture.  

Turn once lots of bubbles appear.


If you feel like it, add some frozen raspberry pieces to some of the pikelet mix for even more juiciness and nutritional value.

Slather with butter and enjoy!

  
 

I'd love to hear your quick snack recipes.  Doesn't have to involve cooking, it could be something as simple as cheese and tomato on crackers.  If you post about it, send me a link in the comments!
 

11 comments:

CurlyPops said...

They look delicious!
I'm the queen of quick dinners and just like you, I have brekkie, then usually cake or a snack for lunch, and then dinner.

Pita bread pizza - Piece of pita bread, dash of tomato paste on the base, small tin of tuna (drained), tinned pineapple, grated cheese, and pop in the oven. Easy peasy.

Amanda said...

Will have to try adding some grated apple to pikelets for Grace. My snack throughout the day tend to be of the sweet variety - usually biscuits or slices :) I've been having a piece of raisin toast in the afternoon lately though, around the time when I need something to tide me over until dinner :)

San @ Made in Hem said...

Is this something like American pancakes? I'm guessing it's the soda that makes them bubbly? It's not available here... Do you think I could use baking powder instead? I think this would go down well at breakfast tomorrow!!! :D

Sally said...

We love pikelets and pancakes here. We put corn in ours sometime and eat them with chilli beans. Delicious.
Good luck with the meds. Urk.

Margret said...

I'm awful at feeding myself too. It just seems like too much effort. One quick snack is to chuck a couple of peeled apples in the blender with a little honey and psyllium and pulse a couple of times.

Colleen said...

Hi Megan
Yum, had your apple pikelets for breakfast :):)
Hmmmm quick snacks. Well a super quick meal I always make if I have to cook is salmon and asparagus. Wrap both separately in foil and put them in the oven. 1 min prep, 20 ish minutes to cook (I put the asparagus in for only 15 mins, so put the salmon in first). Sometimes I haddock chives or other fresh herbs to the salmon, and sometimes I add some rock salt to the asparagus. Anyho, super quick, super healthly, super easy... But you've gotta like salmon and asparagus (which you might not ...?)

Now, snack... You can get Vita Wheat lunch slices now, they're great, and then add whatever you want on top, advocado is yum and healthy :) ummmm a banana etc smoothie, pita pizzas, soup (I can't remember the brand that's quite nice and not full of bad stuff and salt). Oh there's another brand that also has soup's and risotto's, they start with P... Coles and Fresh Provisions has them (they're in clear plastic), they're yum and healthy.

OK that'll do :). All the bestest for next week!

Beautiful Day said...

Love this idea! Next time we have pikelets I'm doing this. I have not been eating enough fruit lately, must fix that! xx

emma @ frog, goose and bear said...

mmmmm yum! love a quick and simple snack. i must try these! loving your poppy painting in the frame too. looks great in that space.

ANB said...

Yummo! A variation is crepes filled with stewed apples and cinnamon ... or lemon juice and sugar ... or really good raspberry jam ... but the apple filling is the healthiest :)
Cooked, unfilled crepes keep well in the fridge for several days, or you can keep the raw batter in the fridge for a few days too and just cook up a few as you go.

Lea said...

What a great idea Megan. They sound delicious and it's nice to mix it up a bit.

2paw said...

I love pikeltes too. I ofetn cook the forst side and then pop soem banan slices or frozen berries on the top and then flip them over. The fruit caramelises a bit in the butter.
I like tiny tomatoes, baby spinach, feta cheese cubes and red onion with a lemon juice and yoghurt dressing, or quesadilla, they are fast and easy with cheesy fillings. Oh and my favourite, toasted cheese sandwiches and I put some dried chilli flakes in the pan with the butter to 'toast' them!!