Recently I was put on a very restricted diet for a few weeks. No dairy, and no whole eggs; no canned or commercially prepared foods… The forbidden items list was seemingly infinite. I could have fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables, and that was about it.

Needless to say, I was forced to chuck all of my dietary routines, including my fried eggs and sausage daily breakfast, and my coffee with half-and-half. This was rather more painful than I expected, and I started to feel sorry for myself. Many of you, I'm sure, will understand. Depriving a mom of her coffee (well, at least the cream in her coffee) is not generally recommended.

What could I have for breakfast that would be satisfying — even indulgent — that would still be legal? When all your favorites have been taken off the table, you want to be able to really enjoy the things you can have. But on top of that, what could I have that wouldn't spike my blood sugar and leave me with cravings for the rest of the day?

A couple of lifetimes ago (pre-children, pre-low-carb), I used to read the Sunday New York Times, if only for the recipe on the last page of the Magazine (I have always been a recipe collector). My all-time favorite NYT recipe was for a big skillet-cooked apple pancake, much too big too flip, that finished under the broiler. I've long since lost that recipe, and an online search turned up nothing even remotely similar.

Still, I was not deterred. Starting with a doctor-diet-approved recipe for regular pancakes, I substituted out the high-carb flour and sugar, added the sliced apples, and adjusted the cooking methods — voila!

Good enough for company, too:

After much experimentation, I even found a reasonable substitute for my half-and-half: 1 cup of coconut milk mixed thoroughly with 1/3 cup of vanilla whey protein powder gave me enough 'creamer' for few morning's coffees. Where there's a will, there's a way… even through an impenetrable forests of dietary restrictions.

Apple Pancake

• 2 egg whites
• 2 T vanilla sugar free syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

Quarter the apple, and cut out the core and remove the peel from each quarter. Slice each quarter into 3 or 4 slices. Spray an 8-inch non-stick skillet with non-stick spray, and arrange the apple slices attractively in the pan. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and Splenda, if desired. Set the pan over low heat to soften the apples while you prepare the batter.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they are just a little foamy, then stir in the sugar free syrup and the vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine, then sift them into egg white mixture. Mix well, then add the oil.

Slowly stir in the water — you may not need it all — until the batter is "pourable".

By now the apples should have softened a little. Carefully turn them over, maintaining your nice pattern. Slowly pour the batter over the apples. Turn the heat up to medium and let the pancake cook for about 5 minutes or so, until it is set all the way through.

Arrange an oven rack about 5 to 6 inches away from the broiler. When the pancake is almost completely set, turn the broiler to high, and slide the pan under the broiler for a minute or two, just to set the top.

Using an oven mitt — be careful, the pan will be very hot! — remove the pan from under the broiler. Loosen the edges of the pancake and shake the pan a bit to ensure that it won't stick, then flip the entire pancake out onto your serving plate.

Sprinkle with your favorite sugar-free powdered sugar substitute if you like, and serve with sugar-free syrup.

Makes 4 Servings: Approximate nutrition information per serving:
180 calories, 10 grams fat, 9 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 15 grams protein.

Note: This pancake can also be made with pear slices instead of apples. It will add about 10 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates to each serving.

E-mail me with questions, comments, or requests. Thanks!

                                                

Copyright © January 2005  Joan Hedman and Low Carb Luxury