Treating Mom to a special home-cooked breakfast is a great opportunity to create family teamwork. These oatmeal pancakes are not only delicious but healthy, too, and their preparation is no more time-consuming than more standard fare.
It’s important for children of all ages to feel like an integral part of the preparations and, from table setting to flipping pancakes, there are jobs for everyone while Mom relaxes with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
The family team approach is a good way for children to get their first cooking lessons. Young children can learn to measure to fill a measuring cup with the oats or flour and level the top to remove the extra. Leveling the top of measuring spoons with a spatula for exact measurements is another easy, useful lesson.
Older children can be shown how to separate eggs, though it takes a certain amount of poise and dexterity to acquire that particular skill. Everyone can help with setting a pretty table, using purchased flowers or those from the garden.
This particular version of oatmeal pancakes gets high nutritional marks in many respects. The recipe also calls for whole-grain flour and toasted wheat germ for extra fiber and nutrients. As with the fat-free milk used, the egg whites, rather than whole eggs, are a convenient source of low-fat protein without the cholesterol and saturated fat in the yolk.
A fruit salad makes a nice accompaniment to pancakes as does a bowl of fresh strawberries.
Oatmeal Pancakes
Makes 18 pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats
- 2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves
- 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla or almond extract
- Canola cooking spray
Directions
- In a medium-sized bowl, blend together the oats and milk and let stand for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, salt and spice. Mix well.
- Add egg white and extract to oat mixture and stir together. Add to the flour mixture and stir until moistened but with small lumps remaining. Don’t overmix. Let mixture stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat a nonstick pan or griddle coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto hot pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until top starts to bubble and bottom is browned. Turn and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until golden brown.
Nutritional Information Per Pancake:
65 calories
less than 1 g. total fat
0 g. saturated fat
11 g. carbohydrate
4 g. protein
1 g. dietary fiber
159 mg. sodium
