Plantain Hotcakes with Raspberry Sauce and Coconut Yoghurt

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

I don’t have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancakes. (Kathleen Flinn, Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family)

When I was a little girl and my parents were going out for the evening, it was traditional for my Mum to make pancakes for my sister, brother and me. No take aways for us, thank you very much. She used to make her pancakes à la minute*. And, except for the first one in the batch (which is never perfect), they were seriously good. So good that my sister, brother and I used to gobble them down and then argue over who was due the next pancake.

Mum is originally from Germany. Her pancakes definitely lean more towards the thin French crêpe than the fluffier American flapjack or hotcake. And, she served them with lemon juice and sugar. Just thinking about them now makes me want to be back in the kitchen with Mum making pancakes…

But, that’s not going to happen. I’m in Australia. She’s in New Zealand. And, regular pancake batter is full of dairy, eggs, sugar and gluten… (sigh).

But AIP-friendly plantain hotcakes are another story…

Now, as a rule, I’m not really a sweet breakfast kind of girl. I definitely prefer a savoury start to the day. Of course, LM needs no excuse to indulge in sweets at any time of the day. AND I have been promising him plantain hotcakes for months. Ever since I first spotted a recipe for AIP-friendly pancakes on the Paleo Mom’s blog. The problem was, the recipe calls for black plantains. That is to say – über ripe ones. And usually my plantains don’t last long enough to get past the green stage.

But! – LM bought me a few plantains a wee while ago. Because my kitchen was in such disarray after our move, I threw them into the back of the fridge and forgot about them. How fortuitous…

And, these wee beauties are pretty scrummy as a weekend brunch option. I will definitely be waiting for my plantains to blacken in the future so that I can whip up some more. Next time, I’m thinking stewed rhubarb and apple with vanilla coconut cream…

These hotcakes are so easy to make. Really. And, if I wasn’t on the autoimmune protocol, I might play around with the spices and adding some sultanas or nuts for flavour and crunch.

[recipe title=”KNOCK OUT Plantain Hotcakes with Raspberry Sauce and Coconut Yoghurt” servings=”8 hotcakes” time=”45 minutes” difficulty=”easy-peasey”]

Adapted from a recipe by The Paleo Mom

Ingredients

Raspberry Sauce:
1 x cup frozen raspberries
1 x Tablespoon maple syrup

Plantain Pancakes:
2 black plantains
½ tsp ground mace
½ tsp ground Cinnamon
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 x cup coconut yoghurt

Method

1. Pop your frozen raspberries and maple syrup into a small pot. Give it a stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Give them a good stir until pureed. Set aside to cool.

2. Peel and roughly chop your black plantains. Throw them into a food processor and give them a good whiz. Add your spices. Whiz again until thoroughly mixed.

3. Heat half of the coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup-sized portions of the plantain batter into the frying pan. Using a spoon, spread them into your desired shape and thickness. I easily managed four hotcakes in the pan at a time, so two batches.

5. Cook for 7 minutes on the first side (I used a timer and kept an eye on them. You don’t want the temperature too hot). Flip them over and cook for another 7 minutes on the other side. Add more coconut oil to the pan before cooking subsequent batches.

6. Serve with a generous dollop of coconut yoghurt and raspberry sauce.

E N J O Y ! [/recipe]

*to order