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Sweet potato pancakes

 
I hope you enjoyed the weekend as much as we did. The weather was outstanding and a nice taste of fall. Today I enjoyed the view of Karel's back wheel for an hour as he did an easy spin. I typically don't do bricks in the off-season but I couldn't resist the beautiful weather. I did my "long run" of 6 miles, keeping my heart rate controlled in low Z3. This is something that I am working very hard on during this off-season and a few of my athletes are sharing the same frustration of seeing a slower pace while teaching the body to run more efficiently. I am always reminding my athletes (and myself) that this pays off and I also enjoy having the opportunity to slow down for one run a week to really soak up the scenery and find the beauty in moving my feet forward.

A while back I was asked by Ted Spiker to contribute to his Runner's World article on pancakes. Sadly, there was too much content for his article so a few things got cut but thankfully, he took the time to write a directors cut and included my recipe. Who knew there was so much to write about in a pancake article? :)

Here's the recipe for my Sweet Potato Pancake creation:

                         
Serves 8-9 pancakes
  • 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup soy flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • pinch of all spice, pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sweet potato (cooked, skin removed)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1 egg


  • Directions: In large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In small bowl, lightly whisk together milk and egg. Mash cooked sweet potato into flour. Add milk and egg mixture and stir until lumps are gone. Add oil and mix well. On non stick pan, on low heat, drizzle oil for every set of pancakes to prevent sticking. Take 1/4 cup of batter and press with back of spoon, onto heated pan to form a pancake. Flip after 45-75 seconds, or when edges begin to firm. Monitor to prevent browning. Cook other side for 30-45 seconds and remove.
    Nutrition per pancake:
    70 calories
    1g fat
    13g carbs
    3g sugar
    2g fiber
    3g protein
    (an almost perfect 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. For maximal recovery nutrition and for a balanced meal, I recommend at least 4 pancakes depending on how you dress it up or what you serve with the pancakes)

    Choose your topping:
    Need more calories and carbs? Top with dark chocolate chips, fresh figs and walnuts


    Need more protein and calcium? Top with greek yogurt.

    Need more electrolytes, vitamins and minerals? Top with fresh seasonal fruit