Pancake Tuesday is coming up on the 28^th of February and Seasonal Berries wants you to pop a bit more colour on your plate!

They have created a yummy (and easy!)  Mini Pancake and Blueberry Sauce recipe for you to try. Stuck for time? You can even prepare the batter and sauce in advance and put it together in minutes on the night.

Often labelled a superfood, blueberries are low in fat and high in nutrients. They are jam packed full of antioxidants which have incredible effects on our skin and hair, as well as improving brain function and lowering blood pressure. Chilean Blueberries are perfectly in season right now and make the perfect addition to your Pancake Tuesday.

Find out more about some of the health benefits of blueberries from dietician Dr Emma Derbyshire below.

Mini Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Brilliant for breakfast or delicious as a dessert, these pancakes with Greek yogurt and blueberry sauce are a great treat.

* Presence of allergens can vary by brand – always check product labels. If you serve food outside the home you must make allergen information available when asked.

Serves 10

Ingredients :

Pancakes

• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 egg
• 250ml semi-skimmed milk
• Oil for greasing

Blueberry sauce

• 250g fresh blueberries
• 50ml water
• 1 x 5ml spoon honey
• Few drops of vanilla extract
• 1 x 15ml spoon cornflour dissolved into 2 x 15ml spoon of water

To serve

• 1 x 5ml tsp low-fat natural Greek yogurt (per pancake)

Method :

Pancakes

1. Put the flour into the mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and about half of the milk. Using a whisk, or wooden spoon, mix to a smooth, thick batter. You may need to add a little more milk if the batter is too thick to mix.
2. When the batter is smooth, gradually stir in the rest of the milk until it is well combined.
3. Add a small amount of oil to the frying pan, just enough to give a non-stick layer to the surface of the pan.
4. Heat the frying pan on high until the oil begins to smoke, then turn down to a medium heat.
5. Pour a 15ml spoon of batter onto the surface of the pan. This should make pancakes about 3cm in diameter.
6. Leave each pancake for about 30 seconds. Bubbles will appear on the surface and the mixture will start to set. Flip each pancake over using a palette knife or fish slice and leave for another 30 seconds.
7. Transfer pancakes to a wire rack or some kitchen roll on a plate.

Blueberry sauce

1. Place 125g of blueberries in a medium pan. Cover with 50ml water and add honey and vanilla.
2. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a low boil and simmer until the blueberries start to break apart.
3. Dissolve the cornflour in water and add to the blueberry mixture, bring to a boil, if too thick add a little more water and turn the heat down, cook for 3–4 minutes until the sauce turns thick and glossy.
4. Remove from the heat and add the remaining blueberries and stir gently. Serve warm or cold.

To serve

1. Stack your pancakes onto a plate, add the low-fat natural Greek yogurt, a helping of the blueberry sauce and enjoy.

*For this and more recipes and advice, visit Seasonal Berries

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries may be little but they are packed with nutrients – from vitamins C and K, to fibre, fibre, copper and manganese.[1] They also contain polyphenols (plant nutrients) that can help to support different aspects of health.  So, it’s not surprising that eating these has been linked to a range of health benefits:

Bioactives – Berries are full of biologically active compounds including: phenolic acids, flavonoids, including anthocyanins and flavonols, and tannins. These compounds, either individually or combined have been related to the various health benefits of berries.[2]

Skin vitality – Blueberries are packed with vitamin C (ascorbic acid) with the blood distributing this nutrient to all compartments of the skin – the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous fat and serum layers.[3]

Exercise recovery –   It is thought that eating certain foods such as blueberries could help to ease muscle damage and soreness that can be experienced after doing exercise.[4]

Heart health – Blueberries may help to support the health of the cardiovascular system.    It is thought that their ability to help combat inflammation and reduce oxidative stress may play a role in this.[5]

Brain ageing – The polyphenols found in blueberries may have beneficial effects on the ageing brain, lowering oxidative stress and inflammation and possibly reducing the risk of degenerative conditions.[6]

[1] http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632771/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16923215

[4] http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/09637486.2013.849662

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27558887

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18211020