H is for HUNGRY! (Playing A Month of A to Z)
I’ve been trying to lose weight, so I’ve been careful about what I’m eating (no fat, sugar and not too many carbs.. argh!) Today I’m just going to eat whatever I like. I don’t eat junk food, so whatever I like means these Pea Cakes with Chilli Chipotle Yogurt Sauce. I also made a tortilla. YUM! Here’s how to make these pea cakes. They are like pea pancakes, really. I like ’em!
Pip’s Pea Cakes
makes about 10 or so
Ingredients:
2 cups of frozen peas or fresh if in season
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of self raising flour
1 tsp of baking powder
salt and pepper
1 tsp paprika
Optional: 50g of grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
Boil the peas for 5 minutes and then mash them a bit. Let them cool down.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Then slowly beat in the self-raising flour and baking powder (I don’t bother to sift)
Beat well and then fold in the cooled peas.
Season with salt, pepper and paprika
Heat a slosh of olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan (over a medium low heat) or a non-stick for extra no-sticky insurance.
Spoon in generous tablespoons of the pea mixture. It’s a bit runny, like a thickish pancake batter, right? Make sure that it’s not piled up in the middle, because you want it to cook right through. I stab it with a spoon in the middle of the pea cake as it cooks, to ensure the heat gets through and it’s not too piled up in the centre. Now, wait for bubbles to appear on the surface between the peas (like when you make pikelets!) : If you are using the cheese, sprinkle it directly on to the uncooked surface now. Next, FLIP the pea cake over carefully. Cook for a minute or two on the other side over a medium low heat. (I usually make a ‘test’ cake to be sure I cook them through, this way I know how long to cook them for and what thickness works best! You want them to be cooked through, yes?!)
Put on a tray and into a low oven while you cook the rest of the cakes.
Serve with fresh herbs, some tomatoes or corn or both and some yogurt or mayo. Yum!
Chipotle and Chilli Yogurt
1 tbsp chilli and garlic sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
(OR use a spoonful of chipotle in adobo sauce!)
1 cup of Greek yogurt
Mix together well. Ta-dah!
NB: If you use chiptole in adobo sauce, omit the chilli and garlic sauce and blend in a food processor, not by hand.
