Food and Recipes
Diet and Nutrition
Recipes
Shanthi Appelo, MS, RD

Shanthi Appelö is a registered dietitian and health and wellness spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan based in Detroit. Passionate about the science of nutrition and behavior, Shanthi has experience working in clinical nutrition, public health and teaching in the university setting. She earned her Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Tennessee and has a research background in maternal and child health nutrition and public health, as well as a Certificate of Training in Obesity Interventions from the Commission on Dietetic Registration. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, exploring the outdoors, working on art and spending time with family.

Paczki-Inspired Pancakes

Paczki-inspired pancake with raspberries
Fat Tuesday is celebrated around the world for reasons including religious, cultural and traditional and it’s perfectly okay to indulge once in a while.
However, having more than one sweet treat can quickly rack up the calories from sugar and fat. In Michigan, Paczkis put the fat in Fat Tuesday by packing in 25 grams of fat in the 400-500 calorie treat.
For a healthier substitute in your home kitchen, try this Paczki-inspired pancake with a raspberry sauce which comes out to just 130 calories per serving (scroll down for the recipe). Though the lower-sugar raspberry sauce is an easy stovetop recipe, picking up a jar of jam at the supermarket works too.

Swedish-style thin pancakes

Serving Amount
Ingredients

  • 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 13⁄4 cup milk of choice

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 1⁄4 tsp salt

Instructions
  • Step 1

    Whisk flour, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and half of milk together.

  • Step 2

    Slowly add more milk while whisking, allowing for a smooth batter. The mixture is ready to pour when there are very few small bubbles left.

  • Step 3

    Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and spray with oil.

  • Step 4

    Once pan is heated, pour 1/3 cup pancake mixture* into pan and spread into an even layer on the pan by moving the pan in different angles

  • Step 5

    Cook for approx. 2-3 minutes or until bottom has a golden-brown color and easily loosens from the pan, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

  • Step 6

    For a Paczki pancake, serve with raspberry coulis and optional whipped cream or custard. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Lower-sugar raspberry sauce or coulis

Serving Amount
Ingredients

  • 12 ounce bag of frozen raspberries

  • 3 tbsp sugar

  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions
  • Step 1

    Combine raspberries, sugar, water in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Cook and stir until raspberries are syrupy, about 5-8 minutes.

  • Step 2

    Serve sauce as-is to offer more fiber.

  • Step 3

    For a coulis, transfer sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through fine mesh strainer over a bowl, pushing with a spoon to press the liquid through. Discard any remaining seeds.

Related:
Photo credit: Shanthi Appelö
You May Also Like
Health and Wellness

Diet Tweaks to Improve Sleep Quality

Food and Recipes

Healthy, Kid-Approved St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Health and Wellness

What Meal Should be the Biggest of the Day?

Food and Recipes

Three Healthy Cabbage Recipes

cabbage
Subscribe to get updates in your inbox.

Hungry For More

Food and Recipes

Spring Salad with Strawberry Basil Vinaigrette and Quick-pickled Onions

Food and Recipes

Glazed Roasted Carrots over Zesty Yogurt with Crunchy Pistachios

Recipes

Creamy Cardamom Brown Rice Pudding

Food and Recipes

10 Reasons to Eat Orange and Yellow Fruits and Veggies

About
Privacy
Contact

A Healthier Michigan is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
No Personal Healthcare Advice or Other Advice
This Web site provides general educational information on health-related issues and provides access to health-related resources for the convenience of our users. This site and its health-related information and resources are not a substitute for professional medical advice or for the care that patients receive from their physicians or other health care providers.
This site and its health-related information resources are not meant to be the practice of medicine, the practice of nursing, or to carry out any professional health care advice or service in the state where you live. Nothing in this Web site is to be used for medical or nursing diagnosis or professional treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed health care provider. Always consult your health care provider before beginning any new treatment, or if you have any questions regarding a health condition. You should not disregard medical advice, or delay seeking medical advice, because of something you read in this site.