Two Healthy Meals vs. Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Two healthy meals to help balance out these ridiculously amazing cinnamon roll pancakes.

Baked Blackened Tilapia:
Serves 2

2 pieces fresh tilapia
1 1/2 tablespoon blackening seasoning

You can pick up blackening seasoning at the store or make your own:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

Mix all ingredients together. Multiply the recipe to make a large batch to keep on hand. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your own tastes, adding more or less pepper.

Heat oven to 400 degrees & place a skillet or stoneware piece to cook the fish in the oven to heat, as well.

Pat the fish dry and season generously with blackening seasoning on both sides. Spray the baking pan with just a touch of canola or olive oil & lay the fish on the pan.

Bake until just cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.

Serve with beans & rice.

Blackened fish is typically sauteed in butter, but this lighter version offers all of the same flavor with out the extra calories.

Creamy Lemon-Chicken Pasta:
Serves 2

2 chicken breast cutlets
1 small yellow onion
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, washed
1 cup whole wheat penne
1 teaspoon garlic
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup plain yogurt
salt & pepper

Brown chicken in saute pan over medium heat with a spray oil, season with salt & pepper. Cook about 5 minutes each side, set aside & cover.

Add a touch more oil to pan if necessary & cook the onions & asparagus until just softened, about 4-5 minutes. Give the veggies just a pinch of salt. Add pasta & garlic & cook 1-2 minutes. Add water & cover, cooking 6-8 minutes longer until the pasta is tender.

Meanwhile, slice chicken into strips or shred, depending on your preference.

When the pasta is done, add chicken, squeeze lemon juice over pan & remove from heat. Add yogurt & stir to mix thoroughly.

Enjoy!


Ahhh yes. Now for the gooood part.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:
I cannot claim any genius, this recipe came from Recipe Girl & you can find her recipe here. Yes, there are even such things as Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

If you would like to ease up on the white flour & add some whole wheat to your pancakes, try the batter recipe available here. You can omit the pumpkin spice if you'd like.

Instead of using a cream cheese drizzle, I opted for creamy plain yogurt. These pancakes are certainly sweet enough on their own & don't require much syrup. The taste of the cool yogurt is great with these delectable pancakes.

Extra Good Tip:
There's also a lot of yogurt talk goin' around. Greek yogurt, incredibly creamy & delicious, can be expensive. My momma found a great way to get a thick yogurt from a tub plain non-fat yogurt.

Layer a couple of coffee filters in fine mesh sieve and set in a bowl. Scoop out all of the yogurt into the sieve, cover, & let set in your fridge over night. The extra liquid will drain out & you are left with a thickened yogurt. Just clean out your tub & scoop the yogurt back in. Enjoy!