IT IS THANKSGIVING WEEK. Flurries are in the air, my golf course finally closed, and I just finished Never by Ken Follett - a rather sobering fictional account about a nuclear war starting in Korea. Sadly, China and the United States add fuel to the fire in the novel because of their alliances and distrust. Sound vaguely familiar?
For happier thoughts, my Thanksgiving menu is finally set after a couple of weeks of reviewing a hundred recipes focusing on lower-calorie versions of traditional fare. My six-month diet has led me on quite an adventure to redress my eating habits and the holidays are now part of this endeavor. Hot tip: Portion size is the key to getting through them.
I will prep my creations at Nancy’s house on Thursday and then will look forward to leftovers as the weekend comes upon us. We both agree that she does no cooking except for adding whipped cream and nutmeg to my pecan-pumpkin mini pies. This dinner is just for us as our kids and grandkids are scattered around the country this year. It will be so nice.
My focus today is on finalizing a recipe for an apple walnut fritter. I’ve been working on it amid my holiday menu investigation. It’s already been through a few iterations this past week. My goal is to avoid deep-frying the fritter, hoping to deliver a healthier treat and at the same time stimulate my GLP-1 hormonal response to create a feeling of fullness. In theory, this leads to weight loss. This proposition is what underlies the repurposed Type 2 diabetes drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic. My approach uses one’s diet (here featuring apples and walnuts) to achieve a similar effect that these drugs produce for feeling satiated.
My fritter uses chopped apples and walnuts in a pancake-oat batter that is topped with either Michigan maple syrup (shown), or a maple/sugar glaze. I really like this little treat that can be enjoyed hot or cold. They come in at about 175 calories for a 2-inch medallion with either topping.
Bob’s Healthy Apple Walnut Fritters
Ingredients
One Apple (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), small chop.
Dozen walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1/8 cup Rolled Oats.
1 TBS sugar
3 TBS Water
Cinnamon and Nutmeg, dashes.
Directions
In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients to make a thick batter.
On a heated iron skillet spoon the batter making four medallions and then cover for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is crisp and browned.
Using a spatula place the medallions on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place them in a 400 F preheated oven for 6-8 minutes.
Cover with maple syrup. Or, cool and ice with a maple glaze.
Happy Thanksgiving your way.
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