pancakes Archives - Feast of Plants

Staffordshire Oatcakes (Vegan & GF)

Feast of Plants — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:48:08 +0000

See the recipe Dating back to the 19th century, Staffordshire oatcakes are the OG pancake. Not to be confused with Scottish oatcakes, these delicious little beauties use yeast as their leavening agent and are the perfect addition to your pancake day. While they used to be made very simply with just ground oats, yeast, and water, the recipe has changed gradually over the years to include milk and wheat flour to make them more tender , and less likely to break. This recipe is easy enough to adapt for our needs – all you need to do is swap out the dairy milk for your favourite plant based alternative. The flour was added for the stretch so I’ve instead added tapioca starch to make it gluten free without loosing any of that texture. What should I have with it? Traditionally, oatcakes are a savoury dish and will pair well with some cheese melted over the top in the final stage of cooking, as a wrap alternative, or even as an edible plate for your next fry up. Diehard fans may look down on sweet fillings but I also love treating oatcakes just like a regular pancake and serving them with lemon and sugar, or even a drizzle of maple syrup. Are oats gluten free? This is one of those questions where the answer can be a little complicated depending on why you need to know. Oats are gluten free however, there are two caveats to this. They are often processed and packaged in the same factory as other grains so are often subject to cross contamination. If you have a gluten allergy, make sure you buy oats that are certified gluten free to avoid this. If you have celiac disease then we hit the other snag – while oats are gluten free they do contain a protein called avenin. For a number of coeliacs this protein is similar enough to gluten that is can cause a reaction. If this is a problem for you, then I’m afraid these oatcakes won’t be for you. What do I do if I can’t find Oat flour? I know that oat flour isn’t the easiest ingredient to find (I use this one). However, there is a very easy and cheap alternative – just buy a bag of oats! Weigh out the same weight of oats, pour into a blender and grind until you get bored. You’ll be left with some homemade oat flour that’s perfect for oatcakes, even if it’s a little course. These predecessors to the classic pancake, and make a quick and tasty meal anytime!

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Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Pancakes (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 17:34:17 +0000

Tomorrow is pancake day. We’re not short on pancake recipes on this blog – I’m a big fan of exploring what this recipe looks like around the world – but today I wanted to give you an extra special recipe. Okonomiyaki is a traditional snack on the streets of japan. Sold at food stalls and small, hole in the wall restaurants, it’s incredibly popular. There are a few traditional elements that I’ve had to look at substituting. There are no eggs in this batter normally, instead a Japanese yam called a nagaimo is grated. It produces a thick sludge that works as a great binder but it practically impossible to find in the UK. Instead, I’ve used a combination of chickpea flour and potato starch to get the right texture. Coated in my version of the traditional Japanese barbeque sauce (which is another item that I’ve struggled to find) and a generous drizzle of Japanese mayo. This makes a filling and tasty meal that is completely unlike any other pancake I’ve found. Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients For the Cabbage Pancake: 160g Gluten Free Flour* 90g Chickpea Flour 45g Potato Starch 1/4 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 Ltr Vegetable Stock (dashi is a great option here) 750g White Cabbage, finely shredded 40g Spring Onion, chopped 2 Tbsp Dried Wakame, soaked 1/2 cup Tempura Scraps For the Okonomiyaki Sauce: 5 Tbsp Ketchup 3 Tbsp Vegan Worcester Sauce 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note below) 1/2 tsp Vegan Fish Sauce 1 tsp Toasted Sesame OIl 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter 1 Dried Shitake Mushroom, soaked 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar 1 Garlic Clove 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1/4 cup Water For the Japanese Mayo: 1/2 cup Vegan Mayo 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 1 Tbsp Sugar 1/8 tsp Black Salt Optional Toppings: Aubergine slices Sesame Seeds Spring Onion Slices Dried Chilli Flakes Pickled Ginger Directions Apart from the baking powder, sift together the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the stock until you have a thick batter. If you have time, cover the bowel and allow the batter to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the flours to fully absorb the liquid. Once rested, add more stock if needed to make sure the batter is still thick but pourable. Stir through the rest of the pancake ingredients, folding until the cabbage is completely coated. Place a large frying pan onto a medium heat with a touch of oil. Once the pan is hot, spread a large spoonful on into a circle. If using, shingle a few aubergine slices on top and press down firmly to push the cabbage together. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned on one side. Flip, press down again, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Again flip, and cook without covering until browned and crisp on both sides. Repeat until all the batter has been used. While the pancake cooks, make the sauce and Japanese style mayo. Place all the sauce ingredients into the blender jar and mix until smooth. Stir together the mayo ingredients and place into a squeeze bottle if you have it. To serve, brush the top with sauce and drizzle with mayo. Add you preferred toppings to enjoy! Notes * If your gluten free flour doesn’t contain xanthan gum then add 1/4 tsp Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This is vegan, gluten free, and depending on your choice of vegan mayo, can be soy free and nut free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then just skip them and the oil – it’ll still be tasty

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Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchi-Jeon) – Vegan & Gluten Free

Feast of Plants — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 16:00:53 +0000

I’ve got pancakes on the brain at the moment, not sweet pancakes but savoury. I’ve looked at chickpea pancakes (really tasty, full of protein and gluten free) and pancakes across the world from Dutch babies (tricky to make vegan and gluten free) to Japanese okonomiyaki (look out for that recipe next week!). It makes sense really, pancake day is next week and want you to have lots of options to choose from. I’m told kimchi pancakes are the solution to those odd bits of leftover kimchi but I struggle to believe that. Personally I’ve never had a problem getting rid of kimchi, it’s always been very happy in my stomach. However, kimchi pancakes are another tasty way to get this great food into your mouth. Cut into bitesize pieces with a pizza cutter along side a truly tasty dipping sauce, these are so easy to eat. Whip them up as a snack, serve as a side to a steaming bowl of congee, or serve as a tasty savoury breakfast – either way they won’t disappoint. Made to the traditional recipe, kimchi pancakes are naturally vegan provided you use vegan kimchi. The tricky bit here is making sure you keep the right texture while loosing the gluten. Now I’ve tried making this with a standard gluten free flour blend and I have to say, it doesn’t really work. After trying many different flour combinations I’ve settled on buckwheat flour with potato starch (not potato flour – potato starch and flour are very different beasts). The buckwheat allows for a tender pancake, while the potato starch crisps the pancake up perfectly. Makes: Serves 2 (or 4 as a side) Ingredients For the Pancakes: 70g Buckwheat Flour 95g Potato Starch 1/2 cup Kimchi 250ml Water* 3 tsp Sriracha 2 Spring Onions, sliced 2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds 1/4 tsp Salt For the Dipping Sauce: 60ml Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note below) 1/2 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1/2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 1Tbsp Mirin 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 1 tsp Sriracha 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 1/2 tsp Minced Ginger 2 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped Salt & pepper, to taste Directions If your kimchi is in large pieces then make sure to roughly chop into bitesize chunks before you start. I like to use a decent pair of kitchen scissors and a bowl as it’s neater than trying to use a chopping board. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the kimchi, sriracha, water, and spring onions and mix to a smooth pancake batter. Heat your favourite frying pan over a medium heat with a dash of oil. Add enough batter to make a thin pancake – I use a 30 cm frying pan and this takes about half the batter. Sprinkle over sesame seeds and cook until browned on one side and the batter has set. Flip and continue to cook until evenly browned. Repeat until all the batter has been used. While the pancakes cook, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients into a thick and clingy sauce. Taste and balance as needed, it should be slightly sweet, slightly sour and with a bit (but not too much) of a kick. When serving, I like to cut this into little squares with a pizza cutter. It looks great and makes it easy to eat with chopsticks. Tasty and easy to eat – yum! Notes * If you have some then use kimchi juice instead of the water. Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This is vegan as long as you make sure to pick up vegan Kimchi and naturally gluten free, and nut free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then just skip them – it’ll still be tasty!

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Indian Beetroot Pancakes or Beetroot Dal Chilla (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:00:33 +0000

I’ve made pancakes inspired by dal chilla before (see here) but with these I’ve gone along the more traditional route. Healthy, nutritious, and packed with protein, these make the ideal companion to your next curry night. We paired them with last week’s Gobi Manchurian which made for a very colourful dinner. I’ve flavoured the pancakes with beetroot and chives and it’s a great way to squeeze in yet another vegetable into your dinner. Provided you have a blender, these are really quite easy to make. Stuff them with your favourite vegan cheese to make a quick snack, fold them up and they make a great addition to any lunchbox, or just use to scoop up your favourite curry. Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients 230g Yellow Split Lentils 4 Beetroot, cooked* 1/2 Red Onion, finely diced 20g Chives, chopped 1/4 tsp Tumeric 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 1/4 tsp Asafoetida** 1 tsp Ginger paste 1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Salt Directions Rinse the lentils well and soak for at least 4 hours. They should be soft and tender before starting. Keep in mind that they could almost double in size so make sure your bowl can accommodate that. Drain well and place into a blender jug along with the beetroot. Add a 1/4 cup of water and grind to a fine paste. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed. Try not to add too much water if your blender can handle it but make sure the paste is smooth and fine. When your blenders work is done, tip into a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the onions to release their liquid. Once rested, check the thickness of your batter, gradually adding more water as needed. It should be pourable but not too thin, much like a good American pancake mix. Heat a good non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. When hot, pour a good spoonful of batter into the middle of the pan. Smooth the batter into a round, flat shape with the back of a spoon. Drizzle a little oil round the edges of the pan and leave to cook until the edges are browned and the batter is set. Flip and cook on the other side for a few minutes, or until fully cooked. Once crisp and brown remove from the pan and repeat until the batter is completely used. Serve as a snack with chutney or as a side to your next curry – enjoy! Notes * If you have raw beetroot then they can be easily roasted. Trim off the leaves, drizzle with oil, and roast at 200 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the beetroots are soft but not shrunken. ** If you are gluten free then be careful when purchasing Asafoetida as it’s often mixed with wheat flour. It’s entirely possible to get gluten safe asafoetida, just be a little careful. Allergy Notes; This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, soy free, and nut free. If you have any issues with any of the ingredients then let me know and I’m happy to suggest substitutes.

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Leftover Rice Pancakes (Vegan, GF, NF, SF)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 14:00:26 +0000

Today’s recipes is a lot less work than our last! I always make more rice than we need for one meal. Having extra rice stored in the freezer makes it so easy to whip up dinner when you’re not feeling up to cooking and there’s just so much you can do with it. Whether that’s as simple as just reheating what you have, or turning it into a whole new thing, rice has the flexibility that makes it a staple in our house. Whipping your rice into pancakes takes very little time. So they make the perfect breakfast, quick snack, or light lunch. The pancakes come out with delightfully crisp and toasty edges and tender insides. You can choose what flavours to go with this depending on what you’re having with them. Going for a Mexican feel? then use black beans instead of peas and add cumin and oregano. Going for Italian? Then go for similar flavours as a risotto and think herbs and some tomatoes. I’ve gone for asian flavours here – if you’ve been reading the blog for a while you know that’s my go to – but feel free to personalise it to match what you’re looking for! Makes: Serves 2 Ingredients 2 Cups Rice, Cooked 4 Spring Onions, chopped 1/4 cup Chickpea Flour 1 Tbsp cornstarch 2 Tbsp Frozen Peas 1 Chia Egg 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 1 tsp Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note below) 1 Small Chilli, finely diced 1/2 Tbsp Furikake Seasoning (optional)* Salt to taste Directions Place the rice, soy sauce substitute, onions, peas and flours. Mix well with a fork or your hand, breaking down the rice a little. Now add the rest of the ingredients and stir to ensure everything is well combined. If you have time, cover and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to marinate. Place a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add about a quarter cup of rice batter into the pan and press down with your spatula to make a pancake. Leave to brown, only turning once golden brown. Don’t touch or move the pancake before browned as they can be a little fragile before fully cooked. The pancake is ready once both sides are golden brown and toasty. Repeat with the batter until all cooked, adding oil as needed – they won’t cook evenly in a dry pan. I like to serve with dipping sauce. Notes *There is a wide range of seasoning available, make sure yours is both vegan and allergy friendly. I make my own (it’s great if you want something to do with leftover nori) but if it’s not your thing, or you just can’t find any, it’s ok to skip. Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free and soy free

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Mung Bean Pancakes Stuffed with Braised Chard (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 13:00:09 +0000

In my on going search for a decent vegan omelette, I came across Moong Dal Chilla. An old traditional Indian recipe for pancakes made from mung beans (also know as moong Beans), it works equally well as a healthy breakfast, delicious lunch or a light dinner. There’s a big difference between the traditional recipe and my interpretation – I use whole mung beans. The traditional recipe uses spilt and hulled mung beans, without their skins they’re a pleasant light yellow and produce a lovely golden pancake. Whole mung beans have green skins and I’ve leaned into the green by adding grated courgettes and fresh coriander. While I know its unusual, it’s truly tasty! I’ve stuffed mine with a smear of vegan creme fraishe and braised chard. The deep, rich flavours of the chard are cut through by the tangy creme fraishe and pair perfectly with the lightly spiced, fluffy pancake. There are two tools you’re going to need for this recipe, a strong blender and a good quality frying pan. If your pan isn’t as non-stick as it used to be, the pancake will stick and the whole recipe will just be more stressful than it needs to be. The blender will be grinding the beans down to make the very simple batter. If yours starts to struggle then you can add a touch more liquid to help it out but try not to add too much as it can make the batter too thin. Lean into the green and try these mung bean pancakes. Let me know how you get one, I love to hear your feedback! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Mung Bean Pancakes: 210g Whole Mung Beans, dried 1/2 – 1 Cup Plant Based Milk 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Asafoetida* 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes 20g Fresh Coriander, finely chopped 200g Courgette,grated For the Braised Chard: 250g Chard (I like rainbow chard but grab what’s available to you) 4 Garlic Cloves, minced 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano ! tsp Dried Rosemary 2 Tsp Stock Powder (I use Marigold Vegan Bouillon powder) Salt & Pepper to Taste Oil for Cooking 1/4 Cup vegan Creme Fraishe Directions Soak the mung beans in plenty of water for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Once soaked, your beans should be transformed from hard little bullets to soft enough you can crush them with your fingers. If they’re not that soft after their soak then you likely have older beans that will need longer. Leave soaking until soft. Drain and rinse and soft mung beans before placing into the blender with half a cup of plant milk. Process in the blender until the mung beans have been ground into a smooth paste. If your blender is struggling then add a tablespoon or so more milk until it’s able to cope but don’t add too much, you don’t want the mix to be too runny. As the batter start to become smooth, add the spices and continue grinding until smooth to the touch. I find this stage is much easier if the batter is transferred into a bowl but if you’d rather not get another dish dirty, feel free to carry on in the blender jug. Gently stir in the coriander and grated courgette before leaving the batter to rest for 20-30 minutes. The courgettes will release liquid into the batter during this time. Depending on how wet your courgettes are, add enough extra milk to bring the consistency similar to double cream. While the batter rests, start on the braised chard. Seperate the leaves and stalks of the chard into two piles. Cut the stalks into inch long pieces and roughly shred the leaves. Heat a wide based pan on a medium-high heat with a touch of oil. Add the chard stalks and garlic, sauteing until they start to brown around the edges. Add a good crunch of salt & pepper, along with the herbs and stock powder. Pour in just enough water to cover the stalks, bring to a simmer, cover, and turn the heat down low. Simmer until the stalks are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the lid and turn up the heat, reducing the liquid until it thickens and turns slightly syrupy. Stir in the leaves and stir constantly, the chard should be ready once the leaves are wilted. Depending on how conformable you are with multitasking, you can start cooking the pancakes while the chard cooks, or start once its cooking and keep the chard covered while waits. Either way, place your frying pan on a medium-high heat. I can’t emphasise this enough, the pan must be HOT before you carry on or the pancakes won’t spread well. Drizzle a few drops of oil into the pan and spread well before adding a ladle of batter. I find that about half a cup of batter works well to make a good sized pancake in my pan but feel free to fit that to the size of your pan. Spread the batter with the back of your ladle or a plastic spatula, moving in a circular motion, until it forms a round, even, and thin pancake. Cook until they turn brown around the edges and the batter changes to a dark green in thicker spots. Flip and cook on the other side till browned and slightly crisp. Move to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter. When ready to fill the pancakes, smear a thin coating of the creme fraishe on half of one side of a pancakes. Top with a serving of chard and fold the other half of the pancake over. Repeat with the rest of the pancakes and serve immediately. I like to serve this with a light salad or quick coleslaw for a tasty light lunch. Notes Allergy Notes; If Gluten is an issue for you, then please be careful with your asafoetida. Its a tricky spice to handle in it’s base form so some suppliers will mix it with wheat flour. If you can’t find a safe variety then substitute in a 1/4 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder. This recipe should be naturally vegan, gluten free, nut free and soy free. Let me know if you have any allergy issues and I can suggest substitutes that may work better for you.

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Johnny Cakes (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:00:13 +0000

Johnny Cakes, or hoecakes as they are also known, are an Incredibly simple dish from North American. Essentially a pancake made from cornmeal, the very simplest recipies are simply cornmeal and water mixed together before frying in a pan. Modern recipes often use a mix of flour and cornmeal as well as tenderisers like milk. Often they’re treated just like pancakes and served with syrup and butter in some American Diners. To me, these corn pancakes feel more savoury than sweet. So I’ve thrown together my own version which is definitely savoury and pairs really well with your next vegan English breakfast. Described as a cross between a normal pancake and a potato scone by Kenny, they really very easy to make with very forgiving recipe. I paired mine with some vegan sausages, mashed avocado and a sprinkle of furikake seasoning (I know, its become a bit of an obsession of mine). If you want to go lighter than why not serve them with some sauteed mushroom and roasted tomatoes? If you want to go all out then why not put them on the plate with your next vegan full English – mushrooms, tomatoes, a chickpea scramble, baked beans, maybe even a vegan sausage or rasher of bacon, all sitting pretty next to a few johnny cakes. The breakfast of champions! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 60g Cornmeal 60g Gluten Free Flour 2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Salt 125ml Plant based milk 2 tsp Cider Vinegar 3 Tbsp Oil 350ml Boiling Water Pepper to taste 1/2 cup Frozen Sweetcorn Directions Start by mixing together the almond milk and vinegar, let them sit together for around 10 minutes if you can to allow the proteins to break down and make vegan buttermilk. If you have time to let the sweetcorn defrost then go ahead but I admit that normally I just don’t remember, the Johnny cakes will just take slightly longer to cook. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the boiling water and mix well. Now slowly pour in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well, you should get a batter with a texture similar to thick paint. Remember to season with plenty of fresh ground pepper before folding in the sweetcorn. Place a large frying pan on a medium to high heat and add a touch of oil. When the pan is hot and the oil has started to shimmer, spoon about a quarter cup of batter into the pan. Cook, flipping halfway, until deep, golden brown on both sides. Repeat until all the batter has been cooked, adding more oil as needed. See – simple! An easy, tasty accompaniment to your next breakfast that even I can handle when half a asleep. Notes Allergy Notes; This is vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free (as long as you use a nut safe milk like oat milk). Let me know if you encounter any allergy issues with this recipe and I’ll recommend some substitutes.

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Banh Xeo – Vietnamese Pancakes

Feast of Plants — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

A lot of my food isn’t really know for its cultural authenticity. I’ll take inspiration from the original sure, but very rarely does it stay true to that original recipe, and so it is here. A quick look around at your typical Banh Xeo filling will tell you that prawns and pork typically make the cut, make it vegetables only and the general consensus seems to be that this is fit for a very light lunch or a starter only but I think we can fix that. The filling for my pancakes is a salad of rice noodles, thinly sliced vegetables, some pickled vegetables, add in some aubergines that are tossed in spices and shallow fried till crunchy on the outside and even your most ardent carnivore friend won’t notice the meat is missing. Finished with a dipping sauce that is laced with chillies and garlic, tangy with vinegar, coriander, and sesame oil. This makes a meal that is both light yet filling and perfect for the emerging summer weather. If you want to make this a light lunch then i’d suggest leaving out the noodles. Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you on this one – its easy and tasty! The only part of this that’s going to take some time is the pancakes themselves so plan accordingly, I’ve been known to whip up the batter the night before or in a spare 5 minutes so it has time to rest, and cook them over a conference call as they don’t need a lot of attention. Plan yours accordingly so it fits in with your day. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients Pancake Batter 200g Rice Flour 1 1/2 tbsp Cornflour 250ml Vegetable Stock (with extra if needed) 250ml Coconut Milk (tinned) 2tsp Tumeric Salt, to taste (Optional – this depends how much salt is in your stock) Oil, for frying Rice Noodle Salad Rice Vermicelli Noodles, 3 sheets handful of beansprouts 3 Spring Onions, thinly sliced 2 Peppers, julienned (I like to mix my colours and go for one red and one yellow) 1 Carrot, julienned 1/4 of a Red Cabbage, thinly sliced Stir fry veg of your choice (I like a mixed of sugar snap peas, baby corn, and asparagus depending on what’s available) 30g Peanuts, roughly chopped 1/4 cup Fresh Coriander, roughly chopped 1/4 cup Fresh Mint, roughly chopped Aubergines 2 Aubergines, Sliced 1/2 cup Cornfllour 2 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Coriander 1 tsp Paprika, (plus more for garnish) 1/2 tsp Tumeric Salt & Pepper Dipping Sauce 3 large Garlic Cloves, finely diced 4 tbsp Rice Vinegar 2 tbsp Soy Sauce (I substitute this – see the allergy note below) 1 1/12 tbsp Brown Sugar 1 Large red Chilli, deseeded & finely chopped 1/4 Cup Coriander, finely chopped 2 tsp Sesame Oil Zest of 1 lime Directions The batter for the pancakes is best having rested for at least half an hour, if not several hours, so lets start there. Whisk together the dry ingredients so that they’re well combined then add the stock and coconut milk. Mix well so that you have a smooth batter, similar to single cream in texture. Put your batter in the fridge to rest. Mix together the dipping sauce ingredients and leave the flavours the get to know each other in the fridge while you grow the rest of your dish. Slice your aubergine slices about half a centimetre thick. Lay them down on a kitchen towel or paper towel and lightly salt them to draw out the moisture. After a good 10 minutes or so, dab off the moisture that the salt has brought to the surface, flip the slices and repeat. Mix together the cornflour, spices and a touch of salt and pepper to make up a coating for your aubergines and toss all your slices evenly. Shallow fry your aubergine slices till evenly brown on both sides, seasoning well with paprika and the salt and pepper as they come out of the oil. Bring your batter out of the fridge about 15 mins before you’re due to use it. It’s best if you let it come back u to room temperature before cooking as cold coconut can overly thicken the batter. Just before cooking check the batter and add extra stock if needed, remember you want it to be similar in consistency to single cream. I like to use a small, 8 inch frying pan to cook the pancakes – it makes perfect, almost taco sized pockets. Warm up your frying pan with a teaspoon of oil on a medium to high heat. When the pan is hot enough to almost shimmer, quickly lift the pan from the hob, add about a quarter cup of batter and swirl it evenly around the pan. Place back on the heat and cook on both sides for 2 minutes. When cooked, gently fold in half and place on your serving plate. I like to place them in a warm oven to keep warm and crispy while I finish cooking the entire batch. While cooking your pancakes, now is the ideal time to tie together your rice salad. The rice noodles I tend to get only need soaking for 3 minutes but check your noodle’s instructions, water will do for this but stock will add a little bit more depth if possible. Stir fry your vegetables of choice and toss all your salad ingredients together. This dinner works best served family style, letting everyone serve themselves, stuffing the pancakes with the salad, topping with the fried aubergine slices and drizzling or dipping with the sauce as wanted. Free to also have some sriracha or sweet chilli sauce to one side, enjoy! Notes I like to add quick pickled cucumbers to the toppings and I know others love using other pickled veg too – if you’d like my pickled cucumber recipe then let me know! Allergy Notes: This recipe is mostly allergy friendly but its important to note that Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the free brands which uses it. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. If nuts are an allergin for you then skip the peanuts and swap out the sesame oil for either avocado oil or rapeseed oil. They’re both quite neutral tasting oils so it won’t have the same depth but it’ll still be tasty!

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Buckwheat Crepes

Feast of Plants — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

I’m just going to leave this picture here for you to drool over. Think about it, don’t you just love pancakes, maybe drizzled with maple syrup and some fruit? Sometimes there’s a good side to social distancing, you’ve got nowhere to be so why not have a gentle start this weekend, make some pancakes in your PJs, and watch the day begin with a full belly and a cup of tea. These pancakes are vegan, gluten free, and allergy safe. They’re also incredibly easy – the batter likes to sit for a little while before cooking so take the time to make yourself a cup of tea and wake up a little more or make the batter the night before, let it sit in the fridge and wake up to pancakes! Makes: Serves 2 Ingredients 100g Buckwheat Flour 50g Gluten Free Flour 1 Chia Egg* 400ml Water 1 tsp Salt 1 1/2Tbsp Sugar (optional)** Directions Whisk together the dry ingredients and very gradually add the water until the mix becomes smooth and light. Lastly, whisk in the chia egg. Let the pancake mix rest for at least 20-30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge if you want to be prepared). Chop up some fruit for your pancakes, read a newspaper, make another cup of tea, have a dance party with the kids – this is pancakes after all, they’re meant for lazy mornings not for when you have a stopwatch breakfast and a timed exit out the front door. Now check out your batter, it should be the consistency of single cream, if it looks too thick then add a touch more water. Preheat your frying pan on a medium heat and add just a dash of oil, I like to use a pastry bus to make sure it’s evenly distributed as well as to remove the excess. Ladle a small amount batter into your hot pan and swirl it around to a thin and even layer. I find about a 1/4 cup of batter works well for my smaller frying pan – you can always add a touch more batter right at the beginning if it’s not quite enough as long as you’re quick! Leave to cook on the one side until the edges just start to brown. Ease a palate knife all the way around the edge of the pancake then lift and flip. Continue cooking until its browned on both sides (this normally takes about 1 minute) and flip on to a waiting plate. Continue with the rest of the batter, serving each one as ready or stack onto a plate so you can share when ready. Serve with maple syrup, some fruit, or whatever you happen to crave. Notes * If you’re not familiar with using chia eggs, here’s my quick primer. Soak 1Tbsp of ground chia seeds in 3Tbsp of water for at least 10 minutes – this should become a gel like substance. ** You can skip the sugar here if you want to but it really does help the pancake to brown evenly and it counters the touch of bitterness you can get with buckwheat flour.

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