Sometimes when I am “cruising” through recipes, I’ll think “not sure on that one” and put it aside for closer perusing. So it sits on my pile of recipes and gets moved from one spot on my counter to the other. Sunday was great day to challenge that recipe pile; rainy, dreary, a good time to look at food ideas. The recipe that I had a closer look at was a big mmmm—spinach in pancakes? I made them for breakfast and boy I was “popeye” all morning. They can be made the night before and the color is pretty amazing—goopy green. (John, who is somewhat used to being a guinea pig, gave me one of those “you’ve got to be kidding” looks).
Green Velvet Pancakes
It is always a good idea to eat leafy greens for a nutritious boost. No, you cannot taste the spinach because of the banana and the lemon zest. Top it with fresh or frozen fruit and maple syrup and you are good to go. I didn’t have any oat flour on hand so I took Loon Song Oats and pulverized them in the food processor. A blender or Magic Bullet will also work keeping in mind that the oats will not be as fine as the flour but it still works.
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk, buttermilk, almond or coconut milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 large egg
1 medium ripe banana
2 cups packed spinach
Zest of 1 lemon or lime
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut(I like to use the large flakes)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1. In a large bowl, stir together flours, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, coconut, walnuts, and a pinch of salt.
2. Place milk, yogurt, egg, banana, spinach, and lemon zest in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and mix together.
3. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to soak up some of the liquid.
4. Heat greased skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Serve with fruit, maple syrup, yogurt or whipping cream.
Serves 4.
Kale Salad with Pears, Pecans and Blue Cheese
I changed the recipe a little. I added mixed greens to the Kale and used balsamic vinegar instead of the white wine. Bosc pears work the best because even when they are ripe you can still peel and slice them and they have the best flavour. I used a blue cheese from Denmark which had a softer taste. If you don’t like blue cheese use goat’s or feta or simply omit the cheese.
1 large, firm, almost ripe pear (about 8 oz)
2 Tbsp butter
Dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans
Black pepper
At least 8 cups kale leaves, coarsely chopped—more is OK
2 oz blue cheese, in bits—more is OK
VINAIGRETTE:
4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil or sunflower seed oil
2 tsp grainy mustard
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 /2 tsp salt
1. Halve the pear, remove the core, and slice thinly, creating about 12 slices. In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pear pieces, sprinkle with cinnamon and sauté about 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until pears are somewhat caramelized and softened. Set pan aside.
2. In a small skillet, toast the pecans over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan often, until slightly browned—about 8 minutes. Remove pecans from heat and chop coarsely or leave whole.
3. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl. Place the Kale on a platter or a very large bowl. Carefully transfer the pears on top of the kale, sprinkle the pecans on top and then drizzle the vinaigrette over the kale. Dot the cheese over top.
Serves 4.
