Pancakes are about as versatile as they get!
When there’s not a whole lot in your cupboards and you’re in need of a quick and healthy meal. Pancakes are where it’s at!
Here are four variations ideal to feed you breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner…
Banana Pancakes
Blend:
1 banana
1 tbsp yoghurt (any kind dairy or non dairy)
1 tbsp oats
1 egg
1 tsp of baking powder
Leave for a moment to allow mixture to thicken slightly – (it should go from watery/runny to gloopy) whilst you’re leaving the mixture heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan on a medium heat. Pour into the pan and fry until edges start cooking through, use a fish slice to flip the pancake and cook the other side. Pancake should be golden and fluffy.
Serve how you like. If you’re out of fresh fruit then use frozen fruit warmed up in the microwave. Nut butters, maple or agave syrups are the dream on pancakes!
Green Savoury Pancakes
Blend:
2 blocks of frozen or 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 tbsp of grated cheddar or emmental
1 tbsp of wholemeal/plain flour
1tsp of baking powder
2 eggs
Exactly the same process as your banana pancakes! Get your pan nice and hot and fry up.
Serve with all sorts! Pesto, tomato chutney, fried chorizo, avocado, yog the list goes on…
Pea, Mint & Feta Mini pancakes
Blend:
1 regular size mug of peas
1 regular size mug of edamame beans
2 eggs
1/4 packet of crumbled feta
1 handful of fresh mint (or any herbs you can get hold of! – thyme/basil also yummy)
A squeeze of lemon juice
A pinch of Salt & Pepper
Enough flour to make a thick cake batter thickness of mix
Heat up a tsp of oil in a medium heat frying pan. Drop a large spoonful of mixture into one side of the pan – you should be able to fit 4 dollops of mixture into the pan. Cook until golden on both sides
Lovely served with your favourite dips (hummus, beetroot hummus, sour cream and chive) and a salad.
The Classic ‘no fail’ Delia Crepe
For the pancake mixture
110g/4oz of sifted plain flour
2 eggs
200ml/7fl oz of milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz of water
50g/2oz of butter
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.
Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.
Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you’re using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm/7in pan. It’s also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
