If you’re like me, you definitely like good comfort foods and maybe experimenting with recipes. You also know that sometimes experiments fail. Big time. But that’s the fun of it. Here’s the one about pancakes just in time for Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day.
Did you know that in pagan times it was believed that the seasonal change was a fight in between the god of vegetation and fertility and springtime and the spirits of cold weather? It was believed that by eating hot pancakes – symbolising the Sun – they’d get the energy and heat of the sun and facilitate the arrival of Spring.
Like many other European holidays, the pancake day was originally a pagan holiday. Before the Christian era, the Slavs believed that the change of seasons was a struggle between Jarilo, the god of vegetation, fertility and springtime, and the evil spirits of cold and darkness. People believed that they had to help Jarilo fight against winter and bring in the spring. The most important part of Shrovetide week (the whole celebration of the arrival of spring lasted one week) was making and eating pancakes. The hot, round pancakes symbolized the sun. The Slavs believed that by eating pancakes, they got the power, light and warmth of the sun. The first pancake was usually put on a window for the spirits of the ancestors. On the last day of Shrovetide week some pancakes and other food were burnt in a bonfire as a sacrifice to the pagan gods.[Source Wikipedia.]
I don’t know about you, but I’m in for eating all the pancakes necessary to bring spring along! Who’s in? And while we’re at it, I will share that after months of failing at vegan pancakes (I know, quite lame) I have got it! Fluffy, and puffy and flat, and most importantly tasty! Are you ready?
For me, it wasn’t until recently that I started making pancakes that don’t fall apart. I had many attempts at plant-based crepes and pancakes and every time I ended making a big blob of dough and eating it scrambled. Yes, it was that bad. I don’t know what I was missing out. Looking at the ingredients I was using it was a no-brainer to get it right. But still, I didn’t have the beautiful pancake stacks that I kept seeing on Instagram, instead, I had scramble on my plate. Tasty nevertheless. It must have been my silly belief that it’s complicated. I even added this to the perfect man profile – “must know how to make yummy vegan pancakes”. No sign of the man or the perfect pancake.
Until one day!
A spontaneous mix that came out flat, and round and sticking together. Amen! I repeated the action. I gained confidence and empirical memory.
It was game on. There came the Sunday Pancake brunch that my friends loved every week more and more. So, what better way to celebrate Pancake Day than making glorious fluffy pancakes with your friends? I wouldn’t have them every day because there’s still frying and lots of sugars involved, even though natural. Not all sugars are equal, but a sugar is still a sugar. Do consume in moderation and you’ll appreciate the moment each time even more. But today it’s Mardi Gras, and this is still decent in the grand scheme of things.
You can use any flours and a biding agent (chia, psyllium, flax meal). My food processor comes with a dry grinder so I just make on the spot anything I need. If you don’t have one, you can use a coffee grinder, or blender.
Ingredients:
Makes 24 medium pancakes ( serves 4)
200g ground millet* (you can use other non glutenous flours if you have them instead)
100g almonds, soaked
75g chia
50g coconut flakes, ground
25g psyllium husks
2 bananas
2 cups non dairy milk/sparkling water*(the sparkling water makes them fluffy)
Toppings of your choice. I improvised with fruits. See bellow.
How to:
If you don’t have all of them use one ingredient in a larger quantity. If you’re grinding them yourself leave the coconut flakes for the end because they are oily and will stick to the grinder walls very quickly.
After you have all the dry ingredients mix in a bowl with 1 cup non dairy milk/sparkling water and 2 mashed bananas. Add gradually more milk as it gets absorbed until you have a thick paste.
Heat up a pan and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Make 3 different cakes and flatten with a spatula. Leave to cook on one side and flip once it gets golden. You want the outsides to be crunchy and the inside still soft.
In the mean time you can prepare any toppings you want.
Toppings suggestions:
- A chopped apple and mandarin salad with cinnamon, black sesame seed and vanilla paste. Lavish!
- In the food processor (blender will do too) mix 1 avocado, 1 banana with 2 spoons of cacao, 1/2 spoon of date paste (or 3 pitted dates – can use other sweeteners of your choice) and a bit of non diary milk.
- Last but, not least to bring some astringency – heat up a handful of frozen berries with 1/2 non-dairy milk and a pinch of nutmeg and mash them with a fork. You still want the chunks in there. If you find it too sour 1 tea spoon of honey/coconut sugar will help.
They are delirious! So good.
Stack them up or enjoy one at a time and share with friends or special someone.
Happy Pancake Day Everyone!
Much love,
Denisa
