Grain-free    &&    Low-fat    &&    Pancakes

In this edition of Pancakes Today… er, I mean, Robot Recipes…

More savory pancakes! Have them for dinner! Pack them for lunch! Have them for breakfast to get a jump start on your veggie quota for the day!

These pancakes are mostly vegetables, with some protein to help them stick together, but not enough protein (in my humble opinion) to be really filling, particularly if you’re super hungry. If you have these for a meal, I recommend serving them alongside something else that will help satisfy a hearty appetite. To make a more filling meal, you could have some spiced/garlic cauliflower rice on the side and serve the pancakes topped with an over-easy egg (or egg whites). There’s also time to rummage through the fridge and throw something together that suits your fancy while these are baking.

There is a bit of vegetable prep involved, but it’s definitely worth it. These pancakes are tastier than a stack of vegetables has any right to be.

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Baked Vegetable Pancakes with Tangy Sauce

This recipe is an adaptation (a more flavorful one, if I may be so bold) of Smitten Kitchen’s Japanese Cabbage and Vegetable Pancakes.

Bits:

For the Pancakes:

• About 7 large lacinato kale (cavalo nero) leaves, de-stemmed and chopped (about 90g after de-stemming, about 3 cups chopped)
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and grated (about 250g, or 2 ¼ cups grated)
• 1 medium beet, peeled and grated (about 80g, or about 1 cup grated)
• ½ head green or red cabbage, shredded (about 330g, or 4 cups after shredding)
• 5-6 scallions (50 g after slicing)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp rasam powder (or substitute your favorite curry powder)
• 1 cup (120 g) chickpea flour
• 1 cup egg whites (equivalent of 5 large eggs)

For the sauce:

• 1 cup strained tomatoes
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (I really like Wizard’s Organic Vegan Worcestershire Sauce)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp grainy dijon mustard (my favorite where I shop is Beaufor)
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Algorithm:

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In your largest mixing bowl, toss together the prepared vegetables. Add the salt, cumin, coriander, rasam (or curry) powder, and chickpea flour. Toss again to evenly coat the vegetables. Pour the egg whites into the bowl and stir with a big wooden spoon until everything is evenly coated.

Scoop a scant 1 cup of the vegetable mixture and place it on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten into a disk about 5 inches / 13 cm in diameter. Repeat 10 or 11 more times until you run out of batter. Bake pancakes for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges start to brown and the vegetables look fairly roasty. When the pancakes are done, remove baking sheets from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the vegetable pancakes are baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine all the sauce ingredients, stir together and bring to a boil. Lower heat and keep at a gentle simmer for at least five minute. I usually leave the sauce on the stove on low after that until the pancakes are ready.

Now make any optional sides or garnishes (cauliflower rice, over easy egg, etc). Serve the pancakes alongside the sauce for dipping or spreading over as desired.