It's Sunday morning; time for pancakes! As is the tradition in the Johnson house, Sundays are meant for sleeping in because the pancakes don't come off the griddle until 11. If you're making them before 11, you must have some important business, and generally that's just uncouth for a Sunday. Since I was inundated with apples this fall, I tried to eat them for every meal to avoid being left with a bag of mushy, bruised fruit. When breakfast came around, it was time to start a new recipe for the classic Johnson pancake. You'll notice a healthy portion of ground flax seed in these pancakes; that's another ingredient I like to throw into any baked good or smoothie to take advantage of it's omega-3 essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber, without having to sacrifice taste.
** A sidenote on honey - This recipe calls for local honey as an optional ingredient. Many vegans do not eat honey as they view it's collection as an unfair and often violent act. I choose to use local honey from people I know who maintain bee colonies. These great folks take wonderful care of the bees and take every possible measure to ensure the bees are not harmed. Also, honey bees play a crucial role in pollinating the flowers of countless species across the country. With their population dropping off due to Colony Collapse Disorder, I believe it is important that beekeepers help maintain a species that is so vital in every other species' survival. But, to each their own, so feel free to leave it out if you don't wish to consume it.
Ingredients
2 granny smith apples
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
2tbsp ground flax seed
3-4 tbsp water
1 ½ tbsp cinnamon
½ cup cane sugar
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp local honey (optional)
1. Peel, then finely grate apples.
2.Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whip together flax seed and water to make an airy mixture.
4. Slowly pour milk and oil into dry mixture, stirring as you pour. Once thoroughly combined, stir in flax & water til combined, then add honey and apple.
5. Heat lightly oiled skillet on medium. Add dollops of pancake mixture to skillet. Once the dollop bubbles, flip and let brown for 2-3 minutes, checking occasionally.
You may find that with the sweetness from the apples and honey, syrup is an optional addition.
andrew,
ReplyDeletei can't believe i'm only just now stumbling upon your blog! your food all looks incredible ... we should have a dinner party sometime!
anyway, i enjoyed reading your reasoning behind using honey. it's something i struggle with internally and I'm not so sure where my chips fall, so I liked your plug for keeping bee populations alive and strong (as without bees the world as we know it would end!). I have been buying ONLY local honey for a very long time. maybe i'll keep using it, sparingly. i would never buy commercial honey, for obvious cruelty reasons. hm, i feel the struggle, as a knitter, regarding wool, too .. .(which i love to use) but that's a whole 'nother ball of ... oh, never mind.
great seeing you on here ... i'll be reading more often!
karen