Well Blended
I lived to feed long before I went pro, and my desk drawers are proof. Like others who find feeding satisfying, I have piles of recipes. Many are from long ago, just waiting for the causes to come together to get made. Some are clipped from magazines, while others were handwritten and shared. Another remnant of the days when we communicated personally. jump to recipe
In my never-ending attempt to get organized, I came across a recipe this week that my mother sent me nearly 20 years ago for potato pancakes made in the blender. I must have mentioned a New York “latke encounter” of some kind on the phone with her, and reminisced about the ones she made in my youth. She didn’t make them often, but that made them all the more special. When the blender would come out I’d excitedly ask if she was making them. I was foolishly disappointed when the answer was “cole slaw,” which she also managed to make in the blender. Wonder woman!
Potato pancakes are pure peasant comfort food wherever potatoes are grown. Our family lineage for them is via a Croatian grandmother, whose mother likely made them as well. Although making them in the blender is obviously a newer technique, the result is just as satisfying, and no grated knuckles! My friend with a Hungarian grandmother has been patiently waiting for me to unearth the blender recipe for over a year now.
In places where potatoes aren’t common they just make cakes out of something else. There is always something you can transform into a pancake. In a class last week we made minted zucchini cakes that were quite a hit. Parsnip cakes are stiff competition for potato pancakes, in my opinion, and “hoe” or “Johnny” cakes manage to be even better than cornbread.
Chickpea or “socca” pancakes have become popular with the wheat-free and dairy free crowd. The Mediterranean treat is frequently embellished with irresistible regional ingredients and since chickpeas are protein, they’re a great “Meat-free Monday” choice. I hear tell of cooks making chickpea flour in their blender with dried chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, but you should be able to find it where ever they carry healthier options, and it has many other uses.
While I never made any of the above for an elegant catered event, I did make plenty of another type of pancake, the crepe. Perhaps the most versatile pancake, it too turns up all over the world – and can be made in the blender!
I was inspired to make indian spiced crepes this week. They were a tasty, but a fairly lazy version though, with only a few spices in the lentil and sweet potato filling. Since the eggless batter I was experimenting with was working, I did what I have been doing a lot lately, and splashed in a little beet juice. Whoa! Like my hummus and vinaigrettes, the color was out of this world and made eating nothing less than thrilling. I must say, I couldn’t believe how well it worked. I don’t know why I continue to be surprised by plant based versions.
Musing over my all my blended pancakes this week, and the globetrotting nature of all of them, I felt a little closer to everyone. In the end, we are all feeders and eaters.
If this seems like to much work you can skip the crepe making and just use a tortilla, but crepes really aren't that hard to get the hang of. Add more beet juice for pinker crepes. You'll have more crepes than filling, but just fill them with tomorrow's leftovers. If you don't like cilantro use scallions instead. I used almond milk, but I would think any would do. You may serve these warm or room temperature.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. Flax seeds
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 Tbsp. beet juice
- 1 roasted sweet potato, diced
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 1-2 tsp. coriander
- 1-2 tsp. cumin
- Several sprigs cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl pour 3 Tbsp. hot water over flax seeds and let sit 10 minutes.
- Place almond milk and flour in the blender and puree until smooth, the add flax mixture, a pinch of salt, and beet juice, then puree again.
- Heat a small fry pan over medium-high. Lightly coat the pan with oil (coconut, grapeseed) and pour about 1/4 cup of crepe mixture into the pan while tilting the pan to coat. Keep swirling until batter has set. You may need more or less batter depending on the size of your pan.
- Let crepe cook until edges just begin to lift from pan, about 1 minute, then loosen with a spatula and flip. Let cook about 30 seconds then turn out onto a plate, and repeat until all the batter is used.
- To prepare the filling, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. When yummy, fill your crepes and devour.
