Straight from the Earth

BLUEBERRY CORNMEAL PANCAKES

When I first served my son these delicious pancakes, he asked me twice (with a lot of skepticism) if they were truly healthy. How is that possible when they taste so delicious? I told him they are all whole grain, with heart-healthy flaxseed, soymilk, and canola oil, plus antioxidant-rich blueberries and nutritious pecans. If you go light on the syrup, this is a legitimately healthy meal. At our house, we eat pancakes as an after-dinner snack more often than as a breakfast, and during the summer we almost always turn these into raspberry pancakes with the berries from our yard. It’s a great recipe for experimenting with different fruit and nut combinations. In this recipe, we use the pecans as a topping, but they are also delicious folded right into the batter with the berries. In the winter, try thinly sliced apples or slices of bananas. It’s hard to go wrong with these pancakes! —MYRA

Serves 4 to 6; makes twelve 4-in/10-cm pancakes

1¹/₃ cups/315 ml plain, unsweetened soymilk, plus extra if the batter needs thinning

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp ground flaxseeds

¹/₄ cup/60 ml very hot water (about 180°F/82°C)

¹/₄ cup/60 ml canola oil

1¹/₃ cups/185 g whole-wheat pastry flour

²/₃ cup/100 g cornmeal

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

¹/₂ tsp salt

2 cups/280 g blueberries, plus 2 cups/280 g for serving (optional)

1 cup/120 g pecans, toasted (see page 117) and coarsely chopped

Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Pure maple syrup

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soymilk and lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken into “buttermilk.”

In a small bowl, stir together the ground flaxseeds with the hot water. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens (this is our egg substitute).

Add the flaxseed mixture and oil to the bowl with the “buttermilk” and whisk to combine.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, and then fold in the blueberries. If the batter is too thick to pour, thin it with a little more soymilk.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or nonstick griddle over medium heat. When the pan is hot, brush it with a thin layer of oil. Spoon a scant ¹/₄ cup/60 ml of batter onto the griddle for each cake. This should spread to form a 4-in/10-cm pancake. Attempt to evenly distribute the berries in every pancake. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, until the batter begins to bubble and the bottoms are golden brown. Flip the pancakes and cook an additional minute or so, until the bottoms are golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Top the pancakes with a sprinkle of the pecans, additional blueberries, and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Serve with pure maple syrup.