March is National Nutrition Month and, to celebrate, my goal is to get more nutrients into my diet. Whole grains add excellent nutrients, so here is an easy, delicious way to incorporate whole grains into your diet. Blend them into one of America’s breakfasts―pancakes―and you have a sure-fire winner. Plus, it is a great way to use up small amounts of leftover cooked whole grains.
Whole Grain Breakfast Pancakes
How Much Should I Eat?
The Whole Grains Council suggests at least 3 to 5 servings a day. That may seem like a lot, but remember that a serving of cooked whole grains is only one-half cup. If you eat whole grains as a side dish, you probably eat more than one-half cup (more likely 1 cup) so right there, you’ve got 2 servings. If you eat 2 of these pancakes you’re getting ¼ cup (half of a serving) but that still counts!
Whole Grain Breakfast Pancakes
Recipe by Carol Fenster, author of Gluten-Free 101: The Essential Beginner’s Guide to Easy Gluten-Free Cooking (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014)
1 cup cooked whole grains (amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat millet, quinoa, teff, or wild rice)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon melted butter or buttery spread
1/3 to ½ cup milk of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup Gluten-free Flour Blend (see below)
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
Oil for frying
[1] In medium bowl, whisk together cooked grains, egg, butter, 1/3 cup of milk, and vanilla until well blended. Whisk in flour blend, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum until well-blended. If batter is too thick, add remaining milk, a tablespoon at a time, to reach the desired consistency.
[2] Heat 1 tablespoon oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by ¼-cupfuls in batches to skillet. Cook until light golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, then turn and cooked through. Serve with warm maple syrup, jam, jelly, or your favorite preserves. Makes 8 small pancakes.
Carol’s Tips:
[1] If you family resists whole grains, try adding just a little at first (perhaps ¼ cup) and gradually increase that amount. This recipe uses one cup so the grains are more obvious. Brown rice or millet will be lighter in color and milder in flavor than other whole grains such as amaranth, quinoa, or teff. Each grain will lend its own unique flavor and character to the pancake.
[2] Transform these pancakes into a savory dish for supper; add a tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley or thyme) and reduce the sugar to 1 teaspoon. Serve your favorite gravy or meat sauce on top.
[3] If you’re short on time, mix this batter the night before but leave out the baking soda. Refrigerate overnight. Just before cooking, stir the baking soda into the batter. Pancakes in a hurry!
Gluten-Free Flour Blend
1 ½ cups sorghum flour (or brown rice flour)
1 ½ cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
Whisk together and store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place.
