In-a-Jiffy Whole Grain Vegetable Pancakes

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice’s Kitchen
Makes approx. 8 to 10 pancakes

I had forgotten that I had this pancake mix in our pantry and noticed that the expiration date was coming up. I needed to use it up, but thought it prudent not to have pancakes and syrup every morning this week! I had recently posted a recipe called Confetti Veggie Pancakes http://fromaliceskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/confetti-veggie-pancakes.html and wondered how it would be if I just added vegetables to the whole grain pancake mix. I checked the fridge for vegetables I had on hand, prepped them and threw them in the mix. Whereas the Confetti Veggie Pancakes have a texture similar to potato latkes, these are more “pancakey” and bread-like. If you are pressed for time, these can be made in a jiffy, about 10 minutes tops. I really liked them spread with a spicy mustard and I think they’d be especially nice with crumbles of blue cheese or goat cheese on top. Of course, my husband, who has a sweet tooth wanted to drizzle them with maple syrup. Kids might enjoy them in their lunchbox with a bit of ketchup or barbeque sauce to dip them in. These pancakes would make a great snack. I enjoyed mine cold the next day, but you can also toast them in the toaster if you prefer them warm and a bit crispy. Try other vegetables such as corn, summer squash, cabbage and broccoli. I’m thinking they’d taste good with black beans (rinsed and drained) mixed in too. Feel free to try other spices as well. These pancakes freezer nicely, so whip up a batch for later.

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon oil (I used sunflower oil.)
¾ cup milk or water or soy milk (I used skim milk.)
½ zucchini, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 scallion, minced
1 Tablespoon pepper, minced (I used a cherry pepper.)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Cooking spray (I used olive oil spray.)

Preheat a griddle or non-stick skillet. Spray with cooking spray. Combine the mix, egg, oil and milk in a medium bowl. Add the vegetables and stir until well combined.
Scoop out about 1/8 cup of batter and pour onto the hot skillet. Flip the pancakes when the edges begin to brown and bubbles show in the center. Cook until the flip side is brown.

A bit of Nutritional Information: Even without the vegetables and egg, the package for the mix states that one serving had 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.