Plantcakes
“This is the most aromatic and delicious pancake recipe ever, and a great way to use up scraps that are ready to be tossed. I like to keep this batter handy in my fridge to make a quick meal, served with a salad. It’s also a versatile dish you can pair with a fried egg on top, or a piece of fish, or anything else you have on hand. The next time you are cleaning vegetables, greens, or herbs, before tossing the scraps into the compost think about this recipe. You won’t regret it!” —Fisun Ercan, Quebec
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 2 to 4plantcakes | 20minutes | 15 to 20minutes |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 2 to 4plantcakes | 20minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15 to 20minutes |
Ingredients
- 3-1/2 cups leftover stems or stalks from broccoli or cauliflower leaves of chard, kale, or spinach, fennel, carrot greens, leek greens, potato. Leftover or saved herb stems from parsley, dill, cilantro, tarragon, chives, chervil, etc.
- 1 medium onion grated
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg beaten
- salt to taste
- 1 pinch chili flakes
- 2 to 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Portions: plantcakes
Units:
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Ingredients
Portions: plantcakes
Units:
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Instructions
- Rinse the stems, stalks, and leaves, and pat dry.
- Grate the stalks into a large bowl and add the finely chopped herbs, stems, and leaves.
- Add the onion, flour, baking powder, egg, salt, and chili flakes, and mix everything together. Add a few drops of water at a time until a pancake dough consistency forms. At this point, you can cook the batter right away or transfer it to a container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a shallow pan over medium heat, being careful to not let it smoke. Place a few heaping tablespoons of batter in the pan, not overlapping.
- Fry over low to medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, checking the bottom frequently to prevent burning. Flip to the other side and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Prick with a fork or the tip of a small knife to check doneness. If no batter sticks to the utensil, the pancake is fully cooked.
- Line a shallow plate with paper towel and transfer pancakes to it as they’re done. They’re best eaten when freshly cooked and the outside is still crunchy.
- Serve with your favourite condiments such as pickles and sharp cheese. My favourite condiment is a dollop of natural yogurt mixed with minced garlic and salt.
Recipe Notes
If refrigerating the batter, mix well before cooking.
This is a very aromatic pancake, so don’t be shy; use as many herbs as you have available.
This recipe can easily be doubled.
