Shelly Null is a chef and author of Healthy Cooking for Kids and Vegetarian Cooking
Prep Time: 10 minutes, 4-6 to cook one batch
Yield: 42 2" pancakes
These multigrain hot cakes have it all. They're rick in protein and fiber (thanks to oat bran and buckwheat), fluffy (thanks to nondairy yogurt), and need not a drop of syrup since they're loaded with fruit. The silver dollar meal means easy eating for kids, and by the way, the entire batch of 42 contains only 2 tablespoons of oil.
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup soy, rice or nut milk
1/2 cup non dairy yogurt (soy yogurt can be purchased at health food stores)
2 tbl canola oil
1 cup ripe banana, coarsley mashed (add 1 to more for even more flavor)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced.
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until well mixed and set aside.
2) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, oil and banana until well blended.
3) With a rubber spatula, gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry, making sure they are well blended before each addition. Scrape off any excess batter from the side of the bowl. Stir in berries until well combined.
4) Heat griddle or large cast iron pan over moderate to high heat, and brush lightly with oil.
5) Spoon the batter--about 1 tbl per pancake--into prepared pan and cook over moderate to low heat until bubbles form and the edges start to dry, about 2-3 minutes. Using a metal pancake turner, flip the pancakes over, and cook on the other side an additional 2-3 minutes or until done. Continue until the remaining pancakes are made (you may need to reoil the griddle in between batches)
6) Serve topped with pureed fresh fruit, or a little pure maple syrup.
