eclaire (what’s in a) name?

vegetable pancakes are a classic comfort food from my childhood, a dish that i can remember requesting over and over again, and a meal that i could barely stand to wait for as the smell wafted through the house. luckily, veggie pancakes are a quick dish both to prepare and cook, so i didn’t have to wait long.

i didn’t realize how unusual this dinner was until the first time i suggested making vegetable pancakes to mike, and he looked at me like i was crazy and asked me to explain exactly what comprised vegetable pancakes. i conveyed that they are savory pancakes instead of sweet ones, that vegetables are added to the batter before cooking, and that they are delectable with cheese or tomatoes or avocado on top, or all three at once. he still seemed a little tentative, so i explained that they were as homey to me as mac and cheese is to most people.

although they were a staple in my parent’s house that both the vegetarian (me) and the non vegetarians (the rest of the fam) could easily agree upon eating, i’m not entirely certain how this unique recipe originated (i should have done my homework before writing this post!).  i love that the vegetables, protein, and starch are all worked into one hearty cake that’s crispy on the outside, and a combination of crunchy and soft on the inside.

i love this dinner so much that vegetable pancakes have become a staple in my house as an adult, too, and a dish that we make in every season, since the veggies in the pancakes (carrots, zucchini, and onions) are available all year round.

come to think of it, i bet you could substitute any of the vegetables in the recipe below with your favorite seasonal produce, and they would still taste fabulous. if you do venture out and modify this recipe, would you please let me know what you tried and what worked/didn’t work?  and if you’re as daring as mike is, you may just want to try them with a little maple syrup on top for breakfast the next morning!

vegetable pancakes

yields 4 servings

• 1T vegetable oil
• 1 onion
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1½c flour (all purpose works well, as does whole wheat or a combination of whole wheat and whole wheat pastry)
• 1½t baking powder
• ½t salt
• 2 eggs
• 3T vegetable oil
• 1c (soy) milk
• grated cheese, optional
• sliced tomatoes, optional
• sliced avocado, optional
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1. heat oil in pan over medium heat
2. dice onion and saute in pan while grating zucchini and carrot (approx 2 minutes)
3. add grated zucchini and carrot to onions in the pan and saute another 2-5 minutes, until heated through and just starting to get soft
4. in a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt
5. in another bowl, beat eggs and add in vegetable oil and (soy) milk
6. pour liquid ingredients into the dry and mix to combine
7. add the vegetable saute to the batter and stir until all veggies are coated with batter
8. heat more oil in a pan (or butter, your choice) and spoon batter into pan
9. you can make the pancakes as big or small as you’d like – we made about 16 medium pancakes, which served four people
10. as bubbles rise in pancakes and the edges start to darken, flip pancakes and let them cook on the other side, approx 3 minutes per side
11. top with grated cheese, tomatoes, and avocado if desired, and enjoy!