My 4-year-old son is afraid of vegetables, especially the ones wrapped in a menacing green color. As parents, we always explain the benefits of healthy foods (you'll be stronger, run faster, etc.) but, our son prefers his salmon, rice, pasta, and meat. Nutella does not count. Tired of reasoning, I had to think of a clever vehicle for his vegetables. And, while I realize my solution does not meet a daily vegetable quota, at least there's some good stuff going in every morning. It's only in the past few months he has acknowledged his love for the carrots in my pancakes (but ONLY in pancakes!). Honestly, these pancakes are quite delicious; my husband is a fan as well. They taste like a thin moist carrot cake and, with a little agave on top, what's not to love?
Epilogue
My son has recently started eating kale. Well, he likes homemade kale chips, which is still good, right?
Carrot Pancakes
2-3 medium carrots
1 C. milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/3 C. flour
1/3 C. golden flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Peel and cut carrots into small pieces. Steam carrots for about 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool. Mix milk and egg until combined, and then stir in maple syrup. Add flour and golden flax seed meal (1/3 C. each to start but I sometimes add more flax meal to thicken) and mix. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Puree carrots to your preference – smooth or chunky - and add to mixture. If you are using immediately, you may need to add more flour or flax seed meal to thicken. To save time in the morning, I usually place mixture in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I add a bit more milk to thin.
To cook, I warm a pan over low to medium-low heat. I then pour a generous amount of olive oil and some butter onto the pan which gives the little cakes scrumptious crispy edge. Brown on both sides, and they are ready to eat. Yum!