Recipes

Mark Bittman's Vegetable Pancakes

Posted in: Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Scallions, Sweet Potato

Ingredients

  •  1 1/2 pounds grated vegetables, peeled first if necessary (3 cups packed), and squeezed dry
  • 1/2 small onion, grated; or 4 scallions
  • 1 egg or 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup white or whole wheat flour, more or less
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive or vegetable oil or butter for greasing the pan
  • Root vegetables are most common, but you can use whatever looks good to you, alone or in combination: zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, corn, or chopped scallions; even spinach or chard is good (just cook it, squeeze it dry, and chop it first). And consider tossing in a tablespoon of fresh herbs or spices. Sweet potato and corn benefit from a bit of cilantro, zucchini comes to life with dill, and ginger or cardamom will warm up winter squash beautifully.

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 275°F. Grate the vegetable or vegetables by hand or with the grating disk of a food processor. Mix together the vegetables, onion, egg, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a little more flour if the mixture isn’t holding together.
  2. Put a little butter or oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, drop in spoonfuls of the batter, using a fork to spread the vegetables into an even layer, press down a bit. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding. (Transfer finished pancakes to the oven until all are finished.) Cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Credit:

Mark Bittman