Jalapeño Corn Pancakes

This dish was partly inspired by a meal I had at the Berkeley restaurant Herbivore. Herbivore is a wholly vegan restaurant that makes tons of delicious foods including chicken fried rice, macaroni and cheese, and chocolate milkshakes. It’s a very fun place for a vegan to go, because you can eat everything on the menu without thinking twice. No asking for things without meat and cheese, or asking what’s in this salad or pasta.  It’s also a wonderful way to try foods like tempeh and seitan, or other things that might be intimidating to a home chef. At Herbivore, you know it will be prepared deliciously, and it gives you ideas for menu items to cook at home, like this one. Although not difficult, this dish has a lot of steps, and takes some coordination. It’s definitely a weekend, not a weekday, meal. Let’s start with the jalapeño corn pancakes!

2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
3 jalapeño peppers minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 red bell pepper minced
3 scallions minced
3 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
4 tablespoons water
1 1/4 whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the corn, jalapeños, garlic, bell pepper, and scallions. Combine the water and egg replacer in a food processor and whip until thick and creamy. Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and lime juice. Pulse until combined. Add milk and black pepper, and process until smooth. Add wet mixture to the vegetables and combine well. Let stand for thirty minutes.

Heat a griddle over medium high heat, until a splash of water sizzles on it. Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the griddle Flip after 3 or 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy on the outside. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on the other side. Keep warm in a 200º oven until all the pancakes are ready to serve.

Check back tomorrow for slow-cooked black beans and tomato salsa!