White Bean & Arugula Pancakes
There is a parenting flaw that I have been guilty of recently and that is the narrative of thinking “my kid won’t eat that.” I’ll have these thoughts even before there is an opportunity for my child to try something. The thing is, If our kids never have the opportunity to try something because we fear (or have had plenty of experience with them rejecting the same food) we’ll never set them up for the chance to change their minds or get curious about something new or something that used to intimidate them. My toddler was such an adventurous eater until about age 3. Now she is more particular about the food she eats. I know this is 100 percent normal and a healthy part of development. There is one main thing that I am not willing to give into (and this is just me personally) I will not cook separate meals for my kids. They can pick around what is on their plates but I am not serving them separate food. I think as our children go through the many stages of eating it’s important for them to see us enjoying the foods that are important to our family values. For me this means serving as much food as possible from our local community. When we sit down to the table we’re able to talk about the ingredients and where they came from. If my kids eat it, GREAT! If they don’t at least there was some interesting family conversation shared at the table.
Alright, back to these pancakes! I honestly wasn’t sure how my toddler would react to these little cakes on her plate. She’s been on a big “I don’t like green food” kick recently and these pancakes are jam packed with arugula and I served them with an arugula chimichurri sauce (something I was SURE she wouldn’t touch) That’s why I also chose to serve these with plain yogurt because she loves yogurt so much and I thought that would at least entice her to try one and dip it into the yogurt for good measure. Here is what happened— My girl LOVED these fritters. She never mentioned (or noticed) that there was green “stuff” in the pancakes and as a girl who used to love pesto more than any other condiment- she happily dipped her pancakes into the yogurt and the chimichurri sauce. I was blown away and it took so much will power to not say anything or make a big deal about her willinginess to try these. Moral of the story- our children can surprise all the time!
Enough about the toddlers-If you have a young baby I think these will be an easy win for you! My youngest devoured about half a dozen pancakes and I drizzled the sauce over them. My husband and I loved these as well and in fact we’re making more to bring to a bbq later this afternoon (these heat up really well in the oven after frying)so you can make them ahead and reheat them as needed.
The arugula chimichurri sauce is one of my new favorites. If you have arugula popping up at your local farmers market or CSA share defiantly give this sauce a whirl. It tastes great serve with these fritters or even with meat.
These pancakes are chock full of nutrition. There’s plenty of protein and fiber from the white beans and the antioxidant rich arugula takes these to a whole new level. They are gluten free and come together quickly.
I hope you all enjoy these as much as we do. Happy cooking and eating everyone!
White Bean & Arugula Pancakes with Arugula Chimichurri Sauce
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES SERVES: 15-18 pancakes
15 ounces cooked white beans (any variety) if from the can rinsed and drained
1 cup loosely packed arugula
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour (you can sub all purpose if need be)
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt
Ghee or duck fat for frying
Arugula Chimichurri
3 cups loosely packed arugula
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste if needed)
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Heat the oven to 250F.
Place all the ingredients for the pancakes (minus the ghee) into a blender or food processor and process until a batter-like consistency is created.
Heat a few tablespoons of ghee over medium-high heat and use about 1/4 cup worth of batter to make small pancakes. Cook for about 2-3 minters per side and then use a metal spatula to gently flip the pancakes. Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter. Keep cooked pancakes warm in the preheated oven.
To make the sauce process all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
Serve the pancakes with plain yogurt and the sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Pancakes can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 400 degree oven for about 12-14 minutes.
