Breakfast for Dinner… And Dessert
November 12, 2010 at 9:23 am | Posted in Baking / Cooking, Food | 37 CommentsTags: food, recipe, vegan
It’s true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, at least for me, that is. Without my warm bowl of steel cut oats, doused in cinnamon and vanilla, with an over-sized mug of jet-black coffee on the side, I can’t promise I could function like a decent human being. Dramatic, yes, but those two items are so grounding and comforting, I haven’t varied the combo in nearly a year. While everyone waxes rhapsodic about the occasional waffle or donut in the morning, I fear that altering the delicate balance that is a properly composed breakfast would throw an entire day off kilter. If there wasn’t coffee or oats first thing upon waking, oh, there would be hell to pay.
But that isn’t to say that I’m uninterested in other breakfast options. On the contrary, traditional breakfast foods are some of my favorite dishes- I just don’t eat them at breakfast time! From pancakes to french toast to even a bowl of cold cereal, I’m happiest having any of this morning fare for dinner, dessert, and sometimes both at once. It should come as no surprise that my tastes tend to run on the sweet side, so all of these choices come with more than a good dose of sugar, too. Instead of feeling guilty about essentially eating mini cakes fried up in a skillet as a meal, why not embrace that fact and just make the first course also the last course all at once?
Seeking a more hearty variation to the generally light and fluffy pancake, I rifled through my overwhelming assortment of flours until the ancient package of buckwheat came to light. Buckwheat definitely says “satisfying” to me, and by using the flour to create pancakes, you get not only a filling and more healthy meal, but a delectable one, too. Despite the misleading name, buckwheat is gluten-free as well, so it made sense to leave wheat out of the picture altogether for this one. Toss in a few roughly chopped almonds or walnuts if you’d like to further enhance the naturally nutty flavor of the buckwheat.
As for me, well, a scoop of vanilla ice cream sounded like a more appealing addition. Melting luxuriously over the top of a tall stack, the contrasts of hot and cold, light and dense, simple and complex flavors made for a much more exciting dinner/dessert combo than I could have imagined.
Buckwheat Pancakes
2 Cups Plain or Vanilla Non-Dairy Milk
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Molasses
1 Packet Rapid Rise Yeast
1 Cup Buckwheat Flour
1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour (NOT starch)
1/4 Cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
1/3 Cup Sweet White Rice Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Heat the non-dairy milk briefly just to bring it up to room-temperature if it had been in the fridge, and stir in the lemon juice, sugar, and molasses. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together all of the flours, yeast, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, making everything is well mixed and evenly distributed. Pour your wet ingredients into the bowl of dry, along with the oil, and stir with a wide spatula until just combined. Small lumps are just fine, so long as you don’t over-mix the batter.
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat, until you can get a drop of water to skitter around on top. If it instantly evaporates, it’s too hot, and if it doesn’t do anything, it’s too cold. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the skillet per pancake, but don’t crowd the pan because it will become difficult to flip them. When a good number of bubbles break on the surface of the pancake, carefully check the underside to make sure they’re ready to flip. It should take about 3 – 5 minutes per side, so just keep a good eye on them and don’t walk away. Stack them on a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm for a few minutes before serving.
Serve with maple syrup or vanilla ice cream if desired.
Serves 4 – 5
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This makes “the most important meal of the day” even MORE enticing :)
Comment by VeggieGirl— November 12, 2010 #
Oats every morning? Good for you girl! I eat a lot of oats, but do vary it up a bit. Those pancakes, esp. with the ice cream, sound incredible. I love doing buckwheat mixes!
Comment by FoodFitnessFreshair— November 12, 2010 #
I haven’t tried buckwheat pancakes yet, they certainly look like a hit!
Comment by Sarah S.— November 12, 2010 #
I could (and sometimes do!) eat breakfast foods for every meal of the day. These buckwheat pancakes sound great… especially with a scoop of melting ice cream on top, as in the photograph :)
Comment by Lauren— November 12, 2010 #
I love having breakfast for dinner! Especially if it looks as yummy as this. :)
Comment by Cecilia— November 12, 2010 #
I love breakfast foods too, but usually make them for dinner. Like you, I have oatmeal almost every single morning. I just can’t do super sweet, heavy meals in the morning. Eating breakfast for dinner is more fun anyway!
Comment by Kiersten— November 12, 2010 #
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the nights when my Mom served us breakfast for dinner. We usually had cheerios with vanilla ice cream on top or pancakes with chocolate chips in the middle. Either way, it was super fun and we felt so awesomely naughty having such sweet treats for dinner. Now that I’m a Mom, I can totally understand that on these nights, my Mom was probably trying to recover from a particularly grueling day with the three of us and find a way to restore the family’s equilibrium. After all, breakfast for dinner made everyone happy!
That stack of glorious and gluten-free pancakes is beautiful. Great job!
Comment by Vegannifer— November 12, 2010 #
I’ve translated and posted your recipe on a German vegan message board, linking back to this page, hope this is ok with you. Recently, several people on this forum have been diagnosed with celiac disease and are now looking for vegan, gluten-free recipes.
Comment by Anke— November 12, 2010 #
You and I are so similar in our breakfast habits it’s insane! I hate messing with my breakfast staples but love having pancakes and french toast and waffles for dinner! These sound fantastic and super healthy!
Comment by Joanne— November 12, 2010 #
Whoa! You make breakfast look like dessert! Yum!
Comment by Vic (the Life)— November 12, 2010 #
YEAST??? Did I read that right?? I’ve never heard of a pancake recipe with yeast in it. Can you clarify if you did indeed use rapid rise yeast? Thanks, and thanks for your blog and recipes…I’ve made quite a few things from your site!
Comment by Suzie C— November 12, 2010 #
Your gf buckwheat pancakes look amazing, stunning & pretty too!
Lovely & fab food!
MMMM,..yummie!
Comment by Sophie— November 12, 2010 #
Yum, I had pancakes for dinner last night, it was pretty rad!
Comment by Jojo— November 12, 2010 #
hi there! just wanted to let you know that you are today’s featured blogger on the FoodPress.com home page – you have a great blog! :) thanks, jane
Comment by janemaynard— November 12, 2010 #
love this, they sound and look delicious! love the ice cream on top ;)
Comment by rachel— November 12, 2010 #
Wow, I LOVE THIS… Thanks so much for the article
Comment by Babygirl— November 12, 2010 #
We love buckwheat pancakes.
Comment by JoLynn-dreaminitvegan— November 12, 2010 #
I have never tried buckwheat pancakes. It looks so chocolaty. Oh wow that also without chocolate.
Comment by sensiblecooking— November 12, 2010 #
Haha I love bf for dinner. If there ever was a good reason to buy buckwheat flour, I think I’ve found it.
Comment by Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets— November 12, 2010 #
I am *so* with you on this! Adore my oats for breakfast (and lunch, and dinner, and snacks…) and love having breakfast for dinner :) I’ve never yet cooked with buckwheat or chickpea flour although I’ve wanted to for some time. I think it’s one of those cases where I have to, you know, buy the flours, and then I can get started. ‘Cause I’ve hread that it’s hard to cook with buckwheat flour when you don’t have any. ;)
Thank you for the recipe, Hannah!
Comment by Hannah— November 12, 2010 #
too funny I do not have the normal breakfast food for breakfast, but instead love having pancakes for mid morning meal or lunch ; )
~
Michelle
Comment by Pure2raw twins— November 12, 2010 #
Yes, please! Breakfast all day, everyday!
Comment by Mo— November 12, 2010 #
Now that is a great dinner! :-)
Comment by chow vegan— November 12, 2010 #
Are you sure tapioca flour and starch are different? I’ve always heard they are the same thing.
On your link to Amazon for Tapioca flour, it actually says in the Product Description: “Tapioca Flour is also known as Tapioca Starch. “
Comment by veghead— November 12, 2010 #
Ice cream and pancakes for dinner? I need to eat at your house Hannah.
Comment by Alisa Cooks— November 12, 2010 #
You can never have too many pancake recipes. Those look DEVINE!
Comment by Amandah— November 13, 2010 #
The ice cream looks perfect paired with the pancakes.
Comment by Oiyi— November 13, 2010 #
I grind buckwheat groats (kasha) and create buckwheat flour – easy to do in a powerful blender. The freshness of it is amazing. And the fact that it’s gluten free, also amazing!
Comment by Ellen @ I Am Gluten Free— November 13, 2010 #
I am the same! It’s probably because in Germany pancakes, waffles, and French toast are considered a dessert anyway. Your buckwheat version looks fantastic, especially with the ice on top.
Comment by mihl— November 13, 2010 #
I’m not that big on breakfast foods, but when I do get the pancake craving they always hit the spot. I need to try making buckwheat pancakes myself. I’ve only had them once, but really enjoyed them. Overall I don’t experiment with flours (not a big baker), when I do though, I think I will start with pancakes. :)
Comment by Needles&Bread— November 13, 2010 #
I adore buckwheat pancakes & I love the idea of ice cream on top of them even more! Great recipe :)
Comment by Jes— November 13, 2010 #
Oh, you’ve outdone yourself. Ice cream on pancakes? It seems like such an obvious, natural combination–it’s a wonder *this* isn’t a breakfast staple. I mean, think about it: We dress our pancakes up in what is essentially liquefied sugar (though, and ice cream is, well, composed liquefied sugar, plus (nondairy) milk, right? Regardless, thanks for sharing :)
About your morning routine: I was exactly the same up until last Christmas, when I decided to detox from all the overconsumption by having smoothies for breakfast. Before then, I’d had oatmeal every day for breakfast for *three* years. Even when I went to Italy, I brought packets of oatmeal to eat every day (and suffered the strange looks when I asked for boiled water at cafés, alongside my espresso). Now, however, I switch it up with granola, smoothies, PB&J and banana sandwiches… Last Christmas ruined my routine! :)
Comment by Christina— November 14, 2010 #
I LUV buckwheat pancakes…haven’t had them in ages. And guess what? I have every ingredient in this recipe in my pantry and I’ve got almond milk so I’m good to go – yay!
When I was a kid we didn’t have much money and we had breakfast stuff for dinner a lot. It was inexpensive, nourishing and just plain good. Thanks for reminding me that it’s still okay.
Comment by CherylK— November 14, 2010 #
I’m totally the same way as you. I have my staple breakfast… but love eating all other types of breakfast for dinner! Delicious!
Comment by stephchows— November 15, 2010 #
I’m not a big-time pancake eater, but those sound delicious for any time of day.
Comment by cassie-b— November 15, 2010 #
I will have to try this recipe–i am planning to go gluten free as much as possible and am scavenge hunting for great gluten free bread recipes.
Comment by Elena— November 15, 2010 #
What a versatile meal! But it looks so delicious, i guess i wouldnt mind having it as breakfast, dinner and dessert either. LOL.
Comment by crustabakes— November 16, 2010 #