The idea stemmed from his garden. Paul Warthen craved something savoury and substantial, like an Asian scallion pancake. He wanted a quick, healthy meal to satisfy his appetite after running 15K from his house to work as a cook at a fine-dining restaurant. Warthen was training for a marathon at the time and had a goal of finishing under three hours. He logged about 100K a week and worked for 11 hours a day, five days a week.
By the time he retreated home, practically absent of energy, he’d often survey his garden for meal inspiration. Warthen experimented with his abundance of broccoli and kale by combining both with celery, ginger, and simple pancake batter. His Superfood Pancake was born. The dish took 15 minutes to make from start to finish.“Running has totally changed the way I eat and view food,” says Warthen, who has completed three marathons and about 20 half marathons. “I like to experiment with vegetables. I needed the carbs, and the ginger helps with joint and muscle soreness.”Try it post-run or simply as an alternative to the classic sweet version.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups buttermilk
4 eggs
3 cups kale
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 ½ cups broccoli
1 cup celery
Rocket
Sunflower seeds
Instructions
1. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and sugar in large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk and eggs until smooth, then add to dry items.
3. Roughly chop kale, broccoli and celery; grate ginger.
4. In separate bowl, toss small portion of vegetables with ½ cup of batter and mix until well coated; season with salt.
5. Pour into cast-iron or nonstick pan and cook on medium heat for about three minutes or until golden brown on each side.
6. Top with rocket and sunflower seeds, optional two poached eggs.
7. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Makes 8 pancakes.
