Whole Grain Pancakes

I'm still craving those delicious blueberries I bought at the farmer's market last week, so I tossed some in a batch of pancakes this morning. I have a pancake recipe I've been using for years, but I have to use egg replacer in it, and I'd like to get away from doing that. After my success with the muffins last week, I searched the web for a dairy-free, egg-free pancake recipe that doesn't use boxed egg replacer. I found one at a beautiful site I'd never seen before, so that was a bonus. Now I have a new dairy-free site to peruse. It's called "Alisa Cooks."

Although Alisa's recipe looks yummy, I had a couple of other criteria to fill for mine, namely reducing or eliminating sugar and fat, so I tweaked it a little, and man were they GOOD! I think I've finally got this pancake thing perfected. Good reviews from my boys, too. These are very filling - I made them big, like you'd get at IHOP, and the teenager could only eat half of one. His dad and I put away two each, and we are stuffed. But in a good way. Next time, I'll use bananas and walnuts instead of blueberries, or maybe some apples. This recipe makes 5-6 large pancakes.

Barley and Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberries
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup barley flour
2 teaspoons baking powder*
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 unsweetened applesauce cup (about 1/3 cup)
1 cup vanilla soymilk (add more as needed to thin the batter)
Handful of fresh or frozen blueberries - indulge yourself!

Use a whisk to mix flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add agave nectar, applesauce, and soy milk and stir until blended. Let batter rest and rise for a minute while you get your blueberries ready.

I like to use frozen blueberries. They're less juicy before they're cooked. If you toss them in some flour before adding to the batter, that keeps them from sticking to the pan. So toss away and shake out the excess flour by throwing them into a colander or strainer. Now they're ready for the batter. Mix well.

Heat your skillet over medium high heat. I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread to grill my pancakes. Spoon in about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake. You may need to turn the heat down to medium low as they cook. These are thick cakes and need time to cook through, so you don't want the skillet too hot. Flip them when little holes start appearing on the outer edges and the bottom is golden brown. You may need to flip them a couple of times to make sure they're done all the way through.

Top with a dollop of Earth Balance and whatever syrup or fruit you'd like. Healthy, filling, and delicious!

*I changed the amount of baking powder to 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons. The larger amount leaves an aftertaste, and you just don't need that much baking powder.