Guest Post: Savory Gluten Free Pancakes with Sauteed Portobellos & Peppers

Hello all!  I have to go out of town for work for a few days so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity for a guest post!  The recipe and illustrations below are from my talented brother and illustrator extraordinaire Gordon.  So, without further ado, I'll leave this post to him:

Five years ago I discovered I was lactose intolerant. Three years later, I discovered I had a gluten allergy. My first impulse was to cry in a corner and mourn the loss of all the foods I used to gorge on—there would be no more late-night/post-happy hour pizza from the corner or cookies on a coffee break. The horror!

I quickly got over that crisis and began exploring incredible food I could find at the store, delicious dishes I could order out, and recipes I could create to fill in the blanks. This is one such recipe. Everything I make generally comes from recipe basics and improvisation rooted in memories of spending time in the kitchen with my mother, grandmother and sisters. We’re a food family for sure. Naturally, I’ve had some misses along the way but that only means more experimenting. And perfecting. And eating.

As is the formula for recipes, there are precise measurements listed below. But let it be said that this is just a starting point. I like my food incredibly well-seasoned so I even go above and beyond the measurements for the seasonings you’ll see below. And sometimes I want my pancakes thinner, sometimes thicker so I add or subtract water accordingly. Just like trying on clothes until you find that outfit that makes you look  like a star instead of a derelict art student, recipes should be tried on until you find the right fit. It’s essential and incredibly fun to make it your own. Unless it’s a cheesecake or French macarons, in which case, follow the recipe to a T or you’ll end up sobbing in a corner. Now, get to choppin’.

Sauteed Portobello and Peppers with Savory Guten-Free Pancakes

(serves 2 really hungry people or 4 people faking a modest appetite)

2 portobello mushroom caps, sliced (about 10 slices per cap)

1/2 medium white onion (diced, sliced...or both)

3 medium cloves of garlic (minced)

4 tblsp olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)

1 tblsp tarragon

1 tblsp  cinnamon

1/2  tblsp salt

1/2 tblsp garlic powder

touch of nutmeg

approximately 3 tblsp agave syrup

avocado, sliced

Pancakes:

slightly more than 1 cup certified gluten free rice flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

about 3/4 c water

olive oil for pan (approximately 2 tblsp)

In a large skillet, add portobello, onion, garlic and olive oil. Stir to evenly coat mushroom mixture with olive oil, then sprinkle spices on mixture and stir to evenly coat. Turn on medium heat and stir occasionally for 4-5 minutes. The mixture will appear dry. Adding a bit of water is fine but don’t add too much as the pepper will add plenty of moisture to the mix when it is added.

Add pepper and the agave to the mixture. I find it best to add the agave in concentric circles to evenly distribute it. Stir mixture occasionally for the next 7-10 minutes. If you like your pepper completely tender, cook longer. You can either prepare the pancakes while this sautes or it’s perfectly fine to briefly reheat it once the pancakes are finished (I prefer the second method, as letting it cool and then briefly reheating it seems to make the mingling of flavors more evident), that way you won’t get too distracted, burn something, throw your ruined dinner in the sink and eat crackers and some dry spinach that’s been hanging out in the fridge for 5 days because you don’t feel like going to the store for reinforcements.

To prepare the pancakes, place the gluten-free rice flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper mix in a pyrex pitcher that holds at least 2 cups. Add water bit by bit and stir until the the batter reaches about 1 1/2 cups (the flour tends to clump at the bottom so stir completely. The batter will be slightly thinner than the consistency of a smoothie.

In a crepe pan (or small, non-stick skillet), add a few drops of olive oil and place on medium-high heat. Once the pan is sufficiently heated and the oil evenly distributed, add pancake batter (a thin layer). And, like traditional pancakes, once there are a significant amount of bubbles on the surface, the pancake can be flipped (these tend to be cake-ier than pancakes and thicker than crepes).

Plate two pancakes and on the stack, spoon a generous helping of the portobello mixture, then add slices of lightly salted avocado slices on top. If you need some extra fat in your diet, I dig a tblsp of mayo with 1/4 tsp of chili powder mixed in on the side—but that’s just because I’m obsessed with condiments.

Enjoy!

all illustrations © 2012 Wallace West