Broccoli Pancakes

Even if your kids don't like broccoli, they will eat these pancakes. You can serve them as a side dish, however they are certainly a meal on their own if you want to serve them as an entrée. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables including cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip greens and kale are rich in antioxidants, which help protect against both cancer and heart disease.

Food as Medicine

It is especially important to eat broccoli if you are pregnant. One cup supplies 94 mcg of folic acid; a deficiency of this vital nutrient has been linked to birth defects including spina bifida.

Ingredients

1 large head broccoli
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/2 small hot chili pepper or 1 teaspoon chili paste
1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 pinch salt
1 large egg or 2 egg whites
1/4 cup low-fat milk
A sprinkling of paprika

Mock Sour Cream:
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 small onion or large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Sprinkling of chopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. Cut the florets off the head of the broccoli and separate them by cutting the large ones in half so they are all more or less the same size. You should have about 3 cups. Discard the stalks, or save them along with any remaining florets to use in soup or a vegetable stir-fry.

2. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium pan, then drop in the broccoli florets, cover, and let steam as they cook, for 3 minutes. Strain in a colander.

3. Put the steamed broccoli, onions, chili and garlic in a food processor and pulse on and off to chop (do not puree the vegetables), or chop by hand. Transfer the chopped ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir in the oil, flour, dill, and salt. Add the egg or egg whites and milk and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

4. Smear the bottom of a large, nonstick skillet with 1/4 teaspoon of butter and set it over medium heat for about 1 minute. Drop tablespoons of the batter into the hot skillet, placing them far enough apart so that the pancakes don't touch, and cook over low to medium heat for about 1 minute. Turn the pancakes and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer them to a hot platter to keep warm while you continue making the rest until all the batter is used up.

5. Mix all of the ingredients for the Mock Sour Cream together and spoon 1 teaspoonful on top of each pancake, then top with a sprinkle of paprika.

Makes 20 1-inch pancakes - 2 per person.