Buckwheat and spinach pancakes with roasted peppers

These pancakes with roasted peppers and chickpea and tahini cream are both nutritious and delicious.

The Oat Drink makes a very good batter when combined with eggs and buckwheat flour. The basic recipe is vegetarian but a little meat added to the topping would be lovely too. Slices of fried chorizo would be perfect. Any leftover pancakes could be saved for lunch the next day.

Serves 4

Pancake batter
150g buckwheat flour
2 large eggs
330ml Oat Drink
150ml water
1 tsp melted coconut oil, or butter
a pinch of sea salt
2 handfuls fresh spinach, rinsed (or thawed frozen)

1 tbsp chopped chives

olive oil for shallow frying

sea salt and pepper

a little grated nutmeg

Topping

3 red peppers

1 onion sliced

1 clove garlic crushed

olive oil for shallow frying

200g canned chickpeas, drained

pinch of dried chilli (optional)

1 tbsp chopped coriander and extra for serving

sea salt and pepper

Tahini cream

250g Greek yogurt

1 tbsp tahini

juice of a lemon

1 clove garlic crushed

sea salt and pepper

Method

Place all the ingredients for the pancake batter in a large jug or bowl and mix together with an immersion blender. Place the batter in the fridge while you prepare the topping.

Hold the red peppers directly on the flame of a gas hob or place on a hot grill and cook until the skin is scorched and black. Allow the peppers to cool before removing the blistered, black skin and the seeds. Cut the cooked pepper into strips. Do not be too fastidious about removing all the burnt skin from the peppers a little blackened skin adds a smoky flavour to the topping.

Cook the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until just beginning to soften and turn golden brown. Add the chickpeas, roasted red peppers, dried chilli if using and chopped coriander. Season well and keep warm while you cook the pancakes.

Prepare the tahini cream: mix the Greek yogurt with the tahini and garlic and gradually add the lemon juice until well mixed. Taste and season as you go. If the mixture is a little stiff I whiz them together in a food processor.

To cook the pancakes. Heat an 8 inch / 20 cm frying pan on medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan and when it is hot ladle about 100 ml of batter into the pan. Tilt the pan and swirl around until the batter is evenly distributed. Fry for about 2 minute on each side, until the pancakes are golden and can be turned over easily. Cook all of the pancakes and place on a baking tray in a warm oven until you are ready to assemble into the finished dish.

To assemble the pancakes. Place 2 or three spoonfuls of the red pepper topping in the centre of each pancake and spread around with a spoon. Place a dollop of tahini cream in the centre of the pancake and sprinkle with a little more coriander or finely diced chilli before serving.