Cornmeal Pancakes Recipe

Everybody enjoys a good pancake recipe. So why not try this cornmeal pancake recipe for a change?

Adding corn meal to your pancakes will be a nice change from your regular pancake recipe, adding some variety to taste and texture.

These tasty pancakes are easy to make and go perfectly with fresh fruits and preserves or pieces of orange. Enjoy!

This recipe uses flax seeds as a healthier and more compassionate substitute for eggs. Flax has many health benefits, including lots of fiber and healthy fats (omega 3s). When combined with liquid flax reach a gelatinous consistency that resembles egg whites - making them excellent substitute for eggs in pancake recipes as well as in baking. Flax also adds a nice nutty taste to your goodies.

What you'll need

• 1 1/3 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup corn meal (use the coarse variety)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons flax seeds (I like to buy them whole, for freshness, so if using whole seeds, grind them in a coffee grinder first; or purchase the pre-ground variety and store them in your fridge or freezer)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cup soy or other non-dairy milk
• 1/3 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons your favorite cooking oil
• Agave syrup, maple syrup, fresh fruits and/or preserves for toppings

How you'll make the pancakes

In a big bowl, combine the first five dry ingredients. In a second bowl, combine the liquid ingredients and mix with flax until smooth. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well.

Heat up a frying pan. Pour about one quarter cup of batter for each pancake. Continue cooking until slightly browned, then flip and cook for another minute or so, until the other side is golden brown.

Serve warm right after removing from the pan. Sprinkle with fresh fruits (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, cherries, etc), syrup (maple or agave), fruit jam, or compote.

Makes about 4 portions.

Cornmeal comes in three varieties: fine, medium and coarse. Medium grinds are okay to use in most baked goods; finely ground (known as cornflour in the US) being best for delicate pastries. Coarsely ground cornmeal gives baked goods more texture and crunch, which you may or may not like.

Using yellow cornmeal in this recipe will give these pancakes a beautiful golden color, but feel free to experiment with different types of cornmeal.

You may be thinking "how can I make a pancake recipes without eggs" or "what's wrong with eggs?".

Most of us, even if we know about the cruelty of animal farming industry, we don't make the connection between eggs and cruelty, because we assume no animals are killed.

Well, let me ask you a question :

Do you know what happens to all the male chicks on the egg farms (including the so-called "free-range" and "organic" farms)?

If you think males they are grown into adult chickens, enjoying their life on a farm – think again.

Male chickens cannot be used to lay eggs (duh!), so they are discarded (read: ground alive or suffocated in garbage bags) when they are just a day or two old!

And for female hens, the life on the industrial egg farm is no picnic either. Even on organic or so-called free range farms - they still suffer enormously their entire lives - being used as egg-laying machines, spending their entire lives in cramped spaces, where they often cannot even spread their wings.

Fortunately, we don't have to sacrifice taste of our pancake recipes (or other recipes, for that matter) to make more ethical and compassionate eating choices - it simply takes some good will.

Substituting eggs in any recipe - such as this pancake recipe - is really easy. Once you try it once or twice, you'll wonder why you never thought of it. It will become a second nature to you, and your health will also benefit as a result (no cholesterol or saturated fats).

Why not simply do it and enjoy a more peaceful and compassionate life!