Pancake/Vegancake

They do go quick...

I've been making good ol' fashioned cornmeal pancakes for some time now, but only the other day did I think to make a vegan version. Good for brunch, breakfast, lunch, anytime of day!

Kevin's Vegan Cornmeal Pancakes
About 20 minutes; serves 4 (double and redouble as necessary!)

Whisk together ½ c. cornmeal, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. maple syrup (or honey, if you're not against it, or other sweetener), 2 tsp. olive oil, and ½ c. boiling water. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mash 1 banana with 1 tsp. olive oil (and preheat a cast iron pan, if you're into that). When time is up, whisk in ⅓ c. oat milk (or your favorite milk substitute) and 1 tsp. baking powder until fully incorporated. Then add the banana mixture until fully incorporated. Now stir in 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour until it's nice and smooth. If it's too thick, add in some more oat milk. (This is sort of an inexact science; you learn eventually how thick the batter should be to get the type of pancake you prefer. Incidentally, this is also where you would add in any extras like, say, a handful of blueberries or some chopped pecans.) Put a little oil in the heated pan and pour in pancake batter ½ c. at a time. Flip after about five minutes, serve with maple syrup, and enjoy!

---

Title inspiration: Topdog/Underdog, a play by Suzan-Lori Parks. Premiered at the Public Theatre as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival on 22 July 2001. Subsequently opened on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre on 7 April 2002. Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.