Makes 10-12 large pancakes
500ml coconut drinking milk, or almond milk
3 eggs
220g buckwheat flour
250ml water
Pinch of salt
2 large handfuls of spinach or watercress
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 large courgette, grated
1 tbsp melted coconut oil, plus extra for frying
For the filling:
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced
Optional: supercharge your pancakes by adding a sprinkle of spirulina, wheatgrass or chlorella powder.
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. To make the fillings, arrange the fennel slices on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil, then sprinkle with a little salt. Bake for 45-50 mins, until juicy and crisp around the edges.
2 Place the chickpeas in a small bowl, add the tahini, the remaining oil and the nutritional yeast. Season to taste, then stir well to combine.
3 To make the batter, use a high-speed blender to blitz the milk and eggs with everything, apart from the coconut oil, for 1-2 mins, until the mixture is smooth and develops a pale, green hue. Leave in the jug of your blender for easy pouring.
4 Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat then, once hot and melted, pour in a ladleful of batter – about the size of your outstretched hand – rotating the pan to evenly coat the base. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side. Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter.
5 Take one pancake at a time and line your choice of fillings down the middle of it, starting with the fennel, then 1-2 tbsp of the chickpea mixture, and finally some avocado slices. Serve immediately.