BANANA CORNMEAL PANCAKES

Whether or not you had an inadvertent overnight guest, take a few minutes and flap some jacks this morning. Pancakes aren't complicated, and if you make them a semi-regular part of your morning routine (say, perhaps, a weekend tradition) you'll find you know the formula by heart in no time. I threw some bananas into the mix, but if you don't have any on hand, skip 'em. Pancakes ahoy!

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 Bananas
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Milk (alternatives will work)
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Safflower Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Corn Grits
• 1/2 cup Millet Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

BUSINESS

1. Mash bananas in bowl, whisk in egg, milk, sugar, oil, and salt.
2. Stir in grits, millet flour, and baking powder.
3. Heat griddle over medium-high flame and ladle batter onto surface.
4. Cook pancakes for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles appear around edges, then flip.
5. Cook for another 2 minutes, then remove to plate and enjoy. 

SCALLION PANCAKES

The perfect appetizer for a small group. Make a batch and let your friends gather in the kitchen to nibble the crisp edges as you scrape these off the hot griddle.

INGREDIENTS

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• 9 tablespoons White Rice Flour
• 6 tablespoons Sorghum Flour
• 1/2 tablespoon Tapioca Flour
• 1/2 tablespoon Potato Flour (flour, not starch, take heed)
• 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 cup Boiling Water (boil first, measure later)
• Salt and Pepper
• Sesame Oil
• ~1/4 cup finely chopped Scallions
• Oil for pan frying

GET BUSY

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Pour the boiling water over the flour mixture and stir everything together. The dough will be tough, so get in there with your hands and knead it toward the end.
3. Pinch off some dough the size of a ping pong ball. Dust your counter with some extra rice flour and roll the dough out into an oblong shape, about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Brush the flattened dough with sesame oil and sprinkle gently with salt and pepper.
5. Scatter about one tablespoon of chopped scallion on the dough.
6. Roll the dough up like a cigar and pinch the ends to secure.
7. Roll the cigar into a spiral.
8. Using your rolling pin, roll this spiral out to about 1/4 inch thick. You should have a pancake roughly 5 inches in diameter.
9. Heat some oil in a saute pan until it is almost smoking.
10. Pan fry the cake for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp all over.
11. Let the cakes cool on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil, then slice and serve!