Stumbling upon the perfect sandwich bread

For this year’s attempt to up my game in the kitchen, I tried my hand at homemade buckwheat noodles, Japanese style. Immediately, I was humbled by the beautiful, earthy tradition of this type of noodle making. I realized I had a long way to go on that front, but in the meantime I noticed a simple recipe on the back of Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat flour for buckwheat pancakes. The recipe here is slightly different, but wow! What a grain. It is a flowering plant of the knotweed family and an amazing source of protein and fiber. Also gluten-free, these pancakes are so light and delicate when cooked correctly. Be careful not to overcook the pancakes or they get a bit dry. Enjoy!

Open buckwheat pancake sandwich
Serves 2

For the vegetables:
¾ cup rough-chopped baby bok choy
¾ cup rough-chopped daikon raddish
¾ cup rough-chopped broccoli rabe
¾ cup baby spinach
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red chili flakes (if you like heat)
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp neutral oil

For the pancakes
Dry:
1 cup buckwheat flower
1 tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt

Wet:
1 cup milk or non-dairy milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons agave or sugar
1 tsp neutral oil

For the eggs:
4 eggs, well whisked
1 cup shredded quality cheese, cheddar, gruyere, Swiss will do

Method:
Make the vegetables. In a large bowl, combine all veggies and toss with spices and oil. I cook these on a baking sheet in the air fryer at 475 degrees, tossing frequently until slightly crispy. A conventional toaster oven or oven on high heat works as well.

Make the pancakes. Mix well-whisked wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Spray the surface of a large frying pan with cooking oil and form 6-7 medium sized pancakes, working in batches. Keep pancakes warm while making the eggs.

Make the eggs. Here is my method for fluffy, perfectly cooked scrambled eggs. Warm a small- to medium-sized skillet slightly below medium heat for 3-5 minutes. You will want a well-prepped skillet so the eggs do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Spray with a neutral oil and add whisked eggs. Immediately slide your spatula from the middle of the pan toward the edges, gently. The eggs will slightly lift up from the center as the bottom layer is cooked. Turn down the heat just slightly, and when eggs are almost all the way cooked, add cheese and fold in gently. When eggs no longer look wet, remove from the pan.

Assemble. Put pancakes on the bottom of a plate and butter well. Cover generously with half the veggies, top with scrambled eggs and cheese.