poppy seed + buckwheat pancakes | strawberry salsa | balsamic maple syrup - what's cooking good looking

We lost my mother this past weekend, and I lost a huge piece of my heart. I wasn't sure if I wanted to share such sad and personal news here, but it also didn't feel right not to share. My mother was my biggest supporter, in everything, but especially with my career in food. She gave me my love for food, and my passion for living life. My mom was a nurse who worked incredibly hard, and always somehow managed to put a delicious home cooked meal on the table for us every single night. She was so proud to have taught me so much about cooking, a fact she liked to brag about to everyone. She was the one to give me my first le cruset, and my favorite knife. She was the first (and for a while, the only) person commenting on my blog. She loved every single thing I cooked for her .... the good and the not so good. When I was sick, she made me rice pudding, and when I wanted a treat, she would make me stuffed artichokes. She was a funny lady, and anyone who knew her knew how much she loved to laugh. Her laugh filled the room. She was the first person who I called when I was bored or sad or had good news or just wanted someone to talk to. She loveeed to talk. My heart is completely broken, but if I could talk to her today, she would tell me "it's okay honey, you're gonna be okay again one day." She gave me her incredible strength, and for that I will pick myself up and move forward, but I will keep her with me forever.

Dedicating this recipe and all my recipes to my mom, my best friend.

These are not your average butter, white flour, egg, pancakes. These are crazy, fun, adult, adventurous pancakes. While all three components to these pancakes work well on their own, together they take breakfast (or brunch) to a whole other level. The buckwheat gives an earthy taste to the pancakes, and the poppy seeds give them a little crunch. The strawberry salsa and the balsamic maple syrup are what's really special and delicious here, mingling somewhere in the middle between sweet and savory, just how I like it.

poppy seed + buckwheat pancakes | strawberry salsa | balsamic maple syrup

MAKES
6-8 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

for the strawberry salsa:
about 1 cup of strawberries, hulled and diced
2 green onions, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
6 basil leaves, minced
the juice of 1 small lime
1/4 teaspoon of salt

dry ingredients for the pancakes:
1 cup of buckwheat flour
1 cup of oat flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking soda
3 tablespoons of poppy seeds

wet ingredients:
1 cup of unsweetened nut milk (or regular milk if you prefer)
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten

some butter or olive oil or coconut oil for the pan

for the balsamic maple syrup:
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of maple syrup

METHOD

First, make the strawberry salsa:

Comine all of the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until you're ready to serve.

Then, prepare the pancake batter and cook them:

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
Then, in a blender or food processor, blend the milk, banana, olive oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add it to the dry mixture, along with the egg, and stir to combine everything.
Prepare the pan for cooking by melting some butter, coconut oil, or olive oil in a large cast iron over medium heat. When the pan is good and hot, spoon the batter in (I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup, this gives me the perfect sized pancakes). I don't like to crowd the pan, so I do two at a time. After about 3 mins, flip and cook the other side for about three minutes. If you want to keep them warm while you finish cooking the rest, place them on a baking sheet and keep them in a 200º oven.

While you're cooking the pancakes, make the balsamic maple syrup as well:

In a small pan, add the vinegar and maple syrup and heat over medium heat. Whisk occasionally, and cook for about 5 minutes until it has reduced slightly and thickened slightly.

Assemble and serve: