I was going to start Passover week with Matzo Balls, but they’re still in the freezer, so I haven’t taken any photos yet. Hold your questions – all will be explained in that post. In the meantime, let’s start with the Passover Breakfast of Champions: Matzo Brei.

When I was a kid, there were two breakfasts you could count on getting during Passover: Dad’s scrambled eggs & onions, and Mom’s Matzo Brei. We didn’t have any of these Kosher for Passover boxed cold cereals like they do today. In fact, we ate no dairy during Passover for many years, because you couldn’t get KP milk in Ohio. Back then, Mom and Dad drank their coffee with milk in it, so during Passover? No coffee. Tea. Until I became a coffee-drinking adult (sort of), I never realized what a sacrifice that was.

But, how to describe Matzo Brei? Sort of a matzo pancake? Definitely a tasty blank canvas that can be topped with a sprinkle of sugar (Mom’s way) or a spoonful of jam (my way). We only ever had it (and I only ever make it) during Passover. If you don’t save certain dishes for special occasions, how would you know it was a holiday? Right?

Matzo Brei
(single serving)

Ingredients:

2 sheets of matzo
1 egg
pinch of salt
2 tsp. peanut (or vegetable) oil (for frying)

Preparation:

Put the matzos into a medium bowl and crush (I usually just make a fist and crush it with my knuckles). Cover with cool water and soak for about 2 minutes or until the matzo is soft, but not mushy. Pour through a strainer to drain, and press to get most of the excess water out.

Beat the egg with a fork until well-blended, add the salt and mix. Add the soaked matzo and mix very well, making sure that the matzo is completely coated.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and heat the oil. Add the matzo-egg mixture in a pile in the middle of the pan and press down with a spatula, spreading it out evenly, until it’s about 3/4″ thick. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, turning it over when it’s golden brown. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.

We do the “Mom” touch around here, cutting the matzo brei up into bite-sized squares, then either sprinkling with sugar or adding a dollop of jam.

Notes:

Is it me? Or is matzo getting smaller this year? Or is it just Manischewitz brand? They looked positively Lilliputian when I took them out of the box!

A word about oil: Unless you follow the Sephardic tradition, the use of canola oil is not allowed during Passover. When I was growing up, the only kosher for Passover oil available, was peanut oil, so I continue to use that. There are KP vegetable oils available now, so if you prefer to use one of them, feel free.

I made Multigrain Pancakes for breakfast, this morning. And they were awesome. But, what is it about the month of January that makes me want to take another look at pancakes? I mean, last January I gave you the Best Buckwheat Pancakes Ever. Now, this?

I think, like most of you, I’m suffering from “Holiday Hangover” – looking back over all the decadent fat and sugar-laden foods we’d consumed over the last couple of months, and saying to myself, “Self, time to get yourself in check.” Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll pass. But in the meantime, I want pancakes. Light, fluffy, tasty pancakes that have something going for them in the nutrition department. Choices. It’s all about choices, people.

Multigrain Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oatmeal, ground
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 packet Truvía (or 2 tsp. sugar)
2 Tbs. Smart Balance Light Spread (or butter or margarine)
1 1/2 cups plain soy milk (or dairy milk of your choice)
1 large egg

Preparation:

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flour through sweetener).

Melt the Smart Balance (or butter) and allow to cool a bit. Measure the soy milk into a 2-cup glass measuring cup, add the egg and whisk together. Add the melted Smart Balance or butter and whisk thoroughly.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together until completely combined.

Spray a large frying pan or griddle with cooking spray and heat it until a few drops of water bounce around before evaporating. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Turn when the tops develop bubbles and the edges look dry. Cook the second side for about 3 – 4 more minutes, or until brown.

Serve with additional Smart Balance and/or whatever you like. Personally, I think they make a dandy platform for one of my Freakin’ Flamingo Jams. Oh, come on – you would have been disappointed if I hadn’t slipped a plug in there, somewhere! The jam in this photo is a new one I’m working on, Strawberry Mojito. Almost ready for prime time.

Makes about 16, roughly 4-inch pancakes.

Notes:

One more time: I receive no consideration for using Smart Balance Light, or any other brand. I have it in my fridge because we like it and for its stated healthy composition. If you want to use something else, feel free

And, of course, this recipe is easily multiplied to feed a crowd. You can freeze any leftover pancakes with pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper slipped between each one, in a freezer bag, and reheat them from frozen (don’t thaw them) in your oven or toaster oven, whenever you want them!

Mike loved these so much, he instantly began thinking of other uses for them, besides breakfast. Slathered with cold jam, topped with whipped cream and a strawberry, it’s dessert. Leave out the sweetener, make the batter a bit thinner, and cook them at silver dollar size, and you have a savory pancake that’s a perfect base for an appetizer. And then he begged me not to post the recipe!

I love my husband.

Oh, my. I have just discovered The Buckwheat Pancake. No, no! Not just buckwheat pancakes – THE best buckwheat pancake I’ve ever had! I made these for Sunday breakfast, and had to share them with you.

Sure, they’re healthy and low fat, but they’re also so delicious and easy to make, you won’t care! Would I lie to you?

Please don’t go by this photo! I don’t know what happened here, but they really do look golden brown & delicious in real life!

Buckwheat Apple Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk (can use low-fat, if available)
1 large egg (or equivalent of egg-substitute like Egg Beaters)
1/2 Tbs. wildflower honey
1/2 Tbs. dark honey
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. Smart Balance Light (or other) margarine, melted
1 medium apple (your favorite) diced or chopped small

Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation:

In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients. In another, smaller bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients, except the apple. Pour the wet mixture into the dry, and mix until thoroughly combined. When the batter is smooth, fold in the chopped apple. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Spray a large frying pan or griddle with cooking spray and heat it until a few drops of water bounce around before evaporating. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Turn when the tops develop bubbles and the edges look dry. Cook the second side for about 3 – 4 more minutes, or until brown.

Serve with additional Smart Balance and honey. Makes about 8, roughly 5-inch pancakes

Notes:

One more time: I receive no consideration for using Smart Balance Light, or any other brand. I have it in my fridge because we like it and for its stated healthy composition. If you want to use something else, feel free.

I prefer to use local honeys. If there’s a farmer’s market in your area, odds are you’ll find someone selling local honey. For this recipe, I used a local wildflower honey and an avocado honey, which is a very dark, rich honey that has almost a bite to it at the finish. If you can find buckwheat honey, that would be awesome! If you can’t find a dark honey, you can substitute molasses.

If you’d like, you can substitute agave nectar for the honey – use the light agave nectar for the wildflower honey, and use the dark, raw agave instead of the dark honey. *Bonus* – Although there’s very little honey in this recipe, substituting the agave nectars for the honeys makes these pancakes an excellent choice for Type II diabetics.

No, you don’t have to use a “cooking” apple. I used a Golden Delicious in mine – you can use whatever you have.

I used an electric griddle set at 325º F.

And, of course, this recipe is easily doubled to feed a crowd. You can freeze any leftover pancakes with pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper slipped between each one, in a freezer bag, and reheat them from frozen (don’t thaw them) in your oven or toaster oven, whenever you want them!

You have got to try this the next time you have a craving for pancakes – and they won’t wreck your diet!