All runners know the moment intimately. You’re halfway through a long morning run. You know that the finish line is crossable. You’ve been chewing on dates, Hammer gels, and all other forms of caffeine carbohydrate concoctions for the last hour or so. You can actually hear your stomach growling. All the pain or fatigue starts to disappear, being replaced by this insatiable hunger. All you can think about is EATING.
I love pancakes. Really though, if I could somehow pay myself to cook myself pancakes all day, that’s contentment. As I was reading Scott Jurek’s Eat & Run, an outline of his journey to plant-based, vegan excellence while running, I tried out his 8-Grain Strawberry Pancakes. They’re fantastic and hearty. They thoroughly hit the spot after a run. They’re packed with healty fats and perfect for recovery with enough protein. They will hit the blood sugar hard so be sure to take plenty of insulin, regardless of the fact that you just exercised. Here’s a look at the recipe:
Ingredients:
– 2.25 cups of flour (He uses a mix of spelt, oat, millet, rye, buckwheat, chia, flax, etc. I just use whatever I have around. Don’t be afraid to throw grains into your Vitamix to make flour.)
– 2 teaspoons of baking powder
– 1/2 t sea salt
– 2 cups non-dairy milk (Check out this Cashew Milk recipe)
– 3 T olive oil
– 2 T agave nectar
– 1 t vanilla extract
– 1.5 cups of frozen fruit (I use blueberries for extra antioxidants)
– 1 t coconut oil (For the pan)
Mix the flour, baking powder, and sea salt together thoroughly. Add in the milk, olive oil, agave, and vanilla. Whisk or blend together well. Let sit for about 10 minutes. At this point, you may need to add more milk or water if too thick. Throw in the frozen fruit. Use a 1/4 or 1/3 measuring cup to pour the batter into the pan that’s now heated and covered in oil or Pam. When you see bubbles come through the surface of the batter, flip them over!
Makes roughly 8-12 pancakes depending on the measuring cup used.
Enjoy!