Zucchini Pancakes with Smoked Salmon

As you know, I love pancakes. Most people do.

Yet, there's no diet trend out there that praises the virtues of pancakes.

But one thing most mainstream diets share? "eat more veggies."

For most of us, that's the hard part. Paleo? It's easy to get on board with bacon. Vegan? It feels lighter to take a break from animal products, but that doesn't mean we're replacing them with vegetables. 

Often what we gloss over are the leafy greens and hard core veggie eating.

But. What if there were a solution? 

What if we harness the pure pleasing power of pancakes, and combine them with something like... zucchini.

Enter the zucchini pancake. These bad boys pack a veggie punch that works for breakfast, or just a snack.

This recipe helps us get started on our veggie fix first thing in the morning. Often we'll make the recipe for brunch on Sunday, and gussy it up with some spinach and a soft-boiled egg. The cakes taste good on their own, too, so they make good grab-and-go leftovers.

Zucchini Pancakes with Smoked Salmon

Serves 4

This recipe works well doubled. We often make extra to have leftovers during the early part of the work week.

Ingredients

• 1 lb zucchini
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp coconut oil, divided
• 1 sprig dill
• A few pieces of smoked salmon
• Avocado, sliced, for topping

Process

• Using a box grater or food processor, shred the zucchini. Place in a strainer set over a bowl, and combine with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to drain liquid.
• Take a spatula and press the zucchini to remove any excess moisture.
• Drain the bowl, then rinse and wipe dry. Add the eggs, almond flour, and zucchini, and mix well.
• Pre-heat the oven to 150ºF. Place a tray on the middle rack. This is to keep the cakes warm while cooking the rest of the batch.
• Heat a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of oil.
• Scoop zucchini mixture onto pan. We use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to make sure each cake is roughly the same size.
• Cook the cakes in batches for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
• Top with a few pieces of salmon and a couple slices of avocado.

Looking for sweeter pancakes? Check out our Banana Plantain Pancake recipe.