Pancakes on the Grill, or My Neighbors Think I Have a Grilling Fetish

From co-op, vegan pancakes on the grill

I love the smell of grilled fake bacon and pancakes in the morning. It smells like victory. OK, it doesn't smell like victory, but it smells good enough to bring out the spying neighbors who always want to see what we're up to on the grill.

Just for laughs, John and I decided that we would have pancakes and Gunga Din (yes, the classic movie) breakfast as part of a very relaxing weekend. Actually, due to a bunch of things that had to be done first (plant watering, kitchen cleaning, etc.), the grilling was done a bit later, and it became brunch. All that aside, it was a good excuse to get out in the beautiful weather and enjoy my grill.

From co-op, vegan pancakes on the grill

To make the pancakes, I used the buttermilk pancake mix from Arrowhead Mills that we sell at the co-op. Usually I like to make these things from scratch, but I mentioned that we had it at the store, and that piqued John's curiosity enough to try it. Lucky for him, he liked it just fine. I'd prefer something more multi-grained, but at least the flours were organic.

I cooked the pancakes on a cast-iron griddle I picked up from Macy's a while back when Martha Stewart started offering her wares there. It cooks like a dream, especially on the grill. The pancakes were uniformly cooked, golden brown on each side.

I served the pancakes with some fake bacon that we both enjoy. We don't eat it very often, probably about once a month just for variety. The fake bacon grilled up very nicely (and quickly!), with crispy edges and chewy interiors.

Finally, I topped my pancakes with a little agave nectar, and John made a mixture of real maple syrup and agave nectar for extra sweetness. I highly recommend grilled breakfast, especially during these early fall days.