Roll out the dough and divide it into 6 portions. Cover with plastic wrap.
Finely dice the green leafy vegetables
Divide the vegetables into 6 equal portions
Sprinkle a clean flat surface with flour. Place one piece of dough on the floured surface.
Assemble "Pancakes"
Using a rolling pin, flatten one of the balls of dough into a circle about 7 inches across.
Brush ¼ teaspoon sesame oil onto the round of dough.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt onto the round of dough
Then spread the oil and salt around with your fingers to completely coat the round.
Sprinkle one portion of the vegetables onto the round.
Lightly press the vegetables into the dough with your fingers.
Fold the round in half and then fold in half again. Roll into a ball with your hands.
Sprinkle the dough ball with a little flour. Flatten it with your hand and roll it out again into a circle about 5 inches in diameter.
Repeat with the remaining 5 dough balls.
Cook the "Pancakes"
Place a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.
Add one of the dough circles to the pan and cook on one side for 4 minutes or until the bottom side is browned (don’t be scared to take a peek underneath with a pancake turner to lift the edge).
Flip the pancake over with a spatula or pancake turner. Cook the other side for about 4 more minutes or until the bottom is browned.
Remove your pancake to a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven to keep it warm while you cook the remaining dough circles.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Use this recipe as a fun flatbread topped with your favorite veggies and cheese or serve it with Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce--another recipe from Chef Pera.
Variations
• Add some color…try adding some grated carrots to the pancakes when adding the green leafy vegetables.
Measure the vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper and add to a mixing bowl.
Whisk lightly until the ingredients come together. Taste. Adjust if necessary.
Measure the oil. Slowly pour the oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking.
The oil and vinegar has come together or “emulsified” when you notice the consistency thicken and color become cloudy. Set aside.
2-The Salad
Cut the butternut squash into a small dice and toss it 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper and roast at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Tear lettuce with your hands. Avoid using a knife to cut lettuce, it may turn it brown. Add to a bowl.
Select additional ingredients: a nut, a fruit (dried or fresh), a cooked grain and a cheese. Measure and sprinkle into the bowl with the lettuce and vegetables.
3-Dress The Salad
Add dressing ¼ cup at a time. You want to make sure that you do not put too much dressing on your salad.
Toss ingredients together with your clean hands or a set of tongs. Make sure to coat each leaf well.
Bring a 4-quart pot of water to a boil, add orzo, return to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes until just tender.
Using a sieve, strain orzo reserving ⅛ cup of water in the pot.
Return drained orzo to pot with liquid. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and stir to coat. Set aside.
Layer the Flavor
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add artichoke quarters and stir to combine, scraping garlic from bottom of pan. Continue cooking 5-7 minutes until everything begins to brown
Remove from heat and immediately pour in vinegar to deglaze the pan. Vigorously scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits.
Add in minced parsley, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and the roasted nuts. Stir to mix evenly.
Spoon artichoke mixture into orzo and stir to distribute everything evenly.
Serve it Up
Taste the dish and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on individual plates. Garnish with a sprig of parsley, a pinch of Parmesan cheese and a few sprinkles of lemon zest.
Offer with freshly cracked pepper, accompanied by focaccia bread and a fresh green salad.
Recipe Notes
This recipe can easily be made with fresh artichokes when they are in season and inexpensive.
1. Steam 6-8 fresh artichokes in a large stockpot of boiling water for about 45 minutes until they are tender.
2. Drain the water and let the artichokes cool completely. (Steps 1 & 2 can be done the day before).
3. Remove all the outer leaves and the “choke” itself. Only the hearts are used in this dish, save the leaves to eat as a snack. Discard the fuzzy inner choke.
4. These will be larger than either the frozen or canned options, so cut the hearts into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 equal pieces and sauté with the garlic as described above.
This recipe is from the award-winning cookbook, Eat it Food Adventures with Marco Polo available at recipe4success.org
