I love food. I love everything about it. Buying, preparing and eating it.
However, sometimes I fast to cleanse my body from the inside out and to reconnect with my beliefs and find new inspiration.
Well, writing these lines I find myself right in the middle of a 7-day detox only consuming green juices, water and herbal tea.
I gained my first experiences with juice fasting last year on Bali. In a group with nine other women from different countries and backgrounds we went through the most transforming and emotional process I can remember. We were accompanied by the most loving and caring person I met, filling rooms with spirit and minds with clarity. She not only ensured our physical well-being. She cried with us and laughed with us, smiling in both cases. I will never forget this beautiful intense experience leaving me in complete harmony of body, mind and spirit in times when I needed it the most.
Not one day passes without me thinking of Bali and the wonderful people I met there and since then I feel the need to base my diet on vegetables and fruit even stronger.
Those memories are already almost one year old and after some quite cheesy weeks around Easter I felt the need to rebalance my body.
Additionally, a close friend of mine is currently on Bali, experiencing the same process as I did last year. This post ist dedicated to you, Helen, to remind you that these 7 days will actually have an end and afterwards food will taste even more excellent! You are my umbilical cord to Ubud and let relive the precious memories I carry in my heart.
Juice fasting and savory pancakes, how does that fit together? Well, as I said before the decision to not eat solid food for 6 days does not only refuel my body. In those days I feel highly sensitive on a physical level but also emotionally. And the ongoing process of inner healing makes room for new ideas. This inspiration naturally finds its expression in my kitchen. Of course only in my imagination, in the here and now I stick to my green juice. This creative process of developing recipes, combining contradictory flavors and textures is put on paper and literally happened today on my stove. Funnily, I remember my mom creating the most experimental and innovative dishes during her annual one-week fast just before Easter. In those days I didn't really understand this crazy behavior (however enjoying those special meals, of course ;) ) but today I feel just the same.
And believe me or not, I don't feel hungry at all. Not even after baking these towers of truly tasty chickpea pancakes. Cooking while fasting just gains one very special meditative quality.
I had those pancakes recently as dinner but also as breakfast and the universal applicability of this recipe and its simplicity in preparation lead me to share it with you, even without tasting it today. Since I invited friends for dinner next week and coming days will be quite busy I decided to make a bunch of these special pancakes today, you'll love them! They can easily be frozen and taste just as well after defrosting. I love chickpeas in any manifestation and use them in diverse ways in my recipes. They are a valuable source of protein and additionally provide a high content of fiber helping to lower cholesterol and improving digestive health. Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and moreover it contributes to this appealing color. To add some more fiber and variety in terms of color I added fresh spinach to half of the portion. Looks great and I bet it tastes just as good.
Savoury Chickpea Pancakes
makes around 25 small pancakes
4 cups chickpea flour
4 cups water
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp turmeric
2 handful fresh spinach
Place all the ingredients except the spinach in a huge bowl and whisk to combine. The texture should be runny but not too watery. Add some water if necessary. Divide the dough into two equal portions and add the spinach leaves to one of them. Use an immersion blender to get a homogenous consistency.
Heat up a mid-sized frying pan. Since the dough already contains olive oil, you don't need to add any oil here.
Add two tablespoons of the dough to the pan and move the pan a bit to obtain an evenly circular pancake. Bake around one minute until golden from each side, simple as that!
Enjoy as breakfast with avocado and tomato paste, as wholesome dinner with garlic roasted mushrooms deglazed with white wine, creamy sweet-potato mash and goat cheese or simply as substantial snack for in-between.
Keep on going, Helen, and remember: You are not alone and YOU ARE LOVED!
Johanna