Today I am sharing this veg packed recipe as part of the Abel & Cole X Balance Blogger Challenge. It's worth making a batch of these pancakes as once cold, they can be stacked between sheets of baking paper, wrapped in foil and frozen for another time. You can replace the grated carrot with other veg such as squash, courgette or beetroot and you can be as creative as you like with your toppings maxing out on colour, texture and flavour.

Carrot, Chickpea + Coriander Pancake with Roasted Veg, Feta, Avocado + Pesto

Serves 2, but easily doubled.

For the pancakes:
75g chickpea flour
75g plain white flour
230ml milk
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots
half a bunch of coriander
coconut nut oil or ghee

For the roasted veg:
2 medium carrots
1 red onion
1 tsp cumin seeds
olive oil

To serve:
a handful of salad leaves
a handful of sprouting seeds
100g feta
2 tbsp pesto*

Preheat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7.

Start by making your pancake batter. Sift both of your flours into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Gradually add the milk, whisking as you go and then the olive oil.  Pour the mixture into a jug, cover and place in the fridge while you get on with the roasted veg.

Peel the onion and slice into wedges. Chop the two carrots into generous chunks. Add the onion and carrots to a baking tray or small roasting tin, sprinkle over the cumin seeds and drizzle over some olive oil. Gently toss to coat the veg with the oil and seeds before placing in the oven for around 20 minutes. Cook until the veg is tender and beginning to char around the edges. Once cooked place to one side and keep it warm.

Peel and grate the two remaining carrots and chop the coriander, stalks and all. Add both to the pancake batter and stir through.

Place a small non-stick frying pan on a high heat and add a teaspoon of coconut oil or ghee. Ladle in enough batter to cover the base. Let it cook for 3 – 4 minutes, lifting up the edge to check the pancake is set, golden and crisp. Quickly and confidently flip your pancake and cook the other side. When done slide it onto a plate and keep it warm in the bottom of the oven while you make a second pancake.

When both your pancakes are done it is just an assembly job. Top each pancake with some of the roasted carrot and onion, a handful of salad leaves and sprouting seeds, some crumbled feta and avocado slices. Finish by drizzling over some pesto, loosened with a little olive oil.

* I made a quick homemade pesto using a mix of basil and kale as I had an abundance of kale in the fridge that needed to be used. To make the pesto just toast a handful of pine nuts and put them food processor along with a pinch of salt and a garlic clove, add 3 - 4 stems of kale (leafy bit only, not the stalks), a bunch of basil and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Pulse to combine and then trickle in more olive oil until you have your preferred consistency. Add a handful of grated parmesan cheese and pulse. Taste and season with salt, pepper and if you like a squeeze of lemon juice. Decant into a jar, level off the top and cover with a thin layer of olive oil.