Red Beet and Zucchini Pancakes with Ruccola Tarragon Salad

Ingredients

For the pancakes

• 2 medium-sized red beets/beetroots, peeled
• 1 medium-sized zucchini/courgette
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 small red onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup (approx. 40 g) soy flour, or a little more for consistency
• a little water (if needed, for consistency)

For the salad

• 2 cups (approx. 70 g) ruccola/arugula/rocket salad, washed and finely chopped
• 5 stems fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• a little salt and fresh black pepper (optional)

For the sauce

• 1 small clove garlic, chopped
• 1 large, ripe avocado
• ½ cup (120 ml) soy milk
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup
• juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tablespoon tahini
• salt, to taste

Method

To make the pancakes

First, turn the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Finely shred the red beets/beetroot and the zucchini/courgette and finely chop the garlic and the red onion.

Place all this in a pan together with the olive oil, the cumin powder and the cumin seeds and fry for a few minutes, until some of the liquid is gone (the shredded red beetroots can be very moist).

Remove the pan from the stove, add the soy flour and mash with a fork to thoroughly blend it in.

Place a baking paper in a baking tray and press out thin CD sized pancakes of the red beetroot/zucchini mix. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. The pancakes should be firm throughout and crisp and a little brown on top. I recommend carefully flipping them over after approximately 20 minutes, to get the crispiness on both sides.

To make the salad and sauce

Prepare the salad and the sauce while the pancakes are in the oven.

For the salad, place the chopped tarragon and ruccola/arugula/rocket in a bowl, drizzle over the olive oil and add a little fresh pepper and salt if desired. Toss and set aside.

For the sauce, simply add all ingredients in bowl and blend together using a hand mixer (or use a blender). Add salt to taste and perhaps a little more soy milk to get to your desired consistency.

To serve

When the pancakes are ready, garnish with the greens and serve with the sauce on the side.