Sprouted barley pancakes with chai-poached pears
 
Ingredients
Chai-poached pears
  • 2 pears, peeled and cored
  • 1 cinnamon quill
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1 slice fresh ginger
  • 1 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1 black tea bag
  • 3 cups hot water
Sprouted barley pancakes
  • 1 cup dry, hulled barley (makes 2 cups sprouted)
  • 1 cup milk (dairy, nut or coconut)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
  • ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. This recipes requires a little forward planning as you'll need to sprout the barley first. In a pinch though, it will still work if you just soak the barley the night before.
  2. To sprout the grains, soak thm overnight, and then in the morning place in a sprouter and leave to drain. Make sure to rinse the grains every 6 to 10 hours.
  3. Once the grains start to sprout (ie grown little tails), rinse again and then store in the fridge a day or two until ready to use.
  4. To prepare the pears, first peel and core them from the bottom so as to keep them in tact.
  5. Place all other ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove the tea bag after 2 - 3 minutes.
  6. Add the pears and poach until soft and cooked through, around 30 - 40 minutes.
  7. Remove pears and set aside. Strain the liquid and discard the spices. Return the liquid to the pan and bring to a rolling boil for half an hour or until it's reduced and is nice and syrupy.
  8. To make the pancakes, place the sprouted (or soaked and drained) barley grains in a high-powered blender and add the milk, sweetener and salt and blend until smooth. Add the egg and pulse a few times until combined. If the mixture is too thick at this point, add an extra table spoon or two of milk.
  9. Heat a fry pan over medium heat and dab a little cocout oil or butter on the pan and coat the base. Spoon 2 - 3 Tbsp of the batter on and smooth out with the back of the spoon. Cook until firm on top and golden underneath. Flip and cook another minute or so on the otherside until also golden, then remove from the pan. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, placing the cooked pancakes on a plate in a warm oven until ready to serve.
  10. Place 3 - 4 pancakes on each plate and top with half a pear and a drizzle of the chai syrup to serve.
Notes
The readiness of the pears will depend on the size and type of pear you use. Most should take 30 -40 minutes, but some may take longer than this. Test if they are ready by sticking a skewer or sharp knife into the pear to see how soft it is.
Recipe by to her core at https://tohercore.com/sprouted-barley-pancakes-with-chai-poached-pears/