savoury pancakes with garlicky mushrooms

Recipe from 15 Minute Vegan on a Budget by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £15) Photography © Dan Jones.

A simple, thrifty, yet luxurious dinner that transforms basic ingredients into a hearty meal. Why wait until Shrove Tuesday to flip the pancake pan? Soya single cream is cost-effective and available in most supermarkets. The UHT varieties tend to be cheaper and last for longer before use.

Serves 2 generously

(makes about 6)

For the pancakes

100g (3.5oz) plain flour

200ml (7fl oz/generous 0.75 cup) unsweetened soya milk, chilled

generous pinch of fine sea salt

6 tbsp sunflower oil

For the garlicky mushrooms

1 tbsp sunflower oil

200g (7oz) button mushrooms, some sliced, some whole

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced

6 tbsp soya single cream

small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper

A handheld balloon whisk is a cheap, essential tool for your utensil drawer, and it mixes the smoothest pancake batter.

Start by making the pancakes. Whisk together the flour, soya milk, and sea salt in a bowl until smooth.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium hat. Test if the oil is hot by adding a drop of pancake batter to the pan: if it sizzles and becomes golden within 30 seconds, it is at optimum temperature. Add 4 tablespoons of the batter to make one pancake and swirl the batter around the pan to coat the base evenly.

When the pancake is golden after 2-3 minutes, carefully flip it over to cook the other side. Drain on kitchen paper then keep warm in the oven while you continue to cook the pancakes, using 1 tbsp of the oil each time.

For the garlicky mushrooms, heat the oil in a separate frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

To assemble, place the pancakes on serving plates and generously load on the garlicky mushrooms. Fold the pancakes over and serve while hot.