In addition to the delicious nutty flavour that buckwheat flour gives these crêpes, it also makes them high in fibre and gluten-free, not to mention rich in nutrients including calcium, protein, iron and B vitamins. So all in all it’s pretty good for you and makes pretty tasty crêpes, especially when mixed with some dried coconut. They can be served as simple as you like – adding just a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of honey, dripping with maple syrup or you can posh them up a bit and serve them with Greek yoghurt and sticky figs baked with orange juice.

SERVES 4

preparation time: 10 mins, cooking time: 20 mins for the figs, plus 3 minutes per pancake

Ingredients

For the buckwheat and coconut crêpes:

• 200g/7oz/11⁄2 cups buckwheat flour
• 450ml/16fl oz/2 cups milk, plus extra, if needed
• 2 eggs
• a pinch of salt
• finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil, plus extra for cooking
• 50g/13⁄4oz/1⁄2 cup unsweetened desiccated/ dried shredded coconut

For the figs:

• 8–10 figs (depending on their size)
• 4 tbsp honey
• 125ml/4fl oz/1⁄2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• Greek yoghurt, to serve (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/gas 6.

Trim the stalk off the figs and cut each one in half. Sit in a small roasting pan and drizzle the honey over the top. Pour over the orange juice and bake for 20 minutes, basting with the orange juice a couple of times during cooking. When cooked, serve hot, warm or cooled. Keep the figs warm while you make the crepes, or leave them to cool, if you wish.

To make the crêpes, put all of the ingredients except the coconut in a food processor and blitz until smooth. The consistency should be similar to thick pouring cream. Stir in the coconut and add a little extra milk if needed to return the batter to the correct consistency.

Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. When hot, add a trickle of oil and use a brush to evenly coat the pan. Pour in just enough of the batter to cover the surface, swirling the pan to get an even coating. Cook for about 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Flip over using a spatula and cook for about 1 minute, or until golden, on the other side. Keep warm in the oven while cooking the rest.

Serve the crêpes with a portion of the figs and spoon over any sticky orange juices. Finish with Greek yogurt if using.

In the Mood for Healthy Food by Jo Pratt is published by Nourish Books.