Paradise Pancakes (or, what to do with unripe melon, part 2)

Well, I've done it again. I bought another unripe melon. I was so confident in my melon purchase this time, only to be deeply disappointed. I think I have finally learned a valuable life lesson: when the price of melons has been discounted, don't buy them.
Anyway, my beautiful newlywed friend Kelly is coming for brunch, and she loves all things tropical, so I have decided to make tropical pancakes. The pancake part was her request. The tropical part is because she just returned from her honey moon in Hawaii to May in Oregon.

I am going to tropicalize (yes, that is now a word) the pancakes with mango and cantaloupe sauce. I made it by pureeing about 1 1/4 cups cubed mango with 1 2/3 cups cantaloupe. The sweetness of the mango completely overrides the unripe yuck of the melon. My son went crazy for it when he tried it. Who wouldn't? It's like pure sugar in a sauce. That mixed with some shaved coconut in a pancake... paradise.

Paradise Pancakes
1 egg (lightly beaten)
3/4 cup of the mango-melon sauce (or any blend of fruit; pineapple-mango would be divine)
1/4 cup of milk (I used 1%)
1 cup of your favorite whole grain pancake mix* (see recipe at bottom of page to see my newest)
1/2 cup unsweetened shaved coconut, chopped
butter (for cooking)

Whisk together the first 3 ingredients, then stir in pancake mix until fully combined.
Let sit for 15 minutes (this allows the whole grains to absorb the moisture, resulting in a delectably fluffy cake). Stir in the coconut. Heat a griddle on medium-high. Spread some butter over the griddle and allow to melt. Add about 1/4 cup of the batter and cook until bubbles start to form on the top. Flip and cook until the underside is golden-brown. Enjoy.
*The recipe I used already had oil in it. If yours does not, add a little extra mango-melon sauce or add some vegetable oil for moisture (1 tbsp at a time until you have reached desired consistency, should be a thick batter). 

Homemade Whole Grain Pancake Mix

from King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking

Yield is 10 cups dry mix, each batch uses 1 cup of the mix and makes approx. 10 pancakes.

3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp baking soda

2/3 cup vegetable oil (recipe actually calls for 3/4 cup, but I didn't feel it needed that much)

Grind oats in a food processor until chopped finely but not powder. Whisk oats, flour and the next five ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle in oil while stirring. Store in airtight container in freezer.

To make pancakes add 1 egg and 1 cup buttermilk to 1 cup of the mix (or make recipe above). Always allow mix to stand for 15 minutes before cooking to allow four to soak up wet ingredients. Enjoy.