oatmeal pancakes.

I am for the most part, a savory breakfast fan.  Give me cheesy scrambled eggs and toast over waffles any day. But once every couple of weeks, I get a hankering for pancakes

I love pancakes for their crisp edges and impossibly fluffy interiors, but I generally feel as if I can eat a stack 3 feet tall and never feel full.   While absolutely delicious, they lack sustenance, the stuff that I need to actually stop eating. Which is why, when I stumbled across this recipe for oatmeal pancakes, I felt as if I finally found my ideal pancake.

These are the slightly more indulgent version of your daily bowl of oatmeal.  Oats two ways get combined with your standard pancake ingredients to produce (in my humble opinion) the perfect pancake (a big statement I know).  Served with whatever fruit is at its peak (currently strawberries and raspberries) and an excessive amount of pure maple syrup, you have a pretty awesome breakfast that manages to straddle the line between healthy and extravagant.   

Oatmeal Pancakes
Recipe tweaked from Good to the Grain

Makes about 18 pancakes

3/4 cup oat flour (you can make this by pulsing rolled oats into a food processor or spice grinder until finely ground; 1 cup of oats yielded 3/4 cup oat flour for me)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus extra for the pan)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup cooked oatmeal*
1 tablespoon unsulphured (not blackstrap) molasses, honey, maple syrup
2 large eggs

Whisk the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the butter, milk, cooked oatmeal, honey and eggs together until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a light hand is important for tender pancakes; the batter should be slightly thick with a holey surface.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Lower to medium-low. Rub the pan generously with butter; the key to crisp, buttery edges. Working quickly, dollop 1/4-cup mounds of batter onto the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Wipe the pan with a cloth before griddling the next pancake. Continue with the rest of the batter.

Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet or keep them warm in a low oven. We also found these to reheat surprisingly well the next morning, again in a low oven.

Do ahead: Although the batter is best if using immediately, it can sit for up to 1 hour on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator. When you return to the batter, it will be very thick and should be thinned, one tablespoon at a time, with milk. Take care not to overmix.

* Make oatmeal, if you don’t have any leftover: Bring 1 cup water and a slightly heaped 1/2 cup of rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick-cooking) and a pinch of salt to a boil and simmer on low for 1 (quick-cooking) to 5 minutes (old-fashioned), until thick. Let cool. This can also be cooked in a microwave.

buckwheat buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compote.

Sunday called for pancakes.  

And not just any pancakes but buckwheat pancakes (insanely nutty and utterly addicting) covered in homemade blueberry compote (from the last of this past summer's freezer berries) and maple syrup.   We ate them in sweatpants while watching the Sunday Morning food shows.  It was a perfect morning.  

I know at some point here Spring will come and with it our weekends of hibernation will end.  But, there was something incredibly cozy about this winter and how it seemingly never wanted to end.  It was a nice way to start a marriage - holed up indoors with stacks of books and magazines, a plethora of good TV, and lots of comfort food.  I know things wont always be so easy and effortless (I don't know how I've been so lucky so far) but I'm thankful for the fact that most of the time it is.       

Easy like Sunday morning.   

Buckwheat Buttermilk Pancakes
Recipe from Anson Mills 

Serves 2 as written below.  The original serves 4 and can be found on the Anson Mills site.  

3 tablespoons unsalted European-style butter

½ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk

2 ounces (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) buckwheat flour (preferably Anson Mills Rustic Aromatic Buckwheat Flour)

1.75 ounces (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose or pastry flour (or if you have it Anson Mills Colonial Style Fine Cloth-Bolted Pastry Flour)

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg

  

Make the pancakes: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Pour the buttermilk into the pan with the butter to warm it slightly. Set a well-seasoned 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat to warm for about 10 minutes while you finish making the batter. The skillet is hot enough when droplets of water flicked onto its surface sizzle on contact.

  

Turn the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg in a medium mixing bowl. Add the warm buttermilk mixture to the egg and whisk well to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry all at once and whisk lightly to combine.

Butter or oil the hot skillet. Drop pancakes one at a time into the pan with a small ladle or ¼-cup measure—there will be room for 4 pancakes. When the pancakes are nicely browned on the bottom and have begun to bubble on the top, 2 to 3 minutes, flip the cakes and brown the other sides, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Take the pancakes from the skillet, regrease the skillet, and cook the next batch. (If the batter becomes too thick over the course of making the pancakes, thin it with a little milk.) Serve the pancakes hot off the griddle with blueberry compote and a drizzle (OK a generous pour) of maple syrup.   

Blueberry Compote

Recipe from Anson Mills

1 ½ cups fresh blueberries

1.6 ounces (scant ¼ cup) sugar

Pinch of fine sea salt

Juice of ½ a lemon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Place blueberries into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan with the sugar, salt, lemon juice, and ginger and set over medium-low heat. Stir frequently as the blueberries begin to sizzle softly and melt. They will quickly begin to release their juices and cease sticking. Bring them to a simmer and cook until soft and saucy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Warm slightly just before serving. 

arepas.

I have vivid childhood memories of eating corn pancakes for dinner.  I don’t know why this particular food conjures up such a bold memory, perhaps it’s because there is a certain novelty to eating something doused in maple syrup for dinner but come summertime, I can’t get that memory out of my head.  I have yet to tackle my own version of corn pancakes, mostly because there are certain foods that are tied to such specific memories and feelings, it’s hard to imagine that a homemade version made by anyone but my mother would be capable of fulfilling any of my cravings.  At some point here I will finally bite the bullet and attempt it (I have visions of corn pancakes and thick slices of bacon served on a rainy summer evening – the kind of thing best eaten in pj’s with someone you love), but until that happens I will settle for a variation of the theme.  These are Arepas according to Mark Bittman, and while I don’t know if I would fully agree with that name, I definitely agree with the flavor of the dish.  This is a comforting dish of corn and cheese encased in the thinnest of pancake like batters.  I like to serve it with slices of avocado and a generous pour of homemade roasted tomatillo salsa which makes for a fun riff on the traditional pancake dinner. 

Arepas

Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman on the NYTimes

Serves 2

1  cup cornmeal

¾ cup corn kernels (about 1 ear)

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup cheddar

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter or oil for greasing the pan

Accompaniments: Sliced jalapenos, sliced avocado, tomatillo salsa, hot sauce

Combine the cornmeal , corn kernels, and cheddar in a bowl.  Beat the egg with the milk.  Pour the milk and egg mixture over the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine.   Season with salt and pepper.  (Batter will be thin!). 

Heat a frying pan over medium high heat.  Grease the pan with the butter or oil.  Drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter on the pan (like you would pancakes).  Cook for 1 -2 minutes until cooked and golden brown, flip the pancake over and cook the other side for another minute.  Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.  Top the pancakes with the accompaniments of your choice.    

green pancakes with lime yogurt sauce.

I am not a vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination  To me, bacon is the greatest food that has ever existed.  I also have an unrequited love affair with Shake Shack cheeseburgers, and roast chicken is one of the simple pleasures in life, but when spring produce arrives with abundance at the farmer's market, I unintentionally ignore meat and give the green stuff the attention it deserves.  (Maybe you can call me a seasonal vegetarian?)  I've basically lived off of vegetables for the past 10 days (I needed a little vacation cleanse) and when there are dishes like this to be made and eaten, it's easy to live off glorious produce.  These pancakes and hearty and satisfying.  The kind of thing that reminds you of being a kid when your mom when try and sneakily hide vegetables in dishes you would eat, accept here the greens are front and center.  Spinach gets to shine and it pairs beautifully with a creamy yogurt sauce.  A little lime zest and cumin adds the appropriate amount of zing.  This is a beautifully elegant spring dinner.  

Green Pancakes with Lime Yogurt Sauce
Recipe adapted (barely) from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

For the Lime Yogurt

1 cup Greek yogurt
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes or smoked paprika 
1/4 teaspoon cumin

For the Pancakes

1/2 lb (about 8 cups) spinach, washed
3/4 cup self-rising flour 
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teasspoon ground cumin
2/3 cup milk
6 medium green onions, finely sliced
2 fresh green chiles, thinly sliced
1 egg white
Olive oil for frying

To make the lime yogurt sauce. Combine the yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro, and chile flakes.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. 

Wilt the spinach in a pan with a splash of water. Drain in a sieve and, when cool, squeeze hard with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Roughly chop and put aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, whole egg, melted butter, salt, cumin and milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the green onions, chiles and spinach and mix with a fork. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and gently fold it into the batter.

Pour a small amount of olive oil into a heavy frying pan and place on medium-high heat. For each pancake, ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan and press down gently. You should get smallish pancakes, about 3 inches in diameter and 3/8 inch thick. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until you get a good golden-green color. Transfer to paper towels and keep warm. Continue making pancakes, adding oil to the pan as needed, until the batter is used up.

To serve, pile up three warm pancakes per person and add a dollop of yogurt sauce on top.  

yogurt berry pancakes.

For the first time in a very long time, Tyler and I had a relaxing and leisurely Saturday morning in our own apartment.  We slept in until nine, walked over to the neighborhood farmers market to stock up on produce, and came back to make pancakes and large glasses of ice coffee. 

Generally, I don’t like pancakes or waffles for breakfast.  I prefer eggs.  Poached, over easy, fried, scrambled, it doesn’t matter (and the eggs must include a side of buttered toast).  But on occasion I get a hankering for pancakes – this usually happens when I have a fridge stocked with berries and yogurt and a lazy weekend ahead of me.

I used the wonderful Mark Bittman’s pancake recipe as my starting point to which I added ground cinnamon and ginger to the batter (those spices work so well with berries).  I also used a combination of Greek yogurt and milk  (instead of just milk) since it gives a nice tang to the batter.  Each pancake was loaded with blueberries and strawberries, which made for a very patriotic breakfast. 

Yogurt Berry Pancakes
Recipe Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything

Serves 2

Mark Bittman’s cookbook is necessary for every home cook to own.  Every recipe in the book provides the perfect foundation for you to customize based on personal preference.  This pancake recipie is my go to and I have adapted in many different ways.  Here I used berries and yogurt but I also adore it with late summer peaches and buttermilk.  

1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg
¾ cup plain yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt)
¼ - ½ cup milk (depending on the yogurt you use you may need more milk to thin the batter)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Zest of 1 lemon
½ cup assorted berries plus more for serving

Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat while you make the batter.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon zest.  Beat the egg into your milk and yogurt mixture.  Gently stir this into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten the flour.  If the batter is thick, add more milk. 

Butter or spray your skillet.  When the skillet is hot, ladle the batter onto the skillet, making the pancakes your choice in size (I usually go for about 4 inches in diameter).  Layer your berries on top of the batter while the pancake cooks, about 2-4 minutes.  You’ll know its ready to flip when bubbles begin to appear around the edges.  Flip the pancake over and cook until the second side is lightly browned.  Top with maple syrup and more berries!