It’s not every day that I get to wake up feeling rested and happy. As early as 5:30am I was already up. I felt alert, my eyes wide open, not at all resisting. I felt a surge of energy that’s so rare I could count the number of times I felt this way with just one hand. So I decided to make a Sunday breakfast on a Monday morning—pancakes, bacon, and eggs.
When I came downstairs to our living room, I was surprised at how beautiful the light was coming from the window. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this particular kind of light in the almost two years we’ve stayed in this apartment. In our first year, the afternoon sunlight always caught my attention as it bathes our entire kitchen by around four in the afternoon. Now, at thirty minutes past six in the morning, I stare at this gorgeous, warm, golden morning light. It almost looks like it’s sunset hour, the soft yellow rays hit our raggedy dining table, past my shelves of cookbooks, and across our kitchen sink.
So I set to work, feeling so inspired early in the morning. I’ve made these pancakes before. This particular recipe is from Julia Turshen’s old cookbook “Small Victories.” Usually, the wet mixture asks for a cup of sour cream, but since I don’t have any I used a cup of Greek yogurt instead. The batter is simply made of flour, baking soda, salt, and a mixture of eggs, Greek yogurt, and sugar. I love how bubbly and dense this pancake batter was.
Sometimes I still can’t believe I could barely cook pancakes before, even those that come pre-packaged. I remember when my father was still alive and he asked me to cook pancakes for him. He was always the one who cooks breakfast for the two of us, so this request was particularly special. Unfortunately, I was a very bad cook for a long time. I used this boxed pancake mixture and added way too much water I basically made a loose, liquid goop instead of a dense sticky batter. I ended up with a sad excuse for a pancake, paper-thin mounds that look more like a crepe than a fluffy pancake. My father didn’t say anything. If only I could cook pancakes for him just one more time. He would no doubt love these yogurt pancakes. I topped this one with banana and honey.
Yogurt Pancakes
(from Julia Turshen’s Small Victories)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt (sour cream or buttermilk)
1 tbsp brown sugar
unsalted butter for cooking and serving
honey and any fresh fruit for serving
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, crack the eggs and add the yogurt and the sugar. Whisk until the mixture is uniform. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Fold lightly using a wooden spoon. Be careful not to overmix. In this case, it’s better to undermix than overmix.
In a medium-sized non-stick pan or skillet, heat a tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter melts, swirl the pan to evenly coat the surface. Pour the batter into the pan in 1/4 cup increments, one pancake at a time. Cook for about a minute or two. Once you see small bubbles on the surface, flip the pancakes for another minute. Repeat this same process until all the batter has been used up.
Serve with honey and any fresh fruits available.
Joanne Aika 