Monday, November 19, 2012

Hearty Oatmeal Pancakes Using Whey

Greek yogurt is easy to love, right?  You don't have to pay its pricey price and deal with all the little plastic cups, though!  All you need to do is strain off some of the liquid (which is whey) in regular yogurt.  I line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl; other people hang it up in a bag similar to making jelly; still other people use a coffee filter.



And then you have thick, Greek-style yogurt. . . and whey.  Don't throw it away!  The whey is super-nutritious.  My favorite way to use it is in pancakes, but I've been looking around for additional uses.  I'd welcome your suggestions in the comments, too.





Hearty Oatmeal Pancakes, adapted from Simply in Season

The following mixture needs to soak for 8-12 hours; generally, this means mix this up the night before you want pancakes for breakfast.

Mix together, cover, and leave at room temperature for 8-12 hours:
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups whey, plain yogurt, buttermilk, sour milk, or mixture of these*

When you're ready to fry the pancakes, add and stir into the oat mixture:
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil

Add and stir just until mixed:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Batter will be very thick.  Place a glop on a hot, lightly greased griddle and spread evenly and gently so the pancake is not too thick - I make these pancakes on the small side (5" diameter or less) or they break when I flip them.  When bubbles appear in the middle and the edges look a bit set, flip.  Makes 6-8 pancakes.




*Sometimes I only have yogurt on hand, so I use at least a cup of yogurt and then fill up the measure with milk.  Also, note that the whey used here is sometimes called "sweet whey" to distinguish it from acid whey which comes from making cheese; I don't have any experience with acid whey.

 
Ever freeze berries and then not know what to do with them?  I do.  Thanks to Amy at Angry Chicken, we have a new favorite use for frozen berries:  warm some frozen berries in maple syrup or pancake syrup in a small pan on the stove.  The berries will color and flavor the syrup as they thaw - give it maybe 10 minutes to turn into a lovely fruity syrup. 
 
You could further mash up the berries a bit, but I don't usually bother because, by then, I am ravenous.  I took lots more photos than these, but they were all blurry from my low-blood-sugar shakes and the low light of early Saturday morning.
 
 

Eat your fruity syrup over pancakes with peanut butter or over, you know, Greek yogurt.

13 comments:

Sew Blessed Maw [Judy] said...

Thanks for sharing your recipe. The pancakes look yummy.. And your little one, looks like he is really enjoying his breakfast.. Cute as can be...
Hope you and family have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

ChatterBlossom said...

Those look pretty tasty! Especially at night time. I'm a night time breakfast eater. ;-)
-Jamie
http://chatterblossom.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Jo said...

I love oatmeal pancakes! They're good with cooked cracked wheat, too. And now Ree posted a recipe using cooked wild rice.

Hmmm, maybe I should make pancakes for lunch today...

Rhonda said...

great idea on the using the whey.
I've been wanting to make yogurt and greek yogurt, and like you, I don't want to waste anything either.

Rebecca said...

I used whey as the liquid for cooking rice when I made a whole foods version of that cheesy rice 'n broccoli mess that turns up at potlucks. Delicious!

Sara said...

I generally throw whey in baked goods. But, I just tore an idea out of Martha Stewart's magazine for freezing it as ice cubes and then using them in lassi. Thinking I'll try this the next time we have an Indian-style dinner.

Unknown said...

Good idea with the whey! I used to put frozen berries in a small skillet and heat with a little cinnamon, honey/sugar, then pour over hotcakes. My kids loved it! I hope you're kids appreciate all your hard work and love of food when they're older!

Unknown said...

And Happy Thanksgiving!

Margo said...

Sara, when you add whey to baked goods, are you using it like buttermilk?
Also, I love the ice cubes in the lassi idea! That's new to me, and I want to try it.

Sara said...

Yup, like buttermilk.

jenny_o said...

I was just thinking of oatmeal pancakes and wondering if I needed a recipe! Also, thank you (and Amy) for the idea to use berries with syrup; it sounds so good, and so quick and easy.

Anamaria said...

Not sure if you're still looking for uses for whey 5+ years later, but I use it 1. to ferment things (including hummus! leave it out for 12 hours with whey and it lasts longer) 2. in soups 3. to soak grains.

(I saw you link to this on Smitten Kitchen and think you also read LMLD? Anyway was interested in other whole grain pancakes!)

Rachelle said...

I've made these at least a dozen times now. They are really delicious! I'm glad to have such a great use for my whey (I make yogurt and drain it for "Greek" yogurt and labneh). I have made it several times with a flax "egg" (1 T ground flax, 2 T boiling water, let stand a few minutes) and I think I like that version even better than with chicken eggs. Thanks for the great recipe!